The Brunette Diaries

10 Most Romantic Songs To Make Your Valentine’s Day More Special

It’s Valentine’s Day and so you must be planning a special night for your better half. May it be a dinner date or a long drive off a shore, in any case you’ll be needing the most romantic songs to set the right mood and get things going. Check out the best love songs below to create the perfect playlist for you valentine.

1) Christina Perri – A Thousand Years

This song by American singer-songwriter Christina Perri and David Hodges is taken from the album The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1 and is loved by almost every woman on earth.

2) Elvis Presley – Can’t Help Falling In Love

This one is a pop ballad originally recorded by American singer Elvis Presley. The melody is based on “Plaisir d’amour“, a popular romance by Jean-Paul-Égide Martini (1784), and will surely take your back in the 70s and 80s.

3) Sam Smith – How Will I Know

Sam Smith’s soothing voice is always a win for romance. His slowed- down rendition of ‘How Will I Know‘ by Whitney Houston is truly beautiful.

4) Adam Levine – Lost Stars

“Lost Stars” is an original song performed by Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine for the romantic comedy-drama film Begin Again.

5) Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud

Ed Sheeran is best known for his smiley personality and this song does put up a smile on your face. Sheeran refers to this song as “walking down the aisle song“. In the lyrics, Sheeran reflects on “getting older and fidelity and love in a fairly conventional context“.

6) John Legend – Love Me Now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmCFY1oYDeM

The music video is directed by Nabil Elderkin and depicts couples from various cultures expressing their love to each other. It also features Legend with his wife Chrissy Teigen and daughter Luna Simone Stephens.

7) Dierks Bentley – Come A Little Closer

Here’s a little country song for lovers who enjoy this genre. This Dierks Bentley diddy is from his 2005 album “Modern Day Drifter” and Taste of Country reports that Bentley was 30 years old at that time.

8) Zayn Maik And Taylor Swift – I don’t Wanna Live Forever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F37r50VUTQ

Zayn Malik and Taylor Swift released a music video for their duet “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever“. The song is also featured in the sequel “Fifty Shades Darker“.

9) Ariana Grande – Into You

Ariana Grande’s upbeat hit song “Into You” is about love, but it’s more of a dance hit. So you can pull your partner close and have a slow couple dance on this song.

10) Ellie Goulding – Love Me Like You do

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJtDXIazrMo

“Love Me like You Do” is a song recorded by English singer Ellie Goulding for the soundtrack to the film Fifty Shades of Grey (2015). “Love Me like You Do” is a mid-tempo electropop power ballad, with instrumentation consisting of massive synths and crushing drums. Lyrically similar to the film’s theme, the song talks about the uncontrollable feeling of falling in love and being seduced by someone whose touch leaves her begging for more, even when it hurts.

How to avoid weight gain due to a desk job

So it’s been a crazy-busy couple of weeks. You step on the scale one morning and, yikes! You’ve gained five pounds! How the heck did that happen? Well, research shows that what you weigh isn’t just the result of eating too much and exercising too little; it’s also linked to your feelings, your experiences, even where you live. Any change in your life circumstances can produce changes in eating and exercise, which leads to weight gain. This is more popularly known as ‘emotional eating’. Getting married and having kids are obvious triggers for weight gain, but there are other, more surprising transition points that can also influence your weight. This guide will see you through them all.

Also read: The expert’s guide to office makeup

You recently got promoted

The good news is that you love your new gig. And the bad news is that the big job is calling for a wardrobe in a bigger size! Chalk it up to stress, which prompts our bodies to release the hormones and insulin, which stimulate hunger. Usually in tense situations, we ignore the voice that tells us to eat healthy, and instead turn to high-calorie comfort foods. There’s only one solution: outsmart it. Bring a high-protein, fibre rich, fresh produce lunch, for instance; chicken salad, almonds and a orange, or yogurt and berries. The key is to choose foods that are satisfying.

