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The Small New Year's Resolution That Changed My Diet... and My Career
The sad truth about New Year’s resolutions is that they often fail. Statistics say more than 90 percent of our well-intentioned January promises crash and burn by the following December (80 percent of them by February—ouch). Maybe it’s just that any change is tough to sustain for an entire year. Or maybe we simply aim too high. Were we really physically and emotionally ready to run that marathon or lose 50 pounds? Perhaps not.
Size matters. And, in this case, smaller is better.
In my experience, the resolutions that have actually stuck have been the small, digestible changes I was truly ready to make. About 10 years ago, when I made one such baby-steps-level resolution, I never could have guessed the dramatic changes it would bring to my life.
It all started, prosaically enough, with fish and beans. Let me back up. It really started when I was “tentatively” diagnosed (a.k.a. “we don’t know WTH is wrong with you”) with fibromyalgia at age 26. After receiving this health bombshell—and living with deep muscle pain on a daily basis—I turned a searching eye toward every aspect of my lifestyle to see what I could possibly change to reduce my pain. My diet was not exempt from this wellness inventory.
My eating habits had never been stellar. It wasn’t unusual for me to keep an industrial-sized tray of cheese danishes in my freezer, hacking pieces off for breakfast every day for a week. I would eat chocolate at every opportunity. And raised in a Midwestern family on a steady diet of meatloaf and chicken casseroles, I was still pretty much on “meat autopilot” in adulthood, basing every meal around an animal product. Meat was the center of my plate, the pinnacle of all protein. When my brother became vegan in college, my family worried for him the way most people worry when their child joins a cult.
Somewhere along the way, though, I had heard that research showed that eating less meat and more plants and fish was good for a variety of health conditions. I didn’t know if it would do anything to relieve my pain—but I was desperate to get healthier in general. I was intrigued by the idea that going without chicken, beef, or pork could be more than a one-off meatless Monday. Still, I preferred the idea of adding something to my diet rather than taking something away. It felt so much more generous and freeing than the restrictive resolutions I’d tried in the past.
So at the beginning of the new year, I wrote down my resolution. 2010: Eat more fish and beans.
Being rather type A, I was already in a groove of planning out my family’s meals every week. Now, I made a small tweak. Every time I sat down to fill in Monday through Sunday dinners, I made sure to include one recipe based on fish and one based on beans. It was surprisingly easy to replace meat with these alternatives. Soon, black bean burritos, white bean burgers, and salmon pasta dishes began to appear on the dinner table.
No one in my home seemed to mind the change. My husband, a go-with-the-flow kind of guy, was happy to eat almost anything, as long as I did the cooking, and my two toddlers were too young to notice a difference. And as the weeks went by, I realized I felt better when I ate less meat. It didn’t make my pain go away, but I felt less heavy and sluggish after meals. My digestion improved. I had more energy. I got sick less often.
Turns out, food matters too.
Intrigued by these improvements, I wanted to know more about the interplay between food and health. What else had I never learned? I devoured books about nutrition, like Michael Pollan’s Food Rules and Marion Nestle’s What to Eat. And slowly, as I got educated, other changes made their way into my diet. I started eating oatmeal instead of pastries for breakfast. I replaced my afternoon cookie break with smoothies. I experimented with new cooking methods to make veggies more palatable. With a third baby on the way, I felt extra inspired to raise my young family with the best dietary habits I could.
The momentum sparked by my little, five-word New Year’s resolution never stopped. By the time my third child was a year old, I had transitioned to a (mostly) Mediterranean diet of fruits and vegetables, fish, legumes, whole grains, and a minimal amount of meat. I felt so good eating so well that I wanted to share the love with others. Leaving behind a previous career as a college German instructor, I enrolled in a dietetics degree program. In 2017, I completed my program and became a nutrition and dietetic technician, registered with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Who'd have thought?
Looking back, though there were a thousand tiny steps that snowballed into my dietary and career changes, I often think of that New Year’s resolution as the match that lit a wildfire. Though at the time I never expected such a small addition to my diet to amount to more than, well, a hill of beans, I realize now that it’s often the small changes that add up to great results. These days, when New Year’s rolls around, I’m inspired to consider what other little additions might lead to a major transformation for good.
If you’re mulling over your own resolutions, I say stick with minor, doable tweaks. Maybe you resolve to meal-plan three days a week or pack a healthy lunch to take to work every Monday. Perhaps, like me, you experiment with eating more of a certain good-for-you category of foods, such as leafy greens or plant-based protein. Take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible or get up and move during commercial breaks. You never know how these little additions might lead to a major transformation for good.
