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• HOKA ONE ONE shoes have become synonymous for many long-distance runners with premium cushioning, and they can be easily identified by their unusual style.
• HOKA uses high-tech foam and inventions like a Meta-Rocker design, Active Foot Frame, J-Frame, and a dual-density midsole to make a shoe that provides maximum comfort with minimal weight.
• The HOKA ONE ONE Bondi 5 (which I tried) delivered on all the company's big claims; the sneakers had impressive bounce, comfort, stability, and still felt lightweight.

When you're pushing your body as far as you do during marathons, the gear you use takes on heightened importance. That's one reason why I tend to pay more attention to what has a good reputation among long-distance runners. There are some labels you’ll get used to seeing worn and mentioned in online threads — and one of those is the HOKA ONE ONE sneakers. Over the years, they've become synonymous with premium cushioning.

The HOKA ONE ONE shoes are divisive — it seems that either you love them and their maximum cushioning (and become a full-on convert) or you can’t be convinced by their anything-but-minimalist design.

I, for one, typically favor shoes that feel barely-there but still leverage technology to give better energy return (and protection) than bare feet on pavement can — like the Adidas Ultra Boost X or new Nike Epic React Flyknits, which I’ve tested and now regularly rely on for my 5-7 mile runs. However, I’ve been flirting with the idea of training for a marathon, and anything that generates such a loyal following like the HOKA ONE ONEs deserves to be looked at, if only to serve the readers who are searching for an in-depth review of the cult-favorite shoes.

I’ll get into the details below, but in summary, the HOKA sneakers that I tried (the Bondi 5, $150) delivered on every claim. They’re definitely bulkier than the shoes I typically wear, but they’re incredibly supportive and provide maximum cushioning without compromising on being lightweight. If you want “maximum cushioning, minimal weight,” then you’ll be happy with your purchase.

The company uses the lightest and most responsive and durable materials for cushioning so you can protect your body without compromising on performance. Their Meta-Rocker design — or, “wheels for your feet” — is a clever application of geometry to create a shoe shape that will complement a runner’s normal gait cycle and drive you forward with each step. For me, this was definitely noticeable. I felt the helpful rocking motion on my runs, and when I wore the shoes into the office I only half-jokingly worried that I might step down too energetically and pitch myself forward.

HOKA's “Active Foot Frame” is another memorable departure from most sneakers. The heel and foot, rather than sitting on top, will bed deeper into the midsole than you might find elsewhere. The company says this helps its shoes offer guidance without the need for more restrictive construction. They liken the Active Foot Frame to the bucket seat in a race car — dropped down and cradling the foot. This, too, was noticeable while wearing the shoes. The foot rests deeper down into the midsole, and I felt the symptomatic support and stability without any harder materials being introduced (which also helps keep the shoe so lightweight). Like I said, I love my lightweight running shoes, but the feeling of being somewhat ‘encased’ in these didn’t bother me. It’s different, but not obtrusive.

Similarly, HOKA uses a J-Frame, which basically means that they form their firmer density foam into the shape of a “J” to support the inside of your foot and heel without adding any rigid or heavy materials into the shoe.

Lastly, the company uses a PROFLY dual-density midsole that offers a forgiving landing and a responsive toe-off. Or, in other words, HOKA uses softer cushioning in the heel and firmer foam in the forefoot, so you can land comfortably and push off again quickly. Combined with that Meta-Rocker design, I felt a very perceptible push forward in these shoes, like you might feel when adding momentum to a rocking chair. As I told my coworkers, the HOKA shoes reminded me of a cartoon where a kid wears shoes with springs on the bottom and accidentally launches himself into space.

They performed especially well in New York City, where most of the available running space is hard concrete. HOKAs add stability, comfort, and deal with uneven or hard ground especially well. If you're looking for something that can handle more technical paths, though, I'd wager you'd be better off investing in a more close-fitting shoe. 

While the “maximum cushioning, minimal weight” mantra might seem like a nice marketing tool rather than a real assessment, I have to say that it’s pretty accurate. The shoes are bigger (and wider) than my minimalist pairs, but they’re also impressively lightweight and bouncy. And the bulky foam is tailored, so when wearing casually, you might find that they actually feel “on-trend” with the $795 Balenciaga shoes like these that keep selling out.

However, the functional look didn’t really matter to me thanks to how well they performed. At mile 15, I wouldn't think twice about running in comfortable clown shoes over something runway-ready but heavy.

All in all, if more cushioning (even without added weight) or wider shoes will bother you, then you're probably not going to fall in love with HOKA. But if you want something that feels springy, bouncy, and has stable and ample cushioning, or you spend most of your time pounding out miles on hard ground, then the HOKA shoes are not likely to disappoint. If you're not sure yet but you're curious and need some incentive, the company also offers a 30-day guarantee that lets you return the shoes with no questions asked within 30-days after your purchase. Overall, I came away really impressed.

Shop all HOKA ONE ONE shoes on Zappos

Shop all HOKA ONE ONE shoes on REI

Shop the HOKA ONE ONE Bondi 5 Sneakers (pictured above), Zappos, $150

Shop the HOKA ONE ONE Bondi 5 Sneakers (pictured above), REI, $150

SEE ALSO: 10 stylish sneakers to buy that aren't going to sell out in seconds

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• Today's ideal female body type is not only thin — now women are expected to be both thin and muscular. 
• Since social media has put a new spotlight on body image, trending "fitspiration" posts pressure women to restrict calories and build muscles, particularly the abdomen and buttocks.
• One study found 72% of these posts emphasize appearance over health. 
• Research has shown that increased pressure to achieve the ideal body image contributes to bad moods, lower self-esteem, and in some cases, restrictive eating or purging.

Day after day, we're bombarded with so many media messages that rarely do we stop to think about what they're telling us to think, do or feel.

Much has been written about the unrealistic beauty standards women have been held to. Female actresses, models and TV personalities are overwhelmingly thin, which has had a detrimental effect on the eating habits and self-esteem of countless women.

But in recent years, we've noticed something else: Media targeting women have featured models who are not only exceedingly thin, but also muscular.

As psychologists who study body image issues, we wanted to test whether women are aware of this trend — and whether they're aspiring for this look themselves.

The body gap grows

By now, most women are probably aware of the discrepancy between their bodies and the impossibly thin women who appear on TV and in magazines.

This disparity was first identified in a 1980 study that compared the body weights of regular American women to prominent media figures, Miss America contestants and Playboy centerfolds. The researchers found that between 1959 and 1978, average female weights in the general population increased, while the women appearing in the media were actually getting thinner.

This matters because, particularly for women, exposure to thinner bodies contributes to body dissatisfaction, which can worsen your mood and lead to lower self-esteem. Those who aspire to this ideal figure can end up engaging in negative behaviors like restrictive eating or purging.

In a 2002 study, researchers exposed women on the island of Fiji to Western television. Before the study, island inhabitants had preferred larger female figures, seeing them as a sign of health. But following the introduction of Western television, the researchers found that women were much more likely to engage in disordered eating behaviors such as vomiting and restrictive dieting, all in a quest to appear thin.

The birth of 'fitspiration' — and a new norm?

While media messages continue to encourage women to change their bodies, the platforms being used to consume media are changing.

In recent years social media use has exploded. On many of these platforms, women are able to choose what content to follow and "like." Social media sites, from Facebook to Instagram, then take this information and feed it into an algorithm, which then influences the content that's advertised and shown to users on their feeds.

One trend that has gained traction is "fitspiration." These are images and videos that depict women engaged in workouts or poses that highlight particular muscle groups like the abdomen or buttocks.

In promoting muscularity, these images seem to be promoting healthy exercise. But analyses of the text accompanying the images have found that they often include guilt-inducing messages that focus on body image (e.g. "Suck it up now, so you don't have to suck it in later").

In fact, one study has shown that an overwhelming percentage (72%) of these posts emphasize appearance, rather than health (22%).

And it's an appearance that's not only muscular, but also thin.

Is this the new ideal?

Our studies sought to answer this question.

In the first, we presented 78 undergraduate female participants with images of Miss USA winners between 1999 and 2013. Because winners are selected annually, they serve as a relevant representation of what is considered attractive. For the study, we depicted the pageant winners from the neck down wearing black two-piece swimsuits. Participants then rated each winner on her level of thinness, muscularity and attractiveness. The ratings demonstrated that the winners became thinner and more muscular over the 15-year span.

