No intro necessary – here are some gym-bag beauty essentials that I am really loving lately.

Dove Invisible Dry Spray

Stress stinks, but sweat stinks even more. I’ve always felt that Dove shines when it comes to skin-loving deodorants that work, and these dry sprays are no exception. Not only do they smell amazing, but they last all day. I keep one at work and one in my gym bag, so I can always freshen up when I want to. 

Scott-Vincent Borba Anti-Fatigue 8 Hour SPF 29 Mineral Foundation

I love a good foundation compact, and the newest from Borba not only offers up a flawless finish and formulation, but also some amazing for my skin benefits. This mineral foundation delivers nourishing and anti-aging plant extracts and hyaluronic acid, to treat skin as it smooths and balances my complexion. To unlock the ultrafine powder, all I need to do is twist the compact. Super easy!  

Urban Decay Double Team Mascara

I’ve mentioned these before, but I really can’t get enough of Urban Decay’s new colorful mascaras. They are quick, easy to carry, and offer up some bright, made-you-look color. They are a quick and easy way to make my eyes look awake, with minimal effort. 

Cargo Cosmetics Swimmables Collection

Sure, this Cargo Swimmables Collection is geared towards those who like to take their makeup to the beach (or pool) this summer, but I happen to think it is also perfect for keeping my face on when working out. If you’ve ever taken a sweaty spin, yoga, or kickboxing class with makeup on, you’ll know the end results are less than pretty. This collection has everything you need to keep your complexion and color perfect, no matter how intense your workout becomes. 

CBD For Life Pure CBD Roll-On Rubs

Is there anything worse than being stuck in a constant state of soreness? CBD is making waves of late, for it’s proven ability to relieve pain. These conveniently totable roll-on rubs not only pack the aromatherapy benefits, thanks to essential oils, but also relieve those intense training induced aches and pains. 

As always, I want to know… What are you loving of late?!

By now you all know that food and body image issues are something that I face daily, even as a CPT (Certified Personal Trainer) and general health-nut. I see it in myself, I see it in others, and I know that these are issues I need to talk about more frequently. That being said, allow me to attempt to tackle the food phobias. 

In addressing topics of this nature, the most challenging thing for me is organizing my own jumbled thoughts and opinions into something that makes sense to all of you. That being said, bear with me here. I wholeheartedly welcome your input and feedback on this one! This post will be in two parts, because I feel like I need to properly update you all, before I go ahead and share some deep thoughts/realizations. So here goes!

So, how the heck have I been?! 

As previously mentioned, I have a history of suffering with both body dysmorphia and disordered eating (anorexia). More about all of that here: Eating Disorder Awareness 

In 2012, I began my fitness journey, during which I learned to direct my obsessive tendencies towards something a bit more constructive, if not still obsessive – competitive bodybuilding. I was very successful my first competitive season back in 2013, took an extended break during which I continued my intense training and semi-strict diet, and returned to competing in 2017. To say my return to competing was less than stellar would be a vast understatement, and disappointment was the prevalent emotion mid-late 2017. With my history, you can only imagine the dark road my thoughts began going down. Here’s a timeline of where my thoughts have been since early 2017.

January – End of March: After prepping to compete for 7 long months, losing my father, and not being able to compete in 2016, I was determined to kick butt in 2017. Prep literally and metaphorically kicked my butt. 

April 2017: Returned to the stage, only to place 6th out of 6. I was initially devastated. I was told I needed to be smaller, tighter, and leaner. I competed at 106.5 lbs.

May-June of 2017: The fire was lit once more, and I was determined to do another show, and place. I got tinier, and leaner. July of 2017 I competed at 102 lbs. This time, I placed 6th out of 13. I missed placing by one point, and again, was devastated. 

