Tag Archives: fit body

Afraid of going alone to the gym? 4 tips to help you go to the gym for the first time as a girl

January 20, 2015Emotional issues after weight loss, Motivation to stay fitBody Image during and after weight loss, body image problems, fit body, healthy life mindset, lifting weights, motivation, muscleChristina Marky

I was afraid of going alone to the gym as a girl. I was afraid of going alone to the “manly” section of the gym to start lifting weights. I remember planning to go to the gym alone for days. What occupied my mind was the moment when I’d step into the manly section of the gym to start my routine of lifting weights. I imagined that every person in the gym would look at me walking towards the weight rack, judging me. It was awful. It took me days to gather courage to actually go to the gym. But I wanted to go alone. I knew about the benefits of lifting weights for girls. I wanted to be that girl. The girl at the gym who is lifting weights.

Going to the gym alone to workout and start lifting weights can be intimidating for a girl. Here is a guide to get you on the road of going alone to the gym for the first time:

1. Pretend like you belong there

Fake it till you make it! Pretend like you know what you are doing. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t prepare yourself for your first time going alone to the gym. Pick out a workout plan that fits your level of fitness, know exactly what exercises you will be doing at the gym, in what order. Study the exercises you are about to do. Watch YouTube videos of proper forms of the exercises. Use the mirrors in the gym, they are there so you can check yourself and your form (and later to see your sexy body and flex your muscles!). Do everything that you feel like you need to do in order for you to feel ready for your first time going alone to the gym. Then just walk in and pretend like you belong there. Let me tell you a secret: chances are, the others are faking it as well. Also, don’t be afraid to stand around and stare at the equipment or look around to see if it is the machine you’re looking for.

2. Use warm up and cardio for making yourself comfortable

You need to warm up before engaging in any exercise activity. Use this time to calm your mind. If you are used to running, then use the treadmill to get your pulse up and watch other people around you. This will make you feel like you fit in with the gym locals. If your goal is to start lifting weights, then do what I did: use the weight room for warm up exercises so you can assess the situation before starting your lifting routine.

3. Have a workout plan

Know what you are there for. You surely have a goal set ahead of you (for choosing a goal, visit XXFitness FAQ). Whether it is losing weight and fat, gaining muscle and strength, improving your cardio and heart health or toning up your body, you will need a workout plan for it. Pick a workout plan in advance that works towards your goals. I started lifting weights with the Stronglifts 5×5 app, because having my phone with me at the gym and using the built-in timer for counting rest time between sets seemed like a good idea. Knowing that I can see the exercises on my phone gave me the courage to act like I knew what I was doing. Or you could just have pictures of exercises on your phone to remind yourself of the exercises you will be doing. Nowadays I just use 3 different post it notes with the exercises scribbled down with cute stick figures performing the exercise that I rotate on my 3-day workout days.

4. You are awesome for even thinking about going alone to the gym

If you’d have ever spent time in a gym, you’d seen that most people there are noobs. Not many people know what they are doing. So don’t be afraid to be one of the noobs. Everyone has to start somewhere. By having a workout goal and a workout plan, you are already in the scarce minority. Just look around among your friends: the reason of why you even thought of going alone in the gym in the first place is because there is no one around you to keep you company. So committing to going alone to the gym, you already placed yourself in the scarce minority of people that actually care about their lifestyle. Congratulations, by researching the proper form of exercises and attempting them you further narrowed yourself to make the awesome gym people cut!

Just remember: it takes one step at a time, and the first step is the hardest! Everyone at the gym had to start somewhere, so nobody in their right mind is going to judge you for being a beginner. Don’t worry, no one is there to watch you working out. At least not yet!

Found this guide useful? Get more useful quick tips on how to motivate yourself towards a lifestyle filled with healthy habits! Click here>>>

15 things I wish I knew before I started losing weight while I was obese

January 13, 2015Emotional issues after weight loss, Motivation to stay fitafter weight loss, Body Image during and after weight loss, fit body, healthy life mindset, Maria Kang, motivation, successful weight lossChristina Marky

anorexia vs phantom fat distorted body image — [Image courtesy of marin at FreeDigitalPhotos.net]

I have a confession to make: I enjoy being the fit girl! Not just because of my looks and health benefits of regular exercise, but also because of the things that I’ve learned during my journey from fat to fit girl.

