Guest Post: Women and Weight Lifting

Today's post is brought to you by my good friend, and personal trainer, Corbin Brosneck. Thanks Corbin!

~Erin

First off, women absolutely should lift weights. There are a ton of pay-offs ranging from the obvious increased muscular strength, all the way to emotional ones like increased self esteem and confidence. There are many rumors floating around about weight lifting. The most common one having to do with whether women should be afraid of gaining too much muscle while strength training. As you will see, this myth is completely baseless. Due to misconceptions like this one, the hidden benefits of weight lifting often go unnoticed. Hopefully, after reading this, you will see that resistance training is not something to be feared or avoided, but a great fitness tool to be loved. Perhaps you already know this, in which case maybe you'll at least learn something new about the potential benefits of resistance training. So, let us begin!

If women aren't careful lifting weights, won't they get buff?

The simple answer? No, they will not. Unless they're taking steroids, that is. You see, women do not have the physical capability to become huge body-builder types (again, unless they're on steroids). To understand exactly why that is, you need to know the basics of muscle growth (formally referred to as "hypertrophy").
As with most other things in life, muscle hypertrophy really boils down to good ole' hormones. When you lift a weight and feel that wonderful burning sensation, you are experiencing the muscle breaking down. The body recognizes that the current amount of muscle is not enough for what it needs. It reacts by stuffing the muscles with extra contractile proteins (specifically, actin and myocin, the proteins that give muscles the ability to push and pull), which makes them larger and stronger. This entire process is triggered and maintained by a wonderful little hormone known as testosterone. You might recognize it as the hormone that makes men...well... men. Men produce 7 - 8 times as much testosterone as women. It is the reason why they have more muscle mass and greater potential to gain muscle. Women simply do not have enough testosterone to pack on lots of muscle. Female body builders get around this by using steroids, which are literally just testosterone shots.
Let's set aside all of this complicated witchcraft called "biology" for a moment, and take a look at the question from a practical perspective. Competing body-builders put a lot of work into making sure their exercise programs and diets are as efficient as possible for getting lots of muscle, and getting it fast. They often do this with the help of professionals with years of experience under their belts. If getting huge were as simple as "not being careful" while lifting, why would the professionals need to put so much effort into it? It just doesn't add up. Clearly, there is no reason to fear weightlifting. It has many benefits, as we will see next.

Is weight lifting really worth all the trouble?

Yes! Resistance training not only helps you become physically (and in some ways, mentally) stronger, it also has positive effects on metabolism and bone strength. Regular resistance training has been shown to dramatically increase metabolism speed, making it an essential part of any weight loss exercise program. It also strengthens bones through increased bone density, keeping it strong, yet flexible, as it ages. Finally, weight training helps to fight insomnia, with regular resistance training granting a more refreshing night's sleep.

What if I don't have a gym membership? How am I supposed to weight train without weights?

Dumbells, kettleballs, and barbells are not necessary for a good weight training program. You can use anything that is reasonably heavy. One of my favorites before I bought my own weights was a jug of water or sand. If all else fails, there is always your own body. Nothing beats a good old fashioned bodyweight workout. Remember the classics: The push-up, pull-up, squat, lunge, and the bicycle (the ab workout, not the machine).

None of this is to say that weight lifting is more important than any other part of fitness. They are all essential, and they all must be used in balance. Excessive use of any one type of fitness training (cardio, stretching, strength, etc) will result in an unbalanced body prone to injury. However, clearly all supposed negative effects of weightlifting thus far presented are baseless. There is no real reason to avoid strength training, and many benefits will result from not doing so. Why are you still reading this?! Go get your lift on!

Running for beginners

I was inspired to write today's post by several personal friends that decided this week to "take the plunge", as it were, and take up running. One friend in particular has been coming to me a lot for advice on how to get started, and I thought it might be beneficial to all you, my readers, for me to share all my (not so) vast knowledge!

So, first off, when should you start running?

Right now! If you have been thinking of taking up running as a way to get(or stay) fit, then there's no time like the present. The longer you put it off, the farther away the results that running offers. I must say, though, that all the runners I know(including myself) were in some kind of shape, and at relatively decent weights when we started. If you're more than 50 lbs overweight, I'd talk to a doctor or an actual fitness expert before starting, because running is hard. No sugar coating it here, people. It's hard on your body, and if your body can't handle it, then you shouldn't be doing it!

So often people shy away from going for that first run because they think they don't have the time! Now, I'm a college student with a job....I know busy. And I know that there are going to be those days where you just don't have the time to squeeze in an hour workout. I get it. But let me suggest an app to all you nerds with a smart phone. It's called C25KFree, and it's a running app for beginners. It starts you out from the couch, having you walk for two minutes, run for one minute, then walk again for two, and so on, building you up week by week until you can run a 5k. The best part is, it's only 30 minutes!!! You may not be able to work out for an hour, but 30 minutes? That's nothing!

I also recommend this app because it eases your body into the activity of running. The very first time I went running ever was with my neighbor, who thought a "beginner workout" was four miles. LOL no. Once I was finished weeping, I quickly went on my phone's app store and looked for something that gave it to me in little chunks, and the C25KFree app is what I found. I've been using it ever since!

