Tag Archives: josie maurer

The Best of 2024: From Fearless Selfies to Fitness Leaders, the 26 Must-Follow Names in Wellness

I don’t know about you guys, but we had a really great year over here at DietsInReview.com. We certainly felt the love — hello you named us a Top 50 Health Blog for 2024! — and tried every day to show it to you, too. Together we celebrated some tremendous weight loss successes, fitness milestones, and met so many more of you out there who make this a fun place to be in here.

Along the way, we found a few people who made the Internet a healthier place to be, even enlightening and holding us to a higher standard. They should be recognized, and you should consider following them. There’s a lot of brains, talent, and heart in this bunch of 26 brands and people in our 13 categories, covering food, fitness, and even social networks.

Without further adieu … meet our picks for the best of 2024!

THE SELFIE

kenlie alan

It was Oxford’s word of the year, you don’t think we’d pass up a legitimate chance to use it, did you? We selected two individuals who are using their selfies to better themselves and those around them. Plus, their selfies are duck-face free, so we can actually stand to look at them!

Alan Ali — @Sweating_It_Off

Kenlie Tiggeman — @ALLTHEWEIGH

VIDEOS

One hundred hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every MINUTE. It would take longer than four days to watch a single minute’s worth of new video content – and no one has time for that! So we saved you the potato couchin’ time and sorted through to find the very best new clips from this year. Honestly, you’ll put them on repeat.

Dance Walking Fitness by Ben Aaron

Prancercise on YouTube (more…)

Posted on December 16, 2023 by Natalie K

Boycotting Monsanto? You’ve Got the Buycott App for That

Are you one of the millions of Americans hell bent on putting this monster of a company, and its peers, in their place? There’s now an app for that. In fact, Buycott, which launched this month to much consumer excitement, will help you boycott products from brands you’ve no interest in supporting. So many consumers want to vote with their dollars, but because of the tangled web weaved by mergers and company ownership, few people know that when they innocently buy a box of Duncan Hines cake mix that the brand is owned by Monsanto.

Now with Buycott, you can simply scan the bar code of any product at the grocery store and find out which company is behind it. The idea is certainly not to complicate your grocery experience, what with the reading of ingredient and nutrition labels, too, but rather to arm you with more information to make a most educated decision. If this is your thing.

buycott app
“A buycott is the opposite of a boycott. It is an active campaign to buy the products or services of a particular company or brand,” they say in the introductory pages of the app upon download. This suggests that while you may scan one brand and learn of its corporate heritage and choose not to buy it, you’ll likewise scan a different product and choose to support that brand instead. The Buycott app can work either way, obviously. (more…)

Posted on May 15, 2023 by Natalie K

“What’s for Dinner” Never Answered so Easily than with FoodOnTheTable.com

For years I’ve espoused the many benefits of weekly meal planning. I rave to anyone (and even brag a little) about how it ensures we have home cooked meals most nights, how it keeps our grocery budget in check, eliminates a lot of food waste, and leaves little room for excuses about time. I can’t remember the last time I heard “What’s for dinner;” if I do, I point to the calendar on the refrigerator door.

From pen and paper to iPhone apps, there are numerous ways to adopt a meal planning habit in your house. Food On The Table is one digital tool that helps families plan meals almost effortlessly. The cooking, well, that will require a bit more muscle. I spent some time this week “playing” with the app and site, and asked Josie Maurer at YumYucky.com to take a look with me as well. She’s an equally health-conscious and busy mom who hasn’t quite adopted the meal planning strategy that I have. However, I think FoodOnTheTable.com changed her mind.


At FoodOnTheTable.com, or through their Android or iPhone app, you can make a weekly meal plan that is family-friendly (read: the kids will like it), keeps you organized, and reduces strain on your grocery bill. The app is free, as is a base subscription on the site; however, for more bells and whistles a monthly subscription is offered.

The site and app are both designed well. In fact, Josie and I agreed on her note that “It’s very interactive and highly visual, which encourages easy to understand navigation.” (more…)

Posted on January 20, 2024 by Natalie K

True Weight Loss Story: Mother of 4 Not Too Busy to Lose 30 Pounds

You think you’re busy, so busy that you just don’t have time to eat right and exercise? Well, if a young mother of four who works full time and runs a successful health blog can find the time, you probably can too.

