Thursday, January 12, 2012

Is it summer yet?

Today's workout




Today I won't be going to the gym, I woke up a bit later and there are always a lot of people there around this time, besides it's good to switch it up once in a while so I'll be doing 2 Jillian Michaels 30 DS workouts with heavier weights (3kg). I hope you all have a lovely day!! :)


Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Noom, my new favourite app!

After getting my smartphone I've been reading about different apps online, and I kept bumping into this health app called "Noom". It had great reviews so I decided to download it, although  to be honest I didn't expect too much.
Let me just say, I was very surprised at what an easy and efficient calorie/workout logger it is! I love it!
And not only can you log your calories easily (no need to count anything, they have a super easy program that just lets you choose the food type and how much you ate. it counts it all for you) reminds you to logg your food, the coach program (you get 6 different coaches to choose from) let's you know if your diet is lacking anything and gives you diet options. The workout plan also reminds you to move, as well as gives you super easy options of how to log what you do. It's got a GPS program so if your running outside it'll track it on google maps! There are so so many more cool features, check out the Noom website for more information

www.noom.com
This app is great for keeping you motivated and really makes tracking eaten and burned calories super easy! I def recommend you try it out!

Fooooooood!

Man have I been tired all day, this mornings workout really drained me of all my energy.
Thankfully I had time to make some good grub and relax after work, I really enjoy cooking, and got a chance to show my brother healthy food can be delicious and doesn't have to be cold veggies and no flavors.

Today's lunch was just a quick salad I took with me to work.
  • Arugula
  • Carrot salad mix
  • Cottage cheese
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • A big bottle of flavored mineral water


Looks a lot better on the plate doesn't it? :P


So for dinner my little brother wanted minced meat tortilla. Now that I'm helping him get healthy I decided to make him something that's lower in calories but still tasted good. 
In my version you save calories since you need only half the amount of minced meat, no cheese or extra sauces, and no tortilla bread!  I also made sure to add a ton of vegetables to the mix (when you fry them together they taste lovely and voilá you have twice as much to eat for half the calories!)

 I chopped up mushrooms, aubergine, bell peppers, red onion, leek, chives and fried them 

 I marinated the minced meat for about an hour before frying it with chopped onions (for the marinade I mixed chili oil, lots of garlic, chili paste, dried chilies and garlic paste)

 I added some veggies to the minced meat for my brother (you can also leave it out if you don't eat meat!) and fried it up with some soy sauce, sesame oil, and a little bit of tex mex mix

 I used crunchy salad leafs instead of tortilla wraps! They were DELICIOUS and super fresh!

And added a yogurt mix (fat free Turkish yogurt, juice of lemon and some lemon pepper) 
then just wrap it up and enjoy :)
It was really really good!

(Sorry for the blurry pic, I'm only learning how to use my new phone)

What a difference 20min makes!!

This morning I woke up bright and early to have my 6 eggs and cup of coffee, whilst eating I decided to really push it at the gym. Unfortunately my HRM broke so I don't know the exact burn, but I spent a good hour and something working my ass off, sweating and pushing through. 20min HIIT, weights and 20min interval on the Elliptical. I'm changing up my cardio plan, instead of doing 40min of running, I do 20 - weights- 20. I read that running too much before your work your muscles can empty your glucose, and I just want to make every second count. -Especially now since I'm cutting my carbs and focusing on a cleaner diet!

To be honest, after doing the weights I felt absolutely dead. But I powered through 20min of Level 6 interval training and felt amazing after! Some people might not think it's a hard workout, but it's difficult for me, and today I took another step towards improving my workouts :) yay!

Tonight I'm doing a special low fat protein shake, and I'll make sure to post some pictures and share the recipe (if it turns out good lol!)

Have a great day!! xx

JNL

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

I feel sooooo good!

