Fitness Watch

I don't know what has possessed me to write a post right now, considering I almost fell asleep driving home from work 15 minutes ago. I'm drinking a delicious hot chai tea though and I feel like a good blog post will relax me a bit. I'm constantly browsing different fitness blogs for ideas and inspiration and this week I've been keeping a mental list of the things I wanted to mention here. The problem is I keep forgetting to write about them! So before I forget again, here are some of the things that have piqued my interest this week:

• Exercising may have benefits that extend beyond weight loss, health improvements and mood elevation. While studying for Physiological Psychology I read that as people age, the cerebral cortex loses some thickness, affecting the brain's function. However, the cerebral cortex does not thin as much for people who remain mentally active and it thins even less for people who remain physically active. So in addition to getting that "runner's high" from endorphins, by working out you actually improve your brain's functionality!
• You all may have heard that Reebok agreed to pay $25 million to consumers after making claims that their EasyTone and RunTone shoes resulted in significant changes in the hamstrings, calves and butt. Can't say I'm surprised, honestly. I think people bought into the whole toning shoe craze because it just sounds so easy. Getting super fit and toned is incredibly rewarding, but it's very rarely easy. I'm a firm believer that you're just not going to get muscle definition without breaking a real sweat. Hopefully this situation will cause companies twice before deceiving the public with unsubstantiated claims - and hopefully it will keep consumers from falling for things that sound too good to be true.
• Women's Health magazine posted this great spinning workout! It's pretty difficult to find good spinning workouts online, so I may have to try this one Monday morning. This workout incorporates flat and hilly surfaces, as well as varied fast and slow paces.

Read more »

Research, Internship, GMAT, oh my..

Okay, everyone has probably seen this flash mob video already, but it totally makes me smile! I love flash mobs and they will most likely be so passe whenever I'm likely to get engaged, but I would die of happiness with a proposal like this. It reminds me of the movie Friends with Benefits, which was such a cute romantic comedy, by the way.
Anyway, that was completely random and a partial apology for how dry my posts have been lately. I have had so much on my mind and it's been a bit overwhelming. It hit me earlier this week that in the next year I have a million huge things to accomplish! A year seems like a long time, but when I think about where I was last year, it's clear that a year really isn't that long at all. Next semester I need to work on my own research proposal, hopefully work with a professor on Industrial Psychology research and start studying for the GMAT. Summer should bring a full-time internship and the dreaded GMAT itself. August 2012 I will begin my final semester of undergrad and while I truly cannot wait for it to be over, that means I'll be applying for grad school in exactly one year.
There's a lot riding on graduate school for me. Academically speaking I've always been a bit of an underachiever, which is why I take my grades so seriously now. I guess I feel like I have a lot to prove.
There is an upside to all of this chaos, however. I'm doing really well so far this semester and I am on track to accomplish a 4.0 semester. It's a relief that I don't have to worry about catching up or studying harder than I already am. Another equally important benefit is that I've gotten my exercise groove back! I finally feel more motivated to exercise, especially since I've been switching up my routine more thanks to new cardio routines I've found on the Internet.
I kind of wish I could just fast-forward to this time next year, but I know the experience is the most important part of all of this stress and craziness, so I'm just trying to keep that in mind!

Read more »

Workout of the Week: Beat Treadmill Boredom

Since school started I've been pretty consistent about working out at the gym at school before my Monday, Wednesday, Friday classes. I just realized that I've pulled it off for about a month now, so I'm pretty proud. However, it can be pretty exhausting getting up at 6:14am everyday, rushing to get to school when the gym opens and then getting ready for class. Luckily I have a 3.5 hour break between class and work tomorrow, so I'll be doing my workout on the treadmill tomorrow. Let's be honest, it's way too humid and rainy to run outside (for the third week or so now).
So I found a great, short incline treadmill to try tomorrow, thanks to Greek Yogurt and Apple Slices. 

0:00 - 5:00      6 mph   0 incline
5:00 - 6:00      4 mph   5 incline
6:00 - 7:00      7 mph   5 incline
7:00 - 8:00      4 mph   6 incline
8:00 - 9:00      7 mph   6 incline
9:00 - 10:00    4 mph   7 incline
10:00 - 11:00  6 mph   7 incline
11:00 - 12:00  4 mph   8 incline
12:00 - 13:00  6 mph   8 incline
13:00 - 14:00  4 mph   9 incline
14:00 - 15:00  5 mph   9 incline
15:00 - 16:00  3 mph   10 incline
16:00 - 17:00  5 mph   10 incline
17:00 - 18:00  3 mph   11 incline
18:00 - 19:00  5 mph   11 incline
19:00 - 20:00  3 mph   12 incline
21:00 - 22:00  5 mph   12 incline
22:00 - 23:00  4 mph   11 incline
23:00 - 24:00  5 mph   11 incline
24:00 - 25:00  4 mph   10 incline
25:00 - 26:00  5 mph   10 incline
26:00 - 27:00  4 mph   9 incline
27:00 - 30:00  4 mph   0 incline

The original workout goes up to an incline of 15, but I'm fairly certain my treadmill does not go up that high. The great thing about intervals is they can be modified until you're really feeling the burn. I'm definitely looking forward to trying a good incline variation tomorrow, plus I think I was getting a little bored of the strength training program on the elliptical!

