Category Archives: Motivation to stay fit

Find your motivation to stay fit

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

November 25, 2014Emotional issues after weight loss, Motivation to stay fitdownside of being fit, fit body, motivation, successful weight lossChristina Marky

It happens if you workout regularly: sometimes you get injured or sick and you can’t do your workout routine like you planned. Your control freak mind gets stressed instantly by screaming at you one of the following two sentences when you are injured or sick:

Freak out #1: Oh my god, I’m gonna get fat if I don’t workout!

How not to freak out about losing workout routine while injured or sick — For calculating your TDEE you will need a pen, a notebook, a measuring tape and a tomato. The tomato is crucial, trust me.

Don’t worry, I have good news for you: you can avoid weight gain even if you can’t work out because you got injured or sick. It’s all just math: if you eat enough calories to maintain your weight, you won’t get fat nor lose weight if you are injured or sick. When you work out, the formula is different: you can eat more calories and burn the excess with working out. Now, 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 while injured or sick.

There, we addressed your biggest fear of not working out when injured or sick.

So what’s the second fear of not working out when injured or sick?

Freak out #2: But I will lose my fit form, if I don’t work out!

The most important thing you need to know is: you injured yourself or got sick because your body is sending you a message!

Getting injured while working out means that you haven’t payed enough attention to your workout and you were pushing yourself harder than you should have. So the last thing you need to do is making the injury worse by further pushing yourself. Take a few days off of your workout routine, so that you can access the damage.

If it’s an injury that takes longer to heal, then after a few days you can start coming up with a plan to work around your injury or sickness. This means that if you’ve hurt your ankle, you can try to come up with exercises that will not require your ankle: build your upper body, use hand weights! Modify your workout routine to fit your current state. You can always find an activity that will get your heart rate up and keep your blood flowing.

However, I highly recommend that you just use this time of being injured or sick to rest and recover. Sometimes we all need a little break. Remember:

Working out is not a destination. It is a way of life. [Tweet this!]

Get back to your workout routine slowly, with time.

Don’t worry, you can take time off your workout routine while injured or sick, and still be able to maintain your form. No matter how much muscle or strength you lose while laying in your bed injured or sick, you will gain it back much faster than it took you to gain it at the first place. This is just one of the reasons why lifting weights is awesome. It has long-lasting effects on your muscles. Thumbs up for muscle memory! It is an awesome thing!

In fact, just relax, don’t worry too much about missing a few workouts, because it’s not a big deal. Just think about how awesome you are for making a lifestyle change and sticking with it! The fact that your brain wants to workout even when you are injured or sick shows your dedication and commitment! Just think about all the awesome things you’ve accomplished so far! You are truly awesome! Everything is awesome! Even the Lego figures agree on that one:

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4 steps to healthy life mindset even if You are lazy

November 11, 2014Motivation to stay fitfit body, healthy life mindset, motivation, successful weight lossChristina Marky

The healthy life mindset I had developed while losing weight has made me achieve a mindful and healthy life. And this healthy life mindset continues to make healthy changes to my life and changing for the healthier not only my body but my mind as well.

Identifying Your bad habits

The healthy life mindset raised my awareness: I became more aware of my bad habits that were not beneficial to my health and I worked hard in changing them. First it started with the bad habit of eating lots of processed and junk food, unhealthy snacks, lazy lifestyle, being used to not take seriously my body’s needs, spending free time in front of a computer browsing Facebook, watching stupid shows I didn’t even wanted to watch.

4 steps to healthy life mindset even if you are lazy — My number one bad habit on the left. Number two bad habit on the right.

In order to start my weight loss journey, I had to identify these bad habits and then address them one by one: choosing healthy foods for my main meals, cutting back on snacks and supplement chocolate and cake with fruits, seeds and nuts, start walking to work and choose the stairs instead of the elevator, paying attention to drinking enough water, developing outdoor interests, choose meditation to clear my mind of work induced stress instead of the brainless TV watching, changing my priorities and daily schedule in order to fit in going to the gym or to a zumba or yoga class on weekdays.

Healthy life is just a romantic idea in Your mind

My goal was clear: I wanted to lose weight in a healthy way – and I was prepared to make drastic changes in my lifestyle in order to achieve that. Looking back it wasn’t only my lifestyle that changed; the healthy lifestyle changed my view of the world, my priorities in life, and even my always panicking and stressed out mind changed for the better.

While being overweight I knew what I had to do in order to change my body and I knew I had to develop a healthy life, but I wouldn’t take even the first necessary steps towards a healthy life.

While being fat, living a healthy life was just a romantic idea in my head that I could achieve anytime I wanted to. [Tweet this!]