Something I told my friend just today was this. And it's very important, so pay attention. Just because the app (or your running buddy) move on to harder runs, maybe going from running two minute intervals to five minutes intervals, for example, it DOES NOT mean that you have to do the same. Running, like most things, is very personal. If you're running your two minute intervals thinking "This is hard. There is NOOOO way I can run more than this!" Then don't. You'll know when you're ready to progress, and until then, do what you can. Exercising is meant to make you better, not injure you!

And speaking of injuries(you like my segway?) let's not get them, ok? The best way to prevent injury when running is to warm up beforehand, and to STRETCH AFTER. I cannot stress this enough. So often people will forgo stretching after a workout, because they don't want to take the time, or they want to bulk up their muscles, but guys. Stretch. It relaxes the muscles after a workout and prevents cramping and other bad things. If bulking up is what you're looking for, that's great. Look for it in the workout....then stretch. Pinterest is a fantastic recourse for both warm up and cool down/stretching routines, but I'll include a few on this post for those that don't have access to pinterest. If you want any more details, or any other resources, please leave a comment below and I'll send you stuff!

Finally, it's important to have the right music. You may laugh now, but try getting a good run in while listening to a funeral durge.....IDK do people actually listen to those?! Anywho, check out my last post for suggestions for good running songs. With the right beat, you can get really in the zone with your run, and push yourself more than you thought you could, and a good jam just makes the time go by so much faster!

The best RUNNING songs ever!

It's been a long time coming, but I was finally able to compile a list of running songs! Each song has a beat and is at a pace that is great for running and burning calories! Not all the songs are the same tempo, so you'll get a little variety in your morning run!

Each song has been tested personally. I did a lot of running, guys. You're welcome ;)

-"The power of Love"-Hewey Lewis and the News
-"Second Chances"-Veggie tales soundtrack
-"Sing, sing, sing"-Benny Goodman
-"Roar"-Katy Perry
-"What made us"-Everlife
-"Wide awake"-Katy Perry
-"Don't you worry child"-Swedish house mafia
-"Demons"-Imagion Dragons
-"So what(clean)"-P!NK
-"We are"-Kari Jobe
-"Wannabe"-The spice girls
-"My paper heart"-Francesca Battistelli
-"Outsiders"-Eric Church
-"We are never, ever getting back together"-Taylor Swift
-"She wouldn't be gone"-Blake Shelton
-"Santa Barbara Skies"-PSYCH:The musical soundtrack
-"To love somebody"-Michael Buble
-"Last name"-Carrie Underwood
-"Stand in the rain"-Superchic[k]
-"Compass"-Lady Antebellum
-"Feels like I am just too close to love you"-Alex Clare

All total, there is over an hour of run-worthy music on here. 77 minutes, 23 seconds, to be exact. But let's face it. Who would run for that long?!

Get out there today and run like the wind, bullseye!

Let's talk squash.

It's nearing summer time, and we're all getting a little more concerned with healthier eating. Today I want you to try something new, and a little weird. Spaghetti squash. You've probably heard of it, but were too afraid to try it...I mean, yeah. A squash that replaces pasta? LOL no. But seriously, Spaghetti squash is worth the try. Why? Well, I'll tell you. 

Spaghetti squash gets its name from the fact that when it is cooked, the inside flesh pulls out of the shell in long strands, resembling spaghetti pasta. Oval shaped and yellow, spaghetti squash can be considered a summer or winter squash and is available year-round in most grocery stores.

Vitamins

Spaghetti squash contains a wide range of vitamins. A 1-cup serving offers 5.4 mg of vitamin C, which is almost 10 percent of the recommended daily intake, according to the USDA National Nutrient Database. Other vitamins include A, B-6, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid and vitamin K. A report from Colorado State University explains that obtaining your daily vitamins through food sources such as spaghetti squash may be more beneficial than taking vitamin supplements, as food contains several chemicals that work together, making the vitamins function more efficiently. Researchers from China, published in the January 2011 issue of "Journal of Environmental Science and Health," report that the flavonoids found in plant foods work with vitamins and play a role in protecting the body from cancer.

Minerals

A 1-cup serving of spaghetti squash also contains several minerals that are vital to good health. The dominant mineral is manganese, with 0.2 mg, which is 8 percent of the RDI. Manganese is needed only in small amounts, but it has a big job. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports manganese aids in the production of healthy bones, tissues and sex hormones. It also plays a part in metabolism, regulation of blood sugar, absorption of calcium and the functioning of the nervous system. Other minerals found in smaller amounts in spaghetti squash include potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, iron, phosphorus, sodium, zinc and selenium.

Apart from these super science-y facts about spaghetti squash, it's really tasty, and one cup of squash is only about 30 calories! In my opinion, this just leaves wiggle room for yummy meat sauce and some fetta cheese sprinkled on top! Spaghetti squash is Extremely good for you, but it's also yummy and a really fun food to make!

Little cooking tip from someone who has tried it both ways. Cook it first, THEN cut it. Just pop the squash in a pan and cook it in the oven for about 45 min.-1 hour. Then, take a tea towel and wrap the squash in it, so you can hold it without burning yourself. The squash will cut like butter. If you try to cut the squash raw, you will be there for awhile. Spaghetti squash is quite solid when it's raw. Once you've got the squash cut in half, just take a fork and scrape out the insides(hint:This is a great task for the kids!) And voila! You have healthy spaghetti. 

