“But It’s Healthy!”: Be Sure To Avoid This Common Dieting Mistake

When trying to lose weight, many people fall victim to the common misconception that eating healthy will lead to weight loss. For the benefit of your overall health, choosing mostly healthy and nutritious food is obviously important, however, eating only “healthy” foods does not necessarily lead to weight loss. Although eating nutritious, filling foods is an important component in going on a weight loss diet, the key to actually losing pounds is the number of calories you are consuming.

            So you decided you wanted to lose weight. You went to the grocery store and filled up your cart with items like whole wheat bread, eggs, lots of fruit and vegetables, nuts, low-fat yogurt, some snacks like Special-K cracker chips or Pop chips, frozen yogurt, chicken, granola bars, e.t.c. The next morning you are ready to start your new diet. You make an omelette with veggies and two slices of unbuttered wheat toast for breakfast and then have an apple for a snack a few hours later. For lunch you have a yogurt with granola and a bowl of Special-K cracker chips. You snack on some almonds later on and make chicken, vegetables, and brown rice for dinner. For dessert you have one and a half cups of frozen yogurt. In general, this sounds like a very healthy day, and for the average person, maybe it is. But if you are trying to lose weight, this is not going to work. If you add the calories from breakfast (350), the first snack (100), lunch (650), the second snack (200), dinner (650), and desert (350), you would have consumed a total of about 2300 calories! This is where many dieters get stuck, and some people even end up gaining weight while trying to diet by unintentionally overeating health foods. It would seem that cutting bad fats, unnecessary sugars, junk food, white bread, and other notoriously unhealthy foods out of your diet should result in weight loss. Unfortunately, dropping pounds is not that simple.

            Weight loss is based on a mathematical equation that takes into account the number of calories you burn on an average day, how much you weigh now, how much weight you are trying to lose, the time span in which you’d like to lose x number of pounds . . . And if you are like me and seriously fail at math, this sounds very complicated and confusing. Luckily, there are many websites you can go to that will calculate the number of calories you should be eating daily in order to lose weight based on your personal body type and weekly activity level. Many diet plans also help make this easy. For example Weight Watchers gives all foods a point value, so you do not have to constantly be adding up numbers of calories. There are also iPhone apps that help you track calories and other nutritional factors. My personal favorite iPhone app is called “Calorie Counter and Food Diary” by MyNetDiary Inc. This free app helps you determine how many calories you need to eat each day in order to lose X amount of pounds in X amount of time. It also allows you to plug in the foods you eat throughout the day, and it tells you the amount of calories and other dietary components each food contains.

            Losing weight is no easy task, and it requires determination and will power. There are many helpful tips to keep in mind while dieting such as remembering to eat healthy, filling foods so you will not be hungry at the end of the day and find you are out of your allowed number of calories. Some people find it helpful to keep track of what they eat each day so they can figure out what worked for them and use that eating schedule for future days. I will go into more detail on helpful tips for dieters in future posts soon to come. If you have any tips you would like to share with fellow dieters, feel free to post them in the comments box below! Some days will be easier than others, but if you can stick it out and make it through to your goal weight, it will all be worthwhile and extremely rewarding.  

"Skinny Girls Lift Weights"

 In the world of fitness, many people are stuck in the mindset that men lift weights and women just do cardio. This stereotype regarding gender roles at the gym often becomes a reality for women, and they end up avoiding use of weight machines and free weights all together. The separation between men and women in a gym setting is most prominent in a population of young adults, for example, on a college campus. The first time I entered my college fitness center I found the divide between guys and girls crystal clear. There might as well have been a brick wall separating the weight machines/free weights from the cardio machines. The weight section was packed with hot, muscular frat bros and the occasional scrawny guy desperately trying to get on par with the others, and the cardio section consisted of sorority girls on rows of treadmills and elliptical machines blasting Avicii and Ke$ha on their iPhones. As I sweated it out on the treadmill, I never would have dreamed of entering the weight section. Like most of the girls there, not only did I know nothing about weight lifting, but I also believed that as a girl I should not be using weights anyway. The goal was to get skinny, and free weights were just meant for boys to get larger muscles, weren’t they? This is where I was wrong.

