BIG Announcements: New website, Zumba classes & more...

I've got some big news and today, good things are happening in threes!

Fancy new diggs: The Piece o' Cake blog has moved to a new website that you can find here. I needed a place to offer my nutrition services and post my Zumba® schedule and had been dragging my feet on building a new website for the longest time. It's finally here, so go check it out! Never fear, I'll still be blogging about nutrition, health, food & fitness. That includes the juicy stuff I know you love, like inexpensive or truly unique workouts, new recipes (including tasty vegetarian and vegan dishes) and my views on the latest diet trends. 

Zumba® summer event: Next month, I am offering two half-price, hour-long Zumba® classes down near Astor Place at 440 Studios (in Manhattan). 

I've got some big news and today, good things are happening in threes!

Fancy new diggs: The Piece o' Cake blog has moved to a new website that you can find here. I needed a place to offer my nutrition services and post my Zumba® schedule and had been dragging my feet on building a new website for the longest time. It's finally here, so go check it out! Never fear, I'll still be blogging about nutrition, health, food & fitness. That includes the juicy stuff I know you love, like inexpensive or truly unique workouts, new recipes (including tasty vegetarian and vegan dishes) and my views on the latest diet trends. 

Zumba® summer event: Next month, I am offering two half-price, hour-long Zumba® classes down near Astor Place at 440 Studios (in Manhattan). 

FREE Workouts all Summer Long in NYC

I love summer in the city. I love that the weather is finally comfortable enough for me, someone who is always cold, to skip the subway and walk all of Manhattan, from downtown to uptown, morning to night. I love August, when tourists and locals alike leave town and suddenly the city is quiet and peaceful. Most of all, I love all the great free events that return each May. I feel so connected to my city when I'm enjoying an evening Jazz performance or yoga class in one of our public parks.

One of the best things about these summer offerings is the free outdoor group exercise classes. Offered all summer long, they are a great introduction to a new fitness activity and an opportunity for starting healthy new habits in a stress-, judgement-, and commitment-free environment, surrounded by the energy and beauty of NYC.

I love summer in the city. I love that the weather is finally comfortable enough for me, someone who is always cold, to skip the subway and walk all of Manhattan, from downtown to uptown, morning to night. I love August, when tourists and locals alike leave town and suddenly the city is quiet and peaceful. Most of all, I love all the great free events that return each May. I feel so connected to my city when I'm enjoying an evening Jazz performance or yoga class in one of our public parks.

One of the best things about these summer offerings is the free outdoor group exercise classes. Offered all summer long, they are a great introduction to a new fitness activity and an opportunity for starting healthy new habits in a stress-, judgement-, and commitment-free environment, surrounded by the energy and beauty of NYC.

I Won't Leave Home Without THIS...

Before I became an RD I was doing the same thing everyone else is: trying to balance work, school, family and a social life with taking care of my body and mind. Heck, I'm still trying to do all those things! I used to load up on all the free health and fitness magazines that I got from my media jobs and I'd tear out pages about 15-minute workouts and fast healthy snacks.

My friends and co-workers saw my passion and would always ask me to share my secrets. As a dietitian, I still get that question: "What do YOU do?" People always want to know what I eat, where I work out and how I fit cooking and exercise into my own busy schedule. 

Today, I'm taking another page from my favorite magazines to show you what I do to stay healthy & fit even when things get hectic. 

Before I became an RD I was doing the same thing everyone else is: trying to balance work, school, family and a social life with taking care of my body and mind. Heck, I'm still trying to do all those things! I used to load up on all the free health and fitness magazines that I got from my media jobs and I'd tear out pages about 15-minute workouts and fast healthy snacks.

My friends and co-workers saw my passion and would always ask me to share my secrets. As a dietitian, I still get that question: "What do YOU do?" People always want to know what I eat, where I work out and how I fit cooking and exercise into my own busy schedule. 

Today, I'm taking another page from my favorite magazines to show you what I do to stay healthy & fit even when things get hectic. 

Piece o' Cheesecake: A Gym Membership for Under $5 A Week!

Are you hungry for a second slice o' cake? Because I've got a bonus blog post for you this week, from my New York City-focused series, Piece o' Cheesecake. I've got a hot tip on one of my favorite things: cheap workouts! This deal may be ending soon so I couldn't wait until next week to share it with you.

I knew that Planet Fitness had partnered with one of my favorite shows, NBC's The Biggest Loser. I also knew that they had recently arrived in the Chelsea neighborhood in Manhattan at 158 W 27th street between 6th and 7th avenues. What I didn't know was that they offer insanely low deals on gym membership at their clubs!

Are you hungry for a second slice o' cake? Because I've got a bonus blog post for you this week, from my New York City-focused series, Piece o' Cheesecake. I've got a hot tip on one of my favorite things: cheap workouts! This deal may be ending soon so I couldn't wait until next week to share it with you.

I knew that Planet Fitness had partnered with one of my favorite shows, NBC's The Biggest Loser. I also knew that they had recently arrived in the Chelsea neighborhood in Manhattan at 158 W 27th street between 6th and 7th avenues. What I didn't know was that they offer insanely low deals on gym membership at their clubs!

Piece o' Cheesecake: Run Free!

