Before You Set Your New Year’s Resolutions…

December 26, 2016 LifeOfCarlyBLeave a comment

Before you set your 2017 New Year’s Resolutions, take a step back and allow yourself to think about. Sure, almost everyone sets some sort of resolution at the beginning of the new year, but how many stick to them?

Don’t make a resolution that you can’t stick to. Don’t make it too far fetched or out of this world. Don’t set yourself up for failure. Whatever your resolution might be, fitness, weight loss, relationship management, being smart with your finances, trying better at this, doing less of that, take time to think about it and plan it out.

The reasons most people don’t stick to resolutions could be many- ‘falling off the bandwagon’, everyone seems to give up their resolutions within the first 3 months of the new year, or ‘not having enough support’, ‘setting a goal too big’, or ‘setting a goal too small it isn’t as rewarding to achieve’. But my ever favorite reason for not sticking to the resolutions is…. ‘I’ll try again next year’. NO what if there is NOT a next year?! Do this for you, do it now.

My suggestion? Take it one month at a time. Set an overall goal, but break it down into 12 segments, 12 months. As this is predominately a fitness blog, let’s take a fitness resolution for example:

First off all, let’s call these goals or dreams, ‘resolutions’ seems to have a weird vibe about it. As if everyone expects you to set one, but they also expect you to fail at them. Goals are awesome, dreams are awesome-er!

Say your goal is to exercise 5 days a week in 2017:

Take it one month at a time- pull out a calendar! Maybe in January your goal will be to try out different classes during that month to find your niche. You could sample many different classes and still find one to fit your schedule to make those 5 days a week work.

Using that calendar give yourself a sticker, a sharpie mark, or whatever you want to indicate the days you worked out. Hell, if you’re even following the top predicted trend of 2017 (blog about that to follow) and have invested in wearable technology- write your workout stats on each calendar day!

January could be your month to try fitness classes. February could be your month to bring a friend to class. March could be your month to try one day a week of working out on your own in the gym. April could be your month to try adding functional fitness in, rock climbing, gymnastics (hey it could happen), walking with friends- something that keeps you healthy that can also relate and help you realistically in your normal, everyday life. May could be your month for outdoor fitness. The ideas could go on and on.

Or if you find a class you like right in January just make it your goal to stick to it 5 days a week for your 2017 year!

Maybe fitness classes aren’t your thing, there’s always online programming, personal training, the buddy system, etc. The goal is to find something that will help keep you on track to your goal/dream!

Oh and another tip about goals. If you set a goal specific enough like working out 5 days a week, or even putting money into savings 4 times a month, going to church 4 times a month, etc. and you can’t make it work for those specific days every week of every month of the year, do not worry, do not give up! The beauty of goal setting is to learn to roll with the punches and to keep going when a lot of things are telling you not to.

So go set a goal, start thinking about it NOW, don’t let 2017 pass by, grab it by the horns and take action! And remember, your goals are for your life. Not everyone will understand or support them, ignore those people, they’re not your people anyway. Find your support system and run with them! You can do this, you will do this.

When Can Exercise Become TOO Much?

March 10, 2016March 10, 2016 LifeOfCarlyBLeave a comment

I’ll start with an honest statement here. I am writing this because I feel that I, like many others, might be suffering from over-training syndrome and exercise addiction.

Oh and a disclaimer: if you are reading this as someone who is contemplating beginning an exercise program- do not let this scare you away! Start that exercise program, reach those goals, it is good for your health. Just take this as an educational session on how to not get too addicted to that exercise program and start seeing problems!

How to tell if you are exercising too much? Has your body had enough? Has your mind had enough? Are other areas of your life being affected? Over-training and exercise addiction can happen to those of us with the best intentions. We want to get in, and stay in, the best shape of our lives. For some, over-exercising is just a misinterpretation that extra exercise means extra fast results. For me, sometimes over-training happens just because my body feels invincible. I’ve been into fitness for so long, I’ve studied it, I teach it, I do it 5-6 days a week. So when my body feels good it is easy to convince myself to do more, to see just how much I cant accomplish that day. If I can’t decide if I want to do my normal lift at the gym, or a HIIT class at Kosama, I do both, because I have nothing telling me not to. I feel great after both workouts, my caloric burn is through the roof, as is my metabolism. But I often don’t notice how close I am to over-training until is hits me like a brick. I find myself unable to complete the workout, not because my mind is telling me to quit, or because my muscles are just sore and it would be easier to not to that last squat, but because my body is tirrrreeeeddd, all the way down to the bone.

