Better by the Day

Overwhelmed? Here's How to Own Your Fitness Journey, with Sara Pereira Oct 26, 2021

Certified personal trainer Sara Pereira’s (@itssarapr) Instagram is flooded with glamorous shots from the gym and tactical fitness tips for her 384,000 fans. You might think she’s always had it all figured out. But Sara, like so many of us, started out as a complete beginner in her fitness journey.
Sara’s journey really began when she was uprooted 6 years ago from her home country of Venezuela and moved to the U.S. Feeling alone in a new country and coping through emotional eating, Sara eventually had to confront the discomfort she felt in her own body. So she turned to the internet for help.
Over time, Sara taught herself to transition from working out alone in her garage, to eventually mastering the gym and getting her NASM personal training certification. And she did it all by staying focused on her ‘why.’
In this episode, Sara shares her 6 years of knowledge. She explains how she conquered her fear of the gym, the easy nutrition tips she shares with her clients for weight loss, and how you can take your fitness into your own hands without getting overwhelmed.
Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting weekly.
To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.

The Secret to a New You? Think a Year Ahead, with Ashley Zeffiro Oct 12, 2021

After years of emotional binge eating and unsuccessful restrictive dieting, Ashley Zeffiro (@ashleytrackspoints) became a weight loss success story.
Not only did Ashley hit her target weight, but she also kept the weight off, a part of the journey Ashley says “people don’t talk about enough.”
So how did Ashley go from watching her weight yo-yo for years to becoming a sustainable weight loss advocate for over 67,000 fans on Instagram? She changed her mindset and started thinking long term.
Ashley finally realized that in order to make lasting changes, she had to ditch the short term fixes. She had to try things that she’d be willing to stick to for life.
In this episode, Ashley shares everything she discovered along the way. You’ll hear how she made food tracking feel easy to fit her busy life as a mom of three, why she refuses to give herself rules around food, and why when it comes to focusing on her weight loss, she thinks about everything a year in advance.
Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting weekly.
To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.

The Power of Squats and Self-Love, with Tara Allison Sep 28, 2021

“At the end of the day...self-care is fitness.”
Ever wondered what a 37-year-long health journey looks like? For Tara Allison (@fatgirl.fit), it’s one full of wisdom, self-love, and lots of squats.
Raised in a household with generations of complex body image issues, Tara was taught to feel ashamed of her weight from a young age, and even forced to attend Weight Watchers meetings when she was just 14 years old.
For Tara, this was simply her way of life. And then everything changed.
A form of arthritis brought chronic pain into Tara’s life, and she was faced with a choice. She could either take copious amounts of medication for the rest of her life, or try building muscle to help out her joints and relieve her pain. She chose the latter.
Now known as the “internet queen of the deadlifts” to her 123,000 fans on TikTok, Tara says she still takes herself by surprise. What took Tara about 35 years to realize is that, despite all the times she stood on a scale in those public WW meetings, she never lacked self confidence. What she lacked was self-love. And once she found it, a whole new world of health opened before her eyes.
In this episode, Tara shares it all: how she let go of her very complicated history with food, why strength training can be for everyone, and how you can turn self-hate into self-love.
Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting weekly.
To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.

Yes, You Can Have Dessert and Still Hit Your Goals, with Grace Guilliams Sep 15, 2021

“The biggest part of this journey wasn’t watching the numbers on the scale drop… it was discovering a love for myself that I didn’t have before, and then having the privilege to share that with other people.”
For years Grace Guilliams dealt with her health issues by… not dealing with them.
Like so many coaches I’ve spoken to on this show, Grace (known as @GraceGoingDownDown to almost 100,000 followers on TikTok) struggled with her weight for most of her life.
She recalls coping with this through avoidance - avoiding the scale, avoiding taking photos - and resigning herself to the belief that healthy living is for other people.

This all changed during the pandemic, when Grace describes hitting her “rock bottom.” She fell into unhealthy patterns that eventually took a major toll on her mental and physical health, and forced her to face the struggle she had avoided for years.
She knew she had to change, but didn’t know what to do. When she discovered she could qualify for weight loss surgery, it seemed like the only option.
But Grace didn’t go to the consultation right away. She made a deal with her parents and agreed to try a few lifestyle changes before fully committing to surgery - and she still assumed not much would change.
Fast forward to today, and Grace is down 70 pounds without surgery. More importantly, she inspires thousands of people every day with her message of radical self-love and her shining example that we’re capable of so much more than we think.
In this episode, Grace shares how she learned to eat better and still satisfy her sweet tooth, why walking can be the best foundation to hit any goal, and why if she was able to find success - you can too.
Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting weekly.
To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.

