Tag Archives: healthy life mindset

Can doing yoga help you accept your new body after weight loss?

The health benefits of doing yoga are endless: relaxes you and makes you focus, improves flexibility, builds muscle strength, perfects posture, increases blood flow, helps you sleep better, boosts immunity and so on. But can doing yoga help you deal with phantom fat after significant weight loss and help you accept your new fit body?

If you are following my blog, you are familiar with the issue that I had to tackle after losing significant weight: when I looked in the mirror, I saw a new fit body and I couldn’t relate to it. I had many other symptoms regarding of not being aware of my smaller body. Read more about my struggle with dealing with phantom fat here>>>

How can doing yoga help you accept your new body after weight loss

Yoga is not just a simple form of exercise. It is way more: it helps you develop a mind-body-soul connection. Your body can influence your mind. If you’ve taken a nice long walk in the park after a long stressful day to ease your mind and set yourself in a better mood, you know exactly what I’m talking about. On the other hand, your mind can influence your body as well: becoming embarrassed makes you blush in an instant. As social psychologist Amy Cuddy illustrated in her TED talk: just try one of the power poses – stand in a gladiator posture of confidence even when you don’t feel confident in order to improve your level of confidence immediately! This is a simple demonstration of how a certain body pose has an affect on your mind.

4 yoga exercises for accepting your new body after weight loss

Here is a list of yoga poses that helped me accept my new fit body after losing more than 26 kg / 57 lbs and having a hard time adjusting to my new fit body:

1. Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

How: Start from standing straight and shift your weight to your left leg. The entire sole of the foot should remain in contact with the floor. Bend your right knee and bring your right foot on the left inner thigh.The hips should be open with the right knee pointing toward the right. Bring your hands in front of you in a praying position. If you feel comfortable, raise your hands clasped together above your head. Hold this position for 20 to 60 seconds, and then bring down your right leg and repeat on the other side.

Why it works: It improves balance, posture and concentration. Practicing this pose has positive benefits on overall balance and coordination.

Contraindications: Knee or hip injury.

2. Warrior 1 (Virabhadrasana I)

How: Stand straight and stretch up your arms, palms touching. Inhale and spread your legs sideways by creating a gap of 2/3 body height. Exhale and turn your trunk facing right while rotating your right foot to face forward and slightly rotate your left foot to the left. Bend your right knee for your thigh to become parallel with the ground. Now your head, chest and right knee and foot should face forward. Hold this pose for 5 breaths, and then repeat on the other side.

Why it works: Helps you develop concentration, balance and achieve groundedness.

Contraindications: Hip, knee, back or shoulder injury.

3. Cobra pose (Bhujangasana)

How: Lay on the ground with your chest facing down. Keeping your palms and legs on the floor, lift your chest.

Why it works: It strengthens the spine and stretches your chest and stomach. It relieves stress and fatigue.

4. Bow pose (Dhanurasana)

How: Lay on the ground with your chest facing down. lie Grasp both of your feet with your hands to lift your legs and chest to form a bow. Remain in this position for some time, and try to swing back and forth or to the side.

Why it works: It opens up the chest, neck and shoulders. Has a beneficial effect on the whole body.

Need more help seeing your new fit body image in the mirror? Get more tips by clicking here >>>

Too cold outside to workout? That’s not an excuse

January 5, 2016Motivation to stay fitfit body, healthy life mindset, motivationChristina Marky

Too cold outside to workout? That's not an excuse Winter is here and you’re cold all the time. You skip your regular workout because it’s too cold outside. That’s not a valid excuse for you to stop regular workout.

Here is a guide to help you workout in the winter when it’s too cold outside.

You have 2 options for keeping yourself in shape during the winter (besides watching what you eat):

Outdoor winter workouts in the cold
Indoor winter workouts

Too cold outside to workout? That's not an excuse — This is a regular outdoor winter workout in Russia.

I suggest going outside to work out, even if it’s too cold outside! There is a list of winter workouts you could do when it’s cold outside. However if you are really demotivated to step outside of the warmth of your home, then indoor winter workouts are the answer you are looking for.

Let’s see how you can workout during winter when it’s cold outside:

Outdoor winter workouts

When you were a little girl you loved being outdoors during the winter! Now is the time to be that little girl again! Make the most of snow, rain and fog! There are various health benefits of spending time and doing your workout outdoors during the winter.

Benefits of working out outdoors during winter:

makes you more resistant to colds and flu
fighting winter depression
you get exposed to more daylight than spending time indoors during winter
having fun and enjoying yourself with outdoor winter activities
working out outdoors in the cold burns more calories than working out indoors

These are just some of the benefits of outdoor winter workout!

