Every day, girls all over America are doing their best to be “cute and skinny”.

Dieting, working out, spending hours in the bathroom, squeezing ourselves into tight pants, strapping on a pair of Spanx, we’ll do whatever it takes to reach the pinnacle of girly beauty.

Over in Japan, guys are doing the exact same thing (minus the Spanx…I think).

Traditionally, it was the women of Japan who strived to be tiny, but after the country went through a “health and exercise boom” about 7 years ago, the “new Japanese woman” wasn’t afraid to show off her curves and muscles, and was “proud” of her sexuality.

Guys, on the other hand, started to shrink.

“Young males between the ages of 18 and 30 make up the slimmest segment of the [Japanese] population” explains the International Herald Tribune, “and the ideal fashion weight as decreed by the apparel industry is 57 kilograms, or about 125 pounds, for a height of 175 centimeters, or 5 feet 8 inches”.

No six-packs or bursting biceps here. At 125 pounds, most of these guys probably don’t have the arm strength to lift much of anything, let alone weights. Read More »

Yup, it may seem weird, but there has actually been a correlation found between these two habits that are characteristic of many college girls; constant dieting and smoking.

Although smoking rates have gone down in the U.S. (thank God because it’s absolutely disgusting in my opinion), a new study from the University of Florida reports that starting to diet somehow doubles the odds of a teenage girl starting to smoke as well. Although the study was done on girls slightly younger than college age, I think the findings are implicit of our generation too.

According to one of the researchers, “Dieting was a significant predictor of initiation of regular smoking among females…We were expecting that this relationship was going to be stronger among females. That has been well-documented, especially because (nicotine) can suppress your appetite.”

Duh.

I would say that the appetite factor is one of the main reasons many college girls start smoking. I can name three people off the top of my head that were not smokers at the beginning of college and eventually became one of those stick thin girls pulling out a cigarette the second she gets out the door of any building.

The chain of events goes something like this: Read More »

You may not be able to tell based on the recent increase in the size of my ass, but I am a calorie counter. In fact, some test even claimed that I might be slightly obsessed with my weight. I weigh my chicken before I put it in my salad, I measure out my fro yo and I always use sugar alternatives in my coffee.

Sometimes, though, I lose track of my goals and fall off the Diet Train. After weeks of avoiding anything battered, fried, or totally tasty, I may be found at the nearest BK picking up some fries. And a milkshake. And an apple pie, or two. Half an hour later, I will find myself feeling totally guilty and yelling at myself in the mirror before heading off to the gym to attempt to work off a fraction of the calories I just inhaled.

What? Is that not normal? Am I the only one who does that?

Yet even I, a self proclaimed crazy/calorie Nazi, do let myself enjoy a few delectable treats now and then. 100% totally guilt free. There are just some things in life that are too good to pass up, like sales at Marc Jacobs and wildly passionate sex….

Or these 5 Treats Totally Worth Eating No Matter How Much Weight You Need to Lose to Look Good In That New Bathing Suit:

1. Fried Oreos: If you have never had one of these you need to get up, buy a ticket to the Indiana State fair and get one. Yes, they are even worth traveling to the Midwest and fraternizing with Carnies. I can’t explain the goodness except to say that I ate 3 and did not feel guilty. For a second. I mean, come on, could there be anything better than frying an amazing cookie? I didn’t think so.

2. Olive Garden Breadsticks: The toasty bread and the smooth butter all tied together with a perfect blend of seasonings. MMM. I get hot just thinking about it. You don’t even need the soup or salad (though they are a nice helping of veggies to ease your carb-guilt). These sticks are worth every freaking calorie. Read More »

When I first glanced at the title of a recent article from the UK’s Daily Mirror, I brushed it off and figured that “Think like a man.. and be happier, healthier and slimmer” was another cheesy piece that was not applicable. But, after reading through it and giving the tips some thought, it actually doesn’t sound so bad.

See what you think:

THEY DON’T DIET

“But men don’t really diet,” says nutritionist Carina Norris. “They rarely attach emotion to food and they tend to listen to their bodies. When they’re hungry, they eat. When they’re not, they don’t. And if they fancy steak and chips, they go ahead. Whereas women eat when they’re sad, lonely and bored, and not just because they’re hungry. Women also avoid ‘bad’ foods and stick to ‘good’ ones, then feel dissatisfied, which can lead to bingeing.”

What to do: Don’t make any foods off limits and listen to your body’s hunger needs.

THEY EXERCISE

“Pictures of Posh’s dimpled legs prove that dieting alone won’t keep you toned. Women are more likely to diet to stay slim, than exercise. This means they don’t have any lean muscle, so they don’t burn as many calories as men, and can end up with sagging skin.”

What to do: Make sure you are mixing cardio and weight-lifting. Don’t be scared of “bulking up.” Read More »

Starbucks was an integral part of my college experience.

Whether it was grabbing a latte before my 8 am class at the building next door, or catching up with a friend I hadn’t seen in awhile due to crazy schedules, I have so many memories that include Starbucks and college, it’s hard to count.

