Every January I find myself inspired by how many people are at my gym tackling their fitness and weight-loss resolutions head-on! Unfortunately, by mid-February many of these people have fallen off the wagon and given up on their weight-loss goals. So, I found myself wondering,“How can I keep myself on track?” I found that these techniques helped to reboot my New Years Resolutions and helped me to re-commit to my 2015 health goals!
1.Make your goals realistic. Many eager “resolutionaries” aim high and set their fitness goals at an unachievable level. This is one of the main reasons people give up on their resolutions: they just aren’t realistic. Instead of failing to reach your goal and giving up completely, use this opportunity to tweak your goal to make it more realistic. For example, maybe your resolution was to go to the gym every day. Modify these unrealistic resolutions—commit to exercising at least 3 times a week to start with. When you set yourself up for success, the positive reinforcement when you do succeed will motivate you to achieve even further!
2.Exercise in the morning. When you start your day with exercise, you are setting the tone for the rest of the day to be healthy. Not only will you be more energized throughout the day, but studies have also shown that people who work out in the mornings are more likely to stick to their exercise habits.
3.Get re-motivated with a weight-loss program. Some people might find themselves feeling discouraged if they have been exercising and eating right but just aren’t seeing the results they want. If this is the case, a weight-loss program tailored to help you maximize your results might be the thing that you’re missing. Planet Beach has a number of weight-loss programs that allow you to combine a healthy diet and exercise with an affordable product & service regime so that you can blast calories, reduce cellulite, and tighten/tone your skin in a luxury spa environment.
4.Find a resolution buddy. Recruit a health-conscious friend, or a friend with similar health goals, to hold you accountable and keep you motivated to eat well and work out, even when it’s unappealing. People are more likely to succeed when they have someone to hold them accountable. This is also a great way to multi-task during your day—you get to work out and catch up with a friend at the same time!
5.Think outside the box. Don’t give up on your goals just because they’re difficult. If you hate the gym, find another way to work out—run outside or sign up for a fun kickboxing, cycling, or Zumba class! If you always choose pasta over vegetables, use a vegetable spiralizer to make zucchini/squash/carrot pasta! If you want to exercise but don’t have much extra time to devote to it, try a jump-roping or interval training workout—these have been proven to burn more calories in less time than a traditional cardio workout.
6.Re-focus with sleep and meditation. Weight-loss goals are mostly physical work, but they also require mental resolve. A sleepy brain is a lazy brain, and it can be really difficult to have the motivation and willpower to eat well and exercise properly if you are unfocused and overworked mentally. Make the time to get your mind in tune with your goals with meditation and sleep, and ultimately you will find it easier to make these changes in your life. Still finding it difficult to unwind at the end of the day? Try a guided meditation session combined with a relaxing massage at Planet Beach to soothe and re-focus your mind. The benefits from this will overlap as you improve both your mental and physical health!
So, what do you think? Are you ready to REBOOT YOUR RESOLUTION? Lets get started NOW!
An average American watching the Superbowl will consume about 1,200 calories (and 50 grams of fat) just during the game. For some people, this is equal to the recommended number of calories to consume in one entire day! Preparation is necessary for you not to undo all the progress you’ve made on your weight-loss New Years resolutions–so, use these tips from Planet Beach to stay healthy on Superbowl Sunday without having to sacrifice a fun-filled afternoon of friends, snacks, and football.
Be active before the game
This Sunday, the game won’t be starting until 6:30pm EST, giving you ample time to hit the gym no matter which time zone you live in. To kick-start your metabolism as much as possible before the festivities (and calorie binging) begin, do an interval cardio workout. Interval training is when you vary your speed and intensity during a shorter workout, usually lasting about half an hour. This type of workout actually builds up your oxygen capacity while exercising, burns calories, and even produces a post-workout effect that leaves your metabolism operating at a higher level of efficiency for hours after you’re done exercising—allowing you to partake in Superbowl fun guilt-free.
Don’t go to the game starving
Have a healthy meal or two before the game that’s packed with nutrients and be sure to take a PB Enrich Multivitamin pack with your meal, so you can maximize vitamin absorption. The rest of the world is probably not on the same page as you when it comes to choosing nutritious snack alternatives (I mean are carrot sticks vs BBQ wings even really a choice?), but you are more likely to control your portions and not binge on calorie-packed, low-nutrient snacks if you aren’t starving when the party starts.