In a second study, we wanted to examine whether women had begun to prefer this thin, toned body type.

So we presented 64 undergraduate female participants with two versions of seven different images. One version featured a thin, muscular model. In the other, the muscle tone and definition were digitally removed, leaving the model appearing to be only thin. Participants viewed these images one by one in random order and were asked to rate them on thinness, muscularity and attractiveness, and to identify how typical they were of images in the media.

Results showed that participants could detect the difference in muscularity among the images and rated all of them as typical of media images. However, they did not clearly identify one type of figure as being more attractive than the other.

In a final portion of this study, we showed participants the pair of images side by side and asked them to identify which they preferred. When presented with the images in this format, participants overwhelmingly chose the thin and muscular image over the thin-only image.

Benign implications, pernicious effects

You might wonder: Isn't it healthy that women are increasingly preferring muscularity?

Studies have examined the impact of viewing thin and toned bodies, and have found that they have a negative impact on the body image of female viewers. Just like the previous studies on media images that promote thinness, seeing thin, muscular women can lead to a negative mood and decreased body satisfaction.

It is the addition of muscularity to thinness that has this impact; if women see other women who are fit but not thin, then we don't see the same effect.

It seems as though the quest for a toned body adds just one more thing to strive for — another layer of pressure for women. Not only do they need to restrict caloric intake, but they also need to add a muscle-building exercise routine.

Because there's a deceitful aspect of rhetoric surrounding "fitspiration"— with benign implications that it's simply all about being healthy — we fear that our culture may be in the midst of a more toxic promotion of an ideal female body that only leads to more dissatisfaction.

SEE ALSO: Demi Lovato opens up about her struggle to stay body-positive with social media: 'Not everything that you see online is reality'

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• Meghan Markle approaches exercise with self-love.
• She enjoys working out, especially for the mental benefits.
• Yoga and running are her favorite ways to stay fit. 
• Markle makes time to exercise with friends as well as rest up when she has downtime.

Meghan Markle knows how to make the most of her time. When she's not spending time with her fiancé Prince Harry, she's filming her final episodes of "Suits,"cooking for her friends and family, or fighting for a good cause. And in between all of that, she somehow finds time to exercise.

Here's everything we know about Markle's fitness regimen.

Her workout motivation comes from a few different places. 

Markle exercises for more than just aesthetics. She told Women's Health that her daily motivation is a combination of her health, state of mind, and that amazing post-workout feeling.

"All of [sic] these things drive me to step onto my mat or go to the gym," she said. "Sometimes the idea of working out sounds absolutely dreadful, but I always remind myself of how good it will feel afterward. Euphoric, almost." 

She enjoys running. 

This is Markle's go-to workout when she's short on time. In an interview with Best Health, she said especially likes to take her dog with her when she runs.

Markle also approaches running from a holistic standpoint, calling it a form of "moving meditation." She told Women's Health that it allows her to get out of her head.

"I love running but I think you have to find a workout routine that really speaks to you beyond trying to get gals for your body," she said in an interview with Shape."For me, running is like, I need it as much for my head and to clear my head as for keeping in shape."

She makes exercise a social occasion. 

Markle also enjoys making her runs social with people, and not just her dog. She told The Chalkboard that her favorite workout is a six-mile run with Heather Dorak, her personal trainer turned close friend and founder of a pilates studio chain in LA that Markle frequents.

Markle is also willing to try out new routines with friends. According to Women's Health, Markle is looking forward to trying out SBC, an exclusive fitness class that is invitation only.

"I'm eager to come to the UK to do a workout with Russell [Bateman], the founder of SBC," Markle said. "My friend Millie Macintosh raves about his workouts, so I'll call her up to do a class together next time I'm back in London."

She uses workout DVDs and home exercises to self-motivate.

Markle told Shape that she is the type of person who trains herself, and that this practice helps her fit exercise into a busy schedule.

"I do it all on my own," she told the magazine. "I do DVDs at home or I go for a run by myself. I think if you can self-motivate, that's half the battle."

She told the magazine that she's a big fan of Tracy Anderson, who is famous for her online studio and stream-able method classes.

"I just find the results are great, and you can do little 15-minute increments," she said. "You just find those little bits of time that help, and then at the end of the day, you've had a full workout."

She did work with a trainer, however, when she was shooting her TV show in Toronto. 

Markle has said that she watches what she eats and works out hard when filming. Although the future royal will no longer star as Rachel Zane on "Suits," when she used to film the show in Canada, Markle had the help of trainer Craig McNamee. Although the duo did things like rowing and jumping rope, McNamee also helped her with one of her favorite forms of exercise — yoga.

"I remember helping Meghan with some of her first inversions," she told Best Health. "I remember Meghan being quite timid yet coming into handstand anyway. Her ability to trust, feel fear and then move beyond it speaks volumes about her as a person." 

Practicing yoga is her absolute favorite. 

Markle's mom was a yoga instructor, so the practice is "in her blood." 

"I love an intense Vinyasa class — and even better if its blasting hip-hop and done in a dark room with candlelight," she told Women's Health. Markle even did a series of poses for her interview with Best Health. She told the magazine that yoga would definitely be part of a perfect day for her. 

Markle also told Shape that she practices "a lot" of hot yoga — and Moksha Yoga in particular, which specializes in vinyasa-like classes held in temperatures that hover at around 100 degrees. Although the practice originated in Toronto, it has become very popular for New York City-based celebrities, according to Vogue.

She also maintains her balance with pilates.

"[It's] hands down the best thing you could do for your body," Markle said of Megaformer Pilates, which works isolated muscle groups to exhaustion, according to Us Weekly. "Your body changes immediately."

When the native Californian is back in her hometown of Los Angeles, she works out at Pilates Platinum or attends a candle-lit hip-hop yoga class at Y7 Studio.

"We use the beat of the music to drive the breath. So we practice one breath to one movement," Sarah Levey, the owner of Y7 Studio, told E! News. "We use a slower beat when we are beginning in class and as the class ramps up, the beat gets faster and we are timing your breath with that so you are really moving and it's fun!"

She doesn't pressure herself to achieve a specific body or weight.

Although she certainly stays in shape, Markle prefers to prioritize confidence and wellbeing instead of allowing herself to get caught up with unrealistic or unhealthy expectations.

"I think being in shape just means feeling confident, being as healthy as you can," she told Shape. "I think being happy with your size and being kind to yourself — that's part of being in shape, too. To really just say, 'it's okay if I'm up a little bit this day,' or down, whatever it is. Just own where you are and love yourself."

She takes her much-needed time to rest.

Markle makes time in her busy schedule to relax and reset. She told The Chalkboard that one thing she does every week for her health is sweat out the toxins in an infrared sauna. She also likes to decompress by watching mindless TV, snuggling with her dogs, and enjoying a glass of wine. 

"I give myself the luxury of downtime," she told Women's Health. "We are all so incredibly busy and juggling so many things, but I always take an hour to just decompress [...] that's all part of the investment. It's a balance." 

Although her life will likely change when she becomes part of the royal family, her approach to health and fitness seems like something she'll take with her. We're just wondering if she's going to have Prince Harry doing yoga inversions too.

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• When you first start CrossFit you'll probably be really confused, but it's okay.
• You really don't need any prior athletic ability to start, just a will to try.
• Anyone can try CrossFit because all the workouts are scalable.
• The workouts don't last long, but they're really intense.
• You won't get bored, because the workouts are different every day.

 
My first ever experience at a CrossFit gym didn't go over too well. Besides being bombarded by the stench of sweat and body odor, I felt downright intimidated.

There was lots of noise, lots of bars slamming on the floor, and lots of very strong, muscular people. I remember thinking there was no way I'd ever be able to do any of that, and I left my first class feeling down on myself and depressed. I didn't really know much about CrossFit at the time, I was just looking for a good workout. I also had a Groupon for 10 free classes, which is what got me in the door in the first place.

Well, it's been almost four years since that Groupon and I'm still going at it. CrossFit isn't your typical gym setting or your typical workout style, and over the years I have realized that people either love it or hate it. I've been told by many Debbie Downers that I'm going to hurt myself or get Rhabdomyolysis—  a condition where your muscles break down and release bad things into your bloodstream.

None of that has happened yet, and I don't expect it to at any point. In my experience, CrossFit has changed my life for the better. As you get older, it gets harder to find hobbies you can actually stick with and genuinely enjoy, but CrossFit has been that for me. When you feel strong and healthy, your entire outlook on life changes for the better.