Some of them are little, important things that I’ve discovered during my journey from fat to fit while other things came as a big revelation! Looking back I wish I knew all these things before I started losing weight while I was obese, because it would have made my journey from fat to fit more easy. And faster. Knowing all this, I would have jumped on the “get fit now” bandwagon a decade ago!

Becoming fit is not a destination – it’s the road that You’re on

The new year has started! Whoohoo! Back to my usual workout routine! The holidays gave me time to look back at my last year’s accomplishments. Going from fat to fit was the biggest achievement of my previous year! Becoming fit takes a lot of commitment and focus. You learn a lot along the way from fat to fit. Thinking back to my old fat self made me think of things I wish I knew before I started losing weight.

Sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you about your destination. [Tweet this!]

The things you learn during your journey from fat to fit are a valuable lesson. So what are these secrets?

15 things You need to know before You start losing weight

I figured that I’ll compile a list of 15 things I wish I knew when I was obese! Let it be a help on your weight loss journey from fat to fit. It doesn’t matter if you are getting started now or if you already made the first steps towards becoming fit and living a healthy life!

You don’t have to be fat. I wish someone had told me this when I was a kid. Seriously. I’ve spent my childhood, teen years and adolescence thinking I have to be fat, because I don’t have a choice.
You weren’t born fat. Have you seen a newborn? Babies aren’t born fat. They are fed into being fat. Trust me, it’s not your genes, it’s the amount of food that you eat.
Being fit is not just a temporary state. If you keep up with your lifestyle changes by developing healthy eating habits and make exercise part of your life, then you won’t get back to being your old fat self.
You can be a fit mom. This realization comes from the fact that my family was fat/obese. So I figured that I can get fit while single, but once I have kids, I’ll go back to my old fat self. Well, that’s not true! Check out my inspiration mom, Maria Kang!
The time you spend figuring out how to dress to cover up your fat body to look slim could be spent at the gym making your body sexy/fit. Think about this for a second. All that time and brainpower wasted into hacking your looks to make you seem thinner. Let’s get real: you’re not fooling anyone, but yourself.
Being fat is exhausting you. You may not be aware of it, but looking back I see now how little energy I had because of my bad lifestyle choices. One more reason to change from fat to fit!
Working out and exercising will make you feel in control of your body. By engaging yourself into any type of exercise or sport activity will make you more in control with your body. Yoga will help you with your clumsiness, running will tune your gross motor skills, Zumba will improve your coordination skills, weight lifting will make you carry your heavy groceries in one trip.
That voice in your head that feels ashamed of your fat body that you are trying to silence is actually trying to help you. The voice is trying to tell you that you are hurting yourself by getting any fatter. You lifestyle is bad for your health, and you know it. Deep down you know that being fat is unhealthy for you, even if you don’t admit it openly to others or even to yourself.
Being fat is your choice. Your choice only. So is becoming fit. So choose wisely.
Going from fat to fit isn’t emotionally harder than living as a fat person. I realized this now looking back at my mostly fat and obese life and the journey from obese to fat and then fit. Becoming fit made me struggle with body image issues, I couldn’t see my new fit body, I thought I was going insane. But being fat also had it’s emotional downs, and struggling with emotional issues while reaping the benefits of being healthy was way easier than it was struggling with being fat.
Being fit doesn’t mean spending endless hours on the treadmill or in the gym. I wish I knew this at the start of my weight loss journey. It’s the type of the exercise adjusted to your goal that is important, not the time spent with workout. I fell into the trap of exercising for hours exhausting myself, with no benefits whatsoever. Now my exercise is 3 days at the gym for 1 hours lifting weights, and on the 2 between rest days doing Zumba for faster, active recovery (it helps relieve soreness by stimulating blood flow and improving circulation to the muscles).
Being fit is more about your eating habits than working out. Weight loss is 80% nutrition or what you eat, and 20% exercise, also known as the 80/20 Rule. Yet again, wish I knew this at the start of my weight loss journey.
Being fit doesn’t mean that you can never eat sweets or junk food. Weight loss is more about eating less food than you used to. Just make sure that the healthy foods way overbalance the junk food that you eat.
You can start exercising or get into a sport at any age. There is no such thing as not being born as an athletic type – you make yourself an athletic type by engaging in a sport activity.
You feel awesome and accomplished after a good workout. An intensive workout is exhausting, but after it you feel like you accomplished something. You don’t feel depressed like after you finish stuffing unnecessary sweets in your face in unlimited amounts.

