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By Amy Zhang September 27, 2016 in Fitness, Wellness 10 Comments

Getting Back on Track

If you followed me on Snapchat or Instagram stories you most likely saw the meals I was eating in Italy… and well, let’s just say I’d be lying if I said I didn’t come back from Italy with a little vacation weight gain. I’m a tiny bit softer than I was when I left. But honestly, no regrets because nothing beats homemade pasta.

I know a lot of people go away and get a little vacation weight gain and freak out – but honestly it’s mostly just your body holding on to excess water weight since you’re most likely dehydrated from traveling and eating differently than you’re used to. Your body is built to handle small fluctuations and will adapt and bounce back in no time.

Vacation Weight Gain: Getting Back on Track

Now that I’m back home, here’s my plan of attack for the next few weeks as I attempt to get back to feeling normal (the jetlag is not helping either) and a little less puffy.

How To Get Back On Track After A Little Vacation Weight Gain

No alcohol.

It’s possible I drank more wine than water in Italy, but the fastest way to get back to normal sleep and eating patterns is to cut the alcohol.

No fried/processed foods.

As much as I love carbs, it’s a definite no-brainer to eliminate the daily chips that came with happy hour (always a spritz!) and cut down on the pasta and bread.

Limit sugar.

Ugh. I have the biggest sweet tooth ever and this is really hard for me, but dessert on the daily was excessive and all signs suggest that sugar is one of the worst substances for you. Studies have shown excessive sugar can lead to heart disease, belly fat, and potentially even cancer. Yikes.

Sweat 3x a week.

I’m horrible at working out on my own, I spend more time “stretching” in the corner than actually doing anything productive, so in an effort to actually be effective I turned to boutique fitness classes years ago and haven’t looked back. My absolute favorites in LA are Barry’s Bootcamp and The Studio MDR.

Lots of whole foods.

Thinking smoothies/eggs/oatmeal for breakfast and lots of fruits, veggies, and lean protein throughout the day. My boyfriend and I love to cook dinner together (actually I got extremely lucky and he is an amazing chef : ) I make small contributions here and there) and we try to keep it very clean. Last night we landed and immediately make a big batch of vegetable soup and garlic chicken thighs for dinner. You’re welcome to come over for dinner anytime ; ).

Overall, I live by the 80/20 rule.

If you take the 80/20 rule literally, my philosophy is that if you eat right 292 days of the year, the remaining 73 you can let loose a little ; ). Like a lot of girls, I struggled with finding out what was right for my body and health for a long time and it really wasn’t until I let loose and became more in tune with my body did I actually begin to feel better. Some of the first blogs I ever read and loved were centered around health and fitness, so stay tuned for more posts on these topics!

Truthfully it’s way less about how I look and more about how I feel. By the end of our trip, AJ and I were desperately craving chicken and vegetables (boring, lol). And my body completely rebelled against any and all wine : (. My skin broke out horribly in the worst way in a year and I knew that my daily diet of espresso, pasta, wine, and gelato needed to change. But all good things must come to an end and as much as I LOVED Italy (full recap to come) I couldn’t be more excited to be home and back to work, as dorky as that sounds.

Last thing – can we talk about this heat wave we’ve been having?! Yay or nay to summer year round?!

xx, Amy

jacket: lovers and drifters club | top: l*space | bottom: l*space

photos: lauren miller

By Amy Zhang August 12, 2016 in Lifestyle, Wellness 23 Comments

How to Chill the F Out

You know that feeling when there just aren’t enough hours in the day to cross off everything you want to get done on your to-do list? Sometimes that feeling spirals out of control and you end up feeling like a frantic maniac trying to multi-task/be in more than one place at once. If you don’t recalibrate properly, it can be terrible for your mood and health. The real question is: how to manage stress and anxiety?

How to Chill the F Out

Stress SUCKS. Believe it or not, stress and anxiety are two of the worst things for your health. You might as well smoke and drink (jk, don’t actually).

Everyone handles stress in different ways. I aim to maintain a balanced and calm mindset but it doesn’t necessarily always work out that way. I’ve known for years that stress is incredibly harmful to your body. Just a FEW of the terrible side effects of stress:

Weight gain.

Some people lose their appetite when they’re stressed, I’m the complete opposite. I lose all willpower and go to town on the first thing I can get my hands on to eat. Stress eating is real. Oh, and it can also cause nasty problems with your digestive system. Fun, right?

Suppressed immune system = getting sick.

Ever noticed how you get colds or other illnesses more easily when you’re stressed? That’s because stress weakens your immune system, leading you to be more susceptible to both infectious and internal illnesses. Even headaches can be more common when you’re stressed.

Poor sleep.

Having trouble sleeping because of all the thoughts rushing through your head? You’re not alone. Stress can make it so much harder to fall and stay asleep. Which is bad news, because sleep is SO IMPORTANT. I aim for 8 hours a night (yes, really!) – I cannot recommend it enough.