Here are eight things I wish I knew before I started. (The following photos aren't of me, but I'm quite familiar with many of the exercises being performed in them.)

You don't have to be fit or athletic to start.

Full disclosure, I've always loved working out. When I started CrossFit I wasn't completely unfamiliar with exercise. But, if exercising isn't your thing, and you want it to be, don't be scared to start with CrossFit right away. The one thing people don't realize about this sport is it's all scalable. You lift what you can and the massive guy next to you will lift what he can. There is no competition, everyone does what they can do. The idea is to compete with yourself and improve your skills that way.

You're stronger than you think.

When I first started Crossfitting I was hesitant to lift heavy weights, or try anything without scaling it. I used the training barbell, which is only 15 pounds and used mainly for teaching technique, for months before I moved on to the regular 35-pound one — and that was only because one of the coaches pushed me to do it. I started lifting way more than I ever thought I could and crushing my PRs (personal records). Even after almost four years, I still surprise myself sometimes. I've learned that I'm way stronger than I think I am —you really don't know what you're capable of until you try.

You'll be really confused at first but don't get discouraged.

CrossFit gyms are not your typical set up, and if you're unfamiliar with the workout style or lingo you'll probably be a little overwhelmed at first. But don't get embarrassed, everyone starts somewhere. I've messed up during workouts, flung bars out of my hands, tripped doing a box jump, and even had medicine balls hit me in the face. The great thing is, though, that questions are encouraged and if you need a refresher, most coaches are glad to oblige.

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• Participation in fitness studio group classes is on the rise because they add rigor, fun, and variety to your exercise routine, but they're usually pretty expensive. 
• ClassPass is a monthly service that lets you join the fitness studio trend for $15 or less per class, which is half the traditional cost. 
• By letting you "shop around" hundreds of fitness studios in your area, ClassPass lets you discover your new favorite way to sweat. 

We all know that exercising regularly offers countless physical and mental benefits, but that doesn't make it any easier to do. Over the years, I've discovered that I need someone else to push me when I'm working out. As much as I love to think of myself as a person who is very strong and motivated all the time, the reality is that when I workout at home or by myself at the gym, it's tempting and easy to give myself a break I don't actually need or just stop the workout early. Sometimes I don't even make it onto a mat or machine at all. 

I grew up swimming and playing basketball in my hometown's youth leagues, and in college my favorite things to do at the gym included the cardio kickboxing and core workout group classes, so it occurred to me that I didn't hate exercising, period. What I did dread was being bored out of my mind as I went through the same uninspired and unchallenging movements, without anyone by my side to keep me going. 

If you're in a similar fitness rut, begging for the variety and motivation missing from at-home workouts or exercising at large fitness clubs, you're not alone.

Participation at smaller fitness studios that offer more unique activities like spin, barre, and boxing is on the rise precisely because people like you and me are looking for change. These classes are led by trained professionals who will push you to no end, often with smiles on their faces. Sure, in the moment you'll hate the teachers for being so chipper, but you'll ultimately be grateful for the amount of coaching and motivation that's difficult to muster up on your own. Another benefit is the small group setting, which reminds you that you're not alone in your exercise endeavors. You might even make some friends, having bonded over these sweat-inducing, heart-pumping workouts.

Despite the many clear advantages of boutique fitness studios, perhaps the greatest barrier to join is the steep cost of classes. Depending on the location and type, they can often put you back $20 to $30 per one-hour session. If you wanted to take these classes regularly, you'd better be ready to pay up. 

That's why the introduction of ClassPass four years ago breathed new life into the fitness studio world, opening up fun and challenging fitness classes to a much larger group of participants who previously couldn't afford to buy into them. With ClassPass, you get to "shop" around and take classes across a variety of activities, for a much cheaper price. It's flexible, affordable, and trust me, much more interesting than hopping on the treadmill. 

If you want to learn more about how ClassPass works and how it will shake up your fitness routine, keep reading. 

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The fitness studio world is your oyster once you sign up for ClassPass.

Enter your zip code here to see the studios available around you. You can use ClassPass in major cities nationwide. In the New York City area, there are more than a thousand eligible fitness studios, and hundreds in the near vicinity of the Business Insider office alone. You can sort by specific activities if you already know what you're looking for, or just see what's out there that will pique your interest.

Activities include: Cycling, Pilates, Dance, Boxing, Running, Yoga, Barre, Strength Training, Martial Arts, and Rowing. I've never tried many of these activities, and chances are you haven't either.

With ClassPass, you'll be exposed to new opportunities you might not have encountered or seriously considered otherwise. Because studios specialize in these activities, you know you'll be getting effective training and you won't just playing around. 

Once you've determined that your area has classes that interest you, choose a plan that fits your unique needs and preferences.

Pricing differs based on location and how many classes you want to take per month. Depending on your city, the cost of three classes, for example, can range from $30 to $45 per month.

At first glance, the 10-class deal is obviously the most worth it, with each class coming out to $13, but also take into consideration how likely you'll actually go to all 10 classes. Be realistic about factors like how busy your own schedule is or whether these classes are just a supplement to an existing fitness regime. In the end, $15 is still a better deal than paying full price at the studio. 

Once you're signed up, your cycle will start immediately and you can start adding classes to your roster.

Some studios will reserve certain classes for their own members, but you'll be able to access the full schedules for the majority of studios. Spots and classes are shown as they become available, so always refresh the search results page and reserve your spot quickly if you see something you like. 

You won't be able to drop into classes without a reservation. However, with the mobile app, you can still make a reservation up to five minutes before the class starts, for those days when you get out of work early or just need a spontaneous fitness pick-me-up.

• Suzy Wengel, a Danish dietitian who's the CEO of a biotech company, wrote the book "The Scandi Sense Diet."
• Her eating plan is based on the simple principle of using handfuls to measure portions of food for each meal.
• Each meal should consist of four handfuls — one of protein, one of carbohydrates, and two of vegetables — plus a spoonful of fat.
• Wengel says she lost 88 pounds in 10 months by following this diet and has kept the weight off since.
• Business Insider spoke to Wengel over email about her weight loss and the diet.

When it comes to health and well-being, simplicity is key. If something can fit into your daily routine and not feel like too much of a chore, you're probably more likely to stick to it.

Suzy Wengel, a Danish dietitian who's the CEO of a biotech company, believes she has the answer to weight loss and healthy eating. In her book "The Scandi Sense Diet," she details a plan that the beauty and health blog Get the Gloss called "the simplest diet in the world."

Under the diet, each meal should consist of four handfuls of food — one handful of protein, one of carbohydrates, and two of vegetables — plus a spoonful of fat.

This means no calorie counting or weighing food portions, which can be difficult if you're on the go or don't own kitchen scales.

Wengel, 39, found inspiration for her book through her personal experience. She told Business Insider she lost 88 pounds in 10 months and kept it off by deploying her handful strategy at mealtimes.

"I weighed around 220 pounds (15.7 stone) when I was at my heaviest (after giving birth to my second child) and now I am around 132 pounds (9.4 stone)," she said in an email. "My weight has been stable for over six years using the principles in 'The Scandi Sense Diet.'"

Here are photos of Wengel before and after her dieting:

"I repeatedly lost 44–66lb and put it back on again, gaining a little more weight each time," she said in the caption. "After seventeen years I finally stopped yo-yo dieting and #overeating.

"There is no magic behind my method and tools — just a healthy and balanced view on diet and exercise."

Wengel estimates that with this diet a person could lose on average about 1 to 2 pounds a week. She says the handful plan translates to roughly to 1,500 calories a day for women and 2,000 for men.

And the good news is you can still factor in a glass of red with your spaghetti Bolognese (by swapping out pasta), as well as cook with oil and butter.

What does a 4-handful meal look like?

If you're tempted by the diet and looking for some recipe inspiration, Wengel told Business Insider there were more than 44,000 pictures on Instagram with the hashtag #sensekost that show what "Scandi Sense" meals look like.

Here are some of Wengel's snaps that could work for a full day of eating — spaghetti Bolognese included — along with the handful content written in each of the captions.

Breakfast

• Handfuls 1 and 2: asparagus, green salad.
• Handful 3: two eggs, an extra egg white, and a half handful of white Puck cheese.
• Handful 4: saved in favor of a little more protein.
• Fat: oil to fry egg and 30 grams of roasted pine nuts.
• Seasoning: salt, pepper, chili, and garlic.