But Spaghetti squash isn't limited to meat sauce. It also makes good mac and cheese. Just whip up your favorite cheese sauce, add in some peas, or broccoli, or tuna, or mushrooms, or whatever you like to add to your macaroni and cheese, and mix the sauce in with the squash noodles. There you are. Two recipes for one squash! 

A little word to the wise, though. cooked spaghetti squash doesn't do well as leftovers. The taste doesn't change at all, but it gets really watery and mushy after awhile, so eat it all. Save it for a family dinner, or buy a small squash.

Life Hack: Beauty tips!

It's coming. Summer is nearly upon us, and you know what that means, ladies! With the warm weather on it's way, many women are getting themselves ready for swimsuit season. Regardless of your moral convictions on modesty, you're gonna want to look good for summer! But there's only one problem. You don't have the time or money to get that perfect tan,

First things first. Legs. Ladies, you know what I'm talking about. In summer we want perfectly smooth, tan legs so we can be proud to wear our shorts in public, rather than see the general public run in terror after one look at dem white gams! We'll get to the tan bit in a minute, but first let's address the problem of smooth legs...and by problem I mean razor burn. In the winter, you probably don't get it as much, because you don't shave your legs more than a couple times a week. (at least I don't) But come summer, you don't want to walk around looking like the wolf man! Not cute girls. Not. Cute. But, as with most things, every good thing has its downside, and the downside to keeping your legs silky smooth is razor burn. But are you ready for the beauty tip of a lifetime? Aloe. That's right. I know y'all have a bottle of Aloe in your house. It's the clear stuff your mom always put on your sunburn when you were a kid. It stung like the dickens, and was bloody freezing, but you felt so much better after. Yeah, that Aloe. Not the Aloe Vera, which is the green stuff. Just straight up Aloe. I'm pretty sure you can get this stuff literally everywhere. Just apply the aloe to your legs right after you get out of the shower(and after you've dried yourself, of course!) and let it dry completely. It makes your skin amazingly smooth and reduces chance of razor burn.

The reason you need to apply it right out of the shower is because your pours are still open from the steamy shower, which means the product will soak in faster. You can do this with lotion too. I used to apply lotion every day after I got out of the shower, but it didn't help my razor burn at all....in fact, sometimes it just made it worse. Aloe. That's where it's at people! (sorry about the bad grammar mom! Love you ) I like to apply aloe twice a day. Morning and night. You don't have to do this, but I just find it makes for even softer skin, and my mom rubs a thick layer onto her feet, and then puts socks on and goes to bed. Her feet are then really soft the next day.

The aloe is all for nothing, however, if you don't have a close shave. I have found that the best way to do that is to use a body scrub BEFORE I shave. If that's your thing, you can find a million body scrub recipes on pinterest, and they're all good, though most of them can be rather pricey. I'm trying to keep the cost down here. I have used store-bought sugar scrubs, my favorite brand being found in Kroger of all places...but even that's $6-$8. Currently, I like the meijer brand apricot face scrub. It's the meijer version of St. Ives face scrub. It's like $2 and you get a huge bottle....plus you can also use it on your face!(but we'll get to that later)

Also replace your razor every couple of weeks. You can't get a close shave with a dull razor, and it's a lot easier to get razor burn(or worse). There's no need to spend mongo bucks on something you're going to throw away in a week. The plain old 20 pack of disposable pink razors from wal-mart will do just fine.

While we're still on the topic of legs, I have one more little tip to get softer legs. Ditch the shaving cream and use conditioner instead. It's WAY cheaper than shaving cream, and you get, like, triple the product. Nothing fancy. There's no need to dash out and by Garnier deep conditioner. Suave, or whatever the cheapest  brand your store has will do the trick. In fact I've found the cheaper conditioners work better than the expensive ones, and it makes your skin very smooth. Plus it smells nice!




So you've scrubbed, shaved, and aloed, and your legs are looking mighty fine and smooth!!! There's just one problem. You have vampire skin and jut looking at that pale whiteness brings on a migrane. You don't have time to lay out and get a tan, and a tanning booth is either too expensive or just to darn scary. Well self-tanner has come a long way in recent years. Gone are the days of strong chemical smell and orange palms. There are soooooo many good brands out there now that will give you a gradual tan, and you can buy your Jergen's, or whatever, but my personal favorite is just the Equate Healthy Glow daily moisturizer. It's really inexpensive, and it works. It's a moisturizer....that tans you! You get soft skin AND a healthy glow! Also, bonus. It has almost no smell at all, and the little aroma it does have is more lotion than tanner. I seriously love this stuff for the beginning of summer when I'm not naturally tan yet, or if I had a sun burn and now I have massive tan lines. Obviously, the best way to get a healthy glow to your skin would be to eat healthy, exercise, and soak up some of God's rays, but if you can't do that, I definitely say you stop by your local wal-mart and pick up the Equate Healthy Glow Daily Moisturizer.

Lastly, I want to talk about hair. Specifically hair masks. I don't really have any specific recommendations here. I say all hair masks are created equal....mostly because every hair type is going to require different specifications. All I can say here is do your research. Only you can know your hair, so look for products that will meet your individual needs.

And you're one step closer to being "summer ready"!

In case of emergency

So the other day I was at work when I got a text from my boyfriend, asking if I wanted to go see a movie when I got off. Basically I freaked out, because I hadn't been in the mood to put makeup on that day, and I had let my hair dry air dry, leaving it au natural, if you know what I'm sayin'. Now, I could give a lecture on how the right guy will love you no matter that you look like(as he did), but let's face it ladies. You're gonna wish you had put some eyeliner on or something! Y'all know how it is.