When I went home that summer, I decided to hire a personal trainer for a week, so I could make sure my workout routine was efficient. My trainer was twenty-eight years old with a master’s degree in nutrition, and she was in perfect shape. At our first session, after discussing my cardio routine, she brought me over to the free weight section of the gym. I was very confused, and it showed as I looked around self-consciously at the guys lifting weights nearby. My trainer read the concerned expression on my face and laughed.

            “Never lifted weights before?” she said with a knowing smile.

            I shook my head, still looking terrified, and my trainer handed me two five-pound dumbbells.

            “I’m about to let you in on a little secret,” she said as I stared at the dumbbells like they were some kind of foreign objects. “Skinny girls lift weights.”

            Although I was hesitant at first, I had no reason not to believe her; she was skinny and toned. I did the free weight routine she taught me four days a week for the entire summer, and by the time I went back to school my arms had transformed from flabby to fab and toned. I was also able to slim down and tone my legs using some of the weight machines, and I could hardly wait to go out on the town in my new little black dress.

            I consider myself lucky to have learned the truth about using weights early on in life. Too many women are under the false impression that lifting weights is “manly” and will make their muscles unnaturally large and unfeminine, but this is so not true! In order to bulk up your muscles, you would have to be lifting seriously large amounts of weight, and then quickly downing tons of protein and constantly be drinking muscle milk or whatever it is the bros are always chugging. By encouraging you to lift weights, I do not mean you should start bench pressing or using your boyfriend’s fifty-pound dumbbells. I’m talking about starting off with some five-pound weights and maybe eventually moving up to eight or even ten-pound ones when the exercises begin feeling too easy. Lighter weights and higher reps of each exercise you choose will slim and tone your body and potentially speed up your metabolism. While cardio is obviously important, you need to incorporate weight lifting, too, for a well-rounded workout routine to be sure you are working all parts of your body.

            So next time you hit the gym, do not be afraid to enter the uncharted territory that is the weight section. If you feel uncomfortable lifting weights by yourself in a section full of guys, bring a friend along. You may feel self-conscious at first, and this is normal because you are trying something new, but never doubt yourself. One of my favorite sayings in regards to confidence is “Fake it ‘til you make it.” If you walk into a room with your head held high, faking confidence, others will assume you know what you’re doing, and after awhile, fake confidence will become real, solid high self esteem. If you really cannot bear to use weights in front of a bunch of bros, you can buy your own dumbbells and use them at home.  Below, I have written out a great free weight routine for arms you can try. You can find many other weight lifting routines online and in your favorite fitness magazines. So get out there with those dumbbells, and remember, “Skinny girls lift weights.”

Fabulous Arm Workout:

To get the best results, do this arm workout 3-4 times a week. (Never 2 days in a row!)

1.Bicep Curls-2 sets of 15 reps (try using 8 lbs)  

                                

                     

2.Front Shoulder Raises-2 sets of 15 reps (try using 5 lbs)

3.Lateral Shoulder Raises-2 sets of 15 reps (try using 5 lbs.)

4.Tricep Kickbacks-2 sets of 15 reps (try using 8 lbs.)

Betch In Norts

              Three years ago I developed an addiction. It all began after my freshman year of college when I arrived home for summer break and decided to make the gym my second home for the next three months. I was in desperate need of workout clothes, so I headed to a sporting goods store in town. As I walked through the doors and looked around, wondering where to begin, a flash of neon caught my eye. There are few things in this world I love more than neon, so as per usual I quickly made my way over to the source. Within thirty seconds I found myself standing in the middle of the Nike Women’s Sportswear section, and that was when I fell in love. In front of me, rows upon rows of Nike gym shorts (that I soon learned to call  “Norts” like other fanatics) of just about every color combination imaginable hung on long racks, waiting for me to make them mine. I was mesmerized, especially by the neon ones of course, as I had not realized gym clothes could be so fabulous. The first pair I grabbed was the brightest shade of neon pink I had ever seen, and I could hardly wait to put them on and hit the gym in style. Next I grabbed a lime green and neon yellow pair, then neon orange and pink, Tiffany blue, pink and black, and neon yellow and pink . . . By the time I made it to the register, I had a mountain of Norts in my arms and an ecstatic expression on my face. The cashier stared at me like I was psychotic, but I could not wipe the ecstatic expression off my face. After paying a ridiculous amount of money that I knew would get me an angry lecture from my dad later on, I sprinted out of the store, sped home, and put on the neon pink pair with one of my sorority-lettered tank tops. As I admired my stylin’ outfit in the mirror, my mom and sister walked in and spotted the extra large shopping bag on the floor. I excitedly began showing off all my fabulous new Norts like a child on Christmas morning showing off brand new toys.

