"Pursue your goals, but never lose sight of the reality of things." -Amy Suto
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
Thank you! :) And Forever 21 is a good store in that respect, although I wish their ads and models portrayed more than one body type.
About the Abercrombie Boycott and Body Positivity
The Abercrombie CEO’s words make me sad and frustrated.
I have friends who are absolutely gorgeous with lovely fashion senses, but don’t fit into Abercrombie clothes. Who is anyone to tell them that because they don’t fit into a very narrow definition of beauty characterized by measurements and “thinness” that they can’t be beautiful?
Not only this, but Abercrombie burns its new, unsold clothes instead of giving it to charity, despite requests from nonprofit organizations.
If you like Abercrombie’s clothes, that’s fine. If you want to continue to shop there, go ahead. I’m not here to dictate your shopping habits, or to shame you into a boycott.
But I encourage everyone to at the very least make an effort to realize that defining beauty through clothing sizes is damaging for the self-esteem of women and girls all over the world.
Being body positive means accepting all body types as beautiful, instead of discriminating with inches and waist sizes.
If you decide to participate in the boycott, here are some other cool clothing companies that also have plus sizes that you can go to that are similar to/better than Abercrombie and Fitch:
- H&M
- American Eagle
- Modcloth (get $15 off your first purchase of $50 by signing up with this link!)
Modcloth not only has plus sizes, but they also feature plus size models in a lot of their promotional materials! The bathing suit advertisement I received today had two women side-by-side: a woman of average weight, and a plus-sized woman. Both are equally gorgeous, and quite a refreshing change from other brands that only highlight waifish models and neglect other body types.
Modcloth’s Advertisement in Question:
Gorgeous!
3 Things I Learned from My Yoga Class:
- Take time to treat your body right. Recognize how much it allows for you to do each day, and treat it accordingly!
- Slow down. Savasana, or the final pose, is meant to take a moment and relax as if it’s the only thing your body knows how to do. It’s one of the highlights of my yoga practice because it reminds me that life isn’t just about business and productivity and noise.
- Acknowledge the world around you. We are held up by the earth, and those around us set intentions for their yoga practices as well. We’re asked to be aware of those around us, and that life wouldn’t be possible without them. We are not the center of the universe.
Also, balancing poses are for badasses who (unlike me) can somehow twist in awkward positions and then do these freaking impossible handstands like it’s nobody’s business.
And I’m all like, “yay child’s pose time!’ because I’m advanced like that.
photo by lululemon athletica via Flickr Creative Commons
Great question!
Muscle building exercises (resistance training) focus on creating muscle through progressive overload that stimulates tearing of muscle fibers. The body then rebuilds those fibers so that they’re stronger. To build muscle: lift weights.
Fat burning exercises (cardio) focus on increasing endurance and using calories through cardio. Examples: running, swimming.
First of all, what are you comparing kickboxing to? Lifting weights? Doing pilates? And what does your kickboxing routine look like? Are there weights involved?
Generally, kickboxing is an aerobic workout that combines a series of kicks and punches that are aimed at increasing your heart rate and improving endurance. Because kickboxing uses your own body weight as resistance, it doesn’t really built too much muscle. So it generally falls into a fat burning workout.
However, if you’re doing something like P90x kickboxing, you’re also integrating lunges and hand weights and squats and all sorts of moves that come from a traditional strength routine.
Answer: it depends on your routine. But if you want to build lean muscle, you need to lift heavy!
Resources:
“Skipping breakfast is often a big no-no if you are trying to lose or maintain weight because it leads to high-calorie cravings later.”
Source: Web MD.
I know that eating breakfast isn’t always on the top of our priority list when you’re running late or not feeling hungry, but it’s important! Eating a good, healthy breakfast improves your mood and energy levels.
Prepare a parfait or smoothie makings in the fridge before you go to bed! That way, you’ll have no excuse.
photo by adactio via Flickr Creative Commons
Your shoes lose cushioning, shock absorption, and stability over time. Prevent injuries and know when you need to replace your running shoes!
Loss of cushioning in the midsole usually leads to an increase in joint pain and shin splints. The midsole is responsible for cushioning and stability, and it breaks down before the treads of the sneakers.
If you run several times a week but don’t count miles, try and replace them around every six months.
5 Steps from Couch Potato to Runner
photo by puuikibeach via Flicker Creative Commons
6 Ways to Spring Clean Your Life
MY STORY
I’m getting rid of some negative energy in my life tomorrow.
My dance partner and I have been preparing for a showcase, and he completely threw out the choreography we had prepared in exchange for his new choreography.
Today, I realized he took the joy out of dance for me, so I am no longer dancing with him, and tomorrow I’m going to end the partnership.
Does this mean that I won’t get to perform at this showcase I really wanted to perform at? Yeah. It does.
But you know what? Performing at the showcase with a last minute routine with a partner who doesn’t care that I don’t feel comfortable with this new routine isn’t something I want to do.
I’m tired of feeling awful and being treated badly. I won’t stand for it. And I definitely don’t deserve it.
Tomorrow, I’m going to just stand up for myself and expel this negative energy from my life, and go to yoga class instead of dance class.
I’m spring cleaning my life, and so should you!
Edit 4/29:
My dance partner was actually really nice about the whole thing, even sincerely apologizing. I learned that being honest and confronting people about certain things actually yields good results.
Problem-solving begins with identifying the problem at hand.
Edit 4/30:
Not only did I patch things up with my old partner, but I also got a new partner in time for the showcase! It’s amazing how these things work out so well.
Hey there!
Follow the 80/20 rule the best you can: that is, 80% of the food you eat is healthy, with a 20% space for food that is less than stellar.
