Saturday Fitness Tip: Benefits of living healthy

Change of the plan: in today's post I am covering benefits of living healthy, and I'll write last post about excuses next Saturday - they take quite some time to put them together, and I'm already late today.

The list is endless, but I think I mentioned some main points ;)



1. I have much more energy. My energy level doesn't fluctuate and after a meal I feel energized, I never want to lay down and sleep.

2. I have learnt how to cook ;). Before I started with the diet, I was really basic in the kitchen: pasta, eggs, hot dogs ... :D Now I even make my own recipes. I'm proud of myself ;)

Source: Pinterest.

3. I am more connected with myself. However lame that sounds, but now I know how to listen to my body. If I need rest, I rest, if my body doesn't want a certain type of food, I won't eat it, if I need an active rest day, I'll have it ... we are bonded :).

4. My mind is clearer - I can think more straight, do more things, because I have more energy and I am more prepared to face the challenges. I feel physically and mentally stronger.

5. My functional strength has improved. I can carry heavier things without complaining how heavy it is and without any major pain afterwards.

6. My skin, hair and teeth look better. Never had any major problems with them, but they shine bright like a diamond :P. Also, skin has slight healthy glow. (I haven't noticed any changes on my nails though).

7. I've gained self-esteem. I really started being me and I don't have to hide behind the clothes any more.

8. My overall health has improved. I don't have any allergies anymore and I used to be a really ill kid. I rarely get ill in general.

9. Clothes fit me better ;). I used to have a major "shopping problem" - I went shopping and didn't buy anything just because I felt ugly or I felt like I don't deserve it or nothing fitted me. And after shopping I felt even worse.

Source: Pinterest.

10. Healthy lifestyle helps me with stress control - I workout to feel more relaxed and healthy food keeps me calm.

11. I sleep better. Here I have to thank meditation, too (post about meditation coming soon ;)).

12. I finally have some bum :P. No, but really, my body is more toned, I finally have some shape to my body. I was undefined before.

13. My mood has improved. I am basically happy and feeling positive all the time, my overall mental health is better.

14. That time of the month is much less painful. Foods full in sugar, salt, energy an bad carbs always made me feel grumpy, bitchy and I felt like crap. Now if I have any pain, I workout to "shift" it to another part of my body (weird, I know :D).

15. I have learnt to enjoy in little things. Food is not everything, food is not my comfort anymore.

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Like I said, the list is endless ... You can also tell what changes have you experienced if you live healthy.

Until next time, stay healthy! ;)

Saturday Fitness Tip: Excuses #2

And here we are again. Making excuses and I argument them and I give you a "solution".  :)) Let's just start.

Make sure you read first part of excuses HERE.



Once again - everything starts and ends with you. It's time to shut your Ego up ;)

Source: Pinterest.

 
4. The saddest thing to me is that people are selfish. For example, they get sick eventually (from bad food) and family has to take care for him/her. I've watched a show (I don't remember how it was called) where extremely obese people were losing weight and one contestant said: "I don't want to die from food. I don't want to be remembered as the one who has died from food." People live to eat and don't see any other (much more) meaningful purpose in life. Which leads me to excuse ... If I live healthy, I have no reason to live. All I have to say is, that how ungrateful that person is. Do you have family, friends, supportive followers (if you're a blogger/youtuber etc.), people who love you? Do you have bed to sleep in? Do you have home? Do you have a phone, computer, TV ...? Are you loved? I see soooo many things to be grateful for, many things you have to live for. People forget to enjoy in little things and are searching for body pleasures (food is one of them, because it's tasty). Maybe it's nice to eat chocolate cake, but to me going out in to the nature is much more enjoyable and relaxing. To me living just for food is an empty life. Yes, food is tasty and I love eating, but I feel so much better if I nourish my body just when I am hungry. I know I don't need any more than that. I am more productive, because I don't feel full and tired after a meal, I am more happy and my life is more fulfilled, because I know how to make every moment precious.

Source: Pinterest.