Tonight I had a lovely lunch and dinner.
Lunch was mixed salad (300g 195 kcal) and a box of cottage cheese (200g 160kcal)
I drank as much water as I could, and I'm chugging down a vichy as we speak :D
This afternoons workout got a bit modified again, I had to skip the run :( It was snowing like crazy outside so I decided to do all 3 levels of the Jillian Michaels 30 Day shred instead.
It was absolutely exhausting!!! Not sure I'll ever step close to that DVD again, I think tonights workout scarred me for life :P

After dinner my little brother asked me if we could do some stretching. I'm currently 'helping' him get in shape, (not that he needs any help, I think he knows more than I do about working out, I guess you could call me his motivator. When you start to work out it can feel a bit much, so having someone to go to the gym with and discuss the progress with is great!)
Back to the subject; I played the stretch workout from P90X which lasts about an hour or so, it was great!
I can feel such a difference and so does he. He's had problems with his back and said he could immediately bend and turn with ease. Stretching is such an important part of building a healthy body! I sometimes tend to neglect it, but saving minimum 1h a week for some whole body stretch exercises can do wonders!


Tonight's workout

I'm really looking forward to tonight's workout. It's not going to be easy, but then again I don't want it to be.
The harder you train, the more you sweat -the better and faster result you will get!
It's all about getting into that mind state and just being ready to give it your all. I need music and a couple cups of coffee to really be able to push through my workout! I'm very excited about Sunday, can't wait to weigh myself and tell you guys the results!



Tonight's workout:
1. Jillian Michaels 30 DS workout L3
2. Minimum 20min run (I might do 40 since I'm planning on a longer route)
3. Jillian Michaels 30 DS workout L2





If you are reading this and questioning whether or not you should work out today. Do it! What you don't do today, you will have to deal with tomorrow. And if you can't bring yourself to do anything hardcore, just go for a walk, do a couple sets of sit-ups. Anything to move your body. A little is always always ALWAYS better than nothing! :)

Can't wait til Summer!

Everyone is talking about getting into "beach shape 2012", unfortunately a lot of people stop once the New Years promises are forgotten and life's stress takes over. It is so important to make time and treat your body good. I love love love clothes, and I always put outfits together that I would like to wear when I've "reached my goal" :P

Here are some of my favorite outfits for summer. I can't wait til it's warm and sunny again! :D

Je T' aime

Winter vacation

Forget snow, I'm dreaming of a warm summer..

Date night

Good morning!

Today I woke up bright and early to make sure I got some coffee in me before hitting the gym.
Me and my brother left at around 7am, man it feels good to start off the day like this!

I did a 20min HIIT run (doing another 20 tonight) 3 core exercises, arms and legs.
I was surprised by how many people there were at the gym, but my trainer told me last week it's usually packed after New Years (I'm guessing it's a New Years promise thing:P) and calms down around February.
-I don't really like working out when there are too many people around, having to wait for a machine and not be able to follow my normal workout routine easily makes me give up. I guess t's something I'm going to have to work on.

My brother did only cardio today, I'm happy to see him embrace it. I've noticed whenever I focus on either strenght training or cardio, I really start disliking the other one. It's all about moderation. My goal is to tone up, and for that I need to focus on both muscles and weight loss. I think once you get into the groove of it, it's not that difficult. Just a lot of self motivation, and remembering what's at the end of the tunnel. Whenever I question myself I just recite my favorite quote

"Discipline is just choosing between what you want now and what you want most"



I'm not a particularly big fan of Kim K to be honest, 
but she does have some kick ass curves

Monday, January 9, 2012

Is my HRM broken?

I've had some problems with my HRM lately. Sometimes when I glance down at my watch, and I feel like I'm running full speed, heart beating, sweat running down my face, it shows my heart rate at 120? Usually when I feel like that it's up at 160. I was going to buy a new one with my next pay, I love Suunto watches, but saw this white polar and fell in love! Now I can't decide :)

hrm

Dinner

I had a lovely chicken salad for dinner, but couldn't take a picture of it because my old phone broke :(
But thankfully I got the chance to go out and buy a new one! My beautiful new Samsung Galaxy S 2!
I really really wanted it in white, but they gave me a years free internet on the black model, so it left me with little choice. I'm not going to choose a color over internet...but man. Every time I look at the white one it stings!:P



Other than that I feel really bad tonight, like I might be getting sick?? Won't be doing my afternoon workout. Just rest, and hopefully I'll have more energy tomorrow!