This cycle happens to me frequently, more frequently than I notice. And with this time, I have really stepped back to look at how it is affecting my life. Here are my initial thoughts:

My body is just sore,I’ve had a lot of high intensity workouts recently
My nutrition is fine, it’s not like I starve myself, not even close- I couldn’t if I tried! So I obviously am just sore
I workout because I like to, and it doesn’t affect other areas of my life
I exercise the same amount as I always have

But then I took a further step back and realized a few things…

My body is transforming lately- is it my workouts or Advocare? I’ve gone weeks with multiple high intensity workouts, sometimes 2 a day, but always at least 1 rest day. I’m proud of the caloric burn and the way my body is transforming- finally “leaning” out, and I can see muscles I used to not be able to see unless I was flexing really hard and that feels good!
Okay maybe I workout a little bit more than I always have, I guess I kind of up the intensity and/or time duration on a slow scale and haven’t realized the increase
My weights have been stuck for awhile, I haven’t seen any new big PR’s- maybe this is a plateau?
My nutrition is good, I don’t starve myself, but maybe 1800-2100 calories is actually too low (gasp) for my activity level. Maybe I need to re-evaluate how much I’m actually burning in a day by exercising as well as coaching group fitness and being on my feet all day….?
Do I let exercise and nutrition interfere with my life more than normal? It’s hard for me to say. Yes I will go lift on a Friday afternoon now instead of hitting the bar at 3pm, or I will choose to eat at home before meeting my friends out, but I have always been contributing that to 2 things: 1) I have more bills to pay now, so I’ll save my money where I can! 2) I’m out of college, I don’t need to pretend to be a college student anymore..?
Okay so maybe a few other things in my life are being affected or compromised because of my exercise habits and/or eating… I’m stressed, but is it because of work, or stressed out about fitting exercise into my day? Maybe it’s both. Maybe I feel that I’m losing my libido due to my hormones being so out of whack from all of this exericse- something I didn’t realize was so closely tied together until recently. Sometimes I don’t realize how tired my body is until I’m sitting on the couch at 8PM, and then it affects my home life, and I am just absent because my body and mind are already asleep.
Oh and its hard for me to take rest days! It throws me off. But don’t worry, I know it’s important, so I take them!

My good news is that I do not (yet) have any signs of over-training injuries, but surely that would be the next thing to come! I could list more about how I feel, my current level of exercise, how it’s affecting my life, yadayadayada. However, I want to share some of the research, extensive research, that I have done for myself. Time to start practicing what I preach, for real.

What Science Says About Over-Exercising

When someone is showing signs and symptoms of overtraining, they might be classified as those who have “overtraining syndrome”. This is when an athlete, exerciser, etc. sees diminished performance as a result from an increase in training volume and/or intensity combined with inadequate rest days/periods and/or inadequate nutrition.

When exercise is a good thing….

It helps control your weight
It helps lower your risk of chronic and debilitating health conditions
It improves your mood
It helps you sleep better
It boosts your energy
It improves your libido
It can be fun!

What happens within your body when you exercise….

You intake more oxygen- by up to 15-20X more
Your heart rate rises
Your body works to release heat- by sweating
Metabolic wastes are eliminated
Your muscle fibers are being broken down and torn
Certain hormones are released- epinephrine, norepinephrine, aldosterone, cortisol, testosterone, & growth hormone

Anabolic and Catabolic States….

An anabolic state is what is considered “ideal” for the body. During an anabolic state your body is building up and repairing tissues and muscles, especially those that have been torn apart during exercise. When the body is in an anabloic state it is using energy within the body for repair, growth, and maintenance.

