What’s Your Motivation?

Let me guess. Your motivation is to follow all the fitness accounts on Instagram and Twitter and to find pictures of those skinny ass models and put the picture somewhere where you see it everyday? I mean maybe that does work for you, but at one point has it made you feel bad about yourself? Don’t get me wrong those type of things can definitely motivate a person. I mean I have been known to do the same thing. But those things just made me feel worse about myself and it just wasn’t necessary. So my suggestion, make your own progress a motivation! Make a realistic exercise plan for yourself, like those one-song workouts ;), and get a journal so you can keep track of your progress! It will be very motivating to see those results on paper! Just remember though, not every week will have a positive outcome; be realistic with yourself and know that there will be ups and down and absolutely DO NOT let that discourage you. Be happy with yourself and don’t let those fitness accounts get in your way! Stay beYOUtiful :) 

Someone I follow on Twitter posted this… 

Don't let this happen to you :( 

The Plastic Role Model

Who played with Barbie when they were younger? Don’t lie. I have no shame in admitting that I definitely played with them; I had the Barbie Dream House and everything! But anyway, that’s not the point. It has been brought to my attention that Barbie underwent some plastic surgery to make her more realistic in her body appearance.

Barbie in the good ol’ days was tall, very skinny, and had nice boobs. Now, her design is shorter, curvier, and she has smaller boobs. When I was at the age of playing with Barbie, I never really looked up to her as a role model; I just looked at her as something to play with. I think now with media becoming a bigger part of our lives and society becoming more judgmental, the iconic look of Barbie was something to strive for. Even though Barbie was a big part of my childhood, I personally like that the moms out there pushed for a change. It’s important to engrave in a young girl’s head that it’s okay to be who they are and it’s okay to have the body that they have. It’s important for any girl or any woman at any age to know that their body is perfectly okay and they don’t need to change because of someone famous or even for a doll. So with that said… Always remember to beYOUtiful :)! 

Is that an excuse I hear??

You don’t have time for the gym? It’s too cold outside to go on a run? Your excuses aren’t hurting anyone but you so go kick ass! Believe me, finding motivation to go workout or finding the time to go isn’t always easy, but it is essential.
The recommended physical activity for adults is 150 minutes a week, so 5 days a week for 30 minutes or 3 days a week for 50 minutes. Personally, I would engage in physical activity 5 days a week for 30 minutes; it just seems less than it really is! But now comes the hard part… Finding the motivation to go. I can’t give you answers for that because we all have different things that might motivate us. However, if your problem is that you don’t want to leave your house, or dorm, I have a solution for you!

It’s called one-song workouts and they can be done right at home! And they don’t have any running ;).  The average song is about 4 minutes long so if you make a playlist of about 7-8 songs, you will be done for the day! Also, just for shits and gigs, I will include a “running for beginners” workout for those of you who feel really motivated :). However, if you absolutely don’t have time to get a workout in, try to maximize your physical activity throughout the day, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or just walking anywhere that you can. Anything and everything will help!























Oh! And one last thing. Remember the MyFitnessPal app I mentioned in “Diet Schmiet”? Wellll you can also log your physical activity! The calories burned will go under the exercise category and then it will increase your remaining caloric intake. For instance, my caloric intake is about 2,340 calories and lets say I exercise and burn about 329 calories (do NOT exercise on an empty stomach, this is just an example); my remaining caloric intake would increase to 2,669. Pretty cool, huh? Enough talking from me… Go do your thing! And don’t forget to find that one thing a day that you like/love about yourself <3

P.S. You can Google more one-song workouts, or you can use Pinterest if you have an account!

           

“I’m never eating again… lol”

Alright, ladies. It’s two days post Valentine’s Day and I am sure we all indulged in a little bit of chocolate, or maybe we over indulged… Oops. But now our self-esteem is down the drain. “Ugh I am so fat” “Wow look at my stomach” “I am never eating again”. I have heard it all, and not going to lie, I have said it about myself from time to time. Obviously, most of us are kidding about never eating again. I mean I know it’s very true for myself because I absolutely love to eat. But that’s just not the case for others; they really don’t eat because they view themselves in such a terrible manner.
This ladies, as we know, is called Anorexia nervosa. It can be a very touchy and sensitive subject, but it needs to be talked about, especially with girls trying to achieve the “model skinny” look.

Three main signs we should all look out for are: 1) refusal to maintain a healthy body weight 2) an intense fear of gaining weight and 3) a distorted body image. If you think you or a friend are experiencing any of these signs PLEASE go get help or help your friend get help. You can call the National Eating Disorders Association’s toll-free hotline at 1-800-931-2237 for free referrals, information, and advice. Don’t be afraid to get help and don’t be ashamed. An eating disorder is more common than we realize.

I have something I want you all to do. Look in the mirror everyday and find something you like/love about yourself. Get some sticky notes and write those things down and then stick them either on your mirror or somewhere where you will see them everyday. This will be an everyday reminder that you are beautiful just the way you are and that there is no need to put
your body in harms way. Love yourself and be confident!

Diet Schmiet

Today is the day… Valentine’s Day! Aka a day (maybe week) filled with chocolate, chocolate, and chocolate. However, I am sure many of you dread this day because you’re on a “diet”. Well, as the title says, diet schmiet.

Diets usually don’t work out. Sorry but it’s true. Again though, let me explain! You should focus on portion size and limiting your caloric intake. I personally like to use the MyFitnessPal app for iPhones. On this app, you go to settings, fitness goals, and then enter in your information: goal weight, starting weight, weight goal, activity level, net calories goal, and exercise goal. Once that information is all filled in, you can start recording what you eat! I personally find it very cool to do so it’s not a daunting task for me, and hopefully you will feel the same way as well. In the long run, this method of “dieting” will be more effective and more manageable as opposed to following one of those carb-free diets or whatever. Those diets might be good if you’re looking for a quick weight loss, but they won’t be very manageable or realistic for the rest of your life.

Now, back to chocolate. I quote from WebMD, “Dark chocolate is healthy chocolate”. WebMD reports that it may help lower blood pressure and it has antioxidants. So if you are really, realllllyy trying to be healthy but still have a craving for chocolate try some dark chocolate! Or if you just want some good ol’ milk chocolate, satisfy your craving!! But remember, only in moderation :)

Happy Valentine’s Day to all you beautiful ladies out there!

P.S. If you don’t know what your daily caloric intake should be follow the link

http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/Calorie_Calculator.asp