Monthly Archives: April 2015

5 tips to achieve clean house and fit body

5 tips to achieve clean house and fit body

Motivation to stay fit, ,

5 tips to achieve clean house and fit bodyIt is hard to juggle a 9-5 office job with regular workout while keeping a house clean. Because regular workout got on my priority list, I have to admit that many times I left the house in mess. Workout was more important to me than having a clean house in a mint condition.

How I substituted workout for a clean house

5 tips to achieve clean house and fit bodyRecently it started to bother me that I’m looking at dirt and mess all week, and spend the weekend I’m supposed to chill out cleaning. I had to come up with a solution on how to keep the house clean.

What I did was: I took a break from working out for a week in order to do a big spring house clean. Had a big house clean marathon: everyday I cleaned for 2 hours or more. I managed to clean everything in a week.

What I need to do is keep it up, by cleaning once weekly for a few hours.

How to cut down time on housework and cleaning

So how did I manage to cut down time on housework and cleaning? It took a lot of planning and preparation, but I’m going to share the secret.

1. Get rid of things you don’t use or need

De-cluttering your home is essential. Getting rid of things that don’t need to be in the living room, bedroom, bathroom and kitchen is important. By de-cluttering I mean literally throwing things out (or donating them as I am a fan of helping others out). Go from item to item and decide if you really need it there or you could live without it. If it does not belong there, find it a more suitable place. Do this for kitchen appliances, bathroom toiletries, cut down on clutter in the living room. It takes a lot of time to do this, but you can do it slowly by de-cluttering every day for 15 minutes or so.

You’ll find that keeping everything clean with less clutter is way more easy and it takes less time than with all that clutter. Needing less time to clean is the main point of this de-cluttering phase. Plus it feels kinda deliberating to throw things out that take up space (and your mind).

2. Build a capsule wardrobe to cut down on washing and ironing time

5 tips to achieve clean house and fit bodyWhen I built my first capsule wardrobe it was because after losing significant weight I had nothing to wear. All my clothes were hanging loose on me. So I figured if I already have to buy new clothes, then I should develop a wardrobe that will fit my lifestyle and needs. I also wanted to discover what my style is. With building a capsule wardrobe something unexpected happened: suddenly I somehow ended up spending less time washing and ironing clothes! I have no idea how this happens. I even figured that if I own less clothes then I will have to wash and iron more ofter, but no. Exactly the opposite happened: I am spending less time with washing and ironing my clothes than ever before. So if you feel like washing and ironing is overwhelming, then it’s time to try out building a capsule wardrobe. Check out my spring capsule wardrobe!

3. Clean effectively

Start with dusting. Complete that action in the whole house, and then start the next task. You will have to do more walking – yey, more exercise for you! But you will finish faster. Trust me, I’ve experimented with cleaning room by room or by doing the same task in the whole house. Cleaning room by room is way slower than completing one task everywhere and then moving on to the next.

Remake beds, straighten fabrics, pillows. Clean mirrors and glass. Wipe down surfaces, door knobs, switches, counter tops, cabinets. Clean the bathroom: tub, sink, toilet. Vacuum everywhere. Mop floors, tiles. And you’re done!

4. Make cleaning your workout

5 tips to achieve clean house and fit bodyI substituted my Tuesday workout session with a house cleaning session. So instead of working out 5 times a week I workout 4 times. But the house is in mint condition! I chose Tuesday because I like to spend the week looking at a clean house when I come home from my office job. But you can choose any other day in the week that fits you. Cleaning 2-3 hours instead of working out on Tuesday is my secret that worked for me.

5. The 5 minute rule of cleaning up

I clean the house weekly once, but this means that in between I have to insert mini cleaning sessions. This means having a rule that if I see something that needs to be taken care of (piles of clothes, messy bed, dirty dishes, filthy sink, dirty mirror, etc.) and it takes less than 5 minutes to take care of it, then I’ll do it immediately. This simple rule keeps the house clean until the next big cleaning session.

Good luck balancing a 9-5 office job with regular workout and being the perfect housewife!

Start by building a capsule wardrobe for yourself! Check out my guide on how>>>

Want more tips on living a healthy life? Click here for my weekly updates>>>

How not to freak out about losing workout routine while injured or sick

How to calculate the calories you need to eat per day

FITspiration Friday, Motivation to stay fit, , , , ,

Big Fat Loss Secret

If you eat more calories than your body requires, you will gain weight.
If you eat less calories than your body needs, you will lose weight.

