Good Food, Dude.

Word.

Oh, HAAAY! Its spring break, and other than running I like to spend my time catching up on reading, video games, bloggin' and homework. ANNnnnd My Drunk Kitchen and Jenna Marbles videos. HAHA. Too funny! I was watching some good old Lifetime and then I thought about Jenna Marbles and how I should be watching that instead. So I came across her blog as well in the midst of me lolin' by butt off and found a cool, and hilarious, recipe for artichokes and dip. I am going to try it at some point soon or something--LOOK!:

http://jennamarblesblog.com/i-love-to-nom-these.html#respond

Check it out! Let's all try it together, its super healthy and super good sounding, even with all of her sexual references. :P

I am always looking for new foods in order to keep like delicious, fresh, healthy, and influential. For example, I found something called Kiwi Berries. WELL, I HAD to buy them. I mean come on. HA. I had one and was like, "AWWWW man!" They are basically mini kiwis without the hairiness--and who doesn't love that?! Yum, yum!

Now, onward march! (Hey...it actually IS March.)

Anyway, I went to two different healthy seminars/orientations/info meetings and I learned a lot about food and healthy eating. First off, eating healthy (it seems) goes beyond just eating fruits and veggies and moderation and what not. Turns out, the WAY these foods are grown and produced can affect our diets as well. There was this rumor going around about the preservatives and pesticides that were used in our foods can make us fat or be hazardous to our overall health. I never really cared much to really look into that but then I found out about this list called the Dirty Dozen (get your mind outta the gutter!):

1.) Strawberries

2.) Apples

3.) Spinach/Lettuce

4. Grapes

5.) Sweet Bell Peppers

6) Celery

7.) Peaches

8.) Nectarines

9.) Grapes

10.) Potatoes

11.) Blueberries

12.) Kale

Now, this list apparently changes on a give harvest. I am guessing because it depends on the types of pesticides a farmer decides to switch to or can no longer afford or use. But that's sick, and sad because A LOT of my diet now consists of these things. Though I have yet to try Kale. Hmm, Trader Joe's run anyone? (I think I'll stop by there tomorrow. YES! :D )

So your question probably is: "Why are these things so dirty?" ::smirk:: Well, in all "seriousness", its because of all of the chemicals and pesticides that are used during the growing and farming of these foods. Farmers use all of these harmful chemicals in order to get the best out of their harvest and to increase the value and quantity in which they can sell. The downside? The left over residue that we may consume even after its been plucked and 'cleaned'. These foods are the foods that are more susceptible to soaking up the chemicals than other foods such as bananas or pineapples. This is because these foods have a harder or thick skin that does not absorb as much or very little chemicals.  Yeah, so even though organic items can be very expensive or even go bad faster, in someways it can be worth it. What you decide to buy from the organic departments is up to you. I am going to experiment with the organic world myself. For example, I know that Pick 'N Save sells something called Skinny Girl Lettuce or Skinny Lettuce or something like that. Its an organic selection of lettuce/ spinach/ field greens. Just a tip! ;)

On a siiiide noooteeee:

I feel bad too. I had a lot of carbs and I had some custard... but hey, its spring break yo! LOL, are you supposed to splurge a little? ::grabs glass of wine next to me:: Yeah? YEAH! Its cool, I got a date with a ton of field greens and fresh veggies for the next week to vamp it up while I am home. But I refuse to be a hypocrite--moderation is still key I believe. Yes, there are days when you can have your cake AND eat it too. As long as you stay active and remain eating healthy for the majority of your diet. :) Yaaay rationalizing! (I'm human--and female--danggit!)

Back to the point!!! For more information on this Dirty Dozen business, check this out! :D

http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/dirty-dozen-foods#fbIndex1

This is where you can find out more specifics on this very topic. There's always something to learn about the foods we eat!