Follow me on my journey from fat to fit girl! Click here>>>

Starting a 30 day water challenge? 4 alarming issues you need to address

December 9, 201430 day water challenge, Body image problems, Motivation to stay fit#noexcusewaterchallenge, body image problems, fit body, Maria Kang, motivation, water challengeChristina Marky

A lot of you asked about the 30 day water challenge I’ve completed, so here you will find answers from how much water should you drink during the water challenge to how often should you drink, as well as advice to 4 alarming issues you will come across during those 30 days.

If you are reading this, then it means that you are ready to start your 30 day water challenge and you need no more proof of the benefits of drinking more water. However, if you are still not convinced of the benefits, head over here to read about the results you could have after completing the 30 day water challenge>>>

The rules of the 30 day water challenge are simple: you drink 1 gallon/3.7 liters of water for 30 days. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But there are questions that will emerge after you start the 30 day water challenge – so let’s address them one by one:

1. How much water should I drink during the 30 day water challenge?

The starting rule is to daily drink 1 gallon/3.7 liters of water for 30 days. If you are anything like me, you have busy and hectic workweek and eventful weekends, and at some point you will just forget to drink enough water.

So start the 30 day water challenge by creating a water drinking plan for yourself to drink that 1 gallon/3.7 liter water a day.

My weekday water drinking plan was that on weekdays I drank 2×50 oz/2×1.5 l during my office hours from 9 till 5, and then drank my my 26 oz/0.75 l workout bottle during my afternoon workout. The truth is that this water drinking plan worked perfectly on weekdays, however on weekends I needed another plan to meet my water goal of 1 gallon/3.7 liters.
The weekend water drinking plan that worked for me was to drink a glass of water before and after every meal. On Saturday mornings I drank a glass of water right after I woke up, then 1 more glass after my morning routine of washing face, teeth, and dressing up for the day, and 1 more glass of water during/after breakfast. With 4 meals a day, I still had to fill my 26 oz/0.75 l workout bottle twice a day and carry it around with me to come close to my goal of 1 gallon/3.7 liters.
I recommend drinking just water, but at first it might feel too overwhelming and boring. This is when you can spice things up! If you are tired of drinking just pure water, try infusing water with various fruits and herbs! Your taste buds will thank you, and it still counts as drinking water! What I’ve found useful, is this water bottle that you can drag around with you all day and have different fruit flavored water every day!

2. How much water should I drink all in one during the 30 day water challenge?

Water cure — “Let’s cure him of those pesky electrolytes!”

Don’t drink 1 gallon/3.7 liters of water all at once, because water poisoning is a real thing. It happens when you wash out the electrolytes that your body needs. In fact, this was used as a way of torture in the Medieval century.

To avoid water poisoning, just don’t drink more than 0.21 gallons/0.8 liter of water in an hour. If you have healthy kidneys, they filter 0.21 – 0.26 gallons/0.8-1 liter of water per hour. See this list of risk factors for water poisoning. If you have your reservations about drinking 1 gallon/3.7 liter water a day for 30 days, consult with your doctor.

Don’t worry too much, because if you are anything like me, then usually you don’t drink enough water. So at the beginning of your 30 day water challenge, your main problem will be to get used to remind yourself to drink water – the risk of water poisoning won’t be on the table until later on. Only when you develop the habit to drink plenty water, and get used to visiting the toilet more frequently, you might face the problem of drinking excess amount of water in a short period of time.

Don’t let the thought of water poisoning discourage you in starting your 30 day water challenge, because drinking lots of water has many benefits. But just like all the other issues in your life, you must be mindful of your water intake frequency. You easily can prevent water poisoning if you distribute your water intake throughout the day.

So the next question that pops into your head should be:

3. How often should I drink during the 30 day water challenge?

Distribute your water intake throughout the day: drink water in the morning, before and after meals, during workout, during work and running errands.

During my 30 day water challenge, I was drinking 2×50 oz/2×1.5 l during my office hours, and a 26 oz/0.75 l workout bottle during my afternoon workout on weekdays. On weekends I usually failed to meet the 1 gallon/3.7 liters goal; tried hard coming close to it by drinking a glass of water right after I woke up, then 1 glass after my morning routine, and 1 more glass of water during/after breakfast, and drinking 1 glass of water before and after my other 3 meals.