I must admit that I am not a fan of counting calories. However, I found it to be necessary in order to get a clear picture of what I am eating and how it affects my body. So what is an easy way to keep track of the calories you eat you ask?

Easy ways to track daily food intake

So for whatever reason you are not a big fan of tracking your calories, I suggest the following:

A. Track your daily food intake and calories for a month

Tracking the calories in your food for a week gives you a clear picture of what you eat and how much of it. However, a week is not enough time for you to make proper adjustments to your diet. Tracking food intake for a week just gives you a clear picture of your current eating habits are. So that is exactly why I suggest that you follow your food intake for a month.  This way you can adjust the amount of food that you eat to fit your healthy weight goal.

B. Use a calorie calculator for putting together an eating plan

The other option is that you use a calorie counter not for logging food and calories you already ate, but for planning of what you are going to eat that day. This is also a simple way of keeping track of what and how much you eat. Basically you put in everything you think you will eat that day, and you can see what are the nutrients that are missing from your diet. So you can adjust your food intake accordingly.

How to calculate the amount of calories you need to eat

If you haven’t already figured out how much calories you need to eat in order to maintain your weight, you can do it by heading to a Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) calculator here. It will help you figure out how much calories you will need to eat. There are many other calculators out there, but this one is my favorite.

The formula is easy.

If you are not sure about putting together a meal plan for yourself, you can always consult a doctor and a dietitian! Good luck!

Spring 2015 capsule wardrobe for new fit body

Spring 2015 capsule wardrobe for new fit body

Body image problems, Motivation to stay fit, , , ,

The spring 2015 capsule wardrobe I’ve put together is suitable for someone who  works a 9 to 5 office job like me and likes to spend free time outside.

The concept behind my spring 2015 capsule wardrobe

Spring 2015 capsule wardrobe for new fit bodyThe concept behind my spring 2015 capsule wardrobe had to fulfill the following expectations :

  • office friendly capsule wardrobe
  • wrinkle-free blouses, shirts and skirts
  • breezy, lightweight items that are dream to wear
  • professional polished look
  • simple clothes for leisure time.

The idea of a capsule wardrobe is not just to pair down your clothing items and to have pieces that you love to wear, but also it helps you to spend less. During the 3 months you are wearing your capsule wardrobe you are not allowed to buy any other clothing items. This seemed hard at first, but turns out I really enjoyed the freedom it gave me. My mind was not occupied with seeing a top in a shop’s window and having the urge to buy it. I remembered that I already own a blouse similar to that one, and I don’t need another one. Planning my purchase helped me spend less on clothes overall, and I ended up with higher quality items that I love.

How the idea of a capsule wardrobe was born

The idea of a capsule wardrobe came to me after I’ve lost significant weight, and I needed new clothes every 2-3 weeks. I didn’t want to shop for new items every 2 weeks, so I came up with a plan to put together a capsule wardrobe that is versatile and that doesn’t require too much shopping. That is how my fall capsule wardrobe was born.

In my spring capsule wardrobe I used what I learned from my fall/winter capsule wardrobe. It turns out that I like dresses a lot, and I own a lot of them, but I don’t wear dresses that often. So I tried to get away from buying dresses for my spring capsule wardrobe, no matter how cute they were because I know I would end up not wearing them. Instead of dresses, I opted for flowy tops and skirts.

Here is my full spring 2015 capsule wardrobe.

Spring 2015 capsule wardrobe

 

 

What my spring 2015 capsule wardrobe includes and misses

What my spring 2015 capsule wardrobe includes:

  • tops
  • bottoms
  • dresses
  • outerwear
  • shoes.

What my spring 2015 capsule wardrobe does not include:

  • workout wear
  • sleepwear
  • jewelry
  • accessories
  • bags
  • swimsuits
  • underwear.

The number of items in a spring 2015 capsule wardrobe

My fall 2014 capsule wardrobe was my first attempt at a capsule wardrobe and it turned out to be a wardrobe I enjoyed so much. At first I was a bit skeptic if I could live with 37 pieces of clothing (including shoes, boots, coats, outerwear). But turns out that I don’t wear more clothing items than that, so I even ended up with pieces I only wore once or twice.