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Is Your Workplace Toxic or Does It Just Suck?
Most people have to deal with a crappy job at some point in their lives—as a person who once dressed as a banana to hand out Jamba Juice samples, I can attest to this. But how can you tell when a job goes from run-of-the-mill bad to a toxic influence on your life? To suss out the bad jobs from the truly detrimental, I interviewed mental health experts to get their advice on how to tell when a job is just too awful and what to do if you're stuck in a toxic position.
When I throw around the word "toxic," I really mean it. A study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology surveyed unemployed people and found that those in a hostile work environment had higher stress levels than people who remained unemployed. And this wasn't just "I'm-feeling-kind-of-stressed" symptoms: The bloodwork of people at crappy jobs was noticeably less healthy than their already-stressed, not currently employed friends. Being in a toxic job can genuinely do mental and physical damage. So it's important to know the signs so you can get yourself out of a bad situation.
When Work Doesn't Stay at Work
"You can tell a workplace simply sucks when the problems are contained around the work itself but do not permeate beyond that. A workplace crosses the line into 'toxic' when it impacts you internally and personally," says Julie Gurner, Psy.D. It's one thing to have a lot to do or some people in the company that annoy you. But when you can't shake the negativity of the day or when your self-esteem and worth are diminished by your job, that's when you slide into toxic territory.
Licensed social worker Laura MacLeod recommends you really examine how you feel when you think about going to work the next day. "If you feel kind of lethargic, not particularly motivated, or that it would be nice to call in sick—this is a job you're not crazy about," MacLeod says. "If you feel anxious, irritable, deeply depressed, panicked, get cold sweats—this is toxic." And if those anxious, negative thoughts keep popping up long after 5 p.m., it's likely that your workplace is having an adverse effect on your life.
When You Can't See the Positive
If you have a job that's just kind of crappy, you might be able to pick out one or two positive aspects. Yes, the cubicle mate who shows you a different unfunny Youtube video every five minutes might make it hard to look on the bright side. But usually, when a job is merely sucky, you can find one good thing about it. "See if you can spend more time on that aspect of the work and remember to hang onto it when things get ugly," McLeod says. "Find and connect with coworkers you trust and brainstorm to make things more tolerable. Having someone to listen and empathize goes a long way."
Sometimes, you really can't think of a single good thing about your job—or the minimal positives don't outweigh the many negatives. A study from Michigan State University found that negativity in the workplace spreads like wildfire. Meaning that one toxic person or ongoing toxic comments make other workers act poorly toward one another, and, in the end, you have a bunch of unhappy people being crappy to one another. This leads to lowered productivity, poor morale, and an increase in mental fatigue, according to the study. So, if you can't think of a single nice thing, you're likely stuck in a "cycle of incivility," which is very hard to stop.
When You're Not Appreciated
To me, few things are as grating as putting in tons of work and getting zero credit. Though everyone will probably get overlooked from time to time at the office, a toxic job will undermine or undervalue your efforts at every turn.
If you're working insane hours without the possibility of a promotion or compensation, or if your superiors never positively acknowledge your work, your mental health will start to suffer, according to therapist Katie Krimer, MA, LCSW. "Without an appropriate amount of validation and praise—and even sometimes just an influx of criticism—your morale can really be damaged. This invites you to eventually hate your job," Krimer says.
It's so important to feel like your work matters. Though no one expects to get a trophy and a gift card to Sephora every time they do something good, it's perfectly understandable to be unhappy when there's no positive feedback. "If you don't feel valued, it's time to find ways to advocate for yourself and make sure that you get the acknowledgment you deserve," Krimer says.
Sometimes, communicating your feelings can make the workplace better. Perhaps a boss didn't realize they were being so negative, and now that they're aware, they have a chance to change their behavior. But if you feel unsafe sharing your feelings, have a boss who has ignored your previous requests, or know the whole office is full of unchanging negativity, you're probably in a toxic place that you'll eventually need to leave.
Toxic Workplace Checklist
If you're still not sure if your job has crossed over into the territory of my all-time-favorite Britney Spears song, Chrissy Macken, a career coach with a specialization in toxic workplaces, asks her clients these questions:
- Have you excused yourself from a meeting because you were so angry or frustrated?
- Do you dread the idea of staying in your job for another year?
- Do you feel like your manager doubts your ability to make smart decisions about your work?
- Are you assigned tasks from multiple supervisors with little or no regard for the work already given to you?
- Is your role constantly changing?
- Are you interrupted so often when you sit down to focus on a task that it's almost impossible to get work done?
