Exercise. I know many dread what the word implies. There's a catch though: having fun.
Well, I've been walking a lot lately. I've been climbing stairs at work instead of taking the elevator. And last weekend I went out with a few friends to play some volleyball. Started as volleyball for one hour and ended with soccer, for another 30 minutes. I like volleyball but I love soccer. And it's extremely good exercise for your legs if you play lots of high balls. It's almost like running hurdles.
I got home with my muscles sore but feeling great! I've been also doing some exercise for my legs. Stretchings, mostly. Also, my back is a bit sore from a lot of seating and work and then driving, so I needed other exercises - out of which many involve the legs again - to rid myself of my back pains.
Oh - for the past two weeks I did not have crazy sugar cravings, even though I had my period. However, I am a huge fan of forest fruits - wild berries mostly, so I went to the market place and bought half a kilo of them. And I had every night, when I wanted something. I replaced sweets of any kind with this. I've fallen in love again with peaches so I have one every night. Before, I needed some kind of food two hours after dinner. Now I simply have a peach or some berries and I feel great.
I've also returned to an old habit of drinking plenty of yogurt - more than 4 glasses a day. One - it fills you up; two - it's dairy so it helps you shed off those extra pounds.
I feel great. I even feel motivated.
Now I need to reach 110-112 by the end of September and I think it is possible. That little extra exercise, the fruits and the yogurt saved me. And for extra energy - a multivitamin pill or spirulina (with the multivitamins you have to be careful because they increase your appetite).
Yes! Finally! My attempts so far have been ruined by Dr Pepper. It's frustrating to eat less, take pills, and put on weight. Or maybe it was just the water that started being retained before my period.
So, girls, did you know that the body retains up to 1 liter of water before and during your period? Keep that in mind next time you are complaining that you cannot lose weight. Personally, I retain even more sometimes.
Anyway, I started this new way of eating. My friend lost 20 pounds almost following it in the US, and if she could do it there, I can do it here!
The basic principles are the ones I have mentioned already. 5-6 meals a day and two or three more substantial. Never eat until you are full, just until you are not hungry anymore. Take out sugar so your insulin is not high and stopping you from losing weight. My daily intake varies from 1,200 calories to 1,500 calories. I don't think that going under this is helpful or healthy.
In the morning I'm having a Diet Cereal Bar and half a glass of yogurt. Two-three hours later I have lunch (for example today I had three small pieces of chicken nuggets and 3 large spoons of eggplants and yogurt salad). Then I had one Diet (with fructose instead of sugar) fruit cheesy yogurt. Then I had dinner - other 3 pieces of nuggets, one egg, and lots of lettuce - and then one more fruity cheesy yogurt. I could have added more, but I feel ok. I am not hungry. I could use some fruits though.
Yesterday I had about 150 grams of chicken (4.5 oz.), 2 spoons Chinese vegetable mix, 3 diet fruit yogurts (300 calories in total), one cereal bar (90 calories), half of glass of yogurt, 2 spoons of eggplant and yogurt salad, and some diet shrimp stuff (90 calories).
Basically, the yogurt will help you lose weight faster because of the linoleic acid and the calcium - go back and read my previous post on the subject. The cereals are healthy, high in fiber, and carbs. And I had my proteins also, plus some vegetables and fruits.
When I reach 55 kilos, I have a feeling I will get stuck, so then I will start exercising. I won't exercise too much now - except for walking - because I want to keep an Ace up my sleeve for the bad days to follow.
Anyway, in two days I lost 400 grams or 1 pound. I think it's going good.
I'm also using the anti-cellulite cream and taking Scottish showers at least every two days.
This is another Turkish recipe that I fell in love with this summer during my holiday in Turkey.
Why it won't make you put on weight? Because you will have by itself or with chicken. No potatoes, no rice, no other stuff.
Let me talk to you about this eggplant first. Normally eggplants are not sour when raw, but when they get old or if they come from certain countries, they are. So cook your eggplant as you normaly do.
Yogurt and Eggplant Salad
2 eggplants
1-2 cups sour jogurt
1/2 lime juice (if needed)
2-3 green Charleston peppers
extra virgin olive oil
garlic (if you like) - chopped
salt
grounded red hot pepper on top
grounded white pepper
1. Cut the eggplants, without peeling, into cubes. 2. On small fire, fry the cubes into a pan with 2-3 spoons of olive oil (or more if needed). Mix now and then to make sure all the eggplant cubes get the same treatment. 3. Taste to check if the eggplant is soft; if not soft, cook more. 4. Add salt and white pepper. Mix. 5. Remove from pan into a serving dish. 6. Separatelty mix the yogurt with the lime juice (and the chopped garlic, if you chose to add it). 7. Pour the yogurt mixture on top of the eggplant. Add red hot pepper and 1-2 spoons olive oil. 8. In the pot, fry the Charleston pepper (or use a grill) then add it on top of the dish. 9. Cover, refrigerate, and serve cold.
Turkish recipes are delicious, like any other Middle Eastern dishes.
Yesterday I missed the Yogurt Soup (Yayla Corbasi) I used to have there, so I prepared it. This soup is an instant hit with any foreigner! It's tasty and refreshing.
Yayla Corbasi
8 1/2 cups beef stock (or 8 1/2 glasses of water and the required amount of beef stock concentrate - cubes) - where 8 1/2 glasses equal about 2 liters 1/2 glass rice 1 egg 1 spoon all-purpose flour 2 cups yogurt 2 spoons olive oil 2 small spoons dried minced peppermint red hot pepper (paprika) and salt
1. Wash the rice in lots of water, ten times if necessary, to remove all starch. 2. In a pot add stock and rice and bring to boil on medium fire. Cover if necessary. It takes about 20 minutes for the rice to cook, but make sure your rice is very well cooked. 3. Separately beat the egg and add flour. Make sure you blend your flour properly or else those flour balls will turn your soup into a big failure. Add 1/2 cup water and the yogurt. 4. Add to the boiling mixture, reduce fire to minimum, and continue cooking and mixing. Add salt if necessary. 5. When the mixture is ready to boil, take away from stove. 6. Separately fry some hot pepper in olive oil. Mix it with the soup. 7. Serve soup with peppermint on top.
Losing weight and staying healthy is easy, when you care. Forget famishing yourself: there are other ways.
Since I was 15 I've been obsessed with healthy diets, losing weight, sports, and everything included. I read books after books and I collected articles on staying fit and healthy. Even now, 12 years later, I am still reading everything I find on the subject.
I will share with you, step by step, everything I know. Free advice.
About Me
Name: Andreea Home: Bucharest, Romania About Me: Post graduate student, happily married, who has found the perfect job in a perfect company. :) See my complete profile
