27 Ways To Get In Shape For Summer
With only about 6 weeks until summer officially kicks in, it’s time to get movin’! We all want to enjoy summer 2015 by looking at our best. There is a lot you can do in 6 weeks if you’re disciplined enough to stick to the next 27 steps. Who’s with me?
- Find your Why (Motivation) If you have a motivation to get in shape, which is your personal reason why you want to get healthier and fitter, you are most likely to pursue it. If your WHY isn’t convincing enough you are most likely to give up when things get hard. So figure out your WHY and if you like, share it with me in the comment section!
- Make a plan Planning is everything. Stick to a certain meal plan/pattern, and make a workout schedule. If you have it written down in your planner, you will have to move towards actually doing it. If you know what you have to eat, you will make proper arrangements (grocery shopping, cooking) to make it happen! As with everything, Good planning = Success!
- Love yourself & Believe in yourself You are beautiful, worthy, and lovable and you can do anything you set your mind to! Say it with me! This comes before everything and is regardless of how you look and how much you weigh!
- Patience: Remember there is NO easy way As easy as it is to put on the pounds, it’s not that simple to lose them. You have to keep in mind that you will really have to WORK, the fat is not going to magically disappear in a day, unless you still have the metabolism of a 16 year old (oh how I miss those times!). There are no magic pills, so be patient, progress takes time.
- Replace all of your drinks with H2O & Drink yourself skinny Water is the only liquid your body needs, and contains zero calories, so by replacing all your other soft drinks, juices, coffee (in excess of 2 cups a day) and other (sport)energy drinks with water you can cut out all unnecessary calories. Just by doing this you will notice immediate difference in your waistline. In case you find water a bit dull you can spice it up by adding a little bit of fresh mint, lemon or other fruit. My favorite summer drink is sparkling water with a slice of lemon, refreshing and healthy!
- Don’t forget the Royal part of the day You can skip meals (though you shouldn’t), but one you should never skip is breakfast! Breakfast, which is the meal you have within an hour after you wake up, is essential for starting your body’s engine. Research has shown that people who eat breakfast burn more calories throughout the day than those who don’t. Plus breakfast is the most fun meal of the day, because you can have a little bit more of everything since you will burn it off throughout the day anyway. Breakfast tip: Make sure it’s protein rich.
- Eat something (Healthy) every 2 hours By eating something every 2 hours you increase your metabolism, which is your bodies mechanism to burn calories and fat. It’s similar to an engine, fuel it up with gasoline and it get’s rolling. Keep your body kicking constantly to burn more calories (even when not active) by eating regularly.
- Divide your Meals into 6-8 small portions a day If you eat every 2 hours, it means you eat 6-8 times a day. Make sure you plan out your meals, so instead of 3 big portions a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner), you make it at least 6 smaller portions, so yet get hungry when 2 hours have passed. In the beginning, when you’re not used to eating smaller portions yet, you might still feel hungry after eating a meal. In this case drink loads of water after your meal to give you a full feeling.
- Prepare Your Meals and Snacks to avoid grabbing Unhealthy stuff. Preparation is essential to successfully eating healthy and clean. Without preparation you will grab the next best thing available when hungry and I bet you 100 euro’s that it isn’t close to healthy. Plan and prepare your meals before you start your day.
- Limit your stock of yumminess (or don’t buy at all) If you’re like me and you lack discipline and self-control, the best thing is to make sure you just don’t have any yumminess in the house. That way you can avoid cheating and binging when you’re not supposed to.
- Know the difference People often mistake the feeling of being hungry with actually being thirsty, moody or just feeling like a snack. If you know you just had a meal, your body is probably in need for hydration. Emotional eating is a common reason as to why people are overweight. If you’re feeling down, talk to a friend, go shopping, or best, go workout, but whatever you do, don’t get comfy on the coach with a can of Pringles.
- Keep it Balanced Keep your plate balanced by adding the right amount of healthy carbs, fats and proteins. The closer you get to summer, the lower you go into your carbs, while you add in proteins and healthy fats. Never cut out healthy carbs completely, it’s an essential fuel to your body. Keep away from refined and processed sugar (your body doesn’t need sugar, ever!). For more regarding nutrition, read here.
- Don’t Count Calories There are many people who will disagree with me on this, but in my experience, counting calories doesn’t really have any added value. If you eat the right things in the right proportions and you exercise, you will be fine. Counting calories only makes you overly self-conscious and takes way too much time. Instead of looking at the amount of calories a product contains, look at the values of fat, protein and carbohydrates to get an indication of whether it is right to eat or not.
- Don’t Dare to step on that Scale It’s a big mistake to measure your progress by weighing. Your body weight is composed of many things, and thus might fool you and lead to frustration and even giving up.
- Measure your Progress by taking Measurements & Pictures. You can measure your progress best by taking your measurements, taking pictures, measuring your fat% and just by looking in the mirror or referring to your belt. Your eyes are in this case more reliable than your scale. Read more here on why.
- Find an Activity/Sport you like A few of the points I’m mentioning below are fitness related, because fitness is my go to sport, but to be able to keep the fun and consistency in it, it’s important you find an activity that you really enjoy. It can be from dancing to any kind of sport, as long as your heart rate goes up. Some ways of exercising are more effective than others (in the long term), which is why I personally prefer Fitness.
- Make a Workout Schedule of at least 3 times a week, preferably 5-6 Make a regular workout schedule and stick to it. Make sure you break some sweat at least 3 times a week, but preferably 5-6 times if you want to achieve more progress fast. It’s a commitment, but it will be worth it. Make sure that these workout sessions are never shorter than 25 minutes and never longer than 75 minutes. Honestly, anything less than 3 times is nice, but will not get you in shape within 6 weeks.
- If you do cardio, always do HIIT Cardio Lots of you love to go running, spinning or do other forms of cardio. What most of us lack is time, but if you want to burn a significant amount of calories, you have to spend a lot of time doing cardio right? WRONG. The most efficient and effective way is to do HIIT Cardio, you will burn more calories (even later on when you’re not working out anymore) and you can do it in just 20 min. Read more on HIIT Cardio here.
- Build in Rest for your Muscle groups For those who do choose to lift weights, or do anything that really builds muscle mass: Your muscles need rest to repair and grow, so make sure you have 48 hours in between before training the same muscle groups again. Tips on Weight training & Exercises can be found here.
- Snooze or you Lose Sleep is one of the most important ingredients to a fit and healthy body. In some cases it can be even more important than exercise. Sleep abbreviation can lead to increased cortisol (stress hormone) levels and cortisol makes your body store fat. So snooze it for at least 7-8 hours/night!
- Get a Workout Buddy One of the best known motivations is having a workout buddy, who encourages you and dares you to get your booty off the couch and out of your comfort zone. Challenge each other, set goals together and have fun! (Only not too much fun & chatter, you do actually have to put in the sweat!)
