Category Archives: Motivation to stay fit

Find your motivation to stay fit

It’s too hot outside! Guide on how to workout

July 7, 2015Motivation to stay fitfit body, healthy life mindset, motivationChristina Marky

Summer is here and it’s too hot outside. It makes me want to skip my workout, so it got me thinking: how can I keep my workout schedule even when it’s too hot outside?

Workout routine when it’s too hot outside

Let me share my workout routine tricks with you when it’s too hot outside:

Routine #1: Early morning workout

When the weather forecast says it’s going to be too hot outside, it’s all over the news as well, so I can prepare myself: I set my alarm an hour early, so I can do a morning yoga session before hitting the office. Morning workouts are awesome because you start the day with a feeling that you’ve already accomplished something (did your workout for the day).

Routine #2: Go swimming

It's too hot outside! Guide on how to workout — You see a pier, I see a push up workout opportunity!

Hitting the beach or pool with your friends after a day of hard work can be so rewarding! Just be sure not to lay around on the beach sunbathing, but make yourself active! Go swimming! Swim 20 fast laps, and your workout for the day is done! Time to relax with friends!

Routine #3: Exercise in the pool

Look up a class of aqua aerobics around you or join an aqua zumba class! Wet workouts are a great way to get cardio exercise without breaking a sweat (well, actually you sweat, but it is washed away instantly)! Plus exercising in the pool makes less impact on your joints! Don’t have water workout classes near you? Get silly like me! Jump around in the pool, and do various workouts while your in the pool!

Routine #4: Hit the gym

The awesome thing about the gym when it’s too hot outside is that it has air conditioning! So basically you can stick to your usual workout routine even when it’s too hot outside to do anything! Just think of how awesome you will feel after your workout and get going! Get your heart pumping without overheating!

Routine #5: Join a workout class in the evening

Search for a group of workout enthusiasts who gather at night when it’s not too hot outside, and join them. It can be anything that you like to do from zumba, softball or running. Make friends when the sun sets and it’s not too hot outside!

Routine #6: Evening walk

Take a walk later in the afternoon when it’s not too hot outside with your loved ones. Don’t forget to take your dog with you!

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

How not to deal with fit shaming people after losing weight

June 23, 2015Body image problems, Emotional issues after weight loss, Motivation to stay fitafter weight loss, Body Image during and after weight loss, downside of being fit, fit body, successful weight lossChristina Marky

“Stop losing weight, you are too thin!” is the sentence I keep hearing day after day from friends, co-workers and acquaintances I meet. Let me share with you 5 different situations I have to face fit shaming during a regular week and the lessons I’ve learned during those encounters with the good intention bullies.

Fit shaming situations and lessons I’ve learned

Day #1:

How not to deal with fit shaming people after losing weight — More people in my office building would use the stairs if we had one of these escalators.

It is a beautiful Monday morning and I am heading towards my office while taking the stairs (like always since I’ve changed my lifestyle to a healthy one). The only one taking the stairs this morning (and on other mornings) with me is one girl who works on the 1st floor and recently got into heavy cardio workout 3 times per week. While we chitchat about it’s being Monday already, I suddenly hear her say the dreaded sentence:

“Stop losing weight, you are too thin!”

Instead of ignoring it this time while thinking how Mondays hate me too I reply with a brand new well-prepared answer for these situations I haven’t tried saying and failing before:

“I am 58kg/128lbs! I don’t believe that’s thin for my height (163cm/5 ft 4 in)!”

Her reply:

“Well, it is too thin!”

Lesson #1:

I can’t win with these people.

Day #2:

Stressful day at the office, being busy. Suddenly an ex co-worker drops by to say hi. She recognizes that this is not a good time for chitchat, so she cuts it short. She is already at the door, almost opening it, when casually instead of “Goodbye”she drops the bomb:

“Don’t lose more weight, you’ll disappear!”

It is not her first time bringing this to my attention, I see her a few times a month, so it’s not like she hasn’t seen me fit. But today is the day that I choose to reply to her comment.

“I am not thin, look at all my muscles! I am 58kg/128lbs!”

She turns back, approaches me and tells me that 58kg/128lbs is almost nothing. So to prove my point of me being in a normal weight range for my height, I ask her how much does she weight.

She tells me: “You are not a woman if you are under 60kg! I weight 63kg!” and she leaves in a hurry, leaving me standing there and calculating in my head her BMI. She is way taller than I am (175cm) so if she weights 63kg it makes her BMI 20,6 which is lower than my BMI of 21,8. Yet, it’s still me, who is being bullied into not being a real woman because of her low weight.