5. Eating healthy tastes bad.
If we would be taught from an early age to eat healthy, simple, one-ingredient foods, we wouldn't crave junk food at all, because we wouldn't know the taste of it. We are just spoiling our taste buds (and raising our blood sugar few times a day). I think that the best way to fix that problem is to clear out your taste buds. I already covered that in Saturday Fitness Tip post few weeks ago: Beginner? No problem! Check it out HERE. And this also goes for previous excuse as well.
Also, try to find fun and tasty recipes, try to experiment in the kitchen, make cooking and preparing your food fun ... Most people who say that healthy food tastes bad are the ones who haven't even tried to live healthy. Try it out, it won't kill you! You can always ask a friend who eats healthy (hint: me ;)) to give you some recipes or recommendations and to motivate you ...

Source: Pinterest.

6. I'll start tomorrow.
Ah, that never coming "tomorrow". You don't need tomorrow, Monday, new year, three months before summer ... to start changing things, you can start right away, because all you need is you and you only. The sooner you start the closer to your goal. Every day counts and you can choose to give yourself a "gift" today and decide to be healthy. Today. I said TODAY! :)
You start with the next meal and get a workout done ;), I am off to prepare myself an afternoon snack and go out ;).


I think that next time I'll cover last post of excuses, unless I get many more of them or I get über inspired to do more of them :D. So, if you have any, please share them in your comment, also, if you have solutions for all three excuses I covered today, please share your brains with us :).

Happy healthy Saturday!

Recipe: I scream Ice cream!

There's one food I can't say no to: ice cream! But all ice creams that you get in grocery stores are full of nasty ingredients that our body doesn't need. I am also slightly dairy intolerant, makes my stomach hurt, so big company ice creams are a total no no for me. Today I'll show you how to prepare super simple and inexpesive ice cream. Nutritous, delicious and guilt free!

Ingredients:
- frozen strawberries (I think I used 12 of them ;))
- one frozen banana (I suggest you slice it and put in a plastic container before putting it into freezer)
- 1 tsp of peanut butter

Preparation:

I suggest you use strong food processor/blender for this recipe. I put frozen banana in food processor first and processed it. I added strawberries and processed again.

At the end I added one teaspoon of peanut butter and mix one last time, so everything is well combined.

If you are allergic to peanuts, you can add other nut butter, and if you're allergic to nuts, you can use one scoop of protein powder or coconut flour or flakes. I always try to incorporate some sort of protein source when I eat fruits. Fruits are carbohydrates full of natural sugars and protein helps to stabilize your blood sugar. Also, you'll feel fuller for longer time.

Let me know if you tried this recipe out and how you liked it ;)

Saturday Fitness Tip: Let's talk goals and motivation

In today's Saturday Fitness Tip I'll talk about goals and motivation.
(I found pictures on Facebook on Fun, Fit and Fab page).



Let's go back in time ... I was overweight and I wasn't happy. Maybe I didn't look as unhappy person on the outside, but on the inside I wasn't. I had trouble finding pretty clothes that would fit me, my dreams seemed so far away, I was lost ... When I started losing weight, I started to feel better, was healthier and happier. And then I started eating healthier and exercising regularly, people around me said that I don't need to lose anymore weight or that I should be careful not to become anorexic (really?) or that I didn't even look fat and that I was cute even when I was bigger.

Maybe I didn't have any more weight to lose, but I didn't want to lose body I earned! But then I had ups and downs, I moved a lot and wasn't truly consistant, I ate too much even though it was healthy or had really stressful era in my life and it showed. But last November after my Lasik surgery I didn't workout for whole month! That was the longest period of time I didn't workout. So, I made a promise to myself to go back on track and be the best version of myself ... for the rest of my life (I even signed a contract with myself! - mental thing)).

That's why I do monthly progress posts, to keep me motivated. My goal is to have defined abs and I already see some definition showing through layer of fat :P. I love eating clean, I don't feel deprived at all. Food is my energy and I don't live to eat, but I eat to live. (But I still eat too much sometimes and my body is so unforgiving!) I'm gonna steal Tina Maze's words: My way is my decision. ;) Being weak is a decision, so is being strong!

 

I work with what I have, I will never probably fit in XS size, because I am big boned and that's fine with me. Maybe I'll need more time to get to my goal than a person who was never overweight and doesn't have any excess fat to lose, but once you set your mind into something, your body will follow. 