“This is ridiculous!” my mom exclaimed. “No one needs this many pairs of gym shorts.”

I was shocked and hurt by her disapproval.

“These are not just gym shorts,” I told her. “They’re Norts!”

Ever since that first day I put on a pair of Norts, I have been addicted. The new color combinations and shades are endless, and there will always be another pair to buy that I do not already own. My parents, sisters, and friends have tried to “help” me end the addiction, but they’ll never be able to make it stop. So maybe they are right. Maybe I do not need any more Norts. But I want more, and I will always want more. If I enter a store that sells them, I will find them, and I will buy them simple as that. Throughout the past few years my addiction to Norts has somewhat expanded into an obsession with cute workout clothes. It is difficult for me to resist the neon glow of Lululemon. I can never resist a brightly colored workout headband or sports bra, and I love the newest trend of neon running shoes. Putting a fun, colorful outfit on to go to the gym gives me an incredible energy boost, and buying exercise clothing helps motivate me to workout.

You may be wondering, “What is the point of wearing fabulous neon outfits to exercise? Well, aside from being able to go for a run in the dark without getting hit by a car, I believe that fun, festive colors can truly boost your energy, and stylish workout clothing can inspire you to exercise harder and longer. Lilly Pulitzer once said, “Life is a party, so dress like it.” While some people may find this quote cliché or shallow, if you really take a moment to think about Pulitzer’s words, you will find they are meant to inspire us all to live it up every day and make the most of each moment. Life is short and we definitely should live it up every day. In order to feel our best and most confident, it helps to look our best, too. In a fabulous pair of Norts and matching headband, you will confidently walk into the gym like you own the place, and you will be ready to work hard. Aside from the fact that you often meet super hot guys at the gym, looking good will help boost your exertion of positive energy, and this energy will motivate you to reach your fitness goals. Someone once came up to me at the gym and told me that my brightly colored outfit was cheerful and inspiring. Not only did my outfit motivate me, but it also motivated others. So do not be afraid to be that betch in the gym looking fabulous in neon. If anyone ever tries to tell you that buying cute exercise clothing is pointless or that you do not need any more Norts, they are wrong. You can never have too many Norts.

“Rager In The Gym”: New Workout Playlist To Keep You Going Strong

     Check out my newsest playlist, “Rager In The Gym,” to keep you pumped up during your workout. Exercising should be fun, and with this playlist featuring pop, electronic, dubstep, and dance music, hopefully you’ll forget you’re at the gym and feel like you’re at a rager!

“Rager in the Gym”

~Wake Me Up-Avicii

~We Can’t Stop )Dustin Que Remix)‬-Miley Cyrus

~End of Time (JIMEK Remix)-Beyoncé

~Body Work-Morgan Page feat. Tegan and Sara

~I Need Your Love (D'Alcorz Club Remix)- Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding

~Play Hard (feat. Ne-Yo & Akon)-David Guetta

~Problem (Kat Krazy Radio Edit)-Natalia Kills

~Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix)-Lana Del Rey

~Hurricane (Belanger Remix Audio)-Bridgit Mendler

~Burn-Ellie Goulding

~Dance the Pain Away (Daddy's Groove Remix)-Benny Benassi feat. John Legend

~Closer-Tegan and Sara

~Wild (Cosmic Dawn Remix)-Jessie J

~Mercy (Figure Remix)-Kanye West

~Stronger-Britney Spears

Drink of the Week: Strawberry Vodka Soda

For those of us who love to party or go out for drinks with friends, going on a diet can seem like a damper on fun. When watching your calorie intake and food choices more carefully, you’ll probably realize that the calories in the number of beers and mixed drinks you’d normally have on a night out are equivalent to the calories in a very large meal. While an average beer contains about 150 calories and a mixed drink, for example, a vodka-cranberry contains about 170 calories, going out to party on a diet seems impossible. However, there are a number of low calorie-drinks out there that you can enjoy without feeling guilty.