BYOS—bring your own snacks
What kind of foods do you expect to see at a Superbowl party? Nachos, pizza, wings, fries, and chips all come to mind. Giving into temptation could ruin your calorie intake for the entire week, but asking someone not to snack on Superbowl Sunday is like asking Marshawn Lynch to give up Skittles. Come prepared with some of your own snacks like this one!
Alternate with water
Superbowl parties are usually filled not only with massive spreads of food, but also massive amounts of beer drinking. Be mindful of the amount of liquid calories and carbs you are taking in during the day and try to alternate every alcoholic drink with a glass of water. This will help you battle bloat and keep you hydrated, so you don’t need to worry about a post-Superbowl hangover at work on Monday.
Sweat out your calories after the game
The day after the game, make some time to visit the SlimCapsule or SauntaTox at your local Planet Beach to sweat out all the toxins from the previous day and burn off some of the extra calories. Both these services utilize dry heat to raise your body’s core temperature, allowing you to relax in a spa environment, while detoxifying from your indulgences during the Super Bowl.
Do you have any tips for staying healthy during the Super Bowl? Share them below!
“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Make it a good one.” – Brad Paisley
A New Year is a time for promises—the promise of a fresh start and a blank page, and the promises that you make to yourself to ensure that this year will be better than the last. These promises are also called new years resolutions! In order to make the most of your fresh start and the New Year, most resolutions should be centered on how to make you the best version possible of yourself. According to the American Institute of Stress (AIS), 44% of Americans report feeling more stressed out today than they did 5 years ago. Also according to AIS, stress is one of the major factors in all human illness and disease. Lets make 2015 an opportunity to unwind and relax: your body and brain will thank you for it! Here are some examples of resolutions that every modern woman can easily incorporate into her life to positively take control of her mental and physical health and well-being.
Relax
1. Make time for yourself. A modern working woman has so much to balance in her life—a job, a family, managing a household. Juggling all these can make it a challenge to find time to pamper yourself, but a Hydromassage or a session in the Dreamwave Massage Chair at your local Planet Beach can give you the affordable and time-effective relaxation you need so that you can better balance that juggling act with a clear and focused head!
2. Don’t let work consume your life–Spend more time with family and friends! According to AIS, over the last twenty years there has been a 60% increase in productivity and relatively stagnant wages—meaning most people are working harder for less money. They also report that work-related stress causes 10% of all strokes. Do yourself a favor and spend more time with the people in your life that love and care about you. I guarantee, these memories with loved ones are what you will look back on and smile.
3. Limit social media. The social media craze has become somewhat of an addiction—and not a healthy one. Constantly checking in on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc is the opposite of relaxing. According to non-profit organization Anxiety UK, pressures from social media can act as a tipping point for anxiety, making people feel more insecure and more overwhelmed. Instead of wasting your time attached to your smartphone, unplug and get off the grid—and use this time to spend with your family, catch up on a hobby, or read a book!
Glow
1. Exercise and eat right. The vast majority of women in America probably resolve each year to exercise more and change their eating habits for the better. But keep in mind–its easy to decide that a New Year is the best time to make some rather drastic and ambitious changes in your life, but to truly ingrain these healthy routines its better to be realistic about what you will actually be able to accomplish—that way you are more likely to stick with them and not have given up on that extreme diet and workout regime by mid-February! It’s generally a good idea to start with baby steps and go with the momentum from there. Combine a healthy diet and workout regimen with a membership at a local Planet Beach and take advantage of the SlimCapsule or Sauntatox—these will amplify the results you see from your healthy new lifestyle and help you accomplish your weight-loss goals.
2. Take care of your skin. To get that glowing complexion, it’s important to eat right and wash your face (of course), but take advantage of the services offered at your local Planet Beach Spa, as well. If you haven’t tried them out yet, check out Planet Beach’s red light therapy facial or try a session in one of our hydration stations. These treatments, combined with a healthy diet and one of our skincare regimes, are guaranteed to give you a fresh face and a “glow from within” look.
3. Drink More Water. This is probably the easiest resolution on this list, and one of the most effective. Staying on top of your hydration has a myriad of positive health benefits, including improved mood and energy and lowered risk of some diseases. It also has a tremendous effect on your skin—according to Kenneth Ellner, a dermatologist in Atlanta, “Dehydration makes your skin look more dry and wrinkled, which can be improved with proper hydration.”