Now little encouragment to skinny or slim girls that workout and eat healthy. Don't listen to people who say: "You don't need to workout, you're skinny already." Being active and eating healthy is much more than being skinny, it's about feeling great in your own skin. You can have naturally amazing slim body, but that's not a guarantee it will be like that your whole life. Skinny has nothing to do with being in shape.

My long term (fitness) goal is to be healthy and motivate others. It means world to me when someone writes me I inspired them. It inspires me to keep going. If you want something sooooooooooooooo bad, no excuse will ever stop you. If you have time for Facebook, you have time for 15 minute workout, if you can buy that chocolate bar, buy fresh fruit instead ... and so on. Excuses stink and you know you make them on daily basis!

I didn't workout on Wednesday, because I was lazy and now I kinda regret it. Nothing I can change it now. Next time when you feel unmotivated to workout or you want to indugle something you shouldn't, look yourself in the mirror to see if you are where you want to be. I know I'm not, but every day is a new day, day to make it right. The sooner you start, the closer to your goal!


Now stop making excuses and earn the body you've always wanted!
Have a healthy happy Saturday y'all!

P.S.: If you have any topics you'd like me to cover or give you any advice, please, share them in a comment and I'll do my best to cover them in my next Saturday Fitness post :)

Saturday Fitness Progress: Don't get discouraged

Another month has passed, time for another weekly fitness progress post!

 

Source: Pinterest.

Firstly, I'd like to say some words about "No Sugar Challenge". I can tell you it has helped me so much. I've come to the point when I don't even crave anything sweet anymore and when I think about it, I just ignore it. I never really craved anything sweet in a past few weeks, I just craved fruit - something more "watery" and sweet. Another great thing about no eating sweets is that my skin has cleared out. I still get pimples here and there, but I assume there has to be another reason for that. Talking about skin - overall appearance of my skin has improved, cellulite is less visible, skin looks more tight. Last but not least, I have much more energy. I think I also have to thank gluten free diet, although I think oats are not gluten free? (Well, I ate them coupe of times, when I wanted something warm and delicious :)).

Anyways, progress is not huge, but like I said before: 1 centimeter is still a progress (and 2 centimeters - even better! :)).

You can check out my last Saturday Fitness Progress post here. 
All measurements are in centimeters.

	9 Mar 2013	6 Apr 2013
Upper arm	30,5	30,5
Bust line	95	95
Waist	81	81
Hips	104	103 (-1)
Thighs	62	61 (-1)
Left calf	43	43

I measured my waist in different parts of the day and it varies about 2 centimeters.
I am trying new diet plan and will start with little bit different workout regime. Sometimes is good to switch things up a little and see if it works. I like to experiment with my body - in a helathy way, of course :)

No naked picture od myself today. lol! You get another hot girl ... :)

 

Source: Pinterest.

I want to encourage you, if you're on a "getting in shape" journey, don't get discouraged, if progress is little. Take a look at your whole progress (from beginning till now) and there are many more ways to know if you shaped up:

1. Weight yourself. I'm not a big fan of this option, because I think that people get scared when number doesn't move or when it shows that you gained weight. Guess what, muscles are heavier than fat, and if you workout you can gain weight, especially if you don't have a lot to lose. And people get easily obsessed with weighting myself. I've been there.

2. Measure yourself. My favourite technique as you may know. Much more convenient as weight.

3. Take before and after picture. Just don't take photos of yourself everyday. Once a month is enough and then you just compare them.

4. Focus on how you feel. If you feel lighter, tighter and leaner, congratulations, you're doing great, although number stay the same. I first start to lose weight three years ago, I started to feel more energized and I was happier. So, be aware of how you feel.

5. Lastly, if your clothes fit you better or they are loose, then my dear friend, you've lost weight and centimeters. Or your jeans just got bigger ;)

 

Source: Pinterest.

Hope you find this posts helpful and motivational. I would love to hear about your progress ;)
Have a happy healthy Saturday!

Saturday Fitness Tip: "No sugar challenge" or do you read food labels and ingredients?

Month of March is almost over and as you may know, I posted a "No sugar challenge" post at the beginning of the month. You can read it here.
Today's post in not really a tip, but more of a confession.