- Make a Music Workout Playlist The right music can literally push you through your workout. Make a playlist (or different ones for different kinds of workouts). Find the songs that get you pumped up and motivated. Another thing I love about my music is that it drowns out every other noise, so I can focus on the exercise and the music.
- Workout in Style My favorite source of motivation! Hip, Stylish, Funky and Comfy workout clothing is a great motivation. Especially if it’s Wulterkens haha! You get to ‘’dress up’’ and sweat in style, which is a must for every fashionista. Knowing you look great, makes you feel great, and makes the process of working out more fun.
- Don’t compare yourself to others This one is so important! We are being flooded by pictures of beautiful abs and booties on Instagram and other social media. You don’t know their story, so don’t compare yourself to others. Every body type is different and some fitness models aren’t achieving their looks in a natural way. This can lead to you overtraining or starving yourself to achieve something that is not naturally possible. The thigh gap trend is another example. Just focus on yourself, be consistent, work hard, eat healthy, be patient and you will see results.
- Balance with a Cheatday (Yeah baby!) Proper nutrition counts for 70%, which is why they say abs are made in the kitchen. I do, however believe in moderation, so I believe that if you stick to a clean, healthy diet, you can enjoy a little bit of goodness every day. Or, as most fitness athletes do, schedule one day in the week, when you eat whatever it is you want. Pizza, Nutella pancakes, whatever it is, you can eat it, but only on that significant day. You don’t have to feel guilty about it, a cheatday can actually boost your metabolism, plus it keeps you sane during the week, because you know you have something to look forward to.
- Stop stopping Make a plan and stick to it. Don’t stop, because every time you do, you need to start all over again, and starting is the hardest part!
- Stick to a Healthy Lifestyle during and after summer Keep your meals healthy and stay active, during and after summer to avoid gaining the weight again very fast. Try to balance your cocktails and late night dinners with exercising the next day. Please don’t starve yourself the next day, since this will slow down your metabolism, and your body will store more fat. Make it your lifestyle to eat several small, healthy & balanced portions a day, with the occasional cheatmeal/day, exercise 3 times a week, sleep well, and drink lots of H2O. you will feel great and look great all through the year.
Good luck ladies! If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask in the comment section. And remember, good things come to those who sweat!
Love, Nadira
Outfit: Wulterkens SS15 Sport Collection.
- Published in Health & Fitness, Written Archives 2013-2018
A Better You: HOW -> Food & Nutrition Part 2
‘’If you want to get fit you only have to give up one thing: your Excuses’’.
So I will start by making my excuses…haha, well my apologies for the delay on Food & Nutrition part 2. My dad was on vacation here in the Netherlands for 2,5 weeks, we went to Paris, I turned 25 and celebrated with 3 days of partying (and 3 cakes) and next to all this, work kept calling of course. The Wulterkens new collection is ready for shooting this weekend with some amazing fitness athletes/models. So super busy, but all really fun!
Most of everything written below was written some time ago, when I decided to split it in half, so I luckily found a little bit of time to add the food diary I promised you guys. In addition to ‘’A Better you: How: Food & Nutrition Part 1’’ (make sure to read it first), I present to you Food & Nutrition part 2!
HOW you eat.
It’s all about perception and tricking your brain. Scientists have discovered (I tried it, and it’s true) that if you eat in smaller plates/bowls and with smaller spoons, you will eat less without even noticing. Your brain perceives a ‘’full’’ plate, even if it is a smaller one, so it gives a satisfied signal to your brain.
Also taking the time and giving all attention to eating instead of watching tv really makes a difference in your perception of being ‘’full’’. If you eat slower and take time to chew very well, you will also get a ‘’full’’ feeling faster. Try it!!!
Rule number 1 when you start changing your nutrition.
Cut all soft drinks, soda’s and juices. Yes juices, unless you’ve freshly squeezed it yourself (and even then I would keep it limited). All juices in boxes or bottles are loaded with added sugars.
The only thing you can drink unlimited is: WATER! And maybe a little bit of low fat/ (unsweetened) almond/soy milk with your oats and protein shakes, depending on your fitness goal.
Train yourself to drink at least 2 liters water per day. I drink around 3 liters per day, but it’s not easy, so try starting with 1,5 liter and then build it up to 3 liters.
Rule number 2: No snacking, no candy, no chocolate. And NO alcohol! Alcohol can really mess up your system, and contains tons of sugars.
Rule number 3: Watch your carbs and cut them down gradually, replace them with vegetables or proteins. I forgot to mention in part 1 that while you should cut down your carbs throughout the day, you have to make sure to eat a little bit of carbs before and after your workout. Before the workout you need it for the energy, even if it’s just one spoon of rice or a banana. After, you need it for your body to replenish. If you completely cut carbs from your post workout meal your body might go into fat preservation mode. So again, even if it’s just one spoon of rice, don’t forget your carbs! While carbs form the biggest wall between you and your sixpack, they are one of the main building blocks of that same sixpack. Make sure to find the right balance.
Rule number 4: NEVER EVER substitute a meal with a shake or meal replacer. And don’t go on crash diets where you only drink shakes. You will lose weight, mostly water weight and start gaining the weight back as soon as you start eating normal again.
Make it your lifestyle to eat healthy, nutritional foods in good proportions at the right times and you will not have to worry about gaining weight even if you cheat once a week.
Remember the word GRADUAL!
To give you an example: If you have coffee the way I like it, with 2 sugars and milk, I would start the first week putting in 1 sugar and less milk, the week after no milk, the week after that no sugar. And if you can’t drink it like that (just like me), skip the coffee and go for green tea (without sugar).
For the tea drinkers who drink sugar in their tea, switch to honey instead of sugar en eventually after 2-3 weeks, try it without sugar.
In all cases you will eventually get used to it and believe it or not, you might even start liking it!
Your taste buds adapt according to what you eat for a longer period of time, so all you have to do is stick with it for a month or 2 and then it all becomes a lot easier.
NO counting Calories
Another misconception that has widespread is the counting calories story. The basic is true. In order to lose weight you need to create a calorie deficit, meaning you need to consume less calories and burn more (increase your exercising, decrease your calorie consumption).
But the problem is that people say a calorie is a calorie, so one calorie of vegetables is equal to one calorie of milk chocolate. This is true in its definition, but in practice it just doesn’t work. The average woman needs to consume 2000 calories per day to function. So a lot of women are told to consume 1500 – 1000 calories maximum if they want to lose weight. What most of these women do is, they count their calories, without considering WHAT they are actually eating. So they eat bread, cheese, and sometimes even skip a meal to be able to eat a piece of chocolate in the evening and it will still amount to 1500 calories or less. Yet, they don’t understand it when they don’t seem to lose weight. Most women will lose weight in the beginning, but eventually your body gets used to your 1500/1000 calorie intake. Moreover, your body will go into fat preservation mode if it doesn’t receive the right nutrition.
If you have carefully read everything I wrote about nutrition in part 1, you will understand why the whole calorie counting thing is bogus. Focus on WHAT you eat, eat small portions in moderation every 2 hours and gradually reduce your carb/sugar/fat intake throughout the day and you will see results, I promise!!!