I do have to thank the man for being my inspiration for this post, because today I'm going to talk about what you need to keep in your purse at all times for emergencies such as this:

First thing's first. You need a comb. I'm not expecting you to somehow shove a round brush in your bag, but you can buy those little fold-up ones pretty much anywhere that sells hair stuff. It won't take up that much space, I promise!

And while we're on the topic of hair stuff, make sure you have a hair tie wrapped around the brush, because you'll need it. Trust me. A hair tie was the one thing I didn't have, and I sorely regretted it. I had to use a rubber band instead! It worked, but it hurt coming out lol.

Lastly for hair products, I strongly suggest adding a few bobby pins to the mix. I have a little pouch where I keep bobby pins, safety pins, spot remover, etc. just in case, but if you don't have that, just latch those puppies onto that hair tie you WILL be putting in your purse!

Next you're gonna need some makeup. I don't want you all going out and buying a bigger bag so you can fit a full face of makeup in there. You'll only need one or two things.

First off, you'll need some eyeliner. Nothing crazy here, ladies. Stick with the basics, brown or black. I like to take my eyeliner pencils, once they're stubs, and put them in my purse. Instant travel size! Plus I don't feel wasteful throwing away an eyeliner that's still good, but won't fit in my sharpener anymore. If you can, try to find one will a little smudging power, because you can line your eyes, smudge it out, and have a little smokey eye action going on. It's shadow and liner all in one!

Really the only other makeup item you need is a tinted lip balm. You won't want lipstick, though, because that'll be too dramatic for your natural eyes. Or, better yet, a lip and cheek stain. That way you can add a little color to your face and lips both! I didn't have that, just burt's bees chapstick, but hey, that's why I'm telling you this, so you can learn from my mistakes.

This next thing is optional, but I work at a dry cleaner and it was hot that day, so I badly needed it, if you catch my drift. This thing would be an atomizer, otherwise known as a lifesaver. For those that don't know what an atomizer is, it's a little tube that you can put perfume in, and it won't spill or break, and therefore great for traveling. Just put a little of whatever fragrance you're wearing that day in that little tube, stick it in your purse, and you're good to go! I got mine from Old Navy, but I have seen them at Wal-Mart in the travel section as well. They're super cheap, like $2.

And there you have it! So next time you get invited unexpectedly on a date(or an interview, or a party, whatever the case may be) you'll be ready. Have fun :)

Best workout songs EVAH!

Every self-respecting fitness addict knows that the key to a killer workout is a rocking playlist! Now, I have googled many a "workout playlist" in my day, and I never find playlists that I like usually the songs aren't my style, or all the songs are inappropriate....all of them. So here's the deal. I compiled a list of all my favorite songs to listen to while I work out! Enjoy these tunes knowing you are safe when you press play :)

1. Cameo Lover-Kimbra
2. Black horse and the Cherry Tree-KT Tunstall
3.One more round-Barlowgirl
4.Rise Up-Matt Maher
5. Eye of the Tiger-Survivor
6.Stop Time-Landon Austin
7. Zero to Hero-Hercules soundtrack
8.Undignified-David Crowder Band
9.Titanium-David Guetta
10.Mr. Saxobeat(radio edit)-Alexandra Stan
11. Good Girl- Carrie Underwood
12. Come and Get it- Selena Gomez
13. Roar- Katy Perry
14. DJ Got us falling in love-Usher, Pitbull
15. Sweet Serendipity- Lee DeWyze
16. Best Song Ever- One Direction
17. The Power of Love- Huey Lewis & the News
18. Counting stars-OneRepublic
19.What made us-Everlife
20. Best day of my life-American Authors
21. Aint it fun-Paramore
22. Can't remember to forget you-Shakira, Rihanna
23. Feels like I am just too close-Boom Masters
24. Feelin' Good-Christina Grimmie
25. Chainsaw-The Band Perry
26. Easy Street-Annie soundtrack
27. Ya Got Trouble-Music Man soundtrack
28. Happy-Pharrell Williams
29.Wannabe(radio edit)-The Spice Girls
30. Don't you worry Child(radio edit)-Swedish house mafia
31. Brighter than the sun-Colbie Caillat
32. Outsiders-Eric Church
33. Wide awake-Katy Perry
34. My paper heart-Francesca Battistelli
35. Second chances-Veggie Tales soundtrack
36. We are the Champions-Queen
37. Resistance-Everlife
38. I'm letting go- Francesca Battistelli
39. Open Heavens- Barlowgirl
40. Daydream believer- the monkeys

Total time:  2hrs. 30mins.

May Glam bag first impressions

Hello all! Watch my first vlog, where I show myself opening my May Ipsy Glam bag for the first time and find out what I got this month. Product review to come....




*Eva NYC Therapy Hair session- $14.99
*Hang 10 SPF 50 sunscreen-$13.99
*Pacifica Mineral eyeshadow duo-I couldn't find the price :(
*Evene thermal spring water(NOT for your hair, as originally thought)-$16.00
*Hey Honey Take it off Exfoliating honey mask-$35.00

Join me on ipsy and subscribe to the Glam Bag! You get 4-5 beauty products every month delivered to your door, for just $10. Michelle Phan curates the bags! Check it out here: http://www.ipsy.com/r/7m3t

Starting from scratch

Anyone who's ever tried to get healthy and fit knows that getting started is the hardest part, especially if you never were very active or concerned with health. I was one of those people. My decision to become healthier was a new one for me, and let me tell you, getting the ball rolling was really hard. So here's some things I learned along the way that may help you first timers out there!