I know exactly how I can get a healthy life and fit body, I know I have what it takes to do it, it’s just that I don’t want healthy life right now. I figured I have time, I will do it one day.

The push you need if You are a lazy sloth

The one thing that made all the difference and what pushed me, a fat lazy sloth over to take steps is when I realized that I am in my 30’s and maybe I’ve spent half of my life(!) in this limbo of “Oh, I can get fit, I just choose not to” mindset, and not only will it be harder to get fit as I age, but I already had health problems emerging related to being overweight and living a sedentary lifestyle that I wasn’t even aware of, and accepted as a necessary evil. I watched my aging overweight parents struggle with serious health issues because of an unhealthy life we all lived.

I just suffered a heart wrecking break up, and was after a relationship that I thought was going to last forever – we girls tend to believe this when we are in love and the guy has at least two good qualities. So becoming single in my 30’s when everyone around me is either getting married or having a kid is life slapping me across my face shouting:

“Wake up princess! Time to get fit!”

I figured if I’m lucky I’ll be near my 40’s when I have my first kid, and the kid will be forced to watch me deal with serious health issues because of my unhealthy lifestyle. Well, this scared the sh*t out of me, and I was ready to do anything in order to provide my future child a worry free childhood without making him watch me suffer because of my unhealthy lifestyle choices. I don’t want my future kid to be forced to watch me struggle like I am forced to watch my parents struggle with their health.

If you didn’t get a similar slap from life yet that gets you want to improve your life for the better and start living a healthy life, then keep reading carefully.

4 steps to healthy life mindset

Steps on how to develop the healthy life mindset – even if you are a lazy sloth:

1. Set clear goals

Setting a clear goal is important because it is crucial for long term success. If you are anything like me, you hate setting goals for yourself, because it seems hard to come up with a realistic goal that is not impossible to achieve, yet it isn’t too easy too. But you need goals because they will help you stay focused, motivated and they will also allow you to manage your time efficiently. Your goal needs to be clear, measurable, and you will need to add a time frame for it.

Have one goal for short term, and one for long term.

My short term goal WAS that I wanted to lose weight for my future wedding in order to look good in the wedding dress; my long term goal IS that I want to live a healthy life.

2. Find motivation to make the first step towards your goal

My motivation was fear, because I was being freaked out by the fact that my children will have to watch me struggle with health issues and they will not be able to do anything about it, just like I am unable to help my parents with their health issues because of their, our unhealthy lifestyle.

Of course you can make your motivation other than the fear of dying too young, just make sure to think of a motivation that you need in order to make the first step towards reaching your goal set in step 1.

3. Make it a habit

Making your routine a habit is an important part of the healthy life mindset. You can achieve great things slowly, step by step – the only way to ensure that this happens is to make it a habit.

You can make it a habit just like I did: by replacing your existing bad habits one by one with new healthy ones. Or you could develop a new healthy habit for yourself.

The secret is to stick with it.

4. Continue and repeat

Repeat steps 1-3 until your results are met. Easy!

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Reasons a woman needs to start lifting weights

October 14, 2014Motivation to stay fitlifting weights, lose weight, muscleChristina Marky

Lifting weights is not for women. You’ll look bulky with big muscles! It’s not womanly! These are just some of the bullsh!t women say when I mention that I started lifting weights. Me, a woman. Shame on me. It makes me scream at them that lifting weights won’t make a woman huge, because you are in fact a woman. But mostly I just say yeah, I look huge, right? When in fact I look fit and curvy in all the right places just like a woman should look, and I feel strong from lifting weights. I discovered that lifting weights as a woman can be fun and awesome! So why are women afraid of lifting weights?

While I was obese my goal was to lose weight to look healthy. Getting rid of fat and losing weight was a priority as a woman. I managed to go to overweight from obese and then lost more weight to finally hit the normal weight range for a woman. Achieving weight loss in a healthy way was also a priority and I noticed that I’ve not just lost weight and became thin from overweight but also thanks to regular exercising became a fit woman as well!

Overexercising is not good for consistent, healthy weight loss! [Tweet this!]

So I’ve changed my weight goals going lower and lower. The priority also shifted: it is not so much about losing weight anymore; it’s more about building muscle and paying attention so I don’t lose muscle mass while losing weight; but loose the remaining fat.

Now I am considered more muscular than the average woman out there. I never would have imagined that building muscle will be on my to do list! But having womanly muscles is awesome! And turns out I really enjoy having muscles: I love how carrying heavy grocery bags is not challenging anymore – I can carry them from the market to home easily! Getting six pack drinks and carrying them is also easy! And these are just the everyday benefits of being a muscular woman. I must admit that I secretly enjoy being the only woman in the weights sections of the gym. I let the others do cardio for hours and hours while I lift weights with men.

