@alicetiara:
Your articulate response goes in a completely different direction and is entirely unrelated to your original comment: “I think if you have breast implants it kind of negates any positive, healthy messages you may be putting out about being “ripped” or “fit.” This really isn’t a discussion of feminism in society, wearing make-up, changing your last name, etc, as you discuss. It’s a rejection of your notion that anyone with implants is unqualified to advocate healthy eating and exercise choices. I’m going to stay on topic and reiterate that I support anyone who advocates a healthy lifestyle - regardless of the nature of their breasts, natural or not. Your original comment implies that ‘having breast implants’ = ‘all of your health opinions, no matter how sound, are invalid.’ To judge the merit of an opinion solely on the nature of the advocate’s breasts is absurd. Of course you are welcome to continue this discussion among your friends along the path of broader societal issues but that would be beyond the scope or intention of this blog.
Anonymous asked: I totally agree with your reply about breast implants. As someone who has them, there is a stigma that comes with it. People can be very negative. They don't realize how personal of a decision it it and not everyone does it for the same reason. It in no way impacts someone's ability to be healthy and fit. If anything, mine have actually helped me get as far as I have on my weight loss journey (I was overweight when I got mine). After getting them I had body confidence that I had never had and it has helped me take the steps to become healthier that I was never ever to take before.
It was the 100% right choice for me and it pains me to see people be so ignorant and unaccepting. Especially over something that doesn't concern or affect them.
Thank you for sharing your story, anon. It is very similar to the ones I’ve heard from breast cancer survivors, women who have lost a lot of weight or who have suffered from body-image issues. Even today, there is a generalization that women who choose to have breast augmentation are superficial, less intelligent or less feminist that those who have not. People forget that its a deeply personal decision that a woman can arrive at from many legitimate perspectives. Take care and stay healthy!
b0rnglamorous asked: I absolutely KNEW that someone would make a comment about the implants lol
such a solid answer
Thanks, Glamorous! Imagine if someone discounted everything you said or advocated based on whether or not you had implants. Take care and have a strong day!
@alicetiara, @welcometorelapse:
Breast implants aren’t ingested, absorbed into the bloodstream or assimilated into your cells like junk food is. Unlike junk food, implants are an aesthetic-oriented prosthesis that does not alter your blood chemistry, brain function or bodily systems. In fact, they have been shown to help improve self-esteem in women who have lost significant weight or have survived cancer. Having breast augmentation is a personal choice that many women decide on for a multitude of reasons. Those who choose so are not necessarily shallow, superficial or vain. Nor does it in any way diminish that individual’s message on health and fitness. Zuzana Light, Jamie Eason and Karena Dawn are perfect examples of positive promoters of a healthy lifestyle who have made that decision. Considering all the calories, salt, sugar, fat, preservatives, flavorings, stabilizers, coloring, fillers and hundreds of other chemicals found in junk food, I would take the health advice from anyone who advocates against it - regardless of their decision whether or not to have had augmentation. Having implants makes someone no less informed about eating right and exercising properly than anyone with tattoos, piercings or particular sexual orientation.
Anonymous asked: Hey there! I think you're blog is amazing an extremely helpful :)
I have a question about my buttox. When I was around 119 pounds I had the perfect size buttox and it made all my jeans look really great and it was my favorite part of my body. But, I was unhappy with my mid section and my love handles so i began to work out and lost 11 pounds. But I also lost my buttox. I was wondering if there was a way that I could have gotten rid of my midsection flab and love handles while still keeping my buttox. What kind of workouts can help with this? Thank you, thank you, thank you :)
Hi Ivette! Congrats on the weight loss! This is common issue w/ people who drop a lot of body fat. When you lose fat, you unfortunately cannot choose where the fat comes from. Fat is stored energy. Your body will tap that energy from the most abundant sources first. For most women, that’s the breasts & butt. If you look at really lean female athletes or runners, you’ll notice that most of them are flat-chested or have had implants put in. That’s because the breasts & butt are where most of your fat is stored. In addition, estrogen in women gives you the tendency to hold fat around the thighs, while men tend to hold more fat around the stomach. You didn’t do anything wrong. You just lost a lot of fat & your body used the fat at the most abundant areas. The fix is to work & develop your glute muscles (the muscles in your butt) so they get bigger and fill out the space lost by the fat. This way, your butt will come back firmer & you won’t regain the fat you’ve lost. Working the booty is a very popular area with women. Everyone wants that shapely, jeans-filling rear. There are entire workout programs designed just for that purpose. They typically involve squats, lunges & jumping. Check out this video for a tutorial. Hope that helps!