Speaking of which, I know that many of us may have heard of have seen Super Size Me; a documentary about a man who decided to super size all of his meals at Mc Donald's for every meal every time they asked him. Needless to say, he got fat and he got sick. No brainer.  In one part of the documentary, they talk about what is actually in the chicken nuggets there; basically whatever un-useable part of the chicken (i.e.: everything but actual meat from the chicken) is pooled together, ground up, and turned into this sick pink paste in which they spray with ammonia to rid of the germs and disease that linger on these parts of the bird. So no only are you eating beaks, feets, and nasty what-nots, you're now chowin' down on a side of harmful chemicals. The reason why the "meat" in the chicken nugget is white is not because of it being cooked or, God forbid there being actual chicken in there, it is because the chemicals change it from the nasty ground pink color into the white color. So odd. So freakin' nasty.

ON TOP OF ALL THIS!

The way they treat our livestock in this country--don't even get me started. ICK! There is so much malnutrition, mistreatment, hormone pumping, integration, and animal cannibalism going on its super sick. I don't know how far I should even get into that one. What I learned was so disturbing, to was not even funny. If you want to know more, you may have to check that one our at your own risk.

What has been learned cannot be un-learned. O_O

~Shi <3

OH, Lordy! It hurts so good!

Urban Dictionary word of the Post--

Sell popcorn: to stand by and do nothing to change events. 

People say, "Oh, I'd love to do x,y,z/blah/blah" but actually do little to change it. I am not perfect, I do these things too. But if we want something done right, we have to either do it ourselves or stop sellin' popcorn! >:)

  Yah, hey! Work out progress report:

A little big ago I posted two "new" workouts that I found posted on Self. It was about rowing and the climbing machine. I have only done the rowing machine once and I was not sure what I thought about it. But, because of the article, I decided to try it again. A friend and I did it together and it was pretty awesome. We each burned roughly 160 calories but we were not rowing for 20 minutes as Self suggested and rowed for only about 15 just to start. In the future, I plan to amp it up to the full 20 minutes and really crank it up. Rowing is a good way to keep your work out consistent. Because of you are controlling your movement at a constant and smooth rate, you're less likely to stop or slow down dramatically, which can decrease your calorie burn and slow your heart rate back towards resting. Additionally, rowing is GREAT for simultaneously working your arms and your legs at the same time. Good deal I'd say. 

Despite what you may think though, it is a challenge but definitely worth about 20 minutes (of 15) of your time at the gym. 

Conclusion---------> Rowing is great for arms and legs.

As for the climber machine (not the escalator-like one)--OMFG. That BS is no joke! Its cool at first; you're steppin' along and you think, "Yeah, this is alright. Its almost like the stair climber, like literally climbin' stairs. Nbd." Let 15 minutes go by, you'll be feelin' this joint for reals-skis! But then again, it was my first time on the machine and for some reason I decided to do a full 40 minutes in hopes it could substitute my run for the day. Man, oh, man! If you want toned legs and a firm boo-tay, get climbin'!

Also, the cool part other than seeing how many calories you've burned, is that it tells you how many flights of stairs you climbed. Mine was well over 100. It made me think of the Climbing for Air charity event that is coming up/happening. I was thinking how much work it would be to climb the U.S. Bank building downtown (M-town) but it would be for two great causes: you'd get a great work out and you'd help someone in need. Win, WIN! But yeah, this climbin' thing is also no joke, try it!!

Conclusion--------------------> Climbin' moves that junk in yo trunk and firms those legs.

I'd planned on running this weekend but that did NOT happen. I was so freakin' sore for these two workouts (on top of lifting, running, and lunges over the last three days), I was pooped! Talk about hardcore. But you know what, it hurts so good. (Odd to say, eh? Get your mind outta the freakin' gutter!) Anyway, I am feeling it mostly in my inner thighs region. Keep in mind that I also do weight lifting so it was not exclusively from rowing or climbing but I can say that I feel those too. I highly recommend both of them still! 

I am going to do my best in trying to find more workouts to try and "report" about in hopes to get more people motivated and to help others find something that they can do too!

