Bikini Body Makeover Week 1: Recap

Today marks the end of my first week trying out Fitness Magazine's Bikini Body Makeover. The 4 week program promises to get you bikini shape by combining an eating plan with cardio and strength training workouts.

To be honest, I hardly followed the plan that was outlined. Instead, I decided to take the main idea of Week 1 and make it work for me. Let's break it down.

Workout:

The original plan suggests three days of 30 minutes of cardio along with two-three days of toning exercises.

 I ended up doing cardio for three days out of the week but instead of running for 30 straight minutes at varied interval levels, I counted my elliptical sessions, walking around campus, and weekend dance marathons as part of the cardio component. Judging by the shear exhaustion I felt Friday morning after Thursday's visit to the local dance spot I think everything evened out.

I followed the strength training section for the most part, but ended up doing both cardio and half of the strength training exercises in one day instead of splitting it up. Despite this, I think the strength training exercises are one of the best parts of this exercise plan. The exercises are very detailed, easy to complete, and well-rounded. I felt sore the next day!

Eating Plan:

The original plan suggests to consume three meals along with two snacks that equal 1,500 calories.

I did not follow the eating plan at all. I used to count calories religiously and the thought of having to do it again sounded torturous. Although I think watching one's calorie intake is important, I feel like I already have a good grasp on the amount of calories I need. It very rarely goes over 1,500. Also, I am a snack machine. Most of the time, I eat 6 mini meals rather than three large meals. I stuck with this and think it worked out just fine.

Overall, I think this exercise plan has great potential. I just haven't experienced it yet. I fully support the idea of making fitness and healthy lifestyle changes that work with your life, but I plan to follow the outline closer in this next week. I want to review the plan as it is presented, in order to fully grasp whether or not I think it's sufficient. During week two, I plan to follow the workout schedule closer and try the eating plan for a day or two just to see what happens.

Stay tuned for updates! For more information on the Bikini Body Makeover check out the website!

Couple Lose Weight on Shedding for the Wedding

I've always found shows about weight loss kind of strange. The are inspiring to an extent, but most of the time the shows that focus on weight loss use such extreme measures that many of the contestants are suffering through workouts and often end up gaining the weight back after they have left. Despite this, I watched the premiere of The CW's Shedding for the Wedding last night.

Basically, it was Biggest Losers Couples with a wedding planner. Nine couples compete in challenges and each week the couple that loses the least amount of weight is sent home. The winner of the show receives a dream wedding.

It might have been the fact that this was the first show, but I wasn't that impressed. The focus on weight loss and gaining a healthy lifestyle didn't seem as apparent as it could have been. The first half of the show was spent giving the back story of the couples. It turns out all of them want a theme wedding. This baffles me. Especially because some of the themes are promoting the very un-healthy tendencies that made these couples gain weight the first place. I'm no expert, but I would imagine Greek Week themed wedding complete with a bedazzled beer pong table doesn't scream "healthy lifestyle". Neither does a Gaming themed party. (What is that anyways?)

Also, the challenges were just weird. The main one was a dance marathon, which turned into a let's run around in circles until our heat rate drops below the required amount competition. Sure, that activity was great exercise, but it isn't going to be something that these couples will do on a daily basis. Also, the meeting with the nutritionist was about 5 minutes long. All I remember was hearing everyone talk about how much they hate vegetables. Overall, I didn't see the beginnings of a lifestyle change-which is what is most important. These couples, and anyone who wants to find a healthier way of living, need to be presented with the tools to change their lives and maintain the weight loss.

One thing that I did appreciate was the focus on the couples as a one unit. The challenges were team-based and the weigh in numbers were made up of the combined weight of both teammates.

I'm going to tune in next week just to see if the focus on health and maintaining a healthy lifestyle grows stronger. The couple who loses together stays together? Maybe. But are these couples really going to learn what they need to do to maintain a healthy lifestyle? I'm not so sure.