Over my four years, I started to become more aware of what I was drinking and just how many calories and grams of fat I was ingesting (one venti white chocolate mocha can cost you 580 calories…not to mention almost 5 bucks).

I eventually became used to ordering drinks with skim milk and sugar-free syrups. I downsized from Ventis to Grandes, and — gasp! — even Talls. Recently, I have also become very fond of their tea selection.

And much to everyone’s surprise, there are actually ways to order low fat/low cal drinks at Starbucks…you just have to know what to ask for.

Fortunately, a great health and dieting blog called, Back in Skinny Jeans, gives us “7 ways to cut down calories and fat in Starbucks drinks” : Read More »

Long gone are the days of gross, cardboard-like tasting “diet food.” I can remember when the only supposedly healthy alternatives to regular food were things like Slim Fast shakes or meal bars. Ugh.

Beyond the fact that they are loaded with sugars and gross chemicals, most of them taste like absolute crap.

Well, fortunately, many food companies are catching onto the fact that America wants low calorie, natural foods that are actually good for you and make dieting easier.

Allure magazine recently published an article titled “Diet Saviors” and gave the low down on the new crop of low calorie foods, and I read it start to finish. Now, remember to avoid silly fad diets altogether, but substituting some of these wonderful foods into your diet may not be such a bad or painful task. Who knows, you might actually like them…

1. Tofu Shirataki Noodles- Okay, the name sounds weird and gross, but give them a chance. The noodles come with only 20 calories per serving! What other pasta dish will you find that enables you to eat with absolutely no guilt. Just think, if you gorged yourself and ate a whole three servings, you would have only taken in 60 calories. Read More »

After a month of good-bye dinners with friends, hungover brunches at the local diners following those last precious nights of college craziness, and constant drinking leading up to graduation, my body hated me to say the least. I was determined that the month spent at home would be for detox and include strict dieting and exercise to get my health somewhat back on track before venturing out into the real world.

I’m proud to say that I have kept my diet and exercise up for the past week and a half and am already feeling ten times better. While looking into all sorts of diets, I came across one that was particularly interesting, the Master Cleanse Diet.

Remember when Beyonce looked bangin’ for Dreamgirls? Well she lost twenty pounds in a matter of weeks doing this “cleanse,” so it garnered a lot of media attention and was even written about in The New York Times. To be honest, for 2 seconds I considered trying it for fabulous results, then realized what actually went into it. Read More »

It was awesome to be home.

A week to rest and relax and eat meals that aren’t take-out and do my laundry without shoving $10 worth of quarters into a slot. Yes, I thought as I made a nice lunch, this is going to be a great break.

Grabbing a few of my favorite Sunday magazines and a plate that consisted of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, grapes, and some delish Cape Cod chips, I walked onto my porch and prepared to eat outside while the quiet New England breeze serenaded me (a nice change of pace from the pee smell and whining dog that usually accompanies my lunches at home in New York).

As I ate, I began to sift through my magazines. Coincidently, both had cover stories about dieting. Both claimed to know The Best Diets! and What Foods To Avoid! while coaching me on How To Leave The Bad Carbs Alone! I don’t know if it was the plethora of exclamation points or the disgusting sounding alternatives the pages kept trying to force on me (“instead of ice cream, plain yogurt with bran flakes!”), but my appetite began to die and my stomach started to feel huge. Read More »

So I’m on my new fitness kick and I’m always on the lookout for yummy fat-free snacks…well it doesn’t get any better than Wine Cellar Sorbets!

Fat-free and only about 110-120 calories, this sorbet comes in six different flavors like Pinot Noir, Champagne, Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon. That’s right, the sorbets are made from finished, delicious wines and contain alcohol (up to 5% by volume) and according to the website, “therefore can only be consumed by wine lovers over the age of 21.” Mmmhmm.

Anyway, the sorbet flavors change every season and are based on the vintages, varietals and regions from where the wines were produced. They’re currently sold in stores across New York, New Jersey and Florida and yes, the online store will be up and running very shortly.

A pint costs only $6.99, which is cheaper than an actual bottle of wine anyway. A perfect treat for the upcoming hot months…or when you want to get loaded off your dessert.

I always read articles that say each person should find the right diet that works for their body. Well, who has time to figure that out, especially in college? Sorting through each one and testing it out for a certain amount of time seems like a lot of wasted days for something that may not work.

Thanks to a new website, diettelevision.com, the figuring out is done for you. The diet finder feature searches through over 58 diets depending on what you put in as your food needs or dieting needs. For example, if you love to eat carbohydrates (and who doesn’t?) and are looking for quick weight loss, but still want great tasting food, it brings up the top five diets that best match your desire.

You can also search a specific diet or look at diets as rated by others. Now, I’m not saying that anyone should obsess over dieting, because it can get out of control. But this website is an easy guide with solid information. Even if you decide to try a diet or not, the fun tools are a great time killer and let’s be honest, we could all spend a little less time on facebook.