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.

California Assemblyman William Monning argues that though some food trucks are trendy and social media savvy and profiled on Food Network television shows, most of the ones on the road “are contributing to an epidemic of childhood obesity on California school campuses by supplying youngsters with greasy burgers, sodas and high-calorie ice cream,” according to the LA Times. Therefore, the only logical solution to the great issue of childhood obesity is to ban all food trucks and pushcarts from within 1,500 feet of schools during daytime hours on weekdays. (At this time, marijuana dispensaries must only be 600 feet from schools in California, which insinuates that a hot dog is more deadly to a child than a play date with Mary Jane.)

The problem isn’t just that AB 1678 would triple the current limit of 500 feet in Los Angeles. What concerns me is that in many other cities, this would create a new blackout zone for food trucks — as much as 80% of streets in some places — and may snowball lawmakers nationwide to address these rolling restaurants altogether. College girls would have to unfollow the Twitter accounts of their favorite mobile cupcakeries and forgo the craving for greasy street food after a long night of dancing/burning off a ton of calories. Food trucks aren’t just a California thing or an NYC trademark; they’ve been setting up shop at remote construction sites and office buildings for years and are making their way into smaller towns across the nation. And their healthy ingredients and trendy menus are improving across the board and becoming part of our culture.

Not the part that’s making American kids fat, though. After genetics, lack of exercise and whatever parents are putting on the table for mealtimes, childhood obesity is more likely to be encouraged by the sodas that used to be sold in school vending machines and the unhealthy foods offered in the cafeterias — two changes brought on by the California Food Policy Advocates, the same group who thought up this anti-food truck madness. Since these previous measures have already been taken, it’s more than likely that Monning’s measure will pass in order to “protect the kids,” and shaved ice on wheels on a weekday afternoon will be a thing of the past.

I hate to disappoint you, Monning, but telling all food trucks to park their loads elsewhere isn’t going to slim down the kids of America. In fact, I don’t think it’ll even make a dent in all that eventual cellulite. Because creating a virtual no-go zone for both gourmet and greasy food trucks — as in Carmel, where you hail from — won’t stop a hungry child from spending their money on fattening foods elsewhere. Like in places that don’t have the option of relocating on a whim, as Matt Geller, chief executive of the Southern California Mobile Food Vendors Association, explained:

“This bill won’t do anything to cut children’s access to unhealthy food,” Geller said. “They won’t eat at the food trucks, but they are going to eat at the McDonald’s nearby. They are going to eat at the convenience store, the gas station.”

Besides, why do children even have the option to leave their campuses and buy sugary snacks from food trucks or push carts? Rather than passing a law that prevents everyone who is old enough to understand how to read a nutrition facts label from grabbing a faster and healthier bite during lunch hour, it’d probably be much easier — and more profitable for the economically struggling state — to simply double-check that schools are watching their kids’ activity during recess and after school, and making sure that they aren’t leaving school grounds in general. You know, to buy pot from the store that’s only 600 feet away.

AB 1678 will be up for debate later this month, and Monning says that he’s open to tweaking his proposal to a certain extent. So this is a legitimate excuse to stock up on vegan wraps, fusion burritos and all your favorite treats from those ice cream trucks — just in case.

Should Monning’s legislature be passed in order to protect children’s health? Or is Monning just completely out of his mind?

Ashley is a UC San Diego grad who is holding on way too tightly to a potential career in magazines and goes to Vegas all too often. She’s fascinated with celebrities and strawberry beer and doubles as a pathological texter/emailer/blogger. Feed the addiction with tweets @cashleelee. Thanks in advance.

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.

initiating the gallery...

[Lead image via Violanda/Shutterstock]

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.

Adele’s been called out by Karl Lagerfeld for being “a little too fat,” but you know what? She doesn’t care, and that’s a great role model. In a recent interview for Vogue she said, “I don’t want to be some skinny Minny with my t**s out.” She’s absolutely gorgeous inside and out, and she’s proving that you don’t have to weigh two pounds to be successful in the entertainment industry, which I really appreciate. It’s nice to see a celebrity come forward and say that it’s okay to be the size that you are, “No matter what you look like, I think the key is to be happy with yourself.” And while she has lost a little bit of weight (I’m assuming as a result of her throat surgery), she’s not trying to be a double zero. It’s refreshing, and I think we should all take a page from the book of Adele and encourage everyone to be happy.

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!

Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. She is “that person” who starts dancing at a party when everyone else is standing around, and if there were a Facebook stalking Olympics, she would be a gold medalist. She also loves cheesy 90s music, and almost died of happiness when Vanilla Ice retweeted her. Once. Follow her on Twitter @garnethenderson.

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.

