Sunday Fitness Progress: Cardio & Food diary

Yeah, I know, I know, I haven't posted Saturday Fitness Tip in 2 weeks and I didn't post progress yesterday. But I'm doing it today, because SFP can stand for Sunday Fitness Progress as well ;). Hope you don't mind!

You can check out my last Fitness progress post here. 

Not completely true, but good motivation still :) (Source: Pinterest)

I also started "new" workout program, I knew I needed to do more cardio, but just didn't find an exciting way to do it. So I ordered Zuzana Light's ZCUT Power Cardio DVDs, I waited 2 weeks for them to come, so I'm doing them for 1 week now and I can tell that I already feel tighter, lighter and I can perform better. Also, my muffin tops/love handles (however you'd like to call them) are smaller! I even weighted myself and I lost 0,5 kgs in one week, but weight is so inaccurate to me. Try to weight yoursell in different parts of the day and on different days in week. Sometimes even 2 kgs +/-. Or is it just me?  I still prefer measuring and focusing on how I feel.

I'll review DVDs for you after a month or doing them.


Now to the measurements:

	6 Apr 2013	5 May 2013
Upper arm	30,5	30,5
Bust line	95	95
Waist	81	81 - 82 (I swear it's always different)
Hips	103	102 (-1)
Thighs	61	61
Left calf	43	43

I refuse to post my "naked" pictures, just because changes are not major, I'll post them after few weeks of (mainly) cardio. Sorry, no nudity today :D

Anyhow, I was writting a little food diary from Monday to Friday, because it's good to have overall view on how much and what do you eat. And because you're curious what's on my plate :P


Monday, 29th April
Meal 1: I soaked oatmeal in soy milk over night, put some strawberries and half of banana in it
Meal 2 (post workout): cooked quinoa with mixed veg and flax seed
Meal 3: peanut butter with honey (this is like my favourite "dessert" and gives me instant energy)
Meal 4: hummus with mixed veg
Meal 5: pre-bed meal: few almonds (I was extremely hungry and I can't sleep when I'm hungry! :))

Tuesday, 30th April
Meal 1: smoothie: banana, soy milk, peanuts, cocoa powder
Meal 2 (post workout): salad, onion, carrots, hummus, pineapple as "dessert"
Meal 3: cooked apples ("čežana"), peanuts, cinnamon
Meal 4: sweet potato, brussel sprouts baked in oven

Wednesday, 1st May
Meal 1: cooked oatmeal in soy milk, strawberries, half of banana, cocoa, honey
Meal 2 (post workout): smoothie: spinach, hemp protein, strawberries, coconut water
Meal 3: sweet potato, cauliflower baked in an oven
Meal 4: 2 carrots, onion, green salad, hummus

Thursday, 2nd May
Meal 1: apple, peanuts
Meal 2: orange, almonds
Meal 3 (post workout): salad, cauliflower (baked in an oven), beans
Meal 4: smoothie: banana, soy milk, cocoa, peanuts
Meal 5: mixed salad, beans, peanuts

Friday, 3rd May
Meal 1: banana and almonds, one glass of coconut water
Meal 2 (post workout): pancake: 1 egg, 2 egg whites, flaxseed, almonds, 1/4 banana; topping: processed strawberries and diy chocolate (coconut oil, honey, cocoa)

 

Meal 3: salad with chickpeas
Meal 4: salad with chickpeas (yeah, I know, I'm extremely creative with my meals. lol)

Not everyday is perfect, but I do my best :)


Hope you had a great health fitness weekend, tomorrow is Monday, time to conquer the world ;)

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 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!

Saturday Fitness Tip: 3 detoxifying foods and a challenge!

I originally wanted to post this post previous Saturday, but I wasn't feeling like writing anything, snowy weather does its magic (as well as first day of that time of the month, you know which), but watching The Avengers and Iron man 2 wasn't the worst scenario either :).

I will talk about 3 anti-oxidant foods probably everyone has at home (if you don't, get them right now!!) and at the end I'll share and explain a diet challenge I'm doing this month and I would be happy if you join me! :)

Our body has a natural ability to clean itself, you don't need to starve to detoxify! We just have to provide the right foods to help it flush out any toxins. Let's start with 3 anti-oxidant foods you should eat/drink every day.

Source: Pinterest

First food I want to talk about are lemons. Lemons are really cleansing and detoxifying, and they also help you balancing out your acid and alkaline levels: meat, eggs, coffee etc. are acid, lemons are alkaline foods.
How to include them in your diet: I squeeze one lemon and pour it into 1l bottle with water and drink it throughout the day. Sometimes I drink even more, I noticed that in colder weather is really hard for me to drink enough water, that's why I prefer water with lemon juice, it just tastes like I'm drinking something fancier than water:).