On the other hand, during a catabolic state, the body is breaking down food and nutrients to store the energy for later use, and later anabolic processes. During this state, larger molecules in your body are being broken down into several smaller ones, and thus, releases energy to then be used by the anabolic process.

It sometimes can be hard balancing between these 2 processes

When exercising we are in a catabolic state because our body is breaking down complex sugars to be used for energy, this is a natural process that needs to happen for your body to sustain exercise. BUT being in a catabolic state for too long can be detrimental to your health and can cause muscle mass loss. Being in a catabloic state for too long is known as catabolism: it is breaking down your bodily tissues, your muscles, it weakens your immune system, even causes fatigue.

Over exercising= catabolism.

How exercise can be a bad thing….

It can cause over-use injuries and tears in the joints, tendons, bones, ligaments
Over-exercising is often tied to a lack of proper nutrition, or compulsive behaviors and calorie counting
It can actually strain your heart, due to high amounts of increased heart rate. The heart is a muscle too
It can compromise your immune system
With too much exercise, the adrenaline is constantly pumping and other hormone levels are constantly increased, making it harder to fall asleep, stay asleep, or getting enough sleep
Exercise might cause your mood to shift- you might be irritable, depressed, develop low self-esteem, or stress
Over-exercising can cause some women to develop a condition called “amenorrhea” or the loss of menstruation
Too much exercise can put you in a negative catabolic state where your body is breaking down the tissues faster than your anabolic process can build them up

So how to tell if you are overtraining, reaching overtraining syndrome, and need to slow down….

You all of a sudden have a lack of motivation to hit the gym
You are extra sore, even from exercises you have been doing for years
You have reached a plateau, you are not seeing results despite your efforts
You are restless and/or are unfocused
You feel your soreness down to the bones & joints
You have a lack of energy, you feel sluggish and slow
You are getting sick more frequently
You are feeling discouraged

The easiest way to avoid over-training:

TAKE REST DAYS! Your body, more specifically your muscles, need time to repair! They are broken down during exercise and will never get a chance to build back up (making you stronger) if you don’t give them a chance to. Rest days are the #1 most important thing when it comes to fitness success, and if rest days are hard for you try some easy “active rest” ideas…. casual walking, light & fun swimming, yoga, stretching, even yard work or gardening, be creative!

My Top 3 Take-Aways and “Must Try’s” to combat my overtraining and/or fitness addiction

Find balance between work and exercise- especially because my job is exercise I need to consider how much work I’ve already done in the day, or plan on doing in the day, before planning my exercise
Choose between my personal lifts and a group fitness, kosama workout. Somedays it might make sense to do 2- based on time and the different natures of each workout- but I no longer need to do a kosama strength class and my own lifting class on the same day
Be lenient. About calorie counting (both calories in and out), about skipping the gym if just doesn’t fit my schedule, about hanging out and having a life rather than committing to the gym and a stay at home meal- even though I’ve already had 6 workouts this week- maybe that’s a sign to just let loose.

BONUS! Love my body and know that just because I’m in the fitness industry, doesn’t mean that everyone is judging me for having a sports model like body. Or know that just because I’m in this industry, it doesn’t mean that I HAVE to always be on my A-game, outworking everyone in the room, trying out multiple exercise avenues, and all the other stereotypical views that are put upon us in the industry. We are knowledgeable in fitness, we love fitness, we love proper nutrition, but we are also human, not freak-of-nature robots.

references:

Bergeron, Stephen. “Overtraining Symptoms: 7 Signs You’re Training Too Much.” BuiltLean. N.p., 05 June 2012. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.

Choueiri, Richard. “Fight Back To Build Mass: Let These Catabolic Crushers Help Keep Hard Earned Muscle!” Bodybuilding.com. N.p., 09 Sept. 2010. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.

“Effect of Too Much Exercise on You.” Effect of Too Much Exercise on You. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.

Eller, Marlan. “How Does Exercising Affect Your Hormones?” IDEAfit. IDEA FitnessConnect, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.

Maffetone, Phil, Dr. “The Overtraining Syndrome – Dr. Phil Maffetone.” Dr Phil Maffetone. N.p., 06 May 2015. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.