- Do performance reviews feel like an ambush of negative feedback that you've never been clued into?
- Are you belittled or yelled at by your manager or colleagues?
- Have you cried at work?
If you said yes to three or more of those questions, you're probably in a toxic place, Macken says.
Sometimes, we get so used to a poor workplace that we don't even notice the signs of toxicity all around us. But if you're regularly crying, belittled, or so stressed that you can't focus on anything other than work, then things are officially toxic. Luckily, the experts have many ways to help you deal with and remove yourself from that horrible job.
What to Do About a Toxic Job
Remember It's Not Your Fault
"The most important way to handle a toxic job is to understand you're not the problem—it's a culture issue in which higher-ups enable abusers," says Deb Falzoi, founder of Dignity Together, a group that strives to end workplace bullying. Often, bosses get short-term results from being abusive, so superiors look the other way. Even if you made a mistake at work or had a bad day, you never deserve to be yelled at or abused. Their overreaction is not your fault.
Reminding yourself that you aren't the problem can help get you through the day, Falzoi says. Saying "it's not about me" to yourself may not stop a boss from yelling, but it does help you detach from that potential abuse. Falzoi asserts that this is not a good long-term solution (you can only compartmentalize your feelings for so long before they pop up elsewhere), but it might help for now.
Stop Checking Your Email
Avoiding your inbox may not seem like much of a solution, but it's a good step toward setting up boundaries and leaving work at the office. "Protect your time," Macken says. "Sometimes easier said than done, but do everything you can to limit the hours." She suggests taking a chunk of time in the morning (or whenever you're most productive) to focus on work without checking emails or taking meetings. "Communicate your strategy so others know you're setting healthy boundaries in the spirit of advancing the organization's work."
When you make yourself available at all hours for work, people will sometimes take advantage of that. When you politely, but firmly, let folks at the office know that you won't be catering to their every whim after 5 p.m., your coworkers might respect that, making work much more tolerable. Or, your boss will be a jerk about it and expect you to jump whenever they call. But trying to set boundaries at least gives you a chance at a better workplace.
Create a Going-Home Ritual
"One of the hardest aspects of being in a toxic work environment is that the negatives seep into all aspects of your life and also hurt the ones you love. For this reason, I recommend finding ways to be intentional about the transition from work to home," Macken says. She suggests creating a ritual that ends your work day and gets you into personal time mode.
"Perhaps it includes taking five minutes to write a list of open questions and to-do's for the following day that you can leave at the office," Macken says. You could also listen to a special happy playlist on the ride home or take a walk around the block before you step into your house. Just do something soothing for five minutes or more every day before you go home. This way, you get in the habit of relaxing your mind and letting work go, so you can actually enjoy your personal time.
Keep It Out of the Bedroom
If you can't get into the going-home ritual groove, at the very least, keep your work in the living room. "The bedroom is for bedroom things!" Krimer says. "Many of us bring so many things into our bed that hinder our ability to relax and even to sleep." By taking work to bed, you reduce your ability to rest, which makes you tired and more susceptible to all the negativity and stress of the office.
"Commit to never bringing your work into your space of peace—keep your work to one section of your home and don't let it leave that area!" Krimer says. If your job is so overwhelming you can't even keep your bed work-free, then perhaps it's time to make a bigger move.
Make an Escape Plan
"Toxicity is a symptom of a larger cultural problem that you are unlikely to fix on your own," Gurner says. "Your best bet in toxic environments is to bide your time and form an 'escape plan.'" Usually, you can't just up and quit a job, no matter how many times you've fantasized about pulling a Half-Baked and bailing. But you can make the decision to leave and start the process of finding something better.
"Start applying to other jobs now and plan to make a transition," Gurner says. Knowing the job isn't permanent can help you get through bad days while you do what you can to find something new. Yes, it's very hard to leave a job, and it takes work to find a new one. But if you're in a truly toxic place, it's worth it. It's scary, but you can find something better where your days aren't filled with dread.
Amber Petty is an L.A.-based writer and a regular contributor to Greatist. Follow along as she shares her weight-loss journey in her new bi-monthly column, Slim Chance. Take singing lessons from her via Sing A Different Tune and follow her on Instagram @Ambernpetty.
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5 Healthy Challenges to Try in 2019 If Dry January Isn't Your Thing
By the time the holidays are over, many people are maxed out on booze and ready to commit to Dry January—a month-long hiatus from all alcohol, beer, and wine. And while it’s true that after months of partying and drinking champagne like it's water, you might need to take a little break... is a whole month really necessary? For some, yes, it's the best thing to go cold turkey and not even sniff a martini. But if Dry January is one resolution you can't get behind, we get it.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a month dedicated to your health. Commit to a different challenge this year that might even be more beneficial to you than just giving up adult beverages. Consider one of these healthy alternatives, and come February, you could be feeling like a million bucks—all while enjoying a glass of wine here and there.
