Strong Is The New Skinny

I march to the beat of my own drum. I always have, and probably always will. Because of that, I've sought to find pass times which I can control on my own time and my own density. Fitness has ultimately been the forerunner of this empowerment.

First, it started with simple trips to the gym every few days while I was in high school. I did it mostly to keep pesty hormonal weight off. As my senior year came to a close, however, I became a gym rat. Except I hate the word rat, so I've delicately renamed it into a sweeter euphemism: cardio bunny. Ah, yes, I am a cardio bunny (sounds cute, right?!)

Unfortunately, through rapid spread of Reddit boards and fitness bloggers, being a cardio bunny is not a good thing. It means that you embrace health solely through the action of running (or ellipitcal-ing, stair-mastering, ect). Over the past year I've conquered my fear of the 5k and slowly but surely inched my way to a 10k. This recent transformation left me feeling confident, energetic, and loving what my body could do. As someone on a limited time schedule, I liked that I could go to the gym, run a few miles, and be back for dinner and a night of studying. As someone who is normally a leader and not one to ask for help, I liked that I could control what pace I ran at, and how far I actually ran. 

But most recently, I realize that being fit is taking a step out of your comfort zone. Although hammering down marathons is definitely a way to stay in shape, it doesn't mean that it's the only thing my body needs. I needed strength training, I needed flexibility, and I needed endurance. 

So to tackle one by one. Flexibility: I've signed up for yoga classes at a nearby studio on campus. Check. Weight lifting and HIT (high-intensity training): I have my first class tomorrow at The Fhitting Room; I will post later to let you know how much it kicks my butt (in a good way, of course). And finally, endurance: this past weekend I experienced my very first Soul Cycle ride. 

I had a coupon for a free class at the East 83rd Street spot (which, by the way, is nicely snuggled next to a Juice Generation, Just Salads, and a brisk walk away from the Met -- perfect for the school assignment I had to end the day with). I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't nervous, because I totally was. I knew I was in pretty good shape, but I never, ever take fitness classes. Being with a group while working out? Gulp.

Once I got there, although I felt out of place, the environment was super upbeat, and the studio was stylish in decor  ( and the workout apparel is awesome, by the way). During the class, I definitely struggled to get the hang of things. I felt discouraged by the fact that I didn't know a lot of the choreography when it came to the moves that they do, and I'm 90% sure the lady put my seat WAY too high -- a common mistake when you see someone my height (but seriously, my butt is STILL sore from how uncomfortable it was). Besides the pain I'm still experiencing in my back/butt/legs from never having put that type of stress on it, I have to say, it was a pretty intense workout, and the 45 minutes flew right by. There are no clocks, and the music is fun and motivating, so it felt more like an empowering dance party than it did a cycling class -- especially as I realized that watching everyone else work their butts off actually encouraged me to keep going (power of the pack, yo). At the end, the instructor directed us to a relaxing stretch session, so that was a plus, as it helped calm my nerves (and my sweat) after my nearly traumatizing first ride. 

Overall, I never felt pressured to do anything, nor did the instructor ever single me out, so it felt okay to take a break whenever I needed. However, there was also a downside to this, because whenever I needed help or felt lost, I didn't get it. A more intimate class setting or a smaller number of people in the class might have made it easier to adjust.

I don't think I'll be paying for classes anytime soon (because, like, I'm a broke unpaid intern/college kid), but if I could, I would definitely try it again to see if I could catch up to speed with everyone who went regularly. If you're interested in going for a test run (or should I say cycle, hehe) you can visit their website, soul-cycle.com, and see if there's a location near you. They have spots all over New York City and California, with a few in New Jersey and Connecticut also.

Anyways, there are the chronicles of my ~adventurous~~ weekend. And, of course,  it would be wrong to ignore the fact that I probably ruined the fruits of my workout when I ended up at brunch the next morning at Sarabeth's, stuffing my face with bran muffins and strawberry preserves. But hey, it sounds classy at least, right?!