Read more »

Protein Powder: Not Just for Smoothies Anymore

Pumpkin is a good addition to any food: pie, bread, soup, muffins, lattes and, yes, pancakes. So today after my exam I made pumpkin pancakes! I used Trader Joe's Pancake and Waffle mix, which is a steal at only $2.99. I mixed it with an egg, vanilla soy milk, butter and my secret ingredient, soy vanilla protein powder!
I've recently spotted a few pancake recipes that included protein powder, so I figured it'd be a good addition to my pancakes. It was! They pancakes I made were tiny (mostly because I haven't quite mastered flipping large pancakes), but they filled me up from 12 noon to about 4:30. Considering I usually get hungry about 2 hours after eating, this is an accomplishment. Equally important is the fact that they were delicious.
So if you're a pancake person, try adding protein powder to your pancakes - it's a good way to get protein in so you don't feel like you're stuffing yourself with empty carbs!

Read more »

Yoga or Pilates?

WeHeartIt

For a long while I thought yoga and pilates were basically the same thing. The two disciplines are often compared and no one can deny that they share many similarities. While I don't practice either extensively, I've experimented enough with both fitness programs to see some crucial differences.

• Yoga: The principle focus of yoga is flexibility. While there are more intensive yoga classes, such as flow or hot yoga, many yoga classes are longer in length and focus on inner awareness. Balance is another key aspect of yoga. You don't necessarily need to be flexible or have great balance to get started with yoga, but both are focuses of the discipline. One problem with yoga, however, is the repetition. If you're the type of person who prefers to be constantly stimulated, the repetitive series may be overkill.
• Pilates: If you want to focus on the core, pilates might be better for you. Pilates emphasizes control and strength of the core. Pilates definitely focuses more on strength than yoga does. While you can do simple Pilates workouts at home, if you take a class you also have an option of using various Pilates machines.

Neither discipline is better than the other. I prefer yoga, personally. It's an all-body workout and I love the feeling I get when my entire body has been stretched. Yoga has also greatly improved some of the joint pains I get thanks to standing up all the time and my job and doing intensive cardio work.

Read more »

Allow Me to (Re) introduce Myself

I am super sore today! I barely got through my 4 mile run this morning because my thighs were aching from lunges and squats with weights yesterday. I can't complain about being sore though; I'm happy to know my muscles are really working!Anyway, today I wanted to revisit something I have done for the past three years or so in my various blogs. Each year I wrote a post with random facts about me, but I haven't done it at all in 2011. So much about me has changed, so I think it's due time. I've also noticed I'm getting a wider variety of hits from a wider variety of places, so hopefully some of my new readers will get to know me a little better (and maybe my old readers will learn something new - since I don't exactly know who's who).

1. Green is my favorite color. So many awesome things in life are green: the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz, nature, green eggs and ham, you get the picture.
2. Speaking of colors, I only write in brightly colored pens. It's kind of annoying when I'm in class and I have to do some type of in class assignment (I don't think it's acceptable to turn in an assignment written in lavender), but I hate taking notes in plain blue or black pen. Pencil is even worse.
3. As a child I was super anxious about everything! I had an arsenal of irrational fears. I wish this list was made up but I was seriously afraid of aliens invading my home when I slept, the house burning down, carbon monoxide poisoning, and a tornado tearing the house apart. I was such a neurotic child really.
4. I was also a huge tomboy. I loved my Barbies and what not, but I also loved playing video games - especially Mario Kart, Street Fighter, and Donkey Kong. I was also all about anything involving dinosaurs. I still watch Jurassic Park every time it comes on television.
5. I paint my nails once a week, usually with bright colors. Right now my nails are a seafoam green and earlier today they were royal blue. I pretty much dread the day I have to limit my nail colors to taupes and light pinks.
6. I have two tattoos. The first one is a rib piece that reads "No one can hurt me without my permission." The second is a swan feather on my left shoulder blade. I'm undecided on a third tattoo; part of me wants a small one on my hip bone and part of me is content with my two.
7. I love wearing dresses because they make it so easy to look cute! Sometimes I think I come off as high maintenance because I usually wear dresses everywhere, but dresses are so simple and easy.
8. I am really reserved in school, but really outgoing at my job. I talk to people at school, sure, but for the most part I'm very quiet. I don't know if it's because I get paid at my job or if it's because I feel more comfortable with my co-workers, but I think it's the latter. When you spend 30 or so hours a week somewhere, eventually you open up, which is what I think happened for me.
9. I'm kind of a cheap date. I'd love to go out to a nice dinner once in awhile, but for the most part I'm pretty laid back about things like dates. I'm a light weight, so I don't require much alcohol and I feel awkward ordering expensive things when someone else is paying for me! Half the time I'd prefer watching sports or going to a movie.
10. Food Network is one of my favorite TV channels! I could watch Chopped and Iron Chef all day, but I feel like I've seen every Food Network show at least once. The only downside to my obsession with this channel is how hungry I get after watching it for about an hour.
11. In honor of the number 11, I have to mention how much I hate odd numbers. I wake up at 6:14 every day (except for my days off from work and class, when I wake up at 7:22) and I always set the microwave for an even time. I have no idea where this came from, except I can guess that it's somehow connected to my other weird habits (like the brightly colored pens and nail polish).
12. A year ago if you had asked me my opinion on children I would have told you I have no maternal instincts. In fact, exactly a year ago I remember going to my Kristen's niece's birthday and the children just drove me up the wall. Two days ago I went to the mall with Raven, Michel and Michel's baby and I spent more time playing with the baby than paying attention to the clothes. This single moment helped me to put into perspective how much I've really changed in the past year. I guess I'll be a mother one day after all!
13. Of my three best friends, I've known Kristen and Ijeoma since I was six years old and Heidi only since December of 2010. In fact, almost all of my other close friends I met through my current job. I've obviously met other good people along the way, but I definitely went through my share of personal and friendship issues that compromised a few friendships. I miss some of the people I used to be close with, but I'm not the type of person to take the initiative with anyone I haven't talked to in a long time.
14. Hearing people chew drives me crazy. Some people chew more obnoxiously than others and that I just cannot take. I'm also highly sensitive to smells, so certain foods really gross me out.
15. My ideal job will consist of me having a flexible schedule and not having to work weekends. Of course there's more to it than that, but I want to be able to watch my sports!
16. For a final weird idiosyncracy, I need to have something at my wrist at all times (except when sleeping and taking a shower). I prefer my Fossil watch, although I'm aware that if it bangs up against too many things, the crystals could fall out. So I'll have to start wearing bracelets to work instead because I can't have my wrists be bare.