Lesson #2:

I am being bullied about my weight by other women now that I am fit. While being obese, none of the women around me asked, mentioned or made rude remarks about my weight.

Day #3:

Running errands on a usual weekday when I bump into an old friend of mine. After a few sentences on how our lives are currently, she leans closer, lowers her voice and asks:

“What do you do to look thin like this?”

It’s like she’s expecting me to give her a well guarded secret that I somehow came across during my weight loss journey. I lean closer to her and say in a calm voice how I changed my nutrition, I eat healthy, I eat less, I regularly exercise.

“Oh, I see. I can’t do that. I don’t have time to workout. / I like cake too much. (*insert here a long list of personal excuses*)”

Lesson #3:

People say that they want to know my secret of how I’ve lost weight and became fit, when in reality they just want to hear that there is an easy way for them to do it that they haven’t heard of yet. The moment they figure out that it is discipline and hard work, they become uninterested.

Day #4:

Leaving my office for a lunch break when I meet a co-worker on the stairs going in the opposite direction. We say hi, I compliment her looks and she notices that we have matching pants! She complains about the pants getting too baggy after only two wears and I say that mine are fine. Then she looks at me from head to toe and says:

“Oh my god, look at you! You are so thin! I am not talking to you anymore!” says jokingly and leaves me there standing alone on the stairs.

Lesson #4:

If there is a grain of truth in every joke, I wonder if some women really stopped talking to me and started avoiding me out of envy after I’ve lost weight and became fit.

Day #5:

At the office again, having a coffee break (or in my case: green tea break) with my female co-workers. One of them says:

“Oh you are so thin! I can see on your face that you’ve lost weight!”

Today I’m trying out a new reply strategy, so I say:

“Thank you, I get that a lot! In fact, I get called thin every day!”

Suddenly one of my other co-workers, who is trying to lose weight herself by occasionally going on strict diets turns to me and says:

“Really? I bet your family thinks that you are too thin.” she adds.

“No, it’s not my family, they accepted the new fit me. Women around me point out every day how thin I am.”

Lesson #5:

People have no idea that fit shaming even exists. Even the woman who fit shame me are not aware of the fact that they are acting like a bully. They would never call their obese co-worker fat or obese, yet they are without a second thought calling me thin.

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

How to avoid turning into a masculine beast when weight training?

June 17, 2015Emotional issues after weight loss, Motivation to stay fitafter weight loss, Body Image during and after weight loss, fit body, healthy life mindset, motivation, successful weight lossChristina Marky

You've seen woman in the weight training section of the gym lift heavy. They look strong, confident, awesome. I've also seen muscular woman in the weight training part of the gym giving away strong masculine vibes. So it made me wonder: what is it about weight training that makes some woman more feminine and shine with confidence while turning other woman into a masculine man figure with a strong toned body?

Is it the heavy weights that make woman bulky when weight training?

I’ve seen girls in the gym who avoid the weight training section and use only light weights because they are afraid of becoming too bulky. And I’ve seen girls in the gym who occupy the squat rack when weight training and are not afraid to lift heavy. In fact, they enjoy weight training. They know that weight training as a woman won’t give you a manly body, just good looking toned muscles.

There’s that great myth about weight training that weight training as a woman will make you appear bulky and manly. Click here to read more about this myth>>>

Testosterone is what makes a body look bulky. It is a male hormone. For woman, weight training helps add bone density, which prevents osteoporosis. Weight training also improves muscle mass, which is good for the overall fitness level.

So it’s definitely not the weight training and heavy weights that you lift regularly that turn you into a manly woman with bulky muscles and a manly walk.

However, I’ve also seen girls at the gym who have an awesome and toned muscular body, and give away manly vibes.

What is it that makes weight training woman looking and acting manly?

How to avoid turning into a masculine beast when weight training? — Don’t let the short hair fool you: this is a woman acting manly.

Lifting heavy certainly does not make weight training woman look and act manly.

Weight training just tones your body making it visually more pleasing. Defined muscles will only show when you flex them. It is a common misconception that weight training makes women look big and bulky.

But how can you avoid turning into a manly beast as a woman while weight training?

In order to look like big men with bulky muscles, a woman would need to produce testosterone, eat the right things and take the necessary supplements. So it is a hard work to look like The Rock, it won’t happen if you don’t make an effort. Besides, women’s bodies does not produce testosterone required to get bulky, so you won’t have to be afraid that you’ll get big by doing weight training.

