I’ve wanted to write about this for a long time but I held it off because I kind of felt like a hypocrite because I have not been consistent with diet and exercise. I’m so weak, I can’t resist bad foods. But, I’ve really decided to change myself now before things get worst.
We, women, need to take care of our health. Taking care of oneself shouldn’t be called ‘being vain’. At the end of the day, if you eat bad, you’ll gain unhealthy weight and have a lot of health problems. These resultant problems will then come in the way of your life goals.
I was a skinny girl 4 years ago. My weight at the time of marriage was about 47 kgs. And, now I’m -wait for it- 63 bloody kgs. Can you freaking believe that?! I’m not even a mother yet. I will weigh 100 kgs when I am a mother. And, this scares me. My husband’s pampering and my bad sugar addiction have got me to this insane point.
The problem is, I don’t like being skinny. And, that is the biggest reason I’m not motivated to exercise. I don’t want to offend you if you’re skinny. But, I was once skinny too. And, I just don’t want to go back to that. Women need to have fat, or else they will just look like a teenage boy. Everyone has their own opinion. Please, don’t feel personally offended. Since this is my blog I can at least speak my mind without censoring out anything or being misjudged.
I feel like women should have curves. I love the hourglass figure but not everyone has that. I’m a pear shape. When I look in the mirror the only thing I want to work on is my arms and lower abdomen. The only two things I want to reduce and tone. Otherwise, I’m happy with everything else. Everyone loves different body shapes. Everyone wants different things from their bodies. So, do what makes you feel your best.
Getting back to being healthy. I love pizzas, pasta, biryani, burgers, french fries, icecreams, cakes, and sodas. I love sweets. I love food. And, this is where it’s gotten me. So, I have decided to exercise and eat healthy to get a more toned and curvaceous physique.
Eating bad will make you feel sloppy from inside. I lack real energy and get tired soo easily. Also, without exercise, your body will lose strength. This is not just about looking good but feeling good spiritually, mentally, and physically. So, we can be better humans. Giving to our families, friends, and society. Contributing to a positive change in society. How can we do any of it when we ourselves are sick and the body is disturbed because of all the junk we put it through.
Being healthy, we can teach, train, and play with our children. Be role models for them. We will have so much energy to spend on them. I hope and pray I’m consistent with my plans! This post is really for me as a reminder and also as motivation. If you feel unhealthy, join me. And, we can make a fresh start towards a healthier life.
The plan diet
They say, your body is 80% diet and only 20% exercise. So, if you just exercise without changing your diet, you’ll not see any difference. So, we have to start with diet modification. How to eat less? If you don’t want to become stick thin, the main rule is to eat but eat healthy things in moderation.
And, really I’m not going to ask you to eat fancy things that you can’t even buy. All you’ve to do is make minor changes. More than what to eat, we have to focus on what not to eat.
What are the 3 foods to never eat
- No white sugar: this means no sugar in tea or coffee, Monitor everything you eat and drink to cut out sugar. No cakes and chocolates, and absolutely no SODAS. No, diet sodas as well because they contain loads of artificial sugars which are actually more harmful than white sugar.
- No junk food: No fast food at all. Sorry. 🙁 I know this is hard. But, junk food is the worst food there is. so, it has to go.
- Deep-fried oily foods have to stop.
Sodas are the most difficult for me because like I said sodas and sugary things are an addiction that takes time to break the addiction. I’m still struggling with quitting sugar and sodas. I promise you if you stop these 3 completely, you’ll lose weight in a week! Not kidding you. I know from experience. If I stop sodas for one full week my stomach is flat! Like flat! All of that gas bloats up your stomach.
Now, what to eat?! Eat everything that is raw and natural. Eat fruits and vegetables. Eat eggs and chicken. Eat your normal food but with less oil or switch to olive oil. I eat whatever is cooked in my home. A normal day’s lunch would include rice, chicken or meat curry, and one or two cooked vegetables along with a plate of fresh salad.