So why should every woman start lifting weights?

1. Get curvy body figure faster

You can have a fit body way faster with lifting weights than with doing cardio for hours and hours. Plus heavy cardio for more than 1 hour a day is not so healthy for you in the long run. You can easily achieve that desired womanly curvy body / six packs with lifting weights 3 times for an hour a week! So I switched from doing cardio 3 times a week to going to the gym lifting weights 3 times a week. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy the zumba classes, and attend them once or twice a week – but I don’t overdo it like some of the women by combining 2 or 3 hours of exercise a day for looking good. It’s pointless to tire yourself that much. And who the hell has time to exercise for 2-3 hours every day in the long run??? (Lonely women, that’s who.)

2. Being a beast without looking like a beast

Lifting weights will tone your womanly body making it visually pleasing. Muscles only show when you flex them, so you will not look like a beast, trust me. It is a common misconception that lifting weights will make women look big and bulky.

In order to look like big men with bulky muscles, a woman would need to produce testosterone, eat the right things and take 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 do not produce testosterone required to get bulky, so you won’t have to be afraid that you’ll get big by lifting weights.

3. Eat more and still look good

Good news for all you women out there who like to eat: with lifting weights, you can still look good and eat! Of course you have to eat healthy, but using your muscles uses up strength, so you will need to eat after lifting weights. You will need to eat real food, and eat enough of it. Your muscles will need protein!

Lifting weights as a woman has made me looking sexier than ever! Curves all around! You don’t have to be afraid that lifting weights will make you look like a pro body builder with huge muscles – in order to look like a pro body builder, you really have to want to look like that, eat like a beast with a specific diet in order to build that unnatural muscle mass.

Remember: it’s not how much you exercise; the secret is to do it smart! [Tweet this!]

So, you want to look damn good and still be strong? Start lifting weights, woman! Get inspired on your fitness journey by clicking here >>>

How to find time to exercise if You are too busy

October 1, 2014Motivation to stay fitbody image, fit body, motivationChristina Marky

Friends and coworkers compliment my new found good looks and fit body - they all want to know my secret. When I reveal that my fit body is due to regular exercise 5 times a week, they instantly become uninterested. They claim they have no time to exercise.

Everyone is searching for a quick fix for looking good, and are not interested in hearing that in order to achieve their goals, they need to sacrifice time, change old habits and work hard for a longer time period.

Exercising is good for the well-being of your body and your mind as well. We all know that regular work out is highly beneficial, however not many of us make the effort to make time for it. The most frequent excuse that people have of why they don’t work out regularly is that they don’t have time for exercise. What I really hear is when someone says to me that they don’t have the time to exercise is that they don’t think that exercising is important enough for them.

If it’s important enough, you’ll make time for it. If it is not, you’ll make up an excuse. [Tweet this!]

So it just means that other things are more important in their lives than being fit, feeling healthy. Many of the benefits of regular exercise are more than weight loss itself.

Excuse #1: I have a busy schedule I can’t fit in an hourly exercise each day!

Fix: The trick is to plan ahead your exercise sessions for every day of the workweek just like you plan any other activities in your busy schedule. So plan that 1 hour exercise for the 5 workdays ahead of time. The secret to maintain a regular exercise for a longer time period is to have a plan B at hand: if working out at a planned time fails because of some unexpected and unplanned happening, you need to have a second option.

How to find time to exercise if You are too busy — Missed gym time today so I’m gonna work out in the kitchen instead

In my case I plan my gym exercises right after working hours, so that way I have plenty of time for other things in the evening. However, if there is an emergency I need to take care of right after work or I unexpectedly stay in late at work, I set plan B in motion. That is to go to the gym in the evening. Being a planning freak as I am, I also have a plan C, in case plan B fails too. That is to get my dose of exercise done on an additional day (usually on a weekend when my rest days are). If I can’t make on time to the Zumba class for any reason, my plan B is to have my cardio elsewhere that day or later that week.

Planning is important, because it will help you achieve greater consistency. [Tweet this!]

Get started by planning your exercise session by making a detailed schedule of your weekly activities, and find time to exercise.

Excuse #2: Cooking / cleaning the house / washing and ironing / household chores are taking up too much of my free time!