Mayo Clinic Staff. “Fitness.” Exercise: 7 Benefits of Regular Physical Activity. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.

“What Happens to Your Body During Exercise – Hello Healthy.” Hello Healthy. N.p., 17 July 2015. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.

8 Things I Have Learned From Owning a Dog

February 11, 2016May 24, 2019 LifeOfCarlyBLeave a comment

Get a dog they said, it will be fun they said.

But Otto, getting you 8 months ago has been more than fun, it has been life-changing ❤

Growing up I had always been an animal lover, we always had at least one dog in the house and 2-4 cats at any given time. Animals have been and always will be my sweet spot. I can remember multiple times where people would look at me and go “Oh my gosh you are just like your mom, you are both animal lovers”, or “You are going to be my crazy cat lady friend who has 27 cats in the future.”
So yeah, animals are my life. Which is why when my boyfriend pitched the idea of getting a dog to me, my heart melting. So in November of 2014 we began the process of researching breeders (well he did), picking the litter, getting all the nitty-gritty figured out. In May of 2015 we made the 6 hour trip from Northern Iowa to Hayward Wisconsin to pick out our little fella, Otto. He was the first pup I held and the one that won our hearts. 2 weeks later in early June, he was home to Iowa, and life was changed for good.

You see having a dog is more than warm cuddles and unconditional love, it comes with trial and error, stress followed by happiness, followed by frustration, followed by laughs. It is an endless cycle of emotions at times. But having a dog also comes with lessons, realizations, and blessings. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Otto, and it is because he has taught me so much in these first 8 months with him, has brought me tears of joy and tears of sadness, has weakened my soft spot for animals, and has been the greatest joy. Since day one, Otto, here are the things that I have learned from you.

How to care for another being There are some things that you just can’t do for yourself, and it is humbling and rewarding to know that we are the people that you have to rely on in your life. I am proud to be a parent, but even more proud to be your parent.

To stop and smell the roses or whatever is right in front of you on the ground, or whatever life throws at you. Smell it, grab it, go with it, don’t pass it up, and don’t miss any opportunity.

When in doubt, laugh it out Sometimes there is nothing else to do but to just laugh. When you do something you’re not supposed to do, but you do it in the cutest way ever, it’s hard to be mad, so instead we just laugh.

like that one time we recorded you while we were gone to see what you really do while we are gone- like get on the forbidden couch, or when you got into one of your favorite toys- the toilet paper

How to be happy and sad at the same time On my weakest days when I feel sad and down, the ability of you to come up with that toy hanging from your mouth asking for some love and play can put a smile on my face. It is weird to feel so many emotions at once in one point of time: sadness, happiness, thankfulness, playfulness. It is weird but it is great.

A little curiosity never hurt any one I love the natural curiosity that comes out of puppies, and I hope it never leaves you. You are so curious about the world, like you are experience something new every time you experience it, even if you have done it a million times. If everyone were as curious as a puppy I believe there would be a lot more smiles in this world, a lot less judgement, and a lot more free spirits.

To appreciate the sun and the stars Waking up to your bathroom call at 5AM on a warm August morning, day after day, or bundling up to take you out at 9PM on a cold winter night has allowed me to appreciate the beauty of this earth. Sure I’d rather stay inside sometimes, especially in the dead of winter, but I have to thank you for dragging me out. Because when we go outside I get to be reminded of the beauty of this earth, and from where we are, we can see the greatest sunrise, or all of the stars. And as you do your thing, I’ll do mine and look up, appreciate the stars, and everything below them, including you.

The ability to be patient and still oh boy before I got you, I was one of the most impatient people on the planet. My life was fast paced, I had a million things running through my head, I just didn’t slow down and I didn’t understand how other people could. But when having a puppy you learn the art of patience. Patience in training you, in taking you out to go to the bathroom, while going on walks, while greeting new people, while trying to snuggle when you just want to play. Puppies are like babies, except we never get to snow what you are thinking, or what you want to say, so we have to learn to be patient and read you body language and your facial expressions, and through that we connect, and through that I became: patient.

