The problem with exercise... and some solutions

Before you tell me, "Camella, exercise is sooooooo good for you and absolutely necessary if you want to maintain a healthy body and weight!" let me preface this by saying yes, dear reader, I know... and you're right!

While my understanding of the human body is basic at best (I did take several anatomy/physiology/exercise based classes for my course requirements, I want to make it clear that I'm in no way an expert and this blog consists of my opinions on exercise and diet from my own perspective and educational level), I wanted to try to start a conversation about what makes us not exercise and in doing so, give us a better understanding of what inspires us to be healthy and to stick with it.


My problem with exercise is that my motivation starts off at a really good pace, then slowly declines until it has withered away into nothing. The problem with exercise for me and a lot of other people is that studies have shown that in order to become "addicting" or even to benefit your mood in the long term, endorphins (ie the warm-and-fuzzy, feel good neurotransmitters that give you a feeling of well-being as well as pain inhibition) need to be released by the brain and this doesn't happen until EIGHT WEEKS of CONSISTENT EXERCISE (ie 30 minutes a day 3-5 days a week). I would much rather sit here on my couch, blogging and YouTubing it up than force myself to run a 5K or even do a few situps. It's painful, sweaty, and not much fun.



My other issue is that I can never stick with it long enough to see any meaningful results. I'm sure we all have the image of the tight abs, firm booty, and strong arms that Cosmo tells us is beautiful and necessary for survival but alas, I have never achieved these elusive signs that I am fit and trim. So I huff and puff up the stairs at my work, I shuffle across campus in hopes of achieving these things that I need to be beautiful.


Now you see my problem? Eight weeks is a long time and usually, my motivation subsides after only three!


So how do we solve the problem of keeping ourselves motivated? I did a little digging and found some good ideas that might just help us lazybones out! (Some of them are from the last article I linked to, some are from my own noggin... feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments!)

1) Do your research! The more you believe in a healthy lifestyle, the more likely you are to maintain it... the more time you invest into your research, the more compelling the arguments are to actually get off your duff and sweat a little.

2) Find your starting point! Find out your BMI, weight, measurements, etc as compared what is considered healthy (by a medical standard, not Glamor Magazine's!) Keep in mind that you're looking for the average... and that everyone is unique and sometimes people fall below or above the average. Don't beat yourself up over numbers and measurements... averages are like a bell curve, the reason a number is considered "average" is because more people fall within this set of numbers than others, they're clustered in the middle of the curve.... it isn't right or wrong, it's just a starting point... This is just to get you focused on change and to give you physical data to compare back with once you are consistent with your exercise and diet.

3) Everyone else is doing it! Find some positive inspiration from athletes you admire or family members that have started living a healthy lifestyle. Sometimes, I past up pictures of active people on my fridge to remind myself of my goal to be healthy. Use these people as role models and look to them for inspiration and as a model of determination. Whenever you feel like quitting, think to yourself, "Did Venus and Serena give up? Did they decide that it wasn't worth it to keep at it?" and who knows? Maybe you'll find some of that elusive determination!

4) Make it fun to sweat! Find exercises that you enjoy doing and try new things! Take a class, buy a dvd... whatever your style, try something new! You're more likely to stick with something if you like doing it!


I hope that my ramblings on exercise and motivation helped you out. I was trying to give myself a pep talk about keeping up with my fitness routine and I think that maybe I feel inspired to give it another go.


If you're interested, here are some links to interesting articles I found pertaining to the topic of exercise and endorphins as well as how to being and maintain an exercise program. Good luck!

http://www.overcoming-depression.com/depression-and-exercise.html
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro05/web2/mmcgovern.html
http://www.rd.com/health/fitness-fundamentals-begin-and-maintain-an-exercise-program/

Back in action

Hello everyone!

I'm so glad to be back. I was feeling a little uninspired to tell you the truth and let my blog fall by the wayside... but now I'm feeling much more inspired, and after a slight re-vamp to my blog itself, I'm ready to go!

I feel like I wanted to change direction with this blog. I don't want to do strictly makeup or strictly product reviews but I want to treat it kind of like my Tumblr, and just let it be kind of organic and free-flowing ideas dealing with what I've been up to and things that I've been liking. I'm hoping that if I use it in that way, it might be easier to keep up with.

I'm hoping to take my YouTube channel in that direction too, just because I think that it's more me. Not that it wasn't before, but I just wanted a little changey-poo.

So tell your friends, I'm back and this time, with a true vengeance.

xx

In the Buffs! A Monday Story

Matt had a bunch of these “buffs” a while ago but when his Dad came to visit, he gave Matt this one from Ghana.

They’re quite cool. It’s a tube of fabric with no seam that can be worn a ton of different ways… not to mention they make cute headbands. Love it.