Tomorrow is the last day of the challenge and I hope you are doing well if you decided to join me.

Today I want to cover food labels and ingredients on packagings. Do you read them? I read them always when I'm in unfamiliar shop and if I'm buying something new. But when I already know the content of it, I don't. But last week I discovered that canned beans I've been using have sugar in them and I felt that they were kinda sweet but beans are naturally on a sweeter side. Well, I haven't eaten those beans ever since, so I think I've been sugar-free now. :)

Challenge failed, but I'll continue with it anyways, because I want this to be a permanent thing not just one month thing.

(Source: Pinterest)

One person once told me that reading labels is bullshit and that it's too much time consuming ... But is it? Like I said, it can take a little bit more time if you're buying something for the first time or in unfamiliar shop with unfamiliar brands, but later you will already know what to buy. Or just buy veggies, fruits and other un-packaged real food that doesn't even need a label. With that you can be 100 % sure, you're eating sugar-free and healthy. :) (Fruit has natural fructose/sugar in them, but it's natural and a good source of energy.)

To me not paying attention to labels is like not paying attention to/taking time for yourself. And I am the only one who has to live with myself all my life and in the same body. I have to work on me, because no one else will. I want to be happy, healthy and strong, and I will take time for myself every single day. Everyone should. Do you?

I don't know about you but this looks kinda scary to me. (source: Pinterest)

So, my healthy tip for today is: stick to 5 ingredient rule. That means if a label has more than 5 ingredients, put it back on a shelf! And ignore the food that has any kind of artificial sweeteners in them (sugar has many names) AND if you don't know what certain ingredient is or you don't know how to read it - PUT IT BACK! It's probably some chemical ingredient that shouldn't end up in your body anyways.
Sorry, for being so harsh, but sometimes you need to scream because it's über important :D


Don't just pig out during Easter, now is a perfect time to cleanse and detoxify. Your body, soul and apartment/house ;).

Have a happy, healthy Easter and be safe.

Saturday Fitness Tip: What can I do when I crave sugar?

As you may know, I've started with "no sugar challenge" 2 weeks ago. Those 2 weeks were great, no major cravings, been eating clean and I added detoxifying foods to my diet every day.
You can read last Saturday Fitness Tip post here.

But what can you do when you crave something sweet sooooo badly?? I have some tips what to do when you crave sugar:

1. Drink loads of water, you can add lemon juice to it and water will fill you up. If I would eat something on stomach full of water I would probably feel sick and I don't want that.

2. If I eat something with artificial sweeteners in it, highly processed foods, I will feel sick and my stomach will hurt the next day or even the same day. My body is so used to healthy eating that it "pays me back" with sickness and I feel gross! I try to remember that feeling of sickness and eat something nutritional instead.

 

Source: Pinterest

3. Whenever I crave sweets, I know that I'm stressed or my mind is not calm. So I suggest you try to calm your mind with meditation. With that I don't mean 15, 20 or 30 minutes meditation, sometimes even 5 minutes can do magic. Stop whatever your doing, close your eyes and try not to think about anything or visualise yourself in a place where you feel the happiest - for me that is nature, especially forest, beach or looking at waterfall.
You can google to educate yourself more about meditation or how to release stress.

4. Eat fruit instead! Fruit contain natural fructose and give our body nutrients, energy and they are overall really good tasting. Artificial sweeteners don't give our body anything - just empty calories and are main cause of many diseases (cancer, diabetes etc.). Also, try to incorporate some protein with your fruit intake. I eat 8 almonds with my apple, one tsp of peanut butter (natural, without sugar and salt) with my banana ... Fruit is still sugar, protein source help you to stabilise your blood sugar whenever you eat piece of fruit. But if you don't have any protein source on the reach of your hand, eat just piece of fruit, never skip meals. Ever!

5. Eat dry fruits instead of candy. I always make sure I buy the ones without any added sugar, no preservatives or other nasty ingredients. Pure dried fruit. If you can't get it pure, than don't even buy it in the first place. I love dates, they are super sweet and I usually take 3-5 and I'm full, and they satisfy my craving.