However, going to the gym regularly and spending your free time among sweaty men smelling all that testosterone around you and looking at them walk might make you unconsciously mimic their behavior.

5 tips on what to do if you feel like you’ve lost your femininity while weight training

Here are some tips if you don’t want to walk and act manly after spending too much time at the gym weight training:

#1. Engage in creative leisure activities

Sometimes weight training can become boring, no matter how challenging it is for your body. If you feel like your missing creativity in your life, do something about it. Reach to your inner creativity: write a poem, hand made your jewellery, paint a silk scarf or a painting. Any activity that uses your creativity will instantly make you feel more girly.

# 2. Yoga

Doing yoga will not only benefit your health, increase your flexibility, make you sleep better, fix your posture, tone your muscles, affect your weight loss (and I could go on for ages), but it is also a good for stretching your new built muscles. I noticed that when I combine yoga and weight training, my muscles are less stiff. Adding yoga to your weight training helps you get better shaped muscles. The gentleness of yoga awakens your inner woman.

# 3. Dance

Take a zumba class, a belly dance class, or just dance in your bedroom! Dancing will make you more aware of your movements, you’ll feel the flow in the music, and you’ll be able to connect to it. Move your hips with ease and grace! This will make you feel feminine in an instant!

#4. Spend time with other women

Spending all that time at the gym surrounded by sweaty men and muscles can make a woman start acting like a man herself. If you are living in a man’s world, you have to become a man yourself. You need a balance: start spending time with other woman. Invite your girlfriends over, or go out for a coffee. Discuss girly topics, share your feelings, ask for advice. Your soul needs other woman in your life.

#5. Read a book

Make it a romantic book, poems, or a book about woman specific topics – anything that interest you and talks to your soul. There is nothing more pleasant to your woman than being immersed in a good book!

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

Biggest secret of being fit: before and after workout nutrition

June 9, 2015Motivation to stay fitafter weight loss, fit body, healthy life mindset, successful weight loss, weight loss strugglesChristina Marky

I started to workout because I wanted to lose all that fat and become fit instead of fat. You'd think that after you start to workout regularly, you are on a winning run towards fit city. Let's see what you need to eat to lose weight and become fit.

The truth is that there is a difference between losing weight and becoming fit. I wanted both: to lose weight and excess fat AND become fit.

4 steps to lose weight

The only problem was that I only knew and did the usual steps I needed to make towards losing weight and burning fat. It was good for losing weight, but it did not prepare me for what was waiting for me after I’ve hit the healthy weight range. Let me share my 4 steps of how to lose weight:

Step 1: Cut off junk food

Cutting back on junk food meant skipping fast food and processed food. Junk foods include salty snacks, gum, candy, sweets, fried fast food, sugary beverages. Foods such as hamburgers, pizzas and tacos were put in a healthy food category! Am I crazy? No, I am not! I just stopped ordering or buying pizzas at fast food stands: instead I prepared them at home. I’ve changed the usual processed ingredients to healthy ones (fish, fresh vegetables, herbs and a crust made from whole-wheat flour), so a healthy home-made pizza was born!

Step 2: Eat healthy

What does eating healthy even mean? For me it means eating smart. Do I eat sweets? Yes! But instead of cupcakes and chocolate bars I eat sweet fruits, dark chocolate (containing 70% or more cocoa) or make my own quick healthy snacks (crushed banana + coconut flour + ground flax seeds). I eat more vegetables and fruits, drink plenty of water and drink green tea instead of coffee. I eat meat that is roasted in coconut oil it instead of deep frying it in a fancy coating. I try to eat fish almost every day!

Step 3: Eat less

Biggest secret of being fit: before and after workout nutrition — No more snowman cupcakes for you

Less what? Less of EVERYTHING! First I just ate less, but then I got scared that I am losing weight way too quickly in an unhealthy pace. So I started counting calories, and eating less at a caloric deficit.

Step 4: Exercise!

Regular exercise is the key. Going regularly was hard at first, but it helped me develop a core strength and losing those first pounds that was a base for further development. I could begin yoga, then switched to belly dance, and then zumba and gym with a personal trainer – and finally hit the normal weight range! To maintain my workout routine I continuously look for sources to motivate myself, have a way of keeping my exercises fun and exciting.

Started exercising pilates, yoga, belly dance, zumba, body weight exercise and finally weightlifting.

How to stop losing muscles at a healthy weight after weight loss

Yeey, I’ve lost weight and all that excess fat and finally I’ve hit the normal weight range! I am not obese nor overweight anymore! Way to go!