1. Straight Leg Lifts

Begin on your hands and knees. Extend one leg straight out behind you, and then lift it until it is in line with your torso. Gently and with control, lower your leg to the ground again. Repeat this move 10 times, and then keep that leg up in the air and move on to…

2. Knee Bends

Beginning with your leg off the floor and straight out behind you, bend your knee, bringing your heel toward your butt. Then extend your leg. Try to maintain the height of your leg as you do this. Repeat this exercise 10 times, and yup, you guessed, it keep that leg off the floor! It’s time to move on to…

3. Bent Knee Lifts

Resuming the lifted, bent knee position from the last exercise, keep your knee bent, but try to raise your leg toward the ceiling even more. Imagine that you are trying to make a footprint on the ceiling. Then return to the starting position, and repeat this move ten times.

After you have finished this entire series with one leg, switch legs and repeat the series. Then, repeat everything one more time on both legs. Before you know it, you might have paparazzi on your tail!

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.

Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing

You’ll need…

• about 1/4 cup of ranch dressing (your favorite brand – I like Hidden Valley Lite)
• 3-4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped (you can use less if you like; these usually come in a can, which, if covered in plastic wrap, saves for about 2-3 weeks)
• 1 can of corn, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• about 8 cups of romaine, baby butter, spinach, and arugula lettuce.
• 1 large tomato, chopped and seeded
• about 1/4 cup chopped or sliced onion
• Optional: 1 cup of shredded chicken or pork. (Leftovers are great for this salad!)

How to make it…

In a bowl, mix together the ranch dressing and the chipotle peppers. Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add the corn. Cook until light brown. Add the drained black beans and continue to cook until the beans are warm. If you’re using meat, add it to the skillet to warm as well. If you don’t have a stove top, you can also just heat the corn, beans, and meat if you’re using it in the microwave. Just pay close attention to it!

In a large bowl, toss together the different lettuce types (you can use as many, or as few, as you like). Top with corn and black beans (and meat, if using), tomato and onion. Top with dressing and toss well, until the salad is well combined. This salad serves about 4 people.

Note: If you’re not planning to eat all of the salad at once, feel free to leave the dressing on the side. Otherwise, try to eat leftovers as quickly as possible. They will last about 2-3 days in the fridge if stored in an airtight container.

[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.

First of all, it made me realize that although I want to change, I don’t want to beat myself up for beating myself up (being negative). Though I think my case of negativity is a special one because of how harsh I can be towards my body (and that it in turn effects my body image and is a reflection of my insecurities), I’m definitely not alone or abnormal for having these negative thoughts. Second of all, it reassured me that I have a perfectly functioning, normal brain and I don’t have to spend any more time worried if there’s a wire loose or anything. Also, if the trainer who knows all about the science of why we’re negative creatures hasn’t perfected controlling her negativity, I surely shouldn’t expect to do so. And lastly, we had to partake in a semi-silly but useful activity that I decided to carry over into my challenge. Here it is…

Score Card Game:

All I had to do was keep a tally of the negative and positive things I said for this week. For every positive comment, I multiplied my score by five and for every negative comment I subtracted my score by five. The point of the game in the training was to make sense of how effective and exponentially positive positivity is (as it spreads to those around you) and to see that while negativity is bad, we can offset it with positivity. I chose to count both positive and negative comments I made about my body and those I said about others. This worked out well because I also purchased a new gym membership so I had plenty of times to comment on my own body and those around me.

All in all, I LOST TRACK! I know what you’re thinking. I can’t even follow the rules of my own game, right? WRONG! I followed the rules and kept track of my comments and my score. But because I was keeping a score, I was consciously deciding to keep things more positive. My score got up so high that it was becoming difficult to keep multiplying by five without a calculator (social science major here). My own version of the Score Card Game worked. Even though my initial incentive was to stay positive for a high score, it lead to realize that it wasn’t that hard to make more positive than negative comments about my body. I’m trying to specifically change the way I treat and talk about my body — but you could use this tactic for many other things.

My 4^th week was more of a stepping stone than I thought it would be. As more and more things are “setting in”, I’m realizing that it’s less about me getting somewhere or achieving an actual thing, and more about realistic change and balance.  I’d hate to blow this out of proportion as if it’s a big deal or party worthy, but I do feel that I’ve come a long way. I understand now that my sarcasm and negativity hurts me more than it could ever hurt anyone else. I know me better than anybody else, so my comments come from a very real, hurtful place. For me, It’s easy to blow off negative or hateful comments from a stranger, or even from someone you know but you don’t really care about, but it’s really hard to remain unscathed by words coming from someone who knows you very well. I am with myself all the time, I have no choice but to either be my own encouraging, positive, best friend or to be my own worst enemy.

I can firmly say I’m not going with the latter on this one. I do love my body and all that I’m workin’ with!

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?