This Friday, my pick for the drink of the week is a Strawberry Vodka Soda. This drink contains just eighty calories and is easy to make.

Important: Do not confuse club soda with tonic water! These two drinks look and taste similar, but tonic water contains the amount of sugar and calories equivalent to a soda like Sprite or Pepsi. Club soda contains zero calories.

Ingredients:

1 shot strawberry flavored vodka

1 ½ cups club soda

3 whole fresh strawberries

1 slice of lime

Put some ice cubes in your cup and add one shot of strawberry vodka, then one and a half cups of club soda. Slice up your strawberries and add them into the drink. Stir it up. Finally add a slice of lime and enjoy!

The Truth About The "Crash Diet": Why Starvation Does Not Result In Efficient Weight Loss

Many people think starving themselves or attempting to develop an eating disorder is the quickest and most effective dieting tactic. Well, sorry I’m not sorry to break the news to those of you who are under the impression that starvation is the answer, but it is definitely NOT. Because this is obviously not your high school health class or therapist’s office, I will spare you the lecture on positive body image and how it is important to love yourself and all that, and I will simply explain the straight up facts of why deciding to stop eating is not going to help you lose weight.

First of all, most people who decide they are “over” trying other diets and other healthy means of losing weight such as exercising and decide they will just stop eating do not last very long on their hunger strike. After a couple days of not eating or eating very, very little, people give up. Some can maybe go for a few weeks, but eventually they will give up, too. Why? Because one quickly realizes that the physical and mental feelings starvation causes are not worth it. Unless you have the psychological disorder that is called Anorexia, there is no way you will have the will power or ability to stop eating for a long period time (and if you do you should seek help immediately). That being said, you can’t just decide one day that you are going to become Anorexic; it does not work like that. It is a disease that requires treatment, and many people die from it each year.

When you stop eating for a number of days or a couple of weeks, you may step on the scale and find you have lost a few pounds. But don’t jump for joy just yet. As soon as you start eating again, which you will, you will gain all that weight back immediately and sometimes more. When you go on a healthy diet to lose weight, your body is still getting the amount of calories it needs to function on a daily basis, allowing weight loss to occur as well as high daily functioning. On a “crash diet” when you are getting no calories or very few calories, your body is unable to function at its normal rate. When you are consuming less calories than your body needs to function, it will store those calories as fat! This happens because you’re body is going into starvation mode and after awhile your muscle will begin to breakdown because you are not getting the proper vitamins and nutrients to maintain them, and you will appear flabby rather than toned. Also, it is extremely difficult (and dangerous) to exercise while on a “crash diet” because the lack of calories causes lack of energy and motivation. Fainting is quite possible, and who wants to be the girl at the gym passing out on the treadmill? Many of us are aware that in order to lose weight you need to essentially burn more calories than you consume, and this well-known fact is what leads many people to assume starvation is the quickest tactic for weight loss. Although this math may seem correct, after a number of days you will realize why it is not. Eating too-few calories slows your metabolism way down, so when you start eating again, you’re body is not burning off the calories as it normally does. Many people who stop eating for a short period of time start binge eating as soon as they decide they can’t take the miserable feeling of starvation anymore and end up gaining more weight.

A few years ago I decided to give the crash diet a shot. Like many people, I assumed it would be the most effective way to drop pounds quickly as I was uneducated about the science and reality behind it. For almost an entire month I ate mostly fruit and averaged about six hundred calories a day. I was starving and constantly light-headed, but the scale kept telling me I was succeeding, and I lost fifteen pounds in about three weeks. But I also lost muscle tone, and I lost a number of social opportunities because I did not have enough energy to go out with my friends and socialize with people. After four weeks I snapped out of it. I was so hungry and felt so weak, so I began to eat a normal diet again. Within one week of ending my crash diet, I gained back all the weight I had lost and came to the hard realization that I had just wasted a month of my life. Those were four weeks I could have been out with friends having a great time and also exercising to maintain muscle tone and eating a healthy weight loss diet that did not cause me to feel the need to hibernate and be antisocial. 