July-December of 2017: I felt disgusted with the whole process of competing, discouraged by my lack of success, and lost without my fitness fire. I continued to train intensely, though it felt like my training lacked my usual passion and focus. I was going through the motions, all the while retreating into disordered eating patterns – all because I equated my lack of success in the sport to my not being lean enough. I beat myself up constantly, retreating into my own head. I would be excessively restrictive with food during the week, and essentially eat like a normal person on the weekends, while training hard. I went through a series of highs and lows. Miserable during the week because I was essentially starving myself, and elated on the weekends when I could enjoy food and train hard to make up for it. I maintained a low weight through the new year, and got used to being “stage lean”, which isn’t at all healthy or normal for me. Clearly, something was wrong here. 

January-Present Day, 2018

I’ve always dealt with the aches and pains that come with intense training, but in January of this year I started experiencing both chronic back pain and intense sciatica. I was told to stop training until the problems were fixed. I haven’t stepped foot in a gym since late January, and the pain and sciatica are not improving. All of those bad thoughts and feelings that I had late last year are currently amplified, because I cannot even train to distract myself. What I’m dealing with right now is my self worth and confidence essentially imploding, as I feel like I’ve hit a new (and different kind of) low. In the spirit of being open and honest, I’m just saying that it is not easy to be me right now…

So, here’s what I’m struggling with right now, and what post 2 will talk about:

Food and Weight-Gain Phobias

Loss of Identity/Lack of Self-Worth

Body Dysmorphia and Disordered Eating

Thanks as always for stopping by, and reading. 

If you enjoy these kinds of posts, please do leave me a comment.

Part 2 Coming Soon! 

One of the sad aspects of modern life is that the average individual is spending more time glued to a desk than ever. We as a society have become sedentary by nature, spending hours on-end seated while we work. Not only is inactivity bad for our bodies, but it’s bad for our minds, too. Thankfully, modern technology has afforded us with products designed to help combat sluggishness. This post is all about my latest obsession, the FlexiSpot Desk Bike – V9

I’ve had a standing desk for my 9-6 for a while now, and I definitely feel like it has helped my various muscular and back issues. The Flexispot takes the concept of a standing desk, and ups the ante by offering not only the ability to stand and sit while you work, but to also pedal while you sit. A hybrid desk, the Flexispot gets your legs moving and your blood flowing, making your sitting time even more productive. 

Here are some more details about the features of the bike:

FlexiSpot Deskcise Pro combines an on-demand, height-adjustable desk and exercise bike, with a minimal footprint.

The bike itself is easy on the joints, and offers “whisper quiet” pedaling at eight resistance settings.

The user-friendly adjustment lever moves the desk bike seat up or down with a gentle press.

The desk surface can be moved forward and backwards, and is large enough to accommodate a laptop, notebooks and a mobile phone.

An LCD display on the bike tracks your mileage, activity duration, and calories burned – just like any other piece of cardio equipment. 

All in all, I appreciate having another way to get a workout in, on a piece of equipment that affords me the ability to do work while I do “work”, get it? I highly recommend this to anyone who finds themselves sitting for extended periods of time. 

You can find the Flexispot Desk Bike on their website, or Amazon! 

In a new study conducted by the University of Bristol and Emory University, it is now affirmative that parents do influence their kid’s weight, right from the pregnancy. Children whose parents had a healthy lifestyle and positive thinking were found to be less prone to obesity. We are sure if you only love playing online casino games with a Tropicana bonus code and never could get yourself to the gym, it’s not all your fault.

Locus of control:

The study was conducted primarily to get a confirmatory outcome on a psychological measure called locus of control. It is used to measure an individual’s attitude towards his/her own lifestyle and on self. Those with an external locus of control believe that they can’t control whatever happens in their life. Their weight is one of them.

As a result, they tend to neglect their weight and indulge in an unhealthy lifestyle. On the other hand, those with an internal locus of control believe that they can change the course of their life with their own attitude. For one, they pay more attention to their food-habits and lifestyle. As a result, they are healthier both physically and psychologically.

