Muslims don't celebrate Christmas, but it's hard to avoid holiday parties and dinners. And the fact that many out there get a break from work to gather with friends and family usually means heavy, comfort food. It's hard walking by a bakery or the bakery section of the grocery store and not be tempted to buy the many cakes and goodies.
So what it comes down to it - wether you have a special holiday or occasion to celebrate or not, the end of the year is always a danger zone for feasting on unhealthy things and slacking on exercise. I need a motivational boost every now and then.
So I'm posting here, and letting you know it's not easy! But I'm still trying. If I can't run, I walk. I'll try to go for herbal tea instead of coffee with creamer and sugar or tea with evaporated milk and sugar. Something healthy is always better than nothing.
If you start your day with unhealthy food, don't let that discourage you and allow yourself a full fat day. One unhealthy thing won't kill you, but one day can turn into one week and so on. So if anyone out there reads this and is struggling, I just want to let you know you're not alone. I'm trying, too :)
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Monday, December 17, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Muffin Top
Complete. Fail.
Well, not completely. I was good for a few weeks. But I have completely stopped everything and have been doing the exact opposite of what I was supposed to do. Stress makes me do crazy things. And makes me gain weight and eat more red velvet cake complete with cream cheese frosting, resulting in more weight gain. It's a vicious cycle and I'm the only one suffering. I now have a certified muffin top. In case you're not familiar with the term, a muffin top is when one's abdominal fat hangs over one's jeans. Either because there is too much fat or the jeans are too tight. People who aren't fat can also have a muffin top if their jeans are too small for them.
The only reason why I did stop was because I became stressed and felt that I had to dedicate all my time towards academia. Within a few days I felt to unhealthy and sad. I felt like a muddy, gray colored blob. That's a pretty weird yet accurate description of my feelings regards to my health. When I run it makes me feel good. I feel too heathy and happy to eat heavy, high calorie foods. I'm ready to start feeling like that again. It's time to dust myself off and try again. Third times a charm. It'll be the Same routine, since I was able to stick to it for so long without falling apart. Wish me luck!!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Fitspiration
Hi, Everyone! I'm in need of a little motivation. I gained weight over the last few months and seem to be going uphill on the scale. I didn't check because I didn't want to find out, but my jeans definitely felt tighter. I started running almost everyday and started to feel good about myself. Eating healthier came automatically and I wasn't craving as much sugar as usual. Then I finally got the courage to weight myself and found that I was 3 pounds over my pre marriage weight. I wanted to lose about 8-9 pounds and still do.
For some reason I just stopped. Within a few days I noticed a dramatic change in my mood and how I felt about myself. I went from a pretty healthy diet to one filled with junk food. I feel depressed and lumpy. So I am going back on treadmill and hopefully will stick with this. I mean, I should since it made me feel so good. This time a huge reason is because of the positive impact healthy living had on every aspect of my life.
I was running every morning for about 30-35 minutes and walking a few minutes to cool down. I am on a time constraint now so instead of adding time to my running schedule I'll add speed.
Breakfast was usually a homemade fruit smoothie or cereal and chai. I drink the chai for the caffeine but I'm switching to coffee for two reasons. One being chai doesn't work for me anymore and I need something stronger. And I tend to add more calories to my chai than my coffee in terms of evaporated milk vs sugar.
Lunch I try to put off until about 3 pm, but I realized irregardless of how late my lunch is, I will end up eating a little dinner. So there's not point in eating so late for lunch and eating again before I give those calories a chance to properly digest. I eat a huge portion of veggies that I microwave and season myself. And add a serving of carbs. 1/2 cup of brown rice, seasoned. Or a slice of bread. Sometimes soup. I like to eat a LOT. For me, it's quantity over quality. A small heavy meal will not do it for me. I'd rather have a large meal the same calories so I stay full for a really long time.
Dinner is usually a little Indian food, which is pretty oily. I try to not eat much around dinner time, but I usually have to eat something.
I snack on baby carrots and try to drink a lot of water. I don't like drinking a lot and get a lot of kidney pain as a result, so I really need to and try to drink as much as I can when I remember. If I'm craving something sweet I grab some dark chocolate because that's the only thing that curbs the craving. But if there is cake in the house...I cannot resist. I still have to learn how to stay away from it. I should probably just not take the first bite.
I am going to add a few minutes of abs, squats and arm exercises to tone up a little. Oh! This is important! Support groups, exercising buddies, etc help you keep on track, if you can't do it alone. A bunch of girls have a thread where we try to help each other stay on track and it helps for the most part. I feel bad eating something knowing other people out there are trying to be healthy and are relying on me for support. :) I also need to keep in mind that results aren't going to come in a day or two. Like the picture below says, it took time to gain the weight and will take time to lose it. At least my mental health will benefit quickly.
Anyways, what are some ways you keep healthy? Please share your tips, we'd love to hear them :)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Over the (mole) Hill.
I haven’t been blogging lately because I have nothing to blog about. I do have quite a few posts in mind, but lately I’ve been lazy.