How to Lose Weight Without Losing Your Mind, with Franky Delgado Aug 24, 2021

Franky Delgado (@frankyfitness) has some simple yet powerful advice when it comes to losing weight: don’t be like him.

This isn’t because he didn’t lose weight. He did - 120 pounds to be exact. However, Franky originally believed that his true path to happiness was a number on a scale, and his motivation to lose weight quickly turned into obsession, causing a rippling effect of consequences that Franky says he’s still living with today.
But don't worry, there is a happy ending to this story.

Today Franky is a shining example of exactly what finding balance in your health and fitness goals can look like, and he’s happier and healthier than ever before. Just ask his 260,000 fans on TikTok who tune in to his upbeat videos with advice on food swaps, calorie deficits, and more.

In this episode, Franky shares what not to do when you want to lose weight, everything he learned about fitness and nutrition on his journey, and generally how to stay sane and find balance while you’re going after your own goals.
Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting weekly.

To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.

Follow along with Franky on TikTok (@frankyfitness).

So You Lost the Weight… Now What? with Michelle Wigle Aug 10, 2021

Sometimes it seems like getting healthy means hitting an arbitrary goal weight and calling it a day.

Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. Hitting that weight can be a great thing, but this is usually just step 1.

The unexpected question that so many of us face when we finally achieve that first, hard-won goal is… now what?

That’s the question that Michelle Wigle (@michworksout) wrestled with at the outset of her health transformation. In the early days, she had such a singular focus on weight that she felt like “a slave to the scale.” Contrary to her expectations, reaching that goal weight didn’t solve all her problems.
In order to figure out what healthy maintenance looked like, Michelle had to reassess her motivation for losing weight altogether. Finding that answer involved a life-threatening accident that changed the way she understood health, family, and physical fitness forever.

In this episode, Michelle shares how she initially overcame a lifelong struggle with her weight, real tips on how to find balance and stay in maintenance once she lost 65 pounds, and how she discovered the right mindset for achieving lifelong health and wellness.

Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting weekly.

To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.
Follow along with Michelle on Instagram (@michworksout).

Want to Get Fit? First, Make Your Bed, with Rylee Ollearis Jul 27, 2021

Rylee Ollearis (@ryleejade.fit on TikTok) knows that when it comes to hitting your goals, sometimes it's less about motivation and more about discipline. Luckily, building discipline can be as simple as making your bed every day.

Simplicity, it turns outs, is at the core of Rylee’s health and fitness philosophy. She believes that it’s the small daily changes that add up to the big stuff. Her own practice of building healthier habits every day transformed her from someone who felt out of place at the gym, to an IronMan competitor.

In this episode, Rylee shares the 3 easy goals you can set each week for long-term success, the “change talk” method she uses to crush self-doubt, and the one very important question she asks her clients to get them started.

Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting weekly.

To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.
Follow along with Rylee on TikTok (@ryleejade.fit).

How to Get Stronger Without Spending Hours at the Gym, with Margaret Cresta Jul 13, 2021

We often talk about “getting healthy” and “losing weight” as if they always mean the same thing. But of course, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Health and wellness mean so much more than a number on the scale.

Take our guest, personal trainer Margaret Cresta. At the beginning of her journey, stress and a lack of proper nutrition made it nearly impossible for Margaret to keep weight on. So when she decided to focus on her health, she knew she had to get physically and mentally strong. And that meant gaining weight.

At the beginning, she was on her own. Most of her friends and family weren’t as supportive as they could have been, so Margaret had to learn how to eat well and workout properly without a strong support network.

Today, Margaret is a certified personal trainer with 169,000 fans following her workouts on Instagram. In this episode, she shares real tips from everything she learned along her journey, like how to eat well even when you have a busy schedule, easy ways to get protein in at every meal, and the one workout move you can do for the most results.

Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting weekly.

To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.
Follow along with Margaret on Instagram (@sovigor).

Why You Should Embrace Workouts That Suck, with Polly Kerbut Jun 29, 2021

Polly Kerbut (@polly__wants) is all about making big life changes.

