Best shape of your life

I asked my friend on campus a few questions about how she keeps healthy. It seems every Facebook update of hers is something about how she worked out or how many hours in the gym she spent.

Here is an inside look of what gets her going..

What motivates you to workout?

Working out has been an important part of my life since I was in about 7th grade. I originally started working out to lose weight. Eventually working out became a life style for me. I love to workout. It relieves stress, makes me feel good about myself and helps me eat healthy and stay on a good schedule. Overall working out is just a big part of who I am. It's became a lifestyle. I can't imagine my life without working out.  I also compete in races during the spring/summer/fall, it gives me motivation to push myself and set goals that are harder to attain. I'm training for a half-marathon and a sprint triathlon this summer! Having goals makes working out a lot of fun! It's fun to look back at where you started and see how far you've come.

What are some ways you workout?

I enjoy all types of working out! I do Insanity workout videos between 4-6 days/week. I also do sprints on the track, run long distance, swim and lift weights. I like to workout about 6 days a week. Saturday is usually my rest day. I start off Sunday with Insanity which I usually do in the AM just because it's hard and it's best to get it out of the way before I can make excuses to put it off. Monday-Friday I usually do Insanity in the AM and run, lift weights or swim in the PM. I usually lift about 3-4 days/week focusing on legs or upper body. I've set a goal to swim 2-3 days/week because I'm trying to improve my time and form. I run distance 1-2 days/week and sprint 1-2 days/week. All of those are afternoon activates because I like to perform them when my body temperature is at it's highest because my muscles are most limber. Sometimes I just keep it easy and play sports, toss the football, basketball. Just anything to stay active!

Living it Up

I Have a friend on campus who is all about working out and staying healthy. This is what she had to say about living a Healthy Lifestyle:

"I feel that I'm a generally healthy person and live a fairly healthy lifestyle. I make some common mistakes that most college students make, I eat unhealthy sometimes and drink occasionally. Other than that I try to be a well-rounded healthy individually. I eat three meals a day and a couple snacks. Eat a lot of fruits and veggies and have a well-rounded diet. I've found that living off campus makes it much easier to eat a healthy diet, however, I enjoy cooking and don't mind spending a little extra money for healthy food. On campus the healthy choices are very over priced and it's hard to find time to get down to the kitchenettes in the rest halls. One thing that I'm starting to realize about health/eating habits is that sometimes working out can not make up for bad eating habits. Eating bad makes you feel bad and even if you do workout you're not going to get as much out of your workout and may not be able to burn off all of those calories..."

Body Effects

Have you ever seen those body building competitions?
You know, the one's with the over the top muscles or the one's where you're sitting there going "Do they have a neck?" Body building definitly has it's ups and downs.
Here is an example I found online about a bodybuilders normal day:

Well today I begin my hardcore cutting routine. Here is the Projected Schedule. I will lower carb intake and up protein even more after 2 weeks. Probably will have a refeed carb day once a week. Currently about 2100-2300 cals a day.


9:30 - Wake, 30 G Whey Protein (25 mg Ephedra, 200 mg Caffein, and 1000 mg Green Tea Extract)

9:55 - 10g BCAA's

10:00 - 4.2 Mile Walk

11:15 - 1 Cup Oats, 1 Scoop Muscle Milk (500 mg Sesamin, 1 multi Vitamin, 3000 mg Fishoil)

2:00 - Steak and eggs or (equivelent Protein Meal), Veggies

5:00 - Can of Tuna or (equivelent Protein Meal), Veggies, (500 mg Sesamin, 1 multi Vitamin, 3000 mg Fishoil)

5:00-7:00 - 10 g BCAA's

7:00 - 30g of Whey, 1 piece of fruit

7:30 - (25 mg Ephedra, 200 mg Caffein, and 1000 mg Green Tea Extract)

8:00 - Workout, 25 g BCAA's and 25 g Simple Carb Drink

10:15 - Post Workout Shake (40g protein, 40g Carbs)

11:30 - Meat and Brown Rice and Barley or (equivelent Protein and Carb meal), Veggies, (500 mg Sesamin, 1 multi Vitamin, 3000 mg Fishoil)

2:00 AM - Bedtime

Intense.

Here is a video clip I found on YouTube about Insanity:

Complete Insanity

There is a new craze that is going along with the Zumba kick. It's called Insanity.
I have had so many of my friends say that they have tried this and how much it works.
I have a friend who can easily hit the gym 4 hours a day and then try Insanity and she says it even wears her out.
Another girl I talked to said she lost 4 pant sizes after she did 30mins a day for 4 weeks. I always see the infomercials but wondered if it actually worked.

By the sound of it all the push ups, jumping, high kicks, squats, etc. really works.
It's a fast pace of regular exercise broken down into small sections.