Challenging Fitness: Bikini Body Makeover

I've always been a little unsure of those workouts/diet plans that are often found in health and fitness magazines. I suppose this feeling stems from the fact that I fully believe health is a relative term. What is healthy for one person, may be unhealthy for another. This is why I don't think diets work. Of course, you may loose some weight if you follow an eating plan, but this isn't certain for everyone. This also relates to working out. Yes, daily exercise is good for everyone, but the type of exercise and the benefits they bring will vary depending on the person. Because of this, I often pass by magazine workouts and eating plans without giving them much thought. I figure I know my body better than these people, so I don't need to take their advice.

The only problem with this is: I get bored. I value health and always make it a point to eat in a balanced way that leaves me feeling satisfied. I also incorporate daily exercise into every area of my life that it will allow. I feel like I have found "my healthy" and it works out pretty good for the most part, but I'm in need of a change. With warmer weather just around the corner, I feel like I need to step it up and try something new.

Apparently, Fitness Magazine has a way to combine both. Their Bikini Body Makeover promises to tone, tighten and whip you into bikini shape in just 4 weeks.

4 weeks? Bikini? Sounds like quite the lofty goal if you ask me. Well, even though you didn't ask me, I am putting you to the test, Fitness. For the next 4 weeks, this girl is going to replace most of her typical workout regimen with your bikini body workout and maybe even give your eating plan a try.

To be honest, I will probably stick to the workout plan more than the eating plan. I only say this because I usually snack way more than they suggest and I typically eat less calories than they allow. I also love an impromptu zumba sesh every once and awhile, so the workouts might be a tad bigger on some days than others.

From what I can tell, the program changes slightly each week, so I will post an update/updates over the next month tracking my progress.

Does a magazine have the power to get women in shape in just a month? We are about to find out.

Combining Love and Exercise with Running Dates

I've always been mildly creeped out by online dating. When I came across this website, I had to read over it about three times in order to assure myself what I was seeing was real. Running for Singles is the just what you would think; an online dating website to set-up running dates.

I first stumbled across this gem while reading this article that outlines the do's and don'ts of running dates. Do these things really exist? Apparently, they do because there was an article written about them but unfortunately, the article is useless. I am not a runner, nor had I heard of this type of dating until today but I'm pretty sure these tips are unnecessary.

For example, one of the do's is "dress comfortably". Uh, duh. We are going running, so leave your high heels at home. Another tip is "don't talk about past relationships". If I am running I won't be able to talk about anything because I will be too busy huffing, puffing and trying not to pass out from sheer exhaustion.

If people actually go on running dates I admire them. It makes sense to meet people at the gym, or go for a nice stroll around the block, but running? I just don't get how that would be possible. Apparently RunningSingles has been around since 2003 so these running dates are not a new thing. Maybe this article was written to try to bring back the running date. If that's the case, it would have been much more interesting to see a list of great places to run in every city, or a list of the most stylish workout clothes. You know, stuff that actually relates to dating. Instead, we are left with simple do's and don'ts that give no useful advice at all. Also, some testimonials of people who have done this type of dating would really help me to believe that running dates are real. If we are going to start combining love with running, we need a little more information.

Beauty Queen's Title in Trouble Due to Weight Gain

Over the weekend,  17 year-old Texas beauty queen, Domonique Ramirez, visited the Today Show to discuss the recent revoke of her title due to weight gain.

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First, of all can we just talk about how pointless it is to run stories about weight?  What is even more interesting to this particular story is the fact that most of the intro video focuses on stating that the issue is not weight gain but rather Ramirez's failure to show up on-time and her desire to bring her boyfriend to events. Although these issues don't matter either, I find it intriguing that the segement focuses mostly on weight gain even though "it isn't the issue". 