Supplements: Whey Protein, BCAA, Pre workout
In order for your body to recover after intense fitness workouts where the weight lifting really tears up your muscles, I recommend taking a whey protein shake after your workout. You can buy whey protein in different flavors at supplement stores. There are so many brands to choose from, but basically they all do the same. I get mine at Rumble Store and at B-Fit, both are located in Utrecht, the Netherlands, if you order online they ship it to you.
You have Whey isolate which is really the best, because it contains microwheys, meaning it’s more than 90% protein. These Whey isolates are usually not available in any flavors, so they are not very tasty, I personally don’t like them. When you buy your whey protein, make sure it contains a lot of protein per 100 gram and much less carbs and fat compared to proteins. For instance, at most 1,5 gram fat per 100 gram of whey protein.
A lot of whey proteins also contain BCAA, which helps with muscle recovery. There are also BCAA pills you can buy as extra, but only do so when you are training really hard and you feel like your body is not recovering in time.
When you’re getting closer to a ripped body, you will be going very low on your carb intake. This means that you do not get enough fuel from your food to do a good workout. What I use is a bit of pre-workout boost, which will give you an energy boost to do a great workout. After the workout, your endorphins kick in and you don’t really need it anymore.
There are so many more supplements on the market, but I don’t use them, so I can’t advice you on them.
Cheat day
So this is what I think will be your favorite part of my story. There is some light at the end of the tunnel! One day (yes only one) per week, you are allowed to eat whatever it is you want!!
This is to keep you sane during the process. Depending on your goal you can make it an entire day, or just one meal. I usually make it one meal + a snack.
To be completely honest, in the 4 months of my fitness journey, I never had one cheatday. Every time I planned on it, but when the day came I didn’t feel like it, because I was seeing results and I didn’t want to delay my progress. Also, my body was getting used to not getting sugars etc, so it wasn’t craving it either. This is something really personal and it’s up to you to decide what you do, but don’t feel guilty because one cheat day is not going to make you gain weight (if you really keep to the rules). My nutrition and training advisor actually told me that the sugar and carbs you suddenly eat will wake up your body and increase your metabolism, so cheating once a week even has a good side to it.
If you want to snack healthy my recommendations are fruit snacks. Or spice up your food with certain spices like Raw cacao and 100 % pure chocolate are quite healthy when eaten in moderation. Also peanut butter, which contains good fats, can be eaten in moderation as well. Examples: Low fat yoghurt with fruit and some honey, apples in the oven with some cinnamon or peanut butter over it.
In conclusion
You need to go back to basics, how our ancestors used to eat before we started experimenting with additives and preservatives. It’s all really toxic and it requires a lot of your body to process, leaving you with less energy. This is why people eventually get diseases like cancer.
All the sugar free/diet products aren’t good for you either. Ask yourself, if it doesn’t contain sugar, but it tastes just as good, what is in there? Whatever it is, it’s not natural and thus, toxic for your body. Try to avoid canned foods, most of it is also available frozen, which is better.
Try to eat as biological as you can. In reality you can never be 100% sure if your vegetables are completely green and don’t contain any toxics or if your meat or fish is hormone free. But do your best to get the best available for your body. I know it costs a bit more, healthy/clean eating is expensive. Just try to get the best for your budget. And believe me, it’s more worth it than any material object.
Important!
After you’ve reached your ideal weight/picture of how you want to look, you can eat this way and then maybe do 2 cheat days a week. So for instance, in the weekend, you just enjoy and go to a restaurant or have a few glasses of wine. Or you can build in a healthy snack that you take after dinner every day. However, you have to make sure you keep on exercising at least 3 times a week to keep in shape. Exercise is key to keep you in shape, while being able to occasionally enjoy those cheatmeals.
Basically, if you want to know more on anything I’ve written in this blog, Google it, read on it so you can understand better how your body works. If you understand your body, you will know how to treat it. I did a lot of research before I started my fitness journey. The chart below will help you with understanding your body’s cravings. Understanding this will really help you to stick to clean eating!
In my next blogpost ‘’A Better You: HOW: Fitness & HIIT Cardio’’ I will talk to you in detail about my workouts, schedule, exercises, why I don’t do regular cardio, but also where I find my motivation (fitness pages I follow) etc. By changing your nutrition and eating clean you can achieve great results, but for that perfect body you need to put in the work at the gym!!
Food Diary
First I have to apologize for the quality of the pictures, food photography is clearly not my expertise. I see so many lovely pictures from healthy meals on Instagram and Facebook, but somehow I haven’t succeeded (yet) to make my food look as good. All of these pictures are random meals I’ve had over the past 2 weeks. The really small ones are snacks. As you will see they mostly consist of proteins and vegetables, protein pancakes, a little bit of rice or crackers, and on my salads only 1/4 of the dressing that they add. Sometimes I add a nice fruit or vegetable smoothie to my mealplan, but they are usually quite simple, I have to make more time to experiment with them. All very small portions on small plates. In some pictures you can see I am having a bit of protein shake as well, usually that’s in the morning or after my workout.
Here goes!!
Rucola Salad with Paprika, Chicken & Raisins, a Whole grain biscuit with Sandwich spread (natural) and half a protein pancake.
2 Tablespoons of Brown rice with spicey mackerel and snap/french beans
Unfortunately I didn’t eat this beautiful plate below, I accidently added it along with the pictures, I save lots of pictures like this for inspiration.
Lean minced Beaf with Brocolli, Carrots and Paprika with a little bit of Brown rice (3 tablespoons). It’s a really small portion, good enough to hold you for 2 hours.
Breakfast: Proteinshake & Whole grain biscuits with Baked eggs.
A random soup filled with chicken and veggies
Banana – Blueberry Shake with a little bit of Low fat milk + Orange Juice
As much as I do my best to prep my food, sometimes it’s too busy and not possible. In that case I run the the Supermarket and get these ready to go salad’s. Usually I get tuna and I only use 1/4 of the dressing that they add.
Low fat quark/curd cheese/cottage cheese with Banana – Loaded with proteins!!
I remember it being such a busy day and we had to go to Ikea for some stuff, we forgot our food at the office so we had to get something at the Ikea restaurant. I added this picture to show you guys that there are healthy options at places like this. This is fresh salmon with steamed veggies and potato out of the oven (no oil) and I didn’t even eat all of the potato. It’s really up to you what you choose.
My Dad brought me Surinamese vegetables, so I made a traditional vegatable soup. Super healthy and yummy!
Chicken, Paprika, Raisins, Nuts, Seeds (Flax & Chia) + Protein Shake
From the Surinamese vegetables my dad brought I made a nice dinner with Mackarel, and the veggies.
A Mozarella salad from the Supermarket
Rucola salad with green peas, tomato & cucumber + lean minced beaf & whole grain tortilla wraps
Fresh off the tree cherries make a lovely snack!