Lunch

• Handfuls 1 and 2: carrot, cucumber, pepper, tomato, mushroom.
• Handful 3: pate, egg, a piece of bacon.
• Handful 4: bread.
• Fat: three cheeses.
• Seasoning: marmalade.
• All washed down with a pot of tea.

Dinner

• Handfuls 1 and 2: onions, chopped tomatoes from cans, cabbage.
• Handful 3: beef.
• Handful 4: saved in favor of a glass of wine.
• Fat: olive oil, cream, cheese.
• Seasoning: salt, broth, garlic, oregano, chili flakes.
• Wengel added that men and children should eat pasta with this meal.

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If given the choice, most of us would trade 15 minutes a day to have great abs. It actually seems like an unbelievable deal — I spend double that just scrolling through social media every day.

The problem is that no one can sit you down and say definitively that if you put X amount of input into sit-ups every day (15 minutes, let’s say), that it will yield X output in two months, which looks exactly like a mixture of your favorite athlete and a Greek statue.

It also doesn’t help that sit-ups at home have a way of feeling completely useless. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if your energy is activating your core or being diverted to your spine digging into the floorboards. (If you’re sticking to the sit-ups, you might want to grab this to eliminate those roadblocks). Couple the aforementioned uncertainty with an exercise that feels like you might be wasting your time, and few of us trade those 15 minutes for great abs and a healthier lifestyle — because how do we know they’re actually working towards anything at all?

Well, now you can know for sure. If you want to cut out the uncertainty of "Is this working?" grab yourself the Ab Carver Pro Roller and get to it — you’ll know with the first movement that it’s working.

The "ab carver" is an apt name — the patented spring design makes the most out of every movement, straining your muscles all over and toning your arms at the same time. It’s simple, as the best workout accessories are, and gives you the freedom of motion to twist and turn in order to target different muscle groups. If you really want to hit the obliques, simply wheel it side to side.

For most of us, the act of wheeling something out in front of us by the strength of our core alone would do enough to "feel the burn," but the Ab Carver Pro Roller uses that spring design to push against your movements and adds resistance to engage your core.

Like many of the most effective workouts out there, not only does the ab carver roller use resistance to get you a better body using the weight of the one you have, but it also uses the great practice of unpredictability. Instead of the linear motions of a machine at the gym, you’ll deal with variables that make for more engaged muscles in different patterns and get better, more natural definition as a result. 

For $39.99, it's a pretty good investment for home workouts, especially if you don't make it to the gym every day. Thanks to affordability, efficacy, and actually being pretty fun to use, it's warranted almost 5 stars after nearly 4,000 reviews on Amazon.

It also comes with complimentary pads for your knees, so you won’t trade a spine digging into floorboards for knees. And if your own particular workout roadblock happens to be that you don’t know which exercises to start, the wheel also comes with a 21-day workout guide so you get the most out of it and learn some new moves.

If you're looking for a way to ditch sit-ups and/or ways to make your ab workouts much more effective and fun, look into picking up the Ab Carver Pro Roller and you'll likely have an easier time starting a habit. 

Perfect Fitness Ab Carver Pro Roller for Core Workouts, $39.99

This article was originally published on 10/19/2017.

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• Kirk Myers, founder of New York's exclusive Dogpound gym, is arguably the most adored personal trainer in the city, at least among the rich and famous.
• Hollywood royalty, Victoria's Secret Angels, and top Wall Street bankers all train at his Instagram-worthy studio.
• A single personal training session with Myers costs $500.
• He told Business Insider that balance is at the core of many his workouts.
• He talked us through the equipment he uses with clients like Jasmine Tookes, Romee Strijd, and Josephine Skriver.

If you're looking for some fitness inspiration with summer around the corner, you might want to check out Kirk Myers' Instagram page.

Myers is the founder of Dogpound, the coolest, most Instagrammed gym in New York where Hollywood royalty — think Hugh Jackman and Steve McQueen — train alongside lithe-limbed supermodels — Adriana Lima, Lais Ribeiro, and Karlie Kloss, to name a few.

Myers' story is a powerful one. In high school he weighed well over 300 pounds and at the age of 21 was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Having resorted to fitness to literally save his own life, his journey led him to discover that his passion was helping others to achieve their weight goals also.

Here's a before and after Myers posted to Instagram:

Now, Myers is arguably the most adored personal trainer in the city — at least among the elite — and he charges clients $500 for a single personal training session. He documents a lot of his training sessions with famous faces on the photo sharing app.

Despite the dark interiors, hardcore equipment, and blaring rap music at Dogpound, Myers and his team don't come across as intimidating. In all of his post captions there's talk of his clients "crushing" and "smashing" it, there's lots of smiling, and even the odd bit of twerking.

And it's not only the apparent good vibes that set his gym apart from other boutique fitness studios — it's the way people are working out.

Business Insider spoke to Myers to get a feel of what is so unique about his training programme that makes A-listers and top Wall Street bankers keep coming back for more.

Balance is at the core

Myers told us there are no treadmills at his gym, just a few rowing machines, bikes, and ski machines.

"In a lot of [our] workouts we use Supersets," he said, referring to the practice where one set of an exercise is performed directly after a set of a different exercise without rest between them.

"This keeps your heart rate elevated throughout most of workout to make it more efficient and effective."

Myers is clear that all of the workouts at Dogpound focus on the individual. Training programmes are highly tailored to each of his clients' needs, whether it's losing weight or building muscle. However, he said there is a common emphasis in a lot of the workouts: balance.

"Any time you are forced to balance you activate your core, so in terms of equipment we use the bosu ball a lot, as well as other devices that challenge your balance, which in turn will strengthen your core."

You can see Karlie Kloss doing it here...

...And it's made to look easy by Juliet Doherty here.

Below you can see Kathryn Boren, a dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, working her inner thighs and core.

Another piece of equipment that you'll often see used in one of Myers' workouts is the bandbell bar.

Below, Victoria's Secret Angel Romee Strijd practises reverse lunges with a bandbell.

Many of the supermodels who train at Dogpound, like Jasmine Tookes, Josephine Skriver, and Strijd, are comfortable lifting heavier weights in strength training.

"Weight lifting will help you build lean muscle and help you burn fat," he said. "There's a slight misconception that lifting weights will make you big, this is not necessarily true.

"In some of our programmes, clients want to focus less on developing quads," he went on. "So we tend to add exercises that will engage and activate your hamstrings and glutes without using a lot of quadriceps. Examples of these movements are deadlifts, donkey kicks, hamstring curls, and hip thrusts."

Here's a video of Tookes doing stiff leg deadlifts with Myers.

In the caption he wrote: "This movement is great for your hips, hamstrings and glutes. Make sure your knees are slightly bent, back is flat and you drive through your heels."

The resistance band is also often used by the trainers at Dogpound.

"Resistance bands can increase flexibility, stamina, and range of motion," Myers said. "They add variety in your workouts and are also very easy to use at home or when you travel."

The Angels appear to be particularly big fans of this piece of equipment, and in the leadup to November's 2017 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show many were pictured working out using the bands.

Below, Sara Sampaio uses resistance bands to intensify glute bridges.

If that's not enough to make you want to book a class, possibly the most impressive post on Myers' Instagram right now is "Baby Driver" actor Ansel Elgort's box jump from sitting. 

An exclusive community

Even if you're working out alone, it doesn't look like you're be left alone for too long — the people that work and train there call it a community, albeit an exclusive one.

Dogpound clients can also make the most of the gym's onsite nutritionist.

"Since nutrition is 70% of results we have an in-house nutritionist, Molly, who can create entire meal plans," Myers said.

And the good news is Myers will be opening up more Dogpound outposts — the company is already looking at Los Angeles, and London is also on their radar.

However, Myers wants to keep it small.

"We really want to be like a global lifestyle brand in select cities," he said. "We won't have 50 gyms."

SEE ALSO: I skipped breakfast for 3 weeks — and it made me save money, drink more water, eat less, and crave healthier food

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• Sia Cooper, a personal trainer, posted side-by-side photos of herself in a bikini on Instagram to show how easily photos can be manipulated. 
• She wrote that she edited the photo in under one minute using an app on her phone. 
• Cooper hopes that her post will remind people not to compare themselves to heavily edited photos on social media.

Every time we check social media, we're subjected to a stream of perfected images. We know many of the photos we see have been edited, but that doesn't always stop us from comparing ourselves to them.