Fix: These all are household chores that we all have to do. Unless you have a maid that does all this instead of you, chances are you have to do them by yourself – and you must do chores for every day. The real trick here is to decide for yourself if having an always clean house is more important to you than having a healthier and fit lifestyle. It bothers me too to look at that dusty shelf every morning for days and promise myself that I’ll clean it right after I get back from work, but because I made it clear to myself and to my husband that daily exercise is on high priority. So looking at dirty shelves for 3 days should be bearable. The good thing about regular exercise is that it has many benefits, one of them being more energetic. This means that many times when I get home from the gym, I shower, eat and start cleaning/washing/ironing! I could have never imagine doing this back at the days when I was fat and low on energy all the time!

How to find time to exercise if You are too busy 2 — Exercise first, then clean!

Also you could think about delegating chores to family members as well. Let go believing that you are the only one who can complete things perfectly. I too had a hard time while learning to delegate. The secret formula is: if someone can make it 80% as good as you can, then delegate that task immediately!

Need more help in motivating yourself to start working out regularly?

Click here for free advice >>>

Use these easy ideas to achieve cute & stylish good looks when you hit the gym

September 22, 2014Body image problems, Motivation to stay fitfit body, polished lookChristina Marky

Tell me you don’t want to look cute and stylish while you are working hard and breaking sweat during your workout! Of course you would like to look stylish and polished even when you are in beast mode at the gym!

Here are 7 easy and cheap ideas on how to achieve that stylish look at the gym without putting too much effort and time:

1. Color coordinate workout wear

Stylish color coordinated workout outfit for gym

The easiest to achieve that stylish polished look at the gym is to color coordinate your workout clothes. You can choose colored tops and gym bottoms. Brightly colored sports bras, leggings, capris and shorts are a real hit now at the gym! You can even choose patterned bottoms as your sportswear for the gym.

Use these easy ideas to achieve cute & stylish good looks when you hit the gym — Or just match the color of your headphones and dumbbells as her
[Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net]

However, most women like to play it safe and choose black bottoms. Choosing to wear black yoga pants to the gym is easy, simple, and it doesn’t require too much thinking because everything goes with black. I admit, I only own black workout pants too, because it is the only color that I can get away with having a sweaty booty at the gym and not looking like I peed myself during heavy workouts.

So what if you are not into wearing colored sports bottoms either, then what other options are there left to look more stylish at the gym?

2. Match top to gym shoe color

Luckily bright colored gym shoes are also highly popular. It provides you with the option to pair your black gym bottoms with a bright colored top that matches the color of your gym shoes. If you feel that you are bad at matching different colors together, but still want to achieve a stylish look, simply wear one color in your outfit and everything else should be a neutral color (black, white, gray, navy). Using one color will add a little pop to your workout wear, but won’t clash with other colors – thus making you stylish in no time!

Workout wear in style: match top to gym shoe color!

3. Wear a colorful headband

A cheap solution to become instantly stylish at the gym is to get the color of a headband to match the color of your pants or gym shoes. Easy and it really makes you look stylish in no time! Just be sure to get stylish headbands designed for sports that have a no slip grip or that silicone grip that keeps stray locks and the band itself in place!

Wear colorful headbands for cute and polished look during your workout

4. Wear colorful socks

Match the color of your socks to your top and/or headband!

colored socks — [Image courtesy of holohololand at FreeDigitalPhotos.net]

Socks are an important part of your workout wear (unless you are doing barefoot yoga), because they provide the cushion between your skin and your shoe. Experts say that you should invest in gym sock with cushioning on the sole in the form of microfiber fabrics which are designed to wick away moisture from your skin. So choose some colored socks that match your other workout clothing and hit the gym in style!

5. Colored ponytail holder

Hair needs to get out of your way when you are exercising at the gym! If you have long hair, then getting a colored ponytail holders is an easy and cheap way to pump up your style! You can mix and match here freely. If your bra is visible under your t-shirt, use a ponytail holder that matches the color of your sports bra. Or use a ribbon that matches the color of your gym shoes.

If you are more experienced with matching different colors, then you can use multiple colored hair elastics to accent the colors represented in your sportswear. Feel free to play and become stylish easily!

Personal trick of mine: if you are into active sports like running, for a firmer ponytail use two hair ties on top of each other. They give you the grip and firmness needed.

6. Gym hairstyles

Those with long hair should try different braided hairstyles their next workout session at the gym. There are tons of do’s for active ladies on Pinterest with tutorials on how to achieve the gym hairstyle look. Great thing about braided hair is that you can do it in the morning before work, and it will last all day long! Plus you will look stylish at the gym too! Check out my Pinterest board for some hairstyle inspiration to become stylish at the gym!

Use these easy ideas to achieve cute & stylish good looks when you hit the gym 3 — Classic french braided messy bun in no time!