So now what?

Turns out I only learned how to lose weight. I had no idea how to become fit.

I figured if I continue what I do, I’ll become fit. It worked for awhile (look up noob gains for more reference), but eating less (at a caloric deficit) even when eating healthy suddenly made me lose weight and muscles! What is going on? Why am I losing my muscles instead of fat???

This is the point when I learned about macronutrients and that the ratio of fat/protein/carbs is important.

When I started tracking my ratio of fat/protein/carbs, I saw that I don’t eat nearly enough protein as I thought I was.

So I had to pay attention to my before and after workout nutrition as well.

When to eat: before and after workout nutrition

You want to know my secret? Timing is everything!

When to eat before a cardio workout: 2 hours before a cardio type of a workout such as zumba, belly dance, aerobics and such I eat a banana. It fuels my workout and my belly doesn’t feel bloated.

When to eat before strength training: half an hour before hitting the gym I eat a banana or drink a pre-workout shake. It fuels my muscles and I have strength to lift weights.

What to eat: before and after workout nutrition

Before workout choose one of the following:

a banana or an apple
a spoon of peanut butter or a bar of dark chocolate (or Nutella, MY FAVE! )
pre-workout supplements
carb protein shake
spoon of coconut oil

After workout nutrition might include the following:

protein shake
eggs
fish (salmon, tuna)

Before and after workout nutrition

Paying attention to what you eat before workout is important because it fuels your workout. This is especially true for weightlifting: on days I didn’t eat a banana or an apple before my workout, I felt I didn’t have enough strength and couldn’t lift much. On zumba classes I’ve became light headed if I didn’t eat 2 hours before my class. However, if I ate pasta or something else, I felt bloated and it was hard to workout.

After an intense weightlifting workout your body needs protein, so for optimal gains, you should consume fast digesting proteins before and after workout. You can build muscles faster if you give them fast-digesting protein/simple carb meals after a weightlifting session. See why you need to start lifting weights as a woman>>>

For best results, I suggest that you experiment with what you eat and when you eat it before and after your workout. To become fitter, start paying attention to your before and after workout nutrition!

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

Should you track your macronutrients and calories?

June 2, 2015Motivation to stay fitfit body, healthy life mindset, successful weight lossChristina Marky

Have you ever wondered what macros are and what are the cases when you should be tracking your macros and calculating your calories? Find out 3 reasons why you need to track your macros and calculate calories.

The difference between macronutrients and calories

Protein, carbohydrate and fat are macronutrients or macros for short. The food you eat consists of either protein, carbohydrates or fats. Tracking macronutrients or macros is basically counting how much carbohydrates, fats and proteins you consume daily.

Calories show the amount of energy in food. If you calculate the calories that you eat per day, you’ll be able to balance the energy you put in your body with the energy that you use. This is the way towards a healthy weight. The formula is easy: if you eat/drink more calories than you burn, you’ll gain weight. If you eat less calories than you burn, you lose weight. Sounds simple? It is. However, counting calories is not easy at first.

Eating healthy without counting calories and macros?

Should you track your macronutrients and calories? — This was a healthy food choice for my Ex Fat Chick self: it has vegetables on it!

Every time I heard about clean eating, healthy foods or organic products while I was fat my head started spinning. Yes, I wanted to eat healthier, but I imagined it just meant eating veggies, fruits and dairy from a green farm with a rainbow over it. I had no idea where to find an eco-friendly farm that always has a rainbow over it. So I stuck to eating junk food and processed food, although I had no idea what processed food meant (for those of you who are still not sure, I suggest Wikipedia).

When you discuss weight loss, the first thing that is bought to your attention is that you should exercise and start calculating calories. It seemed such a big deal to start calculating calories: I needed to buy a kitchen scale, I need to write down how much of anything I ate, then add it up. Sometimes the package didn’t have any calorie info on it, or I needed to search online to see how much calories a carrot contains. It was soooo boring and time consuming that I didn’t bother with it. So to ease it up, I started exercising while I was fat, and paying attention that I eat less sweets. I substituted chocolate with a glass of milk. Instead of eating candy, I ate an orange. This is how my journey from fat to fit girl started.

How to start tracking calories

It took me years and years to get to a point where I started calculating calories and track macros. If you are starting now, and it seems so intimidating to you, but you have no idea how many calories you actually consume per day, then I have a great advice for you.