To love unconditionally They say that dogs are a humans best friend, and the animal with the most loving nature. And I can honestly say that you will never know this to be true until you have a dog of your own. The ability to keep loving even after you have been scolded for eating a coaster is admirable. Just think if everyone in the world could love like dogs do, how much better a place it would be to live.

Much love to you Otto boy ❤

A Resolution You Can Stick To

January 8, 2016 LifeOfCarlyBLeave a comment

The other night I was reviewing my resolutions that I set for the 2015 year. There were some usual, common ones related to sustaining my health and fitness, etc. But one stood out to me.

I resolved to experience one new thing a month.

How awesome? Experiencing one new thing a month, that was something I could do, it was something I did! And by making it a goal to experience, in turn I was also present. Make a goal to have new experiences with those close with you, experiences small or big, it does not matter!

Here are the simple, or wild, experiences I had each month:

January: I rang in the new year, with new people, in a new place, and began a new year.

Kansas City, Power & Light District; January 1, 2015 12:00AM

February: I had sushi for the first time while celebrating my cousin/roommate/sushi lover’s 21st birthday

SOHO Sushi Bar & Deli; February 16, 2015

March: Like any other year, I turned a year older, but in a new PLACE! We took on South Padre Island for my last college spring break

South Padre Island Coca Cola Beach; March 17, 2015

April: Again, just like every other year we got to celebrate my boyfriend, Alex’s birthday, but our soon to be puppy was BORN on the same exact day!

Born in Hayward, WI; April 8, 2015

Oh and I was able to attend the Iowa Governor’s Conference of Public Health

Cedar Rapids, IA; April 14, 2015

May: The biggest month of them all! Let’s see to start, I graduated college

University of Northern Iowa; May 9, 2015

And then I went with my mom to New Jersey & New York to see my cousin

Hopped off the plane and met former MLB player and current television analyst for MLB netowrk, Harold Reynolds; New Jersey, May 15, 2015

And then we saw Darius Rucker for the first time

We then woke up bright and early to go see the Today Show (GAH DREAMING!) and then checked into our hotel in the heart of Times Square

June: Our precious puppy, Otto, met his forever home in Iowa

Meet 13 lb English Golden Retriever, Otto; June 5, 2015

June: Along with my boyfriend and my best friend, I went to my first Collegiate Summer baseball league game

Waterloo Bucks Stadium; July 3, 2015

OH AND I CANT FORGET MY FIRST EVER (AND HOPEFULLY NOT LAST) TAYLOR SWIFT CONCERT!!

Taylor Swift @ Soldier Field; July 18, 2015

August: The month that I started my 5 month internship with Covenant Medical Center at their Wellness Center

September: I attended my first wedding with my man, and the first wedding I can actually remember going to, since all of my other wedding attendances I was under 3 feet tall and too young to remember

Lansing, Kansas; September 18, 2015

October: Otto’s first UNI tailgate (and by experience as his mother, this was new for me too!)

November: We saw Mockingjay Part 2 for the first time, and I was able to bring Alex home for Thanksgiving for the first time

My family’s annual Black Wednesday party bus; now featuring Alex

December: the month that I ended my internship and started a full time Salary position job at Kosama as the General Manager (which I had kind of been for the past 3-5 months due to some management instability/issues)

Kosama Complete Body Transformation, Cedar Falls staff

Resolutions don’t have to be hard, the best ones are the ones that grow you as a person and grow your relationships with others. So I challenge you; try one (or more!) new thing each month this year, and every year! You won’t regret it!

So It’s a New Year

January 4, 2016 LifeOfCarlyBLeave a comment

So it’s a new year, what is it going to bring you?

The new year strikes year after year without failure and what do we see? We see gyms busting at the seams with those resolving to finally get “fit” this year, we see fresh produce flying off the shelves quicker than it can be restocked by those resolving to eat “healthy” this year, we see banks, accountants, etc. with jam packed scheduled by those resolving to get their finances “in line” this year.

