Weekly Update: My Numbers at Week 8

Hello friends!

My upcoming weight-loss goal for this Friday is to lose 1 more pound, which would be a total of 20 pounds gone, and hopefully for good! If I accomplish my first big-time goal, I'll be ecstatic and will have to celebrate with Tiger cuddles.

I try to reward myself with things other than bad foods, and since I don't always have extra money to reward myself with, I find smaller things that I can do that don't cost as much money. For example: my favorite juice smoothie or a movie I've been wanting to watch. Although, besides these smaller rewards, when I reach my goal weight of 145, I plan to get my belly button pierced! I've never been able to pierce my belly because I was never body-confident and always had a little extra pudge on my tummy. But hopefully by the time I reach my goal weight, I'll be confident as can be and ready to flaunt my stomach at the indoor pool, and I hope to keep it off so I can lay on the beach with a flat tummy and a toned, thin figure by summer!

My family has noticed that I've gotten more shape after losing 19 pounds. My waistline and bust used to be the same measurement, and now my waist is much smaller than my bust. Inches count, too! Even more than pounds. I'm getting the shape I had 4 years ago, and it's gonna stay that way! I'm only about a fourth of the way to my goal, but the pounds are falling off pretty fast!

My bestie and I are planning a shopping trip for a huge goal-weight reward. I'm gonna get belly piercings, tons of crop shirts and tiny shorts, and splurge on lingerie at Victoria's Secret. I absolutely cannot wait!

It's super easy to lose weight when your best friend is taking the same journey along with you. We encourage each other and share low-calorie/high-nutrient food tips. We even hit the gym together when I'm home from college for the weekend. I'm thankful to have her in my life, and she motivates me every day.

Current Weight: 204

Pounds Away from Goal Weight: 61

Goal Weight: 145
*as of June 2015*

University Life: How to Be The Most Organized Freshman at Your School

Worried about organization issues when it comes to being on your own for the first time? Don't worry any longer! We've all been there, and I've got the tricks to being super duper organized through your classes, due dates, and homework assignments (even if you happen to be as lazy as me)!

I've got tons of tips for keeping your homework and classes in order. The most important one I can tell you: get a planner. If you're anything like me (the organized and tidy A-student), you'll be using it! You can also use washi tape to outline important due dates, like this! Pictured to the right.

Another way to keep super organized and prepared for due dates is to create your own dry-erase calendar with a cheap glass frame and paint chips from the nearest department store. It's way easy and super preppy-cute! Pictured down and to the left!

Another super easy way to organize homework and due dates is by using different-colored pens to highlight different types of events in your planner, or even in your notes! Lectures can be difficult to take in all at once, so consider purchasing a tape recorder so you can take notes later. Even consider taking notes on your laptop instead of on paper, typing is much faster than writing everything down in a split second! An added bonus to using a computer to take notes: the ability to use different fonts, colors, and charts/graphs to organize.

Using multi-colored pens with notes can help you highlight key points and important study items. Also, make sure that you leave space in between your notes. Crammed notes can get confusing and downright unorganized (no fun in the long run!). It'll be much easier if you leave at least a line in between each point, and take notes with graphs and visuals. This makes note-taking more interesting and much easier to study later!

Need help remembering classrooms, teachers, and courses on the first day of classes? Look no further! Make your class schedule your lock screen and you'll have your new schedule at the palm of your hand at all times! I also recommend that you keep the times of your classes closeby so you're aware of how much time you have in between events. A useful thing to make may be a color-coded schedule with an accurate timeline. I keep mine (and my boyfriend's!) schedule on my wall so that I can keep up with where we both have to be at all times, and of course, what times we'll both be available to hang out. Especially since we're both working full-time college students and don't always have the time to see each other 24/7 like we'd like!

Another tip: if you have several classes in a row around a mealtime, pack snacks and water! You'll be thanking me after long hours of lectures and rumbling tummies. When I started college at NIACC, I didn't consider while scheduling classes that I might have to miss mealtimes at the dorms. Make sure you'll have enough time to eat (or enough snacks to tide you over)!

Overall, college is something that you'll get the hang of after either a few days, or in my case, a few semesters. By my fourth semester of NIACC, I was finally feeling comfortable in my own skin. I'm now able to navigate buildings and classrooms, talk to strangers with confidence, and feel educated on the social structure of community college. Ironically, I'll have to start all over when I transfer to a university.

All in all, that'll be a great experience too, just like NIACC has been. My point being: you'll learn to love the new atmosphere of college! Don't take things too seriously, and if you slip up grade-wise, don't let your determination suffer. College is difficult sometimes. If you put your best foot forward, college can be a blast. Keep up with homework, spend as much time with your friends as you can (while making decent grades), and make sure to make memories that'll last a lifetime. When I leave NIACC, I already know that I'll be missing my group of friends desperately. College is a social experience as much as it is an educational one. Remember to take things one day at a time.

University Life: Preppy Dorm DIY Ideas

Adorable, preppy dorm room? Yes please! If you're anything life me, you LOVE to decorate. And I've even got a few of my favorite DIY's to decorate like a preppy college girl!

A few of the most popular preppy-girl decorative staples are pretty monograms, floral/paisley/chevron/polka dot prints, and tons of bright colors. Keep this in mind while shopping for college, and pick up anything pink, floral, sparkly, or all three!

1. Glittery/Floral Letters

Decorate your walls with a cute glitter or floral monogram! You can cut letters out of cardboard or even purchase wooden letters from a department store. Smother the letters in glue and pour your favorite colored glitter over the glue, or even hot-glue fake flowers onto the letter(s) for some pretty floral wall art!


2. Create Your Own Headboard

Most dorms don't have headboards for the beds, but having one makes it feel a little more like home while you're away at college. Good news, it's extremely easy to DIY your own! Hot glue fake flowers or a pretty printed fabric onto cardboard to bring your own piece of home to college with you!

3. Cut Out Your Home State In Glitter Paper

Want a piece of home to bring with you to the dorms? Carefully cut your home state out of a map and then copy the pattern to glitter paper. Cut your state out of the glitter paper and glue it to a sheet of colored paper. Frame your gorgeous new memento to remind you of home throughout your crazy college life!

Now are you ready to have the most stylish room in your building? You better be! Also, coming soon: How To Be The Most Organized Freshman At Your University!

Remember, college dorms are pretty compact. Don't bring your entire DIY collection, but make pieces that'll hang on the walls or stay close to them so you'll have space to move around! I'm an over-packer if I've ever met one, so I know what it's like to want to bring your entire wardrobe, each purse, and your whole collection of pretty decor. You will want a cute, original dorm, but keep the decorations to a happy minimum!

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful afternoon!

Healthy Living: How Nature Can Benefit Your Life

Are you down in the dumps? Tired for no reason? Bored, sick with a cold, or simply not satisfied with life? Nature could be your personal wellness awakening. Listening to the birds sing and feeling the warm breeze against your skin is just about as therapeutic as you can get, if you ask me.

1. Bring animals into your life.
If you haven't already! Having a pet to care for, or even going to the local petting zoo or Humane Society can help you see the world as a much happier place. If you have friends with a farm or friendly pets, visit them often to see how animals have affected their lives! Animals are very therapeutic; this is why hospitals and nursing homes have pet visits or an animal to keep the residents company. Animals are able lift people's spirits. They're also a perfect way to increase your overall happiness on a day-to-day basis.

2. Buy a potted plant.
Or several! Plants help clean the air, and if your room is stuffy, a potted plant can give you fresher oxygen and more of it! Plants are also therapeutic to care for, and they're perfect for brightening up crowded dorm rooms or small apartments. Having nature around could make a serious difference in your emotional and/or physical wellbeing. Having more oxygen in your air can help you think more clearly, help your mind feel more at ease, and even ease body aches and pains!