Happy 'hurting'. (It's worth it.)

~Shi<3

P.S.: I hope you are running outside again, its been too gorgeous not too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

P.S.S: Went to an interesting seminar about health and the way our foods are processed...prepare to be shocked and a little grossed out next post...

Twerk it Flip it 'N Reverse it

EW, its snowing. And we were doing so well... :(

HEYO!

(New size for text because normal is actually way too small.) 

I am on the hunt for new exercises. I feel like most of the things that I have been doing now is getting a little old. So. I've done a little research and here are some good ones I have found via/ Self and Shape magazine. I am thinking of subscribing to either one of them or Women's Health. All very good magazines. 

I don't know if you know who Nicole Scherzinger but she is from the Pussycat Dolls girl group, basically, SHE IS the Pussycat Dolls all on her own. Let's face it, not all the girl got attention like she did nor did you really hear anyone but her in their music. (Actually, I recognized Nicole the minute I saw her in the group. I used to be obsessed with Pop Stars and I am sad that no one remembers that show because of stupid American Idol making it seem like it was their idea to have a singing competition show and what not.) Anyway, check out some pictures or go onto YouTube to see what she is about. My point is that she has an AMAZING BODY and its like "OMIGOSH! How does she do this? What is this Black Magics?" I wanted to see if I could look into it an try a few things out myself. She is my current motivation. 

IN MAH FACE

So like hey, girl hey!

People are starting to bring things to my attention. Interesting studies about running and certain foods--PLEASE KEEP IT COMING! PLEASE, I love to hear that people are really starting to think about fitness and fashion and food. Oh, the 3 Fs, I LIKE IT! New idea. BAM!

Interesting Study:

"A University of Tennessee Study found that people who included yogurt in their weight loss diets lost 81% more belly fat than those who didn't include yogurt in their in their weight loss diets because…

The calcium in yogurt & in other dairy products helps your body burn more fat and calcium limits the amount of NEW fat your body can make. "

(Shoutout to Kat for bringing this up! Thanks Kat!)

My opinion on this:

A lot of my own weight-loss happened over the summer. I was kicking up my motivation from the running group I was in during my time in Japan and really  making huge changes in what I ate. As I stated in a previous post, I mentioned that I ate a lot of homemade parfaits with berries and granola. Even though it can be a sugar bomb depending on what you put in it, its a great treat or something to have for breakfast.  I would even sometimes buy low-fat frozen yogurt (or freeze regular low-fat yogurt if I felt like it) and dump berries on top. It was a good alternative to my ice cream cravings or desire to have dessert after my meals. Either way, yogurt was and still is a good part of my diet. So I highly recommend yogurt. I posted picture of what kind of yogurt I eat if you are interested [in an earlier post].

As for my next goal, I am trying to find new exercises to do because I feel like I am getting to repetitive with my work outs. I am going to lift weights more as well. FEEL THE POWA! :D

Eventually I will post new things that I find and what not. I am looking at my book as well, called 21-Day Belly Melt by Prevention Magazine. I got it almost two months ago but I am just now really getting into it. Its teaching me so much.

Additionally, I get asked about what to eat in general. Obviously people are not reading my sections on food. T_T But, I will have to just reinforce my advice and encourage people to read what I post about diet.Its sorta funny because my mother just sent me a picture of some delicious looking cookies she found at Trader Joe's. A serving of 5 cookies is 8g of sugar, not bad I think. I am going to start researching what is a good daily/weekly limit when it comes to sugar and carbs and try my best to stick to it. I have become very VERY specific about Nutrition labels. I used to run from them, eating whatever I wanted and justifying that I didn't know what I was really eating and trying to make it okay. DO NOT DO THIS. You will gain weight, it will pack on. Look at what you are eating, and analyze it before you stating your chews. It will help you begin a skill of moderation and self-discipline.

Anyway, here are some more examples on food choices, meal ideas, and alternatives.