What do all of these things have in common? The tendency to dwindle off come March, and even more so by July. What’s the problem with resolutions? They tend to strive off of other’s resolutions. When everyone is gung-ho about their goals at the beginning of the year, it is easy to feed off that energy and stick to your goals, but when everyone starts slacking and making excuses on why this year is just not “the year” to finally reach those goals, it is even easier to follow the pack and ditch yours too.

Humans are creatures of habit, and when year after year you set the same goals, and ditch them the same way, that habit will engrave deeper and deeper.

So how to “fix” it?

First things first: you do not need FIXING, maybe you just need to find the inner desire and strength needed to accomplish whatever it is you want to accomplish

Stop calling it a resolution, a resolution means to resolve, and the resolve means to find a solution to something that needs fixing. You do not need fixing, you just don’t. You need goals, goals are dreams with deadlines

Set small goals, I REPEAT, set small goals! Why does January have to be THE month for goals? Why does January 31st have to be the do all, end all, of those goals? My suggestion? Have a big picture called a vision, or a dream if you will, comprised of 12 smaller images called goals. If you make a new goal towards the big picture every month you will be more likely to stick to the goals because you are eliminating boredom, self deprivation, or just a crazy state of mind telling yourself to fix something all at once. Small goals work- scientifically proven

STOP COMPARING, in fact make it a goal to stop comparing yourself to others. It does no good, not now, not tomorrow, not ever! PERIOD.

Set goals that follow your dreams and aspirations and that are unique to you- you will forever be uniquely you, treat yourself that way.

So what do your goals look like? Will your January be focused on something different than February, will you give yourself time to see change, to see results? Will you be proactive?

If you need extra help get ahold of me! I am offering online personal training, nutrition consultation, or just online help! And if you’re in the area I am offering face-to-face personal training!

Follow me on instagram at commit_fit_carly or email me at carlymae717@gmail.com

🙂

HOW TO: Holiday Health at Home

December 24, 2015 LifeOfCarlyBLeave a comment

The holidays are the time of year where it seems that everyone vows to get through the season as healthy and as on track as they can, but as soon as you binge into 5 cookies 3 nights in a row, you teach yourself to accept that this is how the holidays are supposed to be and you will get on track next year.

WHY WAIT?!

If you start your New Year’s Resolutions a year before the new year starts, you are that far ahead of the game and have already subjected yourself to the hardest season to be true to your goals during. If you can get through that you can get through anything! Go into the new year already feeling great about yourself! Feel confident the moment 2016 starts and I guarantee the rest of your year will follow suite. So don’t wait, start now, you still have 1 week left of 2015 and here are some tips to get you through the holidays happy, healthy, and confident!

It’s about control, know it, have it, embrace it

When baking: try to keep track of the calories per delicious cookie, cupcake, etc. If you know the calories before you eat it you will be more likely to eat just one rather than five.
And if you are tempted with something sweet in front of you and are torn over what to do- GRAB the treat! By giving yourself permission to enjoy, and I mean fully enjoy, that treat you will feel more satisfied after-the-fact, and less likely to binge on more later on
Trying to be the healthy person in a room full of 20 unhealthy people is hard. Provide some of the food! Find a healthy recipe that is both nutritious and delicious that can satisfy a sweet tooth or will leave a “salty” lover wanting seconds. You’ll know it’s healthy, they’ll think its delicious- it’s a win/win! (Pinterest is FULL of these kinds of recipes)
People will ask you why– tell them why you are doing it! Everyone commits themselves to something, some people commit themselves to work, to their family, to their wardrobe, commit yourself to your health and be PROUD! Others might respond awkwardly to it, but 9 times out of 10 it is because they don’t know how to respond to health because they don’t know how to be healthy themselves- but wish they could be

It’s about making do with what you have. Try this at home workout:

Home Tabatas: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, complete each exercise 6 times before moving on

Jumprope (real or invisible)
Box jumps or chair step ups
Alternating ski jumpers
Jumping wall taps
High knees
Rapid jumping jacks (shoot for 25-30 in 20 seconds)
Alternating front kicks (add a hop in between to make it harder)
Burpees

And remember: you have one holiDAY to enjoy, it is not, and I hope it has not been a month of holiWEEKS