3. Walk or jog on a nature trail.
And make it an everyday thing! You wouldn't believe how much better I felt today, just lying outside on the lawn. I go on walks at a local nature trail, and it benefits me so much more than you'd assume if you've never gotten truly in touch with nature. The combination of fresh air, aesthetic beauty, and a true sense of belonging can really help you get out of a funk or depression. My school is located right by a nature trail, so it's a great thing to do when stressing about exams, assignments, finances, or anything else. The combination of exercise, time to think or chat with a friend, and a peaceful breath of fresh air will lift your spirits and keep you healthy.

4. Cure wounds, infections, or serious symptoms with plants.
I'm not much of a healer, but I can say that I know a couple natural tricks to help infections or wounds heal a bit quicker. Plantain leaves are seen almost everywhere, they're very common along sidewalks or in your lawn, and since they're so high in vitamins A and C, they are able to help heal serious wounds! Your natural band-aide! Plantain leaves can also be made into tea that can help relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, diabetes, kidney/bladder infections or problems, and even ulcers! The leaves can also be used on the body's exterior for bee stings, rashes, poison ivy, yeast, cuts, and bug bites.

5. Hit the beach for Vitamin C.
I can't emphasize this enough. Most public beaches are free to attend, and lying in the sun to catch some rays is as therapeutic as a spa day. Vitamin C is crucial to feeling well, so getting out and enjoying these beautiful - and limited - summer days could be just what you need to improve your life! Bring a few magazines, sunscreen, and sunglasses! And most importantly, have a good sunbath!

Healthy Living: My Very Own Fresh Blackberry Pancakes

Ever since I began to cook my own healthy food, which was only about a month ago, I began to become a lot more confident in my own baking skills! I realized that healthy food really can be yummy, and I've proven myself right several times.

This time, I was lying on the trampoline in my backyard looking for blog post inspiration in the gorgeous sun. Jotting out almost 30 posts in a week can be exhausting, and since I'd hit my fairly rare case of Writer's Block, I decided I'd get outside and do some serious relaxing.

My backyard is absolutely perfect for a free mind-body spa session, meaning that I lie out in the yard and get a taste of Vitamin C while meditating, or simply thinking about things that make me happy, like my boyfriend and the adventurous future we have ahead of us. There's so much fresh air in my small town in Minnesota, and my backyard is engulfed in bright, lustrous green. There's plenty of gorgeous blackberry trees lining the yard, and as I was lying underneath one, a berry fell onto my nose. I guess this is where the inspiration came from.

A few minutes later, I was preparing my pancake batter and mixing in freshly-picked blackberries. And a few minutes after that, I was chowing down my pancake with syrup and a few berries on top.

The sweet, rich taste of the berries was absolutely delectable with the yummy, thick cakes. A great flavor mix! (And no, this is not my photo. I had to find a more aesthetic picture to use, as mine was a little blah. But the pancakes tasted just as good!)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• blackberries (as many as you like!)

How To Prepare:

1. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, mix milk and eggs.
3. Mix both bowls together and carefully stir in berries.
4. Melt a small bit of butter in a frying pan or on a griddle and heat over medium-low heat.
5. Add 1/2 cup-fulls of batter to pan and cook till golden brown and bubbly on the edges.
6. Flip and repeat!

Thanks for reading! I highly recommend blackberries because their flavor is perfect for pancakes, and you just need a bit of syrup.

Remember to eat clean, meditate, and most importantly, have a great day!

Weekly Update: My Numbers at Week 7

Frustrated with weight loss, or the lack thereof? This is definitely not an easy journey, but you will get used to the struggles, and they will fade as time goes by. The portion control and the workouts will get much, much easier. The pain will gradually fade and the cravings will go along with it.

Temptation and cravings fade and change. Believe it or not, this information is legit. Day 1 of clean eating: you're tempted to eat a burger. Day 20 of clean eating: you're literally tempted to eat fruit. If you cut it out of your diet, chances are: you're not going to want it anymore. It goes both ways: if you cut healthy foods out of your diet, you crave junk. If you cut junk out, you begin to crave healthy foods. Simple as that.

When I started cleaning up my diet, I weighed 223 pounds and since I'm a teenage girl who's only 5' 4", that was an awful weight for me personally. My BMI was off the charts of obese, and I was about 80 pounds away from a healthy weight. Instead of hitting my freshman 15, I hit my "freshman 50" over the course of 9 months. Fast food will do it to you! Be so careful as to what goes in your body, I promise it'll change your life.

I used to crave cheeseburgers, garlic bread, mac and cheese, and brownies. Now, 50 days in, my top 3 cravings are green beans, fresh grilled fish, and berry blast Naked juice. I've had a cupcake in my gym bag for a couple weeks and I haven't even thought of touching it. That's progress. I just adore the new me!

As far as my weight loss journey goes, this is Day 49. Tomorrow is seriously already Day 50, and the time is flying right past my eyes! I exercise each day, and after about Day 30 or so, the inflammation and pain that came with my workout completely vanished. My legs used to ache badly every time I'd walk lightly. Now, I can power walk for hours or use the elliptical machine for 45 minutes with no trouble whatsoever. So keep at it and never give up!

Something to consider about weight loss: that's just it. Weight is just a number. If you slip up, your previous efforts don't simply go away. The more effort you put in, the more it'll pay off in the future. Even a 10 minute walk a day can make a difference in how you feel.

I've heard people say that they feel that once they're messed up once in a day (by eating an unhealthy food or not exercising), they decide to give up for that entire day and start fresh tomorrow. This is useless. Each healthy thing you implement into your day will end up making a difference, so don't give up for the day just because of one slip-up! Continue to work hard for your prize, and it'll come.

So, if you're haunted by the "giving-up virus," don't let it stop you anymore.

I eat around 1,200 net calories a day, but in total: about 1,500-1,700. This is just the suggested amount for my height, age, sex, and weight loss preferences, and the amount of calories you eat a day is entirely up to you. If I end up going over my self-decided appropriate amount of calories, I just try harder throughout the rest of the day.

Whether you count calories or not, it's okay to mess up every now and then. My personal preference is to count, but being too obsessive about the amount of calories you're consuming isn't going to help anything. If you're trying to be healthy each day, your work will pay off. The degree of specifics when monitoring calorie-consumption is entirely up to you. Everyone is different! Different methods work for different people.

In conclusion, day 51 is my 7th weigh-in, and am I excited to see the progress? You're damn right I am! I've been working so hard, but let me tell you, it is beyond worth it.

On Sunday, I'll update the end of this post with my current weight, how many pounds I am from my goal weight, and my total weight loss at the point of Week 7! Thank you for reading, and remember, this journey is a lot more fun than you may think. Switching up workouts, finding new favorite foods, and even seeing progress are all great feelings! In fact, some of the best feelings in the world.

Current Weight: 205 lbs

Pounds Away From Goal: 62 lbs

Total Amount Lost: 18 lbs

University Life: My Ultimate Dorm Room Packing List!

Are you moving into your first dorm and need a perfect packing list? Scared of missing something important? Well, you've come to the right place! Remember, you don't want to be caught dead at college missing a necessary item! A.K.A. you can't forget your tampons. You just can't.

Utilize this college packing list to remember ALL of the essentials of dorm living. You don't want to wake up one day and realize you forgot your bladder infection pain relievers, the day you get a bladder infection you will thank me for that piece of information!


Bedding

• mattress pad/mattress cover
• a few cute throw pillows
• comforter
• a couple throw blankets
• 2 sets of sheets
• 2 fluffy pillows
• pillowcases
• your favorite stuffed animal(s) - but only a couple!