Chicken in coconut sauce, with brocolli + lean minced beaf with green peas, tomato & cucumber
Late night snack: Brocolli topped with a fresh tomato sauce
Another late night snack: lean hamburger with rucola & cucumber and a little bit of ketchup
Ceasar chicken Salad from the Supermarket
I prepped these meals for during our roadtrip to Paris, always be prepared, wherever you go!
Cherry tomatoes, cucumber, mixture of cellery, carrots, chicken and lean hamburger + cooked eggs
French beens,green peas, cauliflower + chicken & eggs, perfectly balanced.
Smiling breakfast! Protein pancake with a few scoups of protein, a little bit of whole grain pancake mix, eggs, steal cut oats and Brinta + sometimes we add raisins or nuts, chiaseeds, gojiberries etc. This time with a blueberry topping.
And lastly, my birthday breakfast: Red velvet cake + Pistache & Caramel Macarons from Laduree in Paris! Cheatbreakfast!
I hope you guys now have a better understanding of what, how and when to eat to get to that better version of yourself. Stay tuned for my next blog on Fitness & HIIT Cardio.
Stay Healthy, Fit and Focused!
Love,
Nadira
”Your life doesn’t get better by chance, it get’s better by change” – Jim Rohn
- Published in Health & Fitness, Written Archives 2013-2018
A Better You: HOW -> Food & Nutrition part 1
Wow, where do I start! First of all I want to thank everyone who took the time to read my post. I’ve been receiving amazing feedback on my first part of A Better You: WHY (State of Mind). It really means the world to me, because for the first time ever I opened up about my feelings, thoughts and insecurities and I felt a bit ‘’naked’’. Seeing how it inspires a lot of people, makes it all worth it! So have you guys figured out your WHY yet? Are you willing to change your lifestyle for it? Are you willing to suffer pain and hunger for it? How committed are you?
As I was writing everything I know about nutrition, I realized it’s way too much for one blogpost, so I decided to split Food & Nutrition into 2 parts. In this first part, I discuss how you can best measure your progress, WHAT to eat and WHEN to eat. In part 2 I will discuss HOW to eat, basic rules you need to hold on to, cheat days, counting calories, supplements and I will add a food diary.
I want to start out by saying that I’m absolutely no expert. Everything I write is based on my own research and my own experience. It is what works for my body and mind. It might work differently for you, so you have to try and see how your body responds. Most important is to listen to your body.
Measuring Progress
In addition to the first part, I want to start by saying that I lost about 8-10 kg between August 12th and December 20th 2013. If you missed my before and after picture, check it out here.
The reason why I don’t know exactly how much weight I lost, is because I almost never stepped on a scale. I remember stepping on a scale somewhere in July weighing 59 kg and I stepped on another scale in December weighing 49 kg. These are different scales, so it may vary.
One of the major things that too many people do wrong is constantly stepping on that scale.
Don’t do this, because you will frustrate yourself and it’s not necessary. The reason why the scale is not trustworthy is because your body weight consists of many things that vary: Body fluid (water), Fat and Muscles. By the way, if you weigh, you should be naked to get an accurate weight or make sure you wear the exact same clothing next time you weigh, preferably early morning on empty stomach.
Research has shown that muscles weigh heavier than fat. Muscles burn fat. So if you want to lose fat, you need to create more muscles mass to burn the fat. When you start developing your muscles through training (in combination with eating clean), you will increase in muscle weight, but decrease in fat weight, which is exactly what you want.
The problem is that if you weigh at a certain point, the scale might tell you that you gained weight, which is true, but it’s muscle weight that replaced the fat weight. Despite you being conscious of this, you will probably still get disappointed because the scale is showing a higher number than before.
Also, in some periods your body might hold onto some extra water, which will also make it seem as if you’ve gained weight, when it’s not fat but water weight. So in order to avoid unnecessary frustration, stay away from the scale en measure your progress in other, more reliable ways. You see, your weight is nothing but a number, it can constitute of so many things, so you shouldn’t focus on reaching a certain weight, but instead focus on a picture of how you want to look like, or a certain fat percentage, which is more reliable.
The best way to measure your progress is by taking your measurements: Bust, Waist, Hips, Thighs (Left + Right) & Arms (Left + Right). Don’t forget to add the date and then you can measure weeks later to see your progress (I take my measurements once a month).
Next to this, professional athletes measure their fat percentage. You can ask you personal trainer in the gym if he/she can do this for you. When I started I didn’t measure it, so I have no idea how much I dropped in fat, unfortunately. I am measuring it now, so I will keep you guys up to date when I’ve reached my point of satisfaction in the Summer.
Moreover, I would like to recommend to take a before picture when you start and when you’ve reached a point where you are satisfied you can take an after picture. You don’t have to share it with anyone, but it is very motivating to look back.
Another measurement of progress is your clothing. You can easily notice you’re losing weight by your pants or belt that will fit looser. This is a way better and more reliable indication than your scale.
I used to stand in front of the mirror everyday to see if I made progress. I don’t recommend doing that because eventually you won’t see it anymore and this can be frustrating as well, while maybe you are making some great progress. I’ve added my progress based on measurements in the picture below, so you have an idea of how to do it (I left out Bust due to privacy reason, but don’t forget it!).
Nutrition
It’s the most cliché quote in Health & Fitness, but it’s true. ‘’Abs are made in the kitchen’’ or… wherever you eat. It doesn’t come down to that hour or 2 you spend in the gym, but it’s everything you do (and eat) in the other 22-23 hours that really counts.
First let me help you out of the illusion: There are no magic pills, no shortcuts, it’s all just invented to make money. All you need is discipline to control what’s on your plate and hard work in the gym.
Working out is just 30 % of the effort, controlling what’s on your plate counts for 70% to get a 100% of results.
In today’s world, with everything being reviewed by basically everyone who thinks they know enough about something to write about it (a little like me haha); but also new technology, enabling researchers to elaborately study our foods and bodies, it is not easy to find out what is genuinely healthy and what’s not.
Bread, for instance, which is quite a generic food, considered healthy and consumed by millions around the world, really is NOT that healthy. Sorry to break it to you guys, but it doesn’t have much nutritional value. For my Dutch friends, here is an article that explains it.
I’ve personally gotten the advice as a woman to not consume dietary products, so no milk, yoghurt, cheese etc. I do consume a little bit of milk with my protein shakes or oats, but it’s always (unsweetened) almond milk or low fat milk, and I tend to keep it at a minimum. This however, doesn’t mean I have a calcium deficit as most people think, because you can get calcium from many other healthy sources. Soy milk (unsweetened) is also an option, but I’m allergic to it.
WHAT
Fat
I cook everything either with the 0 % fat cooking spray they sell at the supplement stores, Organic Coconut oil, or simply Olive oil. Since there is a constant debate going on, on for instance whether coconut oil is really good or bad for you, I just switch it up, making sure I don’t get too much of any of the 3 in my system.
A major misconception is: ‘’I have to lose fat, so I have to avoid fat’’.
