Fashion and Fitness - My cheap therapy

Lately, if you have been following me on Instagram, you have been probably hearing about how I've been really stressed out. Partly the reason why I hadn't been posting as much in the recent months, because life got really out of hand. I got really stressed out, anxious, my project completely changed direction and I thought I would be ready to defend my thesis by the end of the summer, walked at graduation, and now my plans are completely different (or at least delayed).
I guess everything happens for a reason. I didn't get the job I interviewed for (the one that I thought was my perfect match, guess it wasn't so perfect after all), I started getting contradicting (but good I guess) results, I got a dissertation year fellowship, so the fact that all of my Plan A's didn't work out, my Plan B is coming in handy now, even though I didn't appreciate it at first; so now I don't have to worry about TAing while trying to figure out the jumble of confusion that is my life right now.
And while things haven't been working the way I planned (Oh science, that's how you must be, right?), the one thing I HAVE been able to control is my exercise and health routine. I gained some weight from losing my work out momentum, stress, eating whatever I wanted, and I fell back into the stress and anxiety routine I worked so hard to get over. I referred back to my health and fitness community over on facebook and I refound my inspiration. I started a workout program that's available for free on the Beachbody On Demand that I subscribe to, and with the help of 2 other amazing ladies, we are keeping ourselves accountable for getting the workouts done - as in, we have a group chat going and we each message the others when we are pressing play on our workouts and get it done! It has really helped me manage my stress and anxiety and really helped me make time for myself. I have started regarding working out as "Me" time, and a meeting I make with myself, and I'm not allowed to skip it, just as I wouldn't skip a work meeting, etc. While I have been struggling a little still, I am doing a lot better with managing my stress. I am obsessed with my new life style, when I have a rest day, I am just itching to get back to working out!

Fashion and Fitness - 8 ways to keep your cool and Stretch the stress away

Hello loves!
Happy Friday!
Another week down, another week closer to summer and being done!
I have alluded in previous posts and if you have been following me on instagram that I've been focusing a lot on self care, which is done by working on my nutrition and fitness!
This past fall I fell into a negative spiral where I was so stressed out, super overwhelmed, things weren't working on my projects, I had month-long headaches and migraines, and it just overall sucked. I was working 12 hour days but I didn't feel like I was progressing, I wasn't sleeping enough, and I didn't have time to relax or workout. Come December, I decided to change that, because I couldn't continue living in that same state. I also hit my heaviest weight. I needed to change something. I decided to start focusing on myself, so I can refind myself and I can actually be productive in work.
After months of contemplation to invest in a program, I committed to doing a Beachbody workout and nutrition program called 21 Day Fix, perfect for a beginner, thanks to a friend who is a coach and recommended it to me, and it was the best decision I made. All of a sudden I had a structured meal plan and workout program that I could do the workouts in 30 minutes a day, and really had no excuses not to stick to it, especially since I invested in it. The coaching and free accountability group/community I became a part of was a great plus, and I believe is the difference between sticking to a program and just buying it and leaving it to the side. Being in a community with other women who were making a huge effort to lose weight, change their health habits, was so inspiring. I lost 4 lbs in my first round and about 7.5 inches in 21 days. That's only 3 weeks!! And I also noticed my headaches were gone, I wasn't getting a migraine when I felt stressed. I saw a change in my skin, it cleared up, my bloating went down, and my stomach felt better. I realized I inadvertently cut out cheese and milk from my diet, and it make a wonderful difference. I found out I am to a degree lactose intolerant! I also found that I feel so much better and I actually enjoy cooking food! I cut out all processed foods, which has helped me regulate my body, and I am saving money since I have a focused meal plan and grocery list. I always would over buy lots of groceries and I would end up spending 100$+ a week on groceries and end up eating out most of the week. Sticking with this easy meal plan has helped me stay on track and save money! In addition I started having a superfoods shake to my meal plan, and I add some greens and fruits to it, super yummy and I get a lot of my nutrients in for the day! It has also curbed my sweet tooth quite a bit, and it has some protein, so perfect to drink for breakfast or snack after a workout!
I loved 21 Day Fix so much I decided to up it a little bit and I did my next 21 days using 21 Day Fix Extreme, which was similar to the regular fix, but the workouts were, like the title, a little more extreme! I saw even better results following this plan, I definitely lost some body fat and leaned out!
And currently, I am following the 22 Minute HardCorp program, which is an 8 week bootcamp style program that was just released! Tony Horton, who created P90X which you may have heard of, designed this bootcamp style program that can be done in 22 minutes! Literally, my soulmate workout, because I don't have a lot of time, so it is quick and done, and it hits all the muscle groups. It alternates between resistance and cardio, and I have definitely leaned out and I am just in week 3! I can't wait to see my body change and see my results by the end of 8 weeks (brings me to end of April! time is flying, it is almost summer!)
If you are interested in doing a program then send me an email (andrea@phdfashionista.com) and we can chat about your goals! I'd love to share what has worked for me and hopefully it can help you! You can also check out the options for On Demand Access at this link: www.tinyurl.com/workoutwithLCLD