To show people just how unrealistic these images are, personal trainer Sia Cooper posted the edited and unedited versions of a photo of herself in a bikini to her Instagram. In the edited photo, Cooper smoothed over her cellulite, slimmed her waist and thighs, and enlarged her butt. 

Nothing about the post was especially shocking until Cooper revealed in her caption that it took her less than a minute to alter the photo using an app on her phone. 

"I just want to show you that it's so easy to manipulate photos with the touch of a button and many celebrities and fitness models do it on the daily," Cooper wrote in her caption.

Her post shows just how easy it is for anyone to edit a photo these days. With the option to create the perfect version of ourselves with the click of a button, it also brings into question just how many people are using these apps, and how they may be contributing to us seeing even more edited photos than we realize. 

Cooper, who has almost a million followers on Instagram, told INSIDER that she posted the photo because she gets sick of seeing fitness models post the same perfectly edited pictures day after day. "I want to expose this and their techniques so other women aren’t shaming themselves," Cooper told INSIDER.

This isn't the first post that Cooper has made to point out the ways editing and posing can result in unrealistic images. She frequently posts side-by-sides of her flexing or posing in different positions to show that pictures aren't always what they seem. 

However, Cooper wasn't always so open to sharing her flaws. She told INSIDER that prior to giving birth, she would post perfected ab selfies, but wouldn't dare post her cellulite. When she had her daughter, all of that changed and she started thinking about social media differently. 

"I have realized as inspiring as those fitspo photos are, they can also be just as damaging to someone's self-esteem," she told INSIDER. "No body is perfect, but when all you see if someone's perfect body 24/7, you forget this."

Cooper told INSIDER that she doesn't edit photos of herself. She still posts pictures of herself flexing her hard-earned muscles, but she's just as quick to post a photo of her taken mere seconds later in which she looks completely different. 

In another recent post, Cooper proudly showed off the loose skin on her stomach next to another photo of her flexing her six-pack.

"I want you to see that social media fitness gurus such as my own self aren't perfect," she wrote in the caption. "Just because you can't see loose skin, cellulite, stretch marks, or acne doesn't mean it's not there." 

Cooper told INSIDER that her goal of posting these photos is for people to realize that normal is beautiful. She wants cellulite, loose skin, acne, and stretch marks to be normalized and accepted, not edited out.

"I want women to feel empowered by their bodies, flaws and all, while continuing on their journeys to a healthier lifestyle, mentally and physically," she said to INSIDER.

Whether it's adding a filter or adjusting the contrast, Cooper reminds us all that it's important to think critically about how we're presenting ourselves to the world — filter or no filter.

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• Social media star Chessie King posted an Instagram story this week highlighting the body-shaming comments she gets from trolls. 
• She shared screenshots of the comments, then photoshopped pictures of her body to address each one, making her waist and arms smaller, her breasts and lips bigger, and more. 
• The final image is so distorted it looks inhuman. 
• King created the story in partnership with UK organization The Cybersmile Foundation.
• It's meant to raise awareness about the seriousness of online bullying.

Everyone knows Instagram is riddled with trolls and bullies. Online anonymity has always emboldened people to cut down others without fear of consequences. 

But a new Instagram story sheds light on just how many negative comments some people receive — and just how ruthless they can be.

The story was posted Wednesday by Chessie King, a personal trainer and body-positivity Instagrammer with more than 300,000 followers. (Though Instagram stories automatically expire after 24 hours, this one will continue to be featured as a highlight on King's Instagram for the next month, The Independent reported.)

The story begins with a video of King standing in her underwear. "It's my body, and it has taken me years to embrace it, but I am finally proud to show it off in my underwear," she says in the video. 

The next image in the story is a screenshot of a comment on the video: "She so fatty."

In response, King posted a photo of herself with her waist photoshopped to look smaller. 

But it seemed King's trolls still weren't satisfied. The smaller-waist photo elicited another comment: "Girls shouldn't lift weights, your arms are wayyyyyyy too big." So, in the next photo, King digitally slimmed them down. 

The story continues in this manner as the negative comments accumulate: "Your legs are soooooooooo big it's the worst;""You're ugly, your face is still ugly;""You have so much fat;""You don't even fill out that sports bra;""When you smile you have no lips;""Why moustaches for brows?"

In the final image of the Instagram story, King's photoshopped body is distorted beyond recognition: Visible ribs, anatomically impossible waist size, thin arms and legs but a large behind, oversized lips and breasts and no eyebrows. The preferences of the various trolls combined to make a body that's so unrealistic it doesn't even look human. 

The story makes a point about body image — why struggle to meet others' beauty standards when it's impossible to please everyone? — but it was conceived primarily to raise awareness about cyberbullying. 

To create the story, King partnered with creative agency adam&eveDBB and the Cybersmile Foundation, a UK non-profit that offers support to victims of cyberbullying. 

King told INSIDER that she's experienced more and more online abuse as her reach grows — but she normally deals with negative comments by laughing them off. She never calls attention to trolls on Instagram, and she said many of her followers were surprised to see the extent of the trolling she regularly endures.

But Instagram stars like King aren't the only people experiencing this. A 2017 poll from Pew Research found that four in 10 American adults reported being personally harassed online. And online harassment can have real-life consequences, ranging from mental or emotional stress to problems with friends and family to threats of physical harm, the Pew report says.

It's a bleak reality — one that won't be solved with a single campaign. But King said that, already, her story has made a measurable impact. 

"I have had so many people thanking me for using my platform to spread such an important message," she said. "And a lot of victims of online abuse have now reached out to CyberSmile for help."

Watch the entire story over at King's Instagram.

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• I've been seeing these APL TechLoom Phantom sneakers all over social media (on both men and women), and started wondering if they'd be the "next big thing" in footwear. 
• I think they will be.
• They're incredibly comfortable and stylish enough to wear both in and out of the gym.
• Celebrities and fitness stars love them, and at $165 per pair, they're not overwhelmingly expensive or inaccessible — a perfect formula for success.
• Check out women's sizes here and men's sizes here.

I'll be the first to admit that I spend way too much time on Instagram. But the hours I dedicate to mindlessly swiping through stories or scrolling through photos aren't always for naught. Sometimes my time spent on social media ends up leading me to new trends, products, or styles I wouldn't have otherwise considered writing about or buying for myself. 

Most recently, I noticed APL sneakers getting a lot of attention — on Instagram, yes, but also in magazines, gyms, and the streets of NYC. I decided to investigate. 

Well, by investigate, I mean go through a rabbit hole of APL hashtags on Instagram, Kardashian and fitness blogger social media accounts, and street-style photos. What I found was only proof of my suspicion that APL's shoes are becoming a mainstay for the fitness community, celebrities, and sneakerheads alike.

Founded in 2009 by twins and former college athletes Adam and Ryan Goldston, APL (which stands for Athletic Propulsion Labs) set out to create sneakers that combined performance and design. The first style they ever launched was a basketball shoe that ended up being banned from the NBA because its proprietary technology was literally too effective at helping athletes jump higher.

Sign me up, because I can't even jump high enough to reach the cereal off the top shelf at the grocery store. 

After seeing the shoes everywhere, I tried out a pair of one of their newer styles called the TechLoom Phantoms, because they seem to be the most basic and prolific. I wanted to get a sense of whether or not these sneakers were as comfortable and easy to fall in love with as other cult-favorites (Allbirds being the most obvious) — specifically because the greatest indicator of a shoe becoming "the next big thing" is generally whether or not people actually like wearing them. 

Turns out the Kardashians (and Business Insider's resident former college athlete and APL fan Emily Matis) weren't wrong about these sneakers, which can be worn both in and out of the gym. 

Similar to Nike and Adidas' performance textiles, the TechLoom part of the sneakers refers to the woven knit upper — a material that keeps your foot securely in its place whether you're walking around Manhattan or going for a run. I found these sneakers to be cushy, bouncy, comfortable, and flexible with just enough arch support in the footbed. I now opt for them over my Adidas and my Nikes for both casual and more active wear.

The TechLoom Phantoms cost $165 (women's sizes here, men's sizes here) and come in over 25 stylish colorways, so there's something for everyone.

If you're really in it for the fashion, APL also makes three versions of the Phantom sneaker with a calf hair upper instead of TechLoom — including a $250 leopard print pair that you'll either love or hate (for the record, I love them). There are a few additional styles, none of which I personally tested, but all of which I presume are incredibly comfortable considering that they use the same technology in the sole. 

