Journey Virtual Fitness

Journey Virtual Fitness We help you stop starting over
180 lbs lost between us
Strength • Midlife fat loss • Endurance
Built for real life, not perfection

08/29/2026

Thick thighs save lives.

I’m not doing these sandbag walking lunges because I want skinny thighs.

I’m doing them because I want STRONG thighs.

I want to be functional and strong for as long as I possibly can.

Because at this phase of my life, having strong legs is WAY more important to me than having skinny legs.

I want to be able to carry my own groceries. Get up off the floor. Climb stairs. Run. Lift heavy s**t. Travel. And yes… eventually get myself off the damn toilet without needing assistance. I refuse to end up in a nursing home just because I’m too weak to do a half of a body weight squat!

And there’s actually some interesting research behind the whole “thick thighs save lives” thing.

Studies have found that smaller thigh circumference and loss of thigh muscle are associated with higher all-cause mortality, while greater muscular strength, particularly lower-body strength is associated with a lower risk of death. (PubMed)

That does NOT mean bigger thighs automatically mean you’ll live longer. These are associations, not proof that thigh size itself causes longevity.

But it does give us something worth thinking about:

Maybe we should stop making “smaller” the goal for every body part as we age.

Maybe we should be asking:

Can I make my body stronger?

Because I don’t want to spend my 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond trying to take up as little space as possible.

I want to be strong enough to do whatever I want in life.

So yeah…

Build the thighs!

08/28/2026

Thoughts as we roll into the weekend. Watch before you say f**k it I’ll just start over on Monday!

Did anyone else have a “last supper” before starting a new diet on Monday? I know I did.

I used to intentionally eat ALL the “bad” foods before every fresh start because I truly believed I was never going to eat them again. I even had a mental junk food “kill list” of all the fast food and treats I wanted to eat before Monday rolled around.

Then I’d jump into whatever the latest fad diet was. Keto, juice cleanses, gluten-free, diet pills… I’ve tried them all.

For years, I bounced between two extremes: eating everything or restricting everything. Neither one was sustainable.

The biggest shift that helped me lose nearly 100 pounds and keep it off was realizing I didn’t need another fresh start. I needed an approach I could actually stick with.

And when I veered, I stopped waiting until Monday. I just got back to it at the next meal.

I like to use the boat analogy. Your fat loss journey is going to encounter some waves. Nobody has a perfectly smooth ride. The goal isn’t to avoid the waves, it’s to keep your ass on the boat.

If you’re stuck in the “I’ll start over Monday” cycle, I get it. I’ve been there. There’s honestly not much you could tell me that would shock me because I’ve probably done it too.

If you need help figuring out a sustainable approach to fat loss, send me a message. I’d be happy to help.

08/26/2026

Losing 85 lbs required having a system in place that positioned me for success. One of the major pieces of that plan was meal planning/prepping.

I’ll be breaking down my exact step-by-step system for weekly planning over my next few posts. Today is the high-level breakdown of what that actually looks like.

If you go into your week with no idea what you are eating for dinner, no protein prepped for lunch, or no grab-and-go snacks, you are setting yourself up to struggle.

Here is how we set ourselves up for success each week:

It starts early in the week. Every Sunday morning, I take time to plan out the week ahead:

I check the calendar to see what we have going on.

I pick our dinners for the week, making sure busy nights have easy meals or slow cooker recipes.

I pick which night Coach Mo will be cooking.

I plan my prepped protein for the week (usually chicken, or quick options like pre-cooked shredded chicken or frozen shrimp).

I update the grocery list and decide when I am heading to the store.

I prep the protein for lunches and dinners.

This may seem like a lot, but it is part of my routine now. Honestly, the hardest part is deciding what to cook. Pro-tip: Find easy recipes and put them on repeat. Taco night, for example, is versatile and easy. The actual planning takes 30 to 45 minutes, including the grocery list.

Protein prepping takes a bit longer, but there are quick options. You can throw chicken in the crockpot in the morning and shred it later with almost zero active time. Personally, I like to cook it outside on the griddle: season, grill, chop. Done in 45 minutes.

If this feels daunting, start small:

Month 1: Commit to picking meals and grocery shopping, OR commit to prepping protein.

Alternative: Commit to cooking dinner at home just 3 nights a week. Pick your 3 least busy nights and start there.

The key is to do it. Planning without action will not help. Start small and build on it.

Make sure to hit follow or save this post so you do not miss Part 2, where I break down how to map your meals around a busy calendar.

What are some of your favorite habits that set your week up for success?

08/25/2026

Something I had to learn during my nearly 100-pound weight loss journey was to stop being reactive and start being proactive.

