FitSugar

Tips to Drag You Out of the Dark Morning Bed

Michele Bell — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 12:30:29 PDT

I don't know about you, but these dark Fall mornings are making it tough for me to climb out of bed. When I should be at the gym getting my workout on, I'm hiding under the sheets waiting for the sun to pluck me from my slumber. With daylight saving ending this weekend things should get a bit easier, but I know I've still got a battle ahead of me. I'm pulling out all the stops with these tips and hoping they can help my fellow not-so-morning people, too.

Before you go to sleep, set out your gym clothes in your bed so you don't even have to get out of bed to get dressed.
Do some stretches in bed to get your body breathing.
Keep a bouquet of flowers on your bedside table. Research shows that people feel energized by the scent of fresh flora.
Skip the gym altogether and pop in a DVD for a personal exercise routine in your own living room.

Want to see the rest of the tips?

Not a Morning Person? Try This . . .

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 03:00:00 PDT

That morning boost of caffeine might be a hoax, but that's not stopping the majority of people from chugging a cup of joe first thing to jump-start their brains. If you're hooked on your morning cup of coffee, why not try these drug-free techniques?

Sleep with your window shades open: Even if the sun is shining outside, you'll have no idea if you're sleeping in cave-like darkness. Keep your curtains slightly open and as the sun rises outside, it will gently pour in and gradually wake you up.
Snooze on purpose: I don't know how people can wake right up after their alarm goes off. I set my alarm at least 40 minutes before I actually have to wake up. That way, I can snooze many times, and it gets my body and mind used to the idea that soon I'll have to get out of bed.
Exercise in the morning: If you can, set your alarm even earlier so you can wake up and go for a walk, jog, or pop in a fitness DVD. Or you can even stretch in bed. By doing something you want to do, you won't be so aggravated about having to wake up.
Stop eating two hours before you lie down at night: Not only is this good for sleeping, but when you wake up your hungry belly will inspire you to get up and fill it with some yummy breakfast.

Want to know what else may help? Then

Avoid caffeinated beverages, alcohol, and spicy foods late at night: They'll prevent you from getting to sleep at a decent hour and may wake you up in the middle of the night, so when it is time to wake up, you won't feel rested.
Get to sleep an hour or two earlier: Get this - you may be tired in the morning because you're not getting enough sleep. I don't mean to be sarcastic, but not everyone needs eight hours. Some need less and some need more.
Avoid taking naps during the day: If you take a power nap in the late afternoon, you won't feel tired when it's bedtime. Then you'll fall asleep much later and if you have to wake up early, won't get a full night of sleep. It's a vicious cycle.

How Many Times Do You Hit the Snooze Button?

FitSugar — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 03:00:12 PDT

I'm one of those people who could sleep nine hours a night and still be tired in the morning - I just love to sleep! When my alarm goes off, I'm so groggy that I can't even think about waking up, so I usually set it early so I can snooze a couple times and catch an extra 20 minutes of shut-eye. What about you?

Wake Up and Work Out

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:00:21 PST

When your alarm goes off in the morning, do you curse its very existence and hit the snooze button eight times before you actually pull yourself out of bed? If you're not a morning person, there's no way you could begin to understand how other people can wake up early and fit in an hour workout before getting ready and heading off to work. Yes, some people are just naturally perky in the morning and prefer sweating it out in the a.m., but then there's the rest of us who make a point to work out in the morning because it's the only time we can fit it in.