If you're interested in switching up your sneaker game or discovering a comfortable gym shoe beyond the usuals, I highly recommend APL. Instagram fame and street cred aside, these shoes are seriously comfortable and pretty affordable, too — a surefire formula for long-term success. 

Shop women's TechLoom Phantoms at Zappos, $165

Shop men's TechLoom Phantoms at Zappos, $165

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You're working out, trying to eat healthily, and get enough sleep, yet it feels like nothing is working. Looking in the mirror doesn't help, nor does stepping on the scale, which leaves you wondering: "Am I really in shape?"

Just because it feels like you're not in shape, doesn't mean you're slacking on your health. There are all sorts of ways to measure your fitness and health levels that have nothing to do with how your muscles look or how your pants feel. Here are 10 signs you're in shape even if you think you aren't.

Your heart rate is where it should be

"People who are in great physical shape, have a lower heart rate," Bodybuilding.com TEAM AthleteNikki Walter, told INSIDER. Their heart pumps more efficiently and harder (strong beats). Check it in the morning for the most accurate reading. A normal heart rate is from 60-100 beats per minute (bpm). A number higher than this may indicate high blood pressure, heart disease or other concerns.

You can keep up with your friends on a walk or jog

Can you keep up with your peers? Walk or jog at a moderate pace, hiking, climb stairs. If you'rebreathing heavily you may be out of shape. However, if your breathing feels in control and you're able to keep up with your fit friends, you might be in better shape than you think.

Your recovery time rocks

Walter recommends paying attention to your recovery time. "If your heart rate is in the healthy zone in less than five minutes you're in good shape."The faster back to normal, the better in shape you are in. She recommends you take your pulse right after you're done working out and then every minute after to see how quickly it goes down.

• We asked two trainers at London's Kobox boxing studio for their go-to moves when they're short on time. 
• Toby Huntington-Whiteley, 28, and Antoine Dunn, 25, are the younger siblings of British former Victoria's Secret models Rosie and Jourdan. 

When you're trying to get fit, having a rest day can reduce your momentum. One day off can quickly turn into two, three, or four — and before you know it a week has gone by without a visit to the gym. 

Manageable training programmes that recommend a "little and often" approach — like the viral seven-minute workout— have soared in popularity for this reason. Who can't spare less than 10 minutes in a day?

For some quick workout inspiration, Business Insider asked Toby Huntington-Whiteley, 28, and Antoine Dunn, 25, trainers at London's Kobox boxing studio, for their go-to moves when they're short on time or on the road. 

The pair share something else in common besides boxing — they're both the younger siblings of British supermodels and former Victoria's Secret models.

Antoine is the brother of Jourdan Dunn, and Toby is the brother of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

The walking lunge

Toby Huntington-Whiteley, who is also a model and travels the world working on campaigns for designers like Burberry, Givenchy, and Ralph Lauren, told Business Insider that if you're short on time — or on the road — then one of the most effective exercises you can do is the walking lunge.

"Especially if you're front-loading it," he added. "You're working your legs, and most of your lower body, and it's safe for both beginners or advanced."

A walking lunge is a more intense version of a stationary lunge. It is performed by starting with your feet shoulder width apart, taking a step forward with one leg, then lowering yourself towards the floor, bending both knees. One knee should be at a 90-degree angle to the floor, while the other should be pointing toward, but not touching the floor. 

Walking lunges can help to strengthen and shape the legs, improve core strength, boost hip flexibility and tone and lift the glutes. 

The push-up 

Meanwhile, Dunn, who is also personal trainer to his sister Jourdan, said that if you only have a few spare minutes in a day, you should go for the classic push-up, because it'll work both the body and mind.

"It's a great exercise for the body and people always feel like they can't do it, so if you're practising a push-up on your knees and suddenly you can do it on your two feet, you'll feel really rewarded. 

Dunn said that for him, exercise is all about performing something that you couldn't do before, rather than aspiring to look a certain way.

If you ordinarily struggle with a press-up, you're not alone — here are three steps to perfecting it.

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I'm no stranger to fitness apps, having tried everything from an app that promises the benefits of a trip to the gym in seven minutes to a tool that lets you track and share your runs with other users.

But when I first heard about Sweatcoin, an app that "pays you" in a type of currency that it aims to eventually turn into cryptocurrency to reach your fitness goals, I was intrigued.

Naturally, I had to give it a shot. Here's how it went.

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The first thing I learned about Sweatcoin after installing it on my iPhone is that it doesn't actually pay you to walk around — at least not in the conventional sense of the term.

The app lets you earn "Sweatcoins," or points based on the number of steps you take in a day, which you can then use to buy a limited number of specific goods that Sweatcoin has made available — like a Fitbit tracker, fitness classes, or subscriptions to apps designed to help you eat healthier. Eventually Sweatcoins founders aim for it to be listed on cryptocurrency exchanges, but it isn't yet.

The irony of the fact that my Sweatcoins could only be used to purchase fitness equipment and classes was not lost on me. Nevertheless, I kept the app running in the background of my phone, thinking perhaps it would spur me to move more.

Although I was feeling slightly less enthusiastic about my potential purchases with Sweatcoins after learning how they could be spent, I kept the app running in the background of my phone. If you hard quit the app (or swipe up when you're not using it), Sweatcoin will stop tracking your steps. 

I also learned that Sweatcoin doesn't track all of your steps — only those the app believes are completed outdoors.

Because the app is constantly running on your phone — something that many users have complained drains their battery — it is able to use GPS to roughly determine when you're inside and outside. The only steps that count towards your Sweatcoin earnings are those you take outdoors. Also, the app doesn't sync with Fitbits or other fitness trackers. Instead, it relies on your phone's step tracking software.

• For seven days I followed the diet and lifestyle of the French.
• I avoided processed food, tried French recipes, exercised outside instead of at the gym, and tried to make mealtime a more social experience.
• I ended up not feeling well and fell back into my American habits.

It may not seem like it, but French and American culture is different in a lot of ways. French weddings, parenting styles, and even food service can look a lot different than those of Americans. Their diets are no exception.

Before this experiment I looked at differences between French and American diets and was confident following a typical French diet would be no problem at all. After all, there are no strict rules, and it would give me an excuse to eat more bread and cheese. What could go wrong?

For this week I would be incorporating the following diet and lifestyle changes:

• Smaller meals.
• Choosing fresh food over processed or fast food.
• Eliminating distractions while eating.
• Heading outside for walks instead of hitting the gym.
• Enjoying dessert.

Day 1: Grocery shopping was a challenge

In France, most foods are purchased at local markets rather than grocery stores. But since another stretch of winter hit my area, a farmer's market wasn't exactly an option for me. I settled for the next best thing and went to Sprouts Farmers Market, an organic grocery store in my area.

I bought produce, fresh-baked bread, seafood, and cheeses, trying to focus on all fresh ingredients. This in and of itself was difficult for me as someone who relies heavily on frozen vegetables. My schedule can be erratic, and I hate having to throw away produce when I can't eat it fast enough, so I opt for frozen instead. But this week I made a thorough plan for each meal of the week with the hope that nothing would be thrown away.

Since the French think of eggs as a lunch or dinner food, I decided to make (American) breakfast for dinner. It consisted of toast with cheese, eggs, and spinach. I also had yogurt with flax and chia seeds, since I eat them every day.

Day 2: I tried to break my desk-lunch habit

I started the day with a traditional French breakfast of bread and an assortment of spreads, including butter, jam, and Gournay cheese.

The French emphasize the value of savoring meals. That means avoiding distractions, taking your time, and making your meal more social. That was going to be a problem for me.

I usually eat lunch at my desk and continue to work. To really eat like a French person I would have to break that habit. I had another “breakfast” meal of eggs, toast, veggies, and yogurt, which I ate in the break room at work. Instead of sitting alone with my headphones, I sat with a coworker and had a great conversation. Talking took me twice as long to eat, but I guess that's the point.

For dinner, I made a version of the traditional French dish ratatouille. I toasted some French bread and butter as well, and it made for a delicious and filling meal. My husband and I, who usually eat dinner at the coffee table while watching TV, decided to stick with distraction-free meals and turned off the TV. Instead we talked about each other's day and shared our excitement about our upcoming vacation.

Day 3: I had a very American slip-up

I stuck with the same breakfast for most of the week, because I read that the French don't vary their breakfast much.