Renew
1. Take advantage of the clean slate of a New Year to eliminate some of your unhealthy habits. For example, quit smoking and drink less alcohol—your mind and body will thank you for it! While it can be admittedly difficult to cut some of the unhealthier vices from our lives, try to take control of some of these unhealthy practices by utilizing the benefits of mediation in the New Year. If self-control is still a challenge and you find meditation to be difficult to achieve on your own, treat yourself to a few sessions of guided meditation at your local Planet Beach—the power of positive thinking, combined with a little external guidance is an affordable and realistic way to improve and renew your health.
2. Save Money. RIP to all the money I spent on eating takeout and buying things I didn’t need. Try to save money in 2015 by making your own meals and packing your own lunches to take to work. Hold off on buying that impulse purchase, or take advantage of flash sale sites such as gilt.com or ideeli.com. If you want to splurge on an item, wait 48 hours before purchasing—if you still cant get it off your mind, then it might be worth buying, but more often than not, you’ll forget about that item and save yourself money hard earned. Who knows—if you save enough by the end of 2015 by trading in your Starbucks beverage for a homemade latte, you might be able to treat yourself to something huge you deserve—like a vacation, or an expensive treat that you’ve been coveting.
What are your New Year Resolutions? Do you have any tips for our fellow readers? Share them in the comments below!
There are so many reasons to love the holiday season; I don’t even know where to begin. From the cheerful and catchy jingles of our favorite holiday tunes, to the smells of peppermint, pine cones, and Christmas cookies wafting down the halls decked with boughs of holly, to the holiday lights that twinkle and gleam with the spirit of the holidays—how could anyone not love this season?! There are few things in life that bring as much joy as snuggling up in a cozy sweater and fuzzy socks with a mug of candy cane hot chocolate (that may or may not be spiked with Bailey’s).
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other holiday, everyone has his or her own special traditions that make the holidays extra special. The common denominator that makes the holiday season full of warmth despite the chilly weather, regardless of your religious practices, is the spirit of generosity and gift-giving that marks the end of the year and appreciation for your loved ones. But it can be tricky to find the perfect gift sometimes—so here are some tips that will help you find the perfect present for all those special people in your life!
1. This is the cardinal rule of gift giving—never EVER give money! Giving someone money as a gift basically says to that person “I couldn’t be bothered to think of a gift that you’d enjoy, so there you go, here is what you’re worth to me.” It lacks the thoughtful and personal touch. Giving a gift card is better than money, because it shows you at least thought enough about the person to consider where they would like to spend the money—but still, it’s relatively impersonal and kind of defeats the purpose of a meaningful gift-giving tradition. One of the best parts about gift-giving is that you get to give the person something that they wouldn’t ordinarily get themselves—it’s a chance to show them how much they mean to you!
2. Keep the gift recipient in mind. Consider the recipient’s interests and hobbies and try to think of a gift that reflects the thought you put into it—thoughtfulness is more important than a hefty price tag! In fact, Dr. Francis Flynn, an organizational psychologist at Stanford University claims, “Our research shows that while gift-givers think they’re being more thoughtful by picking out expensive gifts, the recipients don’t appreciate the hefty price tag.” The recipient of a gift is much more likely to remember and appreciate your present if it is tied to their interests—have a friend who is obsessed with a certain TV show? Get her the show on DVD! Does your boyfriend live, eat, and breathe for his favorite sports team? You can’t go wrong with anything that has that team logo on it! Does your sister-in-law consider her dog or cat to be like a child to them? Throw together a pet gift set—chew toys, treats, and a bed. These are just a few examples of how you can use people’s interests to pick a perfect present for them!
3. In general, experiences > items. Getting someone tickets to an event, concert, or festival gives the recipient a chance to make some amazing, once-in-a-lifetime memories, and memories almost always beat material objects that might get tossed aside or forgotten. Instead, give someone an experience they won’t forget!
4. When all else fails, something unique shows you care! For those of you that love to travel or visit unique/historical places, an excellent tip is to pick up a little something that is distinctive to that place. Whenever I travel abroad, I always buy a couple items that aren’t for me, but that I can save to give as a gift for whenever a gift-giving occasion arises. An equally unique gift option is to show you care with a DIY project—there are literally thousands of thoughtful DIY gift ideas that you find on Pinterest or Buzzfeed. These types of unique items make perfect gifts for that person who truly stumps you when it comes to getting them a present. The beauty of these gifts is in the fact that they are truly one-of-a-kind, which is always more charming than a generic present that could be found at any store.