Section 1--Home Dining

Breakfast

 Here, we have an egg-white omelet, a cup of coffee, and a mini vanilla bean scone from Starbucks.

Now, we all know that it is super hard to eat something for breakfast that is not loaded with sugar and carbs. Let's face it: cereal (sugar and carbs), muffins (fat, carbs, and sugar), bagles (sugar depending on kind, and carbs), waffles/pancakes (carbs), etc. You get the point. Its hard. That's why I love Egg Beaters egg white cartons. Instead of struggling to separate the whites from the yolks, its already done for you. And it even comes with veggies in the Southwest Blend. I always add more veggies though.  A mini scone, not that bad for you but I only bought one on purpose so I could limit myself but still enjoy a morning treat. When it comes to coffee, limit what you put in it (more on that later).

Oh, the parfaits. As I mentioned, I love these babies. I usually try to make it in my smallest bowls so I do not make more than I need. Like I said, depending on what you put in it can make it a sugar bomb and its not good to start your day with one of those for you can come into contact with other sugary items during lunch or dinner. In this parfait: blackberries (great source of antioxidants), strawberries, I think blueberries as well, almonds, granola (as little as possible), and a few banana chips.I still could have done a little better though, I believe that if analyzed more closely, it would have not passed my personal sugar limit.

Still, better than a doughnut though.

THIS WAS TOO GOOD! OMG! My roomie's mother made waffles the other day (I know, I know. I just bashed waffles but I do not have them often at all and 90% of this meal is fruit. Chill) and I decided to make my great morning even better. Just about all that I had planned on this day was canceled and this delicious item just made it that much better!

What's on it:

• About a tbs of peanut butter (trying get rid of the rest of my Skippy, found a healthier option from Trade Joe's).
• Half a sliced banana.
• Strawberries.
• Barely a tbs of lite syrup (again, effin' sugar!).
• A side of raspberries and blueberries.

This was soo good! I had small cup of coffee for the side as well (but let's face it, I always have coffee). I cannot tell you how amazing this was and even though the waffle may look like it was thick and huge, it was not even that big. Perfect. This was a great meal to have before lifting that day. Tip: if you're going to get into lifting, its recommending to eat something hearty and healthy like oatmeal, apples, bananas...they are great for energizing your pre-iron-pumping body.

Snacks/Light Meals

This started out as just a snack after lifting that day but I pumped so much iron I was starving. Pita chips and sundried-tomato hummus, OH! I know hummus sounds icky and I used to think so too. But then I had some from, where else but Trader Joe's, a friend at her party and it was too good! Hummus is made from chick peas, super lean and super healthy for you. I still cannot believe how low hummus is in carbs, fat, sodium, calories--its a dream come true. I also steamed up some green beans topped with a little garlic salt and paprika. (Paprika is so great. So many benefits for you and adds great taste to any veggie.)

You can view other types of snacks in earlier parts of my blog.

Lunch

I do not have too many pictures for this but as I have stated before, you can see other examples for this category in other parts of my blog. (Salads, veggies, etc.). Also, I recommend tuna sandwiches (NOT TUNA SALAD. Anything that says, chicken/tuna/etc. SALAD is bound to have mayo or sauces mixed in it already. Then, an additional slathering of mayo/sauces on the actual sandwich. Avoid these). Just get chicken breast or tuna cups/cans and make your own sandwich. Add veggies, any sauce should be light, and enjoy! If you have cheese, I recommend Laughing Cow cheese. Its like a cream cheese almost but its so much better for you than either regular cheese or actual cream cheese. Only 35 calories a wedge! :D Speaking of the creamed cheeses, Weight Watchers has things like that too. I haven't tried that yet though.

Dinner

 

YUM YUM YUM! Chicken breast, brown/wild rice, and sauteed zucchini and yellow squash. DO YOU KNOW HOW GOOD THIS IS! Its satisfying AND yummy. WHAT?! Oh, yeah. 