Source: Pinterest

Another beverage is green tea. It's a mild source of caffeine. Coffee can be really toxic to our body, especially if you drink high doses of it. If you drink green tea instead of coffee, your skin will look better, you'll feel better and it's good to drink green tea before you workout, you'll sweat all the nasty stuff out of your body!
How to include it in your diet: I cannot start a day without a green tea, it's my coffee in the morning, I'm not even kidding. You can drink it whenever you want to, I suggest you don't drink it too much though, it can cause insomnia (if you drink it late in the day).

Source: Pinterest

Next one probably sounds kinda silly, but I don't think everyone is eating enough of ... Vegetables! Preferably raw veggies. It's recommended to eat vegetables in every meal, the more colours (of veggies) on your plate the better. Vegetables are good carbs, they provide vitamins, minerals, enzymes, they provide anything that keeps your body going.
How to include them in your diet: I try to plan my meals, this way I have a complete control what I put in my body. If you don't find veggies that exciting, try to add them in smoothies, I put spinach in my green smoothie (I'll post a recipe soon!), make yourself a vegetable soup, make a gluten-free vegetable pizza ... There are so many exciting ways to make your veggies more appealing, google is your best friend, mmm-kay? :)

____________________________________________________________________________________
I also wanted to write 3 foods you should avoid eating but I feel this post would be too long. So, I'll do that some other time and I'll talk about a challenge I'm doing whole month of March. It's no sugar challenge. And you are more than welcomed to join me :).

No sugar means no chocolate, ice cream, cakes, any other desserts, no candy ... nothing sugary is allowed. Make sure you read labels, most cereal, corn flakes, ketchup have sugar in them - sugar has many names. You can read '50 other names for sugar' article here: click.

If you want something sweet eat fruit instead. Natural sweeteners (stevia, truvia) are allowed. Raw honey is ok, but in moderation, honey has high glicemic index. Stay away from agave nectar and maple syrup for this month. And don't drink any alcohol as well. Most alcoholic beverages are just plain sugar or are absorbed in our body as sugar.

Another food you won't see on my plate this month is wheat. Wheat is absorbed the same as sugar, it doesn't provide any nutrients to our body. 

Trust me, it's not that hard. Our body doesn't need sugar ... at all! We crave it because we know the taste of the sugary stuff. Our taste buds were not made to taste this "flavour full" foods, we are totally over-loading our taste buds. Make yourself a favour and cancel out sugar! :) Your body and mind will thank you.


Thank you for reading and joining me with this challenge! Because I know many of you are thrilled to do it ;). Or at least support me :)

Have a happy healthy Saturday!

Saturday Fitness Progress: 1 centimeter is still a progress

Hello, my Fit peeps! How are you doing today? It's snowing here again and I am sick and tired of this winter weather. I need sun, mmm-kay?

 

Source: Pinterest

Anyways, I posted my first Fitness Progress Saturday post exactly one month ago( you can read it here: click), and this month was hectic for me. I was studying and doing other assignments most of the time, had insomnia and my energy was low during the day. Highlight of the day was doing a workout, which sometimes wasn't the best performance because lack of energy, that's why I didn't exercise some days. Also, when I am tired I usually eat more, even though I eat healthy, I still need to stick to portion sizes!

However, this month taught me that sleep is your numero uno friend. I felt disgusting in the morning, skin looked dull, I felt bloated. Secondly, don't eat food just because you feel sorry for yourself because you need to study! Now that I passed my exam (still not finished with uni though), my sleep is back to normal, I eat healthy, energy for working out and for other daily activities is getting back to normal as well. And now to the measurement ... (measurements are in centimeters)

	9 Jan 2013	9 Feb 2013
Upper arm	31	31
Bust line	96	96
Waist	84	82 (-2 cm)
Hips	105	105
Thighs	63	63
Left calf	43	43

 
So measurement haven't drastically changed, now I can really see how stress and not sleeping properly effect my body. But still, one centimeter (two are even better!!:)) is still a progress. I mean, I could write down lower numbers, but I would be lying only to myself.

Good thing is that I feel tighter all over. Skin is better looking and my arms look buffer :). I haven't practiced any of the exercises I want to become pro at, but I'll be more consistent this time! Still doing a lot of planking (I hold plank for 1 minute 45 seconds now :)), squats, burpees and lunges ...

 "Before and after"

I wish you all a happy healthy weekend! You deserve it ;)