My Message to College Freshman

August 24, 2015March 27, 2019 LifeOfCarlyBLeave a comment

As many schools are back to their first day of classes today including my great school (The University of Northern Iowa), I am struck with the bittersweet feeling of the graduated senior, now big girl, who instead of experiencing the first day of classes for the 20th time, will be experiencing the first day at a new job. As I sat on campus yesterday I looked around and saw new, young, excited faces moving into their dorms, making new friends and exploring campus. And I just loved how I could just see the raw eagerness in their faces for the years to come, not knowing what may happen tomorrow, but knowing they are excited for the road ahead. I loved it because I remember the beauty of those moments. Although I will not miss the homework and the stressful headaches of deadlines, I will miss the excitement of going to your first classes to meet your professor and find out who is in the class. Or figuring out which class is going to kick you in the butt and which one will undoubtingly be put on the back burner for the semester. More than that, I know I will miss the personality of campus and the everyday comfort that came out of being home, because I already do.

My message to you incoming freshman is to cherish each and every second of it. You have probably already heard a bajillion times that college is the best 4 years of your life, and I’m here to tell you it IS. You come to college expecting to see a new place, meet some new people, and get an education. But no matter what you expect, you will never be prepared for what you actually get. You’ll see a new place, and it will become a place that you never want to leave. You will meet new people, some of who will turn into your lifelong friends, your separated twin at birth, your other half. And yeah, you’ll get an education, but that won’t even compare to the lessons, the experiences, the trials and triumphs you will see in your 4 years there, all of which having an equal impact on your life.

So freshman, as you go into college look at it like a toddler looks at the world: an open adventure where anything is within reaching limits, you can do anything you want, and you can BE anyone you want. Cherish it, take it by the horns, and run with it, because in 4 years when you are standing on the outside looking in at the new eager freshman faces you won’t remember which night you stayed up too late, which test you failed miserably at, or that moment (or 2) of giving in to eating that extra slice of pizza at 2 in the morning. No you will remember the memories made with your friends while having fun, memories that you didn’t even realize in that moment would become the memories that mold the puzzle pieces of your college reel.

And seniors (because I know you are reading this too). If you haven’t lived according to your plans, your wants, your likes in your last 3 years, take this last year and run with it. No looking back, only looking forward, you better make it count.
Let loose, be smart, but have fun. There’s no sense worrying about if your hair looks perfect, or if your stomach is flat enough for that shirt, how many Instagram likes you are getting, or if you are going to achieve a perfect 4.0. This is college, this is your rehearsal for the curtain call we call adulthood. And unless you do everything you want to do while you have the chance to now, you might be standing at the curtain in 4 years wondering if your show was worth it.

Better Medicine Than Anything You Can Find on the Shelves: REST!

June 15, 2015 LifeOfCarlyBLeave a comment

As I posted on my instagram account @carlyinfitinyhealth earlier today, I am coming down with a little viral bug. Obviously, this is not something I want, nobody does. It seems that being sick comes at the worst times because it has us feeling crippled of our normal day and wanting to binge watch Netflix and lay on the couch. But we’re humans, better off, we’re Americans. And that means that we have a natural tendency to always be busy and are even uncomfortable straying off our normal daily schedule for a relaxing day instead. We just know there is too much to do.

But if we were to, oh I don’t know, listen to our bodies, our sicknesses would be shorter in duration and fewer in between. YES, rest is your best medicine! So use it! Crawl out of bed, and don’t throw on those work clothes, call in sick, send the kids to grandmas, just do what your body demands. I said this in my instagram post, and I’ll say it again- our bodies are smart, and if we listen to them they can actually tell us some powerful things. By listening and resting we are allowing our bodies to fight off any sickness that is trying to creep into our systems. Better yet, we are staying away from the millions of bacteria sitting on our office desks that could work its way into our systems to make the problem worse.

Being sick isn’t something we can pinpoint when it actually happened- unlike a bone break, we don’t know exactly what caused it. Because of this, there are some things you can do to play it safe not sorry and keep your body and immune system healthy and ready to fight off any invaders!

