Fat and Happy: A Popular Myth

I'm sure you've heard it said many times before. "I'm fat and happy." A phrase I once preached. But was it the truth? No.

It's highly unlikely that someone is fat and happy, because the reality of it is, the bigger you are, the more problems you may face. I'm all for having a positive body image, no matter what your size, don't get me wrong, but it's hard for me to understand how someone could be happy if they live an unhealthy life.

So for me, it used to be that I was overweight and tried to make everyone think I was happy. I always had a smile on my face and I was always ready to burst into laughter, but I wasn't truly happy. The face I put on in public and during the day, was just that, a face. Something to mask what was inside. At the end of the day, the face would come down and so would the tears. There was no more "fat and happy", but instead, overweight, out of shape, and absolutely miserable. When I would look in the mirror at night, I didn't see a mask, I saw the reality, and I did not like it, at all.

No one should ever have to feel that way. You should never excuse your life problems by pretending and trying to be something that you are not. Now I don't know your life. Maybe you are legitimately happy and maybe not necessarily in shape, but my guess is that, since you are reading this blog, that is probably not the case. You can probably pinpoint something in your life or about your body that makes you unhappy. Well, guess what? You are responsible for your own happiness.

One night I looked in the mirror, mask down, and I decided I didn't want to pretend anymore. Who wants to have to put on an act everyday? Not me. So I changed my life in order to be happy, not fat and happy, just happy. I realized that food didn't make me happy, at least not in the long run.

I encourage you to look at yourself in the mirror, take the make-up and the fake smile off, and just look. Do you like what you see? Are you fat and happy or overweight, out of shape, and absolutely miserable? And if you are one of those that swears that they are fat and happy, think about the future, will you always be this way?

I only want the best for my readers and I believe the best is happiness. For me, happiness is found through living a healthy life, this, of course, is different for everyone. Find what makes you happy and makes you excited to look in the mirror everyday.

10 Unhealthy College Habits to Cut Out

So upon returning to school I have been constantly reminded of the unhealthy habits that surround us in the college setting. This a list compiled of the unhealthy college habits that you should break at school in order to live a healthy life and avoid any further weight gain. I hope this helps to make you aware of the little things that you may be doing at school that are negatively effecting your health.

1. Late night snacking 
2. Last minute cramming for a test (how stressful!)
3. Getting less than 7 hours of sleep a night 
4. Staying up way to late
5. Drinking/Partying more than 2 nights a week 
6. Eating while doing homework when you aren't even hungry 
7. Staring at facebook for hours 
8. Watching way too much netflix
9. Grabbing ice cream before leaving the dining halls (EVERY NIGHT)
10. Taking a nap more than twice a week (this is not kindergarten, this is the big leagues people)

These are easy habits to cut out once you are aware that these are problems that you have! 

Good luck :)

The Skinny Discount: How being healthy pays off

A commonly heard excuse, amongst those considering living a healthy life, is that the food is too expensive, and while yes the food is expensive, in time it pays off.

This weekend I went wedding dress shopping with my sister. I thought it would be a very stressful experience but it was actually not that bad! My sister tried on dress after dress and eventually she found the right one, which looks absolutely stunning on her.

Gabrielle (my sister) has been trying to lose weight for some time now and she has successfully lost 20 pounds! Her changes are visible and she is the happiest I have ever seen her. I believe she probably felt as if her hard work culminated when she, not only found the dress, but when she went to pay for the dress. The consultant had told her because she was not over a particular size, she was able to get a discount on her dress, a discount that my sister and I referred to as the "skinny discount", which saved hundreds of dollars.

So is it worth the extra dollar you have to spend on organic produce? Yes. In time this pays off. A discount of sorts may be the pay off, for example the dress discount or the discount I receive on Lululemon for being a cycling instructor. Or this may pay off in terms of health care. When you live a healthy life you lower your chances of getting diseases that could become costly and you spend a lot less time in the hospital and at doctors offices.

To add to my point, by cooking your own food, and not eating at restaurants, you are saving money. I couldn't believe how much money I saved when I stopped constantly going to Panera and my favorite Mexican restaurant.

So while initially being healthy may take a hard hit at your bank account, do not make this your excuse. After all, if you want to be healthy, you will do anything. It will pay off.

Don't Let the Weekend Become Your Weak End

For many college students, the weekend is a fun and exciting occasion that makes getting through the week so much easier. Unfortunately, on the weekend your food patterns probably don't stay the same. You eat more and drink more, it's a fact and you know it. So it's time to get this under control...But how?

First of all I recommend trying to create some sort of flexible eating schedule for the weekend. Plan on eating at the same times or around the same times as you normally do on weekdays. It will help to reduce overeating or underrating.

Second, try to wake up at a decent hour in the morning. You don't need to sleep till noon, it's unnecessary. Try to wake up around the time you normally wake up, I usually wake up an hour later than normal, which gives me the feeling of sleeping in, without actually oversleeping.