You can honestly trace a lot of health related problems back to stress. It’s horrible for you. At the same time, it can be helpful – a little bit of stress might motivate you to get shit done and be productive. You just don’t want to go overboard. Knowing all of that, how do you manage stress? I’ve gotten a lot better at managing my stress and anxiety over the years,

Treat yourself.

Get a massage, a blowout, or a manicure. Buy yourself that dress you’ve been eyeing. If you’ve been working extra hard, reward yourself. Retail therapy isn’t the answer to long term happiness, but when you’re having a particularly rough week, it can help a little ; ).

Exercise.

This is honestly my favorite. When have you ever felt bad after a workout? I personally love workout classes, my go-tos are Barry’s Bootcamp and pilates. A run outside also does wonders for your mood (the runner’s high is real!), or take a spin class to kickass music. I guarantee you’ll feel better.

Boost your immune system.

If I’m having a busy week, I make sure to load up on fruits and veggies (fresh juices are great on the go!!) to give my immune system an extra boost. Most juice bars also have immunity shots that I swear by, but I sometimes make my own. If I’m feeling a little week, I like to get a B12 shot as well.

Meditate.

This means something different to everyone. Some days it’s a guided meditation through a podcast or app, other days it’s just sitting still, closing my eyes, and calming my breath and thoughts for 5 minutes.

Get outside.

Whether that’s outside as in actually being in nature or just leaving your house to spend time with friends, getting out is sometimes all it takes to gain a little perspective that our problems actually aren’t that big and everything is going to be okay.

Speaking of managing stress… one of my favorite things to do is get out of town. SO, I’m off to Palm Springs for the weekend for Splash House (yes, again). Be sure to follow along on Instagram and Instagram stories/Snapchat (username: amylzhang) to watch all the fun!

While I’ve gotten a lot better at managing my stress and anxiety over the years, I still struggle with it at times. How do you deal with stress and anxiety? Do you have a favorite way to wind down and de-stress?

xx, Amy

By Amy Zhang August 10, 2016 in Lifestyle, Style, Wellness 22 Comments

No Whining Update

Last week, I challenged myself to stop complaining. For some reason, I hadn’t been feeling like myself. I was getting bothered more than normal by little things and not always in the best mood. Personally, I hate being moody and feeling like I’m in a funk. No likes a Negative Nancy, so I took matters into my hands.

SO I made a point to challenge myself to not complain, at all, for an entire week.

To be honest, it wasn’t easy. Giving up anything cold turkey is tough. Even complaining.

(I realize now that I may sound like I’m complaining about not complaining, so I’ll stop.)

How to Stop Complaining

Basically, I learned that we complain a lot more than we think. Usually about really small, insignificant things. In LA, it’s the traffic (always). Or the weather, or something someone said to you. Or the way they looked at you, or a million and one other things.

Cutting down on that wasn’t easy, but I felt myself catching the words before they came out of my mouth and stopping myself.

The week didn’t go without a hitch. I still complained. BUT – I complained much less than usual. Especially when it came to sweating the small stuff. I found that letting go of negative thoughts and feelings is a lot easier when you don’t indulge yourself by becoming fixated on the issue and spending hours thinking/talking about it.

I checked myself before I wrecked myself.

And I became more aware of what I was about to say, before I said it. A lot of times, we complain to make conversation. Giving that up was easy and forced me to make more meaningful conversation with the people around me. For example, when I get home from work I always recap my day with my boyfriend. Instead of griping about the small negative things that happened to me that day, we were able to have more substantial conversations on things that went well or what interested us that day.

It was also interesting how my behavior influenced those around me. I really do believe in positivity and the light it brings on others. If people around me were complaining, I did my best to say something positive and help them see the bright side, whereas in the past I would probably add to the complaining with a personal anecdote to be relatable.

Although I challenged myself to only a week of no complaining, I definitely want to keep practicing this habit. It’s definitely a practice I want to continue incorporating in my everyday life.

ALSO – as you might be able to tell, I colored my hair (!!).

It was my first time EVER getting my hair colored. I put myself into the most capable hands I could find (my LA ladies, Bianca at Andy LeCompte salon is your girl – check out her work on Instagram here) and was not disappointed. Only time will tell, but maybe blondes do have more fun…

More posts on my hair coloring experience and maintenance tips to come. Oh, and how fun is this dress by Faithfull the Brand? Lately I’ve been drawn more and more to the color RED. This dress has a deep V in the front and open back that is spicy enough for any date night/party but still conservative enough so you don’t feel TOO scandalous.

Thanks for coming by, hope you made yourself at home ; ) talk to you all soon!

xx, Amy

dress: faithfull the brand | shoes: topshop (similar)

photos: lauren miller

By Amy Zhang August 2, 2016 in Lifestyle, Style, Wellness 25 Comments

Self-Improvement

Self-Improvement Challenge

Although I originally started The Luxi Look as a style blog, I knew it could evolve over time. I’ve always wanted to incorporate aspects of wellness along with style and outfits. I like writing posts on topics such as motivation, positivity, and productivity. Not because I’m an expert in these fields or perfect in these areas. But because I think wanting to become a better person is one of the best qualities to have.