1. Sugar: It's Not You, It's Me
If holiday cookies are part of your daily diet, it might be time to break up with sugar in January. We're talking about avoiding the added sweet stuff that, plain and simple, does nothing for your health. You can still enjoy natural sweets like apples and dates, but the processed added sugar crap? Get rid of it (just for a month!).
Start by looking at food labels because you'll be shocked at how often "healthy foods" include sneaky sugars. (Tomato sauce and salad dressing, we’re looking at you.) Then, of course, cut the sodas, the sugary coffee drinks you got addicted to over the holidays, and the piece-of-chocolate nightcaps. "Sugar-free" may sound impossible, but the good news is you can still enjoy whole grains, cheese, and (hallelujah!) certain spirits like tequila when you need to take the edge off. Need some low-sugar recipe inspo? We have tons.
There are plenty of reasons to cut excess sugar, notes Beth Warren, RDN. “Foods with added sugar are typically heavily processed,” she says. “A diet high in heavily processed foods can, over time, contribute to chronic inflammation, which is connected to a slew of health issues like diabetes, cancer, and obesity. Foods with added sugars taste a lot sweeter than foods with natural sugars (duh) so removing them from your diet is a good way to decrease your sweet tooth.”
Basically, the less sweet stuff you eat, the less you're going to want it (eventually). Fill your plate with foods like quinoa, fish, fruits, and vegetables. After a few weeks, you might not miss the sugar at all... and by Valentine’s Day, you'll deserve that chocolate bar, but you might not even want it.
2. Commit to the Whole(30) Shebang
OK, this one is taking Dry January to a new level. Beyond alcohol, the Whole30 requires you to cut all the things: sugar, carbs, dairy, and all processed foods of any kind. If you want to go hard-core on an elimination diet, this plan has promising results.
“Whole30 may help you to lose weight and make you [feel better] if you have been eating a processed diet recently,” says Mary Phelps, CNS. (Yep, all of us after the holidays.) “If you have been consuming a diet high in inflammatory foods, the Whole30 will force you to remove these things from your diet. This will help reduce inflammation and make you feel less puffy and bloated.” (Again, all of us after the holidays.)
Just make sure to plan ahead—if you don’t have your meals and snacks prepped (which can be the hardest but most important aspect of any diet), that's when you’ll really want to cheat and reach for a pizza. Not sure where to get started? We got a beginner's guide just for you.
3. Don't Fear the Fruit
In this keto world we live in, fruit is frowned upon. We know some fruits can be high in sugar, but let's face it, it's natural. So, if you're not on keto, why not enjoy an apple a day? Nutritionist Amy Gorin, RDN, doesn’t like how some diets encourage you to cut out fruit a.k.a. nature’s sugar. In addition to eating a balanced diet, she encourages her clients to get their daily requirement of fruit: That’s two cups of fruit per day for men and women up to age 30, and one-and-a-half cups of fruit daily for men and women ages 31 to 50.
“I’ve seen many people reduce or cut out their intake of fruit when they’re trying to lose weight. But I’d advise against this,” she says. “Fruit offers many nutrients important for overall health, including fiber for healthy digestion and satiation, vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants that may help fight disease.”
Plus, studies show that seasonal winter fruits like citrus are full of antioxidants that may help cut your risk for cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. If you're wondering which fruits pack the most sugar, refer to this handy chart.
4. Skip the Gym for a Change
Instead of fighting for the next available treadmill at the over-crowded gym during January, spend more time at home to focus on your mental health (not how many calories you're burning). That's right: Commit to a mindfulness challenge.
This can include starting a daily meditation practice where you listen to a guided meditation at the same time every day (can be five minutes or five hours), write in a journal each morning or before bed to jot down intentions for the day ("I will only watch one episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" counts), or simply start paying attention to your breath for a few minutes each day.
“A mindfulness challenge will help you slow down and be in the moment,” says Erin Wathen, a certified life and weight-loss coach and author of Why Can’t I Stick to My Diet? “You may experience physical benefits, too, like lower blood pressure and reduced chronic headaches."
