Whatever Is Good For The Soul…
Wandering through nature, with everything around me in transition, I finally find myself having a quiet moment in between what’s just a blur of busyness. I realised as I was looking around me, that constantly being in some sort of transition/progress/growth is the basic foundation of life in general. If it weren’t, life would be really boring, though it can be overwhelming at times. Speaking of overwhelming, there is so much going on right now, which is also one of the reasons why this is one of the longest periods that I haven’t been blogging.
What’s happening in short: My textile company Customized Wear is expanding (fast). Next to Wulterkens Lifestyle, my brand Wulterkens is getting divided into Wulterkens Clothing (Casual wear) and Wulterkens Sport, with new collections of both launching end of november, with an entire new look and feel!
And, as if I wasn’t busy enough, I’ve decided to start a third company ”Madame Selfmade” together with an amazingly talented lady. Madame Selfmade is a networking, motivating and learning platform providing a blueprint for all ambitious individuals, to explore their passion and create the life they want by providing guides and tools in several forms towards fostering the right habits, attitude and mindset that will enable one to achieve happiness, personal goals and success more efficiently. More about Madame Selfmade in my next blog. Oh anddd I’m officially starting with my Master thesis!
Don’t ask me where I get the time, because to be honest, I have been struggling, but on the other hand, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Comfort is an illiusion anyway. I’m just really grateful that I am able to do so many amazing things that I’m passionate about. One thing I have really learned these past few weeks is the importance of quality me-time, even if it’s just an hour in the week. I am actually scheduling it in now, because otherwise it simply doesn’t happen. Next to that, I’ve found that starting the day with 30 minutes of meditation, affirmations and visualizations in combination with a good workout, works like magic to get through the day. However, this does require some discipline to get up extra early, which I don’t always have, because I’m not a morning person, but I’m working on it!
Whether it’s going to the spa/salon, meditating, sleeping in, taking a long bath, going for a workout or stroll through a beautiful environment, cooking, listening to some music, curling up with a good book, doing something creative like painting or writing. Whatever is good for the soul….do that!
I’ve given up on obligations if they are not work related and time sensitive. Usually it’s in the weekends that you get more social, visiting family or hanging/going out with friends. I’m not sure if you’ll be able to relate, but if you run 2 businesses, are setting up a third and are in pursuit of your master’s degree at the university, there is little energy left to go to family birthday parties, and other social obligations. If you have energy, you should go, but if you don’t, don’t feel guilty about it. Accept that it’s part of the choice you’ve made, and you cannot have everything. My rule is: if it’s not going to give me any energy (rather take what little I have left), I’m not going. Keeping to this rule and choosing yourself above social obligations will prevent you from starting the week exhausted. It will make you enjoy the experience so much more if you go, and give you peace of mind when you decide not to go. Of course, if you don’t go, make sure you re-schedule some quality time with the people some other time, they will completely understand. And if they don’t, well…that’s not really your problem.
One thing you will find along the way is that the best investment of your time and energy is in yourself. This is not egoistic in any way, because if you can’t be the best version of yourself, you’re not able to give the best to your surroundings. So by investing in you, those significant others will only benefit more too.
I hope this little piece will give you some energy. My blogs will be a little bit shorter in the future, due to being shorter on time, but there is a new one coming up next week. Also, the giveaway I have been promising you will start a litter later than anticipated. It’s worth the wait, I promise! The new Wulterkens’ collections launch at the end of november.
Lots of love,
Nadira
Outfitdetails:
Boots & Pants: Zara (old collections)
Coat & Faux Fur Gilet: Missguided (old collections)
Sweater: WE (old collections).
Bracelets: Anadyla || Earrings: Swarovski.
- Published in Self-Discovery & Growth, 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