First of all, you have to actually make the decision to change your lifestyle. And here's the kicker. All those doctor shows and health magazines tell you to make that same decision every single day, so you can't talk yourself out of it, but I'm telling you to only make it once. If you really have made the decision, there shouldn't be any other question about it. You've decided, so you're going to do it. You should have to make another decision to stop doing it! So before you begin, make sure you've actually made the decision to get healthy, because that choice means you're committed.

Once you're on board, I challenge you to give up one thing in your diet. For me it was soda. I actually stopped drinking it because I read somewhere that soda was really bad for your skin and was a strong contributing factor to breakouts. My skin was really bad at the time, and I was desperate to try anything! I went from drinking two or more cans a day to none at all. What I didn't know was that the sugars in soda also cause belly fat. I mean, so do other things, obviously, but the sugars used in soda go straight to the gut, so when I stopped drinking it, I lost a lot of weight! It was a total surprise to me, but I think that was really my turning point, and what got me inspired to do more.

Now, if you can't give something up cold-turkey like that, I suggest you try severely limiting it instead. It could be anything that causes you to be unhealthy. It could be soda, it could be rice, it could even be too much tv. When I gave up soda, I didn't want to be a debbie downer at parties, so I told myself I would only drink it when I went out to eat, etc., but the longer I went without it, the less I wanted it. Now, even when I eat out, I generally order water, not because I know it's good for me, but because I want it! And, bonus! Soda tastes REALLY good now, especially with pizza, which is basically the only time I drink it. A lot of people don't want to give up something they love, but I've found that I enjoy those things more now. It's a treat!

By giving up(or severely limiting) one thing from your current lifestyle, you are kick-starting your journey to health not only by eliminating bad calories, but by strengthening your self control! You may not know this, but self control is a muscle, and it needs to be exercised daily, or it will backfire, especially with my next tip. Eat the recommended portion size. I sure hope you were sitting down for this one because that little gem of information probably blew your mind. But I'm serious. When you're making food at home, read the packaging, and see what they recommend be a serving size. Make as much food as you want, leftovers are yummy, but only eat the proper serving size. And not just for one food, or one meal, but all your meals! If you're eating out, google is a lifesaver. There are SOOOOO many resources out there that tell you what a serving size should be for pretty much any food you encounter. And don't think that just because you're at a restaurant you have to clean your plate. No one is going to judge you for taking a box home.

If you've had your properly portioned meal and you're still hungry, by all means, eat more. Your body is telling you it still needs fuel. But be careful, because chances are your body is used to larger portions, and is just telling you you're still hungry because it's used to getting more. Eat until you're satisfied. Candace Cameron Bure says in her book "Reshaping it all", that she will stop every so often during a meal to reevaluate her hunger status. Is she still hungry? Yep. Cool, keep going.

Also, eat slowly. So often we shovel food in as fast as we can, and our bodies keep telling us we're hungry because it hasn't registered that we just fed it. If we eat slowly, we give out bodies time to realize it's getting fed, and it will act accordingly. And the best part is, your body WILL tell you when it's full. You just have to pay attention.

The calorie counter I use is called myfitnesspal

On the subject of food, I suggest getting a calorie counter app for your phone, or if you don't have a smart phone, find a calorie counter website and keep track of what you're eating. I'm not a huge advocate of counting your calories. That just seems like too much work for me, and frankly one giant guilt trip. But knowing what you're eating will really change the way you think about food. I actually started out just writing down everything I ate(and drank) in a day, not worrying about calories, and if you're just beginning your weight loss journey, I say that's a good way to go. Just knowing what you ate that day will help you in making good choices for the next day, and I know that knowing I was going to have to write down that I had three brownies really worked as a deterrent for eating those things. I didn't want that on my record!

I do suggest a calorie counter as the next step, though, because you may not know what you're eating. So many things that seem healthy, especially the "healthy" options at restaurants, aren't as great as they claim, and some of the "unhealthy" or "bad" foods we're told to steer clear from really aren't that bad. Did you know 4 marshmallows is only 50 calories? I didn't. And that's why a calorie counter is so important. Losing weight and eating healthy doesn't have to mean you give up all the things that taste good! It just means being more aware of what you're putting in your body, and making choices accordingly.

I'm gonna blow your mind again. You NEED to make time for exercise. I cannot stress this enough. A busy schedule is the biggest excuse in the book for so many people, but it doesn't have to be! Obviously, my best recommendation would be to workout a minimum of 30 minutes a day, either at the gym or at home, but, being a student with a job and some shadow of a social life, I understand that we all have those days where a full workout plus shower and getting ready time just isn't going to get squeezed in, no matter how you try. HOWEVER, just because you can't fit a full workout into your day does not give you the excuse to not exercise at all.

