Just like everyone else, this year I pledged to finally start working out and eating better. Part of it is vanity — who doesn’t want to look good in a bikini at the beach this summer? — but the other part is knowing that, as I get older, I have to start taking care of myself if I want to live a long, healthy life.

The problem is, I’ve always had a hard time getting (and staying) motivated — but not anymore! I recently signed up for an online fitness tool, MyFitnessPal, which helps me eat better and lose weight by keeping me accountable for what I’m eating.

When you’re creating your free account, MyFitnessPal will have you input your current weight and then enter your weight loss and fitness goals to come up with your calorie goal for the day. Note that this is only a suggestion and you should find what works best for you based on your lifestyle — I actually raised my calorie goal a little bit because I felt mine was too low and I was starving, and now I’m having no trouble staying within my allotted calories (and I’m still losing weight). Read More »

This past week, I attended the IHRSA fitness convention here in San Francisco. Besides ogling all of the ridiculously ripped trainers, I got a sneak peek at our industry’s latest innovations. Boy, is there a lot of new equipment out there! So long to those boring dumbbells and hello to these quirky new toys.

OMG! So embarrassed for Mr. Schue!

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[There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, Facebook…), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there (like Paper Back Swap, Stingy Campus and BlogLovin) and more showing up every day! We get it – it’s not easy or fun sifting through the crap and porn to find those gems, so we’re gonna bring the gems to you. Just sit back, kick up those feet and allow us to introduce you to the diamonds in the internet rough.]

We’re a month into 2011 already, and I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve already been slacking on my New Year’s Resolutions. I really did try to work on things for the first few weeks of January, but as I fell back into my normal routine and Winter Break faded further into the past, so did my ambitions.

But I’m determined to not let all my resolutions fall by the wayside. For me, the most difficult resolution to follow through with is always working out — but this year, I really want to establish a routine and actually stick with it. And since forcing myself to get up and just go to the gym is the hardest part, I’ve decided I need to find a way to get in a workout even when I’m too busy (AKA too lazy) to go to the gym.

That’s where Exercise TV comes in. Read More »

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And Star magazine crosses the line….

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Every Tuesday night – rain or snow, hell or hangover – I grab my things and walk over to my best friend’s house. Immediately upon arrival, I grab the ice cream sundae she’s expertly prepared and curl up under my favorite blanket on her couch. She hits play on her DVR and our (four years running!) Biggest Loser date night begins.
OK, so the ice cream sundae is a little counterintuitive, but it’s tradition. And we use low fat ice cream. And try as we might, we just can’t get enough.

Just like we can’t get enough of this show. It’s got all the makings of a great reality show (the characters, the challenges, the dramatic music, the alliances) paired with the happy ending of a Disney movie (and sexy bodies of a GQ shoot). And who can ignore all those tear jerking moments or the always-exciting Makeover Week?
The Biggest Loser to us is what football is to our guy friends.

Read More »

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[Got something awesome everyone needs to know about? A really rad singer? A wicked new book? A chic and cheap clothing line? Email your “The Know” ideas to Jill@collegecandy.com or tweet me and I’ll pass them along to everyone right here, every week. Make your kindergarten teacher proud and share!]

Here is a totally random piece of info that I bet you didn’t know about.

It’s that time of year where we realize perhaps we’ve eaten a bit too much late night cheesy bread and we want to start losing some of the extra poundage so we look good in our skinny jeans by Thanksgiving weekend, lest our 8th grade crush see the dreaded muffin top eating all those pumpkin chocolate chip muffins has created.

So here’s a tip: Start cooking with coconut oil!

Seriously.

I know it sounds counter-intutive to use oil for weight loss, but coconut oil (available at any health food store) has been known to help with weight loss! Coconut oil is very useful in reducing weight because it contains medium-chain fatty acids. MCFA’s, unlike other fats, are digested and utilized differently. They do not circulate in the bloodstream like other fats, but are sent directly to the liver where they are immediately converted into energy – just like a carbohydrate. So when you eat coconut oil, the body uses it immediately to make energy rather than store it as body fat. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems. Not to mention, it actually helps your body’s metabolism, kicking it into high gear! 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, Emmy gave up meat. She tried (and loved) new things, she tried (and didn't love so much) some others. She felt great. And now she's done. Let's see what she's learned, shall we?]

October is finally almost over, and while I am frantically scrambling to come up with another costume for tonight, I am also thrilled that I am only one day away from being done with my meatless month. I can’t believe it’s been a month since my last beefy indulgence. I am really surprised by how well I did and the fact that I didn’t have even a morsel of meat during this whole time.

Being meatless has been a great way to shake things up and make sure that I eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. A bunch of my girlfriends were talking at dinner the other night about how one girl had been vegetarian for a while, and she actually GAINED weight because all she ate was carbs. That has definitely not been my experience at all. October has been an insanely busy week with academics, and I haven’t had enough time to work out as often as I regularly do. Yet not only have I not gained weight, I lost some! I don’t own a scale, but I can feel it in my clothes. Losing weight was in no way my goal in going meatless, but it’s not a bad side effect at all!

While I might not ever learn to like tofu, I have definitely expanded the variety of foods that I eat. Morningstar Farms Chik’n Nuggets (SO GOOD!) are something that will definitely stay on my regular grocery shopping list, as will the mass amounts of fruits and vegetables I’ve been buying. Read More »