What outdoor winter workouts can you do to reap all the benefits of working out in the cold?

1. Shoveling snow

Shoveling snow is the ultimate outdoor winter workout! It gets your heart pumping, your body heats up, plus your doing a great job cleaning the driveway! 45 minutes of shoveling snow burns about 300 calories (based on a 68 kg/150 lbs person). So get yourself out there and offer to shovel that snow for the elders in your neighborhood!

2. Skiing

Too cold outside to workout? That's not an excuse Skiing is so much fun! If you have the opportunity to try skiing, don’t miss out on it! According to BUPA, moderate downhill skiing burns up, on average, 400 calories an hour, while uphill cross-country skiing can burn up to 1.000 calories an hour.

3. Ice skating

Get your booty on that ice rink and show the world what an ice skater you are! Depending on how heavy you are and how fast you are ice skating you You can burn between 250-670 calories while ice skating for 30 minutes.

4. Taking a walk in the snow

If you don’t have access to skis, snowboard or ice skates, then going for a walk during winter is a great way to get your booty outside! Just be sure to dress warmly for the long walk and wear boots that are slippery-free if you plan on walking on icy paths.

5. Snowshoeing

Snowshoeing is a cross between hiking and walking. Rent or buy a pair of snowshoes, dress warmly and enjoy the walk! Snowshoeing is hard work, so it will give you the exercise you need for the winter!

6. Hiking

Hiking is not just for summer months! The winter gives a wonderful view of the nature and a whole new world opens! Find a suitable hiking route and hit the road!

7. Snowboarding

Try snowboarding! If you are a beginner, you will spend a lot of time on your back. However, even at light pace, snowboarding burns about 381 calories in 60 minutes. So give it a try this winter!

8. Sledding

Too cold outside to workout? That's not an excuse Remember how you loved sledding when you were a little girl? Time to relive those moments again! Who says you can’t sledge even when you are in your 30s?

9. Snowball fight

The best thing about snowball fight is that you don’t need anything else, just snow! And maybe some warm gloves! Invite your friends for an afternoon of snowball fight! Or just surprise them with throwing a snowball in their face!

10. Building a snowman

When there is snow outside that is an invite for you to become a kid again: build a snowman! Building a snowman burnes around 285 calories per hour! Invite family and friends for a snowman building! You could even start a snowman building competition in your neighbourhood!

If you have kids or pets, be sure to take them with you. They’ll be sure to enjoy the winter fun time you spend in outdoors in the snow or in the cold.

Indoor winter workouts

Another option to work out during the winter if you don’t feel like going out to the cold is if you workout indoors: go to a gym, or just do some exercises at home. This will get your body ready to handle the cold outside. If you are depressed or down and can’t even think of going outside to the cold, then working out indoors during winter will motivate you enough so that you make that first step. Start with indoor workouts, and then when you feel ready, step outside!

Need motivation to restart your workout routine after the holiday season? Read more here>>>

Need even more support to get back on track with your workout routine during winter? Click here to gain free access to more useful tips>>>

9 awesome tips for the 30 day water challenge

November 24, 201530 day water challengehealthy life mindset, water challengeChristina Marky

Here are some helpful tips to help you start the 30 day water challenge:

Helpful Tip #1: Get yourself a water bottle so you can carry it with you wherever you go during the 30 day water challenge!
Helpful Tip #2: Make a water drinking plan for yourself for the 30 day water challenge! See here how to make a water drinking plan>>> Water drinking plan
Helpful Tip #3: Use a 1 gallon plastic bottle to have a visual of how much water you need to drink that day during the 30 day water challenge! You can even make markings on the side of the bottle to see if you’ve drank the amount of water by the time you supposed to!
Helpful Tip #4: Start using a straw! You tend to drink more water when you use a straw!
Helpful Tip #5: Don’t like how water tastes? Infuse your water with fruit flavors! Add lemon, lime, orange, strawberries, grapes or any of your favorite fruit to your water to change how it tastes! If doing the 30 day water challenge during the winter, drink hot water with mint leaves or lemon!
Helpful Tip #6: Keep a water log of how much water you are drinking per day and log your water intake during the 30 day water challenge. You can even use an app for your phone to help you log your water intake during the 30 day water challenge!
Helpful Tip #7: Set an alarm to remind you when to drink more water throughout the day. Or try using one of the apps for your devices to keep you updated.
Helpful Tip #8: Have a glass of water before and after your meals! This is the easiest way to stay hydrated and to reach your daily goal of 1 gallon / 3.8 liters per day during the 30 day water challenge!
Helpful Tip #9: Have one last of a glass of water before bed!

Take up the 30 Day Water Challenge and give your body the hydration it needs!