Last week, I woke up one morning and began my usual routine of checking my emails and scrolling through my phone. I came across an email from Noah Kagan that immediately caught my eye with the subject line – “How I stopped whining.”

I first came across Noah’s blog, OkDork a couple years ago. And was blown away by his posts on marketing, blogging, building an online brand, and more. I’ve gotten a lot out of his emails – he hits topics such as productivity, organization, and self-improvement. Mixed in with some funny anecdotes and life recommendations.

To sum up the email:

Noah realized he was on a major complain train and decided to challenge himself to go an entire day without complaining. This email then sparked a conversation between me and my boyfriend that led us to agree we also wanted to work on improving this particular bad habit.

So, we challenged each other to go a week without complaining to start.

In fact, we decided we want to do a month (or more) of our self-improvement challenge.

The goal is to give up one bad habit for a week. We’re starting with complaining – NO complaining for a week. Instead of complaining about the traffic or weather or whatever is bothering us, we are going to try and brush it off and focus on something more positive.

On that note, I’m lucky to be with someone that not only supports me in everything I do but isn’t afraid to call out my flaws and encourage me to be a better person. It also helps that he happens to work in the self-improvement space and lives and breathes what he teaches. Stay tuned this month for lots of fun posts (fashion, lifestyle, wellness, and more!) to come.

xx, Amy

matching set: luna b | shoes: similar | sunnies: karen walker

photos: tavio valencia

By Amy Zhang July 23, 2016 in Wellness 19 Comments

Best Healthy Snacks

When that afternoon hunger pang sets in, what do you reach for? For years I would just grab the nearest thing I could find to eat, and often it wasn’t the healthiest choice. I work a desk job during the week and inevitably always get hungry between lunch and dinner.

Best Healthy Snacks

Over the past few years, I’ve cleaned up my eating habits a lot, but I still have a tendency to indulge in sweets (I have a serious, serious sweet tooth). I’ve made it a point to try and choose snacks that are as fresh and unprocessed as possible. Also, low sugar is key. Some of the best healthy snacks I always keep on hand are:

If I’m craving something sweet…

Tropical Fruit Salad

A little trick I learned from street fruit carts abroad and in LA – I love taking tropical fruits such as pineapple, watermelon, and mango, and adding fresh lime juice and chili powder. I love using Tajín, if you are able to find that at your local grocery store!

Fruit is my go-to snack when I’m craving sweet. Bananas, apples, berries are all great choices. Sometimes I’ll whip up a quick fruit smoothie as well. Natural sugar > added sugars. A square of dark chocolate or too doesn’t hurt either ; ).

If I’m craving something salty…

Seaweed

These seaweed chips from Trader Joe’s are SO addictive. Whole Foods has them as well. Kind of like potato chips, but so much better for you! They are just the right amount of salty and crunchy to satisfy any salty craving.

If I’m craving something fatty…

Avocado

Healthy fats FTW! Avocados are full of heart healthy fats that keep you full longer. I like to make avocado toast using toasted ezekiel bread (+ lime juice, pink sea salt, and chili flakes). I’ll even eat them on their own sometimes – SO GOOD. I cannot get enough of avocado.

Protein

Eggs, nuts, turkey slices, Greek yogurt. Protein is essential if you are working out for building muscle and also keeps you full longer. Not to sound like a bodybuilder, but it is so important to make sure you are eating enough protein!! When I upped my protein intake, I found it so much easier to see the benefits of my workouts.

If I’m craving soda…

Sparkling water

Technically not a snack, but hear me out. First things first, I make sure I’m not confusing hunger with thirst. I have a tendency to mindlessly graze (especially if I’m working!) so I always drink tons of water throughout the day. I cut out drinking soda daily years ago but sometimes I miss the carbonation. Sparkling water with a squeeze of lime is refreshing and more interesting than water.

Kombucha

I love, love, love kombucha. I could write an entire post on kombucha. I brewed my own kombucha at home for a while but it got to be too time consuming. Thankfully kombucha has gotten to be so popular, most stores carry it now. Note: many varieties of kombucha contain TONS of sugar, so make sure to look for bottles with <2g of sugar per serving. GT Kombucha flavors I like that fit this requirement are: original, multi-green, trilogy, and gingerade (this is the most common brand you’ll find at supermarkets).

Snacks I try to avoid

Protein bars (full of crap and contain more sugar than a candy bar), cereal/granola bars (tons of sugar and very processed), processed “healthy” food (anything “sugar-free” or “fat-free” tends to have additives that are actually terrible for you).

I’m not a nutritionist by any means… but I think we can all agree that whole, unprocessed foods are some of the best foods you can eat! And clearly I’m not much of a cook… hence why all of these snacks are quick and easy, in addition to being healthy. What are some of your favorite snacks?

Follow me on Instagram for more updates!

xx, Amy