Welcome :) Health and wellness is discussed here throughout the mind, body and soul. This is a positive, no Debbie downer environment. Please feel free to comment and share your ideas with the world.
Hello jennifer!! my names drake (19) and i want to know what you think about my new years resolution... All my life I've rotated all my life decisions around my families needs and wants so their lives could be more convenient but at the cost of my independence and personal growth. So my new years resolution is - instead of being constantly selfless I want to be more selfish. It may sound wrong but this year I want my life to actually be about me and not everyone else, because it's started to feel like I've just become a tool at everyones disposal and what I want hasn't really mattered for a long time. It's time for change and 2012 is the time, so what do you think!?
Hello Drake and thank you for being the first to post. Many times very kind people that care greatly about others, especially their loved ones, dedicate much time to them and their needs. When the day is over they look back and realize they did not do one thing for themselves only for others. There are people that do this everyday without realizing, i can tell you that among everyone, many mothers are very guilty of this. I have had endless meetings/conversations with various people about nutrition, exercises, daily living and much more. Mothers or other guardians of the family (even roomates that piggy back others) do everything for them. Wake up early to work, cook, clean, wash clothes, run errands, babysit and much more. Sometimes they only get one or two meals in, didnt exercise, didnt get their hairdone, didnt get their homework done-----nothing for themselves only for others. They go on like this for years some of them even break down and get depressed or actually turn around and give up on everything. The way to prevent this is exactly how you are doing. First realize, then find ways to work around it. It is not a sense of selfishness it is more a sense of self growth (as you mentioned). In the long run you help others by helping yourself first. How can you donate money to the homeless if you do not make any? how can you help others achieve goals without figuring out yours? this can go many ways. You need to please yourself, grow and love yourself. I am not saying neglect the loved ones around you. You can help others but set your priorities first before anyone. I have also met or read about very few mothers who are professional bodybuilders or figure models and they have 3-5 kids, have written books, part time job, maybe in school, take care of everyone in their lives----but they put themselves and their needs first. You will be happier or have more self accomplishment when you are accomplishing your goals and still helping those around you. To love others you must begin by accepting and loving yourself fully. If you are young and you are speaking as a sibling living with their family----I suggest setting goals short term (next year or few months), long term (5 years) and daily (tasks/chores/errands). Take it day by day fulfill some of your stuff as well as maybe taking out trash, helping clean or simply running a few errands on the way of doing yours or after yours. Everyday make sure you did something for yourself though because life is short!!! do not wait until the end or when you finally finish school or have enough money to do stuff----do it now!!!! Now if you're a husband or boyfriend living with your significant other, i suggest you speak as a team. Relationships succeed over awesome communication. Talk about your short term, long term and daily goals. This way maybe that person can help with daily tasks and you each have time for eachother or yoursleves to accomplish personal things. Being that you are together it is important to know eachothers goals or daily tasks because as a relationship you are growing together. DO not neglect one another but understand eachother and come to a new understanding. It is not anyones fault but yours. STep out and put yourself first, then help others. Make what you think is important matter and get to it!!! do things for you---it is your life!!! Love and appreciate yourself the way others may not have!!!! STart today!!! Hope this helped:) I would like to recommend three books that may help along the way....at least check out the ebook sample. You can look it up from the amazon bar right here on the page-----UNSTOPPABLE CONFIDENCE, AWAKEN THE GIANT WITHIN, DONT SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF AND ITS ALL SMALL STUFF----they give good advice about yourself how you enter the world, tips and tricks, and also the people including haters you may come across and how to not sweat and avoid it all......good luck!!
HI Jen. It's Lamis... first I want to congratulate u on the blog:) My #1 new yr's resolution is finally getting my tummy tuck!! yaaay, I've been talking about it for yrs but 2012 is the year to do it. As you know the recovery is long, and I will not be active for about 8 weeks:( So going from working out 3-4 time/week to just going up and down the stairs will take a toll on my body:( I need a good 5 days nutrition/diet plan to keep my body fat from going up while in recovery as much as possible. If you have recipes that would be great too:) Thank u and Happy New Year:)
Hey Lamis, Thank you for being apart of it!!! It is the fans that really keep it alive!!!