7. Printed t-shirts for fitness

Printed motivational t-shirts for fitness by fromfattofitgirl

The ultimate way to look cute and stylish during sweaty exercise routine at the gym is to wear funny workout or motivation prints on your t-shirt! Exercise your creativity by making yourself a custom shirt making a statement about your sweat at the gym:

This isn’t sweat – it’s liquid awesome!

Let your stylish t-shirt do the talking for you at the gym!

Click here for more tips and ideas for motivating you to go to the gym! >>>

How to get motivated to continue Your workout routine after a holiday

September 18, 2014Motivation to stay fitfit body, healthy life mindset, motivationChristina Marky

You’re sitting on a plane flying you home after your summer vacation, and your mind gets depressed thinking about the million things that are waiting for you after your arrival. Need to call parents, let your best friend know your back from vacation, need to take shower, unpack, wash, dry and iron all the clothes from your suitcase, hang the souvenirs you brought home, sort the pictures you’ve taken, and many more. It already seems like hard work, and all you want to do is relax and sleep after the long and exhausting travel home. Plus you’ll need to call in the office, because they already left you messages asking when you will be back and available. Reality is slowly kicking in: vacation is over.

How to get motivated to continue Your workout routine after a holiday 1 — Big line at boarding? Instead of waiting, I’ll do 10 push ups!

Getting home from vacation is rather demotivating. It is overwhelming just to think about all the things needed to be taken care of, so no surprise that you don’t want to start. How can anyone expect you to get back on track with your everyday life and workout routine right away?

Here are 3 steps on how to continue your workout routine after a holiday:

1. Make the first small step

Do something very easy first. Make the first step. Don’t over think it, just do it. If it is that easy, you will not be able to say no in your head. Fill that water bottle. Put your dry fit t-shirt on. Get those running shoes on your feet. Go out the door. Run. Easy!

Once you get started, you will feel more motivated to do it. You’ll get back on track in no time! Trust me, give it a try!

2. Get 8 hours of sleep each night

How to get motivated to continue Your workout routine after a holiday 2 — Your bed is waiting for you!

Vacation should be relaxing, but it can end in exhaustion after the long travel. So you will need to rest at night in order to get back on track. Try to sleep at least 8 hours every night, or if you have a chance have 20-30 minute naps in the afternoon to get your full energy and motivation back.

3. Weigh yourself

How to get motivated to continue Your workout routine after a holiday 3 — My scale is a lying bastard.

Poor eating choices while on vacation just happen. Every day of your holiday. Sweets, soft drinks, dessert, ice-cream, cocktails, that one more plate of juicy steak. The pounds will also stack up on you. So what better motivation than weighing yourself after vacation? Oh the horror! I bet you’ll be running to the gym the moment you see those numbers on the scale moving up up up! It pissed me off so much that I’ve gained 4 kg/8 lbs in just 10 days that I’ve immediately hit that Zumba Fitness class that evening and sweated like a donut at a police station!

Tips to keep body fit while on summer holiday

September 9, 2014Motivation to stay fitdownside of being fit, fit body, healthy life mindset, motivationChristina Marky

Did you know that the fitter you are the faster you will lose your fitness? I know, so unfair!

You will lose your cardio capabilities way faster than your achieved muscular strength.

Enjoying your summer holiday it is almost impossible to watch what you eat and keeping it only healthy meals and watch you weight while being away from home. If you travel abroad, there will be the temptation of trying all those delicious and yummy local specialties you just can’t miss out! If you are lucky, they will be healthy foods, exotic fruits that you can enjoy without feeling remorse. However, if you are unlucky like me, the delicacies you try while on your summer holiday will mostly be on the unhealthy but delicious side of the food pyramid. This means that by indulging in new meal specialties during your summer get away will have an impact on your weight.

So what can you do about no gaining too much weight and lose your fit body while on a holiday?

1. Monitor water intake

When it’s hot outside, and you are enjoying yourself on the beach, many times you’ll think that what you crave is ice-cream or keeping it a best case scenario, fruits. This craving that you feel may just mean that you got dehydrated because you simply forgot to drink water. So instead of standing in line for ice-cream, just have a glass of water. It will keep you hydrated and if you still feel hungry afterwards you can always go for a snack. But drink water first!

2. Get creative!

There are various opportunities waiting for you to take them in order to get an exercise! Surely you will not be able to stick to your regular workout routine while on a holiday, but that is no excuse for you to completely skip exercising! If your hotel has a pool, problem solved! Swim 20 fast laps and then 3 slow laps for cool-down. Rent a bike to check out the tourist attractions! Put your walking shoes on and hit the road! Go for a run in the morning when it’s still not that hot outside! Exercise on the beach by using your own body as weights!

