Here at CollegeCandy, we like to think we’re experts in a few key areas: budget fashion, sex, budget sex and college fitness. That’s why when FitSugar asked us to help them put together a post on keeping fit during those tricky undergrad years, we immediately blurted out, “Wear that cute dress you got on sale last weekend and go bang some hot dude until you sweat out all the beer you consumed the night before!!!”

And as soon as the words left our mouths, we realized that our advice wasn’t exactly sage…kinda like the time your older sister suggested you chug a 40 oz. of watermelon Smirnoff Ice. So, in light of our personal inadequacies when it comes to workout tips, we decided to toss this one over to a few of our trusty writers — the real CC fitness pros.

Head on over to FitSugar to see what they had to say about motivating yourself for the gym, scoring stylishly functional duds and fitting a workout into your busy schedule.

If you’re at all like me, when it’s 90 degrees outside and I have the choice to go for a run or lay by the pool, I choose the latter. Or if it’s scorching hot, I choose to sit on my couch blasting the AC, sipping on iced tea…and since we can be honest amongst friends here, these days a workout is the furthest thing from my mind.

It’s usually around mid-summer that I lose that amped-up, I’m-going-to-look-bootylicious-in-a-bikini-damn-it! attitude and my motivation starts to dwindle. After all, stores are already selling boots and sweaters- it won’t be long until I can bury myself in an over-sized sweater right?!

So since this week I hit a bit of a workout slump (anyone else?) I decided to dedicate this Monday’s body blog to four things that will help to revitalize and re-motivate us all to hit the gym and keep working towards that beach bo-dizzle! 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. This month, Melanie is putting her health first and going to the gym....every day....without excuses. We watched her suffer through her first week, and breeze through week 2. This week, though, Melanie faced a whole new sorta challenge.]

So, just wanted to let you guys know that this stupid One Month Challenge is officially cursed. When my sister gave up her penchant for junk food for a month, her and her bf broke up. Fast forward 2 challenges later, I broke up with my boyfriend, who was living with me and my roommate. All drama aside and cutting to the chase: I skipped a day at the gym. Oops. However, I have been getting a significant amount of cardio in from my sporadic post-break up sobbing in public/indiscriminate panic attack dry heaving. I can already feel my abs tightening.

Now, I’ve started to work out even harder at the gym, pushing myself to my full limits. Actually, skipping a day made me work even harder. I think my body needed the rest. Except this week really, really sucks for working out. There’s nothing I want more than to curl up on the couch clutching my bottle of Pinot Grigio, my two new boyfriends Ben and Jerry and weep while watching “It’s Complicated” because I will never find a guy like John Krasinski. But oh no, I have to take my multi-vitamin as per Jillian Michaels, pound out some time at the gym, do crunches, do my sobbing abs exercise and try my damndest not to skip another day. 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. This month, Melanie is putting her health first and going to the gym....every day....without excuses. We watched her suffer through her first week, so how did she handle week 2?]

So I’ve made it through week two, and surprisingly, it’s gotten better every day. I’ve been pushing myself and have discovered the joys of OnDemand exercise videos featuring Jillian Michaels, which I use to warm up before I put in my time at the gym. I asked you all last week for some tips and tricks to get through this and I was overwhelmed with the responses. The encouragement you guys dispensed made me feel great and it made me feel even better when some of you indicated that you’d be joining me for Gymvember!

One piece of advice that I wish I had heeded this week came from a comment warning me, “Obviously if you are not a morning person do not workout in the morning. You are just going to hate it and your performance will reflect your feelings.” (Thanks “A Dude”!) However, I had a lot to do after work one day and knew I wouldn’t have time to go to the gym at night. So, I begrudgingly woke up an extra hour or so earlier and went to the gym. That was awful. I hate mornings and it absolutely did reflect in my workout. I was sluggish, cranky and felt like a zombie afterward. I think I’m going to stick to my evening workouts from now on; the morning does nothing for me, especially before I’ve had my iced coffee (yes, I realize it’s November… I mean, Gymvember). 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 Emmy dabbled in vegetarianism. This month, Melanie is putting her health first and going to the gym....every day....without excuses. How did her first 6 days go?]

How often do I go to the gym lately? I guess I would use the word “sparingly.” Since starting a full-time job, my fitness has taken a backseat to schoolwork, regular work and all the lovely stresses of living in New York City. Never mind the fact that I live in an apartment building with a gym. I’ve tried to justify my lack of rigorous exercise by walking to and from work every day (30 minutes both ways) but in reality, the only reason I do that is because I have a crippling fear of the subway and all public transportation.

Let’s face it, the only marathon I’ve ever participated in only happens when I’m too lazy to turn off E! and I get suckered into 5 hours of the Kardashians. It was time to make a change and get my ass back into shape and take full advantage of the fitness room in my building. So I’ve begun my month challenge, which I’ve endearingly nicknamed “Gymvember.” I’m not skipping a single day of exercise at the gym and have vowed to go for a minimum of 25 minutes a day. This minimum will ideally be exceeded. And no, Bravo marathons and walking around the city don’t count as exercise.

This is going to hurt. Read More »

When every guy you know is a complete let down, your major is still undecided and you can’t find the perfect pair of boots, you feel defeated/without control/craving a brownie.

But just because some things never go right, there is one thing in your life that is 100% up to you: your health.

Oftentimes, life feels so out of your control that you may begin to give up, which usually ends with a pint of ice cream, binge eating your way through the fridge or forgoing the gym altogether in favor of trashy reality TV in bed. Well, I am here to tell you to STOP. Just because something else didn’t work out the way you wanted it to does not mean you should let your diet, body and health go out the window as well.

Easier said than done, I know, but next time you’re thinking of kicking your feet up with a large pizza instead of going for a jog, run a few of these motivating factors through that head of yours. Better yet, print this out and tape it on your mini-fridge. Bye bye, excuses! Read More »

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