Congratulations on accomplishing one of your New Years Resolutions!!!
Being that it is a tummy tuck yes it will take a toll on your body, however you do not have to give up working out completely. You can still do upper body exercises at home to keep the tone in your arms, at the gym you can do seated leg exercises----that do NOT put tension on your core. Knowing you though and how you work out which is super tough----this will possibly not be enough for you but it will be better than nothing---and you are still building muscle and staying tight!!!! You do not want any setbacks when you do get back into the gym.
Now the best part-----nutrition plan!!!!! okay i will break it down and have options for each seperated by a '/' .
First some quick basic tips: * small, frequent portions every 3-4 hours possibly less if your last meal was more of a snack vs a meal *priority consumption----vegetables (raw/cooked/smoothie/salad/stir fry/dip/soup etc) *second would be fruits--- not too many maybe three servings a day---unless you are mixing a small amount into the veggie smoothie to give it more flavor *lean proteins most days of the week turkey, fish, chicken----keep in your whey shakes as well *fats and proteins in moderation
*upon waking drink 8 oz water @ room temperature, then 8 oz lemon water (real lemon), then you can drink your coffee (small amount of creamer, or soy milk or just have it black) and breakfast. *try and drink at least one cup of green tea (real green tea daily) *drink lots of water ----best thing to do is to always keep it next to you! * for cardio you can do light dance or a yoga----or even your own stretches. Do some kind of exercise at least every other day---even if it is 15 min during your recovery period----if your diet is sharp you wont need to work out too much and overexert---possibly hurt yourself. *Only one serving of bread/wraps daily
okay now for the plan:
Breakfast: oatmeal/bran/eggs/veggie,fruit or protein smoothie. You can add cinnamon, agave nectar/honey/stevia, soy milk, greek yogurt for flavor/substitutions.
Lunch: salad/soup/stir fry/veggie with a protein/tuna/chicken salad with crackers/lettuce wraps/ breakfast for lunch (omelet with veggies etc)/whole wheat wrap or sandwhich
Dinner: rice (1/2 cup to a cup) with fish/chicken/turkey/veggie or meat stir fry over rice or salad/chili with a few crackers/protein with steamed or baked veggies/soup/quinoa grain salad cold or warm
Snacks: almond butter, little nutella, preserves, banana and cinnamon on a rice cake/hard boiled eggs/fruit/raw veggies with a dip/almonds/walnuts/pistachios/smoothie---whey protein-veggies---fruits/greek yogurt/
If you dont mind me asking what kind of device do you have ? Vitamix/blender/juicer?
Sorry it took me a long time to post, I have been pretty much it of it:( the first 2 wks were very rough, much harder than I planned, just the past few days I start to b functioning again:) thank u very much for the nutrition plan, it did help a lot, especially that u k ow how my diet usually is lol Because of the tight binder I have around my stomach to keep everything nice n tight, I was forced to do the 5-6 sm meals...I did a lot of fruits, n veggies very little carbs n lean protein n a lot of water to keep my sodium intake down to avoid retaining water n swelling up even more than I am:( I lived on beef n veg soup, n the chicken kale n split peas soup ( ur recipe) Walking was such a chore for me the past cpl of weeks as my body was using most of my energy to heal itself but I'm trying to walk 15-20 mins/ day til I get clearance to go back the gym...planning on easing myself into my regular workout routine with some Zumba to my body active again then will do low weight for upper body n legs....I gotta say this will b a challenge for as u know I usually go for a good sweat n push myself but I guess this is where my trainer comes in...we agreed he'll keep me under control lol
I will keep u posted with progress n might even post a pix when I'm bathing suit ready;)
Hey!!! Wow!!! well let me first begin by saying...Congratulations!!! You made a whole bunch of small, life changing steps!! You are already winning and ahead! I am so proud of you!!! Im glad recovery is going well----yes it does sound slow and painful----however the bright side is that it's forcing you even more to eat better!!! Which is wonderful-----take a before picture of you in a bikini NOW and find another old one of you prior surgery!!! It will be so motivating looking back at it!!! Im glad your nutrition plan is going well and you are entering exercises in stages----and still feeling it!! Keep up what you are doing!!!