I had an all-day meeting at work, so my boss had lunch ordered in. Fortunately, that meant that I would be having my meal while collaborating and brainstorming with my team. Unfortunately, they wanted to order from a gourmet hot-dog place, one of the most American meals I could have had. I didn't want to rain on their parade by suggesting something different, so I thought about another key element of the French diet — everything in moderation. Instead of thinking of it as a failure, I just vowed to get back on track at dinner.

I went with a hearty, French-approved meal of swordfish steaks, asparagus with onions and mushrooms, colorful sweet potatoes, and French bread.

Day 4: The desk lunch returned

Once again I was stuck at my desk for lunch, so I ordered a salad from Chopt. It was delicious, but I had about 30 minutes between meetings to scarf it down.

Dinner wasn't any better. My husband was working late, so I made myself some pasta to eat alone. I know I could have checked to see if a friend could join last minute, or I could have gone to a restaurant so I was at least surrounded by people. But after a long day, all I really wanted to do was go home. I ate alone and, yes, turned on the TV.

I realized that following the “French lifestyle” wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, because there are fundamental parts of my day that contradict it. Unless I had rearranged my work schedule and planned some get-togethers, there was no way to avoid what was happening this week.

Day 5: I felt out of it

I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but I was really getting tired of bread. Despite being one of my favorite foods, followed closely by cheese, I normally eat it sparingly. It doesn't always agree with my digestive system, and this week was a reminder of that. By day five I was very ready to get back to my usual bread-less diet.

Something about this week had also thrown me off mentally. I felt drowsier than normal, which I could probably blame on the extra carbs, and I found myself hungry nonstop. I accidentally ate two lunches on this day. I was starving at 10 a.m. and had eggs, roasted potatoes, and fruit, then I was hungry again at about 1, and had a spinach salad, sauteed veggies, black beans, and mashed potatoes.

After work, I felt like I desperately needed to go to the gym, but since the French opt for outdoor exercise, I took to a nearby trail for a jog.

One thing I noticed with the French diet is similar to the struggle I had when following the Mediterranean diet. There's not a lot of structure since it's more of an overall lifestyle than a diet, so it's hard to know if anything I did this week was truly how a French person would do it.

Day 7: I finished strong with baked goods

On my last day I treated myself in a very French way — with pastries. I stopped by a local French bakery and got some macarons and coffee.

This week I found out that the difficulty in an American following the French diet isn't just about what to eat, it's about how to eat it. Cutting out processed foods was easy enough. But eliminating working lunches and turning off the TV during dinner were fundamentally different than how my life normally plays out. And to be honest, I simply failed to incorporate them into my diet very well. Also, as it turns out, my body just doesn't like to eat bread and cheese all the time, even if my mind does.

It did remind me how nice it is to go for a casual walk outside, so I'll definitely keep that up as I head into summer. And every once in a while maybe I'll throw in a croissant for good measure.

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• Craig McNamee, founder of Catalyst Health, says he was personal trainer to Meghan Markle for three years while she was filming "Suits" in Toronto.
• He revealed Meghan Markle's workout routine in an interview with Women's Health.
• She is apparently "very focused on her health."
• He revealed the types of exercises and gym equipment they would incorporate into her circuit-based strength training together.
• They went for lighter weights in higher reps over heavier weights, he said.

In the leadup up to her wedding to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle will likely be very busy with preparations. The future royal is reportedly "very focused on her health" and previously blogged about health and fitness, so it's likely that her pre-wedding prep will involve a strict workout routine.

And if you were wondering just what that was, you're in luck because her personal trainer of three years, Craig McNamee, founder of Catalyst Health in Toronto, Canada, has revealed the types of workouts that he used to design for the actress while she was filming the TV show "Suits."

McNamee told Women's Heath that Markle is "very focused on her health" and that when he met her she was already in good shape as she regularly ran and practised yoga (her mother is a yoga instructor).

"So it was up to me to take it to the next level," he said. This, he explained, meant adding in circuit-based strength training to her routine.

According to McNamee, the pair would meet up together between three and four times per week for 45-minute sessions.

This, he said, would typically be broken down into five minutes of cardio to warm up, five minutes of dynamic stretching, a 30-minutes circuits session, finished off with five minutes of stretching.

"Generally speaking, we had a full-body approach," he said. "And since Meghan was onscreen, we really focused on posture."

To this end he would build in posterior chain movements that work the glutes, back, and hamstrings — which can include things like squats and deadlifts — as well as exercises that work the core, specifically the abs, back, obliques, and pelvic floor.

In a typical circuits workout with Markle, he would introduce TRX suspension equipment, dumbbells (5-10lbs), a 10-lb kettlebell, and a mini band — which Markle apparently particularly liked using to do lower body exercises, something that's also popular with Victoria's Secret Angels.

Below, the Toronto-based boutique gym congratulated their client on her cover feature with a Canadian magazine via Instagram, and reshared her post in which she gives them a shoutout.

They went for lighter weights in higher reps (20 to 25) over heavier weights.

"Our big focus with all of our sessions was to not be too repetitive and really create a dynamic workout with a lot of variety," McNamee said.

"This workout is great for celebs and regular gym goers alike. It hits all the right areas and helps you work toward a long, lean, camera-ready look."

Her upcoming marriage to Harry has put physical distance between Markle and her trainer, but he says they're still in touch and believes she's still incorporating their strength training into her exercise routine.

"Meghan is dedicated to her health, it's a big aspect of her life. So for her, now it's about keeping up with the workouts we did together, and making them count."

SEE ALSO: This personal trainer to Hollywood royalty and supermodels lost 130 pounds after being diagnosed with heart failure at 21 — here's the key to his workouts

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• Fitness blogger Emily Skye gave birth to a daughter four months ago.
• Soon after giving birth, she started sharing the ups and downs of her journey to regain her pre-baby physique on Instagram.
• In a recent post, she wrote that she was frustrated she wasn't losing weight more quickly. 
• "Sometimes I do beat myself up and compare myself to others and don't feel 'good enough.'"

Women's bodies change significantly during pregnancy. Many believe it's possible to "bounce back" with proper diet and exercise, but that's not always the case.

In a recent Instagram post, fitness blogger Emily Skye opened up about her struggle to lose the weight she gained during pregnancy. The new mom admitted that she sometimes gets frustrated that she isn't leaner yet. "I haven't reached my fitness goal yet and I don't know if I ever will," Skye wrote in her post. 

She also confessed that she's had trouble comparing herself to other moms who have been quicker to lose weight. "I often preach loving yourself and your body, not beating yourself up, and not comparing to others, etc., but sometimes I don't exactly 'walk the talk,'" she wrote."I don't always 'love myself,' I don't always feel confident and accepting of my flaws."

Skye has been consistently following the FIT workout and diet program she created and she's seen significant results, but she still has difficulty coming to terms with the ways pregnancy changed her body. "I even started to believe what many people tell me, that I won't ever get back in shape," Skye wrote. "I know it's not true but sometimes I doubt myself and my mindset gets a little unfocused,"

Thousands of women and mothers commented on the post, telling Skye that she looked amazing and thanking her for being an inspiration to them.

 "Thank you for being so real and relevant," a woman named Rochelle commented. "Believe me, your honesty and journey are incredibly powerful to moms like me."

Many women shared personal experiences and assured Skye that her goals were attainable.

"I thought the same thing after I had my baby girl. I even bought all new clothes," user Brandy Simmons wrote. "But around five to six months literally my body just started dropping the weight. I promise you will get back to where you were! I think you look amazing!"

Emily Skye did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This isn't the first time Skye has opened up about her struggle to accept her changing body. During her pregnancy, she shared that she was losing muscle and getting cellulite. After giving birth, she shared that she had loose skin on her stomach and that it was difficult for her to regain her posture and core muscles.  

Despite her occasional self-doubts, Skye continually reminds herself to look at the big picture. "I have to keep reminding myself that it took nine months to grow Mia so it's probably going to take at least the same amount of time for my body to recover," she wrote in another post. 

Even after her body recovers, Skye plans to continue living life to it's fittest. "That's the thing with living this lifestyle, there is no end goal for me. It's ongoing and all about setting and achieving smaller goals," she wrote. 

Skye's lifestyle may be more fitness-focused than many moms, but unrealistic expectations to 'bounce back' that she faces are no different. Her experience shows that regardless of how much attention is paid to diet an exercise, women's bodies don't always look the same after pregnancy — and that's OK.