For my spring 2015 capsule wardrobe I wanted to try with even less items, so it ended up 21 items instead of 37 pieces. I figured the weather is nicer, so you don’t actually need much clothing items. We’ll see how it goes.

Got inspired to build your own spring capsule wardrobe? Check out my spring 2015 outfit inspo album on Pinterest for inspiration! Click here>>>

Want to get more awesome advice? Sign up for my newsletter, it takes 5 seconds if you type really fast>>>

How to memorize exercises in a workout routine

How to memorize exercises in a workout routine

FITspiration Friday, ,

Do you have a problem of memorizing exercises in your workout routine? Here are a few hacks to help you remember!

So if you are like me and have no idea what the names of the exercises mean, then I have 2 hacks for you on how to memorize them:

Hack #1: Come up with you own name for each of the exercises, so you can remember how to perform them.

I came up with my own names for each of these exercises, so that I could remember them:

Lateral Lunge was Step Left&Right,

Bodyweight Bulgarian Split Squat was Step one leg back on stepper and  squat,

and so on. Be creative! Name your exercises!

How to memorize exercises in a workout routineHack #2: Draw the exercises with stick figures on a pretty colored paper and take it with you to the gym.

It’s pretty, cute and highly helpful in remembering the exercises!

Hack #3: Keep a video or a picture of the exercise on your phone.

So you can look at it if you don’t know how the exercise is performed.

Workout routine for building a better booty

Build a better booty workout routine

FITspiration Friday,

Workout routine for building a better bootyFinally, it’s FITspiration Friday !

Who wants a better booty to show off in her bikini? I do!

How do I get a better bikini booty for summer? I do exercises that work my booty!

Below is a complete workout routine I started recently in order to have a better booty for summer:

Build a better booty

with only 2 days per week

Day 1

1. Circuit (2-3 x 10):
Bodyweight Squat (or just Squat)
Bodyweight Glute Bridge
Lateral Lunge

2. Superset (3×10-12):
Weighted Glute Bridge
Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift

3. Superset (4×10-12):
Front Foot Elevated Lunge
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Day 2

1. Circuit (2-3 x 10):
Bodyweight Squat (or just Squat)
Bodyweight Glute Bridge
Lateral Lunge

2. Superset (3×10-12):
Bodyweight Bulgarian Split Squat
Kettlebell Lateral Lunge

3. Superset (4×10-12):
Barbell Deadlift
Lying Leg Curl

I do this workout program at the gym 2 times per week, but on the original website its from you can find a better booty program that you can do once, twice or three times per week, depending on your goals, time left until summer bikini season and workout schedule.

As summer is approaching, ask yourself what is is that you want to change on your body? If your answer is also like mine, that you want a better booty, then follow the above workout routine or head to the source to build yourself a better booty for summer!

I searched for various workout routines that I could incorporate into my gym workout to fit my goal of having a better booty for summer, and this was the best one out there.

When I looked at workout program laid out like this for the first time, I didn’t know what all these words meant or how I should read a workout program.

So what I did was: I searched for a video on how to do each of these exercises properly. You are lucky, because I included a link to a video showing how to perform an exercise in this routine.

I even came up with my own names for each of these exercises, so that I could remember them: Lateral Lunge was Step Left&Right, Bodyweight Bulgarian Split Squat was Step one leg back on stepper and  squat, and so on.

So let me explain what circuit and superset mean.

Circuit means that you complete that group of exercises with little rest in-between. One circuit consists of 3 exercises (e.g.: Bodyweight Squat, Bodyweight Glute Bridge, Lateral Lunge). Each exercise is performed for a set number of repetitions (10 times) before moving to the next exercise.

Superset is when 2 exercises are performed in a row without a rest in-between (without stopping).

So basically Circuit means that I have a little rest between the exercises, and Superset means that I don’t rest between the 2 exercises listed above in the workout program.

I already included a link to each of these exercises on how to perform them properly, so go on, head to the gym and build yourself a better booty for summer girl!