Well, anyway, I also wanted to share this really cute Fabletics outfit that I love, I really really love all of the pieces in the Fabletics collection, especially bright pieces. And I love these bright neon pink sneakers from Nike! No one said working out had to be boring, there are so many brands out there with really fashionable pieces!

Here is a simple stretching workout to do when you are feeling tense and want to stretch the stress away! I found yoga, meditation and just stretching really help me when I am feeling really tense.


1. Runners Lunge - Stretch out your hips and hamstrings by coming into a runners lunge!

Spring has Sprung - Happy Friday!

Hello and Happy Friday!
I can't believe it is already March! This year is flying by already, and it will be summer before we know it!
I've been pretty busy the last few weeks with work and trying to figure out the last things I need to do before I graduate, and I have a never ending to-do list, and soooo many things going on, it has been hard to find time to blog! But I am still around, never fear! I am posting to instagram daily, so if you are ever wondering what I'm up to, follow me there :) My golden birthday came last week, and I had a great time celebrating with friends, and alsoI went to the Vanity Fair Social Club event for the Oscars, so it was fun and I got some free goodies which I will blog about soon :)
School has been super stressful and I have felt overwhelmed at times, but I need to start taking it one day at a time :)
I've been trying to come up with outfits that are work appropriate, as I am trying to focus really on professional dress. I got this blouse from a birthday care package from my aunt in Cyprus for my Birthday, and I love it! I love the color and I love the patterns! It also is pretty flattering, and it shows a little cleavage without being over exposed, which I loved! I never feel too comfortable with cleavage, and I was worried this top would be too much - but it was just right! I have been wearing leggings mostly to work - as I spend a lot of time running around lab some days, and some days I'm sitting at my desk the whole time - and jeans aren't as comfy! So this is a usual outfit you will find me in, something stylish and comfy! Matched with these sketchers heeled sneakers that I have worn before! I paired this pretty statement necklace from Minu Jewels, the Botswana Agate necklace! So gorgeous!

Malibu and Glam Necklace - weekend relaxing

Hello!
Happy Monday and happy February! I can't believe it is already the first of the month! January flew by!
I've been super busy with lab work and some outside things I am involved with, which is great because it gives me more of a work-life balance. I've been trying to leave lab at a reasonable time so I can have enough time to relax and workout when I get home. So far so good, and my stress levels are much lower!
I'm also working on rebranding my blog a little bit, adding a fitness aspect to it, because fitness and health has become a big aspect of my life recently, ever since I decided I needed to take care of myself. I am hoping to start writing some blogposts about lifestyle, fitness and health, and also start a youtube channel as well. I have been doing a beachbody program called 21 day fix and I saw results in 21 days, and I feel sooo much better - no more headaches or migraines! I am trying to help people as well so I signed up to be a coach, so if you are interested in doing a program with me, send me an email, I'd love to forward you some info on the program and have you join the challenge group that is starting next monday February 8!! I've started surrounding myself with a lot of positivity in this group, everyone is so great and posts every day to stay accountable, its exactly what I need right now.

