It's true. There are benefits and nutritional value to eating chocolate. According to Cheryl Koch, M.S., R.D., this sometimes-forbidden indulgence may now be on the "healthy" list along with your fruits and vegetables. This addition to daily nutrition is given through the discovery that chocolate contains the same flavonoids found in red wine, apples, onions and grapes.
The American Dietetic Association recognizes chocolate as a part of a heart-healthy diet. However, something so tasty becomes hard to eat in moderation, especially during the holiday season when those bulky, warm sweaters cover it all up. It's through these feats of being healthy that problems with our spring and summertime bathing suits arise. A few extra pounds are the undeniable reason so many of us are insecure when the calendar rolls to April, and it's been that way since the French invented the bikini in 1946 and has since evolved into the $500 Dolce and Gabbana bathing suit at Neiman Marcus.
It's hard to tell where to turn when the weather is gorgeous and you're yearning for a body that will stand the heat of that sexy two-piece you have your eye on. This got me thinking, it's an incredibly ridiculous cycle of events that women are put through, just for a bathing suit. Simplified, it's just two-to-three yards of material, with sewn edges. Though so uncomplicated, this market has sustainable profit annually with Worldwide profits in bathing attire generating $12.65 billion, according to Dow Fiber Solutions, a unit of Dow Chemical. The money and lengths we go through to feel good about ourselves on the beach or just hanging out with friends is ridiculous, and if you're not doing it for yourself, why bother feeding the vicious cycle?
The motivation to be in shape is sprung from many aspects of today's society. When handling these pressures of the impossible standards of beauty, attention is brought to the tedious-endeavor of the gym membership. Some, like one of my friends, finds motivation in the low cost of membership, and that alone is enough motivation to get up and go. While others, such as myself and my roommate, find comfort in a completely free run and do it yourself abdominal work right on the floor of the dorm.
Someone wrote in for fitness advice this week, saying that Boyden gym on campus is "really intimidating." To that I say, you have three options. The first is to not go to the gym, and put together your very own work out routine, without the fancy equipment. The next would be to brave the intimidation and learn your way around on your own, and third following closely would be to ask a good friend to acquaint you or to learn with you. It is much easier to stay motivated when you have a good friend with a leaner body.
Some people do not realize this, but a very important part of motivation and exercise is to be comfortable with what you're doing. Do not force yourself into a sport or some crazy yoga routine if you are not relaxed doing it. For shopping or going out, you find the right shoes and outfit, right? Well, exercising requires no less; the right shoes, the right attire, finding the right attitude and sleeping a good 6-8 hours a night are all just as important as the activities you pursue. Eating sensibly should go without saying, and usually for someone young, simply not eating after 6:30 p.m. is dramatic enough to show results. Drink as much water as you can, and stretch for warming up and cooling down. These things seem miniscule, but in actuality are the basics to fitness and are often the reasons for failure.
Mixing your routine up a little here and there is a good way to stay motivated, just the way you don't work the same move every time with sex or dancing. Once you find the pattern, break it, or it will get boring, this is true with most things I've found. Lastly, set a goal for yourself, remembering the key is to stay motivated, not derail yourself by taking on something nothing too drastic. For example, aim to lose the love handles when you wear jeans. Less is more.
Today, weight loss and appearance are so key to confidence and success that some of New York City's own Broadway dancers are teaching a studio class created by Stiletto designers to get sexy, lean spring legs. This class is on DVD, and it's BYOH - bring your own heels! A workout routine where strutting confidently in four-inch heels is the objective. Women are asked to come in with the shoes they stare at and can't wait to wear, and come in their sexiest work attire, ready to sculpt their legs with a syllabus taught by Victor Chu. If you are interested, the class is called Legwork: The Secret to Sexy Heel-Wearing and Fitness.
Feeling sexy and confident is important, but remembering to have boundaries is as equally crucial. Being a super skinny girl doesn't make you beautiful, it just makes you smaller. Always remember to be sure that with every choice you make, you're making the best choice for you. No one has the perfect body, just an ideal body, and we always want what we can't have. What's important is how you feel. So approach any work out regimen with realistic intentions, and you won't disappoint yourself, but only improve yourself.
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