Want to find out more about the 30 Day Water Challenge? Check out these:

Like what you’ve read? Click here to get more>>>

Sex after weight loss: the truth everyone who lost weight is afraid to openly admit

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

The truth everyone who lost weight is afraid to openly admit is: sex becomes better after weight loss. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t say that for you to enjoy sex you can’t be overweight or obese and must be fit. Everyone is entitled to enjoy sex, and you may be obese and still have a sexual drive of a rabbit, always ready to go. The secret I’m going to share with you here is how significant weight loss will affect the way you are having sex.

How becoming fit effects your sexual drive in a positive way:

1. New sex positions you are able to get into

And I don’t only mean deeper penetration, because that’s not what every woman enjoys. However there are certain positions that were out of the question while you were fat that are now available for you now after your weight loss. I found myself discovering this unintentionally during one intercourse after I’ve lost significant amount of weight. It didn’t come up during the act itself, but the fact that we couldn’t do that pose earlier while I was fat was pointed out by my significant other. And I didn’t get upset as you would expect; I got all excited about it, and it filled me with happiness that going from fat to fit had it benefits on my sex life I never expected!

After weight loss you are able to try various sexual positions that were impossible before while you were fat. For a complete list of position tips see Wikipedia’s sex positions article.

2. Increased stamina

Sexual stamina is defined as a person’s ability to sustain sexual intercourse before they tire out. If you have high stamina, you can have sex for longer without getting tired. You may also be able to have sex in positions that require more strength. If you have low stamina, you get tired easily from all that vigorous sex and can have a hard time maintaining your level of arousal.

With weight loss while engaging in regular exercise my different muscle groups strengthened. This resulted not only in increased stamina during sex but also I enabled myself to get into sex positions that work my muscle groups that I couldn’t get myself into before while I was fat. Only after a few weeks of strength training, you will be able to see results in bed: some poses will be more enjoyable when you can easily hold yourself in them thanks to your muscles. I didn’t even realize how much of a mood breaker it was before for me that I couldn’t hold myself with my arms for long in certain positions.

With increased stamina after weight loss you will be open to experiment more and have longer sessions because you’re not tired out and can keep on going.

3. Increased sexual self-esteem

You did it, you’ve lost weight! Yey for you! You’ve set a goal, worked hard, and achieved it. You might feel that this is not a permanent state and that you still have other goals to achieve, but take a moment to really appreciate what you’ve done here. You put your mind to something, made sacrifices, worked hard, and achieved what you intended to! Take a few minutes to think about it. You did it. Let it sink in.

If you had low self esteem until this point, then it needs to be increased! You achieved something for yourself and yourself only! Way to go!

Self-esteem means having self-confidence, liking yourself, having a healthy level of achievement in your life and having respect of others. Confidence is considered sexy.

Higher self-esteem affects your sexual self-esteem in a positive way. It makes you open for a new kind of way of receiving and giving affection.

4. Losing weight stimulates sex hormones

There is a research that suggests that losing even a small amount of weight, even 10 pounds, is enough to stimulate your sex hormones. Personally I didn’t experience this.

Research says that in overweight women the sex drive and the desire are affected. Apparently it is related to the amount of body fat you have. If your body fat is high, chances are that your SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) levels are high as well. SHBG binds to testosterone the sex hormone. It makes low testosterone levels, so there is less that can stimulate desire.

So apparently weight loss has a positive effect on your sexual desire as well. I believe that it might be true in some cases, but the truth is that I’ve seen overweight people who don’t have a problem with desire, and I haven’t experiences problems while I was obese and overweight either.

You just read 4 facts how becoming fit effects your sexual drive in a positive way, but let me tell you something: there are no words to describe the happiness that you feel when you find out all these benefits for yourself. So keep yourself motivated to become and stay fit!

Did you know I’ve shared my secret of how I’ve went from fat to fit girl? Be sure to read how I’ve lost 60 lbs! Click here>>>

What do your friends think when they see that you are fat?

September 22, 2015Body image problemsBody Image during and after weight loss, body image problems, distorted body image, healthy life mindset, motivationChristina Marky

You are more likely to get an honest opinion from strangers about you being fat than from your friends. When I became fit my friends finally came clean and confessed to me what they really thought about me being fat. You'd never believe what your friends think about your weight!

What do your friends think when they see that you are fat? — “Should I lie to her and tell her she’s not fat? Eh, f*ck it, I’ll wipe that smile off her face by calling her fat”

How to get an honest opinion about you being fat from your friends? Lose weight, become fit – they will grab every opportunity to express how they think that you look awesome now that you’ve lost weight and that your are not fat anymore!

Wait – what? Does this mean that my friends think that I was ugly fat before?

