How To: Fit in Fitness

Good morning bloggy boos!! How are you?

I am in such a good mood because today I am pigging out with Lisa and then TOMORROW I will be at my (surprise!) college for accepted students day:) And meeting all of my new girls. So so excited.

I am starting you off with an “inspirational” Jillian Michaels quote. If you are as obsessed with BL as I am, holla @ me.

“I’m gonna burst a blood vessel in my eyeball…I’m going to burst a blood vessel in my eyeball because of YOU.”

– (the great) Jillian Michaels

Hahahaha.

Don’t make Jillian mad. Get yo burn on, people!

Oh and to clear it up, I am not at the beach🙂 Hahaha it was a picture my grandma sent me to make me jealous. Well it worked.

Recently a few readers have asked how I keep an active lifestyle while balancing my life as a student. So I figured, what’s a better topic when I’ll be going to college in the fall?! (any guesses as to where that is?! I may..or may not…tell you if you’re right)

Read on for my secret stash of how to stay sane (and hot) in times of overload.

Here we go!

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How to Fit in Fitness:

1. Don’t try to find time, make time. This works like a charm. When you’re looking for room in your day, you’re not gonna find it. Guaranteed. So, decide when you’re going to work out and commit to it. For example, I plan my workouts ahead of time and decide when and for how long I am going to do them. Working out right after school is perf most of the time, so I do that, come home, then eat dinner and do my work! Easy as pie, and endorphinified:) Other days of the week, I meet up with friends to go to spinning, kettlebells, BodyPump, or just to ride the machines for a bit!
2. Plan ahead. Get your work done ahead of time, or know when you are going to complete it. That way, when you’re blissfully sweating away, you won’t be having a heart attack over the stack of paper waiting for you on your desk:)
   ^^ Danggg son that kid’s got his work cut out for him
3. Eat well. Not only does this mean eat nutritiously, but prep your eats ahead of time so that when you’re a starvin marvin, you have some food on hand to tame your hungry beast. For example, smoothie ingredients (protein powder!) are great, and pre-made grains, beans, and pre-sliced veggies are perfect. Oh, and cookie dough bowls.
4. Get some sleep! Self-explanatory. Get your sleep, and you’ll have more energy and time to get your workout in.
   ^^ Don’t be That Guy.
5. Get creative. Run outside, do a BodyRock workout, a fitness or yoga/pilates DVD, whatever floats your boat:) Go to yoga if you’re feeling sassy!BodyRock eats insanity for breakfast.

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So there you have it! Get creative with your workouts, no excuses:)

See you tomorrow from my new COLLEGE! And with my new best friend roomie🙂

Edit: I am so so obsessed. Slash in love.

How do you fit exercise into your everyday life?

Favorite workouts in a pinch?

xoxox,

The Black Swan in All of Us

Good evening bloggy boos! Hope you’ve had a great Tuesday:)

I loved reading your comments on my last post! Reading random things about you guys makes me smile and feel like less of a crazykins:)

Tonight I’d like to talk about an issue that has been on the brain for a bit of time now, and needs to let loose.

Over the weekend, I saw Black Swan.

It made me feel so many emotions: unsettled, disturbed, sad, excited, humored, but the greatest of these was disturbed.

The main character (played by Natalie Portman) is a ballet dancer, living with her single mother as an adult and trying so hard to be the “perfect” ballerina.

Natalie Portman had to lose a lot of weight for this movie, to become what was referred to by the film makers as “emaciated”. I am not one to make judgement calls on one’s appearance, but their description of the actress’ condition certainly played to the fact that many of the character’s behaviors portrayed that of a girl with an eating disorder, which is a strong symbolic representation of the strive for perfection.

I know this because five years ago, I battled and overcame a terrible eating disorder that almost consumed my life. So, seeing this movie obviously brought back some dark memories, and was ultimately disturbing.

This intrigued me. Not because of the condition of the character, nor because of her portrayal, but because of the symbolic meaning.

She is asked to dance the part of the White Swan and the Black Swan at the same time, and through her struggle to portray the Black Swan, she ultimately finds hers.