Please, do NOT avoid ‘’Fats’’, because you need them to function. It’s a common mistake people make when they go on certain diets. If you don’t add fat into your daily meals, your body will go into a fat preserving mode, which will lead to you not losing any fat despite your hard work in the gym. You have to make sure your body gets in a little bit of fat and most important the right fat.
The best kind of fats you can give your body are the ‘’good’’ fats called Monounsaturated fats and Polyunsaturated fats like Omega-3 and 6, which you can find in Unsalted Nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews), Avocado and fatty fish like Tuna and Salmon, but also Olive oil. Read more here.
Important: A fat free/low-fat label on a product doesn’t necessarily make it a healthy product. It’s usually filled with carbohydrates and sugar that will transfer into fat in your body.
The basic rule is to eat everything in moderation to avoid excess of anything that might be bad for you.
Carbohydrates aka Carbs
Carbohydrates are fuel for your body. You need them to operate. However, if your body takes in more fuel than it burns, the carbohydrates will transform into fat. If you keep your carbohydrate intake low and increase your physical movement, your body will not have enough fuel to burn so it will start burning your fat reserve, which is what you want.
If I consume carbs, which I do at a minimum, I make sure they are the healthy carbs or the slow carbs. Slow carbs are good because they are gradually processed by your body, meaning you can function on them longer before your body starts to get hungry again compared to fast carbs. They keep your blood level at a relative regular, keeping you satisfied and energized longer. With fast carbs (white pasta, rice, bread) your blood level will drop faster, making you feel hungry very fast, because your body needs your blood level to peak again.
So I’m getting really technical on this, but it’s fairly easy: the closer you want to get to that sixpack, gradually reduce the amount of carbs you take in. And you should consume only good carbs like: whole grain crackers, steal cut oats, wholegrain rice, sweet potato and quinoa. Avoid bread, especially white bread, and any kind of white pasta and rice. Especially rice can create a big bloated belly. If you would just cut down on rice, I bet you will notice a difference. Lowering your carb intake is the hardest. You can get really cranky about it. But as I said before, it’s not going to be easy!
Proteins
Proteins are the building blocks of your Muscles. In combination with building your muscles (to burn more fat) you need to take in a lot of proteins. I eat a lot of lean meat (chicken, lean turkey, low fat minced beef), Fish and lots of eggs. I also eat a lot of beans, like brown beans, white beans or chick peas, which contain lots of protein (in combination with carbs, but mostly good carbs). If you’ll be doing fitness it’s very important to get in your proteins to build your muscle mass.
Vegetables
I eat a lot of vegetables, naturally cooked. Vegetables also consist of carbohydrates and nutrients like vitamins, Iron, calcium etc. that fuel your body. They are a must in your new lifestyle of eating nutritional foods.
Fruit
I don’t eat a lot of fruit, and here’s why. Fruits are very healthy, but next to all the vitamins they also contain loads of natural sugars. The fruits that you can eat are: Banana (but they do contain a lot of carbs so it’s best to eat them pre-workout or for breakfast), apple, kiwi, grapes, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries (contain lots of anti-oxidants that help burn your belly-fat). Most other fruits contain a lot of natural sugars that can basically delay you from reaching your goal.
Salt
Keep your salt use limited and spice your meals up with peppers which are good for the metabolism. People tend to focus a lot on their sugar intake, but your salt intake can be just as harmful. Apart from the cholesterol issues; if you eat too much salt your body will hold onto extra water, which will make you bloated and increase in water weight.
Overall
Basically each meal you have should consist of around 20-30% protein, 60-70% carbs (which you can get out of vegetables as well) and 10-20% fat. All depending on your goal. It is very important to make sure your meals have all of these nutrients and they are balanced out in good proportions.
When I’m on my mission and getting closer to that ripped body, my meals usually consist of 60-55 % protein, 40-30 % carbs (mostly vegetables) and 10-5 % fat, which is enough for my body to not go into fat preservation mode, and perfect for my body to start burning the stored fat because it doesn’t get enough fuel from my carbohydrate intake. However, my carb intake is just enough so I don’t get dizzy and I’m still energized/able to function normally, while the proteins make sure my body restores.
Another thing that is almost just as important as WHAT you eat, is WHEN you eat and HOW you eat.
So we’ve got WHAT covered, I will add a food diary in part 2 about Food & Nutrition.
WHEN
You probably all know the saying, eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. Well it’s true, in the sense that you have to lower you carb intake throughout the day.
So for breakfast it might be ok to have a piece of whole grain bread, with a nice piece of salmon and some coffee with one cube of brown sugar, but don’t dare to do that before bedtime, for it will go straight to your thighs and belly unless you get up early and burn it off with some cardio on an empty stomach (which is highly unusual for most people). So make sure you lower your carb intake as you go through your day. Also, start eating smaller portions throughout the day.
Starting the day with protein and ending the day with protein is a golden rule, especially if you work out with weights and have to build muscle. Also, it’s extremely important to start eating within the hour after you wake up! By eating breakfast 15-30-45 min after you’ve woken up, you start your body’s engine for the day. A lot of people aren’t hungry in the morning, but you have to force yourself to eat something, so you can start up your metabolism.
If you want to become a fat burning machine, you have to start with speeding up your natural metabolism. So what we do is eat every 2-3 hours! By eating every 2 hours you can afford to eat just a little bit (as long as you hold onto the nutritional rules: protein/carbs/fat) and it will hold you until it’s time to eat again. So you eat 6-8 smaller meals a day instead of 3 big meals.
In the beginning I used to set my alarm clock every 2 hours, now I don’t need to because my body literally starts screaming for food after 2 hours. Sometimes, I’m getting hungry after only 1,5 hour has passed and I still have half an hour to go. In that case I just drink a lot of water, because you shouldn’t be eating before the 2 hours have passed.
This brings me to the next, very important point which is:
Meal Preparation
Most of you have a life, so a job, school or another obligation that keeps you busy during the day. This means that you don’t have time to prepare food every 2 hours, which means that you have to prepare it beforehand, like the night before. Meal preparation is crucial to succeeding in keeping up this healthy lifestyle. If you don’t prepare your food, you don’t have anything when your alarm goes off. If you skip it, your metabolism slows down and so does your fat burning. This will result in overeating/binging at night, because your body is going to want to catch up with that missed meal.
If you still want to keep it up you will have to grab some ‘’fast’’ food and that will certainly not be healthy. Most foods available at a cafeteria, lunch room or fast food restaurant will not offer you the nutritional value you need and are very likely to be too high in fat, carbs and sugars.
Preperation is key to success! And it requires time and effort, which is why it’s not for everyone (as you’ve been warned in part 1).
Your last meal for the day should be at least 2 hours before going to sleep. This is usually the killing part, because your body is used to eating every 2 hours, so by the time you have to go to sleep you’re hungry. And yes, you have to go to bed hungry. Eating right before you go to sleep will cause your body to have to work hard during your sleep to digest, which sucks up so much energy that you will probably wake up feeling very tired. Moreover, you don’t burn those calories you just consumed (because you’re asleep), so depending on the composition of your last meal there is a possibility that your body will store fat.