Read more »

Life or Something Like It

I don't have any particular theme jumping out at me for a post today, but I have some random things on my mind!

• Jillian Michaels' workouts are no joke! I've randomly been trying OnDemand workouts when I'm limited on time and today I saw Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred Level 2. Level 3 wasn't available and of course I figured I was too advanced for Level 3, so I jumped into Level 2. It was no simple workout. It's a circuit base workout with 3 different circuits. Each circuit consists of 3 minutes of strength training, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of ab work. On the plus side: it's a solid, sweat-inducing total body workout. The strength training is the strongest portion of the workout though. The cardio isn't quite as intense as I prefer, but the strength training is full body and intense. Exercises include leg raises with shoulder presses, squat rows, and hammer lunges. Combining lower body with upper body work is killer (and I probably used weights that were too heavy).
• I'm currently reading an interesting study conducted by the Ohio State University Medical Center! According to this study, mice placed in more complex social environments lost more weight than their bored counterparts. The social mice were also more resistant to putting on more weight even when fed high-fat diets. It would be very difficult to replicate this study in humans (Experimental Psychology methods are heavy on mind right now), but it presents interesting evidence.
• I'm still trying to figure out ways to fit in everything I want to do! I swear there aren't enough hours in a day. It's difficult to fit extra things in between classes, work, homework, working out, blogging semi-regularly and having a social life. But there's still so much to be done! Here's my list within a list:
• Buy and watch Seasons 1 and 2 of Modern Family (this will easily take all semester, if not longer)
• Bake more
• Join a real gym (Not plausible this semester, but I still want to do it)
• Dye my hair
• Clean and organize my room and car (This kind of needs to happen as soon as possible)

Read more »

Curb those Cravings (Kind of..)

Peanut Butter Fingers

I love a lot of things about fall, but what I really love is fall desserts (especially pumpkin). I have to actively avoid going to Starbucks daily and packing on the pounds, but I am constantly craving baked goods. I guess that's just what happens when it gets cooler and I actually get an appetite again. So I've been looking up some healthier alternatives that allow you to enjoy the delicious tastes of fall without devouring tons of calories.

• Apple spice cake - this recipe uses fat free cream cheese and replaces butter with vegetable oil for a healthier cake. It uses all the lovely fall spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, as well as apples at peak season!
• Pumpkin orange cake - even if you don't like baking, please just click the link to look at the recipe. This cake is gorgeous! With the inclusion of oranges and pomegrantes, it has nutrients instead of all carbs too. It looks like a lot of work, but I have a feeling it would be worth it.
• Banana protein pancakes - I found this recipe on one of my new favorite fitness blogs, Peanut Butter Fingers. It could not be more simple or look more delicious. I haven't made breakfast in so long that I think I will be making it Saturday morning. Bananas are one of the few foods that are constantly stocked in my house, so I have no reason not to!
• Low fat pumpkin cream cheese brownies - this recipe sounds way too good to be true, but it's not. The key is using pumpkin instead of all the oil and fat regular brownies require. You can also use egg whites instead of a whole egg, although either way the brownies are low in calorie.