Shower/Hygiene

• shampoo
• conditioner
• body wash/soap
• face wash
• lotion
• hand sanitizer
• shower caddy
• toothbrush, toothpaste
• floss
• deodorant
• shaving cream
• razors
• hair ties
• bobby pins
• straightener/curling iron/etc.
• hair dryer
• perfume
• makeup essentials
• makeup brushes
• flip flops/shower shoes
• shower curtain (if necessary)
• shower mat and rug (if necessary)
• several towels
• loofahs
• wash cloths
• bathroom cleaning supplies
• air freshener
• scale
• mouthwash
• Q-Tips
• headbands
• fingernail/toenail clipper
• feminine hygiene products
• toilet paper
• cute, decorative beauty bins for makeup organization
• hairbrush
• antibacterial wipes

Medications

• very important: bladder infection pain relievers (a UTI is no fun, especially when you don't have any meds!)
• Tylenol/Ibuprofen
• cough medicine
• Midol
• cough drops
• decongestant
• antihistamine (allergy meds)
• Tums
• any prescription medications

Room Essentials/Décor

• cozy chair/beanbag chair
• cute rug
• potted plant(s)
• Christmas lights (for pretty lighting)
• posters/wall hangings
• whiteboard/bulletin board - with pins and markers!
• command hooks/strips
• closet shoe organizer
• floor or desk lamp
• plastic organization drawers
• over-the-door full-body mirror
• hangers
• photos from home
• trash can

Laundry Essentials

• laundry detergent - I use pods!
• dryer sheets/fabric softener
• quarters (lots of them!)
• easy-to-carry laundry basket/hamper
• Tide pen

Clothing/Shoes

• a few pairs of jeans
• as many sweats/yoga pants as you can fit
• one nice outfit (in case of a job interview or social event)
• one nice pair of shoes
• flip flops/sandals
• comfy sneakers
• pretty flats
• supportive tennis shoes
• several t-shirts
• sunglasses
• a few sporty workout outfits
• most importantly, the clothes that you wear the most! Don't bring things you never wear, they'll just take up closet space, which happens to be very minimal.

Groceries (Healthy Version)

• women's multivitamins
• cottage cheese
• cheese slices/string cheese
• sandwich meat
• tuna
• carrots
• low-fat salad dressings
• fresh fruit/veggies
• salsa
• hummus
• low-fat cream cheese
• water bottles
• healthy juices (V8, Naked, etc.)
• soy/almond milk
• protein shakes
• popcorn
• mixed nuts
• trail mix
• corn chips
• instant mashed potatoes/rice
• protein/granola bars
• whole-grain bread/bagels
• low-fat cream cheese

School Supplies

• 1 large, multi-subject notebook
• a few folders
• tons and tons of pens in different colors (for organization!)
• sturdy, heavy-duty backpack
• pencil bag
• graphing calculator
• highlighters
• scissors
• tape
• post-its
• note cards

Electronics

• laptop
• chargers for all of your electronic devices
• gaming console and cords (if applicable)
• power strip
• extension cord
• flash drive
• headphones
• your favorite movies!

Misc.

• reusable water bottles (for hot and cold beverages - coffee before class is a must in the winter months!)
• mugs, plates, bowls, and silverware - but not so much that you can't store it!
• umbrella (everyone forgets this!)
• yoga mat, exercise gear (see my post for the best workout gear for your dorm! Click here for the link!)
• broom and dustpan
• vacuum
• toilet brush
• hand soap
• microwave
• mini-fridge
• rice cooker for your microwave
• food scale (for counting calories)
• tupperware containers
• earplugs
• student ID/important documents and debit/credit cards, money, etc.
• calendar
• fun magazines
• iPhone speaker
• duffel bag
• coffee maker (this has uses other than making coffee - melting queso for your party!)
• a board/video game that you and your friends love!
• your mom's Netflix password

Did I forget anything? Let me know if I did! Also, most importantly, have an amazing freshman year! Bring the essentials, make new friends, and study hard! You're going to do great things.

Weekly Update: 16 Gone, 64 To Go!

Good afternoon!

I'll be starting to post an update on myself and my weight loss journey each week. This will be the introductory post, although, I'll post my full amount lost this Sunday, and I'll share my own tips and tricks to keep up the weight loss!

Today, I hit the gym for the first time in a while. I've been slacking off a bit. Well, if you call "slacking off" losing 16 pounds in 6 weeks. I don't really know how I did it, honestly. I was cheating on my diet and actually ate a piece of 600-calorie strawberry pie when my boyfriend was visiting and wanted to treat me. Bad Derek!

I also wasn't working out as often. I was still trying to fit at least an hour of walking in a day, but I was rarely hitting the gym over the course of the past 2 weeks and wasn't burning nearly as much as I used to be during the first month.

I'm very new to this, and I slip up more often than I should. Although, last week I went from 210 to 207, and that was really something to celebrate, as 3 pounds in one week was the most I'd ever lost in that short of a time period. I knew it was legitimate too, because each time I weigh myself, I wear a sports bra and panties. I only weigh on Sundays, and each time I step on the scale I have already had my morning potty and have not eaten or drank anything yet. It's absolutely the first thing I do each Sunday morning, so I know it's as accurate as possible. I was jumping up and down, and I rewarded myself with a morning workout and a healthy garden salad for lunch!

Since Sunday, I've been doing much better on my diet and nutrient counting. I've been trying to eat more protein, calcium, and fiber, and less saturated fats, sodium, and unnatural sugars. I eat more fruits and veggies than ever before and I think I'll succeed at this (and continue to for years) for the first time in my life!

I've lost a pretty significant amount of weight in the past, but I made the rookie mistake of letting myself slip back into my old eating habits after I reached my goal of 145 lbs. I let loose and decided to eat unhealthy foods again, and that only brought me (over the course of 4 years) to the highest BMI/weight gain I've ever experienced. I began my weight loss journey at 223 pounds, and last Sunday, I was 207. My goal weight is 145, and by previous experience, I know I look healthy and feel good at that weight.

We'll see what week 7 brings on Sunday! I'll post updates about my Sunday-Funday Weigh-In, as I like to call it! I weigh myself weekly instead of daily, just for personal reasons. I do recommend weighing yourself a little less often, though. Body weight fluctuates, so if you are weighing daily and gain a couple pounds, don't be discouraged. It may just be water weight or maybe you need to poop! This is why I recommend weighing weekly instead, you'll be able to see real progress without feeling bad about yourself each day!

Have a great day!

- Anna

Healthy Living: Myths Vs. Facts: The Truth About Cardio

New to fitness? Not sure which machine to use or how to use it? I've been there, but I've since educated myself and have the facts right here!

"The treadmill is bad for your knees." Fact! You may have read or heard of this, but weren't sure if it was true. The strain a treadmill puts on your muscles can tear them and leave you sore and injured for months. Choose the elliptical for a smoother full-body workout that won't tear your knee tendons.

"Your weight matters more than your inches lost." Myth! Don't let a number on the scale rule your life. This journey is more about the way you can and will feel, sooner rather than later! Your weight and BMI do count for something, but the inches lost, muscle gained, and most importantly, the way you feel matter more! If you're feeling better and have much more energy than ever before, you're doing it right. Now all you have to do is keep it up!

"Muscle weighs more than fat." Fact! 1 pound of muscle is much smaller and tons more condensed than 1 pound of fat. So, if you gained weight or didn't lose any, don't be discouraged. Think about it in an objective way. For example, check out this fat vs. muscle comparison:

"Protein powder is only for people who lift." Myth! Everyone needs enough protein to feel good! In fact, it's great to hit your daily protein goal, no matter who you are or how much you lift. Protein is a very important part of anyone's diet, and if you're exercising at all, you may need extra protein on a daily basis. It's important that you get the nutrients you need, otherwise you're not going to feel as well as you could.

