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Molly Huscroft

Achieve That Fitness Resolution

Easy Ways to Improve Eating and Exercising

Sure, you resolved that in the New Year you’ll eat better, exercise more and stay fit. But the hectic life of a college student on the go can make daily tasks, such as eating healthy, balanced meals or exercising on a regular basis, very challenging. And while working, studying or going to class may be legitimate excuses, our bodies need these things as much as we need to finish that paper on time. Fortunately, there are ways to improve eating and squeeze in exercising without taking too much time out of the day. Here are 20 easy ways to improve eating and exercising without affecting a busy schedule.

Ask for a box: If you’re out for dinner and a restaurant portion is too large, don’t pressure yourself to finish. Eat half and then immediately ask for a box. Not only will you be eating the correct portion, you’ll have great leftovers for the next day.
Plan ahead: This is another great way to eat healthy when dining out. If you can look at a menu online before going out, you’re better able to resist temptation and pick out something that you want, but that’s also healthy. You’ll be less likely to be hungry while picking out food, temptation will be resisted.
Prepare for parties: Everyone faces the most temptation to stray from healthy eating on weekends. If you fill up on a healthy snack or meal before going to a party, you will be less likely to eat greasy appetizers or party food.
The 50 Percent Rule: There are plenty of tips to avoid succumbing to the hunger bug at home as well. Adding more fruits and vegetables to one’s diet is one of the best ways to get healthy. One of the best and easiest ways to increase the number of fruits and veggies you eat is to follow the 50 percent rule – make it your goal to have half of your dinner or lunch plate covered in fruits or veggies. This helps improve your daily nutrition as well as lose weight; the body uses almost as many calories to digest vegetables as there are in vegetables in the first place.
Size does matter: Meals are the one time to use this distasteful slogan. Keeping portion sizes in mind is crucial to eating smart. General guidelines for portions are:
Starch (noodles, rice and cereal) – eat an amount the size of your fist
Protein (meats, tofu) – size of two palms
Fruits – size of a tennis ball
Vegetable – size of a fist
Plan out your snacks: If you have a solid food plan, you won’t slip up and eat unhealthily because you are thinking on the fly. If food-on-the-go is your weakness, there are plenty of healthier options at every fast food restaurant:
Subway Turkey Breast Wrap (190calories)
Chick-fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich (270 Calories)
Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino bar (120 calories)
McDonald’s Fruit ‘n Yogurt Parfait (160calories)
Baked Cheetos (100 calories)
Sack lunch it: By bringing your own lunch to work or class, you can control what you eat better. Plan out what you want to pack before every week and you’ll save yourself some time in the morning as well as money. 
Be a smart shopper: Never do your grocery shopping hungry. Always go before eating a snack or healthy meal. This makes you less likely to stray to foods you do not need. Making a list is also helping in sticking to healthy purchases.
Think super foods: Superfoods are low in calories and high in nutrients. They are great sources of anti-oxidants and essential nutrients. Superfoods such as blueberries, broccoli, salmon and walnuts can help improve any diet.
Beverages are a factor too: Sugary drinks can be one of the main causes of calorie intake each day. Trade the soda (diet or regular) for herbal tea, or 100 percent fruit drinks.
Water, water, water: Try to drink the recommended eight glasses of water per day.
Eating fast food: Again, no soda. Drink water, juice, etc. Also ask for the grilled chicken sandwich without mayo and use packets of ketchup or mustard to dress your sandwich instead. That way, you can limit how much you use.
Keep exercise varied: Keeping the exercise routine varied and different each day will help keep you motivated to continue exercising. Mixing it up between different activities such as weight lifting, walking, running or even workout classes will help ensure that you do something each day, even if the time or weather varies.
Get a workout buddy: While we all blow off our promises to ourselves, we are much less likely to blow off commitments to our friends. Sharing a workout schedule with a friend ensures that you will stick to it as well. If your health isn’t a big enough motivator, your friend counting on you definitely will be.
Exercise even when you are “too tired”: Exercising will help that groggy, gross feeling. With better use of the oxygen exchange, the body will feel more energized. If you’re on your way back from work or class, go straight to the gym instead of home. You’re more likely to blow off a daily workout if you head home to your couch.
Walk: Even a small effort can contribute to one’s overall health. Walking an extra 15 minutes a day will contribute to weight loss and healthy living. Easy ways to do this include taking the longer route to work or class and taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
The 15 minute work-out: The 15 minute workout – Rick Bradley’s Quick Fit 15 minute exercise program is perfect for those who have a limited time frame. Bradley suggests exercisers spend the first 10 minutes doing aerobic activity. Walking, stationary bikes and treadmills are popular favorites. He then follows this with one minute of abdominal exercise, for which he suggests 50 half bent-knee sit ups. This is followed by three minutes of strength moves and one minute of flexibility training. Strength moves can vary depending on the person and desired area of improvement. Bradley suggests curls, chin-ups and chestpresses. Flexibility can be obtained with any sort of stretching. All of Bradley’s workout suggestions can be found here: http://www.ricksquickfit.com/
App it: You can use smart phone applications to help motivate yourself to stay healthy and exercise on a regular basis. Apps such as Nexercise and the Special K Challenge can help keep you on track and even add rewards as incentives.
Baby step to your goals: It may seem overwhelming to have too many health goals set. Keep it simple. Set one or two easy goals for yourself each week.
Reward yourself: Altering your behavior is hard. With rewards as incentives, you will have more motivation to live a healthier life. Decide on a goal, work toward it and reward yourself when it is completed.