The Study And What It Says

Unlike some other studies, there were plenty of test subjects here. The study was conducted among 7000 randomly selected parents. It was discovered that in an obese child, mother’s external locus of control contributes about 1.7kg of fat. The father’s same attitude adds about 1.49 kg. The kid’s same external locus of control adds another 1.5 kg.

Simply told, parents who are health conscious encourage their child to pay equal attention to his/her health. Most of the time, these parents are involved in some form of physical activity like running or playing some games. The child develops the same habit from the very beginning. This ensures that the child stays free of obesity.

In the other case, the parents think that nothing can control the gaining weight. So instead of exercising, they only sulk. They inevitably transfer the same attitude to their child. So the child also doesn’t invest time in exercises or sports and gets vulnerable to obesity.

The conclusion:

The study clearly indicates that while combating obesity, equal attention needs to be paid to the psyche of the people. They need to be educated about the ill effects of having an external locus of control. Especially the expecting ladies and their partners need to be made psychologically prepared to lead a healthy lifestyle. Obesity currently affects more than 650 million adults.

It is spreading like an epidemic even among the kids. These studies are surely going to educate the masses about their unhealthy eating habits and their ill-effects.

Once the parents understand this complex web of events, they can control their child from getting obese. The very step starts right from the pregnancy with parents adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Are you overweight? What are you doing to keep yourself healthy? Let us know in the comments below!

Hola, interwebs! Feels like forever since I last checked in with you all, probably because it HAS been forever since I’ve posted. Between my ongoing health issues (I’m still unable to workout), work being insanely busy, and  being away for a couple of weeks – I am a bit ashamed to admit that the free time to blog is a rare commodity for me. 

When I first started this blog over 9 years ago (holy crap, that’s a long time), I would post every day, usually twice a day. Those of you who have been with me this entire time (thank you!) know, this blog started as a beauty blog only. As my passions shifted, and my interests morphed, so too did this blog. KraseyBeauty became KraseyFitBeauty, and that brings us to where we are today. Unfortunately, being an adult is hard, and working a full time job in Finance while juggling all of my other hobbies/responsibilities/side-gigs is tough! What I will say is that while my posts may be fewer and further in between these days, rest assured that this blog isn’t dead yet. What I will promise you all today is that I’ll make a more concerted effort to bring you everything fitness, beauty, fashion, and all that other good stuff that you’ve come to know and love from KFB. 

In the meantime, here are some pics from my recent vacation in Jamaica. Click through the slideshow to view them all! <3 

As always, if you’re looking for more, be sure to follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. I promise I post there a lot more often. 

Until next time, boys and girls!

Just as we change our wardrobe to suit the seasons, it is always nice to complement what you are wearing with an appropriate fragrance – and that applies equally to the men in your life, too.

When the weather warms up, it is time to put those heavy, musky fragrances aside, and turn instead to lighter, floral notes, with fresh hints of citrus, pine and cut grass to conjure up the wonderful aromas of the outdoors. Here are some zesty summer favourites to treat your loved one to.

Lacoste Eau de Lacoste Blanc

This eau de toilette offers a classic blend of floral and forest notes, ideal for bringing to mind hazy summer days out in the great outdoors. Base notes of cedar and suede provide depth without being overpowering, while the fresh top notes of grapefruit, cardamom and rosemary are straight out of a sun-kissed exotic garden.

Calvin Klein Eternity

Something of a classic these days, Calvin Klein’s signature men’s fragrance is one many men will already have in their collection but still deserves a mention as a perfect summer option. Eternity is an aftershave built around green notes, with a herbal heart of tarragon, sage, basil and a hint of jasmine. The top notes of mandarin and lavender add floral delicacy and citrus zing without dominating.

Boss Selection

Another classic all-rounder, Boss Selection deserves its place amongst perfect summer picks for the man in your life for its combination of masculine spice and delicate freshness. With cedarwood, sandalwood and patchouli providing a solid foundation, the middle and top notes are an intricate web of finely woven flavours – cardamom, nutmeg and star anise overlaid with zesty mandarin, grapefruit and lemon.