Back to studying, until tomorrow at least :) 

So You've Got A Sugar Addiction...

Been there. Actually, I'd be lying if I said I still wasn't there. I have a MAJOR sweet tooth, and before I became more aware of the dangers of consuming too much sugar, I practically ate everything that was fat-free and high in corn syrup. As long as it was low calorie, I ate it. 

So, you'd be surprised how devastated I was when I found out Special K and Clif bars weren't healthy (yes, I'm serious). Are they the worst thing for you? No, not necessarily. You're not exactly downing a gallon of soda, but there are definitely much better options on the market. 

Sugar is dangerous for two reasons (or at least the two reasons I found most harmful to me):

-Natural fats (such as those in nuts and avocados) do not make you gain weight. Sugar does. Sugar, ultimately, is converted to on-the-spot energy for your body to use. If you do not use it, it's stored as fat. 

-My skin was downright awful. I had no idea what I was doing wrong, as I always assumed my diet was "nutritious"

The only sugars you should be consuming should come from fruit and dairy, not refined or processed foods. This past year I've been making a lot of changes to my snacking. After a lot of experimentation, I was able to find low-sugar foods that still taste like my favorite treats. Here are just a few of the substitutions I've made:

1) Clif Bars have a whopping 20+ grams of sugar in each bar. Although it's "organic" sugar, it's still raw cane syrup (and therefore, not good). I used to eat one of these for breakfast every morning, and sometimes I still crave them, because let's be honest, they taste like cookies. However, I've found a new love, and it comes in the form of Quest bars. I'm obsessed! They all have 1 to 2 g of sugar, and they still taste great and are packed with protein. They've even become so popular that's there's pratically a cult dedicated to working them into your favorite dessert or breakfast recipes (see here). Personally, cookie dough, white chocolate raspberry, and double chocolate chunk are my favorite. You can find them at any GNC, or purchase them in bulk on Amazon.com .

2) Basically every variety of Special K cereal is a major no-no, as is the case with a lot of cereals. I've stuck to eating plain (NOT honey-nut) Cheerios with unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Although I kind of feel like my grandpa eating them, it doesn't make me feel gross after having a cup. For an added  artificial sweetness, I'll sometimes sprinkle Truvia (i.e organic stevia) over them.

3) Unless it's in a crepe you're indulging on in Paris, I would avoid Nutella at all costs. Not only is it packed with sugar, but it's also grossly high calorically. Pb & Co. makes a dark chocolate peanut butter that I've found to be addicting and a worthy substitute. Spread over whole wheat toast with sliced banana = perfection. You can purchase this at any Whole Foods. 

4) I love trail mix, and I never follow the suggested serving size (1/4 of a cup, seriously?!). Previously, I often bought the trail mix with fruit and chocolate (because, uh, yum) and never thought about how much sugar was packed into that small handful. Even the dried fruit manufactures tend to pack with sugar, so I'd be careful of that next time you go to grab trail mix. On the other hand, Kind bars have been a fantastic replacement. There are a couple that are only 5 g of sugar, and they label it nicely on the front so you know which ones are a-okay to buy. Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt is my personal favorite.

5) I'm forever in a love affair with Chobani. I can't stay away from it -- but, as you guessed, many of them are filled with sugar. The plain ones aren't bad sugar wise (because it's only lactose), but it obviously doesn't taste as good. I allow myself to buy one Flip Chobani a week (peachy pistachio dark chocolate...mmmm) and all other days of the week I eat coconut milk yogurt, which is a flavored cultured strain of coconut milk. Most of them are less than 10 g of sugar, as compared to Chobani's 20+ grams.

This all being said, just remember that you cannot always deprive your body from sugar, so go ahead and have that dessert every Saturday (or ya know, pancakes every Sunday morning). But these small changes in your every day life will make a big difference in the long run for your skin, energy, weight, and overall health, so do take a stab at it!

Do you guys have any low-sugar desserts you'd recommend? Let me know in the comments below!