Drink honey and warm water on an empty stomach in the morning every day. This will detox your whole body and really boost your metabolism. You must know the great benefits of honey. So, it’s a must to include this in your diet. If you want to take an extra step squeeze a few drops of lemon into your honey water. Lemon is also great for detox. I drink this mixture every morning.
For breakfast, sometimes I make a yummy healthy oats soap with two boiled eggs on the side, or I will make some garlic egg noodles. If I’m short of time I will make a simple omelet. But, I always include eggs in my breakfast because we need protein. If we have bananas I will eat one for breakfast. And, that’s it.
In my fridge, we always have a stock of at least one fruit. I love to snack on oranges, pomegranates, bananas, papayas, and really any fruit. If you love sweets, you can switch to fruits and also honey to fulfill your sugar cravings.
When we get hungry suddenly we often reach for unhealthy foods. So, I have a small box filled with dates, almonds, and cashews. I’m loving cashews right now!!! I’ve one box on my bedside table and one in my bag for when I’m out. Whenever I get hungry I can pop a few in my mouth. Healthy and nutritious snacks. We just have to concentrate on eating natural foods. That means don’t reach for processed foods, eat homemade food but in moderation. Also, try to switch your tea or coffee to green tea.
Really very simple changes, all we need is some determination. This diet change will not be for a week or two, rather it has to become a lifestyle. Maybe, once or twice a month you can cheat and treat yourself with whatever you love. Remember, moderation is key in everything. Even for healthy foods, eat moderately. If you eat more than needed you’ll gain weight even with healthy foods. So, moderation is key.
Training program
Now, if you just diet and don’t exercise, you will have a ‘loose’ body. We want a curvy body but we also want it to be tight, not flabby. So, exercising is a must. The best time for me to exercise is as soon as I wake up. Because, either I get distracted with other chores during the day or that dreaded ‘2 hour’ wait period after eating interferes with my schedule. So, the best time for me is as soon as I wake up. I don’t even brush, I just change into workout clothes and start the exercise. I exercise for 30 mins, 3 days a week.
My main focus right now is my arms and legs. I want more toned arms and legs, so I do a full set of arm exercises plus squats and lunges. Everyone wants different things for their bodies. So, look for exercises that suit your needs. Below is my exercise routine.
Warm-up + Cardio (10 minutes)
I love jumping rope because 10 mins of jumping rope burn like 100 calories. And, it also increases your heart rate and makes you sweat quickly. So, I warm up with light jogging, stretching, jumping jacks, and rope jumping.
Arm exercises
Women can and should do weight lifting. It is a misconception that women will bulk up if they lift. Women don’t have as much testosterone so they cannot bulk up easily like men, so unless you’re taking steroids don’t worry about looking bulky.
I use 1.5 kg of weights for my arm exercises. You can use water bottles or food cans. Anything light will work. I look up videos on Youtube for exercises. So, you can search for one that you find easy and start with it.
Chest exercise
I also do push-ups. In the beginning, I couldn’t even do one. I would just fall on my face. But, slowly your arms become strong and you are able to hold your body weight. Push-ups are great for your chest as they will build your pectoral muscles giving your chest a lift. You can also try wall push-ups.
Leg exercises
There are only two exercises that I focus on for legs, squats, and lunges. These two exercises are really basic and easy to do. But, man you will be sore and unable to even sit on the toilet seat. haha. But, don’t worry the pain goes away. Don’t stop exercising because of the pain.
The pain actually means you’re doing it right. If all of these exercises are too much for you. Don’t do it. Just jog on the treadmill for 30 mins or more 3 times a week. That is enough exercise. I do these exercises to tone my body, you don’t have to do them if you’re not interested in that.
Everyone can take out time for exercise. We waste our time in so many things and then make an excuse when it comes to exercise. If you can watch a 45 min TV show, you can exercise too. Prioritize! This has been a long post. I hope I’ve mentioned everything important.
I hope this post was helpful for at least some of you and motivates you towards a healthy YOU.
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