Milton Lloyd Bondage Temptation Homme

A real sensual powerhouse of a men’s fragrance, Milton Lloyd’s Bondage Temptation offers a fabulous balance of deep and mellow scents with some out-of-the-ordinary source materials. A dry, woody base with hints of leather is smoothed out by sweet vanilla, over which you get the slightly spicy flowery notes of orange blossom and olive flower. Over the top, lemon and bergamot add freshness and elegance to the finish.

Joop! Homme

To finish off, another well-loved staple for men who don’t mind celebrating their floral side in the scents they choose. With delicate touches of vanilla, cinnamon, lily-of-the-valley, jasmine and orange blossom to the fore, Joop! Homme still manages to achieve a masculine depth with sandalwood, patchouli and cardamom sat beneath the surface. The effect is a fragrance with a distinctly exotic, oriental finish that revels in hot summer sun.

 Click here for more examples from Mirage Cosmetics.

Your birthday is a special day in which you are to be celebrated. It marks the day in which you were born on this earth and it is one day that should be celebrated each year. As kids, we can argue birthdays and Christmas were two of the best days of our young lives. Not much changes as we develop into adults. Birthdays are still some of the most celebrated occasions. Women especially love celebrating birthdays. Some even take it upon themselves to not only celebrate on the actual birth date but also extend the celebration throughout the entire month. If you’re looking for great birthday gift ideas, you have come to the right place. I’ll be sharing great ideas for the special woman in your life that I’m sure she will love.

Boots She’ll Love

When it comes to birthday gift ideas, your options are endless. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when brainstorming what you think would be the perfect gift for that special woman in your life. Whether it be a gift for your mom, special someone, daughter, niece, grandmother, or friend, you can always count on a pair of shoes to put a smile on a woman’s face. Let’s face it, most women love shoes! The first gift idea is women’s cowboy boots by Ariat. Ariat cowboy boots come in all different colors, designs, and sizes. These boots are made with equestrian athletes in mind. Ariat cowboy boots are made to last through it all. Cowboy boots can be rather expensive, but for under $210, you can get the special woman in your life a new pair of boots that will surely leave a smile on her face. Keep in mind favorite colors, patterns, or designs that may help your decision-making process go smoother.

A Day at the Spa

Women love to be pampered, and what better way to pamper a woman than by providing a spa day as a birthday gift. This is a lovely and thoughtful idea that any woman would love to take part in. Specialized beauty services or treatments such as laser hair removal, facials, manicure or pedicure, hair services, and massages are all great gift ideas for special women in your life. It’s important that the woman you are purchasing the specialized beauty service for is up on her knowledge of the beauty service before you purchase it. For example, laser hair removal requires a consultation before services can be performed. Also, with laser hair removal, you must ensure the skin in a good condition to have the procedure performed. Spa day gifts are appropriate because most of the time they do not have an expiration date and can be used at any time. This makes for a convenient and relaxing gift the special woman in your life will love.

Flowers

Flowers are always a perfect gift for women. Not only do women enjoy the surprise of seeing beautiful blooming flowers, but they also smell delightful. If your special woman is into flowers, then you definitely cannot go wrong with a nice bouquet of flowers. Be sure to add in a sweet note to ensure she smiles every time she looks at them.

Sporting Event Tickets

Sporting events can be a great gift for the woman in your life as well. The number of women who are interested in sports has grown significantly over the years. Getting her tickets to her favorite sporting event is one way to totally nail the birthday gift of the year. If you’re able to snag tickets to a special game such as the Superbowl, finals game, or World Series, you will surely make the recipient very happy. Get her some awesome swag to go along with those tickets so that she can attend the sporting event in style.