Read Skye's caption in full below:

I haven't reached my fitness goal yet and I don't know if I ever will. That's the thing with living this lifestyle, there is no end goal for me, it's ongoing and all about setting and achieving smaller goals! I've had a few hurdles that threw me off track, but that's just life. I try to accept and adapt. Of course, when sh*t happens, it's frustrating and I get annoyed and upset but I try not to dwell on the things that are out of my control and choose to do what is in my control. I also try to get some perspective and practice appreciating what I do have. I have a beautiful family and they are my priority. I also have my health which I am so grateful for. I am only human though so I thought I'd share with a few silly thoughts that go through my head sometimes in case some of you feel the same — you're totally not alone haha! 

A few times I've said to my partner, Dec, things along the lines of 'why aren't I getting leaner?' 'how come other people get back in shape quickly after giving birth and I didn't?' I even started to believe what many people tell me, that I won't ever get back in shape. I know it's not true but sometimes I doubt myself and my mindset gets a little unfocused.

I often preach loving yourself and your body, not beating yourself up, and not comparing to others, etc., but sometimes I don't exactly 'walk the talk.' I try to and want to, but sometimes I forget. I want to set a good example for Mia and for you all who follow me. I just want you to know that I'm far from perfect in many ways. I don't always 'love myself,' I don't always feel confident and accepting of my flaws. Sometimes I do beat myself up and compare myself to others and don’t feel 'good enough.' When I feel like this I remind myself of the things I preach to others — that I should treat myself how I would treat my daughter, Mia. I should tell myself what I'd tell her and love myself the way I love her. It's so hard to do but I believe that's how we should treat ourselves because if we can't love and care for ourselves, how are we suppose to love and care for others?!

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Workout gear, either because it’s put through the ringer so often or because it is definitively dirty after one use —  seems to be one thing I never have enough of in my closet.

Not to mention the fact that materials are getting smarter and better at a rate that would require a lot of energy — or trips to the mall — to keep up with and assess on my own.

I know the stores I trust and the number I'm willing to spend, but sometimes it would be great to just outsource the whole thing to someone who knew the industry and gear best.

Unless Under Armour made their new no-fee subscription service ArmourBox just for me, a lot more people feel that way, too.

The new program doesn’t veer drastically from most subscription services you’re likely familiar with already. One difference worth mentioning, though, is that there's no fee. You sign up for free, get a box every 30, 60, or 90 days (whichever you want) filled with things an expert picked out for you, and then you’ve got a week to try on everything. Keep what you want, return what you don’t. You’ll only be charged for what you keep.

And if you decide to keep it all, you'll get 20% off. 

Let the experts read through your goals, needs, sizes, and style and pick the best materials and designs for the task at hand, so you can spend more time doing what you love, in the very best gear for the job.

To get started, all you have to do is click male or female and you'll be prompted by these visual cues (I clicked female):

SEE ALSO: 26 of the best workout accessories you can get for under $50

First, you'll be asked to divulge your fitness goals.

This will help your Official Outfitter pick new gear that best helps you achieve your goals. Paired with a native, reliable knowledge of their gear, materials, and benefits, they can better suit your needs. Select as many as apply.

As well as where you're normally found wearing fitness gear.

If you're looking for more comfort and flexibility while weight training, you're going to need something different than you would if you want to improve your hiking. If you like to do all four, feel free to check them all.

You'll also be asked what sort of activities get you active.

Knowing what you plan on using it for helps your stylist pick out gear that will make for a better performance and experience. Select as many activities as you want. 

• High-intensity workouts are some of the best ways to improve health and athletic performance.
• With a short, intense interval workout, researchers have found that some people see benefits equal to or better than those from conventional exercise routines.
• Here's how to get started.

If you want to make the most of a short span of time for working out, consider a high-intensity workout.

With brief bouts of high-intensity interval training, it's possible to achieve or even exceed the physical benefits that people get from spending much longer periods of time working out.

"Time is everything for people," Jason Barone, a clinical director at an organization called Professional Physical Therapy, previously told Business Insider. "High-intensity training is kind of perfect for the busy schedule — you don't need a gym, you can do it at your home, you're looking at about a 20- to 30-minute workout."

When Barone and other trainers talk about high-intensity workouts, a number of activities qualify. The basic idea is that people work out at close to full-on intensity for short periods of time instead of doing longer workouts at more moderate, 50-70% exertion levels. Some of these workouts include short sprints, some involve circuits of body-weight exercises, and others use weights or kettlebells.

High-intensity training is not always better than a more traditional exercise routine. There are good reasons to do longer workouts — they can help your body adapt to achieve certain fitness goals, such as preparing your joints and muscles for the strain of a long race like a marathon. But intense workouts are often the best way for athletes to improve performance.

They can have powerful effects on health too, helping people rev up metabolism to burn fat, lower blood pressure, and more.

Here's why you might want to give high-intensity training a try — and what you can do to get started.

SEE ALSO: A world-record holder who runs 100-mile races says the high-fat diet Silicon Valley loves transformed his body and performance

Even extremely small amounts of all-out effort — just one minute — can have powerful effects on overall fitness.

In one small study published in 2016, researchers had a group of men do workouts consisting of three 20-second bursts of all-out exertion, with some warm-up, cool-down, and rest in between sets. The results suggested those participants' fitness levels improved as much as those of men who worked out for 45 minutes at moderate intensity.

Both groups showed almost a 20% gain in one measurement of the body's ability to use oxygen — called VO2 peak — which the authors use to represent cardiorespiratory fitness. There was also a dramatic improvement in how all participants' bodies handled blood sugar. The men in both groups also had a dramatically increased mitochondrial count in their muscles, a sign of good cellular function.

The difference is that one group got their workouts done much more quickly.

Various studies have shown that high-intensity interval workouts can lead to big improvements in blood-sugar levels.

One review of research found that people who start doing high-intensity workout programs can improve insulin sensitivity by 23-58%. The studies analyzed in that review ranged from two to 16 weeks long.

Insulin sensitivity helps people's bodies regulate blood sugar levels. Researchers think high-intensity training plays a role because the regimen improves the ability of muscles to take up glucose from blood so those muscles can be ready to jump into action.

High-intensity workouts might be the best way to improve blood pressure.

Several studies have found that after 12 to 16 weeks of high-intensity training programs, people at risk of hypertension showed significant improvements in arterial stiffness (which leads to high blood pressure).

These high-intensity programs were more effective for improving that stiffness than conventional exercise routines.

• I went vegan for a week to see what it was like.
• I failed at eating 100% vegan because there are a lot more regulations than I realized.
• That said, eliminating meat and eating a plant-based foods gave me more energy . 

Veganism has been taking the world by storm for over a decade and, being a meat and dairy lover, I avoided it at all costs. Lately, however, a number of celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and even Beyoncé have been eating vegan. This, along with buzz-worthy documentaries supporting veganism like "What the Health," inspired me to try the plant-based diet out for myself.

Before I could take on the challenge, I had to figure out what being a vegan entailed. Unlike vegetarians, who don't eat meat, vegans avoid any products that come from animals, like milk, dairy, and even eggs. Think full-on PETA style.

Although I believed I could get through a week without meat, I didn't know how I'd handle the "no dairy" part because cheese is my biggest weakness.

Keep scrolling to see how my week as a vegan went. 

Breakfast proved to be the toughest meal for me to get through as a vegan.

My typical go-to breakfast items are milk and cereal, Greek yogurt, bread with Nutella, or some kind of egg dish. All of these are vegan no-nos, so I really had to put some thought into what I was going to eat every morning.

I thought I had solved my problems by eating cereal with soy milk, a vegan alternative. I realized, however, that Cheerios are not vegan because they contain vitamin D3 derived from sheep. 

Although there are vegan cereals out there, I ultimately opted for a bowl of rolled oats with fruit and almonds or a vegan granola bar in the morning. Despite having fewer options, I wasn't complaining. It was still pretty tasty. 

Making a vegan lunch, however, was actually pretty easy.

I got super into making vegan tacos and made them in a variety of different options. My favorite combo was black bean and sweet potato tacos with corn, tofu, tomato, avocado, and a hint of lime.

Trader Joe's vegan Japanese Style Fried Rice became my best friend.

I fell in love with Trader Joe's pre-made vegan Japanese Style Fried Rice. I'd heat some up, add extra tofu, throw it on a toasted corn tortilla, and sprinkle some vegan shredded soy cheese on top. It only took about three minutes to make, and it tasted so good.