So this concludes part 1 of Food & Nutrition. Stay tuned for next week, when I publish part 2 on Food & Nutrition and the week after when I talk about Fitness & HIIT Cardio.
I really hope this helps you guys, make sure you take notes and if you have any questions, please ask them in the comment section below. This way, I can answer you here so other people that might have the same question will read it as well.
Stay focused and fit!!
Love,
Nadira
‘’When I lost all my excuses, I found my results’’.
- Published in Health & Fitness, Written Archives 2013-2018
A Better You: WHY (State Of Mind)
Upon request of many ladies (and some gents) that have been asking me for advice about training & nutrition the last few months…here is my version of what I like to call a complete lifestyle change for the better: ‘’A Better You’’, in body, mind and spirit.
I finally found some spare time to write, and especially on a topic like this, well, let’s just say, it’s going to be a long one, so make sure you get comfy and take notes. I’ve decided to split the whole lot into 3 parts, the WHY: State of Mind, the HOW part 1: Food & Nutrition, the HOW part 2: Fitness & HIIT.
On the 12th of august 2013, I decided I had enough. Enough of feeling so insecure about my looks, enough of not fitting into my clothing, or if I did fit into it, I didn’t look the way I wanted to. I remember we got so many VIP invites to exclusive parties and fashion events, but I could never find something to wear that I felt confident in. And I finally started realizing, it’s not the clothes, it’s Me.
How long am I going to live like this? With the constant excuse that I don’t have the time to work out, or due to all the long days working, no time to cook proper & healthy food.
No time. I think that’s the most used excuse by people who are not ready to commit to something, they know they want/have to do.
Time is precious, I think it’s one of the most valuable assets that we possess, however, our body, is right up there next to Time if you would put them on a list.
Rule number 1: You have to MAKE time. You make time for everything and everybody else. A lot of you waste time watching television, playing games, browsing on your phones etc. The moment you decide that your health and physique is a priority over doing other things, you will suddenly ‘’find’’ time.
As an entrepreneur I work 12-16 hours a day, 7 days a week. So where do I ‘’find’’ the time? What’s your excuse?
Yes, I know it’s cliché, but I love this quote by Jim Rohn: ‘’Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live in’’. I believe the quality of your life will increase if you take good care of your body, by working out and giving it the proper nutrition at the right time. To be able to consistently do so, you need the right mindset. The following quote describes it perfectly: ‘’We were all born with 3 things: A Mind, a Body and a Lifetime, how you use the first two determines the third’’.
So I guess most of you must be thinking by now: ‘’ok…so just tell me what to do now’’. Patience, I’m getting there…
The reason why I am taking you through my thought process, is because it is a fundamental part of making that switch to a different lifestyle. This whole process of changing it for the better, solely depends on your mindset. If you even have the slightest doubt, you will fail at this. Most people do, which is why I said in the beginning, most people aren’t ready. And it’s not for everyone. “If it were easy, everyone would do it’’. Moreover, society makes it even harder, as we live in a world where many things are portrayed as ”healthy”, for instance diet/ low calorie-everything, while it’s really poisoning. So it’s everything, but absolutely NOT easy.
First, you have to have a reason WHY. And it should be a good one. Good enough to change your entire lifestyle and maintain it.
My WHY was because I was tired of always dreaming to look a certain way, never being confident and happy with how I actually looked. I think most women will understand. I’ve never been really overweight or ‘’fat’’, but I’ve never been skinny or lean looking either. You could grab a full hand of ”fat” from my back and my thighs would rub against each other when I walked (hated that so much!).
Ever since I was conscious about my looks around my teenage years, I’ve always had this picture in my head of how I wanted to look. Or how I should look so boys would like me. You know the ideal picture of a woman that every guy would like. Which is of course an image portrayed by our media and not realistic whatsoever. It’s a trap most women fall in.
But ever since I entered the Fashion industry with my brand, I was constantly surrounded by models, celebrities, fashionistas, bloggers. Being a representative/face of my own brand, I realized I just had to look my best. Yes, it’s a shallow business, but it does make sense, fashion is and will always be about looks. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about a size zero, just healthy and in the best ‘’shape’’ possible for your body type.
The thing I want most is to succeed in this business and most of all I want to be an inspiration, so this was/is my WHY.
Apart from the ‘’looking good’’; for a ‘’healthy’’ 24 year old, I always used to have some pain somewhere, things like migraines, back problems, low energy etc. I was just tired of it all. Both my partner and I realized that with the long hours we were making, and the unhealthy way we were living (ordering takeout almost every day, lots of snacking and chocolate, lots of soft drinks), we wouldn’t last very long to enjoy our earnings. So the second part of my WHY was to feel better, have more energy.
As I started this process, my WHY gradually shifted to another level, but I will get more into that later. You will see that your WHY will shift during the entire process, as you start seeing results.
So on august 12th 2013, both my partner and I decided to make a change. We did so gradually, and I would advise you all to do so as well. Just cutting everything that is unhealthy at once, might work for 2 days, some of you diehards may last a week, but eventually you will fall back into your old ways as your body will protest heavily. It’s really like kicking off an addiction.
Just like addicts go through an extremely intense process during their rehabilitation, you will experience the same. That’s why your WHY has to be so important, so solid, otherwise you are most likely to give up like most people do.
Your body is so used to receiving sugar and carbs, that it’s going to protest because it thinks that it needs it. But it doesn’t need most of the garbage we eat. It takes a while before your body gets used to your new way of eating and exercising. You have to give it that time. Basically everything is trained in the mind, so if you train yourself to eat veggies for a month or 2 strictly, your body will eventually crave veggies (same as the other way around).
‘’Most people have no idea how good their body is designed to feel’’.
You think you feel great after eating that yummy piece of chocolate or pizza, and that’s true to some point because your body releases endorphins, but when you start feeding your body what it really needs to function at its best and you have a regular workout schedule, you will experience the endorphins + satisfaction on a whole different level. My migraines, body pains etc. are gone, I am really fit and energized throughout the day, no need for naps in the afternoon etc.
Remember this: A well-built physique is a status symbol. It reflects that you worked hard for it. No money can buy it. You cannot inherit it. You cannot borrow it. You cannot hold on to it without constant work. It shows dedication. It shows discipline. It shows self-respect and self-love. It shows dignity. It shows focus, patience, work ethic and passion!
Figure out your WHY and your WHY will bring you to the next question, which is HOW. Stay tuned for next week’s blog: ‘A Better You: HOW part 1 on Food & Nutrition’’. I will give you my knowledge and expertise on food, various misconceptions on what to eat and not, plus a food diary.
Stay focused & Fit!
Love,
Nadira
P.S. I’ve decided, after long consideration to share my before and after. To me it’s really embarassing and I feel very exposed, but at the same time I am proud of what I’ve accomplished in only 4 months of time. I would normally never publish a picture like this for the world to see, but I want you guys to understand that I’m not just writing this, I’ve really lived it all. It’s all from personal experience. No photoshop, just Me.