A Night On the Town

Last but not least, a nice dinner and a night out on the town will make for a great birthday gift. Often times, women have a hard time choosing what it is that they want to eat; the options are endless. Offer to let her choose. If she doesn’t have anything in mind, be sure that you are prepared with a list of potential restaurants to choose from. You simply can’t go wrong with a nice dinner to celebrate the special lady in your life.

Wow, it has been quite some time since I did one of these – eh? Chalk it up to real life, work obligations, and a distinct lack of a little something I like to call free time. 

Anywho, I do love me a good holiday gift round-up, and figured I was long overdue for showcasing all of the latest and greatest beauty and fitness gift offerings that I have recently stumbled upon. Nothing to it but to do it, so here we go!

For the Beauty Lover

it Cosmetics Holiday Gifting Sets

Cosmeceuticals – that’s makeup that is actually good for your skin – isn’t a new concept, but it sure is a great one. itCosmetics was doing it first, and in my opinion – they do it best. With a plethora of different options – from skincare, to beauty tools, to color cosmetics – you’re sure to find something you’d love to gift (or receive). My favorites are the Lip-Flushing Favorites (with a trio of their best selling Je Ne Sais Quoi Lip Treatments), and Boosting Besties (with a trio of skincare products – including my favorite Confidence in a Cream moisturizer)! 

Urban Decay On the Run Mini Palettes

If there’s one thing I love, it’s a great eyeshadow palette. When it comes to makeup application, I’m all about the eyes, and if it’s eclectic and colorful – I’m there in a hot minute. Enter the new Urban Decay On the Run palettes, which come in a total of 5 different color themes. What you’ll get in each mini palette is 8 different eye shadow shades, in a variety of finishes. With the quality and color payoff that we know and love from Urban Decay, and at $25, they are definitely a steal!

Pevonia Skincare Renewed Beauty Power Repair® Collagen Gift Set

The older I get, the more grateful I am (and excited I am for) a great skincare set. As I approach my mid-30’s, I want to arm my skin with all of the ingredients it needs to stay plump, radiant, and glowing. Enter Pevonia Skincare’s holiday skincare gift set, which come handsomely packaged in a rose gold train case. It comes with cleanser, toner, serum and cream- so literally everything you need for your skin to be healthy and glowing, going into and well beyond this holiday season.  

For Your Favorite Fit Chick – Gym Bag Staples

Polar Ignite Fitness Smartwatch

Notice that nifty little watch I’m wearing in the pic up top – that’s the Polar Vantage M, which is a phenomenal workhorse fitness watch for the dedicated fitness (and fitness tracking/metrics) enthusiast! New to the Polar lineup this year is the Ignite, which has a similar look and feel to the Vantage M, but with upgraded features designed specifically for the avid gym-based fitness enthusiast. The new Ignite not only features guided training through Polar Partner FitSpark, but enhanced training specific metrics including training load pro, power zones and zone lock, and multisport training (my fav!) to name a few. For a complete list of features, including a comparison of the Ignite to other Polar units, be sure to check out the Polar Global website, and upgrade your fitness watch today. 

[P.S. I’ll be reviewing this SOON, so please stay tuned]

The Recovery Dynamic Duo – Muscle MX CBD Balm and Rykr Roll GRINDER Massager with Base

If there’s one key ingredient that is getting a lot of attention in the beauty and wellness world, it is CBD – whose health benefits are both vast and numerous. Muscle MX is one CBD-infused topical brand that has recently come on to my radar, and I am so glad it did. The CBD Balm bundle in particular has been a lifesaver, as I navigate through my fitness routine (and life in general) daily with various training-induced aches and pains. It comes with Activate – a balm to get muscles primed and ready for activity, and Recovery – which soothes post-training aches and pains. Pairing these two balms with the Rykr Roller – which eases knots and enhances blood flow – I’ve been able to not only enhance my performance, but my recovery as well. 

