But Steph, how do you...?

I am in no way, shape, or form an expert on anything. However, I often get asked questions on how I do something in particular. So instead of writing it down each time, I'm just going to direct people here.

:-: The most popular (and annoying) question is, "Why do you look 14?" I have no instructions on that one. I inherited good genes when it comes to aging. And by good genes, I mean oily skin. I hate it now, but my mom says I'll be thankful for it later. I once had a boyfriend tell me I have "a face like a porcelain doll - big eyes and a small mouth." That's probably part of it, too. I don't use anything special on my face. I smoke AND I lay in a tanning bed. The people in my family that do those things still look young, so who knows. Not to mention that aside from my two grandpas, everybody on both sides of my family has a full head of hair and no grey. So on this note, I got no advice.

:-: Second most popular question is, "Steph, how do you stay so thin?" FIRST OFF, annoying. I'm not that thin. Think what you will, but popular to contrary belief, I am neither bony or gangley. I never have been. I am petite, I have a shape, and I have a good deal of muscle. I realize if you see me in jeans, I probably look pretty small. But think of it like this: Have you ever watched gymnastics? With the exception of the Chinese and Romanian teams, the girls are all extremely petite but not bony. Compact and perportionate. Look at their legs! Not twigs at all. And neither are mine.

To the people that blame their genetics, I say horseshit. 95% of my family is overweight, and I never have been. So, either I'm fighting the good fight or I got skipped over. Staying healthy isn't hard. I don't live at the gym. I don't live on celery and grapefruit juice. I don't eat healthy and work out to lose weight; I do it to stay healthy and maintain what I have.

About working out... I HATE going to the gym. I mean literally, the part of going to the gym that involves looking halfway decent and getting in the car. I don't like busting my ass on an eliptical for 30 minutes - it's boring as fuck. But I force myself to do it every now and then because when I'm done, I feel accomplished. Someday when we have a house and I can afford it, I am buying my own eliptical for the house. I want nothing less than to be able to roll out of bed, get on the machine, and workout while I watch reruns of Will & Grace or blare the stereo. SERIOUSLY. But until then, I try to do the cardio thing once or twice a week. So it's really not that hard (if you have a gym nearby... if you don't, run around the neighborhood or a local track for free). It is by far easier to keep up a routine if you have the means at your own home. Which is why I bought a stability ball. That thing rocks. I can do a quick 20 minute workout while I watch TV. If you're actually trying to lose some weight, you'll probably want to do cardio the first couple months, though. Doing strength training alone may bulk you up, seeing as it doesn't burn a whole lot of calories in itself. It will, however, boost your metabolism.

The Pros say that 65% of weight management comes from what you eat. The other 35% is the physical activities you do. So, this means stop eating crap. Well, stop eating it often and in large amounts. I enjoy an occasional bag of dorritos, or a Reese's Blizzard. But not like, every day. Or even every week. I honestly eat what I want, and I eat what I like. I just don't pig out. So here's some important tips:
:+: Buy LITTLE plates. Serious. It'll help you from overstuffing your plate. SOOOOO easy yet SO effective.
:+: Buy every grain product in WHOLE WHEAT. Bread, crackers, tortillas, pasta, etc.
:+: STOP EATING FAST FOOD. And stop going out to eat. Salads from McDonald's don't count as healthy.
:+: Don't buy frozen meals or boxed meals (like Hamburger Helper, etc.) they're full of salt and crap.
:+: If you don't want yourself eating it, don't buy it. Don't buy cookies and chips, because then you'll eat them. That's a given.
:+: Don't deep fry food. Bake it. If it requires some pan frying, use olive oil.
:+: Buy the "good" alternatives. Don't buy sugar, buy Splenda. Buy the Light Bisquik. Buy the Heart Smart margarine. Buy the low fat, sugar free, low sodium variations of your normal food.
:+: Buy big bags of frozen vegetables and throw them into stuff you're cooking.
:+: Buy skim milk and diet pop. If you drink juice, look for the no sugar added kind.
:+: If you have a sweet tooth for chocolate, buy cocoa. Drink that instead and I bet you'll feel better afterwards.

If there's some junk food that you really love, reward yourself with a bit of it after you do a good workout. Or something like, "If I run 3 times this week, I'm going to go buy myself a nice hot fudge sundae." When I have wicked PMS, I go to the store and buy myself a nice box of Macaroni & Cheese. I mean, c'mon - that's a DAMN good excuse.

If there's anybody that reads this that thinks, "Yeah you've never had to lose weight," I present you this - Yes, I've always been small. But during basic training and tech school, I gained almost 25 pounds. On a small frame like mine, that's a lot. And unfortunately, the first place weight goes on me is my face. YUCK! I cried when I couldn't even fit in size 5's anymore. That's when I changed my lifestyle and started doing all the things I listed above. The weight came off very quickly. And hasn't came back since.