Hey Lindsay!!! ten pounds by May is more than possible ---it is actually a great time frame because you will not lose it too fast!! Losing up to 2.5 pounds a week is healthy so even if you lose 1 pound a week you are still on the right track.
Working out 3 times a week can still give you results!! Just make those workouts count so 30 min to an hour of cardio, and 30 - 45 minutes weight training full body (2 exerciese each back to back for----chest/back, biceps/triceps, shoulders/legs, core----3 sets, 12-15 reps with a 30 second break---or if your focus is more on upper body then do one day upper and cardio, next day legs/core/cardio, last day upper/cardio again----veice versa if your focus is legs)
Exercise is the smaller portion of it nutrition is where you want a great deal of your focus. An equal balance of both will give you the results you want.
start your day off with 8 oz water and then 8 oz lemon water
Eat small frequent portions throughout the day about every 2.5-4 hours
High in vegetables!! moderate fats (nuts,oils) lower Carbohydrate (rice/pasta/bread), higher protein (meat, fish, beans), high fiber
Drink plenty of water through the day 5 - 8 cups ---- you may reach 8 on your workout days---if you do not already.
Theres a similiar nutrition plan you can follow up above that goes into further detail. Check out the recipes on here as well!!!
Remember small changes yield big results!!! Make it a lifestyle not a diet!! :) i believe in you!!!
Hello jennifer!! my names drake (19) and i want to know what you think about my new years resolution... All my life I've rotated all my life decisions around my families needs and wants so their lives could be more convenient but at the cost of my independence and personal growth. So my new years resolution is - instead of being constantly selfless I want to be more selfish. It may sound wrong but this year I want my life to actually be about me and not everyone else, because it's started to feel like I've just become a tool at everyones disposal and what I want hasn't really mattered for a long time. It's time for change and 2012 is the time, so what do you think!?
ReplyDeleteHello Drake and thank you for being the first to post. Many times very kind people that care greatly about others, especially their loved ones, dedicate much time to them and their needs. When the day is over they look back and realize they did not do one thing for themselves only for others. There are people that do this everyday without realizing, i can tell you that among everyone, many mothers are very guilty of this. I have had endless meetings/conversations with various people about nutrition, exercises, daily living and much more. Mothers or other guardians of the family (even roomates that piggy back others) do everything for them. Wake up early to work, cook, clean, wash clothes, run errands, babysit and much more. Sometimes they only get one or two meals in, didnt exercise, didnt get their hairdone, didnt get their homework done-----nothing for themselves only for others. They go on like this for years some of them even break down and get depressed or actually turn around and give up on everything. The way to prevent this is exactly how you are doing. First realize, then find ways to work around it. It is not a sense of selfishness it is more a sense of self growth (as you mentioned). In the long run you help others by helping yourself first. How can you donate money to the homeless if you do not make any? how can you help others achieve goals without figuring out yours? this can go many ways. You need to please yourself, grow and love yourself. I am not saying neglect the loved ones around you. You can help others but set your priorities first before anyone. I have also met or read about very few mothers who are professional bodybuilders or figure models and they have 3-5 kids, have written books, part time job, maybe in school, take care of everyone in their lives----but they put themselves and their needs first. You will be happier or have more self accomplishment when you are accomplishing your goals and still helping those around you. To love others you must begin by accepting and loving yourself fully. If you are young and you are speaking as a sibling living with their family----I suggest setting goals short term (next year or few months), long term (5 years) and daily (tasks/chores/errands). Take it day by day fulfill some of