Lululemon On the Go Sweat Kit

Did you know that Lululemon makes bath and body products now? Well they do, and they are phenomenal. Designed to get you from the locker room to the boardroom (and everywhere in between), these four products would make a phenomenal edition to any gym bag. It includes travel sizes (which are carry-on friendly!) of their Aloe Lotus Anti-Stink Deodorant, No-Show Dry Shampoo, Speed Up Cool Down Body Lotion, and Basic Balm. Find the kit (and the rest of the Lululemon self-care lineup) both online, and in stores. 

See anything you love? Let me know in the comments!

There’s never a second chance to make a first impression. Sure, the expression is a cliché at this point, but it does carry some wisdom. And beyond how it applies to a specific debut encounter, it highlights the fact that presentation matters.

Yes, we all know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. And we know deeper personality traits are what truly defines a person. But there is also no denying someone’s wardrobe and general appearance do formulate a significant part of how we view them.

Steve Jobs had his turtlenecks. Serena Williams has her bodysuit. Indiana Jones had his fedora. Sarah Connor had her tank top. James Bond had his tuxedo. Even among larger groups in modern life, Texans wear cowboy boots, tech bros wear hoodies, New England prep schoolers wear boat shoes and Wall Street bankers wear pinstripe suits.

None of these stereotypes are universal truisms, but they are ways we quickly identify people upon first glance. And so the people wearing these clothing items — whether they are trying to project that image or not — should be aware of how other people see them.

Really, there are many things that the clothes you wear say about you, and the following three are among the most noticeable right off the bat.

1. Desire to Be Trendy

One thing you will immediately project is how much you adopt current trends. This isn’t necessarily a good or bad thing. After all, there is nothing new about a leather jacket, classic black heels, blue jeans or Chuck Taylors. You can be extremely fashionable wearing traditional garments, but it does say something about you if show up in the latest seasonal trends.

Bomber jackets, for example, have made a major comeback, and previous years have given us reissues of certain Air Max sneakers that were instantly seen on feet everywhere — at least for a season or two until they faded away. The same goes for certain styles of dresses, sweaters and swimwear. When you jump on these fads, you are telling the world that you stay up to date and are trying to look modern and trendy.

2. Fitting In or Standing Out

A specific look can also say a lot about your desire to fit in. More specifically, it shows off which groups with which you are trying to be aligned. Wearing lots of leather and a mohawk may make you look apart from the norm at a lawyer’s office, but that same style might paint you as typical among a certain sect at a punk show.

Beyond the exact group that your wardrobe identifies with, your desire to dress like a certain segment of society will suggest how much you want to be part of the mainstream. These norms change over time — wearing jeans to work is now the expectation in many places. But, overall, are you trying to blend in or looking to stand out? This tells people a lot about you.

3. Projecting Confidence

Beyond following trends and a willingness to blend in, what you wear can suggest a lot about how you see yourself. Do you wear oversized neutral colors that hide your shape and general presence in a room? Or, are you wearing sleek, form-fitting, loud colors that make people take notice? Someone in a bodysuit will come off as more confident and sexy than someone in a frumpy sweater and baggy jeans.

Certain affectations to stand out can also highlight confidence. Even if you aren’t going wild with it, simply wearing a bright orange scarf, colorful suspenders or a playful hat shows the world you want to be seen rather than fall into the background. Right or wrong, people who dress confidently are seen as confident.

Self-Expression in Every Outfit

Sometimes it’s obvious what you are telling the world while wearing a certain outfit. Other times, the message is more subtle. But you can be sure the clothes you wear will always say something about you.

They can tell people how trendy and up to date you are in terms of following the fashion world. They can demonstrate whether you want to blend in or stand out. And they can be a physical representation of your confidence level and how you see yourself.

Either way, none of these specific factors need to become new goals for you. They aren’t necessarily an objective to achieve. But you should know your clothes say something and become excited about this ability to express yourself. It’s your wardrobe — and your wardrobe alone. Do it your way.