Now I'm starving, so I basically defeated my purpose, but I will be indulging in some of these desserts and not feeling the guilt!

Read more »

Quick and Healthy: Panera

Imagine a delicious salad image in front of you (because I can't upload one for some reason). Hopefully you're salivating.
I really don't like going out to eat at fast food places that much 1) because I'm cheap and 2) because it's so difficult to find healthy choices. When given the option though, I typically go to Panera or Subway. I've recently made a delicious discovery at Panera that I'd love to share.
The strawberry chicken salad with poppyseed dressing is so fantastic! I've always been a bit weary of fruits in salads; it just seemed odd to me. I've only recently even developed an interest in salads in the first place. This salad looked so delicious though and I had to try it! It's full of chicken, strawberries, blueberries, mandarin oranges, pecans, pineapple and, of course, lettuce. The poppyseed dressing is sweet, but not too much so. The best part? 310 calories! Now, unfortunately, I'm a little late on my discovery because summer is ending and so is this salad. So if you have time soon, grab one and enjoy a healthy, fresh salad on the go.
On an unrelated note, tabata intervals totally are everything and more! Today was my second go at the tabata interval and I can just feel my anaerobic system pushing and improving. I never would have thought before that 12 minutes of a workout (only 4 of those minutes were the actual tabata interval) would have me exhausted, but it's true!

Read more »

Tabatas: H.I.I.T. to the Extreme

As a huge proponent of high intensity interval training, I have no idea how I am just hearing about tabatas. I just visited Shape magazine's website and spotted the headline "The 4 Minute Fat-Burning Miracle Workout". I was intrigued...and skeptical. However, the basic premise makes a lot of sense. Typically my interval runs consist of a 5 minute warm-up, 30 seconds of intense run, followed by two minutes of recovery, repeated 15 times. I'm definitely out of breath and sweating like crazy at the end. Tabatas take intervals to another level by shortening the recovery period.
For whatever exercise you choose (it can be running, jumping rope, biking, even sit-ups), you go as far as your body will allow you to go for 20 seconds, followed by a 10 second rest period. You complete 8 sets and you're done. By done I mean you should be on the verge of cardio-induced death. It's only four minutes so it's really crucial that you push your body as far as humanly possible.
An intense four minute workout may seem too good to be true. The results speak for themselves, however. Tabatas are aptly named after Dr. Tabata, who thoroughly studied the efficacy of the workout. Researchers found that people who used tabatas five days a week for six weeks increased their maximum aerobic capacity by 14% and anaerobic capacity by 28%. Tabata training is even more effective than regular interval training, amazingly enough.
Honestly, I don't need any more convincing to be ready to try this workout. I have been struggling with my workouts lately. I've been working out, but having less time is really compromising my ability to increase my performance. I feel like I'm maintaining, but I'm always on a mission to try something new and improve. I think I have finally found a short supplementary workout for those days when I need to squeeze some good intense exercise in. Tomorrow morning I'm tackling tabatas head-on.

Read more »

Snack Healthy!

I'm getting better with eating more protein, but I'm always going to need a little extra assistance here and there making sure I eat as much protein as possible. I also have an insane sweet tooth. A day doesn't go by when I don't crave chocolate or cinnamon rolls or cake...I could go on, but it's not helping. Since I love sweet things, need extra nutrients, and am always on the go, I love protein and nutritional bars. Above is a little graphic of my favorites.

1. Balance bars are my favorite! I prefer a little something sweet with every meal, so instead of getting a cookie, I go for the cookie dough Balance bar flavor. There's 15g of protein in one bar, so it's definitely a solid protein boost. At 210 calories, it's considered the reasonable amount of calories for a snack food. The only downside? The saturated fat content. It contains 20% of the daily saturated fat, but if you eat a fairly balanced and unprocessed diet otherwise, it's really of little concern. There's also some great vitamins, including 100% of the daily values for Vitamin C and E. I don't know that it would fill someone up by itself, but it does give me extra energy before a workout.
2. Luna bars are also delicious options. I really like the peanut butter cookie and smores flavors. Luna bars don't have as much protein as Balance bars, but 9g is not bad at all. It has only 10% of the daily value for saturated fat, so there's a pretty good trade-off for the protein there. Luna also makes protein specific bars, which taste more like the Balance bars. The regular Luna bars have a more oat-grain taste, but they are still sweet.
3. LARABAR incorporates natural, unprocessed ingredients into their bars, which is refreshing. The apple pie flavor (my favorite) has dates, unsweetened apples, almonds, walnuts, raisins and cinnamon in it. There's only 190 calories, a definite plus and only 4% of the DV of saturated fat. As far as protein goes, there's only 4g, so it's more of a snack than a source of protein and energy. LARABARs also tend to be a bit more expensive, but they are worth it!
4. Fiberone bars are, as the name suggests, a great source of fiber. I love the oats and chocolate flavor because it's not too sweet, not too plain. The calorie count for Fiberone bars is only 140 calories as well. This bar contains very little protein, but it's a great snack and it's much better than other cereal bar options.
5. HALO bars are recent additions to my store's inventory and I couldn't resist the adorable packaging. I have to say that the bars do not look as the do on the package, but they are vegan, organic and still delicious. The nutritional values are almost too good to be true. For a sweet snack, there's only 150 calories and 5% of the DV for saturated fat.

