The 100 days vacation countdown

Airline tickets... check ✓. Reservations to the resort... check ✓. Vacation time off from work... check ✓. New swimsuit... check ✓. However, a sudden wave of emotion hits you because unfortunately you remember that your body isn't in check and you feel as though you don't look your best.
Every year it´s the same. You´ve been planning to cut down and tone up since January and, suddenly, the bikini season is upon you.  

In the last couple of months I watched my weight, but I went to gym only sporadic. I think, that´s the reason, why I didn´t see any huge transformation. With my current shape, it would be hard to feel ready to show that much skin. 

With the clock ticking, I want to share my progress to melt away those pre-vacation pounds and transform my body into a shape worth showing off. In exactly 100 days starting from today I´ll be off to UAE. Furthermore I want to hold myself accountable to my short-term health and fitness goals.

In these 100 days before I leave there are a few things I can do to look gorgeous on the beach:

1. Run 10 miles weekly
   
2. Limit the cheat meals in these days to 3 of a maximum (due to social obligations like birthdays etc)
   
3. 3-5 workouts per week (2-4x body strength, 1-2x cardiovascular training at least).
   Exercise not only burns calories, it tones the body, so I'll look not just thinner, but healthier.
   
4. 2,5 liters of water minimum. (As you can count my periodicity of drinking alcohol per year on the fingers of your hand, it won´t be a problem to cut out alcohol)
   
5. Eat according to my plans (with the exception of no.2) – that means:
   ✓ Cleaning out my pantry to avoid temptation and focus my eating habits strictly to clean eating. No fried foods, no sugar, no junk food, no processed foods... it can be tough but I can do it. Eat lean meats such as chicken, fish and whole grains and veggies.
   ✓ Eat every three to four hours; this will also help to speed up my metabolism. I need to consume five smaller meals instead of three large meals per day. I won´t skip meals as this will slow down my metabolism and my body will begin to store fat..
   
6. Stay focused on my goals and record my progress with pictures, measurements and regular posts
   
7. Do it constantly and with persistance

Furthermore, I attached a photo of my vacation destination and an image of bodies I strive to look like as a constant reminder:

 Are you ready for your vacation?

If you have any questions, comment below!

THANK YOU! 5,000 VIEWS ACROSS THE GLOBE - Sport connects people

Thank you so much for 5,000 views of my blog ... across the world! 

And we are shortly before reaching the 300th like on my facebook page. 

Around the globe, hundreds of thousands of people fanatically follow their national sport teams. The world’s greatest game brings and unites sport fans – as one of the great connectors, sport plays an important role in many communities. And it´s not important if the favourite sport is baseball, basketball, soccer, football (tomorrow starts the NFL superbowl) or anything else. 

Sport connects people without borders. No different religion, no different language, no different countrys of origin country, no different skin color, no different background, or different continents can be a border. 

I find this very fascinating. I’m not sure what exactly makes this connection. And I can’t say it ultimately. But I can etablish presumptions Maybe it’s just the joy that sport makes. Many people connect with sports a beautiful moment. I’m sure that every person has experienced a great moment in the context of sport. Be it a triumph, a wonderful experience, or just an experience in which they won a team, the person was a fan.

The start of 2013´s B.A.A. Half Marathon in Boston, MA, USA (where I participated)

Thank you for being a small bridge of this sport community!

Stay healthy and fit!

The secret of getting a bikini body

I´m a very busy women and have only limited time for doing some fitness. That shouldn´t be an excuse! But as you know -or not-, I have a 45h-workday, I commute 1h to my office and 1h back - ...everyday!!.. and besides that I take a distance-learning diploma study at a private university in business economics.I wake up every day between 4:30 am and 6:00 am and arrive home at 7:00 pm at the earliest (mostly between 7:00 pm and 8:30 pm)... and that´s a pretty long day!

Í also know, that I can´t lose weight only with a nutritional change... well, I could - but I don´t want only to drop weight without getting lean muscles and getting an athletic body shape. So the solution is to add some training in my daily life.

This is the reason why I signed in a german group of team-andro.com, called Kathi´s Bikini Camp 2014 (sorry, this is only in german). This website is equally to bodybuilding.com, but only in german :-)... but I try to translate it as best as I can!

Kathrin Hollmann -a female IFBB Bikini Model- designed this year´s Bikini Camp only for girls, who want to get in great beach body bikini shape within 20 weeks.
The female participants get every 4 weeks a new nutrition- and training plan.

Here´s the plan for the first 4 weeks:

Her recommended training plan is as follows:

Monday: Legs
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: Upper body + Cardio
Thursday: Cardio
Friday: Legs
Saturday: Rest
Sunday:  Abs / Core + Cardio

(if you would like to know the details of each training part, please contact me)

Week 1 + 3 are focused on the Legs, Week 2 + 4 are focused on the upper body.

