Seasonal depression is very, very real. For once I am not joking.

The cold creeps in and consumes us all with ABC Family 25 days of Christmas marathons and home delivery. Social lives are forgone at the risk of wearing open-toed heels in thirty-degree weather.

Although watching The Grinch fifteen times in one week does sound fun, I’m here to remind you that while you’re in college you’re obliged to solider through the blizzards and natural disasters and drink.

Here are eight good reasons why you shouldn’t stay in this winter… Read More »

By now, January 1^st, 2011 seems like a century ago. I mean, just think about how much has happened – good and bad – in the last five months.  Do you remember those little resolutions you made way back when? You know, when you were feeling optimistic and empowered and you were ready to change your life in 2011? Yeah, you probably gave up on them a long time ago.

And I’m here to get you back on track.

Now, I’m not talking about the resolutions like, “I promise to never drunk text my ex ever again.” Ladies, I’m not some magician here! (And really, who thought that was going to happen? Come on – get realistic!) I’m talking about the first month when you were able to get yourself out of bed at 7 AM, head to spin class and arrive in your Political Science class feeling like a super star. Remember all of that excitement and motivation you had? Where did that go?

If you stopped working out or leading a healthier lifestyle, ask yourself why. Did you get too busy? Did the routine bore you? Pinpoint the exact moment when you stopped sticking to your resolutions and then make a change for the better. Read More »

Snooki’s writing a book, but who is going to read it?

8 essential vitamins for us ladies.

Maaajor cuteness at TJ Maxx/Marshall’s right now!

When your mom wants to be cool….. (AKA, Dina Lohan Syndrome)

Shia Labeouf’s got beef with who?!

5 steps to being a sexier new you!

Kanye kicked ASS on SNL this weekend!

Are you a working student? Here’s some motivation to keep on keepin’ on.

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 »

While the rest of the world is inundated with ads encouraging them to get “slim by summer”, us college ladies are on a slightly different page. You see, for the many of us that aren’t taking summer classes, summer is a time to kick it a little bit slower, relax (while we’re not working or interning), and escape the constant pressure of being surrounded by young, good looking people 24/7.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m exercise’s #1 fan (not really, but I tell myself that trick me into doing it every day). It makes you healthier, happier and hotter. But as my fellow CC gals know, it’s summer time-and that comes with certain duties as a college student. Let’s not kid ourselves here, sometimes day drinking just takes precedence over willpower or dietary discretion- and I don’t know about you guys but I’m still coasting on what’s left of my Spring Break bod.

But alas! Three months fly by too fast, and before we know it, we’re back at school sweet school. And if there’s one goal college women can agree on, it’s that we want to look fierce during welcome week. So put down the margarita and get ready to turn heads on the first day of classes by giving yourself a summer fitness challenge!

First things first: Weigh yourself and figure out your BMI. Set a realistic goal weight and BMI for you to reach by move in day/welcome week/ your first day of classes. Next, determine how many calories you need to eat and burn in order to reach your goal-here’s your secret weapon. The only way to lose weight – the right way – is to burn more calories than you’re eating. To find out how many calories are in whatever food I’m eating (fresh fruit doesn’t have nutrition labels, much to my annoyance) I like to use Calorie King. It has virtually every food’s nutrition facts, along with graphs that show you what percentage of the food is fat, protein, carbs, etc., so it’s easy to make sure you’re getting the right amount of each at every meal. And it tells you exactly how many minutes of various exercises like biking, jogging and rowing it will take to burn those calories off. One warning though, after a moment of weakness I broke down and got Moe’s – seeing how many hours (yes, hours) it would take to completely burn off those calories was slightly traumatic.  I’ll never look at a burrito the same way again. Read More »

An old proverb reads, “It is unpleasant to go alone, even to be drowned.”

So true! Especially when you are diving head first into a workout regimen at the gym. But does having a gal pal at your side boost your productivity or slow you down with bad energy? Read on to find out!

Pro: I was well aware of my college’s hip fitness center, but I avoided it like the adjacent Dunkin’ Donuts during my first week there. While I was a freak about exercising every day at home, I had never worked out in a public place. What if I used the equipment the wrong way? What if my gym clothes were too tacky? I couldn’t have everyone laughing at me from the get-go.  It took a girl I met during orientation — we’ll call her “Kayla.” One night she asked quite out-of-the-blue, “There’s an ab toning class at 7:00 AM tomorrow in the gym, want to go?” Her lack of vanity made me ashamed of myself. I went to class the next morning and went nearly every day from there on out. A girlfriend may be just what it takes to help you let go of gym anxiety.