your stuff as well as maybe taking out trash, helping clean or simply running a few errands on the way of doing yours or after yours. Everyday make sure you did something for yourself though because life is short!!! do not wait until the end or when you finally finish school or have enough money to do stuff----do it now!!!! Now if you're a husband or boyfriend living with your significant other, i suggest you speak as a team. Relationships succeed over awesome communication. Talk about your short term, long term and daily goals. This way maybe that person can help with daily tasks and you each have time for eachother or yoursleves to accomplish personal things. Being that you are together it is important to know eachothers goals or daily tasks because as a relationship you are growing together. DO not neglect one another but understand eachother and come to a new understanding. It is not anyones fault but yours. STep out and put yourself first, then help others. Make what you think is important matter and get to it!!! do things for you---it is your life!!! Love and appreciate yourself the way others may not have!!!! STart today!!! Hope this helped:) I would like to recommend three books that may help along the way....at least check out the ebook sample. You can look it up from the amazon bar right here on the page-----UNSTOPPABLE CONFIDENCE, AWAKEN THE GIANT WITHIN, DONT SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF AND ITS ALL SMALL STUFF----they give good advice about yourself how you enter the world, tips and tricks, and also the people including haters you may come across and how to not sweat and avoid it all......good luck!!
ReplyDeleteHI Jen.
ReplyDeleteIt's Lamis... first I want to congratulate u on the blog:)
My #1 new yr's resolution is finally getting my tummy tuck!! yaaay, I've been talking about it for yrs but 2012 is the year to do it. As you know the recovery is long, and I will not be active for about 8 weeks:( So going from working out 3-4 time/week to just going up and down the stairs will take a toll on my body:( I need a good 5 days nutrition/diet plan to keep my body fat from going up while in recovery as much as possible. If you have recipes that would be great too:)
Thank u and Happy New Year:)
Lamis
Hey Lamis,
DeleteThank you for being apart of it!!! It is the fans that really keep it alive!!!
Congratulations on accomplishing one of your New Years Resolutions!!!
Being that it is a tummy tuck yes it will take a toll on your body, however you do not have to give up working out completely. You can still do upper body exercises at home to keep the tone in your arms, at the gym you can do seated leg exercises----that do NOT put tension on your core. Knowing you though and how you work out which is super tough----this will possibly not be enough for you but it will be better than nothing---and you are still building muscle and staying tight!!!! You do not want any setbacks when you do get back into the gym.
Now the best part-----nutrition plan!!!!! okay i will break it down and have options for each seperated by a '/' .
First some quick basic tips:
* small, frequent portions every 3-4 hours possibly less if your last meal was more of a snack vs a meal
*priority consumption----vegetables (raw/cooked/smoothie/salad/stir fry/dip/soup etc)
*second would be fruits--- not too many maybe three servings a day---unless you are mixing a small amount into the veggie smoothie to give it more flavor
*lean proteins most days of the week turkey, fish, chicken----keep in your whey shakes as well
*fats and proteins in moderation
*upon waking drink 8 oz water @ room temperature, then 8 oz lemon water (real lemon), then you can drink your coffee (small amount of creamer, or soy milk or just have it black) and breakfast.
*try and drink at least one cup of green tea (real green tea daily)
*drink lots of water ----best thing to do is to always keep it next to you!
* for cardio you can do light dance or a yoga----or even your own stretches. Do some kind of exercise at least every other day---even if it is 15 min during your recovery period----if your diet is sharp you wont need to work out too much and overexert---possibly hurt yourself.
*Only one serving of bread/wraps daily
okay now for the plan:
Breakfast:
oatmeal/bran/eggs/veggie,fruit or protein smoothie. You can add cinnamon, agave nectar/honey/stevia, soy milk, greek yogurt for flavor/substitutions.