There is a enough said about this one. ^-^

So I was feelin' pasta-y one night.I try my BEST to avoid pasta. All I see is carbs when I see pasta. Its scary. Therefore, I bought whole grain pasta (yes, they make that), light Ragu alfredo sauce (actually NOT that bad for you), veggies broccoli, squash, zucchini, and red pepper), and chicken breast. This was so good. I made too  much though and just decided to freeze the rest for a later date. You can do that you know, make something and freeze it for later. Its good for your belly (or lack there of) and your wallet. Everyone wins!

Again, chicken breast. Why do I eat so much chicken? (All black jokes aside.) Because it is one of the leanest meats out there (other than turkey and fish). Its too good. Plus, its cheaper than beef. I'm still a college student you know. Eating healthy can be expensive sometimes!

Also, carrots and green beans for a side. (And water to drink!)

Are you starting to notice trends in my eating habits?

Section 2--Eating out

 Dinner Example

Rainforest Cafe deliciousness 

This was from my birthday-palooza that my parents bestowed onto me last weekend. Oh man! This was good. I tried to pick one of the safest options on the menu. Eating out is hard, especially if you don't always want a salad. This was tilapia smothered in mango salsa, side of coconut shrimp (fried but OK in MODERATION), terriyaki sauce, shrimp and scallops in like an au grain sauce (probably not the best for ya), brown rice, and steamed veggies. YUMMY! 

TIP: When you eat out, do your best to listen to your body. Do not try to eat the whole meal just because its in your face. Eat until your satisfied, save the rest for later. (Which is what I will show you what you can do with left overs.) Also, order a glass of water while you decide and wait on your meal. My book, as well as others, tell me that if you start with water, you will eat about 20% less than if you had not. You're body will get the hydration it needs and you will safe yourself some calories.

And for later...

Simple: use the left overs from one meal and make something new for later!

I saved the fish from earlier meal as well as the sauce. I used the sauce to saute green beans and shrimp and piled it in with the brown rice as well. It was super good! Great way to be resourceful!

Treats

 

Someone just had to bring cake-pops to the meeting.

UGH! The temptation. If you think about it, they are so easy to just eat. I mean its cake on a friggin's stick! Why, world, WHY?! When it comes to bite sized treats, try not to shove your face with them. Have one or two and then leave them alone. (Before you know it, you could eat a whole cake! In theory...)

This I did to myself. --_--

One of my residents gave me that cupcake on the left, (yeah, its a cupcake, not a cookie) but the other two treats I made. Ugh. I ate the cupcake and the lower cookie but gave whatever was leftover away. NO MORE OF THIS, go away temptation you cheeky bastard you. 

Remember, you can have sweets and treats still. Its just about gaining self-discipline and learning about moderation. Trust me, I still struggle sometimes too. My friend made me a huge chocolate cake for my birthday. TRIPLE CHOCOLATE. I mean, come on! That's three times the chocolate! O_O Let's just say I ate my share and gave away as much as possible. I appreciate her heart, but I couldn't take the calories.

Anyway, I hope this helps you out more. I am going to really start showing workouts and methods to tone your body with! :) I am still researching. I will also include more tips on diet suggestions and tips via my lovely book I bought. 

Also, I have a tumblr now! (nowshi-tumbls.tumblr.com) More so aimed at fashion and things of that nature. (Dagnabbit, Claire! You got me hooked)

Let me know if there is anything else! I am here to motivate! 

Toodles, poodles.

~Shi<3

Birthday Post

Yes yes, I am blogging on my birthday. Why? Because its been snowing all day, its cold and gross, I hate that I just ate half a vat of cake, and I just got home from school...

Urban Dictionary Word of the Post

Birthday Word of the Post: Shots. [Shot,shot,shots,shots. EVERYBODAAAAY!]

(You know why. :P)

I decided to skip the Urban Dictionary Word of the Post today due to the occassion. 