"You should be losing more than 1-2 pounds a week." Myth! The healthy way to lose weight is to shed about 1 pound a week, maybe 2 if you're careful and know you're getting the right nutrients. There have been a few weeks where I lost more than 2 pounds in 7 days, but I wasn't trying to starve myself and I wasn't taking any unnatural supplements. Just make sure you're not harming your body in any way, and lose weight at a healthy rate.

"Even if you're not getting as much exercise as you could, 10 minutes of light to moderate exercise a day can really make a difference." Fact! Your body should be getting at least an hour of moderate exercise a day, but anything counts if you're in a hurry! Jump rope for a few minutes or even do a few yoga poses in between tasks. During your lunch break, go on a 15-30 minute walk to help reboot your system and get the rusty wheels back to turning! This will also help out your mind while it's at work.

The truth about cardio is that you can rarely get enough of it! It's great for your wellbeing: body and mind. Remember that anything helps when it comes to clean eating and exercise, but don't limit yourself either. Keep it going strong and I guarantee you'll see results!

Healthy Living: 5 Ways To Beat Your Weight Loss Plateau

Stuck on a weight loss plateau? Sick and tired of not losing weight after working hard for several weeks? Keep calm, it's a very common experience! Almost everyone who's on this journey will also experience a plateau. Don't worry, this stage will pass, and I've got ways to help shorten it!

As you lose weight, your metabolism is declining. This means that you will burn fewer calories throughout the day. Unfair, right? Well, I can help you start to get back into the fat loss groove!

1. Visualize Success
Something my nana always told me, in any struggling situation, was to visualize yourself succeeding. Picture yourself passing a test, winning a race, or in this case, reaching your goal weight once and for all! I know that this doesn't seem like it could work, but ever since I started to visualize myself reaching my goals, I have reached more and more of them. It's a very simple thing you can do each night before you go to sleep, and from personal experience, it works!

2. Be Aware
If you're an anxious person, for example, you may turn to eating for a temporary remedy. Count your calories and be fully aware of the nutrients you're consuming, even if you're on a tight daily schedule. Being busy is one of the top reasons people overeat; they simply have no time to count calories and they end up eating whatever they can grab or find on short notice. These processed, packaged goods lack many crucial nutrients and tend to be chalked with fats, carbs, and even GMO's (genetically modified organisms). Know what you're eating, know what's in the product, and be very aware of the nutrients and calories inside.

3. Try Detox
I've read many times that starting a detox diet can give you the boost you need to hop off your weight loss plateau. There's many types of detox diets, including the fruit and veggie detox and the juice cleanse: my personal favorites. Detox diets can get rid of many common symptoms you absolutely do not want, such as allergies, inability to lose weight, digestive issues, and unexplained fatigue. I've written several other posts on detox diets and how to start them, so if you're interested, visit one or all of these links to learn more about detox!
How To Start a Juice Cleanse: Juice Cleanse How-To
Helpful Detox Tips: Detox Tips
Easy Ways to Detox Your Body Without A Specific Diet: More Detox Tips

4. Eat Breakfast
Eating a large, balanced breakfast is great for your metabolism! It's also going to help you burn more calories throughout the day. Try high-fiber options like veggie/egg scrambles, fruit and nut oatmeal, or whole-wheat blueberry pancakes.

5. Make Healthy Substitutions
Love pizza? Try cauliflower crust. I made this recipe the other day, and in my opinion, the crust tasted much better. The best part: half the pizza was 272 calories! Usually one slice of regular pizza is about 300-400. This is craziness. As for pizza toppings, substitute veggies or lean meats for high-calorie, fatty meats. If you can't live without sweets, substitute dark chocolate for other candies. Dark chocolate is super heart-healthy and great for your metabolism!

Remember, the more weight you lose, the more your weight loss will slow. Don't get discouraged, just try these tips and tricks to get off that plateau and start losing weight again! Go you for keeping at it! With enough persistence comes success!

Fitness Tips: A Beginner's Guide to Working Out

Completely new to working out? Did you just buy your gym membership and have no idea how to start? Want to get fit, but never knew how to begin or stick with it? Has it been a while since you've been toned to the point that you were satisfied? If this is you, try skimming these tips and tricks to pick up some information on how to get started! You'll thank yourself in a few months, I promise. It'll go by much quicker than you think!

Need some newfound motivation? Look here for answers!

Tip #1: Keep it simple, yet interesting.
You don't want to wake up one day and realize that you're caught in a boring workout plan. Remember to switch it up, but if you're a beginner, know that something as simple as a daily 30-minute walk can really make a difference while you're just starting to work out. Don't overdo it! I recommend starting small and gradually climbing up the fitness ladder. As you learn new tips and tricks about working out, you'll be able to add more into your workout, but for now, maybe stick to hitting the elliptical, walking, or doing simple cardio exercises like high-knees, chair squats, or jump-roping. Keep it interesting and fun! Maybe even try mixing it up with a personal trainer who can help you reach your goals and find workouts that focus on certain areas of your body.

Tip #2: Avoid strenuous exercises until you're educated.
If you're interested in lifting weights or doing other kinds of vigorous strength exercises, make sure you're getting your form correct and lifting an appropriate amount of weight. I'm a fitness amateur, so I started out lifting 15 pound weights because I've never lifted in my life before a few weeks ago! If you lift too heavy, you could tear your muscles and injure yourself pretty seriously. Be careful and only lift what you can handle! Also, always bring a buddy to spot.

Tip #3: Explore your gym's equipment.
Think about getting a tour of your gym so that you know how to use each piece of equipment. You may think you'll figure it out on your own, but from personal experience, I've realized that I'm too shy to try out the weight machines without knowing how to use them. I think a tour of my gym would have benefited me because I could have learned how the equipment worked without having to figure it out on my own. Also, using the equipment incorrectly could cause injury.

Tip #4: Remember that working out won't do much good unless you're pairing it with clean eating and persistence.
Don't get me wrong, exercise is great for you in all kinds of ways! But if you're trying to lose weight or get healthier overall, your diet matters just as much as your amount of daily exercise (maybe even more!) A good way to look at it: exercise is 30% of your weight loss and a healthy, balanced diet is 70%. Anyone can work out, but it's very difficult to control what goes into your body the rest of the time and make better nutritional choices.

Tip #5: Know that this is meant to be permanent and that you will need both strength and endurance to keep this lifestyle up.
This is a permanent lifestyle change, not a temporary plan to lose weight. If you want to keep it off, you'll need to keep it up! Be persistent, keep exercising even after you've accomplished your goals, and clean up your diet: permanently! To change the way you feel, you must change what you've been eating. Change your food and exercise habits, and your happiness will come along with the change. Though this lifestyle switch may be difficult, you will get used to the clean eating and daily workouts eventually. It'll be a brand new, healthier you, and you'll love your new self! Not to go so far as to say that you can't eat what you love. Just remember to control your portions and eat fatty or sugary foods in moderation.

Remember, when you're first starting out, exercise may be difficult and/or painful. Don't get discouraged. I know from experience that it WILL get easier, much easier actually! If you've got the motivation and endurance to keep it up, you're set for a brand new, healthy lifestyle. Go you!

Fitness Tips: My Top 30 Favorite Workout Jams, and How To Create Your Own Fitness Playlist!

If you're anything like me, you've probably got an iPhone song list full of depressing, indie rock and heartbreak ballads. These tunes meant - and still mean - something huge to me deep down, but when I'm ready to amp it up on the weights or get started on a jog, these slow, sad songs just aren't doing it for me. I need something to pump me up and get me moving!