Start with tracking your calories just once on one of your typical days. Track the calories in everything that you eat, drink: coffee, milk and sugar that you put in your coffee, snacks, juices, soda. Every calorie needs to be tracked, so you can see how many calories you consumed that day. I was surprised to see how much calories that one pizza slice had. Your goal here is to get a clear picture of your eating habits.

Now there are many options to make tracking calories easy for you: online calorie trackers, apps for you phone, food scanners, smart plates that recognizes the foods and calculates the calories they contain. I use MyFitnessPal, a calorie counter app.

When and why track calories and macros

Tracking calories and macros can help you achieve your weight goals. But tracking calories and counting macros is not for everyone. Let’s see the reason why you should track calories and macros and what are the cases in which you should not track calories and macros.

Why should You track calories?

Get a clear picture of how much you are eating
Helps you get rid of bad eating habits
Makes you able lose weight or gain weight

However, if at any point you feel like tracking calories is stressing you out or bringing back your eating disorder or obsessive behaviors or thoughts, then you should stop tracking calories and macros.

Don’t track your calories in the following cases:

feel like tracking calories is way too stressing
Your eating disorders is coming back by counting calories
You have obsessive thoughts or behavior
You just want to be healthy and don’t care about weight loss

Why should You start tracking macros?

To stop losing muscle instead of fat during weight loss
To gain muscle instead of fat
Want to become lean

Don’t count your macros if:

You just started your weight loss journey and this is your first time counting calories – It will be way to intimidating to track your macros as well, and you’ll quit before you even seen the first results. For the time being, just concentrate on making healthy food choices and changing your bad eating habits while engaging in regular exercise activity.
You just want to be healthy and don’t want a bodybuilder body
You tracked your macros for so long that you can tell how much of a protein a bite of that chicken has

Want to start tracking your macros and calories? Start here>>>

Just remember: counting calories and meeting macros should be used to get closer to living a healthy life. If it’s putting too much stress on you in any way, then don’t do it. The important thing in live is for you to be balanced and content, and you should feel good about your healthy choices in life and not feel like you are punishing yourself.

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

What can you do to stay fit if you lose your motivation?

May 12, 2015Motivation to stay fitafter weight loss, fit body, healthy life mindset, motivation, successful weight lossChristina Marky

Tips on how to motivate yourself to get fit are awesome, because they push you to make the first step towards a healthier lifestyle. However, motivation with time wears off. It is inevitable to lose your initial motivation to get fit. So what can you do to stay fit even when you’ve lost your motivation?

What can you do to get fit if you lose your motivation?

The health magazine guides suggest many creative ways to find something that will motivate you to get fit:

What can you do to stay fit if you lose your motivation? — There. Bruno follows me around, so my workout gear is in a visible place.

Put workout gear in a visible place
Buy expensive new workout wear
Log workouts online
Get a workout buddy
Share motivational quotes on social media
Follow people who inspire you

I think all this is just BrunoPoo.

If your motivation to get fit is to justify buying expensive workout wear, then I bet you’ll be skipping workouts at the end of your second week.

A workout buddy will bail on you with time, because it is impossible to synchronize your schedule with a friend in a long run.

Reading inspiring quotes and looking at pictures of fit girls won’t make you magically appear at the gym.

How to find motivation to get fit and stay fit

Whatever your initial motivation was to get fit, chances are that motivating factor is gone by now. Are you searching for long term motivation? There are only 2 things that can motivate you to make a big change and stick to it in the long run.

What are the 2 most powerful motivators to get fit and stay fit in the long run?

#1. Motivation to get fit: Fear

Fear is the most powerful motivator. Use it.

If you are afraid of having a heart attack, it’s great. That is your motivation to start living a more healthy lifestyle.

If you watched your grandmother struggle from Osteoarthritis as a result of obesity, and you fear that it runs in the family, then it’s time to use that fear as motivation.

My mother suffers from severe migraines as a result of stress, unhealthy lifestyle and lack of exercise. I couldn’t change her mind about the importance of workout, no matter how hard I tried. I didn’t wanted to end up like her, so I started doing yoga for stress relief. Started eating healthy, drinking plenty of water, getting plenty of sleep. The occurrence of my migraines dropped significantly.

One day I was walking past a school where young parents were waiting for their children. They are all younger than me, and already had children in school. I realized that I am over 30 and I still don’t have kids. If I decide to start a family of my own, I’ll be the oldest mom there waiting outside a primary elementary school to collect my child. I’ll have wrinkles, back pain and myriad health problems due to my obesity. It was then that I’ve decided that I don’t want to be that mom. I will lose the excess weight. Changed my bad habits into healthy ones. Started using sunscreen religiously.