Isn’t this quest for “perfect” exactly what we all get trapped in?

I think it is. We all want the perfect grades, the perfect man, the perfect family, perfect hair, perfect skin, perfect friends, perfect body..you get the idea.

But most of all, what we find ourselves trapped in is having the perfect diet or having a perfect fitness level.

Let me tell you a little story.

This morning, I woke up and packed my gym bag with every intention of going to the gym after my last class. I went through the day’s routine, and finally came home before I was supposed to go to the gym.

And you know what? I was tired. And every time I thought of getting on a workout machine, I cringed a little bit, and my bed seemed more and more appealing.

So, you know what I did? I had a bowl of hummus with raisins and then took a two hour nap.

And it rocked.

When I decided in myself to skip today’s workout and give my body the rest it deserved, a pang of guilt pinched in my chest for a second.

Woah, hold on there! Why should any of us feel guilty for giving our bodies rest?

Girls, listen and listen hard: exercise for vibrancy, and rest for rejuvenation.

If you need some rejuvenating, don’t put the extra stress on your body and set your body’s vibrancy clock backwards. Instead, give your body what it needs and then exercise when you’ve got your vibrancy back.

At church on Sunday, one of my ministers gave a sermon on “sick professions”. He spoke about the fact that Americans are constantly trying to be more productive in their lives and their careers instead of doing something that serves to help the world and people around them. Because of this, we end up feeling used instead of well-used.

Do you see the difference?

If not, think of it this way: if your heart is not in it, you most likely feel used. If your heart is in it, you feel that you are well-used, and part of a greater purpose.

The reason I tell you this is because it can apply to everything in life. If your heart isn’t in your exercise, don’t do it. You will just end up feeling used. Instead, take a break until your heart is in it again, and use that to find your vibrancy.

Today, I gave my body rejuvenation. I fought the urge to make myself productive in an ultimately un-productive way. That pang of guilt ain’t got nothing on me! The urge to be “perfect” consumes all of us sometimes, giving us the inability to see the good, the truth, and listen to our best friend: our own bodies.

That is my Black Swan.

What’s yours?

xoxox,

Study Party!

Hi lovies!! I hope your day has been great so far:)

Your comments on my last post were so sweet, thanks for being the best bloggy buddies! I can’t wait to go to more meetups and share the amazing raw love with you guys:)

(by the way, if you haven’t tried Cookie Dough in a Bowl, you have not lived. Just saying)

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You’re probably wondering about this party a la studyudying that I’m talking about.

Having just finished my last midterms and finals of senior year, I thought I should share some super-handy study tips I’ve learned over the years so you can throw your OWN study party…with your textbook!

All taking vodka eyeball shots can now leave the blog, please and thank you.

No, really.

(Source)

Whaddafuh? Sorry, but that doesn’t look like that much fun. Painful is more like it.

Anywho, grab your textbook, snackage, and here we go!

Chef Katelyn’s Study Tips:

1. Organize your study space.

   I know that when I see clutter, my brain is cluttered. I can’t focus for the life of me if there’s a stack of laundry sitting on my desk (or on the floor..cough). Make the space yours and fit for focus (how’s that for alliteration?).

   
   Turn off your computer monitor, put the magazines away, and throw away that plate that is now covered in pretzel crumbs. Which brings me to number two!

2. Get some serious snackage.

   I’m talking crunchy, delicious, and munchable. When it comes time for me to study, I can’t focus much since it involves sitting still, which is no bueno for a girl with boundless energy. My favorites are carrots/crudités with hummus, pretzels or an apple with almond butter, or just anything crunchitizing. It keeps me awake, keeps my mouth busy, and keeps my tummy happy! Over the past week, I’ve been enjoying loads of hummus with raisins and Cookie Dough Bowls🙂

   
   I also like to sip on a green smoothie every now and then. It’s a giant boost of energy (GREEN!), and is the perfect vehicle for my favorite protein powder, almond butter, or some fruit all of the fruit in my house. (Beeteedubs, I’ll be doing a how-to post on Green Smoothies in the near future! Many of you are wondering how to make one, and make one taste GOOD. Never fear, CK is here!)

