Fat, Fit & Healthy

Here to help if you need me, sweetie.  <3

300poundcountdown:

Reblog if that’s you!

I’mma comin’ to follow you.

I find too many people put too much WEIGHT on weigh ins (yes, forgive the joke).  Whether you are working on losing weight, toning, gaining endurance or building muscle, your body will re-assimilate in a way best for your body.  This means that sometimes when looking to lose weight and working hard, you WILL lose fat, but on a scale, you won’t see a change, because muscle has formed and kept your weight in numbers the same.

While I find it still important to weight yourself on occasion, I choose to do so once every two weeks.  Rather, each week I prefer to take my measurements, as they are a more accurate gauge of your current losses.

I am a huge fan of eating and cooking with avocados.  They are the perfect natural butter, not to mention, they are very rich in antioxidants and fiber!  If your looking for a good alternative to butter, this is it.  I also tend to use it in place of ricotta cheese when making a thick, creamy sauce for pastas.  I find it works just as well without the added calories.  Instead you get heaps of great benefits while eating a tasty meal.

‘Avocados are high in valuable fats and appear to have a beneficial effect on blood serum levels.  About 75% of an avocado’s calories come from fat, most of which is monounsaturated fat.  Avocados also have 60% more potassium than bananas. They are rich in B vitamins, as well as vitamin E and vitamin K.  Avocados have a high fiber content among fruits - including 75% insoluble and 25% soluble fiber.  High avocado intake has been shown to have a beneficial effect on cholesterol levels.’

Don’t feel you have time to work out?  Don’t fret!  With the busy lifestyles many of us have today, there are still things you can do to keep yourself fit, you just have to put in the effort.  For one thing, I have found that when I scheduled in a work out for myself as a priority in my day, I was much more likely to actually exercise that day!

When I was still working as a scheduling coordinator in an office jungle in Sydney, Australia, the biggest thing that I learned to do in order to make time for exercise was grasping opportunities on the way to work.  I had to walk to the station in the morning and I decided to start wearing my running shoes instead of my heels, this way I could get in a nice 10 min jog prior to work and after work on the way home.  I also took time to hike across the Sydney Harbour Bridge everyday at lunch time, taking my lunch with me for a nice walk.

Find out what works for you!  If you have a busy lifestyle, I promise you, there are still some ways to find room for fitness in your everyday bustle.

Had a fantastic night.  Called my boyfriend who has been in a bit of a slump and convinced him to meet me at the park at 11pm.  I ran to the lake to meet up, so a nice mile run and then I did four sets of 15 push-ups.  Had the chance to teach him a few yoga moves, specifically the sun salutations.

After this I showed him proper form for each of the various punches and kicks. Ended up bring out my mitts and the blocking gloves so we could try them out a bit.  Threw in a little bit of plyometrics cardio mix at the end.  I do P90X on a daily basis, but I will admit, I am really starting to like Zuzana’s fitness videos on youtube.  While many of the moves are fairly difficult, most can be modified and she explains them really well at the end of each video, showing demonstrations.

One thing to keep in mind when challenging yourself to something more difficult then you are used to is not the get frustrated.  It is a wonderful thing, challenging your own limits and sometimes allowing yourself out of your comfort zone, but do not over do it either!  Remember, almost every move can be modified to each individual’s fitness level and there is nothing wrong with that!

For example, when I started doing push-ups again, my first week, I could barely do 5 on my knees!  After a few months of pushing myself and try to add more to my routine as I felt I could, I am now able to do 25 in a set, without my knees or 15 in a set with one leg off the floor.  The goal is not to look amazing or have perfection right away, its about maintaining form, even if that means having to do less to make sure you are doing things the right way.  This will help you prevent injury in the long run, but will also discipline your body to keep from gaining bad habits.

As you feel more confident and comfortable, start pushing yourself!  There is nothing wrong in failing, as we must fail to succeed!  I can not name even one person who is successful today who hasn’t failed many times to get to their peak!  Its all about picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and continuing to try again day after day.  Don’t ever let failure beat you down, because it is that failing and continuing to push despite it that is the key to your own success.

So keep on pushing and don’t let your failures beat you!  Fight on my friends.

Love always,

Danielle

Its about time I suppose.  I have wanted to start this fitness and health blog/journal for a while.  After all the success I have had in conquering my own weight problems and depression after finally escaping an abusive marriage, I feel I am finally ready to give back to the community and hopefully aid others in their own challenges; whether that be in terms of nutrition, fitness or simply overall positivity and encouragement.

Above is a photo of the progress I have made.  I need to post a new full body shot sometime soon to show how truly far I have come.  At my peak weight, I was tipping the scale at nearly 334 lbs.  My overall goal is 140 lbs for my 5’6” frame.  I don’t want to be stick thin, I simply want to be healthy, happy, fit (with an abundance of endurance) and gain more muscle definition. 

Back in high school, I was in sports (soccer and swim) and often ran at night, but over time I let myself go.  While my situation might have made working out and staying fit difficult, it is not an excuse for how much havoc I let loose on my body.  I am so happy to finally be regaining my confidence and a love for myself.  I still have weight to lose and have the continual daily struggle to keep myself motivated, but I finally know I CAN do it, as long as I keep my mind on my goals.  Surprisingly enough, I have found so much pride, happiness and enlightenment has come from my personal successes in my fitness.  It is no longer a chore, but a lifestyle.  I enjoy working out and eating healthy everyday and do not stop from eating the things I love, I simply am careful of what I put into my body, when and how it is prepared.  As long as you keep everything in moderation, you can eat the things you love and still be healthy.

My biggest issue with weight loss was not the fact that I was an over eater, but rather, I ate one meal a day and at all the wrong times.  This can be just as damaging to your body as eating too much.  For one thing, it greatly slows your metabolism and makes you start storing body fat.  For another, it can effect the hormones and start negatively effecting your mental health.  Curbing this has seen me wonderful results.  I never really realized the effect nutrition has on your overall health until now.  While exercise is very important to getting fit, it is nutrition that is by far the most important factor in getting fit and staying healthy for the rest of your life.  Learn about proper nutrition, stick to what you learn as a lifestyle and you will be set for life.

I hope this blog can help others turn their lives around as I have.  Everything is a work in progress and I am continuing on my own journey as I hope to also aid you in your own.

Much love,

Danielle