Last week we discussed The Secrets to Resolutions You Can Actually Keep. If your new year's resolution includes getting more exercise or running more, or if you are a regular runner, then this week's blog may be for you. This week features my latest post in the Piece o' Cheesecake series, New York-specific blog posts for the best in healthy eating and free, cheap & unique workouts around New York City. And today we are talking about the many free run clubs offered around Brooklyn and Manhattan (as well as nationwide). Check it out: 

Last week we discussed The Secrets to Resolutions You Can Actually Keep. If your new year's resolution includes getting more exercise or running more, or if you are a regular runner, then this week's blog may be for you. This week features my latest post in the Piece o' Cheesecake series, New York-specific blog posts for the best in healthy eating and free, cheap & unique workouts around New York City. And today we are talking about the many free run clubs offered around Brooklyn and Manhattan (as well as nationwide). Check it out: 

Make a Fitness Tradition

The holiday season is probably the biggest time of year for traditions. Just yesterday, my family and I gathered together for the traditional Christmas-time assembling of the pasteles (a Latin American dish typically comprised of a soft, savory green banana mixture wrapped around a meat filling). We make enough for all the households to split, store in our freezers and eat throughout the year. 

Traditions can be very hard to resist. Once we get in the habit of doing something at the same special recurring moments, those habits come to represent the moment and we may come to view them as inseparable from the time. While long-held traditions play an important role in our histories, families & memories, my favorite kind are the new traditions. The ones we are inspired to create somewhere along the way, as we move through life.

Today I'm inspired to share a tip with you for making fitness easy and fun by harnessing the irresistible power of traditions. Traditions can be about anything. They can be made for any reason, at any time. So then, why not make a fitness tradition?

The holiday season is probably the biggest time of year for traditions. Just yesterday, my family and I gathered together for the traditional Christmas-time assembling of the pasteles (a Latin American dish typically comprised of a soft, savory green banana mixture wrapped around a meat filling). We make enough for all the households to split, store in our freezers and eat throughout the year. 

Traditions can be very hard to resist. Once we get in the habit of doing something at the same special recurring moments, those habits come to represent the moment and we may come to view them as inseparable from the time. While long-held traditions play an important role in our histories, families & memories, my favorite kind are the new traditions. The ones we are inspired to create somewhere along the way, as we move through life.

Today I'm inspired to share a tip with you for making fitness easy and fun by harnessing the irresistible power of traditions. Traditions can be about anything. They can be made for any reason, at any time. So then, why not make a fitness tradition?

Piece O' Cheesecake: Who Needs a Gym Membership?!

Recently I posted about free yoga classes and other workouts in NYC. Since then, I am excited to report, I have discovered that the two NYC locations of Athleta are also offering free weekly classes and boy do they sound like fun! The Upper West Side and Upper East Side Athleta sites offer everything from yoga, Zumba, Stacy's Bootcamp, cardio sculpt and dance cardio to...Burlesque Pilates, Bellydance Fitness, and Booty Blasting! They even offer a kids yoga class. I cannot wait to try my first class.

For more information on Athleta's class offerings, check out their website here.

Athleta UWS - 216 Columbus (between 69th & 70th)
Athleta UES - 1517 3rd Avenue (between 85th & 86th)

All this fitness fun isn't reserved exclusively for New Yorkers! 

Athleta also has stores in CA, IL, MD, MA, MN, NJ, PA, TX, VA, Washington DC & in Scarsdale, NY, with several new locations coming soon.

Don't forget about the Solstice:

I learned about Athleta's free weekly classes when I decided to read more about this year's Solstice in Times Square: Athleta Mind Over Madness Yoga event coming up on Wednesday, June 20. My mom and I did Solstice Yoga in Times Square last year and had a blast. There's still time to sign up for the three of four free classes that still have availability!

Recently I posted about free yoga classes and other workouts in NYC. Since then, I am excited to report, I have discovered that the two NYC locations of Athleta are also offering free weekly classes and boy do they sound like fun! The Upper West Side and Upper East Side Athleta sites offer everything from yoga, Zumba, Stacy's Bootcamp, cardio sculpt and dance cardio to...Burlesque Pilates, Bellydance Fitness, and Booty Blasting! They even offer a kids yoga class. I cannot wait to try my first class.

For more information on Athleta's class offerings, check out their website here.

Athleta UWS - 216 Columbus (between 69th & 70th)
Athleta UES - 1517 3rd Avenue (between 85th & 86th)

All this fitness fun isn't reserved exclusively for New Yorkers! 

Athleta also has stores in CA, IL, MD, MA, MN, NJ, PA, TX, VA, Washington DC & in Scarsdale, NY, with several new locations coming soon.

Don't forget about the Solstice:

I learned about Athleta's free weekly classes when I decided to read more about this year's Solstice in Times Square: Athleta Mind Over Madness Yoga event coming up on Wednesday, June 20. My mom and I did Solstice Yoga in Times Square last year and had a blast. There's still time to sign up for the three of four free classes that still have availability!

Piece O’ Cheesecake: Yoga-curious? Try it (+ other workouts) Completely-free in NYC!

Are you interested in trying yoga but aren’t sure it’s for you, are intimidated by the studio atmosphere, don’t have a gym membership or don’t want to shell out the cash for a class? Here in NYC there are many opportunities for Yoga virgins to dabble with Downward Dog or test out their Trikonasana (Triangle Pose), especially during the Summer season! Or add spice to your regular workout routine with Tai Chi, running or dance…

Are you interested in trying yoga but aren’t sure it’s for you, are intimidated by the studio atmosphere, don’t have a gym membership or don’t want to shell out the cash for a class? Here in NYC there are many opportunities for Yoga virgins to dabble with Downward Dog or test out their Trikonasana (Triangle Pose), especially during the Summer season! Or add spice to your regular workout routine with Tai Chi, running or dance…