No processed food is ever going to perfect. Some have more protein than others, some have a lot of saturated fat, some aren't as filling. However, they are all good snack options or good pre/post workout choices!

Read more »

Oh How I Love Hayfever

Before I go on, I'd like to bid an official adieu to my old laptop, which is now in laptop heaven or purgatory somewhere. Monday afternoon I came home from my classes to get in an Insanity workout before work and it just gave up on me. It was long overdue though. However now I have an awesome HP Mini (disclaimer: I was not paid in any way to say this!) and I'm so obsessed with it. The sales person didn't exactly give his vote of confidence as far as speed is concerned, but I'm impressed. I use the Internet for pretty basic needs: word processing and browsing, but it's faster than my old laptop. I just hope I can magically recover my old files.
But moving past that little aside, I'd like to address the current bane of my existence: allergies. According to articles I've recently read, thanks to heavy rains and lots of sun in the Northeast this summer, we can expect a serious allergy season. Honestly, this is the first year I've ever dealt with serious allergies, but according to my research it can take years for allergies to emerge.
So here I am with a congested nose, scratchy throat, itchy, watery eyes - classic hay fever symptoms. And worst of all, these symptoms have been dominating my life for 48 hours straight...clearly they are not going anywhere. I've taken some over-the-counter medications, but I'm not a fan of overmedicating. I also forget to take pills multiple times a day or I just don't want to exert the extra (most likely worthwhile) effort to do so.
Unfortunately, I have no cure for allergies so really this post is more of me venting than anything. I have to say though that exercise makes me feel immensely better (at least for an hour or so after) and drinking coffee and green tea really helps my throat. A lot of natural remedies aren't actually proven or are expensive, such as neti pots, but one remedy I've found that is doable is increasing Omega 3's in the diet. I'm supposed to be doing this regardless, so this provides me another reason. Eating spicier foods also acts as a natural decongestant; I'm fairly certain the only time I could really breathe yesterday was after eating enchiladas for dinner.
Right now I'm just crossing my fingers for the first frost - I know it's early, but I'd like to breathe.

Read more »

The Secrets of Movie Theater Food

Diet to Go

I love going to the movies. According to this infographic, the average American goes to 4.8 movies a year, but within the last year I've definitely seen over twice that number. The great thing about going to the movies is just escaping from the mundane realities of life. I don't have to worry about school or my job or whether I'm going to get the right internships. 

There are a few problems with going to the movies, however. It can be expensive. If you go to a really nice movie theater at nighttime chances are you'll be paying ten to twelve dollars for your ticket alone. Add snacks and drinks to that and you easily have spent twenty-five dollars. The other problem is how high calorie the foods are!

I never get movie theater foods. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I'm super cheap and I'm just not going to spend four dollars for a soda and seven dollars for greasy popcorn. I also hate hearing people chew and fuss with popcorn bags during movies, but that's just one of my pet peeves. I intuitively knew popcorn had a lot of calories, but this infographic really surprised me! If you share a large popcorn with butter with three other people not only are you probably being noisy and annoying during the movie, but you're taking in 500 calories. So not worth it. I'm equally surprised that even a small bag of popcorn without butter is still 400 calories. That's 200 calories a person if shared with two people, acceptable for a snack food, but I'd rather snack on something that will fill me up more.

I get indulging once in awhile, but if you're a frequent movie-goer like I am it's definitely easier to bring a water bottle in your purse and a snack like a protein bar. If you'd like to see a bigger version of the graphic, click on the link below!

Read more »

Do or Don't: Two a Days

We Heart It

Had you asked me about working out twice a day six months ago, I probably would have laughed. I definitely didn't have the time or energy to even contemplate two workouts in one day! Once I dropped down to only working four days a week my free time significantly increased and so did my energy levels. Since I wasn't taking any classes during the second half of the summer I started working out twice a day. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone and I totally understand not having the time for it, however I really enjoy two a days. Here are some of my reasons why, as well as some recommendations for doing two a days the right way:

• It works well with my schedule: On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I have class from 9am-10:50am, but traffic in the morning is terrible and it's surprisingly difficult to find parking even at 9am. Since making these discoveries, I've started getting to campus at 7:30am when the gym opens and getting in a 30 minute workout. When I get out of class I either run, do Insanity, yoga or strength training - depending on the day and my mood. It sounds pretty crazy, but it really gives me energy. Yesterday I managed to almost be up 24 hours straight and, shockingly, I didn't get cranky.
• It helps me to vary my workouts: When I workout twice a day I get in more of a variety of physical activity. It really helps me to develop a more comprehensive fitness program, which is very important to me.
• It helps with performance: Working out longer and harder is definitely crucial to improving performance. I'm always trying to step up my performance, so getting in two workouts a day is a great way to accomplish that goal.