If you find that you're skipping out on exercise altogether because you're too busy, have meetings, have family obligations, or are just plain exhausted, then morning workouts might be just the thing you need. How can a non-morning person turn into a morning exerciser? Learn a handful of ways to become an early riser when you

Get to bed early the night before. Even if you're one of those rare people who can survive on less than five hours of sleep that is not enough snooze time if expect to wake up and have energy for a morning workout. That means you can't go to bed at midnight and expect to rise and shine at 5 a.m. Get into the habit of going to bed early enough so you get at least eight hours of zzz's.
If you're not sleepy at night, try limiting your caffeine during the day, and be finished with your last caffeinated bev by 4 p.m. Warm baths, a cup of tea, and ditching the TV and computer use before bed can also encourage you to relax and fall asleep more easily.
Creatively motivate yourself. When you're cozy under your sheets telling yourself you feel great after you exercise will probably not help you jump out of bed. Get creative with your means of motivation. Make a new workout playlist, or get excited to wear your new sneaks. Conjure up the image of that cute guy you've seen at the gym lately. Get psyched about a tasty new breakfast idea. If you have something you're looking forward to once you wake up, you'll find it impossible not to get out of bed.
Make a date and set a time. You know you love Zumba and your gym only offers it at 6 a.m. Make an appointment with a trainer or plan to meet a fitness buddy at the park to go for a run. Scheduling morning workouts is a surefire way to get you there.
Reward your morning exercise efforts. Either give yourself a little treat after each morning workout or make a goal to exercise every day, Monday through Friday and on the last day, buy yourself a new fitness top, get a pedicure, or go to the movies with a friend. Rewards are huge motivators, and thinking about the pleasure that comes after your hard work may give you that emotional push out of bed.

Do you work out in the morning? Is it easy or hard for you?

Dear Poll: Are You a Morning Person?

DearSugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:00:09 PDT

Though I occasionally have to hit the snooze button, I’m pretty good about getting up in the morning. I love having a few minutes to myself before I start getting ready to clear my mind and enjoy that perfect morning sunshine. But for some people, there's just nothing enjoyable about early morning, except sleeping! Which category do you fall under?

Source

Not a Morning Person? Try Flowers

FitSugar — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 02:00:00 PDT

Are you a morning person? Well, if you are always amazed at how your best friend can head to the gym bright and early each morning while you can't even form a sentence until after 8 a.m., then probably not. However, you may be looking for a trick to help change your unpleasant morning ways.

A recent study from Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital confirmed that non morning people reported being happier and more energetic after looking at flowers first thing in the morning. Perhaps the phrase should have been, "Wake up and smell the roses," not the coffee.

So head out to your own garden and cut some blooms to put on your nightstand. Don't have a garden full or roses? Then head to the local farmers' market to get some flowers perfect for waking you up - I'm thinking yellow flowers would do just the trick. Not only will you be getting out of the house and walking around, but you're also supporting the local farmers.

Who knows, you may be more inclined to get up and get active with your day if the first thing you see is a lovely bouquet of flowers, rather than the maddening glow of your alarm clock.

Source

Do You Consider Yourself a Morning Person?

FitSugar — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 03:00:00 PDT

A recent Gallup poll found that the majority of American adults feel their best, on a typical day, between the hours of 5:00 am and 11:59 am, making them "morning people."

Mornings definitely have their merits, and some people find that it is the best time to schedule and stick to a workout. Others, would never classify themselves as morning people.

How about you...

Source

Cranky in the Morning?

DearSugar — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 11:00:00 PDT

I am a morning person, but not everyone is. Many of my friends hit snooze until that last possible second and then drag themselves out of bed. Does this sound like you? If so, besides your morning cup of coffee, give these techniques a try.

Sleep with your window shades open: Even if the sun is shining outside, you'll have no idea if you are sleeping in cave-like darkness. If you keep your curtains slightly open, as the sun rises outside, it will gently pour into your bedroom and gradually wake you up.
Snooze on purpose: Set your alarm at least 40 minutes before you actually have to wake up. That way, you can snooze and get your body and mind used to the idea that soon I'll have to get out of bed.
Exercise in the morning: If you can, set your alarm even earlier so you can get up and go for a walk, or jog, or pop in a workout DVD. By doing something you want to do, you won't be so aggravated about having to wake up.
Stop eating 2 hours before bedtime: Not only is this good for sleeping, but it's a great tip for maintaining your weight. So when you wake up, your hungry belly will inspire you to get up and fill it with breakfast.