So what have I done today you ask? Not much of anything. I was informed at 7:00 that my supervisor was calling in so I didn’t have to go in to work today. So now, I’m in the process of making “Good Luck Soup”…. I’ll post the “proper/complete” recipe here if you ask for it. Basically, it’s just a bunch of dried beans soaked overnight add your choice of meat (it recommends ham hock but I had a bunch of frozen beef left over from the wedding that we used) and water boil for 2 - 3 hours, add salt, pepper, lemon juice, etc. Boil for another 1/2 hour + and it makes a great dinner. I’ve never tried it yet but I’m using my crockpot so it will simmer/boil for longer than it says. We also chose to add rudabega aka swede to it (which Matt tells me is like a potato?)

I’ll probably be adding more veggies later on since I’ve been obsessed with multi-colored peppers lately (so yummy)! Anyways… I hope that your Monday is going well. Have a wonderful week, dear readers!

<3

Bronzed and beautiful...

So, lately, I've gotten myself in a bit of a pickle.
I'm dying for a bronzed/golden complexion but alas, I'm a ghost... and ghosts can't be bronzed... without a little extra help.

I'm TOTALLY against tanning beds and the like mainly for the fact that I refuse to pay for skin cancer. My family has enough bad genes to last me a life time so thanks but no, I'll pass on the tanning beds.

With that said, I decided to try a "sunless tanning" approach that would look more natural than Oompa Loompa.
My first instinct was to go with Jergens Natural Glow moisturizer in the Revitalizing as well as Firming formulas (I used the color tan to dark which I will explain in a minute).

I have used this product many moons ago but in the "Fair to Medium" category and I had few concerns after that fiasco:

a) It stinks - not a little but a lot! It's hard to describe the odor to someone who is unfamiliar... I liken it to a musty plastic... not a good daytime fragrance at any rate.
b) It can leave you a bit orangy-looking - granted, I was obsessively applying the stuff (it recommends once a day while I insisted on a thrice daily application). I don't know if that made the color go orange but I can tell you that I'm not taking that chance.

In truth, Jergens has changed their formula since then so it stinks ever so slightly less but still enough to make me cringe when I get a good whiff. Also, I did a bit more research on YouTube and Tiffany D recommended the medium to dark one because the color looked more natural.

Now for the pros and cons!

Pros:
*The pre-scent as I like to call it -The scent before you get into the bizarre plastic odor that is the sunless tanner.
*The gradual results - It's nice to get bronzed over a period of time rather than be dark all at once. It looks more natural and people will think that you're naturally golden-hued.
*The amount of product you get - I got a bonus size which is great! And I feel like it will last me for the rest of the year...

Cons:
*The price - it's about $7 - $8 for a normal 7.5 fl oz. or 221 mL. If you can get a bonus size (9.4 fl oz or 278 mL) it's a little bit more worth it.
*The claims - I bought the Firming formula as well as the Revitalizing formula. The firming formula is supposed to "clinically reduce the appearance of cellulite." Not so much. As for the Revitalizing formula? I haven't used it long enough to note the difference but it claims to last 2x longer than the original formula. Hmmmm...
*Getting the hard-to-reach places (like your back) - I had to enlist the help of my dear husband, Matt, for this one. Poor Matt had to slap on the product and then quickly wash his hands so that he wouldn't suffer from "tan hands" syndrome as I like to call it. If you don't have help, it's an awkward process (not unlike the spelling of the word 'awkward').
*The scent (duh) - as I said, my experience with the scent is that it's stinky but bearable. The strength of the scent also depends a lot on how much product you put on.
*The waiting time - after you apply the stuff, you have to wait for "several minutes" for the product to dry. Not only was I guessing if I let it dry long enough but I got so annoyed that I would give it about 2-3 minutes and then just get dressed. The good news is that you can't see any streaking. Or I can't at least.

So what were my results, you ask?

So far, so good. I'm actually the color of normal humans now so I'm pretty satisfied with the results. My legs are no longer blindingly white and my arms have a bronzed hue to them. The results probably aren't super noticeable to other people but I like what I'm seeing so far!

In sum:
If you can stand the stench and find someone to help you get those hard to reach areas, and can wait up to a week before you see any results, this product is for you! I would probably not purchase this again just because I think I'll be trying another form of selfless tanning... like a gel perhaps?

If you have any product recommendations, comment below!

xoxo C

A Belated Update!

Hey everyone!

I made a video about this on my YouTube channel but basically, I'll restate the facts here.

This summer has been absolutely insane. Firstly, I started off my summer with a horrific sinus infection that may or may not have been Strep... then I spent the majority of my time volunteering at the in-patient Behavioral Health unit at the hospital in my hometown. Basically, I spent half the day with the Rec Therapist that worked there and we did crafts with the patients as well as treatment plans. I actually got to do a patient assessment all by myself which was pretty spectacular! Ha!

Fast forward to the middle of July and that's when all the crazy stuff began to happen. We found out that due to some unforeseen issues, Matt's funding for college had run out, which meant a) he couldn't go to college b) he would be out of a Visa c) that's illegal d) he'd have to go home until we got married next June.

In a nutshell a+b+c+d = disaster!