Yes. Actually, no. Oh, it’s complicated, just like your relationship status.

Your friends’ honest opinion about your weight (if they find you overweight and fat) is something you will never know -until you become fit! The truth is that your friends’ opinion about you being fat is clouded by their feelings for you. If they feel that you have issues with your weight and are afraid of being called fat, they might just lie to your face about you looking awesome in those stretch pants, even when your muffin top is visibly spilling over just so that they don’t hurt your feelings. Making someone feel bad about themselves and calling them fat is not a thing you want to do to your friend. And bamm, a white lie is born:

“Noooo, you are not fat! You’re just big boned!”

How to tell your friends’ honest opinion about you being fat or not?

Test: You can go the easy route and ask your friend if they think that you are fat or not. Now that the bomb is dropped, pay close attention: study your friend’s face.

He/she is lying: Is your friend looking like he or she is uncomfortable? Is her face twitching? If your answer is yes, congratulations! You just caught your friend lying! If your friend has an uncomfortable expression on her face, it means that she is uncomfortable with you asking that question if you are fat or not. She is afraid that she will hurt your feelings – hence she is telling you that she doesn’t think that you are fat. Now ask her:

– Ok, you don’t THINK that I am fat. But am I fat?

This is a way to uncover good liars: to ask the question twice. Now if they confess that they’d lied, congratulations! You just made them confess to you that you are fat!

He/she is telling the truth: Is your friend smiling? Is she relaxed? Chances are she is giving her honest opinion about your weight. If she thinks that you might take it hard to hear that you are fat, she might seem sad when telling you the obvious. A friend like that is a keeper. Someone who is not afraid to tell you the truth that you are fat, even if she thinks that she might hurt your feelings is an awesome friend. You should be proud of her, so don’t lash out on her. Even if hearing the truth that you’ve put on a lot of weight and you are fat is not what you’d want to hear. Be honest with yourself: deep down you know that you are fat. Time to put down those cupcakes and start exercising!

Friends vs true friends

There are two types of friends you will encounter while discussing your weight while you are being overweight (aka fat):

1. Friends

Friends who respect you for being comfortable with being fat

Friends whom you’ve managed to convince with your silent acceptance and grace that you accepted who you are. You accepted that you are fat, and you are fabulous!

These are the friends you like to surround yourself with, because they are boosting your self confidence and making you feel superior because you’ve managed to do what they didn’t: you’ve accepted yourself the way you are – you accepted that you are fat. Ironically, these are the friends that do you the most harm in the long run: they make you feel okay to be unhealthy fat. They make you stay in your comfort zone of being fat and being fabulous about it.

2. True friends

Friends who don’t understand why the hell you are so comfortable with being fat???

These friends are clueless about why you are carrying your fat ass with all that grace. How come you are so relaxed about being so fat? Being fat is not good for your health, so why are you so okay with being fat?

These friends can see through your charade: you did not manage to convince them that you’ve accepted who you are, that you are okay with being fat. You can’t be okay with being unhealthy! They see through you and you lying to yourself. And they don’t want to be part of that lie! You are hurting yourself with lying to yourself that you are not fat or that you are okay with being fat, and they know it. They love you enough to bring that to your attention in hopes that you would change your eating habits and lose all that fat. They are your guides to a healthier life!

If you want to change, then you should surround yourself more with these people! They will help your change, and they will give you the support you need throughout your weight loss journey!

What do you think your friends think of you? Share your opinion in the comments section below or follow my stories by subscribing to my newsletter. Click here>>>

I have been fat my whole life, do I have to stay fat forever?

September 1, 2015Body image problemsafter weight loss, Body Image during and after weight loss, fit body, healthy life mindset, motivationChristina Marky

I have a newsflash for you: you don't have to stay fat forever! I've been obese and overweight my whole life since childhood. I thought that I would have to live my life as fat forever. Don't be like the old me! Make healthy lifestyle changes and start living a healthy life today!

Fat childhood

I come from a family of overweight people and I’ve been fat as long as I can remember. Obesity runs in my family so to say. So how come I still managed to lose pounds to become fit?

Well, there is no such thing as a fat gene. Being fat has to do with your lifestyle. If your parents are overweight, it means that they are eating more than they would need to eat. Chances are that they will feed you as a kid more than what you need for your age and activity level. And if you are a good kid, you will clear your plate.

So as a little kid, this becomes a standard for you. Eating a lot. Eating unhealthy stuff. A little exercise now and then, running around in the park or with your friends occasionally, and that’s it. You see your friends, and see that most of the kids are slimmer than you are. You look at your parents, you see they are fat just like you are. You look at skinny Jenny and her mom who is also skinny. You figure that you were born this way, fat is in your genes, you can do nothing about it. It is just the way you are.