My little beauty secret

This is something that my grandma showed me, and has been my go-to trick whenever I'm going for a vacation, showing some skin in a party dress, or just want to do something amazing for my skin.
Now this is super easy and cheap. But it makes an 100% difference and after every single time I always ask myself why I don't treat myself to it more often. There is no product out there that works as well for me as this. Give it a try, I doubt you'll be disappointed!
It's just a simple scrub, but your skin will feel silky smooth for days :)
And it's as easy as this:


  1. Mix olive oil with some coffee powder (you don't need a lot, under 1/2 cup olive oil and 3-5 tablespoons of coffee powder, I like my mix to be a bit rough so I can really scrub and get my skin all soft and shiny, but it's up to you)
  2. I usually apply this when I'm letting my conditioner settle in. Massage it through your whole body except the face.







3. Once you rinse it off you'll understand what all the fuss is about. Your skin might smell a little like coffee. But hey, it's a natural product, and you can always wash it off with soap. -I choose not to because the skin absorbs some of the olive oil and it'll easily wash off.

Your skin will be smooth, glow and look super healthy!

What I ate

Today I've had quite light breakfast and lunch

7 egg whites for breakfast 112kcal
-I'v been training myself to eat breakfast. I'm never hungry in the morning, but I know my workouts always suck when I hit the gym on an empty stomach. My family doesn't really understand how I can chug down boiled egg first thing in the morning, but it really satisfies me without making me feel like I'm totally stuffed



Mixed salad (Kale, cucumber, carrot, lemon juice, olive oil, etc.) 225kcal
Abba Tuna in water 165kcal
-I realized only at work that Tuna doesn't fit into my detox this week, but made an exception because..well I was too lazy to figure anything else out really :P No stores close to my workplace, so this will just have to do for now. But lesson learned, time to be more attentive and plan my meals ahead!


Love!

If only I had the money and space I would buy this baby in a heartbeat





 I adore running, but after using one of these in my last gym, I fell in love.
I burned 100 more calories using the step machine, and I could really feel the burn in my legs and butt.
If you are lucky enough to find one of these in your gym, try it out! I would do this for my cardio every other workout if I had the chance. The step machine rocks! :)

Detox day 1

Ok so I'm doing a week long easy detox. Just cutting out meat, sugar, carbs and dairy out of my diet.


What's going to be on the menu this week:

  • Protein in form of Soya products, cheese and egg whites
  • Veggies
  • Water water and more water
  • Green tea 
I just want to clean up my diet a little bit, I couldn't go too long without my carbs (mmm...rye bread)
But I'm really excited to see how I feel after this mini cleanse :)  (I will still be eating enough calories!)
Later today I'm picking up a detox drink from the pharmacy that I read about. I'll post more about it when I have the actual product :)


Today's workout

Had a great workout with my brother. Ran on the treadmill for 40 min on interval (incl 5min warm up and cool down. Level 6, 8.6 speed -to be specific)

Did one leg workout -leg extension 12.5 kg 8 x 4, but two of the other machines were broken. :(
Tonight I'll be doing the JM 30DS, I honestly can't wait :P Is that weird?

I'll leave you with another inspirational picture, Irina Swank. She is gorgeous!


My supplements

I promised to write an update about my supplements, so here goes.
I always drink protein after going to the gym, my body needs the energy. I only recently started drinking Glutamine and Creatine with my protein. Some people say it works, some people say it's a waste of money. But I decided to try it out for myself and see how it goes.
Besdes that I take CLA+, multivitamin drink and fish oil every morning.


 I drink a glass of this every morning  
Berocca is a tablet containing a combination of B group vitamins and Vitamin C



  • Adding a dose of glutamine to your post-workout drink can speed up the recovery process.
  • Glutamine may be beneficial by increasing growth hormone levels in the body.
  • Glutamine is an effective tool for increasing workout performance and recovery.