3. Exercise!

   Not just for your booty, but for your happiness and general sanity. I’m somewhat of a perfectionist, and I get SUPER stressed out about tests (probably more than I should). A girl’s gotta let that stressful energy out somewhere! Enter the Dreadmill. Or circuit training. Or ellipticizing, or whatever it is that you do to GET YOUR SWEAT ON:) Plus, exercise is clinically proven to boost energy and ability to focus, so go and Just Do It!

   (Source)

   Orange you glad we don’t dress like this any more? If you do, I’m very sorry to disappoint you, but it looks like you’re wearing your underpants on top of your body suit. Just sayin’.

4. Skip the caffeine.

   Yeah yeah yeah, I hear your groans. I used to be a java queen, drinking coffee like it was my J-O-B back in the seventh grade (I kid you not). I could not function without my daily cup of brown stuff or else I would be a terrifying monster. Centuries later, the only caffeine I get in my diet is from chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate. So instead of the $5 espresso, why not double-fist some delicious holiday tea? Or even better, Yogi Tea’s Gingko Clarity.

   

   I sip this non-stop when I’m studying! It’s specially formulated to enhance your memory and help you focus (score!) and tastes REALLY good (double score!).

   But, if you REALLY can’t go without caffeine and turn into a shuddery wingnut, try some Yerba Mate on for size. The caffeine won’t send you on a spin/crash cycle; instead, it contains antioxidants, vitamins A, C, E, and B vitamins, as well as fatty acids, chlorophyll, flavanols, and polyphenols (the reasons why red wine, chocolate, and berries are so fantabulous for you!). It is said that Yerba Mate contains "practically all of the vitamins necessary to sustain life" (you can read more on Yerba Mate here). You can hardly say as much for coffee, which in fact is highly acidic and causes cortisol levels to rise, decreasing your body’s ability to burn fat or gain muscle. Yowza!

   Even better, munch on some chocolate. It’s a gift from God, so eat it and don’t feel guilty at ALL because you are a butt-whoopin study fiend!

   (Source)

5. Keep it interesting.

   Change locations every hour, and your brain will process the information better. A change in environment can enhance your brain’s alertness, allowing the information you read to be remembered more efficiently when it is associated with different memories in your brain.

   To step it up a notch, switch subjects every hour. This is mainly for the reasons above, but also because it’s boring to study the same subject for hours on end. You’ll get more done (and enjoy it more!) if you have variety.

   Now that you’re keeping variety, take a break for a few minutes every 20 minutes to a half hour. Your brain needs breaks in order to stay alert! No wonder you’re falling asleep on your textbook;) Stretch, do some jumping jacks, grab a snack, go to the bathroom, whatever. Just get off your toosh!

   

6. Determine what is most important.

   Dedicate yourself to what you know is going to be tested, especially parts that you don’t understand. Skim the rest, and you’ll be fine. Short on time? Use a review book or write down the most important sections, and study only that. I’ve found the Princeton Review and 5 Steps to a 5 books especially helpful!

7. Don’t cram!

   Do NOT cram and end up in a jam (that rhymes:)). Instead, space your studying out for a few days, a week, or two weeks ahead of time. It sounds like it takes a ton of work, but it’s really not. You’ll thank yourself when you aren’t freaking out the night before!

8. SLEEP.

   In all truthfulness, the most useful and important tip of all. Set a “cut-off” time for yourself, and make sure you close the books at that time and get to bed. You’ll want to stay up late and read those last few chapters of notes, but when it comes down to it, none of that is going to matter if you’re tired while you’re studying or falling asleep on your test the next day. Your reasoning skills will be way sharper with a good night’s rest! Plus, you’ll probably be a lot more cheerful:)

   

9. Rewrite your notes.

   Make flashcards, redraw drawings, or simply copy over your notes. Writing or drawing it over again will help to cement it in your memory. Plus, flash cards are great for quick reference and quizzing yourself! Hollaa

 

So now that you’re a pro at studying, let’s study party it up! Who’s bringing the cookies?