iamnosaint asked: Hi, I've been trying to be healthy for the past three months now and lost about 20 lbs
i dont know what to do, I've been depressed lately and eating a lot when my emotions gets to tense ;(
i just want to ask, what do you do when your emotions take over? :(
Hi Saint! Congratulations w/ your weight loss! 20#’s in 3 months is very impressive. I can totally relate to emotional eating. It used to be that when I got stressed, I would turn to food for relief & comfort. That’s basically how I got to my heaviest weight. It’s easy to drown your emotions with food - it’s all around us, there’s plenty of it & eating makes us feel good (momentarily) - but it also creates a vicious circle where the immediate satisfaction comes at the cost of MORE sadness later on. It’s almost like curing a headache by smashing your toe. Immediately, you forget about your headache bc your toe hurts so much, but later on, you’ve got both a headache & a smashed toe to deal with. There’s nothing we can do to completely remove stress/depression from life (can’t have sunny days w/o rainy ones) but here’s what I’ve found to be helpful. When you get the urge to reach for food for comfort, acknowledge that it’s your emotions talking, not your body. Your emotions want the comfort but your body pays the price. If you recognize that it’s not REAL hunger, you’ll be stronger to avoid the urge. Next, try to replace eating w/ something else that makes you feel good, preferable something healthy. I’ve replaced my dependence on food w/ the joy of working out. About 90% of my drive to work out comes from cleansing my EMOTIONS, not on my desire to be ripped or to have a 6-pack. Looking good is just a bonus. I mainly go because I feel so much better emotionally after a solid workout. I can actually feel the endorphins kicking in as I exercise. Find your emotional outlet other than food. It doesn’t have to be exercise. It could be art, writing, volunteering, etc. Something productive that will take your mind off of how you’re feeling. Finally, reaching out & making connections w/ supportive & understanding people is a great way to get through emotional spikes. You don’t have to go through all of this alone. Sharing your thoughts & feelings with others is an important mental release bc keeping everything bottled in only makes things worse in the long run. Run, you get it? Pun intended :) Hope this helps. Keep your chin up. Eat when your body needs to but not when your emotions want to. Take care!
glitteringmultitude asked: This isn't a question, but I did my first 5k tonight :) Keep blogging please!
Great for you! That’s a terrific accomplishment! As you get stronger & faster, and doing 5k becomes easier & easier, work on both improving your time & distance. Try to shave a couple of minutes off your 5k time while gradually working your way towards 6k, 7k, 10k and so on. Add some hill training, speed-interval work or different routes to the mix. Enter a local 5k race to challenge yourself. It’s a fun experience to do an organized race vs just running casually on your own. Before you know it, 5k will just be your warm-up & who knows, perhaps there’ll be a half or even a full-marathon in your future! Keep it up! Thanks so much for the shout out! Glad you like my blog & take care!.
crossfithobbit-deactivated20130 asked: hey there! i just read your response to emily and was curious on your take of other exercises that could produce the same results, crossfit 4-5 times weekly for example n occasional sprints for two two-a-days a week. spending an hour on cardio kills my joints n puts me into serious boredom. been crossfitting for a year n eating pretty healthy, but i'm at a level where i haven't changed physically in a while as it gets harder the less BF you have (13% n haven't seen progress in abs). lookin' to get over this body plateau, i'd be interested in hearing your ideas! thanks!