If practicing mindfulness doesn't appeal to you, at the very least, try to get more sleep. Wathen likes the idea of a sleep challenge, especially if you're a chronic yawner throughout the day. “Most people are chronically sleep-deprived, and it impacts our health, longevity, and even productivity at work,” she says. For the best chance at a good night's sleep, stop eating three hours before bedtime, turn off all devices 90 minutes before bed, and develop a nighttime calming routine (warm bath, hot tea, face mask, sex, etc.).
5. Bring Back the Daily Plank Challenge
If you're looking for a more tangible challenge, make it a physical one. We know "the plank challenge" was a hit on social media a few years ago, but a strong core never goes out of style.
Start with a 20-30 second plank and work your way up to a five-minute hold (!!!) by month’s end. You can follow an online calendar or make up your own version. Core strength is helpful for many reasons, including eliminating back pain, improving your balance and stability, and improving posture.
The Bottom Line
It’s easy to get swept up in a month when your feed is constantly reminding you to detox from drinking, lose weight, and go to the gym. But remember, do what feels best for your body and don't overdo it: Moderation is key.
“I would take a pause and evaluate a challenge that sounds extreme before adopting it,” Gorin says. “Even a challenge that involves drinking a lot of water can be dangerous, depending on how much water it’s suggesting. If you’re not sure a challenge is a good idea, run it by a healthcare provider first.”
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The 12 Stages of Shopping for the Perfect Pair of Leggings
The struggle is too real when it comes to shopping for leggings that will lift, shape, and hold you like you've never been held before. Searching for the perfect pair can be more exhausting than lifting weights or running a half-marathon (OK, not really, but you get the idea), so you can totally relate to these feelings…
1. How you imagine the day going:
2. How you actually feel when you walk into the store:
3. Trying to decide between solid black leggings because they go with everything or rocking a bold pattern because you only own black.
4. You hit the fitting room and remember that trying them on is the freaking worst.
5. And the only thing harder than getting them on is getting them off.
6. How you feel after trying on fifty 'leven pairs:
7. TFW absolutely nothing is working and you start wondering why you ever left the house.
8. Until you slip into a pair that smoothes, shapes, and makes your butt look incredible.
9. Holding back actual tears because you finally understand the meaning of the proverb, "Good things come to those who wait.
10. Watch out, world, I'm never taking these babies off.
11. Arriving to your yoga class like:
12. You can die happy knowing you've found your perfect match...
Princess Gabbara is a multimedia journalist and storyteller. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @PrincessGabbara. Visit her website at princessgabbara.com.
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Is Buying Used Workout Clothes Genius or Disgusting?
After a day of thrift store shopping, I came home and dumped my bag of newfound treasure onto the couch to show my boyfriend, Mike.
Let me tell you something about Mike: The guy has owned the same pair of jeans since 2014 and has a pair of Crocs for each season (his winter pair has a fuzzy lining, and I walk a steady 15 paces behind him when he wears those behemoths in public). And while he clearly isn't a fashionista, every time I go thrift shopping, he is usually excited and intrigued by my finds.
After showing him my vintage Levi's and Vince sweater, both of which elicited an enthusiastic thumbs up, I held up my most precious find of the day, a mint pair of Girlfriend Collective leggings. "Workout pants? Burn those," he said with more concern in his voice than snark.
Before you go all Team Mike on me, hear me out:
Working out is inherently expensive when you start adding up the prices of the boutique classes, outfits, gym bags, grippy socks, and extra gear like yoga mats and cute water bottles.
Call me crazy, but I would rather spend my money on trying new fitness classes than on new sports bras. That being said, I also appreciate the quality and longevity of higher-priced athleisure brands—when I buy lower-quality pieces, I find they lack support, ride down, lose elasticity in the wash, and when I bend over—well, you know. If I end up hating them and not wearing them more than twice, their "cost per wear" ends up being much higher than the Lululemon and Outdoor Voices clothing I've purchased secondhand.
With that mentality, I've confidently bought and sold used workout clothes many times without any qualms. That was, until Mike suggested I set my new pants aflame.
Suddenly, I wasn't so sure: Are used workout clothes gross? Am I gross?
I spoke to friends who I've personally witnessed sprinting into vintage flea markets like cheetahs after antelopes to buy 80s jeans and pill-laden wool sweaters. To my surprise, these same women told me that they would never buy used athletic clothes.
While I can understand the potential for grossness (I draw the line at bathing suits. I'm not that wild!), much of the activewear and—here comes the buzzword—athleisure you'll find on the market is previously unworn. Poshmark and ThredUp, both of which are platforms for buying and selling used clothes, have categories devoted entirely to clothing that is NWT ("New With Tags"). A quick search on ThredUp yields more than 9,000 pieces of new activewear, many of which are discounted more than 50 percent.
