The Beauty of Fitness Magazines



This was the issue I purchased that fateful
day in September, on my way to Paris.



I may or may not have mentioned before my love affair with fitness magazines. After reluctantly picking up an issue of Shape during an inordinately lengthy layover at the Chicago airport, I got so motivated and optimistic about living healthy that I signed up for a subscription as soon as I got home.

Impatient for the next issue, and afraid that there would be an unfortunate lag between when I placed my order and when they would actually start shipping magazines to me, I bought the next month's issue off the rack at HEB (now I have two copies of the October issue featuring LeAnn Rimes). Hoping to fill the near-month-long void between issues, I also signed up for Self magazine. Some months, if I had gleaned everything I could from Shape and Self too quickly, I would head to Half Priced Books to see what second-hand fitness magazines they had available (the answer: very few - but if you're looking for bridal or cooking magazines, you're set).

During this time, my obsession was probably becoming unhealthy. I would spend hours staring at those glossy pages, devouring every issue, making sure I didn't miss a single article, caption, or advertisement. I always had one magazine in my workout bag, one in my purse, and a pile next to the couch. Don't get me wrong, I never actually retained anything from them (I have tried maybe 2 of the workouts over the past year and only attempted one of the recipes, which as you may recall here, did not go well), but I loved them all the same. I especially liked the success stories. Even better than the success stories? The monthly updates from regular people who were in the process of getting healthy. They didn't have glamorous tales of how they lost 200 pounds by eating Subway sandwiches or anything. They were people just like me who were getting fit little by little. They were people I could empathize with and learn from (in fact, they probably still are). Sometimes, their updates would really move me.

Lately, I've calmed down a bit, and stopped reading these magazines so intensely (to be honest, I haven't even opened my new Shape, yet). Most of that has to do with the fact that I moved back to my hometown and have kept pretty busy ever since. Regardless, I still get very excited when an issue arrives in the mail.



Which brings me to my actual point (What? You thought my endless rambling up there was actually the point of the story? Rookie mistake...). I am so happy with this month's Self magazine. Why? So many reasons...

First, it features Zooey Deschanel, whom I absolutely love. She's so cute and quirky, and always wearing adorable sundresses! Also, I found out that she's going to star in a new tv show, the New Girl, and has a blog, Zooey's Miscellany.

Second, it features Zooey Deschanel hula hooping (or, mentioning hula hooping, really... rather briefly). I just bought a hula hoop (it lights up and makes noise), so it's perfect! She mentions in one of the captions that sometimes she spends hours hula hooping, much like myself (I may have spent the better part of a Lingo marathon on the Game Show Network hula hooping while I shouted answers at the screen).

The best part about hula hooping is that it is most successful
when wearing an adorable sundress like Zooey Deschanel's 
(as long as there are no large bows in back or anything).

So what I can gather is that you
stand on a board in water and paddle.
Sounds simple enough, right?

Third, only a few pages after the Zooey Deschanel feature (starting to wonder how many times I'm going to work her name into one post? spoiler alert: it's 4), there was an article on Stand Up Paddle Boarding. I know what you're thinking, "Jenny, you're terrified of water, and boards, and paddles, and standing up in general," but to that I say "accurate observation, ma'am/sir." Regardless, I just purchased a Groupon a few weeks ago for Stand Up Paddle Boarding at a nearby lake! They say it's a mixture of canoeing and surfing, but is way easier than surfing (phew! I was awful at surfing). Until this article, though, all I had ever heard about stand up paddle boarding was what the Groupon description said (which was nothing... but the accompanying picture made it look fun).


Finally, included in the issue are a lot of workouts geared towards getting slimmer/more toned/stronger arms. Of course, all magazines are featuring arm workouts right now so that people can get cute, sun-dress-appropriate arms for the summer. I, however, am excited because it might help me finally beat Teddy Westside at arm wrestling (that's right, it's going to happen).


Basically, fitness magazines are awesome; end of story.


Do you subscribe to any fitness magazines? Do you know how I could turn off the sound on my hula hoop but still have it light up (I already tried putting duct tape over the speaker)? Do you prefer old school Lingo with Chuck Woolery as host or the new revamped Lingo with Bill Engvall?

Jerry's Cinnamon Rolls

"What's Brunch?"
"You'd love it, it's not quite breakfast, it's not quite lunch, but it comes with a slice of cantaloupe at the end."