Holiday Work to Party look - Part 2!

Hi guys!
I have had a relaxing time in Boston visiting my parents for the holiday and today I am flying back to LA. My boyfriend came along for a couple of days too which was great, and we had a good time going into the city and exploring!
Here's another holiday outfit I wore to a holiday party/out for drinks right after. I did wear this to lab also but without the leather boots, haha! but I loved playing with a light scarf and a moto faux leather jacket! My mom got me this blue lace top as well, that I don't remember where it is from, but you can find similar Here. I then wore my black Fabletics Leggings that I have literally been wearing every day since I have been home because they are so COMFY and WARM! I subscribed to fabletics a while ago to get a cheap outfit and I stayed subscribed but just make sure I skip the month every month, which can be annoying but I avoid getting charged 50$. I would cancel but I like seeing the monthly selections and the clothes are actually super comfortable and stylish! So I really don't mind it, even though some people have complained that it is a scam. Want to know a secret that I do tho? When I enter my credit card info I use Bank of America's shopsafe feature which gives me a limit to how much can charge on a generated number so even if i forget I wont get overcharged because it will get declined if I forget to skip the month! Shhh don't tell anyone I told you that! If you want to check out Fabletics you can see their selections Here!
I then rewore my black leather boots that I hadn't worn in a while but now started wearing them to more and more events. You can see Amazon's selection of boots Here, as I can't remember the brand!
The moto jacket I am wearing is from Express that I bought last year and I love how "bad-ass" it makes outfits look! The scarf I borrowed from a friend and it was perfect to cover up when it wasn't too cold (before I left LA it was rather warm during the day).

Day time / Work/Lab Look:

Holiday Outfit - From Work to Holiday Party

Hello!
It's been a crazy couple of weeks and I am finally back with some outfit posts that I have been working on! Last week was rather stressful and I was pulling some late nights in lab so I can finish everything up before I headed to the east coast for the holidays. It is rather nice to relax and shut my brain off from work, and not have to think about anything "complicated" other than what I am going to eat and do that day! It is really nice. My headaches have started to go away and I realized they are all caused by stress! I am also trying to catch up on my sleep, something I got very little of this past quarter and had never been able to catch up on!
This last week was full of various holiday parties after work, so I decided to wear some cute transitional outfits that were appropriate to wear to work and also could easily transition to a holiday party later in the evening!
I have been posting this latest outfit on Instagram, if you haven't caught my sneak peak, here is the outfit! I am obsessed with wearing red this holiday season! My mom sent me this red lace top that is perfect for the holiday season, that I believe is from Target (Shop similar here). I also paired it with these black leggings that are super comfortable, and they are actually my workout pants from Fabletics, but I have been wearing them to work and outings because they are so cute and simple! No one can tell they are workout pants! For work/lab, I wore my hair up in a pony tail so it would be out of my way and these black hidden heeled sneakers from Sketchers, that give a little length to my legs, and then before I left for the holiday party, I just let my hair down and changed into these knee-high leather heeled boots that I have had in my closet for about 3 years now -- I bought these from Ross/TJ Maxx (Search Similar Here) a while ago and never wore them! I have been doing "shopping" in my closet and finding pieces that I haven't worn in a long time, like these boots and also this really pretty red jacket from Forever 21! (Shop Similar Here). It is kind of nice to find these old/new pieces because I was starting to get really bored with my wardrobe and been itching to go shopping, even though I don't have money! Accessories I pulled together this gold bracelet from Charlotte Russe, a neutral tassel bracelet from the Yayoi Collection at Boyajian Trend Gallery, and some earrings also from Charlotte Russe.

Daytime/Work: