Recently, a friend told me that I’m one of the only people in his life with a positive attitude. At first, I was surprised. I mean, really; why is everyone so angry? But, to be fair, just 2 years ago, I was angry too. In fact, I was one of the angriest people I knew…even on the verge of suicide at one particular time.

I have completely remodeled my life and my perspective since that dark point and my friend was probably onto something when asking me about my life, because I truly am really happy these days. And this happiness isn’t just something that came over night; it is something I grew to know. Some basic principles I learned to incorporate into my thinking and perspective have made all of the difference. Read More »

The top 10 moments of the Olympics (though ours include more Speedo).

OMFG! Gossip Girl returns next week! If only we were invited to the party…

A post-workout Starbucks run could be good for your body.

In an effort to Go Green, colleges dump the lunch trays.

Dear Heidi Montag: You are NOT Olivia Newton-John. Love, CC.

Considering a student loan? Think long and hard.

A 4th judge for American Idol?

What does Madonna think of John McCain?

A surprising benefit to the sky-high gas prices.

The endorsements Michael Phelps didn’t choose…

Is Biden the right choice? Let’s see what frat boys have to say…

I get asked about my diet a whole lot. As my peers are getting older every year (because I am…and you are, too), it’s become progressively more difficult for lots of my lady friends to keep the figures that they want. But, some way or another, it’s become easier for me.

I used to eat whatever I wanted and exercised only when I wanted to. My metabolism was sickly fast and I just figured I was healthy because I was skinny. Over the past few years, I have slowly learned to eat right and to exercise right, too. Now that it’s a part of my routine, it’s easier than ever to be healthy.

BUT I still need to be unhealthy here and there. Some people I know can eat healthy 24-7 without any screw-ups. I am not one of those people. My diet regime that I get asked about so much actually DOES include days where I eat all of the wrong stuff. I have these days maybe once every week or two and nothing sets me back on track for healthy eating faster than a day filled with fried food and chocolate treats.

Are they good for my arteries and liver? Hell no.
Am I being unhealthy by indulging in these days? Hell yes.

But I still feel as though I am better off throwing these days in here and there (and savoring my sweets) than to always wonder what I’m missing, or living a bland life full of carrots and bottled water.

Here is a typical day’s worth of food for me: Read More »

I have a love/hate relationship with my Aunt Flow (the only love is the fact that I get it, hence, no pregnancy worries). Periods are not pleasant; the back aches, lower stomach cramps and nausea is enough to make me want to call out of work for one week a month. Sadly, my schedule and bank account do not permit such activities and I am forced to suck it up and deal.

After getting my period at the age of 10 (yes, feel sorry for me), I have had over ten + years to perfect dealing with this monthly nuisance. I am one of those chicks that gets her period BAD, like, cry on the bathroom floor bad. So, here’s how I’ve learned to deal (and some of my favorite, get-me-through-this-week, tips):

Pain Reliever. Any type of anti-inflammatory will work fine, but Pamprin is the best solution for those bad back and tummy pains. You’ll feel like new in no time!

Exercise. While it may be the last thing you want to do, any type of exercise will raise your endorphin levels and alleviate the tension in your lower area. My favorite is to jump on my treadmill and, while I feel like a mess on there, I feel much better when my workout is over.

Heat. Applying some heat to your pelvic area will break up the muscle cramping. If you can’t have a hot blanket wrapped around you at all times, the Heat Factory warmers or ThermaCare Heat Wraps are perfect to stick on the inside of your underwear for eight hours of warm, soothing comfort! Read More »

Remember kegals? They (who? I don’t know. Cosmo magazine, mostly) told us we really had to do them. Promised us it would make us healthier and stronger and make sex 10 times better. I don’t know about you, but I never really found the time to do them. They told us to do them while watching TV or even sitting at our desk doing homework, but seriously, who can remember such things? Not me.

Enter Luna Beads. All you need to do is insert a luna bead (or 2) into your vajayjay and let it do the work for you. According to this Fleshbot article, Luna Beads are “a ‘combined pleasure/fitness system for the circum vaginal and pelvic floor muscles.’ Translation: a really easy way to do Kegels—and one that will, ideally, feel pretty f*cking awesome while you work out.” Read More »

I work out 5 days a week. I do the elliptical, I Spin, I take random classes and I even lift weights. It is important for me to stay healthy and fit. Of course, there are the shallow reasons, as well. I really love my black skinny pants. And I want to be at my sexiest when I hit the town in search of a man.

