budget workouts

Is your gym membership becoming a little too costly?

I know the feeling.

However, you can still feel the burn without setting your paycheck on fire. By investing in a few simple (and cheap) gadgets, you can create a personal home gym that will keep you in fightin' shape.

Here's a list of some of my favorite at-home workout essentials:

• Resistance Bands- These are truly great. They give you long, lean muscles and take up no space, so you can pack them whenever you travel. They are also super cheap! A must have.


• Jump Rope- A great easy workout to rev your heart rate and work the entire body. This also travels extremely well and you can purchase them pretty much anywhere. I think CVS even sells them.


• Exercise Balls- Use these for ab-work and cardio. They are also fun to sit on if you have recently moved and don't have any furniture.


• A "Step"- I know these were huge in the 80's but they really work. Not only can you dance your pants off to your own personal "step class," you can also use them for cardio, weight training, lunges, leg lifts and jumps.


• Hand Weights-Pretty cheap and extremely effective. Personally, I think that weight machines bulk me up and are often uncomfortable for my small frame. I like the personal control that I have with hand weights and I always see better results. You can pick up a pair of 3 or 5 pound weights at target for less than $15 bucks. Pretty good deal.

For those of you who are interested in exploring options outside the home, I suggest looking into purchasing a bike or participating in a group sport activity. Group personal training sessions are another way to save money. Many gyms, yoga & pilates studio's offer reduced rates if you sign up for a group session and split with a friend.

Finally, one of the cheapest and most effective gadgets you can purchase is a pedometer. You can literally buy these anywhere-so you can choose between modest dollar store versions or super chic ones that offer calorie counts and heart rates. Look into this. By simply monitoring how many steps you take a day, you'll push yourself to get a little more active.

All of those tiny steps really do add up.

*Image via Creative Commons

beach buns

Do you need to get your buns in gear?

Chill out. The secret to perkier buns is easier than you might think! If you need to tone up down below before you slip on your bikini, I suggest you start doing lunges. Although they can get a little tedious, lunges and squats are your glutes best friend.

Try the routine below for some quick lift!

• Alternate jogging, sprinting & walking uphill on a treadmill or outside for at least 20 minutes.


• 30 lunges per side. Make sure not to alternate legs-you need to exhaust the muscle group.


• 15 leg lifts per side. (15 front, 15 side, 15 back.)


• 30 squats


• 30 jumpees or plie's (for all you dancers.)


• Jump rope for 2 minutes.


• Cool down/ stretching

*Photo of Jessica Alba's Booty via Creative Commons

put down the snickers

Snacking is important. Eating small, healthy meals every few hours keeps your metabolism humming along and stops you from ravenously hitting the drive-thru on your way home from work. Be sure to keep these snacks handy and you may find yourself hitting the vending machines less often.

Salty/ More Savory Snacks
Kashi TLC Snack Cracker Pack- 130 cals
10 Olives- 90 calories
1/2 Cup Cherry Tomatoes- 94 cals
1 Container Fage Yogurt- 173 cals
Popchips- 100 cals (1 serving)
1 Tbsp Hummus & 16 Baby Carrots- 100 cals

Sweet Treats

Nesquick Chocolate Milk- 100 cals
Emerald Nuts Cocoa Roast Almonds- 100 Calories (100 Cal Pack)
Weight Watchers Brownie- 120 cals
Sugar Free Jello- 10 cals
Sugar Free Puddings- 60 cals

*Image via Creative Commons

*Nutritional Information Compliments of www.shape.com

Slenderita !

I'm in love.

Having a Rita's Water Ice one block away from my apartment is kind of a curse. Fortunately, the kind people at Rita's discovered a way to save my figure before bikini season.

It's called Slenderita!

Slenderita is Rita's brand new, fat-free soft serve treat that is delicious solo or atop your favorite water ice flavor! So, how is Slenderita different from regular custard? Well, a regular cup of Rita's custard will set you back about 330 calories.

Slenderita saves your waist by whittling away 100 of those calories without sacrificing any flavor. Seriously, this stuff tastes exactly the same.

Below I've listed the calorie counts for both Slenderita and Rita's delicious Sugar Free Water Ice, along with some of your favorite toppings. Yum!

Slenderita
Kids: 160 Cal
Regular: 230 Cal
Large: 300 Cal

Sugar Free Water Ice
Kids: 80 Cal
Regular: 130 Cal
Large: 210 Cal

Toppings
Cake Cone: 10 Cal
Waffle Cone: 40 Cal
Sprinkles: 35 Cal
Hot Fudge: 90 Cal
Hot Caramel: 90 Cal
M & M'S: 110 Cal
Oreo's: 140 Cal


*Nutritional Information Courtesy of www.ritasice.com
*Photo via Creative Commons

road trip

Do you need to spice up your regular Saturday routine?

If so, I've put together a road trip through Philly to brighten your day. Here you will find a list of my favorite city spots that will offer you a fun and healthy way to spend your next weekend. This little excursion commences at the 15th & locust area and it clocks in at slightly over 6 miles. woo hoo! Do you feel skinnier yet?

Don't worry, I aim to please, so there's a little something for everyone on this guided tour.