Also make time for exercise. Yes, we know you’re too swamped, but we mean it. Working out or having an active lifestyle makes you more energized and helps reduce stress. If you don’t have time to hit the gym, go for a 15-minute brisk walk after lunch. Stand up and walk around for five-ten minutes at least once an hour. By moving frequently, you keep your major muscles working, which may ward off the negative effects of being sedentary.

You Can Dance To Lose Weight!

Are you one of those people who find hitting the gym or doing yoga boring? Are you looking out for an effective way of losing weight the fun way? Then, why don’t you try dancing! That’s right! Dancing works on the whole body – be it hands, legs, back, tummy. Moreover, you can choose a dance form that you’ll enjoy. Here we have a few dance styles that are popular for their calorie-burning, body toning characteristics.

Groove on Bollywood style

Bollywood dance is your Mecca if you love groovy numbers! Look no further than the Bollywood style of dancing to shed those extra kilos. Since this dance form is groovy and peppy, it is taking the world by rage. A combination of Bhangra with a little hip-hop and other modern Indian dances combine to form a pulsating session of workout.

Salsa for the lovebirds

There is nothing better if you have your beloved bucking you up at every step? Match him step-for-step while keeping him close as you both start on salsa lessons together. This dance form is perfect for keeping you fit. Through this you can meet new people or capture some memorable moments with your loved one. This cardio-intensive workout, with its many movements, will help you lose 10 calories by the minute. Thus, by the end of an hour, you would have lost an awesome 600 calories, and got some titillating moments with your loved one.

Go Zumba!

What about partying to lose weight and ditching your workout regime? Sounds interesting right? Add some spice to your daily workout schedules with Zumba. Imagine learning a little bit of salsa, calypso, belly dancing, samba and many such dance forms in just one amazing dance exercise. Zumba helps in cardio exercise blending all dance forms in one.

Put on your Ballerina shoes

Taking an inspiration from Black Swan? Make the best use of your ballerina shoes to good use and enroll in a ballet class. Improve your posture, get more flexible and build your hips, abdomen and thighs with this amazing dance form. Ballet definitely sounds more fun than lifting weights at your gym.

How to lose weight without hitting the gym

Losing weight takes a lot of discipline and determination, whether in the gym or outside it. Some of us just don’t have the time for hitting the gym. Or maybe we are just not a gym-person. So how do we get rid of all the excess fat reserved in our body? Follow these steps to achieve your desired weight without sweating it out.

Smaller meals:

Not all of us are conscious enough to count every calorie, so try to make your meal portions smaller. And bunk the second helping altogether. You can take shorter lunch breaks at work so that you don’t over-eat.

Avoid too much sweet:

If you really need to have a dessert after your meals then try to swap the ice-creams and cakes with a piece of dark chocolate. It’s a healthier option to satisfy your sweet tooth without piling up on the calories.

Move your butt:

Having a sedentary lifestyle can make losing weight very difficult. Take regular breaks every 2 hours to walk around the office. Skip the elevator and start taking the stairs whenever possible. Enrol for a fun weekend dance class. The more you move, the faster you lose that weight.

Sleep:

Sleep is more than just a pretty-making mechanism. Your digestive system is also pumping hard to process your food, metabolizing carbohydrates and breaking down fats. Some studies have linked sleep deprivation to weight problems; so the bottom line is – if you don’t want your ‘bottom’ to grow bigger, hit the sack at the earliest.

Have sex:

That’s right; sex is a great way to shed the extra calories. An average sex session burns 150 to 250 calories per half hour – depending on how hot, flexible and athletic your session was. Now don’t be disheartened even if you aren’t extremely acrobatic in love-making, as sex naturally gets your heart rate up, which in turn improves circulation and burns calories and fat.

Laugh while you still have teeth:

Last but not the least – laugh more! Laughing heartily five times a day has the same beneficial effects as ten minutes on a rowing machine. How great is that!