Starting healthy and sporty in 2014

My dear follower,

hope, you started healthy and without a hangover into New Year. :-)

In the first days of this new year I did some cleansing days (which I also did in summer 2013) with a lot of green tea, water, simple vegetable stock and rice cakes. It´s like an detoxification for your body, because you drink rd. about 3-4 liters (1 gallon) a day. When I did this the last time, I noticed, that dropping pounds was more easily. In this 4 days I dropped 4 pounds (2 kg) - with a remark, that water was the most of the weight loss.

Yesterday was January 4th. Now you think, okay, that´s not a special day.... you´re absolutely right! Excerpt the fact, that in exactly 3 months on April 4, I´ll be a thirty-one-year-old lady... :-)

Three months.... this space is exactly 90 days (13 weeks). As you read in my New Year Resolutions, for reaching successfully your goals you have to break your goal into small steps.
As mine is to reach a healthy body shape, I think the first step is to focus on these ninety days.....90 days are a reasonable time frame and enough time for a visible body change. (One of the most famous workout programs has also a duration of 90 days... see P90x of beachbody.com)

I created for my own progress documentation my own fit book (in the style of this fitbook).
(Note: normally I would buy it, but the delivery time was too long from the States to Germany until New Year's Day).

Spurred on the before-after progress pics on the web (which can be found in droves these days), I took also initially some before-pictures of my body, I weighed and measured myself. As I also promised to stand out against the background of my blog and to be more visible for my readers I´ll show you some of my progress pictures.

To be honest, it´s really a difficult step for me to show you my pics, because I feel ashamed, how I lost self control over my body in the past years and I couldn´t believe how difficult the way is to come back to a shaped body. Although, 2013 was a sporty year for me (incl. participating in a half marathon and dropping 20 pounds), I still don´t feel comfortable in my body.

On November 2012 I started this blog with 205 pounds, now I´m at 185 pounds, my goal weight is between 143 and 154 pounds... (I´m 5'10'') - so you see there are at least 30 more pounds to drop. But I don´t only want to drop the weight to see the number on my scale, but more I would like to shape my body with lean muscles.

Currently I´m size 14 (starting on size 16-18) and at the end I want to have a 8-10.

For reaching my goal, I created a training plan and a nutrition plan with some essential supplements.

WEEKLY TRAINING PLAN
- 3x weight lifting,
- HIIT and
- 2x cardio/running
- thinking of adding P90x :-)

DAILY NUTRITION PLAN
- after getting up: multivitamin supplements
- breakfast:(CARBS+PROTEINS) oatmeal, whey, milk, cinneamon and some berries or rice cake, no-fat cream cheese, chicken breast and cheese
- snack: 1 apple
- lunch:(CARBS+PROTEINS) rice, lean meat or fish and a lot of vegetable
- snack: some almonds
- pre-workout: BCAA + L-Carnitine
- post-workout: BCAA + Glutamine
- dinner:(NO CARBS) salad with egg and tuna or lean meat with a lot of vegetable
- before sleeping: whey


On my facebook page I´ll try to show you some receipes, nutrition and workout pics and as a weekly summary a new post on this blog here....

Let´s get started...!!! Wheeeoooo! :-)

As a good starting motivation I ordered some gym apparel - the next post will follow soon.

Stay healthy and -importantly- tuned....

How to look good while getting fit

To wear makeup to the gym or to not wear makeup to the gym — that is the question.  Although there are times when I do not wear makeup while working out, 98 % of the time I put it on.  I have oily skin so my face breaks out very easily, therefore, I cannot just wear any makeup to workout.  Sweating, along with the wrong type of makeup for your face, equals a big mess of clogged pores.

If it’s not designed to withstand perspiration, it will come off, and when you sweat you create an ideal environment for breakouts (sweat plus makeup equals a breeding ground for zit- causing bacteria). But we know many women would rather die than go to the gym without their blemishes and dark spots covered.

via fotolia

It's not like I put on a smoky eye and statement lip before hitting the treadmill. I simply like to touch up my face with a few makeup must-haves. You know, a swipe of tinted moisturizer, a layer of mascara, and a rosy lip balm. Too girlie? Perhaps, but I feel a lot more confident during an intense sweat session when I know that my dark spots aren't on display and that my lips have some color to them.

Here are some of my makeup tips from my personal experience. I also contacted my professional cosmetician and make-up artist, Anita Glater and asked for her advises.
(By the way, you´ll find her at her facebook page and her website) 

via deine-visagistin.de

Here is the summary:

1. Figuring out your skin type is crucial.  Do you have oily skin, oily t-zone, dry skin, combination or normal skin?  Is your skin sensitive; are you prone to acne?  You can’t buy the correct products for you if you don’t know what type of skin you have.  If you need some help I would suggest visiting your dermatologist or a professional cosmetician.  He or she will help determine what type of skin you have and will get you started on the right face wash, toners acne treatment and so forth for your skin type.
   
2. Purchase a tinted moisturizer for your skin type.  I prefer a tinted moisturizer over foundation because most foundations tend to be thick and cakey which is uncomfortable to me.  A tinted moisturizer I have used in the past and liked is Estée Lauder´s, tinted moisturizer with SPF 15 (here, douglas.de, 52,90€). 
   
   
3. Moisturizers are a must.  We sweat so much and wash our faces constantly that our skin screams for moisture.  However, if you want more coverage the only foundation I will put on my face during a workout is a oil-free light make-up by Estée Lauder which is called Double Wear Light Foundation (here, douglas.de 39,95€) — the only foundation I absolutely love.  I usually just blend my moisturizer with a very small amount of the foundation, just enough to give me a tint of color and I have to admit I like it.  It doesn’t allow your skin to look oily and it has anti-aging ingredients.
    
4. Girls it is never to late to start the anti-aging process. Vitamin C is amazing and you will see huge positive changes with your skin in just a few weeks.
    
5. As far as mascara, you definitely want to use one that is waterproof. Not only does a great waterproof mascara help you avoid raccoon eyes, it can also curl stubbornly straight lashes. In fact, waterproof mascaras will hold your curl better than volumizing mascaras, which tend to weigh lashes down. Also, if you have naturally oily lids, you can finally wear mascara on your lower lashes without them smudging immediately. You can use MALU WILZ´s 24h Waterproof Mascara (here, maluwilz.de, 13,50€). Alternatively you can buy the most products of Malu Wilz in Anita´s Cosmetic Studio.
   
   

   

   via malu-wilz.de

6. And my favorite.... ta da da … EYELINER ☺ I can’t live without it. This award-winning liner gives you the look of liquid liner with the ease & feel of a gel formula. Long-wearing, water-resistant color glides on & let's you get it just right before it dries - then stays without a smear or crease. I currently use BOBBI BROWN´s Long Wear Gel Eyeliner (here, douglas.de, 22,95€) cream liner in dark brown. I apply it with a very thin brush and best of all it does not run.  When dealing with eyeliner you also want it to be waterproof.  Running on the treadmill with streaks of black running down your face is not attractive.
    
7. Girls also remember to wash your face after every workout as soon as possible.  I use my Deep Cleansing Foam from SHISEIDO (here, douglas.de, 26,95€), and LANCESTER´s Cleansing Block - All in one (here, douglas.de, 24,95€). Also remember to clean your makeup brushes regularly.  Use a brush for your powder rather than a sponge.  Sponges carry more bacteria and think about it, you’ll end up wiping your oil and sweat back on your face :-/

 Stay healthy and always look stunningly beautiful - even while workout!!