Name: Erica

Age: 22

About Me: I’m a New York City girl who’s about to graduate from a university in the Big Apple this May.  I used to want to be a professional singer, but now I’m freelance writing, hoping to become a writer for a woman’s magazine, a life coach, and motivational speaker.  I’m a hopeless romantic, and a HUGE (that being an understatement) Sex & the City fan.

Ideal Man: intelligence and creativity of Mos Def, the looks of Mos Def or Lamman Rucker (from Why Did I Get Married), Will Smith’s sense of humor, with a romantic mind like Nicholas Sparks…hahaha.  I’m just a sucker for love… 

Random Things I Like: gallivanting around NYC, spending hours and hours laughing and talking about anything and everything with my girlfriends, singing (R&B), listening to R&B and Hip Hop (particularly ‘90s/early 2000’s stuff), writing, watching interior design shows on HGTV, watching basketball, daydreaming...

There are days when I would much rather hit snooze than hit the gym, or pretend that cookies are in their own, very important food group and eat them all day.  Yet there are other times when the thought of working out and eating right gets me completely pumped--these are moments when I see, think, or hear something that motivates me to be my healthiest self.  Here are 7 things that kick me into a healthy state-of-mind--aka, my healthkickers:

1)      Women’s magazines (particularly SELF & Glamour).  Instead of comparing myself to models in magazines that have different body types than mine, I use these magazines for fuel.  They are filled with great info on health and happiness, which is super encouraging. 

2)      Music.  What can I say?  I'm sure everyone can relate to this…there’s some music out there that can just get you going, whether it's from the beat or the lyrics!  Check out the awesome comments you guys left for this post for workout song ideas you might want to consider adding to your iPods.

3)      Cute workout clothes.  I just bought some fun new athletic gear from Marshalls today since my closet was seriously lacking it.  I got home, threw the clothes in the wash, and as soon as they were out of the dryer I put on a pair of Champion capris (that makemy butt look amazing, if I do say so myself--lol) and a matching sports bra top and hit the treadmill!  When you look good, you feel good, right?

4)      Nature.  For the most part I live in New York City, but when I visit my parents in northeastern New Jersey I love to be outside as much as I can.  There’s a reservation about 20 minutes from the house where people go hiking and stroll around the gorgeous deep-blue lakes.  The very thought of it makes me want to lace up my sneakers and take in all the natural beauty; it gives me a great workout and it clears my mind.

5)      Tiredness.  I hate that lethargic feeling I have when I haven’t been eating very healthily over the last few days.  Too much sugar completely sucks the life out of me, and when I’m exhausted, nothing gets done.  The less junk food I have, the more energy I have and the easier it is to move through a long, hectic day!

6)      Being healthy.  Yes, that’s right.  Being healthy inspires me to continue to be healthy.  I notice all the benefits I’m getting (better skin, more energy, my clothes fitting better) and that makes me want to keep going.

7)      Thinking about my future.  I’ve always heard that maintaining good health habits in your 20’s and 30’s is similar to putting money in the bank for retirement.  When I think about the kind of woman I want to be and the type of life I want to be living decades from now (God-willing that I'm around), I picture myself looking and (more importantly) feeling younger than my age.  No one wants to end up in a hospital if they can help it.  Although it's important to focus on the present, everytime I exercise and eat right I feel like I’m doing something positive for my future self. 

So, tell me: what inspires you to be healthy?  What are your healthkickers?

There are many different reasons that lead people to eat based on emotions because, well, there's a heck of a lot of emotions that one could have.  Instead of dealing with these feelings, it often seems more tempting to put them aside and distract ourselves with a bowl of ice cream or a big bag of chips.  Some people chow down when they're bored, others stuff their faces when they're tired, and still others inhale excess calories when they're excited about something.

When I emotionally overeat, it's generally because I'm procrastinating or stressed.  When I see my mile-long to-do list, it is menacing and discouraging.  Suddenly, cravings start popping up out of nowhere.  "I just ate an hour ago," I'll think to myself.  "Oh well, that pasta looks good!" 

I'm starting to learn to break down my to-do lists into categories: things that need to get done ASAP, things that need to get done within the near future, and things that I'd like to do but aren't necessary.  After dividing the tasks up, I often realize that I'm assigning more work to myself than need be, which calms me down.  Even when there really is a lot to get done right away, I remind myself that the only thing that will shorten that to-do list is if the things on it actually get done--a bag of Skittles later, and that essay will still be waiting for me!

What emotions cause you to reach for the cookie jar (or whatever else)?  Do you give in, or do you find other ways to cope with (or celebrate) what you're going through?