Fast Forward to the interview portion where Today Show's very own Lester Holt continues with the weight issue by reminding Ramirez that "beauty is part of the deal" and asks her to respond to that. Now, we are focusing on her weight gain (which according to Ramierz is the same as it was when she was crowned) by saying that beauty equals being thin.
When asked why Ramirez is fighting back against the pageant company's allegations, she basically says that this issue isn't really about her because it's "beyond her, and beyond pageants".
I couldn't agree more. You are right, it isn't about you. It's about your mysterious weight gain that you claim never happened. More importantly, it's about a topic that has no value at all. Talking about public figures and their weight has never seemed newsworthy to me. The Today Show had the perfect opportunity to take the focus off of the weight gain and highlight another part of Ramirez's reign (perhaps charity or something) but they didn't. I blame it on the fact that the focusing on weight issues is too common to pass up. I also blame it on the fact that Matt Lauer wasn't in that day.

Want a tan? Eat carrots.

I have what you could call "snowflake skin"and I live in Florida so tanning is a necessity. The only problem is that I'm opposed to tanning beds and don't have time to spend hours in the sun each day. When I came across this article from Shape Magazine I had to do a double take. Apparently, you can get a golden tan from eating? According to Shape, all my problems can be solved by filling my plate with carrots and other produce.

The idea that eating fresh produce like carrots, spinach, and plums can darken skin tone comes from the presence of beta-carotene in the foods. Beta-carotene helps to improve eyesight, and strengthen the immune system in addition to giving skin a healthy glow.

Apparently, when you eat a lot of beta-carotene filled foods, the beta-carotene builds up under the fat beneath the skin where darker pigments can peek through. Although it seems simple, the article also warns that this method of tanning could take about two months of eating at least 5 servings of produce a day to take full effect.

To say that I'm skeptical about this idea might be an understatement. Although the article does take a unique approach to the idea of tanning, I'm not sure that I can fully believe this. Maybe if there were a few testimonials of how this actually worked out or pictures of people who tanned from eating carrots I might be more inclined to give up my summer obsession with Jergen's Natural Glow. Also, it's February, which means it's basically summer, which means it's a little late to spend my time eating copious amounts of carrots. I fully believe that the prolonged time spent in the sun and tanning beds is harmful to our health, but I think an article on the best self-tanners and bronzing powders might have been more successful.

Fitness Magazine Interviews: a lesson in catering to your audience

Earlier this month, the USDA released an updated version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a document that promotes health based on what seems to be the biggest health problems affecting the country. This updated version hopes to combat obesity by promoting the incorporation of whole foods, exercise and portion control and seeks to incorporate more nutrient-rich foods into the daily diets of Americans.

Last week, Fitness Magazine published this article; an interview with Registered Dietitian, Elizabeth Ward discussing the effects the new guidelines could have on women’s health.

The most common problems that Ward suggested would be remedied were related to obesity and deficiency. Ward warns that pregnant women need to maintain health through the pregnancy in order to lessen the chances that their unborn children will become obese. In addition to this, she also draws attention to the idea that American women are often deficient in calcium, fiber and Vitamin D and suggested an incorporation of the nutrients into one’s diet is important.

Although the initial USDA document is made with a focus on Americans in general, Fitness uses the document as a way to promote specific health changes to women. The document seems to focus on obesity as a problem for nearly all Americans, but in order to make this problem seem more individual Fitness centers their obesity discussion on pregnant women. The document also claims that Americans in general are deficient in many key nutrients, but Fitness seems to focus only on the nutrients that are commonly promoted as nutrients especially important to women’s health.

This idea of promoting health by making a general claim appear individual seems to be extremely common when media mediums are used for health communication. By making something seem individual it appeals more to an audience. Women reading this magazine article may at first glance feel as though they have been given the gift of women’s health knowledge. Maybe they have, but I have a feeling this “gift” is one that will be very seen in more places than just Fitness Magazine. The problem of obesity could also be addressed in a men’s magazine or a parenting magazine while the idea of nutrient deficiency could be addressed by focusing on different nutrients depending on the audiences. By catering to their demographic, Fitness Magazine has most likely found the best way to promote the USDA document especially because it focuses on American idea of individualism.