It is also important that you continue to eat healthy. While the weekend is a good time to enjoy a splurge of some sort, you should not splurge all weekend, and treat it as a free for all. If you are going to some sort of event or party, allow yourself a small treat, but don't go crazy. It's best to eat healthy all day so if an occasion arises where unhealthy food is involved, you can indulge a little without feeling bad about it. Just remember that everything is okay in moderation, so have one cookie, but restrain yourself before grabbing another one. This same theory applies for drinks, whether your going to a party or you are having a girls night in, remember to drink in moderation, because anything and everything is bad if you have too much, and this is especially the case for alcohol and sugar.

Lastly, remember to exercise. The weekends are the best time to get out and exercise. Take the weekend and make it your time to go on adventures. For me, the weekends are the perfect time for tranquil trail walks and riverside runs. Go out and explore your exercise options. If you have a busy weekend just try to find a time where you can fit in some simple cardio or an ab workout.

I know it may be difficult, but try to set yourself up for a successful weekend. Plan out what you're going to eat, when you're going to eat, when you are going to exercise, and how long you are going to eat, ahead of time. This will allow for you to continue to live a healthy life on the weekends.

Make Homework Snacking a Healthy Ocassion

Last week someone messaged me on facebook asking for my advice on how to avoid snacking while doing homework. Honestly this is a problem for me as well. Most of the time this is considered bored eating but sometimes you really are hungry and should eat a snack. Either way, your snack choice should be a healthy one.

Here are some healthy homework snack suggestions:

• Carrots and hummus
• Celery
• Cucumbers
• 1 serving of skinny pop
• 1 serving of almonds or pistachios
• 1 gala apple (sliced)

So to keep these options extra healthy, make sure you only eat the suggested serving size and snack slowly. If you feel that you are not actually hungry, and you are instead just eating out of boredom, try drinking some water or a cup of tea or coffee, so you're still consuming something, but you are putting in little to no calories, it's a mind game!

Snacking can be a good thing, but not when it is considered overeating, so remember to snack healthy and watch your serving sizes! 

Social Eating: The Peer Pressure that Can Lead to the Freshman 15

Happy Wednesday! I'm onto my second week of school and so far, so good. Before I get into my post I want to briefly talk about last week. I had a great first week of school and I am so proud of my decisions! I made healthy choices in the dining hall, I got out and socialized, I worked out everyday, and I didn't allow myself to get too stressed out. Although they may seem small, these decisions are big accomplishments for me, and I already feel as if this year is my year! I'll keep you all updated and I hope you all had a great week last week as well :)

So anyways..... 

I had a good start to my week, this week, on Monday, by having a meeting with a nutritionist to discuss an upcoming event. When she asked me what I thought students needed to know about, I told her portion sizes and basic nutritional information, but after great conversation and thinking about the freshman 15, I came up with something I feel that freshman struggle with especially; social eating. 

A common bond among people all over the world is food. It's how we survive, and if you live in a country like America, it is always around. It's easy to bond with someone over food and make conversation about food. It's also easy to meet with people when there is food involved, as companies do with box lunch meetings, and acquaintances do with coffee and a pastry. Food just provides a light energy when it comes to conversations, especially those that may seem awkward, formal, or tense. These situations, however, are not necessarily what I'm talking about when I refer to "social eating" in the college setting. 

Social eating, in the college setting, is more closely related to peer pressure and societal pressure. As a freshman I made many friends over meals and food, I will admit that. I will also admit that when someone asked to go to Cookout at midnight I did not turn down the offer. The true reason I wouldn't turn an offer like this down, as a freshman, was because I didn't want to miss anything. I didn't want to be the person to say it was way to late to drink a heavy milkshake, because that would be lame, and even though I may have felt that way, I finished off the milkshake in minutes. On top of that, it's as if the pressure doesn't end. At dinner everyone is getting a burger and fries, so why shouldn't I? To finish the meal, everyone is getting a bowl of ice cream, and I don't want to be that one person just sitting there watching, so I'll get some too. The dining hall is famous for it's buffalo wraps, so I need to have one for lunch every Wednesday, like everyone else. It is a never ending problem, if you let it become one. 

Last week someone asked me how I resist chocolate and pizza, college staples, of course. The answer is simple, will power. I use will power to resist such foods and I also use will power to overcome societal pressure in college. It's understandable that you may want to conform to others in college, but eating something because everyone else is, or because someone wants you to, is not healthy. You need to make decisions for yourself, after all, you are growing up and on your own, and you are much too old for peer pressure. Being pressured into eating foods, and giving into the pressure, is your fast track to the freshman 15. It's one thing to actually want, say, a piece of pizza, but it's another thing to eat a piece of pizza just because your friend ordered a box and wants you to split it with her/him. 

So please remember, next time someone asks you to go out to eat late at night with them, or to grab a bowl of ice cream to only agree if that's what you really want, not just because everyone else is eating it. You will live a much healthier college life if you don't let social eating take over.