Convinced yet?
If you're shopping in secondhand stores like Goodwill or Buffalo Exchange, it's likely that the workout clothes you find will be (at least) gently used. While sweat is made up primarily of water and is not particularly "germy," I get it—it can still feel super weird to try on leggings that you know another woman has squatted in while heavily perspiring.
But Eric Leland D.O., of Summa Akron City Hospital, says, "The only thing you might be concerned about transmitting is fungus and yeast, and as long as the clothes are washed at a high enough temperature, any bacteria will die and you'll be fine." After all—the risk of buying used workout clothes is no greater than the risk of buying any type of secondhand clothes, and if you really stop to think about it, anything you try on new in a store has been tried on before by countless others.
Like any used item, give them a good once-over.
If you're in an actual store, look at the most vulnerable areas of the piece (for leggings, think inner thighs, crotch) to make sure the fabric hasn't worn thin. Check for pilling and make sure the waist or the band of the bra isn't stretched out by gently pulling it to see if it snaps back into place.
Per the doctor's orders, you want to make sure that your clothes reach a temperature of at least 150 degrees before wearing, which will kill any bacteria, germs, or bed bugs (sorry, we had to go there.) The majority of activewear is made of synthetic fabric (polyester, nylon, spandex, acrylic, and acetate), which won't shrink from high heat and can even be boiled before washing. For extra odor removal, sprinkle baking soda on the clothes and let them sit for an hour or so before washing.
Because it's a known disinfectant, you can also attack potential bacteria by adding a half cup of distilled white vinegar into the washing machine, which will help remove any lingering funky smells and soften clothes. Don't panic: The smell of vinegar dissipates quickly so you won't go to Spin class smelling like salt and vinegar chips (delicious, but not a good way to make workout friends). Always dry the clothes on the dryer's hottest setting.
Aside from the obvious financial perks, buying used activewear is also a way to nudge the world in a slightly more sustainable direction.
Not to toot my own horn, but I bought leggings made from recycled materials secondhand, which is about as environmentally friendly as you can get without constructing them out of composted banana peels. (Wait... am I on to something?)
And some businesses are jumping on the reuse/recycle bandwagon: Patagonia offers a program called "Worn Wear," where you can buy deeply discounted and lightly worn Patagonia gear or you can donate your old Patagonia clothes and in return receive a store credit that can be used toward new gear. The North Face has a similar program called "Clothes the Loop," where you can donate any unwanted clothing or footwear (it can be of any brand), and The North Face will send the clothes to its nonprofit partner, Soles4Souls, and give you $10 off any purchase greater than $100.
But hey, if buying used clothes isn't for you, that's OK!
After all, there are plenty of organizations and people like me out there who will happily take them off your hands. If you're starting to think running a mile in someone else's leggings isn't gross, check it out for yourself! You might save a pretty penny on some quality gear and help our planet at the same time. As for me, Mike and I agreed that I'll stop buying used workout clothes when he retires his Crocs. Which is to say never.
Grace Gallagher is a freelance writer living in Portland, Oregon. She's a lover of coffee, thrift store shopping, salt, poetry, watching cooking competitions on TV, and workouts that incorporate lying down. You can see more of her work at www.gracelgallagher.com.
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9 Easy Beauty Hacks for Lazy People Who Want to Look Good
What I want from my skin- and hair-care routine: maximum benefits for the absolute minimum effort. Basically, I want to take off my makeup only once every three days with a paper towel and some dish soap and still have glowing, healthy skin. Is that really too much to ask?
Well, yeah, definitely, but thanks to some very understanding beauty pros, all the other slackers and I still stand a chance of looking good. The best part? You don't even have to be awake for all of these tips. Follow the advice below and you can look and feel like you tried without doing much of anything.
1. Invest in a Silk Pillowcase
Silk, unlike cotton, won't suck up the moisture from your hair and skin. A silk pillowcase can also decrease the number of sleep lines you wake up with. "Your skin doesn't scrunch up on a silk pillowcase, so your face will look more refreshed in the morning," says Debra Jaliman, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and author of Skin Rules: Trade Secrets from a Top New York Dermatologist. A crowd favorite that gets Jaliman's approval: the Slip Silk Pure Silk pillowcase.
2. Turn on the Humidifier
Not only will it keep your sinuses from drying up, turning on a good-quality humidifier (not a diffuser), like a cool-mist Crane, is also good for your skin. "Sleeping with a humidifier on will help your moisturizer be more effective," says Mary Irwin, a makeup artist in New York City. A dry room will suck up moisture wherever it can get it—including from your face. Keeping your bedroom hydrated will help your skin stay that way too.