Her nutritional recommendations are as follows:

Food is the fuel of your body!

A car won´t drive without fuel and the same happens with our body - you can transponse this image 1:1. Would you like to have lean, luscious curves or some visible abs? To achieve this goal, your body needs the right fuel!

If we supply our body with some high-value fuel, it works more effective and steady. If you ignore sucessfully the warning flashing fuel gauge, the consequence is to get sticked on a empty ordinary road. Now you have the right virtual picture as a comparison in your mind, what happens with a hungry body. What happens next? Your body is deadlocked, your body is powerless and isn´t efficient anymore!

The division of the macro nutrients are:

• CARBS: You have to eat 200g of carbs a day - that´s 800 kcal (1g of carb = 4 kcals)
• FAT: Regarding your weight you have to do a small and easy calculation
  - the minimum of your daily fat consumption: take your weight (in kg) and multiple it with 0.5
  - the maximum of your daily fat consumption: take your weight (in kg) and multiple it with 0.75 (1g of fat = 9 kcals)
• PROTEINS: take your weight (in kg) and multiple it with 2.0 (1g of proteins = 4 kcals)

Nutritional Timing: you have to eat every 2-3 hours... ideally 5 meals a day. Every meal should contains proteins. Don´t skip breakfast! It´s the most important meal of the day!

In the first 4 weeks there is only ONE cheatmeal allowed (notice: no cheatDAY!)

The allowed nutrients:

• CARBS:
  - vegetable: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, paprika, tomatoes, lettuche
  - fruits: apples and bananas
  - legume: chickpeas/garbanzo, white beans, kidney beans
  - whole grain: breat, rolls, noodles
  - oat meals
  - rice-, corn- and spelt cakes
  - NO-GO: white flour breat, white flour products of any kind, monosaccharide/simple sugar (wine gums, chocolate, pudding,...) any kind of drinks which contains kcals (Coke, Beer, Ice Tea, ...)
• PROTEINS:
  - chicken, turkey
  - fish (pollack, wild salmon, tuna, trout)
  - tartar / lean meat
  - egg whites
  - tofu / soya natural joghurt
  - low-fat curd / cottage cheese
  - Harz roller
  - protein breat (attention: high-fat!!)
  - whey powder
• FAT:
  - flaxseeds / linseed oil
  - sunflower seeds
  - egg yolk
  - oliv oil / nut oil
  - coconut oil
  - butter / clarified butter
  - avocado
  - nuts (attention: high-fat!!)
  - NO-GO: deep-fried meals any kind, cream sauce

Pay attention to the ingredients list and the nutritional value list while going into the grocery store! Take your time and read all the ingredients!!! It´s worth! (remember the picture with the fuel!! at the beginning of this post) The more natural (and non-processed) the food, the better for your body.

I can commend you highly to do a daily food journal and record ALL your food with ALL the ingredients....EVERY BIT.. at least in the first 4 weeks to get a feeling of the nutritional value of the foods

Nevertheless... it´s pretty important to drink a lot.... at least 2,5-3 liters (0.66 gallons) a day! A tip is to eat a half a liter with every meal. Pure water/sparkling mineral water or unsweeted tea is the best choice. Avoid additional (and needless) kcals with drinking sweeted drinks or with artificial flavor. (That´s like chemical garbage for your body!)

As already mentioned, I´m a busy lady... but having said that this isn´t a problem for me for doing clean eating! Meal preparation is the key word! ...also for people who haven´t access to a cantine or who have a external work.

Who else of you is now interested of getting a nice shaped beach body until summer 2014?
Talk to me! I´m happy to hear your comments!

Stay healthy and eat clean!

You are what you eat - so don´t be fast, cheap, easy or fake (Summary January 11-18th)

As I announced in one of my last post, in 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.

We are now in week 2!! Since the day after christmas I dropped 6 pounds so far and it´s goes on...

But the most postive aspect, which I realized this week was the benefit of clean eating:

Besides my happiness of dropping further weight I see further changes. In the past (before my lifestyle change) I ate, when I was hungry or bored or stressed: When I feel my empty stomach, I ate something. I changed this habit completely. I have fixed times, when I eat and I focus on WHAT food I eat on WHICH time.

The advantage of this fixed times is, that your body knows exactly, when he´ll gets the next meal and the energy. And you can avoid all candies besides these stated hours. I also try to eat only carbs for breakfast. When I fall off track and eat more carbs than do myself good, I get immediately indigestion problems. When I´m back on track, this problem has blown off (in the true sense of the word) and I don´t feel myself like I ate a balloon. 