"Rocky" to become a Broadway musical

Sylvester Stallone turning “Rocky” into musical

Sylvester Stallone is planning on turning his Oscar-winning boxing film, “Rocky,” into…a musical.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Stallone, along with world champion boxing brother VVladimir and Vitali Klitschko are taking “Rocky” to the stage.

According to reports, Stallone said the musical will focus on Rocky and Adrian’s romance.

“At the end of the day, Rocky is a love story and he could never have reached the final bell without Adrian,” Stallone said, according to the Huffington Post, “To see this story coming to live on a musical stage makes me proud. And it would make Rocky proud.”

Noted Broadway writer Thomas Meehan will write the script and Tony Award nominee Alex Timbers will direct. The Klitchko brothers, in addition to co-producing, will train the actor to play Rocky.

Fore more information, go here.

Vanessa Minnillo takes Nick Lachey's surname

Newlywed takes husband’s surname on Twitter

Nick Lachey’s new wife Vanessa Minnillo has decided to take his surname.

The model and presenter, who married the 98 Degrees singer in July, has announced on Twitter that she has decided to drop her maiden name.

After changing her handle from @VanessaMinnillo to @VanessaLachey, the 31-year-old wrote: “So….I’m making it official, and I LOVE y “new name”! @VanessaLachey….has a nice ring to it ;).”

The newlyweds recently purchased a home in Encino, Calif., according to US Weekly. Located in the heart of San Fernando Valley, Weekly reports, the Spanish-style estate is 8,000 square feet and has eight bathrooms and 18 rooms.

Such a large purchase has led to rumors that the pair is eager to start a family. Lachey, 38, recently told E! News that he’s been “doing everything I can” to get his wife pregnant.

According to Weekly, he said, “Trust me it would make me very happy. Family is very important. It’s very important to us, and I’m sure that will be around the corner.”

For more information, go here.

Penn State picks ex-FBI Director to run investigation

Former FBI Director to investigate sex abuse charges at Penn State

Former FBI director Louis Freeh has been picked by Penn State to investigate the child sex-abuse allegations against a former assistant football coach Monday.

Freeh was named to oversee the university board of trustees’ internal investigation into the allegations that led to the firing of longtime football head coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier.

Freeh, whose inquiry will go back as far a 1975, which is a much longer period than a grand jury report issued earlier this month, said his goal was to conduct a comprehensive, fair and quick review, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The university has faced criticism since it announced that its internal investigation would be led by two university trustee members, Merck pharmaceutical company CEO Kenneth Frazier and state Education Secretary Ronald Tomalis. Faculty members requested Friday that an independent investigation be led, and the resolution of having an investigation committee chair that had no links to the university was reached.