3. Try an Overnight Face Mask
Another way to wake up with dewy skin: An overnight mask is perfect for those of us who can't be bothered with anything that needs to be rinsed off or timed. "I'm obsessed with Herbivore Botanicals Moon Fruit night treatment. I put it on before bed and wake up with skin that looks like I spent all day at the spa," Irwin says. Another great option: Rodial Dragon's Blood hyaluronic mask (Note: No dragons were harmed in the making of this product).
4. Wrap Your Hair in a Microfiber Towel
No matter what kind of hair you have, you can cut down on drying time (and decrease frizz) by using a microfiber towel, like this great one from Aquis, after showering. These kinds of towels dry your hair quickly without as much damage as a regular bath towel.
5. Do Double Duty With Your Hair Products
If you have natural hair, stylist Kendall Dorsey suggests gently detangling after washing and adding a combination of gel for control and cream for hydration. Dorsey loves Oribe Curl Gloss Hydration and Hold and Rich Hair Care curl enhancing cream. Apply using the "shingling method" by spreading the product from root to end with a comb, stretching and smoothing hair in a downward direction, to get definition and length.
If you have curly hair, Dorsey suggests applying a restorative conditioner (like the Oribe Antidote) to your wet hair and hand-twisting sections so your hair both keeps its curl pattern and gets some TLC as it dries.
For straight hair you want to curl, stylist Felix Fischer suggests a "treatment pony" that will make you look and feel like someone who's good at adulting: Apply a moisturizing hair mask (Fischer loves Evolis Professional treatment mask), then brush your hair into a simple high ponytail and secure with a gentle hair elastic. Using a 1/4-inch hair wand, wrap one-inch sections of hair from the pony around the wand, but leave out the ends. Keep going until the whole ponytail is curled. Apply texturizing cream and shake out the curls for texture and volume.
6. Dryer Sheets to the Rescue
If your self-care has really hit on hard times, try running a dryer sheet across your hair in lieu of shampoo. "It sounds strange, but it's actually quite effective for picking up static, dirt, and oil," Fischer says.
7. The Five-Minute Face
"I do a five-minute face almost every day," Irwin says. Honestly, you can probably do it in three if you're really crunched for time. If you're a makeup person, start with a tinted moisturizer, then dab on concealer with two fingers to wake up those eyes. Add a cream blush, brow gel, and a swipe of mascara. A bold lip for the final touch and you're ready to go.
8. Stick to One Creamy Shade
Don't have five minutes for your face? "If you really don't have the time, keep your makeup monochromatic," Irwin says. Staying in the same color family will simplify decisions, and if you choose a product with a creamy consistency, you can use it on eyelids, lips, and cheeks. For lighter skin tones, Irwin recommends Stila convertible color in Camellia; for dark skin tones, NARS multiple stick in Maui.
9. Keep Makeup Wipes By Your Bed
Both Jaliman and Irwin implore you to take off your makeup before bed, and they recommend cleansing wipes if you can't be bothered with lathering. "Often these wipes have very good ingredients that actually brighten your skin," Jaliman says. Irwin's a fan of keeping micellar water wipes on hand. Burt's Bees has lovely smelling wipes with (mostly) clean ingredients and an attractive price point.
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The Super-Common Issue That Makes Losing Weight Harder
If you're trying to lose weight, you're probably going to run into some obstacles along the way (like figuring how to still enjoy a regular rotation of desserts). And if you're one of the 40 million Americans who struggles with an anxiety disorder—the most common mental illness in the U.S.—your anxiety is probably going to be one of those weight-loss obstacles too.
Let's take a look at some of the ways it could be affecting your goals—and, more importantly, what to do so you can get back on track and get your anxiety (win!) and your weight loss (double-win!) under control.
1. Anxiety can mess with your sleep, and bad sleep patterns can make it harder to lose weight.
Getting plenty of high-quality sleep is a must for weight loss (a study from the University of Chicago found that lack of sleep can reduce fat loss by a whopping 55 percent). But if you struggle with anxiety, catching enough zzzs can be a real challenge.
"Anxiety can cause disrupted sleep and, in turn, increased fatigue. Both of these things can cause you to crave unhealthy foods, burn fewer calories, and decrease your willpower to avoid unhealthy food," says Sari Chait, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist based in Newton, Massachusetts.
When you don't get enough sleep, not only are your defenses down—making it harder to make diet and exercise choices that support your weight-loss goals—but sleep deprivation also throws your body's hunger system completely out of whack. That same University of Chicago study found that participants who got less sleep produced more ghrelin (a hormone that sounds like something Phoebe Cates would have to slay in an 80s classic, but which actually triggers hunger) than participants who slept a full eight hours.