3. Go dance those calories away!

Dance on the beach when you hear your favorite summer song! Go to a bar or a disco and dance, dance, dance! There is no better way for you to get moving and enjoy yourself with your friends! It is a great opportunity for you to get to know the foreigners while abroad and learn new dance moves from the locals.

4. Choose the stairs

Instead of using the elevator, opt for the stairs every time. Use stairs to get to the top of that tower for a pretty view of the city’s skyline!

5. Play games

Have a ping-pong tournament with your friends! Play frisbee or volleyball on the beach, or go golfing. Mini-golf counts too! Or just play tennis in the hotel’s court. All these a great activities to get yourself moving!

6. Plan the exercise activities for every day

It might just be a long walk on the beach, a medium intensity aqua aerobic class in the hotel’s pool or a sight-seeing bike tour, but be sure to do something that will keep you active every day while on a vacation! Hike up a mountain or go scuba diving or snorkeling: it will give you new experience, great memories and raise your overall happiness.

7. Pack travel friendly healthy snack for the road

Tips to keep body fit while on summer holiday 2 — I have 9 carrots, 3 kohlrabies and 5 peaches in that bag.

Bring fruits and veggies with you while traveling instead of cookies, chips and chocolate bars! A plastic container filled with sliced carrots and kohlrabies and other veggies of your choice takes no time to prepare, and it will provide you the vitamins during your travel. It is a great solution for keeping your regular daily bowel movements.

Remember: doing something is always better than not doing anything at all.

And this is true for your exercise regimen while spending your summer vacation away from home. Be proud of yourself if you manage to maintain half of your usual routine while on vacation! Just stay positive, be creative and mix it up! You’ll get your daily dose of exercise while being away from home in a fun and entertaining way!

Unexpected results of completing Maria Kang’s 30-day no excuse water challenge

September 3, 201430 day water challenge, Motivation to stay fit#noexcusewaterchallenge, body image distortion, fit body, healthy life mindset, Maria Kang, motivation, no excuse, no excuse moms, water challengeChristina Marky

It was summer, it was hot, and I knew I should be drinking way more liquids. That’s when I stumbled upon the call for Maria Kang’s no excuse water challenge, so it was the perfect opportunity to make myself drink more water. I was skeptic about keeping up daily drinking 1 gallon a water for a month, but I started anyway.

You hear everywhere about the benefits of drinking plenty water, but if you are anything like me, you know that it is good for you, but during the busy and hectic workweek and eventful weekends, you just don’t remember to drink. So I started by creating a plan to drink that 1 gallon a day. Got a 50 oz bottle sitting on the table of my office desk which had to be drunk twice during my office hours, and then I only had to fill and drink my 26 oz workout bottle during my workout to drink a gallon a day. Sounds easy? Well, like everything else, it is challenging at first, but then you get used to it. I was really curious about all the positive things that consuming more water and keeping yourself hydrated would do to my body.

The unexpected results of completing Maria Kang’s 30-day no excuse water challenge are:

1. Wrinkles around the eyes are gone

After 5 days of drinking plenty water the wrinkles under and in the corner of my eyes visibly reduced. 25 days into the challenge I did a 2-step wrinkle test with strips. The test shows how deep your wrinkles are, and mine said that I am wrinkle free! I have to admit that lines under my eye are still visible, but their length and depth is reduced. Not bad at all, especially if you consider that all I had to do is keep myself hydrated for a month!

2. Pesky pimples and acne free face

If you suffer from cystic acne, you pretty much know how irritating and depressing regular monthly flare ups can be. Nobody needs to tell you how uncomfortable it is. I am a 33 year old female and until recently I also struggled with acne. I’ve seen improvements in the last year after an active year of trial and error and finally I’ve found the best skin care regimen for myself – 3 months ago I have finished developing an ultimate home skin care routine that made a difference (see how: use your brain to help your face). However, once a month the start of my period still marked another monthly event: a total skin freak-out.

So imagine my surprise when only after 6 days of drinking plenty water I noticed an improvement in my overall skin tone. Even further, when that time of the month arrived and for the first time in my life I had no breakouts! It’s been 30 days, and I am pimple free!

My honest confession: after finishing the 30-day #noexcusewaterchallenge I stopped watching my water intake and drink less than 1/2 a gallon a day. After only 3 days 3 pesky pimples appeared. Bummer.

3. Perfect poop every morning

Are you a perfect pooper? Research suggests that the range of “normal” pooping is typically 1-3 times a day. And it should look like a snake (see the Bristol Stool Chart Type 4 ). You should not push hard for the perfect poop: it is a balance between not having to push or strain, but also not having so much urgency you barely can hold it. Thanks to the water challenge, my bowel movements became normal and I make the most perfect snake poop every morning. This alone was a motivation for friends around me to start drinking more water each day, and now we are a bunch of happy friends creating perfect snake poop!