Take a multivitamin- not only will you get the vitamins and minerals your body wants and needs to be healthy- you will also get a daily dose of vitamin C to keep that immune system reared up and ready to go!
Drink lots, I mean LOTS of water daily! Drinking water helps regulate your body fluids which is also good for control of bodily functions including your immune system and muscle health.
- Average water recommendation? 64 ounces daily
- Go above and beyond! Shoot for 75 🙂
SLEEP! Going right back to the title of this post- Rest is your best medicine- and the easiest/cheapest to come by so USE it!
Eat healthy- fruits, veggies, whole grain, no trans fat, etc. Yes I said it, eat healthy to stay healthy- weird concept right?
Exercise, stay active!- physical activity can help flush out bacteria and other invaders in your lungs and airways and also prevents new bacteria from forming due to the raised body temperature- woah– another cool reason to workout

Being Youthful this Summer

June 10, 2015 LifeOfCarlyBLeave a comment

Summer is amongst us, and for most that means more opportunities to be active. Weather its playing outdoor sports, going hiking or kayaking, or just walking your dog, the summer activities are almost endless.

Have you ever thought about how kids can play outside for hours on end and not seem tired come dinner time? How they can ride their bikes around for miles without complaints of tired legs? Kids are generally beasts in this sense- they can be active for what seems like forever, just because they are having fun.

Let’s take some advice from kids- being active just by having FUN. Do something that gets you moving, any type of movement, your heart is pumping, and you are smiling ear to ear. Be a KID this summer.

Choose activities that you did as a child or that you would do with a child now, and you’ll be surprised just how good you feel at the end of the day. You’ll be spent, but you’ll be happy. You might be tired, but you also might look forward to doing it again tomorrow.

Now I’m not saying you should try to be a kid all day, because lets be honest- work won’t allow that. But instead of sending your children or your dog outside to play by themselves, join them. It will not only get you active but it will also boost your relationship with them. No kids? Drag your best friend your significant other outdoors with you- house chores can wait, summer is short, so have fun and be creative.

Here are some fun summer activities to try!

Rollerblading- a lost art!
Family bike rides
Backyard obstacle courses
Slip-n-slide challenge course
A day at the park- play frisbee, tag, heck do yoga
Family hikes to a picnic
Playing catch- or any sport
Building a hop scotch city
Relay races- grab a baton and take turns running laps!
Walking more places- walk to get some refreshing frozen yogurt, and walk back
Pool workouts- make them fun!
Establish a buddy system- rely on each other to be active every day by having fun

So You Want To Meditate: Part 2

May 31, 2015 LifeOfCarlyBLeave a comment

How to Meditate

Over 30 million American’s including hot shot celebs like Oprah and NFL players have tried meditation, so why not you?

What is the biggest turn off that has stopped you from trying it thus far? You don’t know where to start, where to do it at, you don’t “have the time”, or maybe you just can’t sit still. Meditation doesn’t have to follow the basic stereotype of a person sitting on a pillow extremely cross-legged with their eyes closed for hours. No, here are some more basic beginner tips to get you started:

Find a space you enjoy that is limited in distractions- think your bedroom, an empty park, heck even your shower
Dedicate a specific amount to it each day- like I said it doesn’t have to be long, just worthwhile. Start with 5 minutes a day and build by 5 each week if necessary. Research shows that even 5 minutes of meditation a day can help you reach the benefits, and that true relaxation can start from the minute you start. So no you “don’t have enough time”, maybe just excuses.
Allow yourself to free your mind. This might be the hardest to do, and yet it is the most important. In meditation you aren’t supposed to be able to talk your way through it or else it loses its art. So go into it knowing that your mind will be blank, or rather relaxed, for your allotted time. If thoughts start to flow out of the relaxation, let them, but as soon as you start thinking of what you are going to do afterwards then its time to re-collect yourself and start over, or call it a day. As long as you feel relaxed in both your mind and your body then I’d say you are on your way.
Most importantly be comfortable, be happy, and keep it unique to After all this is your “me time”, your place to go after or before a long day.