I have learned the importance of varying my workouts – it truly is the best way to hit all muscle groups and get a total body workout. And I thought I was getting every last muscle (at least that’s how it feels the day after a grueling Pilates class when I can barely laugh, let alone move), but according to Dr. Lauri Romanzi, a gynecologist in NYC, I am missing one very important muscle.

In my vagina? Read More »

I told my mother the other day that I felt like I was getting old and she laughed at me. She said she didn’t want to hear sh*t about getting old until I went through menopause. Fair enough.

But that doesn’t detract from the fact that I feel thirty and all of its dastardly implications creeping up behind me, breathing warm and horrifying down my neck. Here are some signs that I’m getting old; my youth and lack of responsibility fading farther and farther into the distance. Keep in mind that there is a distinction between getting old and becoming more mature, as one can see in the way I respond to my family in #8. Read More »

Fact: exercise is boring. I know, I know: it clears your mind, gives you an endorphin high, keeps you from dying young, and so on. Still, at the end of the day, you’ve wasted valuable whiskey money on a gym membership so that you can run for hours on a treadmill that takes you, by my latest calculations, nowhere.

This is why I like bicycles. They actually take you places - useful! - while providing you with the toned leg muscles and mighty forearms of a god. Also, if you ride in the city, biking can totally kill you. That’s always exciting.

I’ve just started biking in New York. This weekend, I rode from 125th Street to the South Ferry. That’s right: I traversed pretty much the entire island of Manhattan. You may all bask in my accomplishment now. (Note: I am aware that some people ride much harder, and for much longer distances, than I have. I don’t want to hear from them! Get your own blogs, hippies.)

By the end of the trip, I was sweaty and exhausted, I looked like hell, and I was riding a wave of pure giddy euphoria. This, for those keeping score, makes biking exactly like sex, except for the fact that your bike can’t give you chlamydia. I highly recommend it.

Here are some tips. Read More »

Water aerobics gets a bad rap. If it were a category on “Family Feud”, a survey of 100 people would probably tell you it’s for middle-aged women in gaudy glittering swimsuits, the elderly, those recovering from sports injuries or people who can’t do dry-land workouts. While water aerobics does fulfill a lot of those needs, it is also a great alternative to a traditional workout, especially in these warm summer months.

I’d tried out water aerobics before but it had been a few years. I was called back to the pool by a good friend of mine who insisted we try something different. This time, it was the deep stuff: AquaCardio in the diving well of one of the university pools.

We arrived early and exchanged nervous greetings with some other first time students while we waited for the instructor to arrive. She rolled in with 5 minutes to spare and looked like a woman on a mission. She wheeled in giant carts of buoyancy belts, Styrofoam weights and aqua noodles. At the same time, three middle aged women came out of the locker room. Fears of a future filled with floral-print, skirted swimsuits entered my thoughts. What had we gotten ourselves into?

We put on our belts, grabbed the noodles and a pair of weights and jumped into the pool. I sat on the edge of the deck before launching myself into the water. My belt kept me from going under and it was nice to be in the deep end without having to work so hard. I thought, “This is going to be a breeze. A little kicking, maybe some floating on my back and we’ll call it a day.” I really should’ve known better. Read More »

Dear Ladies,

Men here, as a collective. We thought we’d get together and write you guys some letters about a few things that we’ve been thinking about. Today’s letter is about us men being confused! Yes, smirk, and press your tongue against your canine (its hot).

We’re confused about what you lovely ladies are wearing in the gym. More specifically, why you’re looking so damn hot in up in that! To us, the gym is about a few things. It’s about working out, making loud grunting noises (FYI, makes you stronger), and sleeveless narcissism.

Or at least, that’s what we go there for. We aren’t specifically there to look at, or pick up, women. There’s an assumption that most of us aren’t going to look our best in there anyways, so we aren’t super concerned with finding ladies to woo. But hey, thats us, we’re dudes and we think a certain way. Beyond ‘the gym isn’t for dating’ we also have a few collective rules that we feel like you may or may not have given us.

1. Gawking is creepy
2. Sweaty dudes are creepy
3. Gawking, sweaty dudes are super-duper creepy.

So you could see our confusion when you ladies show up to do some leg lifts or swiss ball crunches in what basically adds up to a bikini with more support. We want to be clear, we like you in bikinis. Hell, we love you in those things. But when you wear those in the gym, and you’re being all active, you’re really creating a dangerous situation for us. Again, we’ve got focused, mostly one-track minds. Here’s a short list of things we cannot do at the same time. Read More »