Active Living Blog

The concept of the “ideal” body shifts slightly from decade to decade — and sometimes minute to minute. Now when you’re talking about your backside, scrawny is out. Today’s top derrieres belong to well-endowed divas Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce. As you self monitor your caloric intake, here are a few workouts that some claim will help you get that perfect booty.

Kim-Inspired Workout

In this video from Diet.com, you’ll get glute exercises including the Bird Dog, Donkey Kick, Curtsy Lunge and Airplane. “This workout will tone and lift your butt, focusing on strength-training your glutes,” notes the description. And the disclaimer: “You will not get a big butt from this workout video. It may make it smaller as the result of making it tighter!”

Get J Lo’s Bum

From Videojug, learn how to get Jennifer Lopez’s bum with this English trainer. Her two suggested moves are a Squat using a medicine ball and a Bulgarian Lunge. 

Beyonce’s “Let’s Move”

It’s tough to argue with the benefits of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Initiative, which included a flash workout from Beyonce. The campaign is focused on curbing childhood obesity. Here are all the moves and instructions. Get moving! 

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The New York Times recently published an article about the newly released “nutrition plate” guidelines from the United States Department of Agriculture. The new design replaces the outdated, but well known, food pyramid and has been aptly titled “MyPlate.”

Mrs. Obama and her anti-obesity team worked with the Agriculture Department on creating the new design. The article quotes the first lady stating, “This is a quick, simple reminder for all of us to be more mindful of the foods that we’re eating.”

ChooseMyPlate.gov makes suggestions about what and how much to eat. For example, the website suggests that half of a regular meal should consist of a combination of fruits and vegetables. The actual amount of each food group a person should consume will depend on individual age, sex, and physical activity. Conveniently, the department’s new website includes charts listing suggested portion size based on those individual characteristics.

The combination of the department’s suggested guidelines and Graphite’s easy-to-use tools makes leading a healthier lifestyle a challenge-free mission. Check out the Department of Agriculture’s website to plan your meals, then track your diet using Graphite’s tools. Record the amount of exercise you get, and routinely monitor your results. To reach your wellness goals, make necessary adjustments to your lifestyle on an as-needed basis.

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Meet Katie Gilmore, marketing pro and new Graphite user. We'll follow Katie, and three other guests, as they take a 60-day, self-monitoring journey to reach their wellness goals. The series begins with each guest explaining their goals, history of weight loss, and personal tips for staying motivated. Check out Katie's story and stay tuned for more of her experiences along the journey.

I really struggled with my weight from about 2003 to 2007. During that 
time, I was able to get my weight under control a couple of times, but
 couldn’t keep it in check. In ’07 my sister told me about an online calorie counting tool.

I used that and for the first time was able to really understand how many calories I was eating. It helped me learn how to spot high calorie add-ons like sauces and cheese. I used it until I got to my goal weight and felt comfortable that I could stay there. I used it again in 2010 to stay on track for my wedding.

I stay motivated because I want to get up every day and know that I can 
pull any outfit out of my closet and that it will fit. Another
 motivation for me is being in decent shape so I can do social things
 with friends, like go for a bike ride or a hike.  With this tool, I want to get past just calorie counting and make sure
that I’m getting the right nutrition. Specifically, I want to get my
 recommended fruit/vegetable servings each day. I also want to get into 
the habit of eating breakfast during the week.

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