According to the Tribune, Freeh founded his investigation firm, Group International Europe, after leading the FBI from 1993 to 2001. Previous to that, he served six years as a special agent.

Penn State former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is accused of molesting eight boys over a 15-year period. Trustees said Spanier and Paterno failed to act after a graduate assistant claimed he saw Sandusky sexually abusing a young boy in a campus shower in 2002.

According to the Tribune, long-time coach Paterno, who has the most wins of any major college football coach, has admitted he should have done more. Spanier has said he would have reported a crime if he had suspected one had been committed.

Sandusky has said he is innocent. He has acknowledged that he showered with boys but said he never molested them.

For more information, go here.

Oprah makes return to television with new series

“Oprah’s Next Chapter” premieres on OWN network Jan. 1

After a short departure, Oprah Winfrey announced that she will be back on television next year with her new show “Oprah’s Next Chapter.”

“I am having more fun than ever,” Winfrey told E! Online, also explaining that her new Oprah Winfrey Network show will show her interviewing interesting people around the globe.

Winfrey said in a statement, “After 25 years I got myself out of the studio chairs. It is so energizing to be out and about in the world exploring new people, new places and new ideas.”

“Oprah’s Next Chapter” will debut Jan. 1 at 9 PM ET. The two-hour premiere will feature an in-depth interview with Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler. Other celebrities, such as actor Sean Penn, director/producer George Lucas and motivational speaker Tony Robbins are lined up for future episodes.

Winfrey has visited Haiti with Penn, received a guided tour of the Skywalker Ranch from Lucas, and viewers will watch Winfrey have stay the night at chef Paula Deen’s Georgia estate and visit a small Iowa town devoted to the practice of Transcendental Meditation.

Reports suggest that Winfrey’s return to television is being made in hopes to improve her OWN’s ratings, which have been less than impressive thus far.

For more information, go here.

Chicago Bears quarterback breaks thumb

Jay Cutler breaks thumb, could be out for six to eight weeks

The good news for Bears fans – Chicago defeated the San Diego Chargers Sunday 31-20. The bad news – quarterback Jay Cutler broke his right thumb and is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks, essentially the rest of the season.

Cutler was injured during Sunday’s game as he tried to tackle Chargers’ cornerback Antoine Cason, who intercepted his pass with 10 minutes, 3 seconds left in the game. While Chargers linebacker blocked him, the Bears’ running back Matt Forte was about to keep Cason from scoring.

Bears’ head coach Lovie Smith said Sunday, “Maybe Jay’s biggest play of the game came on that interception, buying time for Matt Forte. Who would have thought we’d be talking about Matt Forte and Cutler on a defensive play they made?”

According to the Chicago Tribune, the Bears do not intend to put Cutler on the injured-reserve list. He may have a pin inserted surgically into his throwing hand thumb to speed up the healing process, meaning Cutler could return just in time for the playoffs. Assuming, of course, that the Bears can continue their winning streak with backup quarterback, Caleb Hanie.

According to the Washington Post, in a WBBM radio interview Monday, Smith would not comment on how long his quarterback will be out of play. “Jay does a have a right thumb fracture. Of course we took X-rays last night, and he’ll be seeing a specialist this morning and we’ll be able to tell you a little bit more after that.”

For information on Cutler and the Chicago Bears, go here.

Writer Shelagh Delaney dies of cancer

“A Taste of Honey” playwright dies days before 72nd birthday

Playwright Shelagh Delaney has died of cancer, her agent said Monday. 

Agent Jane Villiers said Delaney, best known for her 1958 play “A Taste of Honey,” died Sunday night at her daughter’s home in eastern England. Delaney was only a few days short of her 72nd birthday.

Delaney was only 19 when “A Taste of Honey” premiered. The play focuses on the story of a young woman’s pregnancy following a one-night stand with a black sailor and her supportive relationship with a gay artist. While the plotline was considered scandalous at the time, the play had successful runs in London and New York.

The play and its film adaptation are considered to be part of Britain’s “kitchen sink realism” movement of the late 1950s and 1960s. “Kitchen sink realism” revealed the rough reality of working-class life and included such works as John Osborne’s “Look Back in Anger” and Alan Sillitoe’s “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning.”