Hi Hobbit! Great ?. You seem very into Crossfit. It’s is a killer workout & it’s structured approach has helped a lot of people. It has a way of motivating & driving you that most other forms of exercise can’t. Sounds like you’ve hit a plateau, which is very common & sneaks up on you unexpectedly. If I were you, I’d avoid any exercises you’ve become very familiar w/ & only do WOD’s you’ve never see before. For example, if you’re very good at Fran, wall balls or rowing, skip those moves & focus on pull ups, muscle ups & box jumps. Avoid what you’re good at & learn new moves or work on what your weaknesses are. Next, you’ve got to break the plateau in your diet as well. Try going 1-week at a 300-350 calorie/day reduction than your current level. If you’re eating 1,600 calories/day now, go 1-week at 1,250-1,300 to shake up your diet. Finally, while CF is good about stressing core stabilization, it places no emphasis on building 6-pack abs bc most core stabilization happens in the posterior lower-back muscles anyway. I would supplement your CF WODs with ab specific exercises that engage your frontal core muscles. Perhaps 3-4x/week add a 30-min ab-only routine. Finally, keep in mind that optimal CF performance occurs at an above-lean bodyfat % bc your body needs the fat for energy to get through the WODs. That’s one main diff between CF & bobybuilding. In CF, being too lean is a detriment, so by losing some bf, your WOD times may suffer. However, this will be offset by focusing on your weaknesses or less familiar exercises, & you’ll get faster at those moves. Good luck! Hope this helps! Keep up the hard work!
fivepointligature asked: Hey! Just wanted to let you know how much your blog has motivated me. I used to be pretty large, some 50 or 60lbs heavier and two inches shorter. I'm now as thin as I want to be, but kind of flabby and in need of tightening. It's so easy to give up and say screw it once you've lost weight and not pull the effort to tone out, but your blog has made me realize that I really need to. Thanks a bunch, keep making awesome posts. :)
Hi Jaz! Wow! Dropping 50-60#’s is amazing! You should be very pleased with such an accomplishment. You probably have lots of people asking you for advice. Your B/A’s must be amazing! Keep in mind that a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have an end point. Just like how you never stop brushing your teeth, never stop doing laundry, never stop showering - it’s just a part of everyday life. You don’t just stop bc you’ve reached a particular goal. In fact, the goal is to just keep pushing, keep challenging & keep improving yourself. I workout 5-6 days/week bc I love the feeling I get when I do it & I miss that feeling when I don’t. I eat healthy bc I feel better when I do & feel worse when I eat crap. For me, being ripped or having a 6-pack isn’t even the goal. Those benefits are just the by-product of doing what makes me feel good anyway. Take the same discipline & determination you used to lose the weight & apply it to getting tight & toned. You’ve already come so far. Don’t stop now - keep going & never stop! Best of luck to you! Thanks for the very nice shout out!
mybiggerinfinity asked: I'm trying to make a weight loss plan for college; I'll be an incoming freshman this year
here are my stats: 5'7", weight hovering in the low 180lbs. - for some reason mostly centered around my tummy
I've been trying different diets, mostly Weight Watchers, on and off for 5 or 6 years.
I want to live healthier, to be fit, to make a full-on life style change, but I have trouble giving up my not-so-healthy habits and finding some middle ground between the two. I need flat-out rules; my problem with weight watchers was that I could find my way around the system.
I'm not quite sure how to puzzle-piece together all I've learned about calories and carbs, the importance of exercise and the intense cravings.
I also have some oddities in my new healthy turn - I've been a dancer since I was two, on a recreational-level team from 8-11th grade, but this past year I've been diagnosed with cancer and have gone through an intensive chemotherapy. I'll continue on a maintenance regimen for the next year or so, so although I can work out & make progress, I'm still limited and not at my best.
my main goal is happiness; I want to lose weight to help my dance and wear the clothes that I like. I don't want every shopping trip to be a struggle because my size (16/XL) is between "normal" and "plus". I want to dance like I've always dreamed of; to inspire.
Do you have any advice on how I can achieve this, or who to ask that could help me? Any idea of a system or company I may find usefull? I feel like I have too many complex issues to do any large-group things like WW. I have all of these wants and no ultimate goals, no in-between places, and no plan to achieve it. I need a way to organize all of this and have a support system.
