Dieting with MyFitnessPal- How to Make Sure Your Diet is Customized and Non-Lethal

Dieting sucks. What? Because this is a part-fitness blog, you thought I was going to say it rocked? Come on. This blog is for fun-loving people. And while the right diet has the ability to make you look and feel better, it is never fun.

Because even the most reasonable diet will ask you to cut back considerably on desert.  You should also forget about flour, grease, fried things, cream, salt and more. You should also stay away from artificially enhanced/colored products, and anything that screams not-healthy.

Can you imagine having your friends over and instead of serving carrot sticks instead of chips? Well, unless your friends are models or Hollywood, they won’t like it. And it is hard to stick to your diet when

a) Others are eating all the fun stuff,

b) You have a busy schedule,

c) You don’t have enough money for the healthier, and typically more expensive dishes at restaurants.

Thankfully, I found a much more fun and doable diet-tracker thanks to my fitness pal. There is a website called MyFitnessPal that a good friend of mine recommended to me so that we could both keep to our New Year’s resolution (that we would spend 2012 fitter and healthier.)

The website is free and very easy to use. You sign up, and then fill in a form about your weight loss goals (and yes-your goal can be as realistic or optimistic as you want. You can even choose to follow a plan that will help you maintain your weight.)

You choose how much weight you want to lose over what period of time (the recommended is 1 KG each week) and how much exercise (minutes and frequency) you are willing to add to the mix. I believe it is better to follow a longer route that will slow down your weight loss, but won’t turn your each meal into a living hell.

Why shouldn’t you eat that chocolate bar if you can keep the calories within the limit? It is much better to make your lifestyle healthier and less-fattening then going off your annoyingly strict diet? Besides, if you only diet for a certain time and let things go to hell afterwards, you can’t maintain your new weight, what is the point?

After you set and record your goals, you start keeping a food diary on the site that you can choose to share with others or not. You note everything you eat and drink, they have a pretty good collection of food and drinks to give you the calorie count. They also have an automatic calorie adder, in case you already know the exact numbers.

You can also add recipes, record your workouts and be aware of your progress at any given time. And the best part is, the site calculates how many calories (both in total and divided into protein, carbs and vitamins) you need to take each day to reach your goal. And after you finish completing your entry for the day, it shows you how much you will weigh in how many days if every day goes like this.

It is fun, fast and free. It is great for those who don’t want to spend too much time fussing over calorie count and focus on healthy eating.

I should however note that this tool will be more helpful if you have a basic understanding of what is healthy, and what is good for you individually. Good luck to all my fitness pals out there!

What about you? Have you used myfitnesspal? What do you think about being your own fitness coach and dietician?

How to be Fashionable by Not Following Fashion!

          Fashion is everywhere and is in everything. Sometimes instead of saying in fashion, we might use words like hip, trendy, stylish, in style, popular, hit and such but we are always talking about fashion. Of course fashion is not just about your wardrobe but is about music, furniture, restaurants and anything else you can think of.        

          Some people must pay close attention to fashion. It is a professional obligation. If you are working for Vogue, you have to be at the top of your game and you must in fact know what is in, out or upcoming. But even if you are a fashion editor or working for a dress shop, you don’t have to do everything fashion tells you to do. And if your livelihood isn’t directly related to your knowledge and application of what’s fashionable, it is much easier to enjoy a full wardrobe with stylish clothes all the while keeping a lot of cash in your pockets.

           Everything has a huge potential of comeback. While I don’t advise anyone to copy some of the horrendous stuff from the 80s that shouldn’t have become big in the first place, throwing your clothes away every fall and replacing them with new ones is a huge mistake.         

The Darkness Singer. Image via stereogum.com.

          Did you by any chance come across a song called “I believe in a thing called love” by a band called The Darkness a couple of years ago? The band released the song in 2003 and became a number 2 hit on the UK charts. What’s so special about that? Well, the singer can go more high-pitched than Freddie Mercury and dresses like 70s’ and 80s’ glam rock bands. While their success wouldn’t have been a surprise 20 years ago, it happened in 2003. After all even the “most” glam bands are not doing glam any more. They grew up. They cut the hair, took the make-up off and simplified the clothes. Today, Jon Bon Jovi admits not being able to watch his videos from the 80s. And the new popular rock genre is indie. There are many more alternative rock bands and modern rock bands around than ever. So how on earth did they make glam come back and come back with vengeance?