Delaney and the film adaptation’s director, Tony Richardson, together won BAFTA and Writer’s Guild awards for best screenplay for the 1961 film, which starred Rita Tushingham.

Delaney is survived by her daughter, Charlotte Delaney, and her grandchildren, Max, Gable, and Rosa Delaney.

For more information, go here.

"Super Committee" headed for failure

Talks aimed at finding $1.2 trillion in savings produce nothing

The congressional deficit-reduction or “super” committee is predicted to announce failure Monday.

According to the BBC, two months of talks between six Democrats and six Republicans assigned to find $1.2 trillion in spending reductions are reported to have collapsed.

The bipartisan committee legally has until Wednesday to reach an agreement but Monday is the deadline to have legislation written and presented to the entire committee.

The failure of the committee to reach an agreement sets in motion automatic spending cuts starting in January 2013. CNN reports leaders for both parties are unhappy with the nature of the fallback plan, which cuts evenly from domestic and defense programs.

“Nobody wants to give up hope. Reality is, to some extent, starting to overtake hope,” Representative Jeb Hensarling, the panel’s Republican co-chairman, said on “Fox News Today.”

While President Barack Obama has avoided any involvement with the committee since making his recommendations in September, a White House spokeswoman urged the panel to make the “tough choices” to complete its task.

According to CNN, Republicans are opposed to Democrats’ suggestions of tax increases, especially on the wealthy. Democrats refuse to make cuts to popular entitlement programs such as Medicare of Medicaid.

For more information, go here.

Taylor Swift wins big at American Music Awards

Country singer wins artist of the year for second time

Taylor Swift won big at Sunday’s American Music Awards, outshining her stiff competition.

While the singer-songwriter tied Adele with three wins, she stole the night after she beat Adele, Lady GaGa, Katy Perry and Lil Wayne for artist of the year, the award show’s highest accolade.

The 21-year-old country superstar previously won the award in 2009. Swift received trophies Sunday for favorite country female artist and favorite country album for “Speak Now.” “This is so crazy,” she said.

Adele had been the night’s expected favorite, leading with four nominations. She grabbed three awards, favorite pop/rock female artist, adult contemporary artist and pop/rock album for “21.” The British singer was absent from the show because she is recovering from recent throat surgery.

The night’s other winners include Maroon 5 as favorite pop/rock band/duo/group, Beyonce as favorite soul/R&B female artist, Bruno Mars as pop/rock male artist and Rihanna for favorite soul/R&B album for “Loud.”

The 39th annual ceremony lasted three hours and took place inside Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre. Musical performances were made by Nicki Minaj, Justin Bieber, Kelly Clarkson, The Band Perry, Katy Perry, Chris Brown and Jennifer Lopez.

For a complete list of American Music Awards winners, go here.

White House shooting suspect arrested

Suspect arrested in connection to Friday’s shootings

Secret Service officials said they have arrested a man in connection to a shooting at the White House on Friday evening.

NBC Washington reported that the Pennsylvania State Police used information provided by the Secret Service and arrested Oscar Ortega at 12:35p.m. Wednesday.

Law enforcement said Ortega moved into the D.C. area several weeks ago. His family in Idaho Falls, Idaho, reported him missing on October 31, NBC Washington reports.

The Secret Service said Wednesday that investigators have recovered two bullet rounds that struck the White House – one hit a window and the other hit the building’s exterior. The rounds may have been fired during a shooting that occurred on Friday night near the White House, but the two incidents have not been officially connected. Police are vigorously continuing their search for a suspect in the first incident.

No one was harmed by the shootings. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle were in San Diego Friday night before heading to Hawaii where he hosted a weekend APEC summit of Asia-Pacific regional leaders, according to NBC Washington.

Ortega has a criminal record including arrests for domestic violence, drug offenses, assault on a police officer and underage alcohol possession, The Washington Post reported.

ABC News reported that the police believe the suspect is mentally ill. Sources told ABC that investigators have discovered evidence that suggests he has a fixation on the White House.

For more information, go here.