A great way to fit exercise into your busy day is to multi-task. Ladies, this is our speciality, so let's make it work for us! Do calf raises or squats while you're brushing your teeth. You're just standing there anyway, you might as well make it doubly productive! Another great one is to do counter pushups, squats, calf raises, standing crunches, etc. while you're waiting for that microwave minute to be over. See how many squats you can do before the timer beeps! Butt clenches are great to do in the car on the way to work or the store. And speaking of that, try parking a little farther away. I'm not saying find a spot in the nose bleeds with the tumbleweeds, but don't try to muscle your car as close to the handicap spots as possible. Someplace in the middle should be just fine. That way, you get a bit of a walk in, but if it rains, you don't have to make the dangerous trek through the elements to your long forsaken vehicle.

I'm sure this next one is going to sound funny, but just go with me here. Stand up. Just stand up, move your legs, stretch your arms, whatever. Then, sit back down. At work or at home, remember to stand up every once in awhile. So often we forget to move, and our bodies begin to settle, and we're sore and tired and cranky. My mom has a desk job, and so several times a day she'll just stand up, stretch her arms, maybe walk to the door and back, and then she'll sit back down and continue her work. Not only will this get the blood moving again, but you just did a squat. Now imagine doing that 20 times a day!

That's 20 squats! I'm not saying 20 squats or counter pushups a day are going to make you skinny, but it's a great and easy way to kick-start your new healthy lifestyle and get it incorporated into your daily routine. The hardest thing to remember about getting fit and healthy is that change doesn't happen over night. So many people will start a diet and then quit after a month when they aren't seeing results. You have to give your body time to get used to this new way of living! Give it time....lots of time, but, if you've made the lifetime commitment to a new healthier way of life, you'll be able to push through it and before you know it you'll be healthier and happier!

Show me them pearly whites!

I was talking recently with a friend about teeth whitening. Yeah, we talk about stuff like that...but in all fairness, the entire conversation was about getting to the gym, re-vamping our wardrobes, and just generally giving our A-game, so it applies.

Anywho, in talking about teeth whitening, my friend mentioned that she really wanted to try it, but didn't want to spend the money on whitening strips, which is totally understandable. Those puppies are like $30!!! And for a college student at a minimum wage job that just isn't going to happen. But I told her "No! It doesn't have to be that expensive! Here, let me impart words of wisdom onto you!" Actually, I didn't say that...I thought of it after she left...so I'm posting it now in hopes she'll read it, and for anyone else who thought that white teeth were out of your financial reach! Because they're not, just so you know.

I'm actually going to post a video made by the wonderful Kandee Johnson instead of writing a long blog post, because she's actually how I found out about this system, and she'll probably explain it better anyway. Then, after the video, I'll add a little tid-bit about what I learned as a first time user and teeth-whitener in general, so you don't have to find this out for yourself! Aren't I nice?



O.K. So now that you know all this good stuff, here's the stuff she didn't mention in her video:

-Make sure you get the CHILD SIZE mouth guards. Those ones are 97 cents. the adult sizes are like $8. Big difference. If you can't find them. Ask. At my Wal-Mart, the child size was not with the adult size.

-You could buy that whole whitening system, and it will only cost about $10. The box comes with the whitening gel and then a mouth wash. OR, you could just buy the tube of gel for like $4, and buy a ginormous bottle of regular mouth wash, because they're basically the same thing. Plus the mouth wash that came in the box was tiny, and I ran out of it WAAAAY before the gel.

-Kandee has been whitening her teeth since she was 16, so she only has to do 5 minute touch-ups once a month. I had never whitened my teeth before in my life, and my childhood was not abound with a track record for taking care of my teeth. SO, I had a little more to work through then Kandee does. If you're like me, I would suggest starting with 15 minutes twice a week, until you start seeing results. Then cut back to 10-15 minutes once a week, then 10 minutes every two weeks, you get the idea. Then, when you have your teeth looking the way you want. Do what she does, and just do a 5-10 minute touch-up as needed.

Now go out there with your new pearly whites and smile, darn ya', smile!

Super random workout tips

So I was talking with a runner friend of mine the other day. We were just discussing the results we've been seeing, and comparing our different approaches to working out. We definitely go about running in different ways, and that got me thinking about all the tings I've learned since I started working out on a regular basis. These tips that I'm about to share are really personal....meaning I can give you the basis, but you're going to have to experiment to find what works best for you. But I have found them really helpful in making my workouts feel less like, well, work.

Tip No. 1-Find music to suit your workout
I'm not much of a music listener when I'm working out, except when I run outside...and that week and a half I tried jumping rope. But I know a LOT of people like to listen to music, and I think the right music can really motivate you. When I run outside, I like to listen to really upbeat songs, either in the swing/big band genre or some rock and roll. Obviously, you have your own music style, which is why these tips are so personal. When I was jumping rope, I had "Eye of the Tiger" on replay!
I've seen blogs and websites with lists of songs that are a perfect "running" pace. Most of those lists are also formulated so that if you play all the songs without skipping, you get a full workout, so it helps you to work out longer. You just turn on your music, and don't stop 'till it does.
Now, I know running isn't for everyone, but these upbeat songs can work for any workout. I am a runner, so I can speak from experience that the right song can make me run like the wind! But save those slow songs for the cool down/stretch section, because the last thing you want is a lull in your workout.