No calorie counting, no scales, no pills or any of that stuff they try to tell you will work. Back to natural eating and basics and just hard work and dedication. I’ve had a little fall back since December, but I’ve been getting back on my grind, so I promise you this summer, another After picture and it will be a way better one compared to december!
”You don’t have to be perfect to inspire others, let people get inspired by how you deal with your Imperfection”.
- Published in Health & Fitness, Self-Discovery & Growth, Written Archives 2013-2018
A Ship In A Harbor Is Safe…But That’s Not What A Ship Is Built For!
They say that the magic is happening at a place way out of your comfort zone. If you want to be part of that magic, you got to grab your guts and move out of it.
This is so easily said (and written), I know. It’s been almost a month since my last blog post and also my first one this year. I spent the holidays with my loved ones in my hometown Paramaribo, capital of Suriname, located in South America, right above Brazil.
It was 2,5 weeks of getting my mind off work and enjoying being home, spending time with my loving parents and friends. At the same time, I realized that with a new year, comes new things, new opportunities, challenges and lots of growth. While I think constant growth and improvement are one of the most important things, it’s still a fact that with growth come more responsibilities.
It’s scary, yes, very scary. I think my fellow entrepreneurs will understand. Along with that excitement and all those opportunities that you are pursuing is that little voice that makes you doubt everything, including yourself and your abilities.
But as the title of this blog post says…You can play it safe, but then you will never leave the harbor and you will never grow. And one my biggest fears is to stand still. I always need a new challenge, even if it scares the hell out of me.
So this year started out amazing, super busy with our fitness line and sale, but the great news is: We found a beautiful venue to finally create an official showroom for our fashion brand Wulterkens. We’ve been working from our home office ever since we started 1,5 years ago and we’ve been wanting to take it to the next level for months, but somehow it didn’t work out. Do you believe in coincidences? I don’t. I think we weren’t ready. And now we are. We looked around, saw 3 different places and then this one and the moment we saw it we knew it was perfect….pricey, but perfect.
Again with the risks, in this case a financial one, but my intuition is screaming that we have to do this in order to grow to the next level, put our brand in the market on a different scale. If you do something, no matter what it is, do it at the best of your abilities. So we’re doing it and I’m super excited!!
Another thing to be excited about (yes you too, in this case), the new collection of tshirts will be launched beginning of March! New exclusive tshirt designs and also new fitness wear, this time more for the gentlemen as well!
This February is going to be super hectic with moving the office, designing the showroom, new collections, refreshing new look of the website etc., so I probably will not be able to write as much as I would like to. I promise I’ll make it up in March!
Bottom line…don’t be afraid to take (calculated) risks, challenge yourself! I like the way Peter Drucker formulated it: ‘’People who don’t take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year’’. You will not die from a mistake, you can only learn and when you learn, you grow. Never a failure, always a lesson.
I think this entrepreneurial, risk-taking, adventurer, go-getter, goal-digger – side of me is growing, I am starting to like the ‘’rush’’ and I am very grateful for these scary beautiful opportunities coming towards us!
Lastly, ask yourself this: When we become comfortable, do you know what happens around us?
Answer: Absolutely nothing. Each day becomes just like the one before. We do what we have always done, therefore we get what we have always gotten.
That’s definitely not who I am, and what I want for myself…How about you?
Love,
Nadira
P.S. It’s winter, and although it’s not as cold as it usually is around this time a year it’s still hard to do nice posts in the cold, did my best with this one, hope you like it, the location is my beautiful garden/back yard!
Outfit details: Leather skirt: H&M, Boots: ZARA, Blazer: MANGO, Tanktop: Wulterkens (Basic collection, will return soon!) for more check out the SALE on www.wulterkensclothing.com. I don’t remember where I got my hat, I think it’s from one of the local department stores in the Netherlands.
He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life ~ Muhammad Ali
If you take no risks, you will suffer no defeats. But if you take no risks, you win no victories ~ Richard M. Nixon
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone ~ Neale Donald Walsch
We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are ~ Max DePree
Courage is about doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re scared ~Eddie Rickenbacker
I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow. When there’s that moment of ‘Wow, I’m not really sure I can do this,’ and you push through those moments, that’s when you have a breakthrough ~Marissa Mayer
- Published in Business & Entrepreneurship, Written Archives 2013-2018
Work Like You Don’t Need The Money, Love Like You’ve Never Been Hurt, Dance Like No One Is Watching
Gratitude
Reflecting on 2013, the first thing that comes to mind is how extremely thankful and blessed I am.
For the first half of the year I struggled to manage my business and finish my Bachelor degree at the university. While most people see that as an accomplishment, I was actually just happy to be done with it. What I did learn during that period was the value of time. This might sound cliché, but since I finished my Bachelors, I really valued my time a lot more and spent it as wisely as I could. I’ve learned to choose for myself, investing time in my business, myself and my personal growth has become a priority and it’s done me very good.
Personal Growth
2013 for me has been full of personal growth. Mostly in the second half of 2013, I’ve learned so much, not only business wise, but about myself as a person. I completely pushed my boundaries to another level, broadened my horizons in several ways. I constantly pushed myself, physically, but mostly mentally. And today I feel like I can handle anything. In life, you have to be prepared, to fight the hardest battles and challenges, and seize the best opportunities.
The thing about personal growth is that it is endless, there is no limit to where you can grow and the growth itself can bring you everything you want in life.
So my goal in 2014 is to become smarter, stronger, better than the Nadira in 2013. Grow more, learn more, fight more, Win more.
On the note of Gratitude,
My love, my soulmate, best friend, business partner, Fitness partner, pretty much my everything….Edwin Wulterkens…I can’t really describe in words what it is that I feel for you other than that I love you to death and I am so thankful that you came into my life. 2014 is a big year for us and Wulterkens and I am excited to share this year of growth with you.
To my loving mom and dad, Thank you for believing in me (and Edwin) and giving me/us all the support I/we need to build my/our business and life. Without you I wouldn’t be who I am today and well, I think the word grateful just doesn’t cut it, but you get the point. Love you more than anything!! Ish, my LITTLE brother, same goes for you, I don’t get to see you often due to both our busy schedules, but I’m very proud of you thankful that you always have my back.
To all friends, family (in my case some friends are more family to me than family), you know who you are!! One of the things that I really want to do in 2014 is tell you all how much I love and appreciate you more often. I know I’m busy, and it’s going to get even busier, but I will take every chance I have to spend quality loving time with you, because I do miss you. Thank you all for your loving support.
With regards to Wulterkens, I want to thank all of our customers, fans, supporters from all over the Globe who all contributed to our growth in 2013. Thank you for wearing Wulterkens, for flaunting it proudly, for sharing with your friends. We cannot describe how much it means to us.
As entrepreneurs, we strive for perfection, and are constantly thinking of ways to make things even better. So we will continue in 2014 to make you the best we can!! We will work hard to bring you more amazing designs that will distinct you from the mass, make you Lead when others follow!