If you decide you want to try two workouts a day, here's some tips:

• Don't do it every day: Working out twice a day every day is a quick way to exhaust yourself or get injured. Exercise can be addictive, but don't let it get out of control.
• Mix it up: Don't just do a run in the morning and the elliptical in the afternoon. One of the best parts of working out twice a day is the ability to switch up your workouts. If you focus on cardio in the morning, try strength or flexibility in the afternoon.

Quick side note: Michel and I got to Xpose Thursday evening and they changed the class times on us! The Internet isn't always so reliable. However, we both have the new schedules and we're hoping to go Wednesday. I really want to give it a shot so I hope it works out!

Read more »

A Few of my Favorite Things

Today has been one of those days. I spent an hour and a half in traffic for what should be a twenty minute drive to campus, I'm breaking out, my hair is a frizzball and I have a serious headache. There...it feels good to vent. There's healthier ways to try and feel a little better though. When I'm busy or stressed out or irritable (or all of the above), I try to think of my favorite things - or in some cases, get them. It really helps me get through whatever is bothering me. Here are a few of my favorite things:

• Mud masks: I really hate when it's humid and disgusting outside and I come home with my face feeling extra oily. The best solution I've found for that gross feeling is a mud mask. I love how clean and fresh my skin feels after! I'm currently using Queen Helene's mud mask - it doesn't contain many artificial ingredients and it's very affordable.
• Pumpkin anything: I don't care if it's pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin muffins...pumpkin anything makes my day. There's nothing wrong with a little indulgent and now that it's fall I can reward myself with delicious pumpkin lattes and muffins!
• Nail polish: You'll never find me without nail polish on - ever. I really love vibrant colors, but I go through different phases. Buying new nail polish or painting my nails always puts me in a better mood.
• Food Network: Food Network is my favorite channel! Watching Chopped, Iron Chef, and Cupcake Wars always brightens my day. I try not to watch TV all the time, but when it makes me feel a little better it's worth it. 
• Green smoothies: I'm drinking one now because it's my last ditch effort to feel better and I hope it works! Even if it doesn't, they taste delicious and it feels good to get in some antioxidants, fruit, protein and vitamins all in one drink.

I do have to say I feel marginally better after I began this post a few hours ago (I had to set it aside to take a nap), so I hope I can get a last minute burst of energy. In about an hour I'm going to an Xpose fitness class with my friend Michel, which I'm excited to review tomorrow or Saturday!

Read more »

Always a Challenge

Reasons to be Fit

All summer my fitness routine was pretty scattered and inconsistent - I wouldn't say it's been bad by any means, just varied. Some days I ran, some days I did P90x or Turbofire, some days I played soccer or did yoga. Basically I did whatever fit my schedule for the day and whatever form of physical activity I wanted. Since starting school though, I feel like my fitness routine has become even more inconsistent. I'm still working out of course, but I don't feel like I'm pushing myself to my limits and feeling pushed is, in my opinion, the best part of working out.

So today presented a great opportunity for me to start one of my favorite workouts again: Insanity. I did 30 minutes of the elliptical before class this morning and I planned on running on the treadmill in the afternoon at home, but the basement flooded. I thought about going to Turbofire, but I really miss the feeling I get after doing an Insanity workout: that "I can't breathe, I'm dripping in sweat, and my muscles are on fire" feeling.

I don't really think Insanity works as well if you just pick and choose workouts (although that does work for Turbofire), so I started from the beginning - the Plyometric cardio circuit. I was curious to see if I'm in better shape now than I was when I did Insanity spring semester...and I definitely am! The thing I really love about Insanity is it's always going to be a great workout. You can do the system one time through or sixteen and, as long as you push yourself to your limits, you'll be sweating. I'm thinking I'm going to start it again because I just really love it and it fits my schedule extremely well. I know I won't be able to stick exactly to the workout schedule (six days a week in a row) and I'll probably throw some runs in there too, but the goal is to get even stronger and faster. 

And since I'm on the subject of Insanity, I might as well review the Plyometric cardio circuit DVD. Yes, the warm-up will be intense. The DVD is about 42 minutes long and approximately 10 minutes of that is the warm-up. It consists of jogging, jumping jacks, Heisman, one-two-three Heisman, butt kicks, high knees and mummy kicks, repeated three times, increasing intensity each time. It seems daunting at first, but as you get used to it you can do more. 

After your body is warm you go into an extended stretch. The stretch concentrates on the hamstrings and quadriceps, since Insanity incorporates a lot of jumping and squats. By the time the stretch is over, you only have 22 minutes left of the workout!

