As in right this second. And they seem to be working. Like they say on The Biggest Loser - The Scale Don't Lie ...
or something like that.
But I get the feeling it will work for you too. Especially #8 & #9 - its the bomb - gives me the butterflies !
Important Note : I am not a trained fitness professional - merely a budding enthusiast. Do not take anything from my fitness / diet posts any more seriously than you would take something that comes up in a conversation with your friend. Talk to a trained professional / physician before starting out on any exercise / diet routine - Most gyms offer free body assessments.
Only thing you can completely take my word for it are on #8 & #9. Essentially - boys.
1. EAT CARBS
No. Don't read it as - Don't eat carbs. Eat carbs - that works for me.
Eating the right carbs works for me.
If you've heard me yap long enough on the blog or even worse on twitter you know this girl loves her carbs . Rice in any form will be swallowed in jiffy. Pastas - the creamier the better. But now I choose to eat the better carbs.
My right carbs include - Quinoa, Bulgar, Cous Cous, Barley.They fill you up and you can cook anything with them ! I even made a mock rice n lentil /daal chawal / sambar rice with barley , split peas and lots of vegetables to satisfy my desi food cravings. One cup barley lasted me four or five meals with the split peas and veggies. It also had three times the protein, rice does. There are plenty more better carbs but these have been my favs yet.
You are only limited by your creativity.
Your abs are made in the kitchen.
What goes around comes around.
Wait that didn't belong there. I thought we were just throwing out random sayings.
2. Make a Work Out Routine. Stick To it. Or Not.
Yeah - or not ! Don't you just love me now ! I am your best friend.
Not really about the or not part.
What I meant is to make working out a priority and stick to it. What you do - leave it to your imagination.
I started the P90X but an one hour to one and a half hour commitment everyday is a bit much for me. Some days I just don't feel like going on and on. Other days I cant get enough !
So I mix it up - do it when I can. And when I cant - I still do something. Either a 20 minute run around the neighborhood. A jog on the treadmill at the gym and then having a go at all the other equipments there. Or pull out my Jillian 30 Day Shred and do a 20 minute work out. This way I am not bound - I feel like I'm free to do anything.
3. Reduce Sodium
Not just the table salt we add to our food. But everything - fish out low sodium beans, soy sauce, ketchup , tomato sauce - everything. They make them you know !
With canned beans ( my savior) always rinse them before use to get rid of excess salt, preservative - any of the bad stuff.
Don't buy frozen ready made food - avoid it like you avoided the girl from hell at school. They most often have excess salt. (the frozen food, not the girl) What with salt being a good preservative n all.
Replace your regular salt with sea salt. They are way yummier and have lesser sodium per table spoon than regular salt.
4. Eat Your Vegetables
It feels weird to say this but saying it like this will make more sense .
Vegetables are naturally fat free( for the most part or lowest fat), naturally low sodium foods and most importantly have next to nothing in terms of calories. But they fill you up and you can cook them any way - bake , broil, grill, stir fry ( my fav) !
For example - this was my dinner last night. A freakin whole head of cauliflower.No kiddin ! I ate the whole damn thing.
Just peeled the florets out and broiled them. Made the yummiest dressing with low fat yogurt, roasted red pepper, sun dried tomatoes and garlic. The whole thing was less than a 100 calories. Something around 75 - I could not believe my eyes !!
5. Calorie Count
Calorie count - Recipe analyzer is the best tool ever .
If you are doubtful about what you are about to cook - just go ahead and type the recipe out into the tool and it will tell you how many calories its gonna be per serving !
Sometimes the number will surprise you in a bad way. But its actually a good thing. Now that you know its loaded - you can reduce the serving size or tweak the recipe to accommodate the word - healthier.
6. Drink Loads Of Water
But why ? Not getting enough fluid can cause bloating apparently !
Dehydration combined with excess intake of salty foods, alcohol, pepsi colas are a sure fire way to get bloated. The best thing to combat it is to drink water.
Eight to ten glasses doesn't make much sense to me. How big is this glass ? From what I've read I think they mean eight 8oz (64 oz) glasses of water at least.
I drink almost 56x3 oz (168 oz) of water a day. I have a huge 56 oz juice bottle next to me at all times and drink from it. I've always been an excess water drinker so this hasn't been something I had to work at.
If you hate the taste of water - flavor it naturally with cumin seeds / cucumber pieces / lime slices.
All this health talk aside - more water means more tips to the girls room. And that always means more trips to touch up on your lipstick !
7. Do It Everyday , All The Time - Crazy Talk
Make healthy and fit not a goal but something you strive to do everyday. It should be at the back of every decision you make, except your cheat meals. Of course I need cheat meals (all the time) ! I don't wanna turn into a totally crazy person !
I get that enough already. You'll see.
8. Dance Like Nobody's Watching
I haven't partied in forever and then some. But I love dancing.
I work up a big sweat with it and the heart rate goes crazy ! That in turn means cardio is getting done. But really all I am doing is imagining a tall , handsome stud with dimples and going crazy to the beat.
Last night right before my work out I danced crazy to - a stationary spice mix ( brownie points if you guess that - I might even have a gift sent out to you if you guess it right !)
The dance got me all perked up , put me in a great mood and I crammed in a lot ! Good mood helps, y'all !
9. Have a Crush
Does it help ? You bet your behind it does !
For me anyways. I've always worked out the hardest when I'm going boy crazy.
For instance - everybody and their mother knows I'm dying over cute cute cute. It pushes me - who doesn't wanna look their best when they finally meet Mr.Hawt !
Another thing - helps that I know I'll hardly ever meet him. Let alone go on a date or get my heart broken....This way its all in my hands - I am boy crazy for as long as I come across something more hawt-ter. And then I push myself a lil more !Told you - you'll love #9. Its by far my most favorite and the most effective ;)
Sometimes I surprise myself with how and where I includes snippets on crushes.
Not like they'll ever read it !
That being said - last night I dreamt of some one else. Its all getting very confusing. What does it mean ? I cant handle two boys, yo.