THE LIST

• Hit up the Reading Terminal for a mid morning bite at 12th & Arch.


• Next, mosey on down to the Philadelphia Magic Gardens, located on 1020 South Street. This spot is perfect if you have a mixed group of museum buffs and visitor's who would rather enjoy the sights and sounds than wander around a cold museum. The Magic Gardens is a gorgeous, mosaic masterpiece that encompasses 3 city lots on South Street. The gardens are both indoor and outdoor. Those of you with large wallets can even return home with your own priceless work of art. Plus, if you are willing to spend $200, you can purchase the "volunteer/artist for the day" package, which gives you the opportunity to mosaic with the artist, Isaiah Zagar.


• After taking in some South Street sights, a la Condom Kingdom, antique stores & the like- you can head to Jim's on 4th & South for a cheese steak. If you're in the mood for something a little nicer, head over to the Italian market and you'll find yummy dishes and fun vendors.


• After you've enjoyed some lunch, head back to Center City and take a stroll through Rittenhouse Square Park. If you can get a table, stop by Rouge or Parc for a beverage.
  
• Feeling super energetic? Go ahead and take in the architectural delights on W. 20th Street, where you'll find The Franklin Institute, Academy of Natural Sciences, Cathedral and The Free Library of Philadelphia.
  

By the time you make it home, you will have walked a good 6 plus miles! Talk about earning your cocktails!

*Mileage via googlemaps.com

there's how many?

So if you live in Philly, you are either pleasantly surprised by the emergence of calories on the local menus or you are seriously pissed off. Frankly, I can understand both sides. For some people, eating out is reserved for a special occasion and no one really counts calories at birthday dinners, special dates and the like. On the other hand, quite a few of us Philadelphians tend to eat out more than we probably should, due to our busy schedules and the convenience factor.

Those of us who make the regular pit-stop at starbucks on our way to work can probably guess that grabbing that old fashioned glazed doughnut will ruin our diet (clocks in around 420 cals) but would you think the same about a pecan scone, zucchini walnut muffin or cup of soup? Not necessarily.

Last Thursday night, I returned from class at 9 p.m. seriously hungry and in no mood to cook. So I headed to my neighborhood cosi for a quick sandwich. As I waited in line to pay, I was absolutely shocked to discover that the "Cosi sangria" beverage totaled 706 calories! Were they joking when they created this? In addition, their tuna melt (a seemingly healthy choice when looking at items described as buffalo blue chicken) came to a grand total of 874 calories. This really frightened me. While the majority of the calories listed wouldn't shock you--many of the items that we often consider to be the "healthy choice" are actually far worse than you could imagine. I almost fell over when I saw that the healthiest item at my Starbucks was a large rice krispy treat! You know we've got problems when marshmallow treats are considered a low cal choice.

In light of this dilemma, I've created a list of some of the best and worst choices when visiting Cosi and Starbucks. (I figured these are two of the most popular and convenient spots for drinks, snacks and quick eats at reasonable prices.) Hopefully, you'll be better prepared during your next visit...







Starbucks

You Better Not...

Zucchini Walnut Muffin: 490 Calories

Maple Oat Pecan Scone: 440 Cal

Old Fashioned Glazed Doughnut: 420 Cal

Double Chocolate Brownie: 410 Cal

Why not?

Marshmallow Dream Bar/ Rice Krispie Treat: 210 Cal

One Mini Glazed Doughnut: 120 Cal

Cosi

Were they joking?

Tuna Melt: 874 Calories

Cosi Sangria: 706 Cal

Chocolate Chip Muffin: 506 Cal

New England Clam Chowder: 440 Cal

You could do worse.

Grilled Alaskan Salmon Salad: 457 Calories

TBM Light: 372 Cal

Lemonade: 300 Cal

Shanghai Chicken Salad: 313 Cal

Tomato Basil Soup: 225 Cal

Fruit Salad: 84 Cal

Iced Tea: 26 Cal

*Nutritional Information Courtesy of www.getcosi.com & www.starbucks.com

Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons

loving lululemon

Spring has officially arrived, which means that it's time to throw away those gross dark sweatpants and ratty t-shirts in exchange for some chic new workout gear. Lululemon athletica probably makes the cutest, best-fitting workout clothes for women. Unfortunately, they are located two blocks from my apartment. Don't I have the worst luck? Sometimes I feel the need to restrain myself when I walk by. Either way, here are some of their cute new offerings. This gear is fun, flirty and colorful- so prepare to get catcalls from the construction workers on your way to yoga.

No Limit Tank in Coal/Lavender: http://shop.lululemon.com/No_Limit_Tank/pd/c/530/np/530/p/2131.html

Groove Crop in Black/Splatter Stripe: http://shop.lululemon.com/Groove_Crop_II/pd/c/570/np/570/p/1034.html

Run For Fun Dress in Lagoon: http://shop.lululemon.com/RunFor_Fun_Dress/pd/c/580/np/580/p/2179.html

Hot Yogi Tank in Black: http://shop.lululemon.com/Hot_Yogi_Tank/pd/c/530/np/530/p/2190.html

You can check out the entire Lululemon Athletica line by visiting www.lululemon.com

*Images Compliments of Lululemon Athletica www.lululemon.com