Overall, the point is that starvation is not the way to lose weight. It’s not even just that starving yourself is straight up bad for you but also that it is a stupid dieting tactic that will probably not help you in your weight loss goals. The difference between a person on a “crash diet” and a person on a healthy weight loss diet is that one is miserable and unsuccessful and the other is using strength and will power to exercise and stick to healthy food choices that will lead to their success.

The Power Hour Workout: A foolproof cure for your workout ADD

      There is nothing worse than being bored of exercising especially when trying to achieve your weight loss or other fitness goals. Some days you just feel “over it”; the treadmill seems daunting, your free weight routines feel monotonous, and even your favorite workout songs are failing to pump you up. This awful feeling is something I like to refer to as “workout ADD.” Although this issue seems impossible to overcome at times, there are ways to do it. There is no better tool to combat workout ADD than The Power Hour Workout.

     Most of us are all too familiar with the classic power hour requiring us to take a shot of beer once every minute when the song changes for a full hour. The power hour works wonders when we are pre-gaming a party or out trying to get really hammered with friends, so it only makes sense that the concept works well in other situations. Unfortunately, The Power Hour Workout does not include alcohol, but you can def treat yourself to a vodka soda (which is one of the most low cal drinks around) later.

     To get started, you’ll need to find a power hour playlist (where the song switches every minute for sixty minutes). You can find a variety of power hours online at websites such as Eight Tracks, Youtube, and Frat Music Radio, and there also many iPhone apps made for power hours. One of the best is Tune Time Music Hour; this app uses the songs on your phone’s iTunes to create a full power hour. Once you’ve got that down, you can begin your workout. Essentially, you will be switching exercises each time the song changes. It is helpful to have an idea of what exercises you want to focus on and what exercises you plan to do before continuing. There are no limitations with this workout; you can really switch it up using weights, a jump rope, a Pilates ball, or even just a yoga mat. You can incorporate cardio, muscle toning, weight lifting, abs and core, and yoga into your workout. It is important to spend the first few 60-second intervals with different forms of cardio such as jogging in place, jumping jacks, high-knees, e.t.c. to warm your body up before getting into other exercises. You should also plan to take a few one minute-long breaks at different points during the workout for water and to catch your breath. Do not be discouraged if you cannot make it through the entire hour. A full sixty minutes is a long time, and you may have to work up to completing the entire hour.
   The Power Hour Workout helps eliminates your workout ADD because it is anything but monotonous. You are constantly hearing different songs to keep you motivated and you get to switch up what you are doing every sixty seconds. This fast-paced workout will keep you going strong and inspire you to push yourself harder than you thought possible. So turn up the music and switch up the exercise for a highly effective hour of fitness.

If you’re having trouble finding exercises to fill up your power hour, there are some suggestions listed below. You can also check out Pinterest, fitness websites, and your favorite magazines for more exercise suggestions to fill that hour.

This is an example of a Power Hour Workout itinerary. If you are having difficulty figuring out what exercises to do it with, try following this model or pull some exercises from this one for your own.