Meet Josie Maurer, who, when she’s not busy raising her kids and working every day, keeps up with a health blog. She blogs from the perspective of a regular person with plenty of experience in diet and fitness to share with her audience in a fun and colorful style. I asked Josie to share her weight loss experience:

Was there a moment that made you think “enough is enough”?

In my mind I still looked pretty good in a mirror despite knowing my weight was creeping up. My family also patronized me by not being honest when I asked their opinion on my weight gain with the old, “you look fine, mom.” It was only after looking through some summer photos that my eyes saw the real picture. I thought to myself, “This is not me. This is not who I am.” That was back in 2006, and it was from that moment on that I made serious changes and never looked back. (more…)

Posted on January 1, 2024 by Jason

Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin Warns Black Women not to Sacrifice Their Health for Their Hair

Growing up as a little girl, I can remember my mom spending a lot of time straightening my hair. She would go through the process of washing and pressing it, then she would section it out into some nice, pretty ponytails and I would head outside to play. On my way out the door she would yell, “Don’t sweat your hair out!,” a phrase most black women heard growing up.

What my mom meant was I shouldn’t go outside and get all sweaty, because that would reverse all the work she had just done. Any moisture on my hair would result in it becoming puffy and curly again. Many women grow up with the mentality of avoiding any type of sweat for fear of messing up their hair. Some even go as far as avoiding exercise in the name of beauty.

Black women have the type of hair that requires a lot of maintenance, and if time and money are spent in the beauty salon getting it styled and straightened, most aren’t likely to hit the gym and allow sweat to ruin it. Unfortunately, when this happens, health suffers. Some may think avoiding workouts to keep their hair intact isn’t a big deal, but the issue is serious.

In fact, Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin made an appearance at the recent Bonner Brothers International Hair Show in Atlanta, an annual show that features around 60,000 hair stylists. Dr. Benjamin, who is an African-American woman, wants to make sure black women know that a hairstyle shouldn’t keep you out of the gym.

(more…)

Posted on September 6, 2023 by Descygna

Put Your Sniffles in a Headlock with These Natural Remedies

Josie Maurer, creator of YumYucky.com, spreads the message of finding balance between fitness and your greedy side. She lost over 40 pounds after the birth of her fourth child through sensible eating and exercise, yet she still maintains her love for large slices of cake.

You’re sneezing and throat-hacking. You may cough up a lung. Your head feels 10,000 pounds heavy and your nostrils are host to a faucet of liquid boogers. Cold and flu season is approaching. Are you ready to do battle?

Germs are pretty sneaky. Today’s innocent sneezing fit could very well morph into a barrage of “I can’t go to work” cold symptoms by the time tomorrow comes. But there’s a way to put those symptoms in a headlock and quite possibly bounce back faster. There are 5 natural remedies you can wield against a cold. (more…)

Posted on October 9, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Attack of the Antibiotic Vegetables

Josie Maurer a freelance writer. She also blogs at YumYucky.com and is the co-founder of Fit Blogger’s Guide.

So, you watched Food, Inc. and made some serious dietary changes to safeguard your health. McDonald’s burgers are banned from your stomach and you eat organic as much as possible. Your meat and dairy purchases are antibiotic and hormone-free. Life is good, right?

What about your vegetables? Pesticides are not the only issue.

Sound the alarm because those veggies you’re eating may have been fertilized with manure that comes farm animals given antibiotics and hormones. This isn’t exactly breaking news. Antibiotics in vegetables has been discussed for awhile now, but as people like me and you become more health-conscious, news like this bubbles to the forefront. And quite frankly, I’m ticked off.

Do a Google search for “antibiotics in vegetables” or any similar phrase, and articles like this will pop up. Yes, it’s a big time drag. So what do you do when you think you’ve already done all you can do? (more…)

Posted on September 25, 2023 by GuestBlogger

You Can Have Your Party Feast and Eat it Too

Josie Maurer is a freelance writer and founder of YumYucky.com. She lost over 40 pounds after the birth of her fourth child through sensible eating and exercise, yet she still maintains her love for large slices of cake.

Watch out for that party food! Are you hungry for dining out? When it’s time to enjoy a happy food extravaganza, it can be hard to stay on course with healthy eating. Restaurants do not typically post nutrition numbers on their menus, and dinner parties are a haven for delicious hors d’oeuvres as the thirsty cocktails flow. But how can you enjoy the eating bliss from an occasional night out without that bloated, guilty feeling as try to burn the fat?