Tip No. 2-Get distracted.
No, seriously! If you're working out at home, by all means do it in front of the tv, I'm not gonna judge! In fact, watching a movie while you exercise could me the distraction you need. I don't know about you, but I tend to count the seconds until I can be done...which of course makes my workout seem like a thousand years longer than it actually is. Not only is that WAY depressing, it  makes it really easy to talk yourself out of finishing....I mean, I HAVE to have done like an hour already, right?!
Like everything else, I've had to put a lot of thought into what I watch. When I run, I really like to watch musicals. I'm totally jogging like a mad woman and singing my heart out....not an easy feat, I'll tell you, and my mom laughs at me because I usually sound like a beached whale. But I don't care. I'm enjoying myself! And this is where this tip becomes personalized: My friend likes to watch action movies like "Transformers" while she runs. She says she does her best running when the characters are running or doing something action-ey as well. She says she feels like she's part of the movie, and being chased by aliens is apparently a good motivator to keep running!
When I'm doing strength training, however, I can't watch musicals, because I want to sing along. If you think running and singing is hard, try doing  crunches and singing! Then post it on youtube and tell me about it because I MUST see that! LOL
I use my "quiet" workouts to watch shows like Dr. Who. I personally love watching this show during strength training because it's got a really complicated story line, and it's a british show, and therefore a little harder to understand, so I have to concentrate on what they're saying. All that concentration really takes my mind off those crunches! This doesn't happen very often, but I have been known to put on a movie and just spend the whole time doing some sort of exercise. That's a bit extreme, but I was in the mood. The point is, thinking about what you're watching takes your mind off of less interesting things, like how not-fun working out is.

Tip No. 3-Would eating help?
This is my mom's answer to everything I think. Whenever I have a complaint, either about a headache or a stomach ache, the first thing she says is "well, did you eat?"
But that has nothing to do with this tip :) Going back to my friend, we were talking about eating before a workout. She has to eat before she runs, or she'll get sick. Me, I'm the opposite. If I eat, I have to wait like an hour before I can run, or I will get sick. I don't usually have time to wait an hour before my workout. Therefore, it kind of defeats the purpose for me to eat before I run, so I don't.
Everyone's different, so really all you can do is experiment. Experiment with what you eat, how much you eat, and how long you need to wait before you begin your workout.

These tips were things I kind of figured out for myself. They may not seem like revelations to some of you, but they were things I wish someone had told me about when I was starting out.

Wait, what time is it?!

So, suppose you stayed up really late last night watching makeup tutorials on youtube, and, suppose you didn't hear your alarm and overslept, and when your eyeballs finally pop open, you look at your clock and see you have fifteen minutes to get out your door if you want to make it to work on time....hypothetically.

Now, this is a totally unrealistic situation that didn't actually happen to me yesterday....ehehe....but it got me thinking that there are a lot of people in this world that might benefit(or at least find interesting) from some tips on how to get out the door faster...and be able to face the public.

But enough chit-chat, it's time to get down to the nitty gritty:

1- KNOW WHAT TO WEAR THE NIGHT BEFORE
Yeah, yeah. This sounds totally gradeschool, before your mom let you pick out your own clothes. But seriously, how awesome is it to get up in the morning and just be able to put your clothes on without standing in front of your closet for forty-five minutes wondering how you can buy so many outfits and somehow have nothing to wear. I don't do this every day, but if I know I'm going to have an early start the next day, or if I've been having trouble getting up with my alarm lately, I definitely have to choose my outfit the night before. It just saves me sooooo much time!

2- SKIP THE ELABORATE BREAKFAST
Before you have a cow, let me explain. I'm not saying skip breakfast(never EVER do that!) but you may not want to break out the eggs and pancakes. A great alternative would be cereal, or a protein bar, or maybe toaster waffles(don't judge. They're good.) My personal go-to quick breakfast is a smoothie, which only takes about eight minutes, and I can carry it around with me while I do other stuff to get ready.
If you need a healthier option than cereal or toaster waffles, you may want to find some on-the-go breakfast recipes, and spend a day making them. Then you can pop them in the freezer and just pull one out when you need it.

3-TONE DOWN YOUR FACE
This was a hard one for me. The busier my life got, the less makeup I wore, and I wasn't happy. When I started wearing makeup, I was all "YAY! Cover up my whole face!" But not only is that really bad for your skin if you do it every day, it takes a WHOLE lot of time to do. The fastest full face makeup I've ever done(including foundation) has been fifteen minutes...and remember, we only have fifteen minutes total to eat, get ready and get out the door.
anywho, youtube is great for finding "natural" or "school" makeup tutorials, both of which basically mean minimal and fast. Yesterday I did my hair and makeup in five minutes. Embrace the facial nudity!

4-SHOWER THE NIGHT BEFORE
Pretty self-sxplainitory. If you get in the habit of taking showers the night before, you will always have clean hair the next day, and you won't have to worry about looking like a grease ball...because that is NOT cute. At all.

5-DON'T FREAK OUT!
Seriously. You're not going to get anything done if you're running around like a chicken with it's head cut off freaking out because you over slept. Just calm down and do what you can. If all else fails, call your boss and tell them you'll be late. You will never get in trouble for giving them warning.

Now that you know how to get ready in a short time span, you can feel free to get your beauty sleep! But the best way to get everything done is to NOT over-sleep, like I did. Wait, what? This was a hypothetical situation, that wasn't me! Uh....yeah.

5 ways to get motivated about fitness

As if working out wasn't hard enough, motivating yourself to tear yourself away from your warm comfy bed to workout is practically impossible!