Too lazy to type. Too lazy to think. Good thing my body breathes for me or else I might have been too lazy to do that. Isn’t it sad that I’m too lazy to type? I mean, could I get any lazier? I guess I could get those things that type for you. I forgot what they’re called. But you speak into a microphone and the computer does all the typing. My dad got that yearrrrrs ago. But he got frustrated with it since it didn’t work too well. Maybe it was the accent? hah. But his isn’t so bad.
So I am over the hill (25) and I feel kind of old, physically. My joints are giving way. I can’t work out anymore. Doing the work out video is killing my knees and my ankle joints so I’m sticking to running every other day. I’ve always had ish with my knees. Growing pains, they said. Haha. Is there such thing??
You know what I did? I did something dumb. I made a promise to God if I passed my exam I would fast for a month. Then I passed. And I was happy. And then I was like, “o crap”. So while the days are shorter I’m trying to do as many as I can. A month is a lot. I should be used to fasting since Muslims fast in Ramadan anyways, but it’s a whole different experience. I feel like God has mercy on us or something because the time FLIES by and I don’t realize I’m fasting.
I went through a vanity crisis, which could have been associated with my quarter-life crisis. Months before my birthday I realized I was turning a QUARTER OF A CENTURY old. I got sad. Then I noticed I had dark circles under my eyes. I didn’t want to use chemical junk on my skin nor did I want to conceal the circles, since I don’t wear makeup on a daily basis. I wanted them gone. I was getting sufficient sleep so I had no idea why they were there. So I stuck tea bags on my eyes. And cucumbers. and I put some vitamin cream on the area to strengthen the capillaries and skin. And then they were gone. I heard water is good to prevent these circle. But if it runs in your family, you might have a harder time with them.
Alhamdulillah I have very low maintenance skin. I don’t even use soap. So when I get a stubborn pimple or anything that doesn’t go away in 4 hours I go crazy. But my reaction was escalated due to the fact that I realized I was getting older. If people asked me how old I was I would say 24, but think 25 in my head. And then I became a quarter of a century old. And then. nothing.
It’s not so bad. I’m glad I’m old. No drama. <3
This is a random random post. But that’s how my mind goes. And I type how I think and I can’t help it. Peace. <3
Too lazy to type. Too lazy to think. Good thing my body breathes for me or else I might have been too lazy to do that. Isn’t it sad that I’m too lazy to type? I mean, could I get any lazier? I guess I could get those things that type for you. I forgot what they’re called. But you speak into a microphone and the computer does all the typing. My dad got that yearrrrrs ago. But he got frustrated with it since it didn’t work too well. Maybe it was the accent? hah. But his isn’t so bad.
So I am over the hill (25) and I feel kind of old, physically. My joints are giving way. I can’t work out anymore. Doing the work out video is killing my knees and my ankle joints so I’m sticking to running every other day. I’ve always had ish with my knees. Growing pains, they said. Haha. Is there such thing??
You know what I did? I did something dumb. I made a promise to God if I passed my exam I would fast for a month. Then I passed. And I was happy. And then I was like, “o crap”. So while the days are shorter I’m trying to do as many as I can. A month is a lot. I should be used to fasting since Muslims fast in Ramadan anyways, but it’s a whole different experience. I feel like God has mercy on us or something because the time FLIES by and I don’t realize I’m fasting.
I went through a vanity crisis, which could have been associated with my quarter-life crisis. Months before my birthday I realized I was turning a QUARTER OF A CENTURY old. I got sad. Then I noticed I had dark circles under my eyes. I didn’t want to use chemical junk on my skin nor did I want to conceal the circles, since I don’t wear makeup on a daily basis. I wanted them gone. I was getting sufficient sleep so I had no idea why they were there. So I stuck tea bags on my eyes. And cucumbers. and I put some vitamin cream on the area to strengthen the capillaries and skin. And then they were gone. I heard water is good to prevent these circle. But if it runs in your family, you might have a harder time with them.
Alhamdulillah I have very low maintenance skin. I don’t even use soap. So when I get a stubborn pimple or anything that doesn’t go away in 4 hours I go crazy. But my reaction was escalated due to the fact that I realized I was getting older. If people asked me how old I was I would say 24, but think 25 in my head. And then I became a quarter of a century old. And then. nothing.
It’s not so bad. I’m glad I’m old. No drama. <3
This is a random random post. But that’s how my mind goes. And I type how I think and I can’t help it. Peace. <3
Thursday, July 22, 2010
"Indeed there are signs for those who reflect"
Shoulder forward, back, up, down. Good.
Physical therapy is a part of many people's lives - especially in older age. My 64-year-old mother-in-law tore a muscle in her upper right arm while trying to save my baby from falling.
Today was our first trip to see a physical therapist.
The therapist said my mother-in-law's muscle tear was, "the last straw on a camel's back. In other words, it was bound to happen.
A couple reasons she mentioned it could have happened: poor posture when sitting in a chair, straining the arm that's already hurt, and older age.
She now has three daily, hourly and twice an hour "procedures."