So we met with our Pastor and we had several options in mind:
a) possibly the church could loan us some money
b) perhaps the church could sponsor him for one semester
c) Pastor would have a brilliant idea we didn't think of
and
d) (the most outrageous option) we could get married the next week, fill out the paperwork -- then Matt wouldn't have to leave and he could possibly get a job (provided of course the government agreed and approved his 'change of status'....

So, after meeting with our Pastor, we discovered that a, b, and c, weren't going to happen... so we settled on solution d) get married sooner.

Scary right? Here I thought I had an extra year to get used to the idea of being Mrs. Matt... not so in God's plan though... His good, pleasing, and perfect plan.

After finding this all out on Monday, July 5th, we set up our pre-marital counseling for Monday and Tuesday, July 12th and 13th and by Saturday, July 17th, we were legally and spiritually bound together in Holy Matrimony.

The wedding was beautiful... even for a thrown together affair. We had only our closest friends and family there (minus Matt's side, of course) so in all, about 20 people showed up.

The ceremony seemed like it lasted for hours but I assume that was because it was the most important day of my life thus far. Also, I was a nervous wreck.

All in all, I wouldn't change a thing. It was beautifully imperfect and it reminded me what marriage was really about. Not the dress or the cake or the food or the bridesmaids' dresses... but about the real and lasting love that a man and a woman share and making a holy covenant with God to love each other and lift each other up even when you don't feel like it. To make a conscious choice to love the other person with all of your heart in a sacrificial way... just like Jesus loved us even though we are wretched sinners.

My wedding was unique and though it didn't happen quite as I had hoped or planned... much like our first year of marriage will be I'm sure, I loved every minute of it!
I hope that you enjoyed this little post about my massive change in life... I'll try to be more ambitious and actually update this more than I have.

I'm back... with a vengence! (mini update, April faves)

So it's been a while! And I do apologize... it would seem that life got in the way of things, but now I'm back and hopefully, better than ever!

I did learn a couple things in my absence that I would like to share with you, though:

1) Making YouTube videos is a tough gig.
Sure, it may look like cake but making videos takes creativity, ingenuity, and above all, patience... all of which I lack to the "n-th" degree.

2) Confronting your beauty-phobias can be an empowering experience.
Normally, I shy away from bright, bold anything.... now I'm trying something new... I'm experimenting. You can't conquer your beauty fears unless you take them on.

Some other things that I would like to share with you are my monthly favorites. Now granted, these are not all beauty-related but I trust that you won't mind too much!

1) Lush - Helping Hands hand cream
This stuff is awesome! From the smell, to the consistency, to the packaging, this stuff is impressive. I love that it's small enough to fit in your purse and that it also has a pump but what's even better is this stuff seems to be bottomless! Yes, I've been using it daily since December and there's just no end in sight.

2) A brown/taupe smokey eye
I just filmed a video making an amateur attempt at said smokey eye and I'm pleasantly surprised at how simple the look really is! It's even easier if you have the proper brushes: a flat shadow brush and a fluffy blending brush.

3) Criminal Minds on A&E
I love this show. I was hooked the first time I saw it. I've always been into psychology and profiling ever since I saw Silence of the Lambs years and years ago. It's a great show and I highly recommend it!

4) Gardettos in the Italian Cheese Blend
This stuff is delish... with a capital D! The one downside is that it gives you horrific breath. I'm talking at least five attempts at teeth brushing before your breath returns to it's pre-noxious fume state. The true testimony of its deliciousness is that I'm running short on toothpaste right now since I'm in transition, and even with the taste of the Italian Cheese Blend still wafting through my nostrils, the idea of going to bed with Gardetto breath leaves me unphased.

5) Exercise Incentives!
I recnently bought the Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred and am convinced that I will be sweating my way to a svelte figure! No more junk food binges or chocolate muffins for me! I'm working on a segment for my YouTube channel to give some tips for starting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle... I'm thinking of calling it Bealecheeks' Bridal Boot Camp... Join me, won't you?

Essentially, that is all that is/has been floating around my head the last few months. Obviously, I've been thinking about my upcoming nuptials... last time I checked it was 420-something days until my wedding, so I'm not getting too carried away.

I hope that this blog post finds you well and I hope you have a fabulous weekend!
xoxo bealecheeks

I did a bad thing...

Hey all!

So what't the bad thing that I've done?

I finally bought the things that have been sitting in my Coastal Scents cart for the last month and a half!

What did I buy? Well, let's see!

*Sable Blending Brush

*Silver Duo Stippling Brush

(dupe for MAC 187 I believe?)

*Diva Defense Primer sample

*Veil Effect Mineral Powder in Light

*Flat Mineral Bronzer Buffer Brush Large

*Oddessy Lip Gloss

*Italian Badger Buffer Brush Large

I'm so excited but I feel some-what guilty, if I'm honest.

My boyfriend and I have been talking about getting married this summer so I need to start re-thinking my purchases.

Anyways, I'm pretty excited that I finally broke down and ordered this stuff. Stay tuned for a video and an initial reaction blog!

xoxo

Camella