To read study tips from the experts, you can check out:

• Tips from Dartmouth University (Ivy league!)
• http://www.studygs.net/
• http://www.testtakingtips.com/study/index.htm

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Gab at UneVieSaine!! She just turned 21 aka real party, not one with textbooks. And her blog is awesome, so go wish her happy birthday! All of us at CK are sending you love and giant margarita glasses:)

So, tell me…

What are your favorite study tips?

Uh, duh. Scroll up please.

What are the best ways you’ve found to stay focused?

Chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate. And Dreadmilling!

Will you send me a new loofah? Mine broke:(

Seriously, this is a problem. How am I supposed to suds up with this?!

Sorry, body wash. I’ll be seeing bar soap for a little while.

(p.s. If you see me and I smell less than delectable, blame the loofah, not me.)

On the agenda for tonight?

• Dinner
• Catch up on blogs
• Going to SLEEP!

I have been getting hardly any sleep because of exams, and yesterday I took a napsky that ended up being more like a hibernation. I take my naps seriously, people!

Have a good night, and see you tomorrow for Indulgence Friday! I’m already planning a scrumdiddlyumptious brekkie, stay tuned!

xoxox,

Busy Bee

Good morning lovlies! Hope everyone had a nice evening 🙂

I had a pretty relaxed one filled with leftover kabocha squash with azuki beans, savory quinoa, and roasted brussels sprouts, my favorite! (halve brussels, preheat to 350F, place cut-side down on EVOO’d baking sheet, drizzle with EVOO and sea salt, roast for 15 minutes) Mmm 🙂

This morning I woke up bright and early – at 6:15 am! – to check email, hydrate, and go for my run. At first I was kind of sluggy and not motivated, but then I turned on the Today show and started my workout. Since I’m training for a 5K (hopefully I’ll be able to do 5K by the race!), I did an endurance workout I saw online last night, but tailored it to make it a bit harder.

I did a 5 minute jogging warmup, stretching before and after, then repeats of 5 minutes running and 1 minute powerwalking, then a 5-minute walking cooldown. Total, I logged 30 minutes and 2.25 miles. Not bad! I felt good, so I’m going to keep up with the running/walking workouts and build up my endurance. Of course I stretched forever and then did my abs!

By the way, I do not have any fancy workout gear. I don’t like spending money on much other than a good pair of sneakers and running shorts, so this is my daily attire 🙂

Watch I got at Target in the 3rd grade. No joke

With a "new" band 🙂 2 dolla velcro!

My sneaks 🙂 Asics alll the way, baby!

The usual

On the Today show this morning, I was shocked by one of the stories – a girl named Phoebe Prince who had recently moved to a new town was being harassed by a group of kids in her high school, and couldn’t take it anymore, so she committed suicide. Sad, right? I felt awful for this girl, and couldn’t believe that kids could be so cruel. Normal emotions, right?

Well, a reporter came onto the show and talked about how a giant story had emerged that Phoebe had been a giant bully/harasser at her previous private school in Ireland, and had been on antidepressants for a long time, somehow making the harassment not as bad since she “already had problems”.

Now, where do people get off talking about a poor girl who just killed herself like that? Phoebe’s friends and family are probably completely distraught, and in all this madness, the people harassing her are looking for a way out with use of this story. It’s terrible.

What do you think of the way they’re handling this story?

I’m honestly pretty disgusted that people would try to compensate what they did by “victimizing the victim”. Read more about Phoebe’s story here.

Okay, enough with the sad. Onto happier things! 🙂 My brekkie this morning was so yummy, filled with 1/2 a grapefruit, oatmeal, and tons of berries since I love them so much 🙂

Of course, no morning is complete without some Yogi tea.

Time for me to go get ready for the day! I have a long list of things to do (yes, I make a list for myself every night before bed 🙂 )

Have a good day everyone!! Try not to be too busy 🙂

Question of the Day: What’s your morning routine like? How do you make it more efficient?

I look forward to hearing your tips 🙂

xoxox,

Katelyn