I love brunch. I live for brunch. I've spent years wearing down my family into celebrating every holiday or occassion with brunch (incidentally, this is my biggest complaint about Thanksgiving). Unfortunately, brunch is not extremely healthy. Of course, I tend to not worry about when I'm scarfing down pigs n' blankets, amish cassarole, and cinnamon rolls, but I'm always on the lookout for ways to make breakfast healthier without sacrificing taste.


For instance, I make a mean scrambled egg white with turkey in it, and my whole wheat pancakes are one of my specialities. Once in a while, however, it is fun to mix things up. That is why I was so excited when I came across a recipe for Jerry's Cinnamon Rolls in the December issue of Shape Magazine. I really like cinnamon rolls, and they are one of my boyfriend's favorite breakfast dishes, so I thought I would give them a try! I was a little turned off by the pureed vegetables in them, but apparently that is how Jerry Seinfeld and his wife Jessica trick their kids into eating vegetables. I figured, if kids can eat it without gagging, so can I!

JERRY'S CINNAMON BUNS
Yields: 16 servings

FOR THE SPONGE
1 1/2 cups - lukewarm nonfat milk
1/4 cup - orange juice
2 - 1/4-ounce packets active dry yeast
1/4 cupe - granulated sugar

FOR THE DOUGH
2 cups - all-purpose flour
2 cups - whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup - nonfat milk powder
3/4 tsp - salt
1/2 cup - carrot puree
1 - large egg
3 tbsp - trans fat-free margarine
cooking spray
1/2 cup - packed light or dark brown suger
2 tbsp - ground cinnamon

FOR THE GLAZE
1/4 cup - cauliflower puree
3 tbsp - confectioner's sugar
1 tsp - pure vanilla extract
1 tsp - orange juice

TO MAKE THE SPONGE, place the milk in a small glass bowl and microwave, on high for 40 to 50 seconds or until lukewarm. Stir in the orange juice, yeast, and sugar. Set aside in a warm place for about 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly frothy.

TO MAKE THE DOUGH, in the bowl of a standing mixer using a dough hook, combine both types of flour, the milk powder, and salt, and mix on low until combined. With the mixer on low speed, add the sponge mixture, carrot puree, and egg. Increase speed to medium and knead for 5 minutes.

Add the margarine and run the mixer for 1 minute more until the dough becomes sticky. With floured fingers, remove the dough and place it in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until it has doubled in size. After the dough has risen, place it on a cutting board with floured hands. Cut the dough in half.

Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray and place half the dough on it. Flatten the dough out with your fingers, patting the edges to make them even. Sprinkle the surface of the dough with half of the brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon.

Roll the longest edge of the dough away from you to form a log. With a serrated knife, slice the dough into 1-inch rounds and flip them swirl-side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Preheat the oven to 350[degrees]F while the rolls rise for another 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, start MAKING THE GLAZE. Whisk all the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl and set aside.

Bake the buns for 18 to 20 minutes or until they are cooked through but still soft to the touch. Remove and cool before drizzling with the glaze.

Hannah and I decided to try our hand at these cinnamon rolls last Friday after we went running, and let me tell you, they were disgusting. We were baking these until roughly 2am, and they were definitely not worth it.

To be fair, I am pretty sure a lot of the problems were due to user error. First, we didn't quite know how to steam the vegetables in order to make the purees. Then, my blender wouldn't puree them as fine as we would have liked, so the carrots and the cauliflower were pretty chunky. Next, I'm pretty sure we let the yeast sit in the sponge too long before combining it with the dough, partially because we were having trouble pureeing in a timely manner, so the dough barely rose. It was still sticky and not dough-like, so we couldn't even spread it out to make the rolls. Instead, we had to resort to just making loaves of cinnamon rolls (notice the clearly visible chunks of carrots). The real clencher, however, was the glaze. Let's forget for a moment that it involved visible and sizable chunks of cauliflower, but even just the sugar and vanilla mixed together made me want to barf, not from nausea, but out of spite for this disgusting glaze. To make it worse, the overpowering stench of the pureed cauliflower, that had now been sitting out for a while, was making me a little nauseous. I definitely had no appetite for these rolls by the time they were finished.