Although shower ballads and amp it up jams are both necessary on your song list, they usually belong on different playlists. If you ask me, I've got a hella good taste in music, but I've also got times where I need to forget about the sad truth and get myself bouncing off the walls during a workout. This energy-release really helps me sleep at night, and most people need a little exercise in their lives to relax at the end of the day.

Without further adieu, these are a few of my most-played workout songs. Get ready to rumba or twerk or whatever.

1. Feelin' Myself - Nicki Minaj feat. Beyonce
2. F***in' Problems - A$AP Rocky feat. Drake, 2 Chainz, Kendrick Lamar
3. Forever - Drake feat. Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Eminem
4. Hey Mama - David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj, Afrojack
5. Gold Digger - Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx
6. Worth It - Fifth Harmony feat. Kid Ink
7. Open Letter - The Amity Affliction
8. Sabotage - Beastie Boys
9. Trini Dem Girls - Nicki Minaj feat. LunchMoney Lewis
10. Truffle Butter - Nicki Minaj feat. Drake, Lil Wayne
11. War Child - Hollywood Undead
12. All of the Lights - Kanye West feat. Rihanna
13. Backseat Freestyle - Kendrick Lamar
14. Black Skinhead - Kanye West
15. Bounce - Iggy Azalea
16. Can't Hold Us - Macklemore, Ryan Lewis
17. Drop It Low - Ester Dean feat. Chris Brown
18. Dwamn - Tech N9ne
19. Fire - Big Sean
20. F*** Love - Iggy Azalea
21. Hard - Rihanna feat. Jeezy
22. Hot Tottie - Jay Z feat. Usher (Remix)
23. On to the Next One - Jay Z
24. Make Me Proud - Drake feat. Nicki Minaj
25. Pour It Up - Rihanna
26. Power - Kanye West
27. Radioactive - Imagine Dragons feat. Kendrick Lamar
28. Rap God - Eminem
29. Roman's Revenge - Nicki Minaj feat. Eminem
30. GDFR - Flo Rida 

Pumped up yet?

Now, create your own workout playlist. Make sure to choose songs with motivational lyrics, amp-it-up beats, or even both! I recommend something a little faster and a lot more fun! Have fun with it, you're going to love the outcome when you're hitting the elliptical next time, or even when you're in hip hop cardio class!

My #1 Tip for creating your own workout playlist:

• Skip the slow, sad, and/or depressing and swap in the fun and upbeat! You can still get motivational/inspirational lyrics with amp-it-up songs! My favorite motivation songs from this particular list are Fire, Open Letter, and Radioactive. All with great beats and still they get the lyrical wonders on point to make me really, really want to reach my goals even more than before!

Fitness Tips: The Best Pre- and Post-Workout Snacks to Help Amp You Up

Need help finding the right low-calorie snacks that'll fill you up before and after a workout? I've found that after a workout, I feel absolutely drained, and before a workout, I always wonder what to eat that will give my body the energy it needs, but won't spoil my workout. If you've ever had the same problem, these healthy snack ideas can really help you out!

Pre-Workout Snack Ideas (for a great source of healthy carbs that give you energy!)

• Quinoa
• Dried fruit
• Lowfat coffee drinks
• Greek yogurt
• Popcorn
• Fruit Smoothie
• Oatmeal
• Hummus
• Yogurt Parfait
• Apples and peanut butter
• Berries
• Roasted chicken

Post-Workout Snack Ideas (for a great source of protein that helps your body recover and get the nutrients it needs!)

• Protein bars/shakes
• Oranges
• Pistachios
• Cottage cheese
• Chocolate almond milk
• Hard-boiled or fried eggs/egg whites
• Chocolate protein pudding
• Trail mix
• String cheese

Whether you're looking for something low on calories, something protein-packed, or both, I've got your favorite foods and recipes coming soon! Take care and have a great day!

Healthy Living: 4 of My Favorite Healthy Summer Treats

Want a sweet, yummy treat to snack on this summer? Do you prefer low-calorie and nutrient-packed choices? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you've come to the right place! Cool off this summer with these yummy summer recommendations!

1. Outshine Fruit Bars
Talk about yum! These frozen bars come in a variety of flavors and are made of 100% real fruit. In fact, almost every fruit you can think of is an Outshine flavor. They also have yogurt-covered frozen fruit bars and fruit and veggie-flavored bars, which are yummy IMO! The best part: a small bar is only 35 calories and a large bar is 60-70, depending on the flavor. A small price for such a sweet treat!

2. Naked Fruit Juice
Naked is my favorite smoothie juice out on the shelves. Although a bit higher in calories and price, it's worth it and, unlike other juices, it will actually fill you up. It's also chalked with nutrients, real fresh fruits, and depending on which flavor you choose, sometimes even veggies! Naked is the healthiest drink on the market right now! No added sugars, and only fresh fruit is used to produce the yummy, healthy drink. I've fallen in love with the berry and strawberry banana flavors, and I recommend one of these two flavors to start out with if you're new to bottled smoothie drinks.

3. My Favorite Smoothie Recipe: Orange Strawberry Peach (I made it up myself after long hours of experimental testing and using the process of elimination!)
I can't preach for my own recipe like I can for actual products you can buy in the store, but I can say that it's packed with nutrients and isn't made of anything that isn't fresh and yummy. It took me 4 times of trial-and-error smoothie-creating before I came up with this one. My advice to you if you'd like to figure out your own smoothie recipe: don't mix broccoli and strawberries. It's absolutely horrendous.

Ingredients: 1 small dash of lemon juice, 1/2 a whole orange, a pinch of flax and/or chia seed, 3 medium strawberries, 1/2 cup of peach yogurt, and 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk.

How To Prepare: Place all ingredients in your blender. Blend well and drink up! Only 180 calories in the entire smoothie! This recipe is 1 serving.

4. Infused, Detox Water

If you're planning on starting a detox cleansing like me, infused water is probably something you'll be drinking a lot. The easiest way to prepare infused water is to buy an infusion water bottle, they're fairly cheap and it's a lot of fun to try different kinds of fruit water! My favorite fruits and veggies to use in my water bottle are apricots, peaches, cucumber, mixed berries, and lemon!

These delectable treats are great summer substitutes for a healthier lifestyle! Be sure to try them before picking up another sugary popcicle or drink! Know that there are healthier choices out there, and they're not going to be any less yummy.

Fitness Tips: 5 Helpful Products and Items to Purchase to Aid Weight Loss: All Under 20 Dollars!

Tight on cash? No problem! Being a college student, I've got your health and fitness answers for cheap.

From experience, I know that these items can really help you out in losing weight or simply feeling better. And that's always a good thing!

Without further adieu, these are my 5 favorite health and fitness products to help aid your weight loss journey, and fast! All for under 20 dollars at your local department store!

1. Food Scale: A huge part of weight loss is portion control. Investing in a food scale can help you make the crucial switch from educated guesses to exact measurements. I bought mine for 14.95 at Walmart, and it's an enormous help to me while counting calories and food-intake. My scale even features different units for easier use when reading labels.
2. Infusion Bottle: I scored my infusion water bottle BPA free for just 2 dollars on sale! Full price at a store like Walmart: they're 10-15 dollars and can help you detox with fruit or veggie-flavored water! Yum! Healthy, no calories, and super good for your body. My favorite detox fruits/veggies to put in my bottle are cucumber slices, fresh berries, and slices of orange, mango, or lemon.
3. Jump Rope: A tool as simple and cheap as a jump rope is actually brilliant to purchase! It's compact, easy to store in a tight room, and doesn't take much room to use, either! A jump rope offers you a great cardio, full-body workout that'll help you shed the pounds like never before! Department stores carry jump ropes for less than 3 dollars! Totally worth it.
4. Whey Protein Powder: If you're into lifting or not, protein is great for your body, and most people don't consume enough protein in their diet. If you're not getting the nutrients your body needs, you won't feel as good physically or emotionally, and you may not be reaching your body's full potential. A good way to pack your body up with nutrients is protein powder or multivitamins! At most department stores, Whey Protein is fairly cheap (usually under $20) for 60 servings! That's a pretty great deal if you ask me, especially since it's going to fill your body with nutrients, and at a very yummy expense. I recommend the chocolate peanut butter flavor!
5. Ab Shredder Wheel: Believe me on this one, the ab wheel is going to give you a serious and challenging core workout, and for fairly cheap. Having gear on hand and in the comfort of your own home sparks motivation in a lot of people! Shop Target for your ab wheel workout, they've got your gear for just 10.99 a wheel!