You ask your parents if you are fat, they tell you that you are not fat, you are just big boned like they are. Look at your grandma, she is also big boned. Look at your cousin, he is also big. We are one big happy family. And being happy is what counts.

You figure that chocolate makes you happy, so eating a lot of it is a good thing.

This is how a fat child became an obese child.

Fat teen years

I have been fat my whole life, do I have to stay fat forever? — Look, her boobs are bigger than her belly! That’s not fair!

Puberty hits: insecurities about yourself emerge again! Oh my god! I am ugly! All the other girls are skinny, I want to be skinny! Amy has a lump on her chest, what is that? The boys seem to like it! Why don’t I have those lumps yet? The pretty girls in class are wearing tops that shows their belly buttons! They look like Britney Spears! I can’t wear a top like that. I tried one at home, but I look ridiculous. My tummy is bigger than my boobs. I cry and my mom asks me what’s wrong, so I confess. She tells me that I should not worry, my boobs will grow. But it’s not the outside that counts, it’s what’s on the inside. I know, and I know that I am sweet on the inside, and I am being nice to everyone. But when I am alone, I still want the skinny body, visible boobs and to rock the crop top.

So after years of not being one of the pretty girls but being one of the fat girls I finally except it. I have a nice personality. I am sweet, always smiling, I seem happy. I will never have a killer body, but I don’t care. I will certainly win over my prince charming with my personality. Princess Snow White won her prince over in ugly clothes with her pretty face and sweet personality. I have a cute face and sweet personality! I can do that.

I wish I had Snow White’s body frame…

Welcome to your fat 20s

Being fat in your 20s is interesting. You are used to being fat, because you’ve been fat your whole life. You seem to be comfortable being fat. To an outside observer it might be strange to see you being so comfortable and content with your weight and size.

The more time you spend being fat, the more comfortable you seem to be with being fat for the outside observer.

This is where it becomes hard being fat. You seem content and comfortable, and you feel like you’ve accepted yourself the way you are. And then your boyfriend right after the final breakup fight, when both of you are out of things to say, goes and breaks the silence by saying:

– Oh and you are ugly fat!

You don’t say anything, but inside you something gets broken. How can someone whom you’ve shared the last 3 years of your life and loved with all your heart call you fat at the end? Is this something he always thought of you? He wasn’t prince charming on a white horse! He was the white horse! Hearing that one sentence from a loved one shifts everything. You start to feel sorry for yourself.

You are sad because of the breakup. Things didn’t work out as you planned. You feel alone. You can’t sleep, you can’t eat. You barely eat at all. After weeks and weeks of sadness, it starts to show. You lose weight, fast. You are sad, but you are at least happy about your weight loss! You don’t even care that starving yourself is not healthy. You are losing weight!

Time passes, your heart heals, and it starts beating faster for another prince charming. Turns out he likes you too! Love and happiness! You are going out on dates again! You are enjoying yourself! You go out to fancy dinners, catch a movie. Then you go steady and eating out is replaced by ordering pizza and catching a movie at home. Weekend after weekend, and you can see that all that junk food and desserts are starting to show on both of you. You and your prince became round. But you don’t care! You are happy! You are in love! Who cares about you being fat again? Your prince doesn’t! He says he likes your curves just the way they are! Hooray!

The revelation that changed my fat life forever

As you approach to your 30s, you start to feel anxious. You are still casually dating or single, you still plan to get married one day (in the distant future), but something bothers you. You are experiencing some health issues: high blood sugar, lower back problems, leg and knee pain. When you complain about these health issues, your father tells you that you are just getting old:

– If you are over 30 years old, and after you wake up in the morning and nothing hurts, it means that you are dead.

You see your parents, who are old and are experiencing all these symptoms and many more. But you feel that there is something wrong. You look at other couples, who are the age of your parents and there seems to be nothing wrong with them. They might have some minor health issues, but they are completely different than your parents’ and they are work related illnesses. So you start to wonder: how can someone reach an old age and still be healthy? What is their secret?

Well, you are asking the right questions! When you study the lives of old people who look and feel young and compare it to your parents’ life you will see that the difference is lifestyle.

You always thought of obesity as a cosmetic issue. You never considered that being obese will have it’s effect on your health.

The secret to healthy old age is through a healthy lifestyle!

Yes, you’ve heard it before, and it sounds like a cliche. But have you ever evaluated your own life? To see what kind of a lifestyle you’ve been living! Well, I evaluated mine!