But sometimes these changes happen to you. Instead of being in control, you feel at the mercy of your circumstances.

It was one of these changes in Polly’s life almost two years ago that left her feeling stressed, overweight, and depressed. Polly had relocated from her native home in Russia to Seattle where she didn’t know a soul. Her body was in the U.S., but her head was back in Russia. As she describes it, she felt like she was floating in space.

Ironically, this experience of disconnection and isolation is what ultimately inspired her to take back control of her mental and physical health, and become a fitness star with 189,000 fans in the process.

How did she do it? By embracing the suck. In this episode, Polly shares the benefits of committing to workouts that you think you hate. She also breaks down the “fantastic 4” method that helped her lose 50lbs in quarantine, and her famous Russian pancakes filled with protein.

Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting weekly.

To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.
Follow Polly's journey on Instagram (@polly__wants).

Mindful Eating Explained, Plus How To Rack Up Non-Scale Victories, with Ashley Mojo Jun 15, 2021

Ashley Mojo’s transformation was so stark, sometimes even she can’t believe it.

And it’s not even the physical transformation that stands out (though after dropping 80 pounds, that’s definitely part of her story). No, the viral Tik Tok star went from hating the way she looked and dreading the gym, to someone who inspires nearly half a million people to think about their health and bodies in a whole new way.

On her road to helping others, Ashley also regained her self-confidence and a greater sense of control over her health. One key: Mindful Eating, a practice she developed while also adopting a vegan lifestyle.

In this episode, Ashley breaks down what we mean by Mindful Eating and how to practice, why you should celebrate non-scale victories, and the secret to mobility for better workouts.

Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting weekly.

To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.
Follow along with Ashley on TikTok.

How To Quit Your Sugar Addiction (+ More Ways To Take Control of Your Health), with Jen Wagner May 25, 2021

“I don’t think I would have survived recovery had I not lost the weight.”

Those are the words of Jen Wagner (@_jens_journey_), who lost 100 pounds and was enjoying her new, healthier life when her world was turned upside down.

She was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

According to Jen, recovering from brain surgery is the hardest thing she has ever faced. But it was only possible because she had recently committed to a healthier lifestyle, breaking her sugar addiction and dropping more than 100 pounds in the process.

Now her mission is to spread the lesson from that ordeal to her thousands of followers across social media and beyond: focus on the things you can control... while you still can.

In this episode, you’ll hear Jen share real tips on how she does this everyday, plus how she broke her years-long addiction to sugar, how she keeps the weight off, and her very favorite low-carb recipe.

Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting weekly.

To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.
Follow along with Jen on Instagram (@_jens_journey_).
This is the Season 1 finale! Join us again in two weeks for the start of Season 2.

The 3 Secrets to Achieving Whole Body Health, with Jasmine Parent May 18, 2021

Jasmine Parent (@jasminelosingit) is a certified fitness trainer and nutrition coach who knows exactly what it takes to make sustainable, long-lasting health changes, because she lost over 120 pounds herself. Here’s a hint: it involves completely ditching diet culture.

If you’re wondering how this is possible, you're not alone. There’s a reason Jasmine now guides her clients and her 174,000 followers on Instagram to true success. In this episode, Jasmine shares three key things you can easily adopt for your own successful transformation, how she changed her life first by finding self-love, and why it’s so important to treat your mind just like a muscle.
Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting weekly.

To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.
Follow along with Jasmine on Instagram (@jasminelosingit).

Weight Loss Isn’t Always Linear (and Why That’s Okay) with Madelyn Payne May 11, 2021

Madelyn Payne (@Life_As_Madelyn) has a secret weapon when it comes to weight loss: the art of resilience.

Madelyn knows that every health journey comes with its share of ups and downs, and instead of shying away from that fact, she faces it head-on. Despite the peaks and inevitable valleys, she keeps it positive and sets small, sustainable goals to see herself through to the next wave. This mindset helps Madelyn inspire her community of 34,000 strong on Instagram everyday, who come to her both for advice like this and her next-level nutrition tracking skills.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Madelyn on how she lost 130 pounds by staying positive through our varying “seasons of life,” and how anyone can become an expert on their healthiest way to live life if they’re willing to start out as a beginner.

Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting weekly.

To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.
Follow along with Madelyn on Instagram (@Life_As_Madelyn).

