How do you know when the world has gone too PC?When someone puts Santa on a diet.

In a shopping center near Dartford, England, Mall Santas are being put through a “month long boot camp” to help them lose weight before the Holiday season bombards their laps with little kids.

“There’s nothing wrong with Santa being the size that he is,” explains property manager Tim Holland, “we just want him to have a modern day makeover to reflect the realistic demands of being the world’s most renowned delivery man.”

Throughout November, shoppers have been able to watch 12 commissioned Santas put through the wringer by a personal trainer. While this Santa slim-down screams marketing ploy! to me, a spokeswoman from the British Heart Foundation claims “Creating a 21st Century Santa is an innovative idea encouraging children and adults to get into better shape.” Read More »

Most of us drag ourselves to the gym every other day or so not because we like it, but because we’re determined to keep extra pounds away and stay healthy.

Hell, I don’t wake up in the early morning, walk four avenues, and make myself sweaty on the elliptical because it’s fun—I do it because I have to.

Which is why I was super pissed (I mean, honestly, pissed) to read an article that was originally published in New York Magazine.

Why am I so mad? Because the article insinuated working out does nothing but make us hungry.

Without denying that 30 minutes a day on the Stairmaster is good for our health, journalist Gary Taubes recently explained that “most studies on the link between swimming laps and losing weight demonstrate little beyond one widely accepted fact: “exercising makes us hungry.”” Even more annoying, Taubes points out “exercise may even lead to a weight gain.”

According to Taubes, Jean Mayer, a nutritionist and “physiological chemist”, invented the “myth” of exercise being directly related to weight loss.

Taubes claims Mayer’s facts were “often contradictory”, but somehow his words caught fire with the American public and have stayed with us ever since. Read More »

Back when I was much younger, say 7th grade or so, I had a horrible relationship with my weight. We’re talking abusive. It wasn’t pretty.

These days, I tend to think I’m much better. A little critical, maybe, but what 24-year-old women isn’t? I certainly don’t really restrict myself, and try to eat everything in moderation (with a cupcake here and there) while working out a few times a week.

But according to this test, I’m still sorta weight obsessed.

While I’m not sure if a little online quiz can really diagnose a person, it was interesting to see what my knee-jerk reactions to some of the questions were.

As easygoing as I’d like to think I am about myself, I still tend to have a negative reaction when it comes to my weight. I can be judgmental of myself, and don’t take compliments very well at all.

I guess I’m still a work in progress.

Either that, or this quiz was totally harsh. Answer the questions, let me know what you think; accurate portrayal of your psyche, or severe take on a common female issue? Read More »

Have you ever thought to yourself, “gee, my boyfriend is being an ass. I sure wish I could punch him in the face without getting arrested”?Well, now you can. And if he wants, he can punch back.

According to the New York Times, young couples are beginning to get into the boxing ring together, sparring against each other for exercise and respect. While most men don’t jab back (or jab very lightly), women are routinely allowed and encouraged to beat the crap out of their mate. Read More »

For the longest time, I stayed away from the weight room at my gym.

Not because I’m a weakling who can hardly lift 50 pounds (I mean…I really don’t have any muscles…but that’s not the reason), but because the weight room is traditionally a breeding ground for testosterone. A box full of dudes grunting and veins popping and machines clanking. A place where a tiny redhead listening to Kelly Clarkson on her iPod kinda sticks out.

Even though I wanted to do more than cardio, I was resigned to the fact that I would never visit such a room. That was until a friend of mine changed me forever.

Sara is a lesbian. Therefore she’s not really intimidated by dudes. Thus, the weight room isn’t a scary place for her. Consequently, she told me we were going to start going there. Read More »

Still stressed?

I can understand. These last couple weeks of the school year often stretch the best of us past our snapping point. Why, just the other day, I realized I had consumed two giant cans of Enviga in a span of only three hours, thus speeding my heart rate up to a weirdly uncomfortable tempo and causing me to scream out my answers in class at a strangely loud decibel.

For this forth installment of my Spring Semester Freak-Out Remedies, I’m going to focus on a few ‘quick fixes’. And by quick fixes, I don’t mean the too - good - to - be - true - lose - tons - of - weight - by - eating - PIZZA! variety. I mean tried and true, simple yet effective ways to calm yourself down during the worst of times.

• Are You a Stressball? Go for a Walk – I know, the last thing you have right now is time, but believe me, just 10-15 minutes outside (especially now that you don’t have to put on eight shirts just to stay comfortable) can really help your mind refocus during mind-numbing tension. Read More »