....Or it would be, without these 5 tips I'm about to give you! Now you'll have no excuse to not exercise. You're welcome...or I'm sorry...whatever.

1- GRAB YOUR BUDDY!
When I began working out on a regular basis, I kind of turned my nose up at the idea of a workout buddy. I don't know why, really. But when I was first starting, I for sure didn't want anyone to see me sweating like a pig! I'm not one of those girls who glisten when they work out and just look generally glowing and healthy. I've had people stop me and ask if I'm alright. No lie. So you can imagine how I may not want a fitness partner.
I also had this idea in my head that it wouldn't make a difference. I had decided to get fit, and I didn't need anyone to hold me accountable. I figured workout buddies were for super social people who like to be surrounded by their friends at all times, which is basically the opposite of me. I was definitely in more of a "leave me alone while I go hurt myself in the name of beauty" state of mind.
But then I took up running.
I have this really intense fear of being outside by myself for any length of time. Long story, won't bore you with the details, but a few years ago I went through a traumatizing experience involving a dog, and my neighborhood apparently has something against leashes. You see my dilemma.
Anywho, so I really wanted to take up running, but I knew I wouldn't do it by myself, so after a month of begging and truly heart-wrenching pouty faces, I got my mom to agree to do it with me. After several weeks of running together, I realized I was actually enjoying myself, and I looked forward to our next run.
A workout buddy isn't just for runners, it applies to everything. Take a group to your Zumba class, or my personal favorite, have a dance-off with your friends on your JustDance game!
The point of a workout buddy is that they will hold you accountable. It's so much harder to skip a day when you have other people relying on you to show up. they also make for great support! You can talk about all your triumphs and failures without being judged, because they're going through the same things. Or you could just discuss at length that super cute guy on the treadmill next to you! ;)

2-DRESS FOR THE OCCASION
Another tip I scoffed at was buying cute workout clothes. I figured, I'm just going to sweat in them anyway, so why should I waste money on workout clothes? Ratty old PJs were doing the job just fine!
Sure they were doing the job, but I felt sloppy, which didn't really make me want to work out. You'd think that feeling like Jabba the Hutt would REALLY motivate you to work out like a mad woman, but it just made me depressed.
Having cute workout clothes is great motivation. Think about it. When you have someplace to go, don't you just want to get there so much faster when you look fabulous? And, maybe more importantly, you won't get lost in your clothes, which frankly makes it harder to exercise. You try lifting weights while wearing a tent!
You can find good workout clothes pretty much everywhere. Mine are a mix of Target and goodwill. there's no need to spend big bucks on this stuff!

3-MAKE IT FUN
This seems rather obvious, but I wanted to add it to this list because it's true. When you have to go to work, you may often drag your feet and just, I don't know, not dance for joy! Especially in the snowy wintertime. But what about when you have a date, or you're going to something really fun! You can't wait! You've had your hair and makeup planned for weeks and your outfit, lovingly picked out days in advance, has been laying out on your dresser, so you can look at it whenever you want. It's sort of the same with workouts. If you hate what you're doing, you're not exactly going to arrive skipping at the gym, and eventually, you'll stop going at all. and why not? Getting fit isn't supposed to be torture or some form of cruel and unusual punishment!
A "fun" workout is going to be different for everyone. My dad really enjoys weight lifting, and all that "body building" stuff. I'm more of a dancer at heart, so I like Jumba, etc. Try a bunch of different things, and do what you like best! When you make it fun, exercising will truly become a stress reliever.

4-SHAKE IT UP
When you first start working out, you're body is gonna freak out and lose weight like crazy, especially if you didn't work out at all before. But eventually, you're going to level out, and start maintaining your weight. The best way to kick start your weight-loss again is to shake things up, surprise your muscles and make them do things they're not used to. This will also make your workouts less boring. A two-fer!
Another way to shake things up is to try something you wouldn't normally do. Instead of watching a workout video or spending an hour at the gym, try going for a hike, or surfing, or roller skating. Not for every workout, obviously, but just remember that these are actually workouts too!

5-CREATE A KILLER PLAYLIST
Nothing gets me moving like a good song, whether it's a Shakira song to make me move my hips, or "Eye of the Tiger" to get me to jump rope like a boss! There are websites in abundance full of song suggestions perfect fro running, cardio, or just motivation in general.
a suggestion for runners, I like to put songs like "Bad to the Bone" and Eye of the tiger" near the end of my run, just when I'm about to give up. I'm starting to slow down and wonder how bad it would be really if I only ran 2 miles instead of 2 1/2 miles, when I hear the first notes of "Bad to the Bone" (You know what I'm talking about!) and suddenly I feel like I could run forever! That song just makes me feel like such a beast lol! and if I play "Eye of the Tiger" last, I get to throw my fists in the air when I make it home, full on Rocky style! Bonus.
Pick songs that make you feel like you can do anything. Keep adding songs for as long as you want to work out(I suggest 45 minutes), press play, and don't stop till the music stops. Plus, listening to your favorite music will get your mind off how much you're arms are shaking when you're half way through your two minute plank, ya know what I'm sayin'?

Now, none of these things will actually drag your butt out of bed and actually give you abs like Bruce Lee. You'll still have to do that yourself. But I know that doing these things has made dragging myself out of bed every morning much more bearable, and you can't argue with results!