Excuse me while I vent.

Take my advice—if you're at the shopping mall, and the mood suddenly strikes you to try on bathing suits, don't do it. Bikini shopping should only be a planned event, preferably first thing in the morning when your tummy is nice and flat, before any bloating sets in. Also, if the store has a good return policy for swimwear, try the suit on in the comfort of your own home.
Lately I've been feeling pretty good about my diet and workout regime. So when I was at the mall and suddenly Old Navy came into view, I thought, why not try a few suits on. They're very affordable and have a great variety. I have a beach vacation planned for the end of July, so there's no time like the present to get organized.
While I had to give myself a thumb's up for spontaneity, I should have factored in a few things:
1. After three long work days (we are on deadline this week), I was super tired and more sensitive than usual.
2. The change rooms in Old Navy do absolutely nothing to flatter the body. Harsh lights, small spaces and concrete floors make for a rather dreary environment.
3. I was shopping alone. Bathing suit shopping is always more successful when you have a companion and they can give a second opinion. We are our own worst critics!

To sum up, I left the store and the mall feeling a little dejected. But lesson learned. Next time I will be more prepared, full of energy, perhaps with a layer of self-tanner, and my mom or sister by my side!

Capabilities

I love when I get to witness someone's strength. Take yesterday for example. I was in the company gym and couldn't help but notice a couple of guys doing hanging dips. I can do dips on a bench with my feet supported no problem, but hanging dips are another story. But get this, not only were they successfully banging out reps using their own body weight, but they also had a 25-pound plate roped around their waist. Good work fellas!
Then there are those accomplishments that are physical feats of strength that happen outside the gym, as part of our daily lives. An example? I thought you'd never ask!
Last week my sister and I had gone to Ikea to buy a dresser. As we all know Ikea is super affordable, but that's where the convenience ends. We managed to get the dresser into her truck and in the front door, but it was so heavy we didn't think we had any chance of getting it up the stairs with just the two of us. We temporarily thought about leaving it in the foyer for a few days until one of the men in our lives were available to help us out. But then common sense kicked in. We're two strong, capable women. There was no reason we couldn't do it. We just needed some stable footing, a tight grip and determination. Well needless to say, once we had our strategy in order, it took about two minutes to accomplish the task.
Fast forward to the weekend, my sister put that whole dresser together all by herself. I couldn't have done it, and didn't even offer to help. After a disaster with a computer desk last year, I have vowed to never put together another piece of furniture. Good work Linds!

Jamie Eason's Eat Clean Tips

Our Seize the Day columnist Jamie Eason is on the road a lot. She talked to me about what she packs in her cooler to eat clean with her busy travel schedule.

What are your favorite portable clean eats?
Note to self, watch my posture for future interviews! ;)
Happy Easter everyone. Here's to a happy and healthy long weekend!

Trish Stratus on the Today Show

Our April cover girl Trish Stratus recently showed off her Oxygen cover on the Today show!



Plus, find out how this wrestler-turned-yogi keeps in top form - we've got her training and nutrition plan on her cover girl insider page!

My inner athlete comes out-well, sorta.

We recently acquired a basketball hoop at the back of our office building. Today, despite my nerves and hesitation I changed into my gym clothes and headed out. The sun was shining, the wind was minimal, and my fellow co-workers were far from judgemental. We didn't play an actual game, just took turns shooting hoops. I wanted to get my calorie burn going, so whenever I got the chance I grabbed the ball and ran around in circles dribbling. I knew I looked clumsy, and probably a little silly, but the fun I was having compensated for any insecurities!
I probably tried for a basket about 20 times, maybe sinking five. But it sure was a blast and I was a little out of breath by the end. One thing is for sure, baseball is definitely my game. But you can bet your top dollar I'll get out there shooting hoops again.

clean eating on a roll

Veggies have always been an important part of my clean eating plan and as you know recently I've been looking for new ways to incorporate them into my day. Thanks to my boyfriend, I've recently become a huge fan of rapini. We were having lunch at his parents place on Sunday and I enjoyed two huge servings of it. He'll even drink the remaining juice from the pan to get a little extra nutrition kick. I tried, but it's a little too bitter for me to drink.
Yesterday I had a hankering for cauliflower (a great source of Vitamin C). So I chopped up the whole head, tossed into my steamer, and voila, 16 minutes later, a tasty little side dish. I find cauliflower so flavourful on it's own, I didn't add anything to it when I ate it with my dinner. But today I packed some in my lunch with a dash of chilli powder. I think it will go nicely with my halibut, salad and snow peas. My stomach is growling just thinking about it.

Spring has sprung

Is it just me, or does the gym seem super packed recently? Ordinarily January is the "busy" time, when people want to get in shape for the new year. But now I'm thinking April just might be the start of the fitness year.
Our company gym is so packed at lunch time I'm using it only for leg day now, and using my home town gym after work for everything else.
But it's nice to shake up my routine once in a while, and I tell you, when I work out after work, I sleep like a baby that night.
What's your favourite time of day to work out and why?

Oxygen outside the office

I just love when I hear about Oxygen staffer's participating in fitness activities on their own time. It's by all means not a prerequisite of the job, but it's hard not to adopt the lifestyle after writing about it for at 40-plus hours a week.
This past weekend, our own success story (read all about her in our Fatloss special issue) assistant editor Kirstyn Brown participated in the Harry Rosen 5k. Read in her own words how she felt about the day. Sorry there aren't any pics, they're trapped on her camera:

"I've always hated running and been envious of people who get up at dawn to go for a nice long jog. As part of my recent reinvention of myself, I set a goal to not only be able to run, but to actually enjoy doing it. I started small by signing up for a 5k and on the day of the run, had myself convinced I was going to collapse en route to the finish. But I surprised myself by crossing the finish line at full speed and smiling! As soon as we were done, I was ready to do it again. I had finally experienced this "runner's high" I'd heard so much about. Next stop, 10K!"