If possible, eat a full, healthy meal before the wedding and bring healthy snacks like almonds so you won’t be too tempted to overeat. Indulging a little is okay — it’s not like one slice of cake will throw you off the wagon — and just do your best to see if there are healthy options available.
It’s great that you’re so concerned about eating healthy, but where a healthy diet really reflects is in your day-to-day eating. Do your best on special occasions, but really focus on the days that you have control over what you eat.
3 Rules to Staying Fit and Happy in Your Busy Life
photo by lululemon athletica
There are days where I’m up at 6am to type a paper, then off to eat at 7am, and then class from 8-4pm, followed by yoga class and grocery store errands and then homework until I collapse into bed at ten or eleven.
Yet somehow I’m still keeping up with my studies and making the Dean’s List, carving out time to ironically attend the Birdemic 2 world premiere with my awesome boyfriend, and do yoga three times a week, ballroom dancing three times a week, strength training twice a week, and running twice a week. Oh, and then I somehow also update four blogs and do graphic design work on the side, while also writing scripts and novels year round and still managing to get eight or nine hours of sleep most nights.
I know a thing a two about time management. And getting tickets to dorky premieres. (Did you know Birdemic 2 not only has killer birds, but — gasp — zombies??)
Anyways, I’m here to help you navigate your crazy schedule and still find ways to be fit and healthy year-round! Here they are:
Other articles:
6 Ways to Sleep Better
4 Reasons to Do Yoga
4 Ways to Kickstart Your Fitness Life
Losing weight won’t make you happy.
But you know what will? Discovering that one of your true passions in life is dancing. Realizing that all that stress you carried around with you day after day dissolved that one afternoon you stepped into a yoga class and decided to start practicing. Running a five mile mountain trail as the sun dips behind the horizon, dusting you in gold as the endorphins surge through your body. Eating fresh watermelons and drinking ice cold water. Learning how to cook good, nutritious foods that you love and that give you energy and replenish you day after day.
Losing weight won’t make you happy.
Being healthy will.
Amy, fitness blogger at realityofhealthy.tumblr.com and realityofyou.com
Please talk to your doctor about this — if your world revolves around calorie counting and the number on the scale to the point where everything seems out of control it’s not a good sign.
Take a deep breath, drink a warm cup of tea, and talk to a healthcare professional for some advice.
One of my favorite health bloggers has a great resource page about Disordered Eating, you may want to read through it.
Or, call the Eating Disorder Helpline:
US: 800.931.2237
UK: 0845.634.7650
AU: 1.800.ED.HOPE
NZ: 09.5222.679
I love you guys and I want you to be safe. Please be careful and talk to your doctor.
Hey there! I can’t really tell you why, since I don’t know what exercises you’re doing/what you’re eating/etc. etc.
Could your perception be all in your head? Sometimes, what we see in the mirror is warped by what we think we see, not what’s actually there.
But if you’re working out and eating right and still think you’re gaining weight, you may want to do some troubleshooting.
Here are some resources!
- You can’t spot fat loss. You can’t do crunches and then magically expect a flat stomach. Your body is genetically predisposed to lose weight in certain areas first.
- 4 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight. A troubleshooting article. Another question to consider: what are you trying to accomplish with your fitness routine? Lose fat and gain muscle tone? If so, that might not be the same as weight loss: you can replace fat and gain muscle and lose two pant sizes but not budge on the scale. Why? Because muscle takes up less space than fat.
- Strength Train to Lose Weight. If you’re not strength training, chances are your body isn’t improving your body composition (aka: losing fat) and instead the cardio you’re doing is breaking down your muscles (which slows down your metabolism). Strength training is essential not only to weight loss but also for a healthy lifestyle!
Keep in mind that everything always returns to eating healthy and workout out. Focus on those elements, and the rest will follow.
Hopefully this is helpful!
It’s final exam season for those of us in college!
I know you may be stressed and feel like you’re too tired or busy to exercise, but as it turns out exercising is the perfect cure for fatigue and mental exhaustion. Exercise lowers stress levels, boosts brain power, and improves energy better than stimulants such as coffee.
From WebMD:
Not only does exercise improve your body, it helps your mental function, says certified trainer David Atkinson.
“Exercise increases energy levels and increases serotonin in the brain, which leads to improved mental clarity,” says Atkinson, director of program development for Cooper Ventures, a division of the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas.
All that makes for a more productive day.
“It is clear that those who are active and who exercise are much more productive at work,” says Todd A. Astorino, assistant professor of kinesiology at California State University-San Marcos.
Go hit the gym!
photo by lululemon athletica via flickr creative commons
I love my coffee drinks. As a writer, there is nothing more awesome than taking my notebook and laptop and hanging out in Starbucks drinking espresso while Stan Getz plays in the background.
The health world is conflicted about whether or not coffee is good for you and in what amounts, but one thing is for sure: regular exercise is a better at improving your energy than stimulants such as caffeine. (Source)
Yep. Here’s an excerpt from that article:
“More than 90% of the studies showed the same thing: Sedentary people who completed a regular exercise program reported improved fatigue compared to groups that did not exercise,” says O’Connor. “It’s a very consistent effect.”
The results show that regular exercise increases energy and reduces fatigue.
The average effect was greater than the improvement from using stimulant medications, including ones used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy.
So even though my coffee habit isn’t going to dwindle anytime soon, it’s good to know that not even Starbucks can replace the natural energy boost that comes from going to the gym.
photo by epSos.de via Flickr creative commons
You can’t out-exercise a bad diet.
photo by lululemon athletica