I have a lot of things on my mind since its my birthday and people still ask about fitness and health. I am not going to lie, for the last to days I have been 'bad' (eating cake and stuff). Yes, even though it is my birthday, I do feel bad about literally eating out of the pan. I understand that one is supposed to eat cake and things of that nature on one's birthday but hey, I think that this new lifestyle is so engraved within me now, that I cannot help it. I saw all that to say this: 

THIS IS A LIFESTYLE CHANGE. 

Desiring to change/lose weight/eat better is not a temporary thing. If you are going to do it, you need to realize that you cannot start and just stop once you get what you want. You have to start first and then actually maintain it. Maybe not become as obsessive as me, but you must keep it up. (You probably think that I am pathetic for feeling bad for eating cake on my own birthday. But I over did it...) So another tip, if you are going to have a 'bad day' or 'bad food' you have to try, try, TRY to listen to that voice in your head that says, "Hey, slow down." Or, "Hey, that's enough." Or, "Hey, you can have this now, but you must do something about it later. You cannot slip back into old habits. Remember why you started this." 

Alright, on a more positive notes, let's move on for other lifestyle changes. For example, I am working on: 

• Loving myself (working out does help, it makes me feel powerful and strong.)
• Being considerate and giving.
• Being smart/smarter (academically, socially, spiritually.)
• CHASING MY DREAMS EVEN MORE RELENTLESSLY THAN EVER BEFORE. (Things may be looking up in this department. Hehehe. Knock on wood.)
• Becoming more independent and self-assured. 
• Becoming more self-disciplined.
• Taking more pride in my accomplishments. 
• REALIZING MY SELF-WORTH. 

These are gifts I want to give to myself, birthday and beyond.  I hope that I can inspire you not just with health and fitness but with inspiring yourself in other ways too. Relationships with my friends and family mean a lot to me, so if I can help others by showing them the light that I am gaining from within myself and from God, then I have done something meaningful in my life. That is why I hope people are reading my posts, that they are interested, and that they will continue to be. 

Okay, tear-jerking over. 

FASHION BREAK--GO!

This is one of my fave outfit that I came up with. LOVE IT. I love long, high ponytails. I think they are so chic. Especially with a cool scarf (bought in Japan, btw) to accent a simple style. 

I also had on black jeans and tan boots. I don't have a full length mirror in my room anymore so that sucks that I can't show the whole outfit. :(  But its still cute from what I/you can see. (The outfit. Don't take that as an egotistic thing.)

I love, LOVE LOVE this outfit choice. 

I was supposed to be going out that night (last night) for a casual pre-birthday outting and it didn't quite go as planned. But I put a lot of effort into at least studying in a greeeaat outfit. ;) I have on a silky short-sleeved dressed, belted with a large black and silver belt, tall leather boots, leggings, and an open cardie.

(I may read too many magazines.)

On my fashion wish list? A new bag! (And I wanna get into color jeans. SWEET.)

 

I want this bag like you have no idea. Its so freakin' cute! Its from Francesca's.  Too bad its so freakin' expensive. I will own it some day though. Heehee.

Does anyone care about this fashion stuff? I am trying to switch it up. :/ 

Sometimes I wonder if other people are as obsessed about fitness, fashion, and Japan as I am. (Oh, and House too.) Not many people tell me if they read this or not or what they wanna read about so I just go with it. Shout out to Sara, I know you read my posts for sure! <3

Happy Birthday me, I'm gonna go buy myself some booze.

~Shi <3

HOOP-LA!

Ironic Fact--before this post, my Japan blog and this blog officially had the same number of posts. Weird. Hm, it was a year ago last week that I actually left for Japan... :/ Look at that shiz-niz. 

So no Urban dictionary word today, just irony. Because my world is ironic....and complicated. (MySpace emo-moment....) 

This is gonna be a short post until the next one.