How Learning to Love Her Body Changed Everything This Trainer Knew About Fitness, with BodyFit by Amy May 04, 2021

Amy Kiser Schemper is a certified personal trainer and busy mom of two who helps over 730,000 followers all over the world workout at home through her YouTube channel, BodyFit by Amy.

But Amy wasn't always the self-assured, virtual supertrainer she is today. In fact, it wasn’t until Amy experienced a powerful mindset shift that she reached her full fitness potential. Amy learned to work out because she loved her body, not because she hated it or needed to change it.

After that, fitness for Amy stopped being about what we can do physically, and more about what we tell ourselves that can stop us from living our healthiest lives.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Amy on how becoming a mom taught her everything she knows about loving her body today, why anyone getting started with fitness should forget the all-or-nothing approach, and why she’s on a mission to get rid of that “pre-baby body” mentality.

Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting weekly.

To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.
Follow along with Amy on Instagram (@bodyfitbyamy) or YouTube (BodyFitbyAmy).

Why This Fitness Coach Gave Up the Gym for Good, with Matt Fox Apr 27, 2021

Matt Fox (@mattycfox) is a fitness trainer from Australia who specializes in at-home bodyweight workouts for his clients and nearly 380k social media followers.
Matt has been active and passionate about fitness his whole life, and was actually a semi-professional tennis player before life took him down a different path.

At age 21, and with his tennis career in the rearview, Matt was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Recovering from cancer and returning to his fit lifestyle after life on the road as a tennis pro made Matt realize something: he absolutely hated the gym.

That may sound unconventional for someone who now teaches others how to stay fit for a living. In this episode, you’ll hear from Matt on what made him walk away from the gym for good, how he achieved the level of fitness he always wanted by working out at home, and how anyone can make fitness work for them, no matter where they are.

Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting weekly.

To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.
Follow along with Matt on Instagram (@mattycfox).

How Going Keto Showed Chelsey Bishop What She Was Capable Of Apr 20, 2021

In 2017, Chelsey Bishop (@KetoHalfAsser) had a crystal clear “aha” moment when it came to her health - she couldn’t fit on a rollercoaster.

Already tired of feeling shame and anxiety because of her weight, that fateful moment at Universal Studios finally changed everything for Chelsey. She decided to try the keto diet, lost 170lbs, and now helps others do the same by sharing her story and helpful keto recipes to her 47,000 followers on social media.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Chelsey about her “half-assed” approach to the diet that made big change feel sustainable for her, how she learned to feel empowered by taking control of her health, and why the future is so exciting.

Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting weekly.

To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.
Follow along with Chelsey on Instagram (@KetoHalfAsser) .

Pt. 2: Jana’e Michelle is Happier and Healthier Than Ever Before - And Never Looks at a Scale Apr 13, 2021

Jana’e Michelle (@ThisCurvyGirlsFitness) has one major goal in life: to go skydiving. In order to do that, she needs to hit a goal weight of 250 pounds. Here’s the catch - Jana’e rarely ever steps on a scale. So, how will she do it?

The answer is simple: by giving herself grace.
In this second installment of a special 2-part series with Jana’e, she continues her story and dives deep on how she made her new health goals her lifestyle. Jana’e explores how she stuck to it despite how the pandemic changed everything she knew about fitness, and how she’s now inspiring thousands of other people to follow in her footsteps.

Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting weekly.

To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.
Follow along with Jana’e on Instagram (@ThisCurvyGirlsFitness).

Pt. 1: Jana’e Michelle is Happier and Healthier Than Ever Before - And Never Looks at a Scale Apr 13, 2021

Jana’e Michelle (@ThisCurvyGirlsFitness) has one major goal in life: to go skydiving.
In order to do that, she needs to hit a goal weight of 250 pounds. Here’s the catch - Jana’e rarely ever steps on a scale. So, how will she do it?

The answer is simple, by giving herself grace.
When Jana’e was diagnosed with a number of weight-related health problems two years ago, she was also struggling with depression for the first time in her life. Jana’e knew she needed to do a lot more to better her life and happiness, but was paralyzed by a fear of failure.

Fast forward to 2021, and Jana’e has turned every fear into positive, daily progress. She eats better, works out regularly, and inspires a community of 65,000 people to join in on her journey. In this 2-part episode series, we learn how Jana’e managed to change her health when she knew her life depended on it, how she stays positive by loving the progress, and why she avoids stepping on a scale at all costs.
Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting weekly.