Healthy eating plays a major role in your weight loss results. Moderation is important, too, but you should also give yourself some wiggle room to delight in all kinds of delicacies, especially given the opportunity to enjoy a special eating occasion. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shares this same philosophy. In a January 2024 article published on the CDC website, they state: “Healthy eating is all about balance. You can enjoy your favorite foods even if they are high in calories, fat or added sugars. The key is eating them only once in a while and balance them out with healthier foods and more physical activity.”

You can savor the tasty moments of a food event and still achieve your fitness goals. Eating like a bird is not required. So how do you do it? (more…)

Posted on September 11, 2023 by GuestBlogger

3 Non-Exercise Techniques Necessary for a Successful Workout

Josie Maurer, creator of YumYucky.com, spreads the message of finding balance between fitness and your greedy side. She lost over 40 pounds after the birth of her fourth child through sensible eating and exercise, yet she still maintains her love for large slices of cake.

Please don’t get happy for all the wrong reasons. These non-exercise techniques do not involve floor-napping, lazy-dazing or sun bathing. They will, in fact, require some effort on your part, but it’s literally no sweat. Even if you’re gung ho about exercise, there are still some nuisance stumbling blocks that might prevent your workout from ever getting off the ground.
Guard your workouts with these three non-exercise techniques. They will help set you up for a great fitness session with limited hindrances, distractions and disturbances.

Technique #1: ORGANIZE

Got messy clutter everywhere? Can you find your running shoes? Are you pressured to skip your workout because the laundry needs attention? Lack of organization is a beastly little culprit that sneaks up slowly and nibbles at your chance for an effective workout. Disorganization can be overwhelming and is many times at the root of the “I don’t have time to exercise” excuse. Organization helps to remove the noise in your life that distracts from your fitness goals. When you slay the disorganized chaos like you’re wielding a ninja sword, you’ll be freed up and better prepared to workout without the need to tend to other matters first. Problems like a messy workout space, “lost” fitness gear, or a pile of dirty exercise clothes will no longer be part of the issues that hinder you from a great workout. (more…)

Posted on August 14, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Unsung Hereos of the Slim Down

Josie Maurer, creator of YumYucky.com, spreads the message of finding balance between fitness and your greedy side. She lost over 40 pounds after the birth of her fourth child through sensible eating and exercise, yet she still maintains her love for large slices of cake.

Who says the booty, thighs and stomach should get all the credit? Those other body parts deserve some kudos, too. When you set your eyeballs in the mirror to assess the shrinking progress of your body, do you daydream about that pivotal moment you achieve goal weight in your left pinky toe?

Umm. No.

But here’s the happy news. Those body parts you aren’t necessarily focused on right now are going to be your happy unsung heroes as the weight comes off. The collarbone is a hero and the feet are, too. Take a glance at your lovely little fingers. They’re on their way to losing weight.

Not quite sold on the free hype I’m selling? I turned to the happy people of Facebook and Twitter to validate these claims. I asked, “Excluding your booty, stomach and thighs, what body part(s) were you pleasantly surprised to see lose weight?”

The proof is in these weight loss testimonials: (more…)

Posted on July 24, 2023 by GuestBlogger

It’s OK to Take Your Stomach on Vacation

Josie Maurer, creator of YumYucky.com, spreads the message of finding balance between fitness and your greedy side. She lost over 40 pounds after the birth of her fourth child through sensible eating and exercise, yet she still maintains her love for large slices of cake.

Pack those bags and drop the dog at the kennel. It’s vacation time, baby! But please don’t leave your stomach at home. As vacation eating draws near you may experience a rapid heartbeat and sweaty palms from the mere thought of fast food on flights, beautiful buffets, and poolside martinis. Those calories can add up, but there is a silver lining.

You don’t have to feel like you’re vacationing inside a pressure cooker from the stress of food temptations. Stuffing your stomach way past full is obviously not recommended. With a routine of good eating habits at home, uncontrolled eating on vacation will only leave you bloated, lethargic, and in search of Alka Seltzer. But it’s your vacation. You earned it. And that food is looking good. (more…)

Posted on July 10, 2023 by GuestBlogger