I just wanted to say that I really appreciate that people are becoming more interested in starting and maintaining healthy habits and getting into fitness. And I LOVE that they come to me for advice! I was going to try to add some variety to my blog, as per the original intent of this blog, but since I keep getting questions about losing weight and fitness, it seems a lot of my posts are going to be on that. So please new readers, tell me what you wanna know! Just comment on my wall or this post to tell me how I can help. Remember, you  can help motivate me just as much as I can motivate you. I am willing to help anyway I can with tips or partnered trips to the gym. If you want a specialized list of certain foods that I recommend or anything of that nature, contact me. I am already 'coaching' two friends right now. I'd be ecstatic if someone else wanted to join the movement, I am always down for a work out！！！(Ran this morning in fact, even though my legs were screaming for me not to because of Monday's work out.) :/

Thank you for those who are interested and really started to get with it. I aim to be motivating and I am so glad that I am  helping others start something great in their lives as well. 

Keep it movin', people! 

~Shi<3

P.S.: If we could even get a mini-support group going, that would be even better. :)

Find a witness, get into fitness!

Urban Dictionary Word of the Day:

GORP-- I probably have used this one already, but know that it means trail mix. (WHICH btw, is a good way to get your sweet cravings taken care of, or at least tuned down, without ruining your diet/new eating habits!)

Heyoooooooooooooooo!

So, I still get people coming up to me asking how I did it: "How did you lose so much weight?" Like a few other new things in my life, working out has become very important to me and I get asked about it a lot. Therefore, just like last post, I am going to devote this post mostly to fitness and weight loss. There are some other types of blogs on my mind that I wanna do to and others I'd like to stalk for a while too. (Haley and Claire, you're on my mind.)

To start, I'd like to stress how important it can be to find a work out partner. If you're motivated, and he/she is motivated, you can help each other. It makes a world of difference to work out with someone who feeds off of your energy and supply it back to you as you both work to meet your goals. Especially because some people have a HUGE burst of energy to start but then lose it when they don't notice any changes in their bodies and then lose all motivation. Don't give up! It takes time, concentration, effort, and tons of motivation! Here are some quick tips to keeping up your morale:

1. Make post-it note messages to yourself. These will serve as little reminders from you to you! When you're trying to reach a goal, any goal, its good to see words of encouragement from yourself. Only you can really be your best cheerleader. (Other than your mom and dad. ^_^)
2. Find pictures or magazine cutouts/clippings/pages that inspire you and tape them where you're sure to see them. Yeah, OK. Some images might be overly photo shopped and what not but to a degree, they are still motivating because they can remind you of how you want to see yourself. Try not to get sucked into becoming that exact image because in most cases, even they don't even really look that small or that toned or whatever in real life. I am still learning that myself. :/
3. Write down the days you plan to work out! It helps to see it, even create a time, and you're more likely to stick to it. 
4. Find a friend. I already told you why.
5. Get some great music that puts you in the zone. It helps a bunch! You make your body pump to the beat of the music, causing you to unknowingly work harder. :)
6. Reward yourself. Tell yourself, "If I push it today, I'll treat myself to a small treat or take myself somewhere nice." 
7. Keep a journal. You can track your feelings, progress, and keep tabs one what you eat this way. Again, visuals always help. 
8. Invest. If you're serious, you will buy foods that you know are better for you, get that gym membership, buy those semi-expensive running shoes or fitness gear and force yourself to make use out of it because its already been done--you spent money on it. No one likes to waste money. 

There are a few things to keep in mind for you. Most importantly, remember why you are doing this. Special K has a nice campaign (says the Advertising major :P) that asks you "What will you gain when you lose?" and on the scale that they show it will say 'confidence', 'assurance', 'motivation' and etc. I think its a great point; you do gain some things when you lose weight. Right now actually, I am trying to keep up my own morale while getting a little more strict about what I eat. (I had three nights of bad recently, lol!) But despite that, I have gained a lot since starting this journey. I could create a whole other list actually...but its almost more of a personal thing. But I'll spill if it will help, just ask.