2. Anxiety can cause cortisol to spike—which can actually stimulate fat production.
Speaking of hormones, anxiety is also correlated with increased levels of cortisol, which is arguably the body's public enemy No. 1 if you're trying to lose weight.
"Cortisol is believed to be released when we experience heightened levels of stress or anxiety," Chait says. "Some research suggests that increased levels of cortisol can cause weight gain or make it harder to lose weight."
When your body's "fight-or-flight" response is triggered, as it does when you're feeling anxious, your body starts producing more cortisol, which can mess with your metabolism. Cortisol is a stress hormone that causes your body to release sugar—basically, your body hears that you're stressed out and thinks you need a burst of sugar to provide you with energy (like to run away from a tiger, except, in this case, the tiger is a public-speaking engagement). "This can cause an increase in appetite and a craving for sweet, high-fat, and salty foods," says Vanessa Rissetto, RD.
An overabundance of cortisol has also been linked to increased fat around the abdomen (also known as "visceral fat"), which can be resistant to traditional weight-loss efforts like diet and exercise.
3. Anxiety can make it harder to make healthy food choices.
"People with anxiety may have a hard time making decisions about what to eat, resulting in them eating more unhealthy food," Chait says. It's also much easier to lose track of what you're eating when you're feeling anxious—and that distracted eating can add up to extra pounds on the scale. "Similarly, anxiety can cause people to be distracted, which may cause them to eat aimlessly, paying less attention to what they're eating or how much they're eating."
4. Anxiety can make it harder to get to the gym.
Exercise can absolutely help you lose weight (among many other health benefits). But when you're feeling anxious and overwhelmed, lacing up your shoes and going to the gym is usually the last thing you feel like doing—which is probably why studies show a connection between anxiety and a lower rate of participation in physical activity.
"When some people are anxious, they move and exercise less," Chait says. And the less you move, the harder it is for your body to burn calories (and for you to lose weight in the process). "Metabolism will slow down with decreased physical activity."
Clearly, anxiety and weight loss do not play well in the sandbox together, but enough about the problem. Let's talk about the solution.
Get Your Anxiety Under Control (and Your Weight Loss on Track)
1. Keep an anxiety journal by your bed.
If your anxiety is keeping you up at night, try keeping a journal next to your bed. Every time you find yourself struggling with an anxious thought or feeling, write it down. Getting your anxiety out of your head and onto paper can make it feel less pressing or immediate, which can help you let go of the anxiety and get to sleep.
2. Try mindfulness meditation.
If you need a secret weapon to battle your anxiety, your best bet is meditation. In particular, mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness practice, which involves focusing on the present moment, has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and lower the body's stress responses (including hormone and inflammatory responses). And the best part? You can start reaping the anxiety-reducing benefits after a single session.
To get started with mindfulness meditation, you can do it on your own or with a guide. To try it alone, just sit comfortably and close your eyes. Focus on your breath. When thoughts pop up (which they 100-percent will!), acknowledge them and bring your attention back to the breath. Rinse and repeat every time you get distracted by a thought.
You can also use an app to help guide you through meditation, which can be a great place to start—especially if the idea of meditating feels a bit intimidating. One good choice is the new app Awaken, which offers a whole host of Buddhism-inspired guided meditations as short as two minutes for de-stressing and self-care.
3. Coax yourself into hitting the gym (or at least taking a walk).
Getting to the gym or outside for a workout can feel so overwhelming when you're struggling with anxiety—but it's one of the best things you can do. Exercise helps you lose weight, but it's also been shown to lower physical and mental symptoms of anxiety and improve mood and sleep—all of which will help you lose weight. It's like a positive feedback loop that will leave you feeling better mentally and physically.
If your anxiety is making it hard to work out on a regular basis, start slow. Research shows that a 10-minute walk can be just as effective for relieving anxiety as longer, more intense exercise—and once your anxiety is in check, it'll be easier to get to the gym and start doing the kinds of workouts that will move the needle on the scale.
The important part is to start small, then increase your involvement, which will lead to less anxiety and more assurance: Short walks can lead to longer walks, which can lead to alternating walking/running, and on to a 5K. Set goals along the way for continued improvement, but start wherever you are and keep on it. It also helps a lot to let somebody know what you plan to do—talking about it helps solidify a goal.
Deanna deBara is a freelance writer and accidental marathon runner living in Portland, OR. Keep up with her running adventures on Instagram @deannadebara.
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