Minute 1: Jumping jacks        31: Lunges with twist

2: High knees                         32: High knees

3: Run in place                       33: Crunches

4: Jumping jacks                    34: Yoga flow sequence

5: Jump rope                          35: Yoga flow sequence

6: Crunches                            36: Yoga Flow sequence

7: Bicep curls                         37: Bicycle crunches

8: High knees                         38: Wide leg squats

9: Lunges with weights          39: Pushups

10: Bicep curls                       40: Water break

11: Wall sit                            41: Burpees

12: Pushups                           42: Hip-thigh raise

13: Bicycle crunches              43: Run in place

14: Jumping Jacks                 44: Jumping jacks

15: Jump rope                       45: Plank

16: Crunches                         46: Side plank

17: Wall sit                            47: Side plank other side

18: Water Break                    48: Wall sit

19: Jump squats                    49: Hip-thigh raise

20: Burpees                           50: Plank

21: Jumping jacks                 51: Crunches

22. Bicycle crunches             52: Wall sit

23: Bicep curls                      53: Jumping jacks

24: Plank                               54: Stretch

25: Side plank                       55: Yoga flow sequence

26: Side plank other side     56: Yoga flow sequence

27: Stretch and breathe        57: Yoga flow sequence

28: Pushups                          58: Plank

29: Hip-thigh raie                 59: Stretch

30: Crunches                        60:  Stretch

Summertime Slim-Down

           There is no better time to get in shape and step up your exercise game than summer. With so much more free time it’s easy to get lazy and spend the entire day shopping or tanning by the pool. While these activities are obviously just as important as getting a fab beach body, it is crucial to dedicate a legitimate amount of time to each one, because let’s be real; is there even a point in being super tan and buying a super hot, new bikini if you don’t have a hot beach bod? But have no fear! There are plenty of ways to make getting in shape fun or at least a little less torturous.

#1 Norts on Norts on Norts!

       Buying cute new exercise clothing will work wonders on your motivation to hit the gym. Lively up your workout with fun, bright colors whether you’re going for a run around the block, playing tennis at the country club, or heading to a yoga class. You can glam up the gym with the latest styles from Lululemon, Victoria’s Secret Sport, Adidas, Puma, Nike, and so many more. With a brand new pair of norts and some neon running shoes or a pink yoga outfit and matching head band, you’ll be more excited to get out there and exercise in style.

#2 Make it a Jam Sesh

       The music you choose to listen to while working out is crucial to your energy and motivation levels. Constantly filling your iPod or iPhone with new music will save you from getting bored on the treadmill, and loud, high-energy hits can keep you going strong for that last five or ten minutes.  It is easy to find dubstep and club remixes of all your favorite songs online, and iTunes and 8 Tracks are full of premade workout mixes.

If you’re having trouble finding the right music or are in need of something new, check out some of my favorite workout playlists:

Workout Partyyy:

~Tonight Is the Night-Outasight

~Calling Levels (AlexDD Mashup)-Sebastian Ingrosso vs. Alesso vs. Avicii vs. Clockwork

~We Run the Night-Havana Brown ft. Pitbull

~Can't Hold Us-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis  (ft. Ray Dalton)

~Clarity-Zedd ft. Foxes

~Die Young-Ke$ha

~Wop-J Dash

~In My Mind (Axwell Edit Mix)-Ivan Gough & Feenixpawl feat. Georgi Kay

~Scream & Shout-Will I Am ft. Britney Spears ft. Pitbull, LMFAO & PSY

~Brokenhearted-Karmin (Razor N Guido Remix ft. Johnny K Video Remix)

~Love You Like A Love Song (The Alias Radio Edit)-Selena Gomez & The Scene

~Want U Back-Cher Lloyd 

~Til the World Ends-Britney Spears

~The One That Got Away-Katy Perry (R3hab Club mix)

~Who’s That Chick?-Rihanna ft. David Guetta (D-Base vs. Tobesonic Bootleg Mix)

Betch in the Gym:

~Summertime Sadness-Lana Del Rey (Reich and Bleich Remix)

~I Love It-Icona Pop

~Starships Dance Floor Porn-Mashup Germany

~Bubblegum Bitch-Marina and the Diamonds

~Drugs in My Body-Thieves Like Us (Designer Drugs Remix)

~Room For Happiness (Fire)-Kaskade feat. Skylar Grey 

~Born to Die-Lana Del Rey (Gemini Remix)

~Play Hard-Krewella

~Heart Attack-Demi Lovato

~Insane-Vaski ft. Ava

~Video Games-Lana Del Rey (Krush Remix)

~Come Fly Away-Benny Benassi

~Rumours-Lindsay Lohan

~Bad Girls-MIA

Keep Calm and Run On:

~American-Lana Del Rey (Whole-Z Remix)

~Silhouettes-(Avicii's Exclusive Ralph Lauren Denim and Su...)