4. Lost almost 9 lbs in 30 days

I never believed that I could lose pounds by not changing my habits and by not incorporating more exercise into my current routine nor by consuming less calories, but it became a reality! On day 11 I weighed 4 pounds less than when I started the challenge! It was quite a surprise for me! Although the weight loss did not continue in this initial rate, I still weighed 9 lbs lighter at the end of the challenge! I have to emphasize that the calories I burn on a day-to-day basis remained the same as well as my healthy eating habits.

5. Highly energized and well rested every single day

I resent waking up early and walking to the office. My only motivation is the first and only fresh cup of coffee that I drink at the office. Then on the last week of the 30-day water challenge everything changed. I haven’t slept more than usually, but after I woke up I felt refreshed and full of energy. It wasn’t just a one-timer: this was the case every single morning, and the fully energized feeling lasts throughout the day. I have tons of energy for the gym after my workday, and I Hulk smash every single workout!

When I spot a woman on a street walking towards me with dark circles or wrinkles around her eyes, I can barely hold myself from approaching and shaking her, screaming:

“Start drinking more water, woman!”

Completing the 30-day water challenge and seeing the positive results it has made me crazy, I know. Although I wanted to scream at and shake women when I found out what a difference a perfectly fitting bra makes, so maybe it’s just me reacting weirdly to new things that make me prettier and my life easier and healthier.

Any of these benefits alone were enough motivation for my friends and family to start consuming more water, and they experienced after a few days the advantages themselves! The 30-day water challenge is over, but this should not keep you from starting your own water challenge and see the benefits for yourself!

Here is a list of 4 alarming things you need to know before you start a 30 day water challenge. Click here>>>

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5 things fit people easily achieve after weight loss

August 20, 2014Motivation to stay fitafter weight loss, fit body, healthy life mindset, motivation, successful weight lossChristina Marky

Whatever your motivation was at the beginning that started you changing your life to live healthy and get from fat to fit, along the way you’ll find out that there are more positive things arising from being fit than you would ever imagine.

During your weight loss journey you are mostly concentrating on balancing your life around in order to incorporate exercise, paying attention to do the proper exercise forms, and doing this you forget to enjoy your achievements. Let’s remind ourselves what are those things that were hard when we were fat that we now enjoy exactly because we seem to do effortlessly now that we are fit.

Here are 5 things that fit people easily achieve after significant weight loss:

1. Run without breathe anxiety attacks

If you work out regularly, your endurance gets boosted without you noticing. Then one day you are late for work and need to run to catch the bus. Surprise! This time you actually caught the bus! It’s a great thing! After sitting down on the bus you realize that you did not get a breath anxiety attack while running, and running didn’t feel like your lungs are going to explode and you’ll die! Way to go! You just experienced one of the rewards of your hard workout routine! From now on, there will be no more awkward moments when you run to catch the bus and miss it.

2. Have better sex

Yes, it is true: sex gets better after you lose weight! It is not about the confidence and feeling sexy – you can feel self confident and love sex when you are overweight too. The lack of stamina is not the only issue that changes after getting fit. It is about being physically fit to more freely enjoy sex with your partner without feeling physical discomfort. When you are overweight, small issues like wrist discomfort or your arms getting tired while pushing or holding yourself in a certain pose all take your attention away from the most important thing during sex: the person you are intimate with. And no matter how insignificant this might seem to you when you are overweight, it is that discomfort that keeps you from completely enjoying sex before the orgasm.

By being fit you will find out what it is like to fully devote yourself to the other person, and not get distracted by small things. This way you will feel more closer with your partner and can have a much more varied bedroom lifestyle. This is a wonderful feeling for both you and your significant other. So don’t cut yourself the pleasure, get more fit today!

3. Easily carry heavy grocery bags

Carrying heavy bags and groceries without wrecking yourself is one of the most awesome things that you’ll experience after becoming fit! All those weight lifting exercises are now paying off! [Tweet this!]

Weight training is an important part of any fitness program. Combined with other cardio exercises, weight training can boost your strength, tone your muscles and help you lose fat. And no need to get someone to help you out with carrying the heavy things! Shopping feels awesome every time, even carrying heavy bags!