I saw that if I continue to live the way I lived I will end up just like my parents: with various health problems. I saw my future. Seeing my mom deal with migraines, seeing my dad having heart problems made me feel helpless. I wanted to help them, but I couldn’t. Seeing your loved ones in pain is hard. You want to help them, but you don’t know what to do when even doctors can’t help them.

I flashed forward and I saw myself in them. I saw how my future kid will once stand by my side watch me having a migraine and just stand there and feel helpless just the way as I am feeling. This is the best case scenario. I don’t have kids, and I’m getting near my 30s. I’ll be way older than my parents by the time my kid grows into an adult. He or she will have to see me suffer even harder, and with more health issues.

This scared the sh!t out of me. I don’t want my unborn child to live through the horror of seeing old and unhealthy parents at a young age!

So what can I do about this? I can start by changing my unhealthy lifestyle to a healthy one!

Fit 30s and counting!

So I started with small steps: changing one bad habit for a healthy one. Starting to exercise and searching for the right type of exercise that will fit me. Changing my diet plan by eating more vegetables and fruits. Finding ways to manage stress by doing yoga and bringing more balance to my life. I’ve seen improvement in the quality of my life gradually. The health issues disappeared, I felt better than ever before, I’ve lost weight and I started to look better than the Disney princesses! I am over 30, and I’ve never been this fit in my life!

Could this be your story? Join me and other girls who went from fat to fit on Facebook>>>

How to go from fat to fit girl – find out in next weeks blog post on Tuesday!

What is the 30 Day Water Challenge?

August 11, 201530 day water challenge#noexcusewaterchallenge, healthy life mindset, water challengeChristina Marky

30 Day Water Challenge: drink 1 gallon / 3.8 liters of water each day

You start the 30 day water challenge by slowly increasing your water intake day by day, until you reach the point where you drink 1 gallon / 3.8 liters of water per day. You continue drinking 1 gallon / 3.8 liters of water until the 30 days are over.

No sweetened beverages nor alcohol are allowed for this period. You can have one glass of alcoholic beverage per week if you must. Just don’t count the alcohol into your daily water consumption.

Do NOT drink your entire day’s worth of water all at once

Increase your water intake gradually. Now that you start to drink more water, first you must train your bladder to adjust to your new goal of drinking 1 gallon/3.8 liters of water per day. It might take your body time to adjust, but in 1-2 weeks your bladder will become adjusted to the increased water intake.

Do NOT drink your entire day’s worth of water in one take. Water poisoning is a real thing! If you drink more than 0.21 gallons/0.8 liter of water in an hour, you are risking water poisoning. Water poisoning happens when you flush out electrolytes that your body needs. Slowly increase your water intake and distribute your set water goal drinking throughout the day. If you have healthy kidneys, they filter 0.21 – 0.26 gallons/0.8-1 liter of water per hour, so drink less than that to avoid water poisoning.

What are the results of the 30 day water challenge?

Depending on your current lifestyle, activity level, health, age and gender you will see different results during the 30 day water challenge.

What is the 30 Day Water Challenge? — Here are the results of her 30 day water challenge! She is 65 years old, this is how she looks now!

Changing your current diet or exercise routine is not required. Just consume 1 gallon / 3.8 liters of water per day for 30 days.

The results of the 30 day water challenge that you might experience are:

visible reduced wrinkles around the eyes
improvement in overall skin tone
dry skin becomes more elastic
pimple and acne free face
normal bowel movement results in perfect poop every morning
minor weight loss: lose 9 lbs / 4 kg in 30 days
high energy level and freshness
no headaches and/or migraine
dark circles under eyes disappeared or lightened
no more dry lips
dry and cracked heels softened
improved flexibility (water lubricates the joints)
no bad breath
cellulite on thighs and buttocks reduced
relief from dry eyes
improved concentration
and many more!

Excited to start your 30 day water challenge?

Tips for starting the 30 day water challenge

Here are some helpful tips to help you start the 30 day water challenge:

Helpful Tip #1: Get yourself a water bottle so you can carry it with you wherever you go during the 30 day water challenge!
Helpful Tip #2: Make a water drinking plan for yourself for the 30 day water challenge! See here how to make a water drinking plan>>> Water drinking plan
Helpful Tip #3: Use a 1 gallon plastic bottle to have a visual of how much water you need to drink that day during the 30 day water challenge! You can even make markings on the side of the bottle to see if you’ve drank the amount of water by the time you supposed to!
Helpful Tip #4: Start using a straw! You tend to drink more water when you use a straw!
Helpful Tip #5: Don’t like how water tastes? Infuse your water with fruit flavors! Add lemon, lime, orange, strawberries, grapes or any of your favorite fruit to your water to change how it tastes! If doing the 30 day water challenge during the winter, drink hot water with mint leaves or lemon!
Helpful Tip #6: Keep a water log of how much water you are drinking per day and log your water intake during the 30 day water challenge. You can even use an app for your phone to help you log your water intake during the 30 day water challenge!
Helpful Tip #7: Set an alarm to remind you when to drink more water throughout the day. Or try using one of the apps for your devices to keep you updated.
Helpful Tip #8: Have a glass of water before and after your meals! This is the easiest way to stay hydrated and to reach your daily goal of 1 gallon / 3.8 liters per day during the 30 day water challenge!
Helpful Tip #9: Have one last of a glass of water before bed!

