And so it is, just like we knew it would be. The end of the road for this 30 day exploration and experiment to accomplish a great feat of discipline for one as undisciplined as myself: 100 push ups per day. Did I make it? You damn skippy I did!

Week 4 presented all new challenges in the form of temptation. My schedule’s actually beginning to have slower moments in it, and that’s provided some flexibility in terms of when I’ve been choosing to do my reps of 35-40. I’d have thought more time would provide more opportunity, but the real opportunity was the opportunity to procrastinate.

When my schedule was more rigid, I knew I had a set window of time to do this in, so I didn’t f*ck around. However, with the wiggle room to negotiate with myself, “I’ll do it after re-watching the season finale of ‘Justified’” or whatever other awesome (or not so interesting) things I occupy my time with, I found myself getting down to the wire a couple of nights this week.

But I persevered. I kept up the clapping and the 3-point stances. I continued to vary the wideness of my arms positioning. I’m doing an average now of 105 push ups per day. More than the goal I’d set for myself! That’s a pretty fantastic feeling. Now the real question, do I look and feel any different? Well, you can check out my “After” pic and video below to judge for yourself.

The pecks are coming back! There’s more definition as well as tone as well. I’ve been pleasantly surprised to notice a stronger core and even the lightest of outlines of a budding 4-pack (if I keep this up and add some crunches, a 6-pack might just be in the cards!).

All in all, this challenge was incredibly inspiring for me. I didn’t know how much could be gotten out of 1 simple exercise. It goes to show that the only thing that stands in our path of finding ways to maintain and improve our health, is our own mindset. Once you know it’s possible and see the benefits, the motivation becomes stronger. You see the rewards of the work and the motivation becomes stronger. And you know what? I don’t care if my 30 days are up. I’m going to keep doing this, every day, because I know that I can, and I know I feel better for doing it.

Challenge Completed!

Dude Stinson

Eating food that come straight out of the back of a truck is heavenly. Seriously. Korean barbeque quesadillas, classic Los Angeles street tacos, lobster cut rolls and more delicious delicacies are prepared fresh in a mini-kitchen that’s smaller than my dorm room. More affordable than a gourmet restaurant and not as unhealthy as fast food dollar menu items, those concoctions are a local indulgence for this California girl, and I’m more than happy to support a little culinary creativity while getting some serious bang for my buck.

Some things food truck menus are not: responsible for childhood obesity or more dangerous than marijuana. Yes, both have been suggested recently and, if a new piece of legislature is passed, may soon be acknowledged as true.

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I am pretty happy with myself. It took three torturous middle school years and four years of high school full of insecurity to get me to the point where I actually like who I am and how I look (most days). But sometimes I see certain celebs, and I think, “I would kill for her (insert body part here).” I know celebs have stylists, personal trainers and hair/make-up people who help them look amazing, so it’s hard not to get jealous (because I can barely curl my own hair).

This isn’t a post about how I feel inferior to celebs and hate myself. This is about how I’m totally happy with my body, but if someone offered me Britney Spears’ stomach circa 2000, I would have no problem saying, “Yes,please!” So here’s to you hot celebs, you have the best body parts, and I may just have to kill you and steal them right off your hot bods. Read More »

While watching the Grammys last Sunday, my sorority sisters and I swooned over how much we love Adele. She’s beautiful, funny, British, and her voice gives us goosebumps. She’s graced us with the perfect breakup album and songs that are actually scientifically proven to tug at our heartstrings. Adele is twenty-three and is already more successful than most people her age can ever hope to be. When I found out about her vocal hemorrhage, I was legitimately worried that we’d never hear her voice the way we did before.

It seems silly that music can help you through things, but it’s the truth. And Adele’s music has definitely helped me out through some tough moments during the past year. So hearing her perform “Rolling In The Deep” at the Grammys was a delight and a relief. Not to mention she was actually humble (cough cough Taylor Swift) and gave the cutest little speeches for her many wins. And if that isn’t enough to love her for, she doesn’t really care what you think about her weight. Read More »

I know that this series is called Dorm Room Workout. But sometimes, when you’re tired, stressed, sick or just feeling crappy, a workout is not what your body needs. I know, you never thought you would hear me say that. But it’s true! Sometimes your body needs your help to repair and restore, not to beat it up more.