I used to fly by the seat of my pants, hoping I’d make good choices in the moment. The problem? Hunger, stress, busy schedules, and decision fatigue usually won.

Learning to have some forethought changed the game for me.

I learned to pre-track the meals- I was less likely to veer.
I look at restaurant menus before I go and decide what I’m ordering ahead of time.
I schedule my workouts like appointments and try to get them done early before life has a chance to derail my plans.

Is every day perfect? Of course not. But when you have a plan, you’re much less likely to end up wondering how it’s only 2 p.m. and you’re already 700 calories over your target with dinner still ahead of you.

Being proactive doesn’t mean being rigid. It means making fewer decisions when you’re tired, hungry, or stressed. It removes a lot of the guesswork, keeps you from relying on willpower alone, and makes consistency so much easier.

You don’t have to plan every minute of your day. Just stay one step ahead of yourself. Future you will be glad you did.

What’s one thing you can plan today that will make tomorrow easier?

A health and fitness journey can be very overwhelming. We can easily get caught up in the "how am I ever going to lose t...
08/24/2026

A health and fitness journey can be very overwhelming. We can easily get caught up in the "how am I ever going to lose this weight?", "how am I ever going to get in shape?", "will I ever feel better and have more energy?" or any version of this depending on our goals.

You don’t have to figure out the whole journey today.

You just need to win the next decision.

The next meal is anchored by lean protein and produce.

The next glass of water.

The next walk.

The next workout, especially when you didn't feel like doing it.

The next time you choose sleep over scrolling.

The next time you decide to keep a promise to yourself.

Health and fitness is built through hundreds of ordinary decision, not one giant act of motivation.

So when the big picture feels overwhelming, zoom in.

Ask yourself: “What’s my next best choice?”

Then make it. Again and again.

You don't need to be perfect today. You just need to keep moving in the direction you want to go.

One decision at a time. That's how we get there.

08/23/2026

We talk a lot about the importance of strength training here at Journey Virtual Fitness. That is because it is crucial for how we move now and how we age down the road. What is the point of living longer if we cannot do the things we love as we get older?

A lot of the conversation right now focuses on how vital strength training is for women as they age. That message is accurate, but I do not want the men out there thinking they are exempt from this.

So, let me be clear gentlemen...get your ass into the weight room.

We face the exact same muscle loss concerns as women as we age. Starting in our 40s, we naturally lose between 3% and 8% of our muscle mass per decade. For us, this is compounded by the fact that our testosterone levels drop around 1% per year once we hit 30.

As depressing as that sounds, there is one highly effective way to combat it: strength training.

It is never too late. Science shows that muscle mass can be built or restored at virtually any age. That means you have a direct way to actively fight the aging process.

Beyond muscle, strength training preserves bone density, improves insulin sensitivity and metabolic health, and delivers massive mental health benefits. On top of all that, regular lifting is linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and overall mortality.

What does "regularly" mean? Less than you think. You do not need to live in the gym. As little as two days a week is enough to see major benefits, and the extra returns beyond four days are pretty minimal.

If you can hit the gym twice a week for two full-body workouts built around compound movements, add a few unilateral exercises, and focus on progressive overload, your future self will thank you.

Getting started can feel intimidating, but do not let that stall you. If free weights make you nervous, use the machines. If you do not have gym access, start with bodyweight exercises. Just start.

Get out there, pick up heavy things, and put them back down.

08/19/2026

Walking absolutely counts as exercise! In fact, I think it’s one of the most underrated forms of exercise out there. It’s free, requires nothing but shoes, and can be done by almost everyone, regardless of fitness level.

That said…context and intention do matter.

This morning I took my senior dog on a sniffy walk. We stopped at just about every tree so he could sniff and p*e. That walk was for him, not me.

Does it still have benefits? Absolutely. It gets me moving, adds to my daily NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis), and every bit of movement is good for my health.

But I don’t personally count that as my cardio workout.

As an avid runner, I usually need to be jogging or walking uphill or very briskly to get into Zone 2. (Zone 2 cardio should feel like a 3-4/10, your heart rate and breathing should pick up, but it should feel very doable. You could talk but probably not belt out a song). For many people, especially those who are sedentary, a basic walk is exactly what gets them there, and that’s great!

I count plenty of my walks as exercise when the intention is to move with purpose, whether I’m walking solo or with a friend at a good clip.

Want to make your walks more challenging? Walk faster, find some hills, increase the incline on the treadmill, or wear a weighted vest.

The takeaway? Don’t overcomplicate it. Walking is an incredible form of exercise. Be intentional with it, and meet yourself where you are.

Do you count your walks as exercise?

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