6. This may sound silly but it helps - educate yourself about sugar and other foods. What is sugar causing to our bodies, how to stop craving it etc. I recommend book 'Suicide by sugar' written by Nancy Appleton. And I also randomly search through google to find some useful information. Yes, Google is my best amigo! ;)

 

Source: Pinterest

7. Make your own healthy recipes and substitute artificial sweeteners with natural sweeteners, such as coconut sugar (low glycemic index, I've read that is the best substitute for regular sugar, little bit more expensive, but food should be an investment anyways; I haven't tried it though), stevia or truvia, or you can also soak dates or raisins in water and use that sweet water to sweeten your desert.

8. Last but not least tip is ... eat before bed time. Yes, you've read that right. If you feel tired, grupy and without energy in the morning, main reason is probably that your blood sugar level is low and eating before bed can stabilise that and help you with your sugar cravings. Don't just indulge on anything, grab some sort of a vegetable and handful of nuts or a table spoon of natural nut butter. But keep in mind that everyone is different, to some this tip may works, to some it may not.


Another point is that, the longer you eat clean without any sugar involved, the less you'll crave it. First week might be the hardest, but then you'll feel like a whole new person. The best feeling ever is when you wake up energized! Yes, that is possible!!
If you are having problem with bloating, can't lose last 5 kgs, have skin break outs, allergies, you're ill all the time ... cutting down sugar can do magic.

I hope this post was helpful to some and please share your tips how do you "kill" your sugar cravings. :)

Have a healthy Saturday and be happy ;)

Recipe: GREEN SMOOTHIE

Oh, I love green smoothies in the morning. Why? Because I get so much energy from this vitamin bomb. The best part is that you can arrange it your taste and likings. Today, I will show you my favourite combination, but keep in mind that you can add any fruit or green vegetable. I will tell you some other options at the end of this post.

 
Ingredients:
- spinach (you need something to make it green :))
- blueberries (great anti-oxidant food)
- kiwi (vitamin C!; I don't even bother peeling it, just wash it really well)
- half of banana (gives nice sweet taste, you don't need any sweeteners)
- coconut water (about 1dcl, you won't even feel the taste of it)
- almonds (optional)
- and the magic ingredient: CHIA SEEDS (around 1 tsp)

Chia seeds are amzing because they have more omega 3 than salmon, more anti-oxidants than blue berries, more calcium than milk, more iron than spinach ... It's high in protein, fiber, healthy fats, recommended for fat and weight loss. The best part is that they don't have a taste and you can add them in smoothies, soups, salads, desserts, you can also use them instead of eggs. I highly recommend them for vegeterians and vegans, because I know it's hard to get your protein source in every meal. Just add chia seed ;). Anyway, I think they deserve whole post for themselves. Oh, and they are gluten free as well!! :)

Making smoothie is easy peasy: I put all ingredients (without almonds) in blender and blend until it's blended :D. At the end I put some almonds (around 8) to give it a little crunch ;). I wait for about 5 minutes, so chia seeds enlarge a little. I "cheat" sometimes and make my smoothie the night before and keep it in fridge.

You can use regular water instead of coconut water, or use lemon or orange juice ... I don't recommend using any kind of milk, this smoothie should be refreshing and pure, not like a milk shake or sth. If you want more creaminess and richer taste, add some avocado - it's neutral taste, you won't taste it.

Sometime I add hemp seeds or hemp protein (great source of protein and heathy fats as well) instead of chia seeds. You can also add maca powder (great for increasing your energy levels and figthing PMS ;)) and psyllium husk (high in fiber and really detoxifying).

You can use grapes, mango, pineapple, apple, strawberries ... and I promise you won't even feel spinach taste. If you don't have or like spinach, add kale or green salad ...

The benefits of green smoothie:
Leafy greens are one of the most nutritious foods, prevent cancer, purify your blood, improves liver and kidney function, strengthens immune system, lifts you spirit, gives you energy, can help you with better looking skin, nails and hair ... Greens are a great source of potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, vitamins A, C, E and K. If you can get, buy organic, if not don't stress over it, it's better to eat non organic than no greens at all.