Convinced? Well, I'm not actually trying to convince you of anything. These are what worked for me, plus clean eating and working out at my local gym! All I want to do is help you out, and from experience, I've realized that a permanent lifestyle change is very important, especially so you don't gain it all back!

Take care, and let the weight start to shed off!

Healthy Living: How To Start Your First Juice Cleanse

Woot woot alert! I lost 3 pounds this week, making my total amount of weight lost: 16 pounds in 6 weeks! I may be new, but it's shedding off fast, and in a completely healthy way! I'm not starving myself at all, I actually feel full each day by eating the right nutrients my body needs to feel good.

My recent weight loss has inspired me to start a juice cleanse and give my body the healthy help it deserves.

Anyways, enough about me. This is how you will have the highest success rate at your next detox juice cleanse! You can follow along and learn how to start your cleanse in this post, and in future posts as well. I'll be posting updates on how the cleanse, my overall weight loss, my emotional wellbeing, and my generally improved life are going!

To start a juice cleanse, you must be willing to cut out specific toxins from your body. This means no ice cream, pizza, fast foods, alcohol, tobacco, nicotine, soda, and (if possible) medications, with an exception of natural supplements such as vitamins or self-healing supplements made from plants.

3 days before your cleanse:

• Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.
• Eliminate pizza, ice cream, fast foods, alcohol, tobacco, nicotine, soda, sugar, processed foods, caffeine, gluten, dairy, red meat, and unnatural medications from your diet altogether.
• Only eat fresh fruits, fresh veggies, whole-grains, and eggs 3 days before your cleanse.
• Eating light before your cleanse will ease cravings and hunger during it!

During your cleanse:

• Begin your day with a glass of water and lemon.
• From then on, drink 6 portions of juice every two hours. Drink 1 bottle (10 oz) in two-hour increments, repeating 5 more times. For example, you could drink your juices at 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, and 7pm.
• Only drink your juice, and don't add any foods in until you are finished with the cleanse. Eating during the cleanse slows down the process of cleansing your system of harmful toxins.
• If you do decide to eat during the cleanse, choose only organic fruits, veggies, or seeds.
• Exercise: Avoid strenuous exercise during the juice cleanse. Instead, stick to light walks or yoga since your energy levels will be changing.
• The source site below recommends that you don't push it during your juice cleanse. Practice meditation, listen to calming music, and go for nature walks or hikes to relax. Sometimes, people are more sensitive during cleanses. Be sure you take care of yourself physically and emotionally.

Day 1 post-cleanse:

• Add in your fruits, greens, and water: at least 8 glasses a day.

Day 2 post-cleanse:

• Add in your nuts and gluten-free grains.

Day 3 post-cleanse:

• Add in your other grains and organic meats (or vegetarian meats).

After your juice cleanse, the source site still recommends that you don't rush back into vigorous exercise. Let your body recover naturally, and as you gain your energy back, then exercise can be put back into your schedule. I would suggest you wait at least 3 days after your cleanse to begin exercising heavily again.

Source Site: https://www.urbanremedy.com/learn/howtocleanse

All of the information above regarding juice cleanses is from this source.

As for the specific kind of juice to be used for this activity, you'll have to do your research to find out which kinds of juices/smoothies/shakes you prefer. Some sites sell juices specifically for cleanses. You can also look up recipes to make homemade. I'd start by purchasing flax seeds, plenty of fresh fruits and greens, and tons of yummy fruit/veggie juices to try!

Take care and cleanse well!

Healthy Living: My Body-Cleansing Journey: Tips on How To Detoxify

Want to recharge your body, get off your weight-loss plateau, remove harmful toxins from your system, and/or feel better (physically and emotionally)? Detox may be perfect for you!

No matter who you are, anyone can benefit from detoxification. If you're suffering from digestive problems, allergies, fatigue, or simply don't feel as well as you could, detox could really improve your health!

Different types of detox diets include the juice cleanse, the fruit and veggie detox, the smoothie detox, and many others. Detoxification clears your liver of toxins and gives your organs the rest and reboot that they need to function properly. If you're interested in getting healthier and clearing your system, read on! I'll be explaining how to begin your first detox diet.

If you feel congested, ill, or too full, you may need to detox your body. Your body naturally does this every day already, but giving it the helping hand that it needs is crucial to getting healthier.

If you're new to detox like I am, you'll need to read a book or an article to find your own detox plan! This is a clip from an article I read about a specific detox diet that I plan on trying with my best friend:

"The diet starts on Friday night with a green salad, but Saturday's menu shows you what's really in store: Breakfast starts with plenty of vitamin C, then take your choice of fruit juices. 'Because of its high water content, fruit will flush you through much quicker,' she says. 'Green things give energy, but sugars will wash the system easier.'
'You're going to be drinking something every 90 minutes to two hours, so you won't feel deprived or hungry,' Page tells WebMD. 'As your body gets lighter and lighter through the weekend, you can feel what's going on. You're getting rid of toxins accumulated during the winter. Your body is starting to release fat, those extra pounds.'
Dinner? That's miso soup with some chopped sea vegetables (like the Japanese nori, used to make sushi) snipped over top. Or you might choose a cup of brown rice with a few chopped vegetables mixed in. 'Brown rice gives your body plenty of B vitamins, which is a stress reducer. It's very high fiber, will fill you up, will help you sleep, and will flush you out in the morning.'
She also advocates 'cleansing boosters,' including herbal laxatives, colonics, probiotics (that replenish healthy bacteria), and antioxidants. Relaxation techniques -- massage therapy, sauna, aromatherapy baths, deep breathing exercises, walking -- help round-out the cleanse."

Source site: http://www.webmd.com/diet/detox-diets-cleansing-body?page=2

Sound interesting? I thought so!

Your first night of detox:

• supper: garden salad

Your first morning of detox:

• breakfast: vitamin C-packed fruit juice (drink every 90 mins)
• lunch: miso soup with chopped sea veggies
• supper: brown rice with veggies mixed in (great source of B vitamins) 

Let's move on to some facts about juice diets. First of all, juice diets can make you feel, and even smell, much better! Crazy, right? Who doesn't want to smell and feel good?

A juice diet is better to do for a short period of time (like a week), rather than a longer one, such as a month. Drinking juice and only juice for 3 days straight will detoxify your liver, which is great, because that's where all your bodily toxins are being sent to be broken down and excavated. Although, the reason that juice diets are not recommended for longer periods of time is because you may relapse and gain all of the weight you've lost back because you're not consuming carbohydrates, which are vital to weight loss, contrary to popular belief. Carbs are necessary, you just need to be choosing the right ones.

Detox Tips:

• Replace a meal with a fruit/veggie smoothie or a protein shake each day, these are packed with nutrients that your body needs.
• Shop organic whenever possible.
• Get a massage or go to a chiropractor, this will remove stress and toxins from your body in a natural way.
• Drink as much water as possible.
• Drink green tea in the morning (it can help shed belly fat!)
• Fit lots of fiber into your diet.
• Sleep at least 7 hours of uninterrupted zzz's a night.
• Take probiotics and multivitamins.
• Practice yoga and meditation.
• Use flax and/or chia seeds in your smoothies, they're amazing for your body and can help with weight loss!
• Avoid at all costs: alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, etc.