          Just like everything about fashion, it came back. It became hip again. You know this is the case when it comes to clothes. Suddenly one designer will add a 30s or 50s element to their line. Suddenly, the skirts of your mother that you hated will appear on Kate Moss. Sienna Miller will get a 60s haircut and so will many, many women who laughed at the idea of that style only two months ago.

       What happens when you throw away your high-waist jeans away because low waist came back? You find yourself spending ridiculous amounts on high-waist jeans 3 years later. Funny things happen in the business of style. Men wear pink, gothic accessories get considered to be the norm and so forth. So keep your records and accessories and clothes that are dated but new enough. You will save time and money. It might also save you from swearing that you won’t be caught dead wearing something and then putting it on the very next month.

Dance & Listen to Sexy Songs to Feel Sexy

Songs are great for setting any kind of mood. You can find the perfect combination of lyrics, music and vocals for any situation. So why not play some tunes when you are feeling sexy? These might make you feel even sexier and more playful than ever.

My weapon- sorry, genre- of choice is rock n’ roll. Give these songs a shot. No worries, you tube links are included. If I can’t find the video, I’ll make sure to link to the audio track.

And you can always use this track list as a part of a great fitness-dancing routine. Even if you are not feeling particularly sexy at the moment, put on some cool stuff, turn the volume up and dance to these. You’ll start feeling amazing before the tracks are over, trust me.

Chris Isaak - Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing

Image via: fwallpapers.net

Mischievous, seductive girl drives the guy crazy. Right up our alley.The girl in the video? Latetita Casta. I have a gay friend who swears lusting after Casta. I rest my case. 

Warrant- Cherry Pie

Image via uulyrics.com

This is my absolute favorite when I color my hair (cherry) red. Of course it works with every color but it just makes even more sense. 

Billy Squier- Everybody Wants You

The title speaks for itself, doesn’t it?

Robert Palmer - Simply Irresistable

Again, great title – great song. Perfect for boost of confidence.

Kid Rock – So Hott

Be warned, this song is R-rated, in the most fun way. The girl describe in the song is so freaking hot that the guy can’t think about anything else but....Yeah, you get the drift. Lousy choice if you are in a romantic mood. But if you are feeling hot, it doesn’t get any better than this one.

The Troggs - Wild Thing

You can try the original version by The Troggs or for more fun, faster tunes and famous faces (Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Billy Idol, Slash,  Joe Perry & more), you can check out the Sam Kinison version from the 80s.

Feeling irresistible already?

Beauty Tip: When in doubt, get a haircut and dye the new do!

I’ll admit this is a very conventional tip. But then again, this blog is for all fun-loving women and we’ve nothing against the conventional methods that are easy, fun and put a smile on our faces afterwards.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m big fan of long hair. I have always lusted after the shampoo-commercial hair but my hair is never that voluminous, thick and long –even after a visit to the hairdresser’s.

So when I want to give myself a sexy make-over, I choose the quick path. I have a nice and modern cut (covering the cheeks and not the neck is usually a great length – easy to style & dry). Then I pick a color that I know looks good on me.  This time I went blonde, with the unintended effect of strawberry streaks (remains of previous coloring).

And I feel great. And I do look pretty decent. I should take some pictures of the new do and ask for your opinion too.

But remember, when it comes to looking and feeling awesome, your opinion comes first.

(Un)conventional Fitness Acitivity 6: Cleaning Your Room/House

Cleaning and Organizing Your Room

Image via lolpix.com

First, let’s see who might get better results with this activity:

·      

           The obsessively tidy and clean

You belong to this category if you almost always see cleaning to be done, even if other people think everything looks immaculate. Worry not. This means this fitness activity is regular (& natural) for you.

Remember how fit Courteney Cox’s Friendscharacter Monica was? I am betting that any one close to her obsession with organization and cleanliness, wouldn’t really have the time or the opportunity to gain weight.

·         The unorganized and/or shopaholics

Well, I confess. I am by nature an unorganized person. I am also a shopaholic so I am constantly adding new clothes to my already stuffed wardrobe.

And maybe I could find  a way to keep the room in order to some level, but I am also a writer, an avid reader and movie-watcher. So add the novels, writing projects, writing stuff and files and the DVDs, and I am in big trouble.

My organizational efforts burn more calories than a session at the gym or hours spent on the dancing floor.

After all, cleaning works pretty much every muscle. You have to pick things up, pull things down, re-arrange furniture &clothes, clean after your mess....

My last organizing activity? Yesterday. The result? Burnt calories, and officially establishing the need for new wardrobes, a bigger room and a bigger house.