So, what kinds of work outs are best? (Something I have been asked too...) Well, most know that cardio has become my favorite these days. Its so releasing and energizing. But other than that, I have gotten into:

• Yoga
• Positions like downward dog causes you to use your core and your arms. Warrier stances also stretches your thighs and tones them!
• Pilates
• 100s are good, it forces your body into a V position as your pump your arms to work your core.
• Weight Lifting
• Using free weights to tone your triceps and biceps are great ways to tone your arms. Weight lifting machines are great too!
• Ab/Core Exercises
• The plank causes your you engage your ab muscles and tone your arms at the same time! You have to shift your weight equally to stay balanced as your perched up on your elbows with your legs straight.  

I bought this new book that I have barely followed because I can't shake loose my strong desire to run. I am going to try to get better at it though. :) I want to start it around the beginning of February so I can stick to the day by day plan better. I can later post example pictures of what I am trying to describe above too. (Better seen and explained than just explained.)

On to the next matter: Vitamins. Here are the ones that I take as of right now.

TA-DAAA!

 

Starting from the far left, Acai Berry supplements, with Green Tea Extract, are great for boosting your metabolism and increasing your energy. These two "superfruits" are duel fighters in increasing the way you burn calories. I have been using this for about month now and I notice I am always hungry! (To me, that means my metabolism is getter faster. Besides, I eat light meals anyway so that could be another reason.)

Where to find them: GNC, Walgreens, and most likely Walmart or Supplement Warehouse.

The second on is just good 'ole Vitamin C. Its good for your immune system. That's mostly why I take it. I hate being sick and it really affects your morale to work out when you're fighting off a cold. Ick! 

Where to find them: Pretty much everywhere; Walmart, Walgreens, GNC, Outpost. etc.

Biotin: great for hair and nails. Strengthens both. 

Where to find them: Same as above really, anywhere.

And the last, Vitamin D, I take for mostly bone heath. (There is something that may run in my family that I would like to reduce the effects of or decrease the chances of getting. This is more of a personal vitamin. :/) But more so universally, its a good vitamin for bone and breast health. (Support Boobies!)

Where to find them: Same places as listed above.

Another thing I strongly believe in using are protein shakes! They are great for when your kinda hungry but you have to think about if you're actually hungry and yet don't want an actual meal. And the sweet part is, they are low in calories, carbs, and sugar (especially the Lean Shakes from GNC) so they are a great sweet craver item. And who doesn't like Special K? Vanilla is the best flavor, btw.

 

Where they can be found: Lean Shakes are, I found anyway, at GNC. The Special K shakes are a better deal at Walmart but Walgreens are known to have sales on them. :) 

 

More great treats that are good or better for you!(Ala Walmart for the broke people, aka, me.) These all serve as great substitutes for your other guilty pleasures. Skinny Cow candy is my fav by the way. So good. :)

 

I have to give raves about this oatmeal. There is soo much less sugar in it, which it important to notice if you want to lose weight but not entirely give up your sweet tooth. Meaning, cut the sugar where ever you can so when you do have  treat in the day, you don't over do it or have too much collectively from one day. See? Get it? Good. Its also great in lasting you until lunch, especially if you slice half a banana (or apple) and place it on top, with crushed almonds, and a dash of cinnamon. OH, DELISH!

The Light version of vanilla Yoplait yogurt is better than the normal one too. I prefer it actually, less sugar, calories, and carbs. (Plus if you make a parfait with it, you're going to be adding sugar, such as granola, to it if you like it that way. I do it so I try to make sure that the yogurt itself doesn't have so much of the bad stuff in it.)  Yummy!

Again, I hope this helped. I am always, ALWAYS willing to work out with anyone who wants me too. The fact that I can motivate someone else helps me motivate myself to keep going too. :) 

Just like I hope I can fit a little cardio in tomorrow. I just ate ice cream. O_O

Awesome blossoms.

~Shi <3