Source: http://bembu.com/natural-ways-to-detox-your-body

For more information on detoxification, see my previous blog post: Detox Fun: A Few Easy Ways to Clear Your System of Harmful Toxins!
http://healthfitnessfabulous.blogspot.com/2015/06/detox-fun-few-easy-ways-to-clear-your.html

Healthy Living: Tips for Losing Weight While On Anti-Depressants and Portion Control

Have you ever felt like counting calories was a complete hassle? A waste of you precious time? I've heard many people say things like this: "I just don't have time for that," or, "It's just too much of a hassle." Well, I don't know about you, but I do have time for my health. It's very important to me to know how much I need to be eating.

It's very difficult to take time out of your busy schedule to actually count the amount of calories that's going into your body, although, if you want to lose weight, you're going to need to be aware of this in some way or another. Letting yourself eat with no precautions is probably not going to get you to your goal weight. By teaching yourself how much food is healthy to consume daily, you will know when you need to stop, and will feel more aware and in control of snacking.

A good way to begin is to count calories for a month before letting this habit go. If you're tired of counting every single snack and meal, then maybe after you've given yourself some portion-control training, you can hold off on the counting and make your own calorie-intake assumptions and educated guesses on how many you need each day.

My advice would be to count for as long as you need to train your body and show it how much food it needs to become full for the day. In my case, this number is around 1,400-1,700 for a 200-lb girl age 19 trying to lose weight who is moderately active and 5 feet 4 inches tall.

The number of calories you should be eating in a day really depends on your age, height, activity level, and other similar factors. If your goal is to lose 1-2 lbs per week, you should be eating less than if you were trying to maintain your current weight.

A very smart way to track how many calories you should be eating is a smartphone app called myfitnesspal. This app tracks your goals and profile to determine your calorie-limit of the day, and the app also alerts you when you're eating something low or high in saturated fat, and also when you've hit your fiber, calcium, or protein goals for the day. Myfitnesspal tracks your macros and nutrients as well. It sets you goals for each nutrient that you should reach but not necessarily go over on. If you tend to eat too much fat or sodium in a day, the app will alert you when you're eating fatty or salt-filled foods. You can customize and watch these goals by clicking the nutrition button and switching the graph to nutrient levels.

Another tip for portion control, invest in a food scale. I bought mine today at Walmart for 14.95. The scale even features different units of measurement, so that it's easier to measure different types of foods and liquids. To measure in a container, measure the container first and then subtract the container's weight from the total weight. Also, if your food scale features a zero button, then all you need to do is place the container on the scale, and push the button! It'll zero the scale for you, so you're only measuring the food/drink! It's simple, easy, and will make your educated guesses about ounces or grams turn into exact measurements so that your calorie-count is much more accurate!

Personally, I really struggle with night snacking. I take anti-depressants for my fluctuating moods and depression issues, so it's very difficult to control myself when the meds make me feel like I need to be eating. A very common side effect of many anti-depressants is weight gain, and in my case, I gained 80 pounds, mostly because of my medicine (and partly because I wasn't watching my eating habits or exercising enough). This is a true struggle to try to choose between physical health and emotional wellbeing, although, there are steps you can take to lose weight while on your anti-depressants (or other meds that make you feel hungry or gain weight!)

Even though I haven't stopped my medication entirely, I have cut both the pills in half. I would absolutely not advise doing this without a physician's approval, as it can cause your mental state to go berserk. If you believe your dose is too high, consult your doctor before taking any actions. I feel that cutting down the dosage of my anti-depressants has given me the boost that I need to start losing weight, though I know now that I could've done it without cutting them down.

It will be a challenge to lose weight if you're dependent on anti-depressants, but I know you and I can both reach our goal weights together. I am currently on these medications and have started my journey anyways (and lost 15 pounds so far!) I believe I CAN reach my goal weight of 145, and maybe someday, stop taking my anti-depressants for good and use natural remedies to kick depression's ass, such as yoga, meditation, vitamins, clean eating, dialectical behavior therapy, and relaxation activities.

Remember that there are many natural ways to boost yourself out of depression, and although I know medications help and some people absolutely need them, there may also be a way for you to succeed emotionally without having to be dependent on them. Keep natural healing techniques in mind when you're feeling down in any way. One or a combination of many will help you, I'm positive of that.

Healthy Living: A Few Easy Ways to Cleanse Your System of Harmful Toxins

Ever heard of detoxifying the body? Have your friends ever went on a juice cleanse? If you'd like to feel much better inside and out, detox may be your next step to happiness.

If your body is in need of a good detoxification, it'll let you know in several different ways. A few of these ways are:

• fatigue
• mind fog/confusion
• bloating
• problems with digestion
• inability to lose weight
• allergies
• bags under the eyes
• sluggishness
• problems with your menstrual cycle

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, there are many detox diets out there that can help! These include the basic fruit and veggie detox, smoothie cleanse, juice cleanse, sugar detox, and the hypoallergenic detox.

Even if you aren't experiencing a certain symptom, detoxification is still very important and good for your body. Detoxification rests, cleanses, and nourishes the body, and can prevent disease or illness so that your body can become the healthiest it can be! Pretty cool, right? Detoxing your body will make a crucial difference in how you feel emotionally and physically!

Detox can and will assist the body in resting its organs, stimulating the liver (to remove toxins from the body), refueling itself with nutrients, and even improving circulation!

When I was a freshman in college, I noticed something odd about my fingers. Every time I woke up in the morning or during the night, my fingers were swollen and throbbing in pain. Sometimes the pain would even wake me. I assumed it was teenage arthritis or something along those lines (basically unable to be fixed). The weirdest part: once I began to exercise and clean up my diet, the sensation in my hands vanished completely.

I think the sensation was a problem with circulation, and since I'd started exercising and giving my body the nutrients that it needed, my circulation improved and the pain went away completely. Talk about noticing a difference!

Even though it sounds harmless, detox is not for everyone. If you're under 18 and still growing, nursing a child, or have a chronic illness like cancer, detoxification may be harmful to you because the body isn't getting its full amount of nutrients to grow, heal, or provide for someone else. Ask your doctor if detox is right for you before starting a cleanse.

Now, if you're interested in detox, this is how to begin. Eliminate obvious toxins from your diet: alcohol, coffee, nicotine, tobacco, refined sugars, and saturated fats. Substitute natural alternatives for household cleaners and hygiene products, such as deodorant, shampoo, or even toothpaste.

Stress can take away from your health as well, To prevent the body from releasing harmful stressers, practice yoga, Pilates, or meditation to help cleanse your body from stress and reset your natural reactions to stress. Even though stress is inevitable in our lives, there are ways to clear your body from some of it.

When you finish a detoxification process, there are ways to refuel your body and help it get the nutrients it needs with the help of these tips:

• eat lots of fiber (brown rice, fresh fruits and veggies)
• take herbs (dandelion root supplements, drink green tea)
• take Vitamin C supplements to drive away toxins from your liver
• drink 10 cups of water a day or more
• practice deep breathing
• force yourself to be positive to banish stress from your system
• hydrotherapy: take a very hot shower for 5 minutes, then switch the water to cool for 30 seconds, repeat 3 times, then sleep
• use a sauna so that your body can sweat out toxins/wastes
• remove dead skin (or harmful toxins) from your pores
• practice yoga (very important!)
• do lots of cardio exercise (also extremely important to detox your body!)