Con: The same girl who got me into the gym eventually ditched me.  Kayla was out of shape and unhappy with her body. After she came to realize I was a health freak, she was convinced I was her answer to get the results she wanted. I certainly didn’t mind — I love sharing the knowledge I’ve learned to whoever wants it. But eventually the novelty wore off for Kayla. I found myself in our 7am abs class alone. I kept up my habits anyway. While a friend may help you get your butt in the gym, it’s not unlikely that you’ll end up finding yourself there alone. It may prove difficult for you or your buddy to sustain the same exercise regimen and one of you may quickly lose interest. If that happens to be you, find a new gym buddy with goals and a schedule similar to your own. If it’s your gym friend, like mine, who stops showing up, just keep on keepin’ on. You don’t need her to reach your goals. Read More »

Finding it hard to make your health a daily priority? Can’t stick to that diet? Are you letting a day off turn into a few days? Or a few weeks? Join the club – I know I’m not jumping for joy at the thought of going to the gym either.

Take today, for example. I simply decided that I didn’t feel like sweating. I just didn’t feel that it was necessary… and I opted out of some much-needed gym time in favor of less perspiration. I guess you could say my motivation’s pretty low.

It’s not like we’re not trying. We set goals, make a plan; but after awhile that goal is hard to remember and it takes a bit more motivation than we originally thought… or more motivation than we feel we have. But that goal is important (why would you have set it in the first place?) so we must dig deep to reach it. Sometimes, real deep.

Whether your goal is to run a half-marathon, lose ten pounds, eat healthy, etc., here are some surefire ways to keep you motivated! 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 we’re following Norah on her quest to bring exercise into her life. Last week she climbed aboard the elliptical, what’s she up to now?

At some point this week, exercise stopped being something I had to do and started being something I wanted to do. I’m honestly not sure what changed. Maybe it was the physical pain and exhaustion I felt after Irish dancing at a pre-St. Patrick’s Day event last weekend. And then watching all my old friends performing on St. Patrick’s Day, so full of energy, making it all look so easy.

I guess I liked to think that at any time, I could just get right back into Irish dancing, that it would be just like riding a bike. But it was so much more difficult than I ever remembered.  I was frustrated with myself for letting my laziness cancel out the years of strength and endurance I built up through dancing. Whatever the cause of this new-found motivation, though, I knew I needed to take advantage of it. Read More »

Goals are a part of life, whether you are the type of person who keeps them taped to your mirror or stored in the back of your mind. There are big goals, small goals, important goals, “wishful-thinking” goals (Chris Pine will be mine…), etc. Regardless of the type, all require a certain amount of thought, effort, and organization. Goal-setting is not only a blueprint for your own success but also a powerful tool in motivation–who doesn’t need that?

Everyone struggles with motivational issues at some point. With so many stressors and distractions constantly vying for our mind’s attention (alcohol, TV, alcohol again), feeling motivated to complete tasks can be REALLY difficult. However, it is important that goal-setting be a regularly-used skill in our daily lives. Being a serious procrastinator myself (hey, America’s Next Top Model reruns can be a little distracting, OK?), I have found that setting goals have made my thoughts and actions more organized, efficient, and clear-cut.

So how do you maximize the ability of your goals to motivate you?

Dr. Edwin Locke, a pioneer in the research of motivation and goal-setting (and probably a guest star in one of your PSY101 lectures), provides five characteristics of goals that each contribute to the goal’s effectiveness of promoting motivation. You wanna be successful (uh, duh!), take these into consideration:

Clarity
Goals that are clear are ones that are straightforward, able to be measured, and cause you to take action! Being specific is key—adopting a definite time set for a goal and an detailed description of what you want to achieve allows for a better understanding of potential rewards. Vague goals such as “Lose weight” or “Get ahead on schoolwork” are unlikely to motivate. However, goals such as “Lose 30 pounds by September 1st,” or  “Finish 3 assignments for next week before going out to the keg race,” are more likely to create a more tangible ending, therefore boosting motivation.

Read More »

"I think I'm just gonna take a little snoozer right here for a minute...."

You know those days when, no matter how much you know you should workout, you just can’t bring yourself to put on a sports bra and sweat for an hour or two? You’re too tired. The futon is too comfortable. And those Project Runway re-runs need to be watched again so you can analyze the way Heidi Klum says “Yooah in, oar yooah owit”…

Well, don’t be too hard on yourself – you only have so much willpower. Literally.

According to a recent study at McMaster University, you have a limited amount of willpower. Whether you’re avoiding the cookies your roommate baked, or forcing yourself to concentrate on finishing that essay that’s due in a few hours, you use up your willpower throughout the day. You can burn up your stores of willpower mentally or physically. And as the test subjects demonstrated, loss of willpower causes you to work out at a lower intensity, work out less often, and makes your workout less effective.

So looking back, you might think that you were justified by not working out. “Oh well. That’s all of the willpower I had for today!” Well, woman, that is not the case. Read More »