Want to know what else may help? Then

Avoid caffeinated beverages, spicy foods and alcohol late at night: They'll prevent you from getting a sound sleep so you'll end up waking up tired.
Get to sleep an hour or two earlier: You may be tired in the morning because you're not getting enough sleep.
Avoid taking naps during the day: If you take a power nap in the late afternoon, you won't feel tired when it's bedtime and your sleep patterns will get out of whack -- It's a vicious cycle you don't want to start.

Dear's Advice: If you're not a morning person, there's really nothing you can do to change that - it's part of your personality. Hopefully some of these tips can help make your mornings a little less traumatic. Be sure to let me know if there are any other tips that have worked for you and together we can conquer the mornings!!

Model Liya Kebede Talks Minimal Makeup in Cannes

Allie Merriam — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:25:43 PDT

For model Liya Kebede, Cannes feels like magic. "It gets into you the minute you arrive here," she said this morning. "It's very glamorous, and I like that it's very international as well. You see all these different people from all over the world coming with their films, which is great." It's been a big year for Liya, who was named a L'Oréal Paris brand ambassador last June and is making forays into the film world. She's currently working on The Best Offer from Cinema Paradiso director Giuseppe Tornatore.

There's more to Liya than her stunning looks, though. She won a BellaSugar beauty award thanks to her philanthropic efforts. Her eponymous foundation is dedicated to improving maternal health, and she's created a clothing line, Lemlem, which helps support craftswomen in her native Ethiopia. Today, the supermodel talked about her various work endeavors and shared her best tips on beauty, the inside scoop on her own makeup routine, and more.

BellaSugar: It's pretty surreal here. Have you ever had an incredible Cannes moment?
Liya Kebede: I think you get it every time you get here. Last time, I ran into Woody Allen in the lobby. You can't believe it - it's just insane. There's so many of these great people and stars. At some point, you don't even react anymore. You get overstimulated. Every corner is some incredible person, or you go to a party and it's full of everybody. It's amazing. You just go, "I'm in Cannes!"

BellaSugar: And part of Cannes, is of course, getting made up and looking great, which you're quite familiar with, I'm sure. What's the best tip you've learned from the pros?
Liya Kebede: Less is more. If you're going do an eye thing, then don't do a lip thing. Try to find a balance about what you do. Also, nothing is necessarily specific - using a lip thing on your eye or cheeks is fine, and it works, and it's light. Play around! Nothing is so fixed.

For the rest of our chat with Liya, just read more

9 Ways to Earn Extra Cash When Money Is Tight

Wise Bread — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:51:58 PDT

I'm sure everyone can do with a little more cash in their wallets. Here are some great suggestions by Wise Bread for you to make extra money.

Even though I'm self-employed full-time, I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to make more money.

Earlier this year, I wrote a Wise Bread post on websites that can help you earn extra cash. More recently, I came across a blog post on Zaarly titled, "10 Ways to Make Money Without a Job." After reviewing the latter post, I thought it was time to revisit the topic and let you in on a few more ways to get paid.

The ideas that Zaarly presents are perfect for the unemployed or those who just want to pad their pockets a little more. In addition, there are moonlighting jobs that I do that I thought you should know about. Thus, if you're without a steady paycheck or you just want to build up a rainy-day stash, here are some of your options.

1. Offer Experiences to Strangers

I recently learned about a new site called Vayable, which allows people with specialized knowledge and talents, local info, and time on their hands to create experiences that others can purchase. It's basically a touring and activity company without the company. Anyone can join the site and set up an experience. For instance, the Kan Brothers offer motorcycle tours of San Francisco - which include helmet rental, a drink at a local hot spot, and a city map - for two to four people at $75 per person. In New York City, Kim G. is offering a personalized painting lesson for groups of two to six for a flat rate of $300; the experience includes acrylic paints; canvas board and supplies; studio space; wine, cheese, and crackers; and Kim’s undivided attention. Consider this tip if you're interested in joining Vayable: Browse the site to see what other people in your area are offering. By creating a unique experience that no one else has established, you have a better chance of getting booked.

Read on for more.