How to Make Organizing More Fun

If you are anything like Monica, cleaning provides its own rush and happiness. But for the rest, and especially the intrinsically messy ones like me, there are ways to make the whole thing fun:

Turn on a TV-Show/Movie That Doesn’t Require Much Attention

It can be the re-runs of things you already watched and loved make for great help. You get to laugh and get things done at the same time.

Music and Dancing

Yep, it is always great to turn on great, fast tracks while you finish the task. And if you squeeze in the lovely activity dancing, time might fly without you swearing off shopping for new stuff.

Confession: I did swear off shopping but I am guessing it’ll last only for a short time. I am just being honest here. After all, shopping is a much more fun way to keep fit, remember? J

Do you have suggestions to keep cleaning more fun?

Preventing Fitness Injuries

Preventing Fitness Injuries

Image via: snapshots.net

Sorry, it has been a long while since I last posted, but I have a valid excuse. In my last post Unconventional Fitness Activity 5: How Freelancing Can Help You Stay Fit, I had mentioned that I injured my leg.

The thing is, I am a big fan of practicing what I preach and an injured leg that constantly felt like I had run a marathon didn’t help my efforts to be fit or stylish. Let’s face it: a kneepad and a limp don’t really increase my hotness levels. Or improve my style.

But my leg is getting better, I am no longer taking cabs everywhere and I am slowly returning to my dance classses. Unfortunately, remembering all the dance steps and moves is a little harder than getting back on the bike.

I don’t know why exactly I got hurt, because I did stretch before the class. Apparently, it wasn’t enough.

But this is life and shit happens so what are we supposed to do when we get sick or injured?

God forbid anything serious or terminal. But apart from morbid situations, we usually deal with minor injuries and the flu. So what can we do to prevent injuries due to illnesses or simply inadaquate action or too much action?

We can stretch. Regularly, preferably starting the day with it and then re-stretching and warming-up before any fitness activity. Not only these give us energy boosts, they also make sure the muscles relax and you don’t end up staying away from the gym or the dance class for a month.

Even when you are feeling like you are going down with something, a couple of sit-ups and minor stretching shouldn’t be a big deal. And you know what you can do to prevent that cold: lots of fruits, vegetables and regular exercise.

So this was an injury prevention posts. I’ll be back with more unconventional and/or fun tips soon.

exer

Until then.

Unconventional Fitness Acitivity 5: How Freelancing Can Keep You Stay Fit

Image via cartoonstock.com

Well, this one is tricky because the peace of your mind pretty much depends on how much money you are making (and how much you are enjoying yourself), whether your hands and arms are healthy (well carrying around your office around like a turtle and typing like crazy can hurt you at times) and well, physical health and a good internet connection also help.

Now, when I was first planning this post in my head, all was fine in the world. I was healthy, productive and was taking my own advice. Remember the unconventional tips about developing a crush, dancing and hanging with your attractive friends? Yeah, well- I worked a lot, danced about 3-4 times a week  (each session lasting for at least 2 hours), hung out with my best friend who is really attractive (and currently attracting a lot of guys, even the ones she doesn’t want to attract) and I am on the lookout for cute guys who might be worth my time. 

Then, on a couple of Tuesdays ago, I hurt my leg during dancing. Now, I am supposed to rest, which is a really difficult thing for a hyperactive person to do. I couldn’t dance at the Friday parties. Then my modem broke and my home internet connection went to hell, which is a bummer since I am supposed to stay a lot more at home to do that resting and even though I haven’t been typing all that much lately, my arm is now hurting too. 

Oh, yes. Mind you, I didn’t put on any weight since I combined my freelancing routine with dancing. Trust me, I’m not dieting. Or cutting back. At all. So I am pretty OK with keeping the weight constant. But if you watch what you eat a little, being a freelancer might help you shed some pounds too. Here’s how:

*Stop picturing freelancers and writers as people who don’t leave home. I barely stay at home because all the sofas, mess and housework can get in the way. And even walking to your bus stop is some action, especially if you live in a big city.

* Well carrying all that stuff around means you can work anywhere, so you don’t really need to cancel any 

spontaneous opportunities that come your way.

* How heavy is your bag? I think it should count as a minor (or major, depending on the size of your laptop) heavy-lifting activity.

* You can exercise at home. You don’t go to an office where you spend majority of your waking hours. So who’s to stop you from dancing to your favorite songs?

* You can go to the gym in the middle of the week, during other people’s office hours.

Let me know if you can think of more…