Don't get too excited though: the remaining 22 minutes will totally kick your ass. There are two circuits - the first circuit includes suicide drills, power squats, mountain climbers and ski jumps. You perform each exercise for 30 seconds for a total of two minutes, followed by a 30 second water break. You perform the circuit three times total with the last set followed by 30 seconds of switch runs and a minute of football sprints. You then move to the second circuit, which consists of basketball drills, Level 1 drills (4 push-ups, 8 mountain climbers, stand up, repeat), ski abs (in plank position, move your legs side to side), and in-and-out abs (in plank position jump your legs in-and-out). Let me just say that the first few times I did this DVD I could not finish the ski abs or in-and-outs, but today I totally made it happen. Once you complete the circuit three times, you do two minutes of jabs, cross jacks, upper cuts and attacks to finish out the workout. A quick cool down and you're done (...literally)! I really love Insanity, so I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a fitness challenge.

Read more »

Silence is Golden?

WeHeartIt

Hello all!

My food shopping, fortunately, went excellently. I'm currently sipping on a green smoothie (protein powder, bananas, mangoes, strawberries, spinach, vanilla soy milk and a dash on honey) and munching on some pecans and almonds. I'll see how I feel at the end of the week, but I am definitely feeling more energized now. Since my lab got out early and I finished my work, I actually have time for a post today!

I've been seriously contemplating getting an iPod and an iPod armband for working out at the gym and running. My Blackberry is mediocre at best when it comes to the media aspect and while my gym has TVs, sometimes I can barely hear. 

This whole decision making process has me thinking about the pros and cons of working out and especially running to music. Of course, there's obvious pros to music - it's a great motivator. I love Turbofire workouts because they're high energy and the music contributes to the whole mood. I use my playlists to get me through tougher workouts and perform better. The main reason I prefer working out to music though is that it gets me outside of my head. Exercise alone does help me to focus on things other than whatever is currently stressing me out, but once I add music to the mix I really am in another world.

With that said, there are reasons to keep the music to a minimum. When you run outside or run in a marathon, it's often said that you should avoid running with music on. Some races completely prohibit it because of the safety concerns. It makes it much easier to avoid distractions when you can actually hear over your music. The other great thing about running in silence outside is appreciating nature more. Sometimes it's nice just to hear the birds or the wind. It's somehow more peaceful.

Every person has a preference as far as music goes, but there are definitely benefits to trying out whatever method you don't necessarily love. I'm a music person and I'm sure I will be getting that iPod soon, but I can appreciate why running without music can be a very cathartic experience.

Read more »

Fuel for Thought

So I have been really tired this past week. When I say really tired I mean there have been times when I really thought I'd fall asleep while standing up at work or not be able to wake up. I didn't quite understand it. I get 7-8 hours of sleep a night, I work out 5-6 days a week, I'm far from caffeine dependent, I take vitamins, and I'm not experiencing depression.

I was really at a loss until I realized, that's right, I don't quite fuel my body properly. That's why right now, in addition to figuring out how to properly adjust my fitness schedule, I need to focus on how to fuel my body to get through this hectic semester.

I have two bad food habits: the first is carbs and the second is not eating enough. I talk about not making excuses when it comes to fitness, but I totally make excuses when it comes to what I eat. I blame not having time to eat for why I don't get enough calories and I often choose carbs because they're quick and easy. Clearly, it's not a strategy that's working for me. So I'm starting to devise a list of foods to add to my diet so that I'm getting more protein and complex carbs.

• Hummus: I love hummus and it's such a perfect snack! I need something quick and easy and hummus fits the bill. I can bring it to work for lunch with carrots and celery or eat it between my classes in the morning and work in the afternoon. Chickpeas are a great source of protein as well.
• Eggs: I know eating too many eggs can affect cholesterol, but really I'm not going to eat six eggs a day so that's not a factor. I like egg whites in my breakfast sandwiches, but hardboiled eggs are going to replace blueberry bagels as part of my lunches at work. They're low calorie, high in protein, and filling - exactly what I need.
• Green smoothies: I know I just posted about smoothies, but I haven't been on my smoothie game lately (hypocritical, right?). Today though I posted on Twitter about how I don't want to go back to caffeine to up my energy and I got an interesting response - green smoothies. I didn't think about green smoothies before, but with the nutrients from fruits, vegetables and protein powder they are a great option. My plan is to make the smoothies before I go to sleep to save time and drink them in the morning before school. 
• Black beans: I love black beans. They're really easy to make and flavorful, not to mention nutritious. One cup of black beans contains 15 grams of fiber and 15 grams of protein!
• Fish: I don't buy fish often because it's expensive, but I'm going to have to suck it up. I really don't like most meats, which I'm sure is a big part of why I don't get enough protein. I'll eat a burger once in awhile, but I honestly don't remember last time I had meat other than the occasional turkey bacon in a breakfast sandwich once or twice a week. However, I love fish: tilapia, tuna, mahi mahi, salmon...it's all delicious. 
• Avocado: I don't really need an excuse to eat more avocados. I love them. Avocados are high in fat, but it's healthy fat! Similar to walnuts and flaxseeds, avocados can help with heart health.
• Almonds: Almonds lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease, and are super tasty. Like avocados, they are high in fat but they're a good snack regardless. Research also suggests that eating nuts reduces the risk of weight gain - so it's win-win. Oh yeah, there's also the protein factor: a quarter cup of almonds contains 7.62 grams of protein.