Now, once we threw out the glaze (seriously, what was up with that?), and stopped thinking of these loaves as "cinnamon rolls," they tasted a lot better. Eating them as "breakfast cinnamon carrot bread" made it much more acceptable, and actually, my parents like them!

But as far as cinnamon rolls are concerned, I will probably be sticking with Pillsbury from now on.


What extremely dissappointing healthy cooking experiences have you had? Have you been able to incorporate pureed vegetables without it being pretty gross? Can you place where the quote at the top is from (extra points if you can!)?

3 Exercises to Slim Down Your Inner Thighs

I was reading one of my fitness magazines recently (I can't recall which one, as I am addicted to them and have subscriptions to three) and I saw an advertisement that I found extremely interesting. It was for running skorts. RUNNING SKORTS!

In high school, I was lauded for my extremely fashionable choice to wear a skort as a part of my everyday ensemble. That is, of course, when I wasn't in my school uniform consisting of a plaid skirt and undershorts that were, to my utter dismay, not connected. Although, to remember it correctly, I might have been mocked rather than lauded, but that is neither here nor there.

Regardless, I loved my skorts. They weren't the mullet-esque type that were skirts in front and shorts in back, but rather just skirts with built in undershorts. They were comfortable and cute, and I wore them all the time. I only stopped wearing them shortly after starting college because they were kind of short and I had become self conscious of my thighs. In fact, I stopped wearing shorts all-together, with the exception of those that go all the way down to my knees.

Then enters advertisements for running skorts.

I think these are so cute, and would be perfect for running in the summer! There is one problem though: I am still self conscious of my legs. Nothing seems more unpleasant than running outside in the heat while your thighs, which seem to be twice the size of your entire body (which doesn't even come close to making sense!), insist on rubbing each other and smacking together the whole way.

So, I am left with two choices: get over my self-conscious issues or forego wearing these adorable skorts and stick with my pants which will likely produce a furnace effect in the summer. As a skirt/skort enthusiast, I will choose the former, and go about this task by regularly doing this fantastic inner thigh workout I found in this month's issue of Shape Magazine.

3 Exercises to Slim Down Your Inner Thigh

We're going to let you in on a secret: The inner thighs are a minor muscle group—compared to your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. But, oddly this tiny area has an enormous psychic-grip on so many women. If your thighs rub together, you know exactly what we're talking about, and if they don't, you probably work hard to keep them that way. We're going to help you conquer this common trouble spot so you can expend that mental energy on more important things—like which heels make your legs look sexier.

Inner Thigh Workout Details

You’ll need: Two balance discs, a 5- to10-pound dumbbell, a cable machine (or use a resistance tube), and a 5- to 8-pound medicine ball. Find gear at spri.com.

How it works: Incorporate these moves into your normal strength routine 2 or 3 times a week. Do 2 or 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps of each exercise. Aim to squeeze in 4 to 6 cardio workouts a week to help trim fat all over.

Plie Wobble Squat

Reps: 12-15
Body Parts: Butt, Hamstrings, Legs
Equipment: Free weights, Balance Discs

A: Stand with feet wide and toes turned out, each foot on a balance disc, and hold a dumbbell vertically with both hands in front of you at shoulder height.

B: Lower into a squat, keeping your knees aligned with your toes. Rise up and repeat.

Cable Cross

Reps: 12-15
Body Parts: Hamstrings, Legs
Equipment: Cable Machine (or Resistance Band), Balance Disc 

A: Adjust the pulley on a cable machine to the lowest setting, attach the ankle cuff to your right foot, and load 20-30 pounds on the weight stack. Stand about a foot or two away from the machine with your right side closest to it and your left foot on a balance disc. Extend right leg out to the side, toes angled in. (When Hannah and I did this, we looped one end of a resistance band under a table leg, and the other end around our ankle)

B: Cross right leg in front of left. Hold for 1 count, then return to the starting position and repeat. Switch sides to complete set.

Side Weight Lift

Reps: 12-15
Body Parts: Hamstrings, Abs, Legs
Equipment: Medicine ball

A: Begin by lying on your right side, resting your head on your right arm and placing your left hand in front of you for stability. Hold a medicine ball between your feet and make sure your hips and shoulders are square.