5. Gift-wrap and personalize with a nice card. No matter what you end up choosing as a gift, even if it is money or a gift card, always take the time to nicely gift-wrap it and leave a personal note or card. Even if your gift-wrapping skills are limited, just use a gift bag—not wrapping a gift sends a message that you barely cared enough to get the person a gift in the first place and that kind of undermines the entire point of gift-giving. A little goes a long way in this respect and presentation is everything. Wrapping a present with care and love is what turns a basic item into a priceless gift.
I hope you enjoyed my tips! As always, if you have any tips you’d like to share, put them in the comments below!
As a recent college graduate in my early twenties, I’m at the point in my life where I’m battling the later years of teen acne while trying to postpone any signs of facial aging for as long as possible, all while on a budget. You only get one chance at a first impression and it’s so important to put your best face forward at all times!
Although I love makeup, I am a huge fan of the no-makeup look: a fresh face that glows from within and uses subtle makeup to accentuate your best features without looking like you have makeup caked on your face. This is the look that the Victoria’s Secret Angels have when they walk down the runway or pose for ads; it’s the look that our beautiful Planet Beach cover models have, and you can ask any man and he will tell you that the no-makeup look is the sexiest look a girl can have! Here is my routine to accentuate your natural beauty:
Step 1 Sunless Tan: Like most people, I feel like I look my best when I have a tan, but I don’t like UV beds so pbGlow is the answer to this conundrum; giving me a bronzed glow that looks so incredibly natural, my friends always ask me when I had the time to lay outside and tan! But my secret is that this sunless tanning booth gives me that natural glow in only a couple of minutes, saving both my time and my skin while allowing me to look like I just got back from a vacation in the Bahamas! It’s a win-win situation for this working girl and definitely my first step to achieving that natural goddess look. Plus, an added bonus is that a tan always makes your teeth look whiter!
Step 2 Acne Control System: Although I’m in my early twenties, I still battle the later stages of acne. It’s not as bad as it was in my teenage years, but I still have to take some steps to ensure that my skin is clear and my pores stay invisible. The Planet Beach Acne Control System is a lifesaver for me because it combines several amazing products into one package that work together to battle acne. The products in this kit contain active ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide that combats breakouts before they even start. They really penetrate my skin to keep my face clear of any pimples!
Step 3 Pb Repair Vitamin Drops: After using the Acne Control system, my face sometimes feels a little tight and dry—this is because of the all active ingredients that work to battle acne. Clear skin is necessary, but so is healthy skin and no one wants a dry face! I use the Planet Beach Repair vitamin drops to nourish my skin and make it glow. This product is so necessary to me because it contains rich, natural essential oils and bee pollen extract to protect the delicate skin on my face from becoming too dry and dehydrated. It gives my skin that radiant look of glowing from within so that I hardly need to use any makeup when I start to get ready to go out!
Step 4 pbMaintain: Although this product was developed and intended for more mature skin (it reduces fine lines and wrinkles), it’s my favorite moisturizer for two big reasons. First, even though I’m still relatively young I feel that it is never too soon to start taking steps against aging. Its important for young people to take preventative steps against the signs of aging early on, and when I use this product I know that I’m postponing the signs of aging on my face as much as possible so I won’t see any wrinkles for many years to come! The second reason this is my favorite moisturizer is because it provides total moisture without making my face greasy. I have tried many, many moisturizers in my day and let me tell you, this is the best one I’ve found.
Step 5 Primer and Makeup: Now that I’ve completed my skincare regime, I already know my skin is glowing—but makeup is a fabulous tool to give you that boost of confidence and make you look extra radiant! I start with a makeup primer because this holds my makeup in place and ensures that my face won’t end up streaky by the end of the night! Then I use a little concealer on any spots where I’m breaking out. After this, I use the Planet Beach bronzer to sculpt my face and further enhance my glow—this product has just the right amount of shimmer to emphasize your cheekbones without looking glittery and fake. It’s perfect for achieving that natural sun-kissed radiance. I use a fluffy angle brush to sweep the bronzer on my cheekbones, my forehead/chin, and just a little on my nose. Then I do my eye makeup, spritz on a little perfume, and get dressed for a night out on the town!
The sexiest a woman can look at any age is when she lets her natural beauty shine through. With all the stressors and toxins that the average woman encounters as she goes through her day, achieving this natural glow can be easier said than done. The products I have described work for my particular skin type, but Planet Beach offers a wide range of products that can combat whatever your skin struggle is—whether its acne, aging or dryness! That’s how I know that even though I’m only in my early twenties, I will be using Planet Beach skincare products for many years to come to achieve a natural and fresh, glowing and radiant face.