But by telling you to skip the occasional workout, I don’t mean that you should ignore your body! Instead, I wanted to share a technique I just discovered. It’s called One-Moment Meditation, and it comes from a book called (drumroll please) One-Moment Meditation! The idea behind this technique is that it’s a short, simple meditation. And the best part? Once you’ve had some practice, you can do it anywhere. So it’s perfect for those moments when you wish you could restart your brain like a computer.

This video takes you through the basics of the One-Moment Meditation technique. I tried it and loved it. It made me feel relaxed, energized and happy. What are you waiting for? Give it a shot! Read More »

When I first read this story, I actually said, “What the f*ck!?” out loud. Now with that warning out of the way, I will enlighten you all about a woman from England who was born with two vaginas. That’s right, two vaginas. Apparently, 1 in a million women have this condition, but this chick, Hazel Jones, is totally cool with it. At 27, she and her husband go to sex clubs that enjoy this kind of fetish. This is the kind of thing I thought I would only see in a quirky and raunchy Lampoon comedy or on the cover of the National Enquirer. Though at first, I wondered why she would even want people to know something to private about her, but she embraces it. Jones is very outgoing and open about her two vaginas and actually feels lucky to have something like this in her body.

Come to think of it, maybe having two vaginas wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Maybe, just maybe it be something totally amazing and great. What guy wouldn’t want to date a girl with an extra way to have a little fun while getting it on? Then again would you get two periods? That’s a LOT of tampons and a lot of PMS.

I just have to come right out and say it — 2011 is the Year of the Rear. Sure, some ladies like J.Lo have always been known for their fantastic behinds, but this year everywhere you turn people are fawning over curvaceous ladies like Kim Kardashian and Beyonce. So I’ve put together a quick, simple exercise series that will tone, shape and add you to the list of perfect posteriors in no time.

I used a yoga mat for these exercises, for a little extra padding under my hands and knees. If you don’t have a yoga mat, a towel or blanket will also work. Remember to keep your abs engaged as you do these exercises to support your lower back. Read More »

I love chipotles. They might not be everyone’s thing — they are spicier than your average jalapeno and have a heavy smoky flavor that some people just don’t enjoy. But I love them. Chipotles are just jalapenos that have ripened from green to red, and have been smoked over a fire. Chipotle is very rich in vitamins A and C, as well as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, iron, magnesium, and potassium. What’s not to love about that?

As well, chipotle may help prevent blood clots, which can enhance protection from heart attack, strokes and other cardiovascular ailments. It may help prevent certain cancers and can possibly lower the risk of type-2 diabetes. Chipotle — as well as other spicy foods — helps clear congestion in the respiratory tract, which makes it a useful and yummy treat for cold season.

To be honest, that’s why I picked this recipe! Cold season is descending upon us like a black cloud and pretty soon, my mother will be marching me into a drug store nearby to get a flu shot (where, undoubtedly, the pharmacist will ask if I’m over 14 — just like he does every year). If you already have a cold, this is the perfect opportunity to get lots of vitamins in your diet…and to clear your sinuses. If you are still resisting those cold germs, this salad will still give you an extra dose of vitamins. Read More »

[Everyone’s got a vice, a bad habit, something they know they need to change. Unfortunately, everyone also has a million excuses why they just can’t do it. Not anymore. Every month we will be following a different CollegeCandy writer as she takes on a personal challenge. Last month Tiffany spent a month at Outward Bound and challenged her physical limits. This month, Ashley's going to try to stop hating on her body so much. Can she do it!? Could you?]

This week I got some outside help for my challenge that was very interesting and very helpful. Coincidentally, I had mandatory work meeting/training title “Overcoming Negativity in the Work Place”. Everyone had to go and no one was looking forward to it. The training turned out not to be so bad because it was nothing like what we all assumed it would be. The lady training us/giving the presentation studied psychology and neurobiology and pretty much gave us a 101 on negativity and the brain. I learned that negativity is a natural response in the brain and a bunch of other brain related information. It was super interesting to get the 411 on where our negativity stems from and it put a lot of my negativity issues in perspective.

So what does this mean in terms of this challenge you ask? For me, a lot.

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How many times have you been on the “feminine hygiene” aisle in your grocery store thinking “Pads or Tampons? UGH I really wish there was another option. Like a cup for my vagina!”

Well, you’re in luck because menstrual cups are the newest craze for that time of the month. You just insert the cup into your vagina and you’re covered for 12 hours (you can even have sex). One writer from Lovelyish actually tried them (and actually liked them). See what she has to say here.

What do you think? Would you try a cup?