You can read more about creatine and glutamine here

'Conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) are a family of at least 28[1] isomers of linoleic acid found mainly in the meat and dairy products derived from ruminants'



Sunday, January 8, 2012

On my shopping list

This is one supplement I was given by my former trainer, and I really liked it.
I used to mix two tablespoons with a glass of water after every workout, and I always felt like it really helped restore my muscles.
"Body Fortress Liquid Aminos are specially formulated for bodybuilders, power lifters and professional athletes. Our unique formula contains a blend of essential and non-essential amino acids designed to support exercise and post-exercise states, or to be used any time as part of your bodybuilding diet.* Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein, which plays a role in normal growth and development."

Hopefully I can find it online for a reasonable price. If you have any tips, please let me know!

Good morning!

It's 7:30 here and I'm just waiting for my breakfast to get ready.
I'm heading to the gym with my little brother today, I'll be waking him up in 30mins so we can get some food in us before we hit the gym. My brother is pretty experienced in weight lifting, so I'm sure I'll be looking to him for some advice (I really want to learn how to do some proper heavy squats) And as he's looking to loose weight, I'll maybe be able to help him out with the cardio part. All it takes is just setting a goal (time, distance) and keeping it. I always add resistance whenever I feel like it's getting too "easy", -well it never gets easy. but when I do that, and make it through, I feel like a champion!

Today's breakfast will be 6 boiled egg whites (I am addicted to them, I sometimes have porridge, but u'll be seeing a LOT of egg whites on this blog. they just satisfy me for some reason)
I drink one glass of vitamin drink every morning and take my supplements, but I'll post more about that once I'm home from the gym.

Have a lovely day!
xx

workout

Yikes!

Just posted the blog on MFP and I'm sort of nervous about what people are going to say. I guess it's just human nature to expect the worst? I've seen so many people get bashed online. it's a bit scary. :P

Well, just wanted to add an update about my love for Jillian michaels 30DS (Big up to all my fellow shredders out there, this workout rocks and the ones pushing through it are hardcore!) it just always gives me such an power boost. Although I do mute Jillian throughout the harder workouts lol. Some days her optimism just doesn't work for me haha :D


Booyah!

Tomorrow I'll be waking up bright and early at 7am for breakfast and then hitting the gym at around 8:30am!  8 February is right around the corner and my goal is to have hit the 68 mark by then (5 kilos in 4 weeks is more than doable) and after that I'll start working on building my booty that for some reason always seems to be the first thing to disappear when I loose weight. :)

Here's one of my favorite songs, it reminds me it's up to me to get it done, 
and also it reminds me of summer :)

This weeks motivational clothing item!


This is going to be hanging in my room reminding me why I need to drag my ass to the gym :)
I bough it online at Bebe, I've been looking for an off shoulder dress for a while now, and figured this could work both during the winter with stockings and red lips as well as with brown legs and cute sandals.

It's tight, stretchy, and I will def not be wearing it til I feel comfortable enough, and don't have to worry about sucking my belly in constantly! :D Give me a week or two and I'll take some new pictures to compare it with :)


I don't know why my photos turned sideways? They show the right way on my computer, but once I load them up they turn by themselves???? I'll try to fix it!

Beauty

I want to take care of my body, and a big part of that is giving some extra love and attention.
I go through periods when i scrub, use face masks and use lotions more often (summertime, vacations, before a big party etc) Now I' really trying to step it up and remember to do it once or twice a week.
I see and feel such a difference, it's totally worth it!





I love Freeman's products. They all smell and feel amazing, and are super cheap!
The mint & lemon mask is my favorite :)

My screensaver

JNL - strong is beautiful!

My workout plan!