Remember people, your life is your message to the world, make sure it is inspiring. Let the refining and improving of your own life keep you so busy that you have little time to criticize others (cause ain’t nobody got time for that haha). Be tough, choose your passion, set your goals and be focused on reaching them. Keep your eyes on the prize and work!!!
One of the key messages that I’ve learned also is to accept the things I cannot change. Focus my energy on changing the things I can (think in opportunities, not in obstacles), and in 2014 I aim to master the difference in knowing the things I can change or not. Focus your energy on building the new, instead of fighting the old. Always follow your intuition and heart. And don’t forget to stop and smell the roses, enjoy a beautiful sunset, and LOVE more!!
There will be a lot of challenges for me in 2014. Next to making and market the best collections of Wulterkens you guys have seen yet and expand internationally, I will start with my Part time Master in Marketing Management. Moreover, I have my personal goals and fitness goals, so let’s just say, I won’t be bored. I’m very excited and I’m ready!! Wulterkens is ready!! Are you?
Sending you all my love, blessings and the best wishes for 2014!! Let’s make it an outstanding, amazingly productive, healthy, happy and successful year.
Nadira
P.S. I am writing this in a hurry, without reviewing it, so don’t mind any spelling mistakes!
- Published in Self-Discovery & Growth, Written Archives 2013-2018
And Though She Be But Little, She Is Fierce!
Yeah baby!! Props to William Shakespeare for the title (from A Midsummer Night’s Dream), which I can totally relate to. The thing is, I get underestimated so often!!!
I’m quite short at 5 ft 2, tiny body, with big eyes, lips and a lot of hair. I am very much aware that because of my looks, the first impression I make might not exactly be ‘’intelligent’’ or ‘’smart’’. Apparently it’s in the nature of us humans to be distracted by the way people look and judge them based on just that. The truth is, I’m a nerd, professional business woman and quite a tough cookie, which can be confirmed by the people who know me closely.
In addition, I have recently discovered I am a ‘’beast’’ at the gym! I’ve really come to get to know a different side of myself. Check out my previous post ‘’That Power I Got’’ where I really go into details about this.
I used to hate it when people underestimated me, I felt like I came short. Now I’ve learned that being underestimated is actually a good thing. It gives you an advantage. I call it the element of surprise. There is no better feeling than surprising those who underestimate you. Especially in business and sports, it’s a huge advantage, but I think in life in general also.
My advice: never underestimate, especially not if that person is in some way your opponent. Never judge, especially not based on looks. Always encourage others. No matter who you are or what you do, you have the ability to inspire someone in your surroundings.
On a last note, which I think is most important: NEVER EVER underestimate yourself. You can do ANYTHING you set your mind to. You will have to work hard and fight for it. But remember: All limitations are self-imposed!!
Stay fierce ladies, no matter how ‘’little’’ you are!
Love,
Nadira
”Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us” – Wilma Rudolph
”I love when people underestimate me and then become pleasantly surprised” – Kim Kardashian
”If a man achieves victory over this body, who in the world can exercise power over him? He who rules himself rules over the whole world” – Vinoba Bhave
”Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live” – Jim Rohn
”Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity” – John F. Kennedy
”Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power” – Lao Tzu
- Published in Self-Discovery & Growth, Written Archives 2013-2018
That Power I Got
The past few months I’ve been pushing myself mentally more than I ever have before. Since we started with our t-shirt brand Wulterkens around February 2012, we’ve been so busy and focused on success and growth of the brand that we failed to acknowledge basic, but extremely important things, like our health. My partner and I both gained quite some weight due to our unhealthy lifestyle, with lots of stress, little sleep and no time for proper cooking.
And suddenly we just realized, that if we would jeopardize our health consistently, we will eventually not even be able to focus on the success and growth because we would be sick and fat. And of course, since we’re operating in the fashion industry, we do really want to look good!
So around mid-august, we started our Fitness journey with training and eating healthy unprocessed, freshly cooked veggies, lean meats and proteins, good carbs and fruit, 6 times a day. And lots of water! It took a lot of discipline, we really had to make the time, for the grocery shopping, cooking and training. We even set our alarm clock every 2 hours to make sure we don’t forget to eat.
For the first time, I started with Fitness, lifting heavy weights and kickboxing. It was all new to me, and in the beginning I thought fitness was really boring, until I finally got into it. I experienced the intensity at which you can push your mind and body and believe me, when training at THAT intensity, you don’t have a second to think of anything else, let alone be bored.
We really did our research on what to eat, and how to train and it’s working! We’re looking great, feeling great, much more energy and are much more productive. I really feel that my body is thankful for doing this.
I’m realizing while going through this journey that basically everything in life comes down to one thing: Mental Power. In the beginning it is so hard not to give in to sugar and bad carb cravings, but if you can manage your mind, eventually you train your mind into not needing any of it. I am so proud to have mastered this (It took me 2 months though, so be patient and stay strong!).
Another thing that has been happening a few times to both my partner and I has confirmed the power of the mind as well. While lifting weights, we mistakenly took a heavier weight than we thought it was. And while we could feel that it is very heavy, we had in our head ‘’this is 30 kg, I did this last week, so I should be able to do it now, I guess my body is just tired’’. But it actually was 50 kg. And still we were able to push ourselves to do the amount of reps that we wanted to do with 30 kg, while normally if we would be conscious of the weight being 50, we would probably not have been able to do half of the reps.
This means that it is extremely easy to trick and train your mind to be able to do amazing things. If your mind can conceive it, you can achieve it. While most people think with sports or lifting weights you have to be physically strong, it actually comes down to your mental strength. This mental power will allow you to break boundaries and thereby grow stronger both physically and mentally.
The power of my mind that I am getting to know during this fitness journey is astonishing. I am implementing this in every other aspect of my life, especially with work and it’s really making a lot of difference.
Henry Ford brought to life the saying ‘’Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right’’. This is so true. Say to yourself you can do it, and no matter what, you will, if you keep your focus and don’t give up. Say you can’t and you won’t. It’s as simple as that.
Lastly, I would like to share with you my personal affirmation:
‘’I am extremely powerful! Whatever I set my mind on having, I will have.
Whatever I decide to be, I will be. The evidence is all around me. I have taken the actions to create my current reality. And I have the power to change it into whatever I want it to be. With the choices I make, I am constantly fulfilling the vision I have for my life’’.
And so can you!
Love,
Nadira
P.S. This pictures were taken exactly a month ago. I am wearing my own beautiful Wulterkens Signature Studded Sweater. ZARA ripped jeans & heels from LolaShoetique.
‘If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought” – Peace Pilgrim
”Man, alone, has the power to transform his thoughts into physical reality; man, alone, can dream and make his dreams come true” – Napoleon Hill
”And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high” – Ayrton Senna
”Man’s greatness lies in his power of thought” – Blaise Pascal
- Published in Self-Discovery & Growth, Written Archives 2013-2018