Take up the 30 Day Water Challenge and give your body the hydration it needs!

If you’ve read this far, it means that you are ready to start your 30 day water challenge! If you have any reservations about drinking 1 gallon/3.8 liter water a day for 30 days, consult your doctor.

Need proof of the benefits of drinking more water? See my results of the 30 day water challenge>>>

Who should start the 30 day water challenge

August 4, 201530 day water challenge, Motivation to stay fit#noexcusewaterchallenge, healthy life mindset, Maria Kang, successful weight loss, water challengeChristina Marky

Throughout the 30 day water challenge you drink 1 galon/3.7 liters of water each day for 30 days. The rules of the 30 day water challenge are simple. Get to know the rules of the 30 day water challenge here>>>

Why drink water

Water does the body good. We all heard the fact that if you drink 2 glasses of water before a meal, it will help you lose weight. This is correct, because you will eat less calories when you fill your belly with water before starting to eat.

The benefits of drinking water are numerous – wrinkles gone, no pimples, perfect poop every morning, minor weight loss, more energy, no headaches and many more. See my results after the 30 day water challenge here>>>

Sounds like a real dream!

When to do the water challenge

You can start the 30 day water challenge whenever you feel like. You just pick a date and start drinking 1 gallon / 3.7 liters of water per day and continue it for 30 days.

Starting the 30 day water challenge during summer when it’s hot outside is more convenient – your body needs more water to stay hydrated anyways. However, you can start the 30 day water challenge whenever you feel like it. There are no limitations to it.

Who should start the 30 day water challenge

The majority of people are dehydrated. So starting a water challenge is a good idea for almost everyone. It will give you an insight into how much water you are drinking usually and you will be able to see various awesome results.

Start the water challenge if:

You want to lose weight
You believe you should drink more water
Your skin is dry and not elastic
Your urine is dark yellow instead of lemon yellow or see through
You have headaches
You deal with constipation
You have dark circles around your eyes
Your lips are dry
Your heels are dry, cracked
You are curious if you will benefit from drinking more water

Always consult your doctor before starting any kind of diet or fitness program! Consulting your doctor before starting the 30 day water challenge is a good idea! See the incomplete list of the risks of the 30 day water challenge here>>>

Food is the most abused anxiety drug

July 31, 2015FITspiration Fridayafter weight loss, fit body, healthy life mindset, motivationChristina Marky

Finally, it’s FitSpiration Friday!

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about why I was fat most of my life. The biggest reason was that I’ve used food and thoughtless eating to calm my anxiety, stress, depression.

“Food is the most abused anxiety drug. Exercise is the most underutilized antidepressant.”

What is the best cure for anxiety, stress and depression? Exercise!

Have a nice weekend and stay active!

Do you know the benefits of drinking plenty of water? Start a 30 day water challenge! Click here>>>

How to deal with fear of getting fat again while being fit

July 21, 2015Body image problems, Emotional issues after weight loss, Motivation to stay fitafter weight loss, fit body, healthy life mindset, successful weight loss, weight loss strugglesChristina Marky

Are you afraid of getting fat again? Learn to live without the fear of getting fat again.

Trading an unhealthy lifestyle for a healthy one. Finding time for exercise. Starting exercising regularly. Making eating healthy and leading an active life a top priority. Seeing result. Small scale victory. Introducing a new type of exercise. Adjusting your meals and meal proportions. Giving up chocolate. Losing fat on your hips. Needing smaller clothes. Redefining your whole wardrobe to fit your smaller body. Going to the gym for the first time. Buying the first quality gym clothes. Wearing it to workout instead of those ratty old sweat pants. People complementing you on how you’ve lost weight. You being able to see your new fit body in the mirror. It’s a long journey, it doesn’t happen in a week, it takes time, dedication. And then starting to obsess over getting fat again.

Being afraid of becoming fat again will be one of the issues you will need to address after you lose significant weight and become fit.

The reasons behind being afraid of becoming fat again

First of all, you will need to identify why is it that you feel like you need to be afraid of getting fat again. Take your time to think about why you are afraid of becoming fat again. Think hard, dig deep. Be honest with yourself about why you are afraid of becoming fat again!