Adding it all up

• 95% of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25
• 1/200 American women suffer from anorexia
• Anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents
• 50% of girls between the ages of 11 and 13 see themselves as overweight

source:http://www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm

The shocking truth

Hearing on campus that certain organizations you choose to join "require you" to work out (which I'm not saying is a bad thing) and watching a commercial for MTV's 16 and Pregnant with a twin girl who is not only pregnant, but also has suffered from anorexia, it made me wonder just exactly what kind of extremes people will go to to lose weight or in their eyes "be healthy."

ABC did a story on 2 ladies who wanted to try this "extreme dieting."

When Burke started the diet she weighed 129lbs she ate watercress soup all day everyday. She also would work out with a trainer 2 hours a day and swim in freezing cold water since she was told it speeds up your metabolism. Burke lost 14 pounds over five weeks. Her family and friends were shocked when she could fit into a 6-year-old girl's size zero jeans.

Spicer weighing 144lbs would follow a radical diet of lemonade with maple syrup and cayenne pepper. She stayed away from solid foods and ran for an hour a day. Spicer was asked to drop out of the experiment early since it was taking such a toll on her body. She had gone from a size 12 to a size 6 in 4 weeks.

Both women claimed that they experienced depression and saw a huge change in their life and mood during this time. They both claimed they would never result to an extreme diet again.

Negativity to energy

The negative effects to energy drinks:

You may be addicted to this drink & addiction of any thing is harmful.

In these types of drinks it has not been mentioned any where that whether any medical conditions or related prescription medication will react with them.

Energy drink ingredients are powerful enough to affect your system & body.

Ingredients used in these drinks can affect your heartbeat and blood pressure. 

Don't ever try to make energy drink an alternative for the lost water in the system while doing exercise because the caffeine in the energy drink can leave a dehydrating effect on your body.

You should never combine energy drinks with alcohol because energy drink is a stimulant while alcohol is a depressant. You can imagine yourself the contrasting effect that this combination can bring in your system.

"It gives you wings"

There is a lot of controversy about if energy drinks are good for you or not. so here are a few benefits:

1. Supplementation. Many energy drinks provide vitamins, minerals and herbs to enhance a healthy diet.
2. Gain a competitive edge. Due to the benefits of energy drinks such as improved performance and increased energy, many people choose to consume energy drinks as a way to gain a competitive edge during athletic events.
3. Late nights at the office. Counteracting this fatigue is yet another of the benefits of energy drinks.
4. Hangovers. If you're suffering the effects of too many drinks the night before, you'll be glad to know that lessening these symptoms is another of the benefits of energy drinks. These drinks will wake you up, clear your mind and get you going the next morning much like a cup of coffee, but with more significant results.
5. Concentration. Many energy drinks increase concentration and overall mental functioning by providing large doses of various B vitamins, especially B12

Dangerous drink

There are tons of energy drinks out there - Monster, AMP, Red Bull, Venom, Rockstar, 5 Hour Energy, CRUNK, etc.
There's a good chance you have heard of or even tried one or more of these drinks.
In college (especially around finals week) I see a ton of people walking around with energy drinks to "wake them up" or "give them energy." It always made me wonder if the drinks really made them do better on their tests like they have claimed or if it really helped them stay awake during class.

I did a little research and this is what I came up with:

• Energy drinks are simple beverages that contain some form of vitamins & other chemicals which boosts your energy for very short span. These energy drinks have lots of sugar & caffeine which provides us energy.
• People who are used to of this drink say that it's very effective. You should be aware about the effect & consequences of the product. There are short and long-term effects of energy drinks.
• People can have issues balancing a healthy weight if they drink the energy drinks on a regular basis with lack of exercise

Living up to your healthy lifestyle

I had a phone interview with Lacey Fitzgerald and we talked about living a healthy lifestyle. This is a sneak peek of what we talked about:

• How important is being healthy to you? It's very important. I have always maintaied a healthy lifestyle. Especially since being in pageants. The swimsuit portion keeps me motivated.
• How do you stay healthy? I worked out 6 days a week 4 hours a day. I take Zumba and yoga classes. Being healthy is very important because it keeps you from getting sick and helps you live longer.
•  What is your favorite part of your job? I love the fact that I am helping girls. I'm motizating them and helping with self-esteem. I like to help them step out of their comfort zone. I feel like I am giving back.

Midwest to West coast

Lacey Fitzgerald participated in Pageants even throughout college. It took her 5 years to earn the Miss Missouri title. After she won, Lacey then moved to southern California.
"It was a huge culture shock," Fitzgerald said about moving, California is moving at such a fast pace and so different. But, I can't complain waking up to the beach."
Lacey now works with National American Miss which works with kids 4-18 years old. "We look for the All American girl next door." beating the purpose of reality TV show "Toddlers and Tiaras."

Lacey was even featured on a reality TV show called "Countdown to the Crown" featured on TLC.
"It was a 20 day trip and I made the most of it. I wouldn't have said yes to a reality show otherwise."
"I had a lot of fun. We were featured on The Ellen show, and got to meet Shia Labeouf and Mario Lopez."