So this is my workout plan for the following week
My target is to burn minimum 800 kcal a day, which is 4800 for this whole week.
This is what I'll be doing

Monday:
Morning: Cardio 40min HIIT on the treadmill followed by weight training for the glutes
Evening: Jillian Michaels 30 day shred L2 + streching p90x

Tuesday:

Morning: Cardio 40min Fat burn mode, Core training
Evening: Jillian Michaels 30 day shred L3 + stretching p90x


Wednesday High burn calorie day!

Morning: Cardio 40min HIIT, glutes, elliptical 30min
Evening: Jillian Michaels 30 Day shred L1 + Yoga meltdown


Thursday

Morning: Cardio 40min Fat burn mode, core and arms
Evening: Jillian Michaels L2



Friday

Morning: Cardio 40min HIIT, glutes, Yoga meltdown
Evening: Powebody + stretching P90X


Saturday

Morning: Yoga meltdown, run outside (~6km)
Evening: Jillian michaels L1+L2


Sunday:

Morning: Go for a 1h walk
Evening: Stretching


I have added in a lot of stretching to my routine, I haven't really been too good at it. But my New Years wish is to incorporate into my daily routines. I'm starting off strong, the next month will pretty much be a total detox of anything unhealthy and focus as much as I possibly can on working out.
I'll be updating on a daily basis, but Sunday is going to be countdown day :)
Tomorrow morning I will weigh myself, so I'll get some numbers to compare!

Some other changes I'll be doing this week:

  • Drinking a lot more water (2 big bottles per day)
  • Drinking more Green Tea (Only coffee before I go workout, I need my boost)
  • Eat my supplements (every.single.day)
  • Eat food every 3 hours, or try my best to. I want to keep the calories somewhat low.
  • Do some calorie cycling, this really works like a charm! -Well, at least for me!

Food tip: Spicy tuna ceviche!

Delicious, spicy and low calorie

Spicy Tuna chevice


1. Slice the tuna
2.Squeeze juice out of 5 limes (or more, it has to be enough to cover your lime)
3.Add a little fish oil to the lime juice
4.Pour the sauce over your tuna slices
5.Thinly slice the chili and place one on each slice of tune
6.Let it marinate for ~2 hours


Fish, tuna, fresh, bluefin, raw3 oz (85.0 g)19.804.23122.4
Lime juice, raw1 cup(242.0 g)120.40.21.560.5
Sauce, fish, ready-to-serve1 tbsp (18.0 g)0.90.700.56.3
Peppers, hot chili, red, raw1 pepper(45.0 g)0.840.20.518


One word: MOTIVATION!!!

I don't know what works for you, but I have a couple of tricks that absolutely kick start my motivation whenever I even think about giving up:

  1. A dress or a pair of jeans that are too small. Always works! I even leave them out from time to time to motivate me of what it is I'm working so hard for. And I try them on whenever I feel like skipping a workout or eating something unhealthy (I'm talking about sweets, I have a hard time eating just one. It's easier for me personally to just stay away from them!)
  2. My favorite quote "Discipline is just choosing between what you want now and what you want most."
  3. MFP (www.myfitnesspal.com)
  4. Heiaheia.com
  5. An event (next weekend or summer and short dresses. ALWAYS gives me motivation.
  6. Pictures! 
Here are some pics I look back on to remind myself how amazingly beautiful we all could look if we just took some time and worked on our bodies :)




 Miss Jennifer Nicole Lee! I LOVE THIS WOMAN! Her body is banging and she has the best attitude :)
Now I realize she is super muscular, and that a lot of u think it's a bit too much. But when I think about how much hard work and discipline this woman comes out with every single day, I can't but be in awe. Amazing. 
I 'm not looking to pack on quite as much muscle, but god damn she is hot!

 Now even though I don't want to build too much muscle on my whole body, I'm working hard on building my glutes! JNL is a perfect example of how you can build up your booty, I'll post a video she made about exactly that in a few days :)


 This is a swedish blogger that used to blog on nyheter24/modette, but changed to veckorevyn. I can't find her blog but I promise to look for it and link it! She is stunning and has an amazing body!
 Blake Lively
 Miss Riri, stunning
 Jessica Biel my #1 girl crush. She is perfect!