Hi Rosie! 1st of all, congratulations on completing chemo! So happy you received the treatment you needed. I’m going to assume that your cancer is in remission if your doctors said its ok to exercise. 2nd, good for you for still pursuing a healthy lifestyle after all this time. You seem very determined. Now for the truth: You mentioned you’ve tried WW or other diets for 5-6 years & asked if any other system or company would be useful. To be honest - you need to stop expecting a company or someone else’s system to get you what you want. By using WW or any type of outside program, it’s too easy for you to say that their system failed you or that there was a problem with their system - which removes all accountability from you. You need to educate yourself about why your “not-so-healthy habits” are holding you back - and why it is so important for you to break those habits, especially if your body is recovering from chemo. You need “flat-out rules”? Here’s one - give up junk food, candy, soda, ice cream, fried foods and processed foods. Instead, eat more veggies, lean protein (chicken breast, turkey, tuna, etc), fruits and nuts. Drink only plain water or green tea. You say you don’t have an ultimate goal. You need to set up small, attainable mini-goals that get you moving in the right direction. Having a support system is helpful but in the end, you, and only you, will have to do the work - not them. Other people can’t lose the weight for you. If you’ve learned about calories & carbs, then you know that you need to intake fewer calories than you expend (but not less than what your body needs to function) in order to lose weight. You know that carbs are your body’s primary source of fuel, so if you intake carbs but don’t move your body to use up that fuel, your system will store it away in the form of fat. Keep those ideas in mind, along with your aspirations of dancing once again & being an inspiration to others, every time you get an unhealthy craving for junk food. It can only happen if you decide to make it happen, not by joining another group program. Is it possible? ABSOLUTELY, IT IS. But no system or program is gonna do it for you. You can’t just join a program, buy a book or watch a video and just magically expect to lose weight. It takes knowledge, determination, persistence & lots of work, but it is possible. Sorry for the tough-love but I only wish you the best. I don’t want you wasting another 5-6 years on failed attempts at losing weight. I want you to find your own success, your own path & your own happiness. Take care and stay healthy!
kissingyougoodbye101 asked: How many hours should a person be working out each day? I'm Jane, I really like your blog. (: Super inspiring to become fit.
Hi Jane! You have a great blog also! Any amount of exercise is better than nothing, so even if you just workout for 10-minutes, that beats 10-min of sitting on your butt. While that’s a good starting point, you can only get so far with that little time. Try to work your way up each week so that you keep challenging your body and avoid stagnation. Keep in mind that intensity is more important that duration, so a killer 30-min workout that leaves you exhausted is better than a 60-min workout where you barely sweat. I usually shoot for 60-75 min/day of high exertion, 5-6 times/week. In addition, I’ll sometimes add a separate 30-45 minutes of lower intensity cardio later that day. I hear people bragging all the time about how many hours they spend at the gym. The truth is they mostly stand around resting, talking, hanging out or just wasting time. For some people, 2 hours at the gym = 5 minutes of actual working out = Not getting it done. It’s not just about how long you are there but what you do with the time. I’ve seen some 10 minute workouts where the person accomplishes more than other people’s 60 min workouts. Hope this answers your ?. Take care & keep doing your best!
Anonymous asked: Hey! I was wondering if you could tell me what some of the better DVD workouts are. I'm looking to get healthier, but I don't want the exercise to bore me. Since I'm busy I figure have the workout DVDs will help me since I could do them whenever I get a chance. Thanks!