Find what you fear the most and use it to motivate yourself towards big achievements.

#2. Motivation to stay fit: Habit

I started losing weight when I was obese because I wanted to live by leading a healthy lifestyle.

I started to work out because I was overweight and I wanted to look good for my wedding (mission accomplished).

Then being able to carry all my groceries in one trip felt awesome.

Then I discovered that it’s called bodybuilding because you CAN sculpt yourself a body you want. Now I am experimenting with building myself a better booty. It never stops. Once I jumped on the fitness bandwagon and saw result, I was hooked. Working out became a habit.

When you start doing a morning sun salutation yoga stretching right after you get out of bed tricking your brain still in sleep mode unable to come up with reason why you shouldn’t do it, it becomes a habit. You just get out of bed and head to your yoga mat and start stretching. By the time your brain wakes up, your done. And you feel like you’ve already achieved something today. Habit is what keeps you going in the long run.

So your best bet to stick with your workout when your motivation is gone? Use your deepest fear as a motivator to get fit. Make workout a habit. That’s it.

One more thing: by making your workout constant, it helps you keep things in your life together. Your job is a mess, your relationship is falling apart, family is a disaster. The moment you hit the gym, all that vanishes, it’s only you and your workout.

Want to start going to the gym but you have no one to go with? Fear not! Here are 4 hacks to get you to the gym if you are afraid of going to the gym alone as a girl >>>

5 tips to achieve clean house and fit body

April 28, 2015Motivation to stay fitafter weight loss, healthy life mindset, motivationChristina Marky

It 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

Recently 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

When 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

I 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 to calculate the calories you need to eat per day

April 24, 2015FITspiration Friday, Motivation to stay fitafter weight loss, fit body, healthy life mindset, motivation, successful weight loss, weight loss strugglesChristina Marky

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 want to lose weight: subtract 15-20% calories from the calculated amount.
If you want to gain weight: add 15-20% calories to the calculated amount.
If you want to maintain weight: eat the calories suggested by the calculator.

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

April 21, 2015Body image problems, Motivation to stay fitafter weight loss, body image problems, fit body, motivation, successful weight lossChristina Marky

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

The 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 by fromfattofitgirl featuring v neck t shirts

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>>>

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Menstruation and workout: what You need to know

March 31, 2015Motivation to stay fithealthy life mindset, motivationChristina Marky

Do menstruation and workout go together or not? Tampon and pad ads suggest that you can do anything you want to during your menstruation, and there should be nothing holding you back from your workout during menstruation. But is it safe for your to workout during menstruation?

You would think that deciding to workout or not during menstruation will be based on how you feel while on your period: if you don’t feel like doing anything harder, then you stay home; if you feel like you need to get some moves on, you go and workout.

Or you might think that choosing the right type of workout is crucial – and you might be on the right track here.

But let me offer a different perspective on workout and menstruation.

What are the rules of workout during menstruation?

There are girls who workout during menstruation and then there are the girls who don’t workout while on their periods. Whatever your reasons are for exercising or not during your menstruation, there are important rules you must obey:

1. No inverted poses during menstruation

Such as headstands, handstands, shoulderstands or any other positions where your head goes below your heart. Menstruation is downward flowing, so if you put your body into an inverted pose, you disrupt this natural flow. Menstruation is a natural cleansing process, as such it should not be reversed.

2. Avoid intense aerobic activities

Such as running, aerobics, dancing, jogging and other aerobic activities. It is true that heavy workout relieves cramps because it helps expel the lining of the uterus during menstruation. However, heavy aerobic activities during menstruation can injure the ligaments holding the uterus. During menstruation the uterus enlarges, so if you do intense aerobic activities, the ligaments that are holding the enlarged uterus can stretch beyond their normal range, and become lose.

3. Use lighter workouts during menstruation

If you feel like you need to workout during menstruation, you can. Just be mindful about choosing a lighter workout for those days: choose a class of menstrual yoga or pilates. Be sure to choose a class where the instructor is aware of the poses you should avoid during menstruation and the minor adjustments you should make to your practice while on your period.

However, I highly suggest that even if you feel like you can workout during menstruation, you take a step back from your regular workout.

Use menstruation days to connect with your inner self: during menstruation emotions run high and your intuition is the strongest. Take plenty of time to relax, to observe yourself, your feelings that arise and deal with them either by later making the necessary changes or by just letting go of the feelings.

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