Another advantage is, that you have a new body feeling and you feel more shaped. Nothing wobbles anymore :o)  In the morning I feel some abs when I have an empty stomach. This wasn´t imaginable a few months ago.
 
Furthermore, my skin is more clearly and looks healthier than before my clean eating. I don´t have any pimples anymore.
Finally, I have got really more power and I didn´t have a 'low point' at the afternoon. 

As you know, I bought this week some new fitness apparel. My goal is it to wear only some sport bras with tights while looking amazing....   



Currently I love to cook and to try some new healthy receips.
On my facebook site, I posted today a HOW TO DO - receipes:

• delicious Protein-Porridge (for breakfast)
• next week I´ll post the Jamie Eason Turkey Meatloaf Muffins again.

Stay healthy, eat clean and stay tuned!

Train like a beast - look like a beauty (Sports Apparel Haul)

Gym memberships and home gyms continue to become more popular with the passage of time. Sometimes motivation to get to a gym is simply about feeling comfortable in the right sports apparel. Whether attending a new yoga class or enjoying a routine workout on the treadmill, wearing the right sports apparel increases both comfort and style at the gym. Further, the best sports apparel for gym workouts is both supportive and flexible to the wearer.

The following pictures shows you an overview of my sport apparel. (The items with a blue star were recently bought). Do you see, that I´m addicted to NIKE? O:)

So, what exactly do you need?

Sports Bra
The sports bra is one of the most important pieces of sports apparel that a woman purchases. Sports bras provide support and motion control, while keeping the breast tissue safe from damage. Further, sports bras often help prevent back injuries. A good-fitting sports bra fits more snug than a regular bra, but should not restrict breathing or movement.

Shirts and Tanks 
Athlete should also invest in a quality tank top or shirt made specifically for the gym. While these items come in a variety of styles, the tank top or shirt should allow the skin to breathe and maximise movement. Further, the best shirts and tank tops for gym workouts are made out of wicking material, regulate body temperature, and are often anti-bacterial. Athlete interested in viewing their muscles while they work out, or those who get hot quickly, should opt for less fabric in a tank-top.

Shorts and Pants
The best sports apparel bottoms for gym workouts are fitted and flexible to help maximise movement. Sports apparel bottoms range from shorts, to capris, to full pant-length options. Shorts and skirts are also a popular trend at the gym, depending on the workout. Athlete should choose shorts and pants that are made from materials such as spandex, mesh, nylon, or other moisture-resistant materials.

Athletic Shoes
Proper athletic shoes are also of utmost importance when working out at the gym. Proper athletic shoes should conform to the shape of an individual's foot and provide ample support. For consumers who participate in various activities and utilise various machines at the gym, the athletic shoe should cover all bases. While a athlete does not need to pick an athletic shoe that is not visually pleasing, picking a shoe with the right flexibility, arch support, and material should be of equal importance.
I use my Nike Free´s only for gym/fitness - for running I use my Brooks Adrenaline GTS13

Outdoor Running Jacket

Every summer we like to remind runners how important it is to be visible to others sharing the road. Runners, cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts will find a wide selection of quality name brand apparel and illuminating gear offering real solutions to low visibility in limited and no light conditions. Neon and hi-viz colors are statistically proven to increase the range of visibility during the day. Retro-reflective patterns and reflective zippers, trim, logos and details project additional visibility as you continue your workout into the night.

In street clothes visibility is limited to about 200 feet in dark conditions. Most reflective and hi-viz apparel adds 1000+ feet of visibility, by adding a simple strobe light or flashing LED you enhance your profile even more. Don't wait for an accident to happen, be proactive and put safety first!

Stay healthy and train like a beast with the right apparel!!!

Summer bodys are made in winter (Summary January 4-10th)

As I announced in my last post, in 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.

I took also initially some before-pictures of my body, I weighed and measured myself.

As a summary, the most time of my nutrition was on target. I didn´t had any cheat meal - that´s the point I´m very proud of. :o)

On my facebook site, I posted some HOW TO DO - receipes:

• Low-Carb Cheese Cake Muffins
• delicious and Low-Fat Chicken Breast Salad

As also mentioned, I bought some new sport apparel - new post is in progress.... stay tuned!

But I have to be honest, I have to strengthen my will and to do more workout. The everyday work had a lock on me last week :-( After finishing my work at 8.30 pm after a long day I didn´t have any power for some training. But only with the combination of workout AND the right nutrition I will succeed.

What do you think about my HOW TO DO - receipes? Do you like it?

Stay healthy and eat clean!

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....