The ones I’m most familiar with are P90x & Insanity. Both are extremely intense. P90x is a more comprehensive program (strength, cardio & flexibility) that is 90-days but requires some equipment (resistance bands or dumbbells, a chin up bar, a yoga mat). Insanity is 60-days & doesn’t require additional equipment & is much more cardio-focused. The warm-up in Insanity is about as tough as the toughest cardio in P90x. Whatever DVD program you choose, remember 2 things: 1) it does you NO GOOD to simply have it sitting on your shelf. I know people who very proudly & loudly proclaimed that they bought these programs & are gonna get ripped in no time. 3 months later, I see them again & I asked them how it went and they say something like “Oh, I did like the 1st week but then I got busy with school, work, girlfriend, boyfriend, etc. etc. etc.” or “I tried it but I just didn’t like it.” Both are code for “I gave up.” Lots of people start these programs. Very few finish them. Even fewer do them again or multiple times. Just having the DVD’s isn’t enough. You actually have to push “Play” & give it your all for the full length of the program. 2) The workouts are great but diet is still key. You can’t do these workouts & still eat like crap & expect to see any results. People always assume that the workouts are the answer & while they do help, improving how you eat is 3x more important than your exercise. FYI, they’re coming out with a new version of P90x towards the end of this year, called P90x: Muscle Confusion 2, so you might wanna wait for that. Insanity has a 30-day follow up program called Insanity: The Asylum. So once you finish the regular 60-day Insanity, you can do the 30-day Asylum & it will end up being as long as P90x. Note: I do not work for Beachbody (the company that produces both these programs) nor am I paid to recommend them. Hope this helps! Good luck with what ever you decide on!
commanderdianneshepard-deactiva asked: Hi Jon, how are you? So I've got a mud run coming up in 7 weeks and I'm feeling pretty frustrated. I can run 5k without much problem but with all the obstacles in between I get so tired! I need some advice for endurance and some ideas on how to train for the obstacles. What I'm most worried about are: concrete hurdles (most likely climbing over), going over and under logs crossing in water, and tires. I know I can do it but I don't want to feel so weak if that makes sense. Thank you!
Hey Dianne - luv your blog! Mud runs are sooo much fun! Especially when you do it with a bunch of friends bc everyone bonds over how physical & dirty the whole experience is. One of the biggest surprises for 1st time mud runners is how much heavier their clothes & shoes feel when wet. Most people are used to dry running (sweat doesn’t count) on flat pavement & and are unprepared for wet, squishy shoes, socks, hair & clothes. Believe me, the mud gets everywhere! This may sound weird, but one of the best ways to train for a mud run is to actually get soaking wet (I mean totally, dripping wet) & then go run in a field (not pavement) where the ground is uneven & varied. This way, you’ll get a sense of what “dirty” running feels like vs plain ‘ol road-running. Next, go to a local park or playground that has a jungle gym. This will most likely be a children’s area but you can go when there are less people around so you have more of the place to yourself. Start by climbing over, under, around, across & thru all the apparatuses. Challenge yourself a little - go through them hands-only, then feet-only. Get used to crawling, balancing, jumping, hopping, etc. When you face the wall obstacles that you have to climb over, remember to use your legs as well as arms. Most people just try to climb using their upper-bodies (which usually gets tired quickly) & forget to use their legs for support. On balance obstacles, keep your center of gravity as low as possible for added stability. When running through tires, remember that it’s easier to step on the tires than in the tires. This way, your foot doesn’t get caught when you pull it out. Finally, remember to have fun. These things aren’t about who finishes first. They’re about enjoying the experience, taking lots of funny photos & coming away with a few great memories or stories! Have fun & stay safe!
countingfears asked: hey. Cool blog :) I have a question for you. I go to the ym at least 3 times per week. There I do pilates, step aerobic, ketterball training, circuit traing etc. I am doing this for almost 3 years I think. Started slow and build up gradually from there. So i think I am in a good shape, needs improving, though. My great struggle is cardio. I try to go to aerobics and kangoo, but it's hard to keep up. (i think breathing is the problem). Anyway, I am going on a two weeks vacation and I really want to keep in shape. Do you have some suggestions on how to do that without a gym? I thought of starting running (i never jogged before) in the morning, on the beach for example. Is it a good idea to start doing some new cardio while in a vacation? do you have some tips?