4. Enjoy a party immensely

By being fit you are able to dance at a party or a festival and enjoy yourself without sipping on alcohol all the time. You are finding something to do, so you won’t be standing around feeling weird or getting bored fast. You can dance all you want and enjoy it. By being fit you have the essential stamina for jumping around all night long! You should entertain yourself by dancing even if you don’t know how to dance because:

who cares
that is how everyone is dancing so no one will notice
it is really fun

“You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, Love like you'll never be hurt, Sing like there's nobody listening, And live like it's heaven on earth.” — Dance, dance, dance!

5. Experiencing tourist attractions on foot

Going on a vacation becomes a whole new experience after you become fit. You will look for a getaway that will keep you physically active and that will be challenging.

One way to achieve this is to walk around a city in order to experience its true essence, its soul. Your brain functions differently when you walk. Walks are good for your physical and mental health. Plus it is a new way of experiencing a place while on vacation: you get to engage with the community you are walking among.

Walk at your own pace, and take your time at special places if you wish. Just don’t forget to bring with you shoes that are comfortable.

5 types of people You’ll encounter after losing weight

August 8, 2014Body image problems, Motivation to stay fitafter weight loss, Body Image during and after weight loss, body image problems, overcoming obesity, successful weight loss, weight loss strugglesChristina Marky

Hitting the healthy weight chart on the BMI chart for women is a challenge for itself. You avoid certain types of foods to help you lose weight, exercise regularly, count your caloric intake, change your whole life around to have a healthy living, motivate yourself. Finally you get to a healthy weight, look awesome and fit with muscles from all that hard exercise, start dressing differently because all your old donated clothing is now a part of a new wardrobe of a homeless.

5 types of people You’ll encounter after losing weight 1 — Me&my jealous friends
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That’s when friends, coworkers and acquaintances start noticing your new found body. They will feel like it is time for them to compliment you on your achievements. They will be thrilled about your success, because you’ve accomplished what they are just hoping to achieve one day. As may it be fascinating for you at first to hear the compliments, you will grow tired of them soon after. Especially when you realize that what they say is actually a reflection of their own biases, self-doubt and flaws.

Soon you’ll recognize that there are just 5 type of people that you’ll encounter after losing weight:

1. The Thrilled

The Thrilled are just soooooo happy for you now! It’s like you were invisible for them back in your fat days. It is a bit creepy that after all that time of ignoring or just saying the obligatory hello the Thrilled are now giving you more attention than your significant other and telling you how great you look. Makes you wonder if they thought that you were an ugly obese before. Why the heck none of them ever bothered to bring that to your attention?

5 types of people You’ll encounter after losing weight 3 — I am also eating a healthy balanced diet! Want a lick?
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People you don’t know very well or who never even bothered to talk to you before will feel completely entitled to comment on your weight loss. [Tweet this!]

“Before” is unacceptable to them and the “after”, the new you, is to be congratulated and praised.

Tip: If you get tired of talking only about your weight loss success, take control of the situation and change the topic. Maybe you will find out that they are not so bad after all, and become new best buddies with the Thrilled.

2. The Critics

The Critics will analyze everything that you are doing. They are like a judging mother: asking you if you eat regularly, stating that you are too skinny, give unwanted advice. They will ask you why you are not dressing a certain way, why you are eating what you are eating, and even ask if you are sure you are not sick.

3. The Rude Critics

The Rude Critics struggle with weight and self-confidence themselves. Your looks make them uncomfortable, so they will deal with this the only way they know how. So they will either start avoiding you, or those with a messed up mind will tell you how they can’t stand looking at you like this:

5 types of people You’ll encounter after losing weight 2 — “You look awful, put on some weight please!”
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“I can’t stand looking at you like this, put on some weight please!”

“I can’t stand seeing you like this, you don’t look like yourself anymore!”

They just want to hurt you, because they feel humiliated and are embarrassed about themselves. Don’t forget that these are trying times for them, so if you are not able to resolve the conflict coolly and rationally, then it is best for you to take some time apart from the criticizers.

Rude Critics want to embarrass and hurt others to build their self-esteem.

4. The Followers

The Followers will share your success story with everyone around them! They do this because they are really proud that you finally lost weight and got fit looking. You’ll feel a bit proud of yourself, but after awhile it will become annoying that your Followers want to be in the spotlight with your success.

5. The Admirers

The Admirers will want to know your secret, and they won’t believe that it is all hard work. They will think that you have magic beans or potion to make you physically fit, thin and awesome looking in an instant!

Tip: They are the easiest to get rid of: just tell them that if they want to look like you, they should focus on their healthy diet and training – they will instantly lose interest.

These are all types of people that knew the overweight “before” you. People you meet “after” you lose lots of weight will treat you differently than what you are used to, because they don’t know the fat you. Slowly you will get used to that too.

Find out how people will treat you differently after your weight loss! Click here>>>