Fitzness Fiend: Kristen Seymour

Fitzness Fiends is a section devoted to you, the reader! We all have learned so much on our path to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! Fitzness Fiends are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect, some are not. All have health on the mind. Please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Kristen Seymour

Age: 27

Occupation: Writer

How often do you exercise? I try to do something at least four or five times a week. Sometimes that means I'm at the gym for seven days in a row, and sometimes it means I take the dogs for a lot of walks. I just try to make sure I work SOMETHING into my schedule.

What type of exercise do you do? You name it! I like to play team sports like basketball and volleyball, run, swim, go to classes at the gym, use weights and resistance training, and, of course, kickbox!

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy? Friends are really helpful. I have a few I can call when I don't want to leave the couch, and even if they can't go to the gym with me, they'll tell me to get off my lazy ass. Also, I have this great trainer ... :)

What's on your MP3 player? A real mix, but I'm a little partial to songs from the Jock Jams album, circa 1994. You know, Tootsie Roll and Whoomp! There it is. Stuff with a real beat that's not too angry gets me motivated. I also like a lot of Black Eyed Peas songs -- My Humps tends to get me strutting my stuff at the gym, because Lord knows I've got some Lady Lumps going on. Most of them lovely, but not all, which is why I'm at the gym in the first place, so I feel like it's cool to strut.

Favorite healthy food? I could eat fruit all day; apples, strawberries, grapes, and bananas. I don't feel like I'm adhering to a strict diet when I'm eating those things.

Favorite not-so-healthy food? Only one? I'd probably have to say Mexican food in all its vegetarian forms. When I make it at home I can usually health it up a bit, but when we go out to a restaurant, I have a hard time not going whole hog. Sorry, but I'm pretty much never going to order a salad when there are chalupas to be had. Speaking of which, I'm getting hungry. Good thing this interview is almost over.

Biggest fitness accomplishment? Until I get in the ring with Fitz and kick her scrawny butt, I'd have to say it's a tie between completing a half marathon (and no, you don't need to know the time -- I CROSSED THE FINISH LINE) and improving my sprint triathlon time this past summer. I was never involved in running or races of any kind as a kid, and so I think that the idea of crossing the finish line holds even more appeal for me as an adult. I feel such a huge amount of pride and self-confidence after an accomplishment like that.It's similar to completing a super-grueling workout at the gym, but BETTER.

Best fitness advice? Don't hesitate to try something new, and make it worth your time. If there's an activity you like to do, there's probably a way to intensify it and burn more calories. I mean, it depends on your fitness level to start, but when you feel confident at one level, push yourself to go just a little farther or a little harder. If you like walking, tack another block onto your walk. If it's rock climbing, add 20 minutes of hard bouldering onto the end of your climbing session. And remember, it's sexy to sweat!