Hi Counting! You have a beautiful blog! I’ve regularly do entire workouts where I use literally no equipment other than my own body weight. The key is being creative & coming up with new variations on the standard exercises. You could easily do many different variations of push-ups: hands at shoulder width, hands close together, hands wide, one leg off the ground, both legs elevated (on a chair, for example), etc. You could do dozens of different leg exercises - jumps, lunges, squats, running in place w/ high-knees (bringing your knees to your chest on each step), etc. You could also do lots of ab exercises or variations of the crunch. The idea is that you could have a totally killer workout w/o any equipment if you just use your imagination. I can’t describe them all in words here but you could check out http://www.bodyrock.tv/ where you could watch dozens of videos of tough workouts for inspiration. Watch the workouts, pick out a few moves that you like & build your own routine that you can do on vacation. As for improving your cardio, strengthening your respiratory capacity is something that some people (like me) just need to work harder at than others. Luckily, you don’t need any equipment for that either. The trick is to acclimate your cardiovascular system (heartrate & breathing rate) to a level beyond its current comfort zone. Over time, the elevated level will become its new comfort zone & you’ll find doing cardio much easier. Find a few exercises (jumping jacks, running in place, jumping in place, etc) & perform them as quickly as possible for 30-60 seconds. Count how many reps you complete in that time. Work on increasing the # of reps you can do in the same time. As you get stronger & can do more reps, then increase the length of time & re-test yourself again. Keep pushing & extending your limits and you’ll surprise yourself with how far you can go! Have fun on vacation & stay healthy!
Anonymous asked: Hey my names Samantha, im sorry i dont have a tumblr so i have to be anonymous.
But i was wondering, im 16 years old, and ive been tryin gto loose weight, and tone u for years. My belly and thighs are flabby, and ive just gotten to the point where i want to change for myself. I've started running a mile a day, is that enough? And for the past month ive been eating healthyish, but recently because i have been restricting myself ive been binging alot. I just really want a toned body, and ive seen a lot of before and afters that have inspired me, but im just not seeing results, what workouts do i need to do, for how long and how regularly for me to get there, and what should i eat, and how to control my binging!? id really appreciate it if you could help me, thanks for inspiring me and alot of other people!
Hi Samantha! I’m so happy you are reaching out for help. The things you are going thru should not be kept to yourself. The more people you talk to & seek advice from, the more you will learn & the better you will be at handling this issue in a healthy way. 1st, at this stage, consistency is key. You mention you’ve been trying for years. I suspect that means you’ve stopped & started, over & over. Every time you stop or give up, you lose all the gains you’ve achieved up til that point - so make a commitment & never give up, no matter what. 2nd, running any length is better than nothing but you have to keep pushing your limits. If you are comfortable running 1 mile/day, next time try going to 1.25 or 1.5, then 2, then 3 and so on. Just doing the same thing over & over (while better than nothing) won’t get you past the level you are already at. 3rd, I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH - YOU MUST EAT. EATING TOO LITTLE IS JUST AS BAD, IF NOT WORSE, THAN EATING TOO MUCH. Starving yourself is like trying to hold your breath - eventually your body takes over & breathes at an accelerated pace to make up for the lack of oxygen, in an effort to survive. If you try to starve yourself, your body will eventually take over & binge to make up for the lack of calories. This is instinctual, hardwired into your DNA, & you cannot fight this urge, so don’t restrict yourself. Read my earlier posts about healthy eating - start by learning what foods to eat, what to avoid, when to eat & how much to eat. Work this regiment into your life so that it becomes habit. 4th, while all these tremendous B/A pictures are inspiring, I’d bet they would all tell you that it took them a lot of time, effort, dedication & perseverance. Don’t focus on making one huge transformation. Set small, attainable goals that you can build up over the course of time. If your goal is huge - like losing 100#’s - it’ll be much harder to succeed than trying to lose 10#s ten times. Focus on the latter - you might have some setbacks along the way but you’ll be more likely to celebrate some victories as well. Finally, these things take time. Think in terms of months or even years, not days or weeks. People try shortcuts or quick fixes all the time & those results NEVER last. The best way to do it is by educating yourself as much as possible, surrounding yourself with a supportive network, plan your course of action, celebrating small victories & never, ever giving up. Imagine how great its gonna feel when you finally reach your ultimate goals & share your story & inspire others who want to accomplish what you’ve already done. You can do this, girl. Hope this helps. Take care & stay strong!