Are you afraid of becoming fat again because you:

#1. Skipped regular workouts for weeks?

#2. Started eating more junk food and/or sweets?

#3. Scale is showing weight gain?

#4. None of the above!

Now that you’ve identified of why you are afraid of getting fat again you will need to address that fear. Find the reason below and read the tips on how to live without the fear of getting fat again.

7 tips to live without the fear of getting fat again

Choose one of the 4 reasons listed above for you being afraid of becoming fat again, and read on to see how to address that issue efficiently.

Reason #1: Skipped regular workouts for weeks

You have guilty conscience because you’ve skipped workouts. The fear of becoming fat again is your conscience telling you that you’ve fallen off the right tracks you were on. This is actually a good thing, meaning that your body and mind cares about your health. It is warning you that you need to get back to your active lifestyle.

a.) In case of being lazy or life interfering

In order to silence your conscience, you will need to start exercising again. If you’ve had a longer break, then introduce yourself to exercising slowly. Start by exercising 2 times per week, and then gradually increase that, until you reach the desired number of times and hours per week you were satisfied with.

>>>How to restart workout routine

b.) In case of injury or sickness

In case you have an injury or are unable to workout for a longer period of time, see this guide to help you maintain your weight and gains>>>

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

Reason #2: Started eating more junk food and/or sweets

See why is it that you have the need to eat more junk food or sweets?

a.) In case you’re easing an emotional situation with eating

Looking back I see that one of the reasons I became obese was because of how I handled stress. Every time I faced stress, I ate. Sometimes I ate anything I could put my hands on: chocolate, biscuits, leftovers from the fridge. You name anything, if I was stressed, I ate it.

Eating to ease stress or sadness is a coping mechanism. After you eat, the parasympathetic nervous system gets active when your body hits the “rest and digest” state. Basically you fall into rest mode. So it makes it a perfect subject for misusing this system. Feeling anxious? Stressed? Sad? EAT! Whoah, I feel calm and comforted now.

Solution: Find another way to cope with stress. I started doing yoga and meditating for 20 minutes per day, but you can use anything that helps you handle stress (unless it’s eating junk food and sweets).

b.) In case you’re eating more because you are hungry

In this case you need to examine your hunger. One of the reasons might be that you are starving yourself and your body needs more food and that’s why you are feeling hungry. Maybe the number of calories you calculated that you need to eat are not enough: it depends on your activity level as well. So if you are doing more vigorous exercise such as weight training, you will need to eat more. Just make it a healthy foods, with the right amount of protein/fats/carbs. And most importantly:

Eat until 80% full.

The other reason behind eating more may be that your meals are not balanced out throughout the day. I used to hardly eat during the day while at the office, so naturally I became really hungry once I got home. So I ate my lunch/supper, dessert, chocolate, fruits, nuts, ice cream, cheese. I ate my supper at the table, and then walked back and forth towards the fridge eating until I felt full. Introducing in-between healthy snacks (such as fruits or veggies) while in the office helped me balance out my meals throughout the day. So I’m not feeling hungry anymore and are eating the needed amount of calories for my body and activity level.

Reason #3: Scale is showing weight gain

Stepping on the scale to check your weight and see weight gain might freak you out and make you think that you’ll become fat again. However, this is not so simple. Read on.

a.) In case weighting yourself occasionally

Stepping on the scale occasionally is fine because it can help you keep yourself on track. You’ll notice a major weight gain while it is happening and you’ll be able to interfere.

However, pay attention to the fact that muscle is heavier than fat. So maybe you are experiencing what I was: gaining muscle and losing fat meaning that the number on the scale goes up. However, if you look at yourself, you can clearly see that it’s not fat that you are gaining, it’s muscle. So if you suddenly have visible biceps without flexing or bubble booty, then the weight gain a sign of you gaining muscles!

b.) In case you are weighting yourself daily

Stop. Just stop weighting yourself every day. It’s not healthy to obsess over your weight. Instead focus on the weight of your dumbbells going up instead of focusing on the numbers of your scale going down. Remember, daily fluctuations in weight don’t mean a thing. So you might as well stop obsessing over the numbers on that scale.

Reason #4: None of the above

If your reason of being afraid of becoming fat again is none of the reasons addressed above, then it means that you have some issues you need to deal with.

Losing weight is not easy. Keeping it off in the long run is harder. It needs discipline and developing healthy habits. After becoming fit you will certainly go through a phase where you are afraid of becoming fat again, and it is okay. You can use this fear to motivate you, to fuel your workout or healthy habits. However, you must pay close attention to that fear of getting fat again, because it can lead you down the dark path of obsession over your weight.

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