Your goal is to get close to your daily water intake of 1 gallons/3.7 liters, but don’t overstress if you fail. There are days when you won’t make your goal, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t experience the benefits of your 30 day water challenge.

4. Does soda/coffee/tea/juices count as drinking water during the 30 day water challenge?

If you want to strictly follow the rules of the 30 day water challenge, then you shouldn’t drink sweetened soda/coffee/tea/juices nor alcohol at all. In fact, you could stop to drink sweetened drinks even after the 30 day water challenge is over! Changing your drinks from soda/juices to pure water is your best bet towards a healthy lifestyle. So during the 30 days, start by taking your coffee/tea without sugar, honey or artificial sweeteners. Swap soda and juices with water! Limit your alcohol intake.

During my 30 day water challenge, I drank one coffee in the morning without sugar and just a little bit of milk. Stopped drinking sweetened beverages a long time ago, and drank water instead, so that wasn’t a problem. However, I like to drink a glass of vine few times a week with my dinner – so I limited this to one glass per week. It was a special treat to drink a glass of vine for my romantic weekend dinners.

To sum it up: consider the water in unsweetened coffee or tea, but don’t count the once-a-week alcohol if you are choosing to have that fun drink.

Ready to start you 30 day water challenge? Way to go! If you have any questions about the 30 day water challenge before you start it or during it, feel free to ask it in the comments section below.

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:

Need even more support in your healthy life journey? Click here to get free access to more useful tips>>>

Distorted body image: anorexia vs. phantom fat

November 18, 2014Body image problems, Emotional issues after weight lossbody image, distorted body, distorted body image, fit body, phantom fatChristina Marky

Not being able to see your fit body image after weight loss and still seeing the fat body or as we are starting to refer it as “phantom fat” is not anorexia.

Anorexia is basically an eating disorder while being obsessed with having a thin body, and an irrational fear of gaining weight. The person who has anorexia has a distorted body image of themselves.

After significant weight loss there is this condition referred to as phantom fat. Phantom fat is when a person after a significant weight loss is unable to see their new fit body. All they see is their old fat body image, and not the new fit body staring back at them from the mirror. Although phantom fat is not an acknowledged mental condition, it is clearly a temporary mental disorder that needs to get more attention.

Phantom fat or not being able to see your fit body after weight loss is a temporary mental disorder that needs to be addressed. [Tweet this!]

Anorexia is usually coupled with a distorted body image that changes how the person perceives and thinks about their own body. A person with anorexia sees themselves as overweight when in reality they are being underweight.

Being unable to see your fit body after significant weight loss is also due to a distorted body image that a person has of their body after weight loss. However, a person with phantom fat see himself or herself as overweight when in reality they are being in the normal weight range. Or in case we are talking about weight loss while being obese, phantom fat will result still seeing oneself as obese when in reality one will be overweight.

It comes as no surprise that phantom fat is not considered yet a mental disorder, while anorexia is accepted as a serious illness. Think about this: we haven’t really accepted the fact that carrying around excess weight to the point of being obese and overweight are not just usual conditions but serious health issues that need to be addressed.

How can you tell if you have anorexia or you are experiencing phantom fat after weight loss?

Here is a quick comparison on how to tell anorexia and phantom fat apart:

[table caption=”Characteristics of anorexia vs phantom fat” width=”400″ colwidth=”200|200″ colalign=”left|left”]
Anorexia,Phantom phat
Eating disorder,Temporary mental disorder
Distorted body image,Distorted body image
Obsessed with having a thin body,Obsessed with having a fit body
See own body as overweight when in reality body is underweight,See own body as overweight when in reality body is normal weight
[/table]

If you think that you or someone you know has anorexia, don’t be afraid to talk to someone about it. Get help, because anorexia is a serious condition that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

Don’t confuse seeing yourself fat while being fit for having anorexia. Please, educate people around you that looking fit now while being overweight for a long period of time before that does not mean that you have anorexia. Struggling with accepting your new fit body image after significant weight loss is not what having anorexia is like.

Do you think that you are experiencing phantom fat after significant weight loss? Click here to find out in a few easy steps if you are suffering from phantom fat >>>

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!

Need more emotional support in your healthy life journey? Click here to get free access to more useful tips>>>

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?

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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!