I plan on going food shopping after work and I'm really excited about it. I've come a long way from Combos and Coke for breakfast and M&Ms and ramen for dinner, but there's still progress to be made. For me it's not about weight loss, it's about feeling better and improving my health and my athletic performance.

Read more »

No Regrets (One Day)

Today is a very bittersweet day for me: the first day of college football. Don't get me wrong, I love college football - today marks the beginning of the football season and the beginning of fall. However, today brings up some difficult memories and thoughts. 

I almost feel like I'm predisposed to experiencing more regrets than the usual person. I know everyone has their regrets, but mine are pretty deep. I can't say that leaving Ohio State is my number one regret because really it's a product of my number one regret: waiting so long to take action regarding my depression and anxiety. It's this regret that I really think about when college football starts up every year. I think about how different my life could have been had I stayed and, mostly, how much pain and wasted relationships I would have avoided. Thanks to all my psychology textbooks and the Internet though, I've found some good advice for moving past regrets, which I hope will help to lessen the pain.

• Put things in perspective. I think it would have been a waste trying to put anything in perspective say a year ago because, in my honest opinion, the only meaningful thing I gained from 2009-2010 was a resume boost. Things are different today though. I feel ten times more mature and most importantly happier than I was. I've made some great friends and I'd say this past summer was the best summer I've ever had. My GPA is higher than I ever thought it'd be in college and I'm proud of how much money I've saved up. I really am fortunate to be where I am today and while I have no idea where I'd be had I made different decisions, what matters is that I'm better now.
• Forgive yourself. This is where I experience difficulties. I'm pretty hard on myself and it's difficult for me to let go and forgive myself for my choices. I think it's especially hard for me because I feel like I wasted so much time on people I never would have met (and yes, I would have preferred it that way) had I stayed in Ohio and experienced financial and career stresses I could have avoided. Conversely though, there are people I've met recently who have changed my life for the better and I try to remember that when the "what if" thoughts emerge. Sometimes I think I work incredibly hard because a positive outcome is really what I need to actually forgive myself and that's okay.
• Talk to someone. Everyone has some type of regret, so while someone may not understand your exact situation, they can still empathize. There's always the option of talking to a professional as well. Sometimes there are things that are just too big to address on your own and that's okay.
• Move forward. I still think about my regrets, but mostly it's on days like today when events trigger the thoughts. I've formed my own life here now; I have a job, school, friends, family, hobbies and, while it took me almost 2 years back here to find a place of sorts, I do have one now. Don't let your regrets take hold of your life completely or prevent you from trying new things and making improvements. Just trust that you will make better decisions moving forward and things will start to feel better.

Read more »

Sleep is for the Weak?

WeHeartIt

It seems like sleep is seen as an option, not a requirement these days. With such a huge emphasis on energy drinks and pulling all-nighters, sleep isn't really seen as that important. I have to admit, I often think that there aren't enough hours in the day for me to accomplish what I want, but I still won't sacrifice my sleep. Different people need different amounts of sleep to function properly, but the average amount an adult needs ranges from 6-8 hours. 

Before even reading an article on the benefits of sleep I knew how important it was for my health. I just didn't feel like I could get through the day without consistently getting enough sleep. I barely make it through my days of classes plus work getting 8 hours of sleep a night, so I'd be in the worst mood ever without sleep. I've heard people say that you just can't be accomplishing much if you sleep 8 hours a night, but it really is incredibly unhealthy to get less than 5 hours a sleep a night (and conversely, getting more than 9 hours of sleep a night isn't good either).

I've read in almost "secret tips to lose weight" type article that people who regularly sleep more than 9 hours or less than 5 hours a night are more likely to gain weight than those who sleep between 6-8 hours. I don't know the exact physiological explanation for it, but it seems that sleep is a crucial component of maintaining metabolism and body weight.

Missing sleep also increases the risk for developing hypertension - research shows that the risk of developing hypertension for those who regularly missed an hour of sleep was up to forty percent. There's also more obvious consequences, such as being in a bad mood and feeling unable to complete workouts. 

Deep sleep is equally important for maintaining heart health and helping your body to regenerate. Sometimes it can be difficult to reach the final stage of non-REM sleep, especially if you are a light sleeper. I still have problems sleeping for long in a deep sleep, but exercise has helped me to achieve deeper sleep. Thanks to Fit Sugar, I also found some additional tips for reaching deep sleep. Turning your cell phone off and limiting light distractions will prevent you from waking up before falling into deep sleep. As much as I love naps, they don't help much with getting to the stage of deep sleep. I fell into an annoying habit of taking naps after my summer class ended, so with the semester starting back up I need to make sure I have a regular sleep pattern.

I know that it's super common for college students to have irregular sleep schedules and that often carries on into the working world. I'm definitely lucky that, thanks to working and being in school, I've finally developed normal sleeping habits. So, if you can avoid that all-nighter, in the end it'll be beneficial for your health, your ability to retain information, and your mood.

Read more »