Jump on the bandwagon and subscribe for my weekly updates by clicking here>>>

Secrets on how to dress while losing weight

Secrets on how to dress while losing weight

Body image problems, , , ,

Dressing yourself while losing weight gets harder as you keep on losing weight. You notice that all your existing clothes becomes lose and ill fitting. However, you haven’t reached your goal weight yet! So how should you dress yourself while losing weight? Should you shop for new pants every two weeks for your smaller after every 10 pounds you lose? You could, if you want to… But I have a better option for you! Let me tell you the secrets on how to dress while losing weight!

First I will present you which type of clothes you should aim for when putting together a wardrobe for the ongoing process of losing weight.

Then I’ll share my 4 tricks that can build you a transitional wardrobe while losing weight!

If you are clueless about what clothes to wear while losing weight or how to dress yourself while losing weight then read on.

A. What to wear while losing weight

1. Clothes with a bit of stretch

The more stretch the better: it will fit you longer during your weightloss journey. Look for pants, skirts, tops and dresses with Lycra.

Stretchy fabrics

2. Pants, shorts and skirts with an elastic waist

An elastic waist ensures that you’ll be able to wear that clothing item even when you lose a significant amount of weight. It is a quick and easy way to make your pants, shorts and skirts fit as you go through different stages of weight loss.

Elastic waist clothes

 3. Use belts

I discovered the usefulness of belts while I was going from fat to fit. They are great in keeping your loose pants on! I had to make new holes in my existing belts every other week while I was losing weight. You can try getting yourself a new belt with a slide-ring that you will be able to use throughout your weight loss journey.

4. Wrap dresses, skirts, blouses

Wrap dresses

Anything that wraps is great, because it is more forgiving of weight fluctuations and you can get more wear out of them.

5. Side tab trousers and skirts

They are a great option because you can adjust the size of the waist with the tabs on the sides. You can expand or contract the waistline easily to fit your new shape.

6. Draped tops

You can get a lot of wear out of draped tops or dresses as they are not size specific. It looks great with almost everything, and they can dress up any basic clothing item, such as a simple long sleeved t-shirt, jeans or skirt.

Draped tops

7. Leggings

Leggings are a wardrobe must have! They can be very comfortable, and they are a great choice if you are still losing weight. They can be paired with many different clothing items. Leggings are a great layering piece! They add a lot to an outfit and are a fashionable and easy way to add warmth during the cooler fall months.

8. Empire waist dresses and tops

The good thing about frocks is that they enhance your silhouette. Empire waist dresses and tops have a fitted bodice ending just below the bust, giving it a high-waisted appearance. You can find empire waist dresses and tops in various styles that will fit your fashion taste.

Empire waist dresses

B. 4 tips on how to get clothes that fit you while losing weight

But what if you are not a big fan of shopping or you like the clothes you currently have and would like to continue wearing the clothing items even if they are hanging lose on you? No problem! Here are my 4 tips on how to dress yourself while losing weight if you are on a budget or don’t like shopping:

Tip #1: Tailor your favorite clothing items

Tailoring some of the big clothes is a good idea for items you really like. In my case tailoring my big clothes wasn’t an option, because I don’t have a tailor I trust and the few clothing items I took to a tailor to fix were a disaster and I ended up not wearing them at all. Plus, I truly believe that you should not force your new fit body into old fat clothes. Enjoy the feeling of fitting into new, smaller clothing items!

Tip #2: Swap clothes with friends

Organize a clothing swap party! Include friends of all sizes and shapes! Hosting a clothing swap party is awesome in so many ways: you can get rid of your old fat clothes and find well fitting clothes while in the process of losing weight! Plus you get to hang out with your friends!

Tip #3: Check out thrift stores and second-hand stores

It’s not just and inexpensive way to shop at thrift stores, but many times you can dug up real treasure in there! You can get quality items for cheap. Look for natural fibers such as wool, silk, cashmere, leather as they are long lasting and become softer with age. Plus reusing clothes is eco-friendly!

Tip #4: Stay away from jeans

Or if jeans are a basic clothing item in your wardrobe, then search for jeans with high elasticity. The higher the elastic percentage in the denim, the more wears you’ll be able to get out of them while losing weight. The downside of jeans with high elasticity is that they stretch out more easily than denim with low elasticity. You can protect the stretchy fabric by using the delicate setting on your washing machine.

Want more fun tips to help you on your weight loss journey? Click here for my weekly updates>>>