To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.
Follow along with Jana’e on Instagram (@ThisCurvyGirlsFitness).

How Jessica Beniquez Got Fit, Beat Cancer, and Learned to Believe in Herself Apr 06, 2021

In July 2019, Jessica Beniquez discovered a lump under her armpit. It wasn’t long until her worst fears were confirmed.

She had cancer.

The irony was, Jessica was the healthiest she had ever been. A few years prior she had committed to fitness and nutrition and lost 170 pounds. Now she was in a fight for her life, and her commitment to health was about to be tested like never before.

Before changing her lifestyle, Jessica weighed more than 300 pounds, and felt so unhappy and uncomfortable in her own body that she avoided social situations, even with close friends and family. Now she inspires others with her story, and boasts more than 1.5 million followers who go to her for daily doses of positivity and tips for healthier living.

In this episode, we learn how Jessica achieved two incredible health-related triumphs. First, how she took control of her health and lost the weight that was making her feel isolated and insecure. Second, how she remained positive, determined, and committed to her health while battling stage four Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Jessica even shares her experience going to the gym for the first time bald-headed from chemo, and what it’s like to finally be cancer-free.

Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting weekly.

To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.
Follow along with Jessica on Instagram (@getfitwjessica) or TikTok (@jessicabeniquez4).

How Jimmy Choi Finally Confronted Parkinson's and Became Unstoppable Mar 30, 2021

Jimmy Choi is a modern day Renaissance man when it comes to physical fitness. To date, he’s run 16 marathons, 105 half marathons, set world records for burpees and push-ups, and will be competing on NBC’s American Ninja Warrior for the 5th year in a row.

So you might never guess that Jimmy was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease back in 2003 at just 27 years old. This diagnosis marked a turning point in his life, and ushered in a period he calls his “dark years.”
In this episode, Jimmy shares how he emerged from this dark place and became someone capable of completing marathons and setting world records, all while living with a nervous system disorder that can make even small tasks feel difficult.

Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting each week.
To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month. To learn more, visit www.michaeljfox.org/parkinsons-awareness-month

Follow along with Jimmy (@jcfoxninja) on Instagram or TikTok.

How to Envision a Fitter Future, with The Vision Twins Mar 30, 2021

Kalvin and Angelo, aka “The Vision Twins,” are beloved by their 2.3 million social media followers for high-energy, incredibly fun HIIT workouts.

But before they rose to internet fame (and WayBetter popularity) with their infectious positive energy, the twin brothers struggled with obesity for most of their young lives. Their father was incarcerated when Kalvin and Angelo were young, and they distinctly remember turning to emotional eating to cope with his absence.

Since the “aha” moment in their senior year of high school that finally sparked a change, Kalvin and Angelo have lost a combined 290 pounds. In this episode, we’ll hear what it’s like to become the person you’ve always wanted to be...and more importantly, what it actually takes to get there.

Better by the Day is produced by WayBetter, the app that makes health and fitness fun with new group challenges starting each week.

To join a challenge, download WayBetter in the App store.

Follow along with Kalvin and Angelo (@VisionTwins) on Instagram or TikTok.

Introducing Better by the Day Mar 23, 2021

Wellness can feel intimidating, unattainable, and honestly, a bit much.

Better by the Day is here to change all that.

Each week we bring you life-changing stories from real people who’ve made wellness a keystone in their lives. One step at a time.

From transformative weight loss, to making space for mindfulness in everyday actions, our guests are relatable, inspiring, and most importantly, real. Some of them are well known names. All of them have extraordinary stories to tell.

We’re sharing their stories to remind the world that there’s room for everyone in the wellness community. Along the way we'll uncover takeaways and advice to guide you on your journey to better health. Because with the right tools and support, we can all reach our goals.

On the debut season of Better by the Day, host Kayla Bowers is on a mission to answer one question:

What does it take to change your life for the better?

To find out, she talks to some of the biggest personalities in health and wellness - real people who found the motivation to change their lives, and actually made it happen.

Better By The Day is a new podcast by WayBetter, a health and fitness app designed to help you achieve life-changing results through fun, interactive challenges. New episodes drop every Tuesday.

To learn more about WayBetter, visit WayBetter.com.

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