Lacey on TLC interview

Bearcat Pageant Queen

Lacey Fitzgerald grew up in Richmond, Mo. She started pageants when she was 5 years old in St. Louis, Missouri. She placed 15/200 and her parents decided to keep her going.
After being highly involved in pageants in high school Lacey and her best friend took a tour on the Northwest campus in Maryville, Mo. "I really liked the campus. It was not too far from home but just far enough if I wanted to go visit."
On the NW campus Lacey was involved in Phi Mu sorority, a DJ at KZLX radio, KIDS, Order of Omega, and Homecoming Co-Chair. She also did at least 1 pageant every year. She studied Broadcasting with a Public relations minor.
When I asked her if her major helped her with pageants she replied that pageants actually helped her more with her major than vise versa.

A role model

As I walked into my moms classroom, I tell her hi and immediately sit next to one of her 6th graders. I was only in elementary school but this 6th grader was my role model. She had long dark hair and the brightest smile. Growing up I watched her in plays and all of  her activities in our small town high school.
This girl was going places and I wanted always looked up to her. Her name was Lacey Fitzgerald.

Walking Benefits

There are many health benefits to walking. A few include:

• controlling weight
• elevating mood
• lowering stress level
• improving sleep quality
• reducing risk of type 2 diabetes
• relieving back pain

4 week challenge

When reading Self magazine I found an article that will help you lose 8lbs in 4 weeks.
What you do is pick out a workout for each day. The choices are:

• walk 45 mins at level 7
• DVD workout video
• jog 60 mins at level 9
• run 45 mins at level 8
• Take the day off
• jump rope 5 mins, 1 min. of jumping jacks in sequence of 4, and then stretch for 2 mins.
• walk 30 mins at level 7

By doing these workouts each day of the week you can switch them up and also burn calories fast.

Top 5

The Top 5 selling magazines related to health are:

1. Body & Soul
2. Prevention
3. Men's Health
4. Health Magazine
5. Women's Health

Get motivated

It's been known that if you work out with a friend you are most likely to stick with it.
Benefits of working out with a friend are:

• not bailing out
• postive about working out
• same goal
• keeps you on track
• pushes you to reach your goal

If your dog is fat, you're not getting enough exercise

Tired of running around the track? Need a work out buddy?
If you're a dog owner, why not give them attention and get a little work out?

Since I live in the dorms in college I'm unable to have my dog live with me. I do find time to go to the Humane Society with my friends and walk with the dogs. Some of the dogs are not leash broken yet and they literally drag you around the yard and down the road. Keeping up with them is a good way to get moving.

Maybe your dog will run with you but may not get this intense.

I came to move

     One of the new hot trends that people are trying and loving is called Zumba. Zumba has been around since the 1990’s but lately has been booming. The program combines Latin and international music with dance to make exercising fun. Several instructors have modernized the dancing by performing to country and hip-hop music. Zumba is taught with an instructor in front of the room who leads the rest of the room by showing them which moves to do and shouting instructions.

      The benefit of doing Zumba is that it is a lot of constant movement and dancing. In one hour long session of Zumba you can burn anywhere from 300 to 1,000 calories depending on how hard you work. The hour long class is set up to be like a party atmosphere so you are always moving. To get certified in Zumba you must go to a Zumba certification somewhere around the country. It usually costs about $250 for training but it is an 8 hour day.

  Zumba is a fun way to get excited about working out. It is also a great way to start getting healthy.

This is a video off YouTube featuring a Zumba dance to "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz

How I got interested...

I got interested in living a healthy lifestyle because I feel as a college student it's something most people take for granted.  I know for me personally growing up I was involved with a lot of physical activities. I did everything from t-ball to gymnastics and soccer to 4-H activities. When people think of "healthy" usually you think of working out and eating right. I see it as way more than that. Once I got out of those activities I noticed a change. Not only did it effect me physically but I think in the long run going from being so busy to having so much free time really impacted my life.

When I look back now I realize that when I was involved in organizations or sports I was much happier and entertained then than I was at a certain time in my life. It may sound silly but there was a time I wasn't involved and I just felt really down. Going from being involved, making tons of friends from all your activities to not doing anything can be hard. When I got to high school I wasn't very involved even though I always said I would be. It wasn't until my Junior year that it hit me I had made a mistake. My senior year was a different story. I got more involved in the organizations that I was already in. It was my 3rd year being volleyball manager, I was made Photo Editor of my yearbook staff, and I was a section leader in my choir. I also got involved in A+ Program teachers assist., Key Club & Future Business Leaders of America. I can honestly say just by getting involved it helped me "get healthy." Not just in the sense of "I'm going to work out" but as being the person I wanted to be.

When I graduated and moved to college I got involved right away. It has made my stay at my University so much better. Yes, it can get hectic at times but I feel that it's worth it in the end. I decided to make this blog about "Living a better lifestyle" because I want people to know that there are many different ways to "get healthy" and I'm here to give you ideas.

Just the start

It's half way through January. Usually by now you have made (and broken) your New Year's Resolution. If not, congrats! If you have trailed off your path of eating healthy, or working out then listen up. This blog is all about living a healthy lifestyle.