B: Slowing lift the medicine ball off the ground a few inches and hold for one count. Lower almost all the way to the ground and repeat. Switch sides to complete the set.

**I am sorry there are no pictures for this move, I could not find any on Shape.com**

Hannah and I did this workout Thursday evening, and at the time I wasn't sure it had done anything because it wasn't very difficult (not extremely easy, but not too difficult). By Friday afternoon, however, I could feel that it had worked. My legs continued to remind me of how well it worked until Sunday morning. Again, I was not so sore that it was unpleasant, but enough that I knew I was doing something right. I think that if I am diligent about doing this 2-3 times a week as it suggests, I'll be ready for that running skort in no time!




On an unrelated side note, the Gaining Power Institute has ordered my Cardio Dual Trainer that I won on Friday, and it should be shipped to me shortly!! I'm so excited!!

"I thanked my legs for walking 7 miles that morning, and immediately felt better."

In a society of airbrushed models and fashion that seems to show every dimple and bulge, it has become more than natural for our generation to cut ourselves down at every turn. Magazines and movies seem to demand perfection from models and actors, and as a result we demand perfection from ourselves. Rather than focusing on the positive aspects of our lives, we seem to be constantly bogged down with self loathing thoughts of not being pretty enough or thin enough, not having skin that is clear enough or hair that is shiny enough. What is enough? When do we decide that we are good enough? We beat ourselves up for every night spent watching tv and for every french fry or cookie that we eat. And what for? Our self confidence is crumbling and we're more miserable than ever.

I found this to be especially true last year. Starting in July of 2010, I lost roughly 30 pounds over a 4 month span. Even though it felt really good seeing the weight come off, I couldn't help but think that it wasn't enough (as it happens, I still want to lose 25 more pounds). I dropped 2 pants sizes and was then upset that I didn't drop another. Whenever I skipped a workout or ate a burger, I felt so guilty and awful that it was almost unbearable. Then, I read this article by Jennifer Barnett in Shape Magazine:

"Silencing my inner critic": While I'm thrilled with the changes in my body, I still can't stop beating myself up. It's time to banish those negative thoughts for good

A few weeks ago, I went out to dinner with my husband and treated myself to a rib-eye steak, mashed potatoes, and some dessert. The next day, before I even opened my eyes, thoughts like "I have no willpower" and "I'll never keep the weight off" entered my head. Then I got mad: After losing 38 pounds, why was I being so hard on myself? I worried that if I didn't act fast, my self-criticism would undermine my motivation.

Mind over meanness

That's why, when a friend told me about a two-day workshop called Never Diet Again: Welcoming Weight Loss and Wellness, I signed up. Led by Nina Smiley, Ph.D., co-author of The Three Minute Meditator, it was a series of seminars about how to silence cruel thoughts through meditation.

We began by closing our eyes and breathing deeply. After a few minutes, Nina taught us the next step: The moment you have a negative thought, label it, dismiss it, and turn your focus back to your breath again. So as soon as my mind started wandering (I wondered if I was going to hit traffic on the ride home), I named that thought "worrying" and pushed it out of my mind. Once we got the hang of that, we were ready for the last part: calling up a good feeling on demand. Nina asked us to picture a happy moment; mine was reading a bedtime story to my son. By doing this, you can instantly improve your mood.

Then we put it all together. Nina told us to take a negative statement about a body part and replace it with a kinder one. I zeroed in on my thighs, which I feel are flabby--despite all the time I spend in the gym. After classifying that thought as "bullying," I willed myself to come up with something nice to say to them. I thanked my legs for walking seven miles that morning, and immediately felt better.

Practice makes perfect 

I had the hang of it by the end of the weekend, but I wasn't sure I could control my inner critic in the "real" world. I found out when I ate a cupcake at a baby shower and felt the familiar disappointment. Since the technique should work anywhere, I named that thought--again, "bullying"--then focused on how proud I was for not also snacking on the chips. I was able to enjoy the rest of the day guilt-free--a huge milestone in an already eventful year!

"I thanked my legs for walking seven miles that morning, and immediately felt better." I find that this line in particular motivates me like none other. It reminds me to not take myself for granted. It reminds me that even if I'm not perfect (which P.S., no one is), I still have a lot going for me. It keeps me from thinking that my journey is futile, and gives me the confidence to keep going. I hope this article can help others as much as it helped me. .