Lunch:
salad/soup/stir fry/veggie with a protein/tuna/chicken salad with crackers/lettuce wraps/ breakfast for lunch (omelet with veggies etc)/whole wheat wrap or sandwhich
Dinner:
rice (1/2 cup to a cup) with fish/chicken/turkey/veggie or meat stir fry over rice or salad/chili with a few crackers/protein with steamed or baked veggies/soup/quinoa grain salad cold or warm
Snacks:
almond butter, little nutella, preserves, banana and cinnamon on a rice cake/hard boiled eggs/fruit/raw veggies with a dip/almonds/walnuts/pistachios/smoothie---whey protein-veggies---fruits/greek yogurt/
If you dont mind me asking what kind of device do you have ? Vitamix/blender/juicer?
Hope this helps best of luck!!!
Hi Jen,
ReplyDeleteSorry it took me a long time to post, I have been pretty much it of it:( the first 2 wks were very rough, much harder than I planned, just the past few days I start to b functioning again:) thank u very much for the nutrition plan, it did help a lot, especially that u k ow how my diet usually is lol
Because of the tight binder I have around my stomach to keep everything nice n tight, I was forced to do the 5-6 sm meals...I did a lot of fruits, n veggies very little carbs n lean protein n a lot of water to keep my sodium intake down to avoid retaining water n swelling up even more than I am:( I lived on beef n veg soup, n the chicken kale n split peas soup ( ur recipe)
Walking was such a chore for me the past cpl of weeks as my body was using most of my energy to heal itself but I'm trying to walk 15-20 mins/ day til I get clearance to go back the gym...planning on easing myself into my regular workout routine with some Zumba to my body active again then will do low weight for upper body n legs....I gotta say this will b a challenge for as u know I usually go for a good sweat n push myself but I guess this is where my trainer comes in...we agreed he'll keep me under control lol
I will keep u posted with progress n might even post a pix when I'm bathing suit ready;)
Oh I have a juicer n a blender
Hey!!! Wow!!! well let me first begin by saying...Congratulations!!! You made a whole bunch of small, life changing steps!! You are already winning and ahead! I am so proud of you!!! Im glad recovery is going well----yes it does sound slow and painful----however the bright side is that it's forcing you even more to eat better!!! Which is wonderful-----take a before picture of you in a bikini NOW and find another old one of you prior surgery!!! It will be so motivating looking back at it!!! Im glad your nutrition plan is going well and you are entering exercises in stages----and still feeling it!! Keep up what you are doing!!!
ReplyDeleteHi jen its lindsay :) i want to lose ten lbs by may. Is that possible? Any meal ideas or weight loss tips? I only work out 3 xs a week:/ thank you!
ReplyDeleteHey Lindsay!!! ten pounds by May is more than possible ---it is actually a great time frame because you will not lose it too fast!! Losing up to 2.5 pounds a week is healthy so even if you lose 1 pound a week you are still on the right track.
DeleteWorking out 3 times a week can still give you results!! Just make those workouts count so 30 min to an hour of cardio, and 30 - 45 minutes weight training full body (2 exerciese each back to back for----chest/back, biceps/triceps, shoulders/legs, core----3 sets, 12-15 reps with a 30 second break---or if your focus is more on upper body then do one day upper and cardio, next day legs/core/cardio, last day upper/cardio again----veice versa if your focus is legs)
Exercise is the smaller portion of it nutrition is where you want a great deal of your focus. An equal balance of both will give you the results you want.
start your day off with 8 oz water and then 8 oz lemon water
Eat small frequent portions throughout the day about every 2.5-4 hours
High in vegetables!! moderate fats (nuts,oils) lower Carbohydrate (rice/pasta/bread), higher protein (meat, fish, beans), high fiber
Drink plenty of water through the day 5 - 8 cups ---- you may reach 8 on your workout days---if you do not already.
Theres a similiar nutrition plan you can follow up above that goes into further detail. Check out the recipes on here as well!!!
Remember small changes yield big results!!! Make it a lifestyle not a diet!! :) i believe in you!!!