~Take You Higher (Club Mix)-Goodwill & Hook N Sling

~Spectrum-Zedd ft. Matthew Koma (Extended Mix)

~Hide And Seek-Imogen Heap (Otto Knows Bootleg)

~Cinema-Benny Benassi ft. Gary Go

~Helena Beat - Foster The People

~Blue Jeans-Lana Del Rey (Kris Menace Remix)

~Young Blood -The Naked And Famous (Tiesto & Hardwell Remix)

~Dancing in my Head-Avicii vs. Eric Turner (Tom Hangs Mix)

~Dance in the Water-Avicii ft. Lana Del Rey

~Warrior-Ke$ha

~Til I Collapse-Eminem

~The Veldt (Original Mix)-deadmau5 ft. Chris James

#3 Switch It Up

       Many of us have serious ADD when it comes to working out, causing us to get bored super easily, and workout routines can start to feel monotonous after awhile (or after like two days). Try switching up your workout regularly in order to stay motivated. You can even try doing Try doing something different each day you exercise. For example, hit up a Zumba class Monday, go for a run on Tuesday, yoga Wednesday, head to the gym on Thursday . . . you get the point. Try out some exercise classes at your fitness center. Classes like Spin may seem deadly, but if you can suck it up for the full hour you will burn on average 600 to 800 calories in one class. If you aren’t into the group thing, hiring a really hot personal trainer is a great way to stay motivated; you’ll look forwards to heading to the gym to spend an hour with the guy of your choice. If going to the gym or going for a run is not your style, try a workout video you can do at home. There are thousands of videos out there from Kim Kardashian’s Workout Series to Dance Off the Inches Latin Cardio Party to Amy Dixon’s Breathless Body: The Edge. Even trying a few workouts from magazines like Cosmo or Glamour or workouts found on Pinterest in between tanning sessions is a step in the right direction.

From Flab to Fab

Four years ago I arrived in the sunshine state to begin my freshman year of college. I enthusiastically immersed myself in my school’s culture that centered around Greek life, Lilly Pulitzer, top shelf liquor, and shameless partying, and I fell in love with the weather, the beaches, the frat bros, and the glamorous nightlife. I loved dressing up with my sorority sisters to go out downtown or to parties, and running around the beach in a neon bikini with my friends was one of my favorite activities. Unfortunately, I soon found out that margaritas and beer do not get along well with bikinis and little black dresses.

I had heard horror stories of the “freshmen fifteen,” but I never believed it could happen to me. Before beginning college my weight and body image were never a problem. I had been a competitive athlete most of my life as well as a beauty pageant competitor, and I was always in great shape. However, after one semester of college life, I realized I had been wrong to assume my body was invincible. With the dining hall food options, endless drinking, and late night drunken pizza ordering, weight gain was inevitable. On top of that, between classes, homework, sorority events, partying, and often waking up with a massive hangover, finding time to exercise seemed outside the realm of possibility. Having previously been a competitive athlete before coming to college, I was used to getting intense exercise every single day, and now I was getting none.

Like many college girls, I faced a classic dilemma: I wanted to be skinny, and I wanted to party all night long. Sadly, these desires often do not work together, and I realized that unless I wanted to continue putting on the pounds, I would need to quickly pick up a drug habit or make some difficult lifestyle changes. I opted for the lifestyle changes. Throughout the past few years I have been learning how to stay healthy and fit while maintaining my fun and exciting life. I have learned that fitness is a lifestyle, the gym is not just a place to check out hot guys, and you can never have too many pairs of colorful norts (Nike shorts).

            Now at age twenty-two, I am a graduate student, and a fitness enthusiast. I am constantly finding and creating new ways to stay motivated and achieve fitness goals. From personal experience I know that losing weight and getting in shape is a challenge, and it can be frustrating and discouraging at times. I hope my blog will help you stay fit and fabulous. Stay tuned for fitness, workout, and diet tips as well as anecdotes and advice from a betch with a passion for fitness and all things neon.

            Yours truly,

            Betch In Norts