I feel like this is one long informational post and not a recipe :D
Enjoy your green smoothie and share your recipes with me ;)

Saturday Fitness Progress: abs are made in the kitchen

Time for Saturday Fitness Progress! Yay! I measured myself yesterday morning and was quite satisfied with the numbers. Every little progress is still a progress! ;)

Source: Pinterest

As you may know, I started with the "no sugar challenge" last week. I try to incorporate as many detoxifying foods in my meals as possible and I haven't eaten any foods with artificial sweeteners, I just added honey to some of my meals. You can read last week's Saturday Fitness Tip post here: CLICK. I also want to write about foods that are sweet but healthy and help you satisfy your sugar cravings. Tell me if you want to read that ;)

And I also try to eat gluten free. I will blog about my experience and thoughts when I start noticing more changes. I also wanted to be vegan for one week, but was kinda idea-less what to eat instead of eggs and cheese. Need to educate myself more about veganism.

You can also check out last Saturday Fitness Progress post here: click.
Let's just start with the numbers. Measurements are in centimeters, as always.

	9 Feb 2013	9 Mar 2013
Upper arm	31	30,5 (-0,5)
Bust line	96	95 (-1)
Waist	82	81 (-1)
Hips	105	104 (-1)
Thighs	63	62 (-1)
Left calf	43	43

 

Well, you can't really see the difference, lol ^^

Left: February 2013, right: March 2013

I've been doing high intensity but short workouts every day. I actually started doing Zuzka Light's workouts from number 1 (because I was getting bored with putting together my workouts, lol). Check out Zuzana's web site here: click. She's an amazing woman in every way possible! :)

Hope you had happy and healthy Satuday!

What I ate on Sunday

I figured out I haven't posted "what I ate" post in a long time. Yesterday I took pictures of every food I ate and here is my "menu" :). Let's see what I ate on Sunday.

For breakfast I had cooked oatmeal with half a banana, almonds, honey and little bit of cocoa. And of course a cup of green tea. Have to make this breakfast you can read it here. I had my breakfast around 10:00.

I had a snack around 12:30 and it was pomegranate. I haven't eaten them in a long time and I realized how much I love this fruit :).

For lunch, around 15:00, I made pancake (one egg, whole wheat flour, soy milk and little bit of salt, this makes 2 pancakes) and filled it with some mozzarella cheese, lettuce, 1/4 of avocado, cabbage and some spices. I usually eat it like a sandwich (with my hands). Next time I'll put feta cheese in it, mozzarella makes whole pancake wet. This has been my favourite lunch lately. It's so super yummy!

And I had a cup of green tea with it as well.

For afternoon snack (I think it was around 18:00) I had regular yogurt with half of banana, little bit of almonds and raisins.

I had dinner around 21:00 and it was zucchini, carrots and beans with quinoa. And I had a mandarin for a "dessert" :).

Now I'm off to make me a pancake and fill it with veggies :]

My "go to" breakfast: Cooked oatmeal

I wanted to post something completely different today, but the pictures taken with my camera were so bad, I decided to delete them and don't do a blog post today. But then I remembered I have never done a recipe for my "to go" breakfast. Now (autumn/winter) time is the perfect time to do it, because this breakfast is warm, and it gives you enough energy until lunch time. It's super easy to make and it takes you about 5 minutes to prepare (all my recipes are super easy to make :D).

Ingredients:
- oatmeal
- soy milk (or water)
- honey (or any other natural sweetener)
- cinnamon
- dry fruits
- half of banana

I put 4-5 spoons of oatmeal in a pot and soy milk. I don't know how much soy milk I use, I just eyeball it so I know when oatmeal is cooked, it will be combined and not swimming in the milk :). Consistency has to be a little bit thicker when cooked.
I cook it on medium heat, give it a little stir every now and then. I sprinkle some cinnamon, add hand full of dry fruits and a little bit of honey to sweeten  it up.

When the oatmeal is cooked I put it in a bowl and cut half banana over it. I prefer eating my breakfast while it's still warm.
On the side I have my morning cup of green tea. :)

You cook it the same way with water. You can also use any other kinds of milk, almond, quinoa, or just regular milk. I don't drink regular milk, because it makes me feel sick and milk from the store is not even a milk milk. But that whole another story. :)

This has been my favourite breakfast for many years now. And I still love it.

What is your "to go" breakfast?

Bon apetit!