Source: 10 Ways to Detoxify Your Body - http://life.gaiam.com/article/10-ways-detoxify-your-body

Healthy Living: Exploring Healthy Food Options At Restaurants (Other Than Salad!)

I don't know about you, but I know I've heard tons of people say that they want to eat healthy but hate salad. Ugh, what a misconception.

Substitution is what's really important with choosing healthier options. If there's a grilled chicken sandwich, get it instead of you favorite batter-fried option. If you're sick of side salad, choose mashed potatoes or steamed broccoli instead of fries. There are options out there.

Shrimp - Believe it or not, shrimp is one of the healthiest foods you can eat, and it's packed with protein and nutrients.

Grilled Chicken Breast - Who doesn't like a classic, juicy chicken breast? Add some roasted veggies on the side for a low-calorie, nutrient-filled restaurant meal! Or make it a sandwich with tomatoes and other veggies of choice.

Stir Fry - With white rice and yummy meat and/or veggies mixed into delectable sauces and seasonings, stir fry is one of the simplest, easy orders for health freaks like us!

Fish (not batter-fried) - How could I forget fish? It's probably my favorite kind of meat, and despite popular belief, fish is extremely healthy! Just leave the batter off, or substitute potato batter instead (the healthier choice). Fish is going to fill you up, especially since it gives the body many nutrients that it needs! Healthiest fish options: flounder, tuna, salmon, and rainbow trout.

Lean Steak - Wow! I didn't know this until yesterday, but steak can be a fairly healthy option if you prepare it correctly. Add fresh veggies to your plate and you've got yourself a damn good choice.

Salad? After months of salad? Double meh.

Substitution is key. Remember that you have options at restaurants, and if you really feel hopeless ordering from a menu, hit the grocery store instead and make your own recipes. Pinterest has tons of healthy and easy recipe options!

Fitness Tips: 10 Helpful Apps For Fitness and Weight Loss

Ever wanted to get fit but don't have the money for a gym membership? Look no further than these wonderful smartphone apps to help motivate you to do great things. No gym? No excuse!

MyFitnessPal

Heard of it already? Probably. Have it yet? I hope so! My Fitness Pal is, in my opinion, the best calorie counter out there. I use it to log my weight, cardio, strength exercise, and water and food intake, and you can too! The best part: it's 100% free! This is probably my favorite health app in existence. Be sure to try it.

FitStar

This amazing personal trainer app is perfect for fitness beginners. When you download the app for the first time, it gives you a personalized fitness test. From then on, you can personalize your own workouts and have your own personal trainer show you what you need to do to accomplish your goals! I really enjoy this one.

Daily Yoga

Daily Yoga offers tons of different yoga poses that you can listen to and follow along on the app! You can also download some of the training onto your phone so that you can use them without data usage. The originality of Daily Yoga really pulls me in, especially the peaceful music it plays as you open the app and do the poses.

Pinterest

I know you've heard of Pinterest, but have you ever looked at their Health and Fitness search category? It's chalked with workout ideas, cute gym outfits, healthy recipes, weight loss tips, and tons of other fitspo! Check it out if you haven't, you're in for a treat.

Spotify

You probably already have this one, but you may not know that Spotify features a special fitness playlist that gives you a song that fits the tempo of your jog or run! Pretty great, huh? There's nothing better than jogging to the beat of a fun, upbeat song. Music motivates us greatly, so use your favorite tunes to jam up a workout with the help of this awesome playlist!

8fit

8fit rocks! It tracks your weight, lets you personalize workouts, and even features free programs for either beginners or fitness experts! There's a duration time for each workout plan and a number of sessions that you can complete to help reach your goals. These programs are based on your abilities, you can choose beginner, intermediate, or expert! This app is one of my favorites. It seriously motivates me and helps make working out seem much easier and less of a giant challenge you just can't seem to conquer.

Nike Training

Nike Training is probably my favorite fitness app. Like seriously. It's great. First, Nike Training lets you choose whether you'd like to get lean, get strong, get toned, or focus on a certain area of your body, and next, it lets you decide whether you'd prefer a beginner, intermediate, or advanced level of exercise. Then, the app lets you choose a specific workout, tells you the duration of your chosen workout, and even lets you download the workout to your phone! The best part: there are tons of workouts to choose from, and you can have fun switching it up each day.

C25K

If you're an aspiring runner, look no further. Couch to 5K is a perfect motivator for you. The app begins fairly easy, and as you complete the daily intervals, the workout gradually becomes more difficult as the days go by. This app will get you 5K-ready in almost no time, even if you're currently a serious couch potato.

Sworkit

We can't forget Sworkit: a wonderful fitness app with custom workouts and strength, yoga, stretch, and cardio training, you'll never be able to go wrong with your workout again!

Bodeefit

Bodeefit is a great app that assigns you a custom daily workout that you can complete at any time the mood feels right. This app also features video-tutorials to help you get the correct form and to guide you through your workout.

Sound too good to be true? Think again! These apps are all available in the App Store and are also all pretty damn great motivators if you ask me.

Take care, have fun, live affluently (in good times, not dollars).

Healthy Living: Get to Know Me and My Motivation to Change

Have you ever felt like you wanted to change, but knew it'd be hard and knew it would hurt? I'm not going to tell you that it'll be easy, but it's common to make misconceptions about getting healthy.

You may think you'll get into a health kick and in a few months slip back into your old ways. And if you want it bad enough, your motivation is truly something to celebrate. Motivation is the key to beginning something great, whether that great thing is a new novel, a new career, or in my case, your physical and emotional health.

The definition of the world health is "the general condition of the body and/or mind with reference to soundness and vigor." But, to many of us, health means much more. To some of us, health is based on a number or a percentage. And to some, health means that we are constantly improving ourselves.

My great grandmother told me that she has always had a strong urge inside her heart to keep growing intellectually and personally. Her mind is efficient and bright, even after 92 years of life, and because of her I am inspired to keep my journey going. This particular journey that I will be blogging about is my weight loss journey.

A little about me? I am a nineteen-year-old published author, someone who hardly cared for her health in the past and is a true amateur when it comes to fitness. I'm very interested in becoming a civil rights lawyer, and I am currently going for my psychology associate's degree in Mason City, IA. I began this journey weighing 223 lbs, and I am currently 210 lbs, meaning I have lost 13 lbs in 36 days with vigorous exercise and counting calories with an app on my phone.

I am just as new to this as you probably are, but despite my beginner mindset, I have began (just a month ago) to clean up my diet and work out at my local gym. And this mindset is greatly changing in several different ways.

For one, a month ago I believed that numbers were all that mattered. Although, I began to see improvement in many areas other than a simple number on the scale. I stopped breathing so heavily, and it was much easier to take a breath, take a walk, and climb a few stairs. I have also began to believe in self-healing through meditation, yoga, and dialectical behavior psychotherapy.

In the past, I have been diagnosed with anxiety disorders, depression, and borderline personality disorder. Although I do believe that medication helps significantly, there are many things you can do to improve your emotional well-being that are purely anti-medicine. These are fairly obvious; cardiovascular exercise, strength exercise, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, meditation, clean eating, removing GMO's from your diet, relaxation exercises, aromatherapy, chiropractics, the list goes on. In my case, these things don't solve every problem in my life, but it's damn near close to perfect if you ask me. I am currently on Celexa and Abilify for my depression and anxiety, though my ultimate goal is to live a life of clean-eating, everyday workouts, and mind-body healing without medication. At the moment, I am dependent on my anti-depressants, but someday, I hope to be both happy and progressive without taking them anymore.

As I write over time, I will share my journey with you. I guess you could say that I'm beginning to live my life a different way. I am changing my lifestyle for the better, and if you happen to come along for the ride, that's cool with me! Remember, the first step to becoming healthy is training your mind to think in a positive manner. Take care.

Anna.