Exercise techniques
A combined 4-muscle unit called rotator muscles help your shoulder and arms move. The shoulder bone needs the muscle cushion to help it rotate comfortably in order to give good motor movement.
By excercising there can be an increase of blood flow to the sore area. This will allow the torn muscle to heal and her shoulder bones to go back into the normal position.
On top of sitting up straight without hunching or sitting cross-legged in a chair, my mother-in-law has to pinch back her shoulders, while holding her elbows back, 10 times every hour.
She then has to push her shoulders up, down, forward, and back 10 times, two times every hour.
Lastly she has to swing her body twice a day, by letting her right sore arm fall free style while she props her body on a counter top, leaning on her left hand.
Everyone needs motivation
As a woman of dignity who does practically everything on her own, including taking care of her elderly husband, my mother-in-law shudders at the thought of therapy and exercise. She now has to avoid her daily tasks.
Although my family has been telling her not to pick up the babies, pull large objects, fold miscellaneous things, or vacuum, you can catch her in one of her moments doing all of the above.
Today my sister-in-law and I did the exercises with her to encourage her to progressively move her arm rather than strain it.
I then explained the benefits of moving her arm around: a blood rush to the sore spot that will help heal the muscle.
Exercise and prayer
After returning to my room to pray the last prayer of the day, isha, I realized I was exercising during prayer.
For example, one of the postures requires you to bow down with your head on the floor, with both arms flat on the floor and your bottom has to be in the air while you recite a short prayer, "subhana rabbi wal awwal" or "Oh Lord of the Heavens, I worship you" according to one translation.
This same posture is recommended during pregnancies for round ligament pain recommended by the American Pregnancy Association, which promotes pregnancy wellness.
The association says, "If you are having consistent round ligament pain your health care provider may recommend daily stretching exercises. The most common exercise is done by placing your hands and knees on the floor, lowering your head to the floor, and keeping your bottom in the air,"on its website, www.americanpregnancy.org.
Other exercises in prayer include bending over by placing your hands on your knees, without bending your arms, which is similar to the free fall gravity exercise my mother-in-law has to do.
Since prayers are five times a day, prayers get your heart pumping through the movements.
Not only are you spiritually required to pray, but also you're required to get up and move to complete your worship!
The beautiful thing is Islam makes things that are good for you, obligatory. Islamic prayer combines both physical and mental exercise for a complete "work out."
Things that are bad for you, like drinking, are prohibited.
"Indeed there are signs for those who reflect (30:21)"
Journalist
- - - - - >
On a side note, here's a blog called "For Those who Reflect"
http://forthosewhoreflect.blogspot.com/
Symphonic Discord does not necessarily agree with the views of the above mentioned site.
Physical therapy is a part of many people's lives - especially in older age. My 64-year-old mother-in-law tore a muscle in her upper right arm while trying to save my baby from falling.
Today was our first trip to see a physical therapist.
The therapist said my mother-in-law's muscle tear was, "the last straw on a camel's back. In other words, it was bound to happen.
A couple reasons she mentioned it could have happened: poor posture when sitting in a chair, straining the arm that's already hurt, and older age.
She now has three daily, hourly and twice an hour "procedures."
Exercise techniques
A combined 4-muscle unit called rotator muscles help your shoulder and arms move. The shoulder bone needs the muscle cushion to help it rotate comfortably in order to give good motor movement.
By excercising there can be an increase of blood flow to the sore area. This will allow the torn muscle to heal and her shoulder bones to go back into the normal position.
On top of sitting up straight without hunching or sitting cross-legged in a chair, my mother-in-law has to pinch back her shoulders, while holding her elbows back, 10 times every hour.
She then has to push her shoulders up, down, forward, and back 10 times, two times every hour.
Lastly she has to swing her body twice a day, by letting her right sore arm fall free style while she props her body on a counter top, leaning on her left hand.
Everyone needs motivation
As a woman of dignity who does practically everything on her own, including taking care of her elderly husband, my mother-in-law shudders at the thought of therapy and exercise. She now has to avoid her daily tasks.
Although my family has been telling her not to pick up the babies, pull large objects, fold miscellaneous things, or vacuum, you can catch her in one of her moments doing all of the above.
Today my sister-in-law and I did the exercises with her to encourage her to progressively move her arm rather than strain it.
I then explained the benefits of moving her arm around: a blood rush to the sore spot that will help heal the muscle.
Exercise and prayer
After returning to my room to pray the last prayer of the day, isha, I realized I was exercising during prayer.
For example, one of the postures requires you to bow down with your head on the floor, with both arms flat on the floor and your bottom has to be in the air while you recite a short prayer, "subhana rabbi wal awwal" or "Oh Lord of the Heavens, I worship you" according to one translation.
This same posture is recommended during pregnancies for round ligament pain recommended by the American Pregnancy Association, which promotes pregnancy wellness.
The association says, "If you are having consistent round ligament pain your health care provider may recommend daily stretching exercises. The most common exercise is done by placing your hands and knees on the floor, lowering your head to the floor, and keeping your bottom in the air,"on its website, www.americanpregnancy.org.
Other exercises in prayer include bending over by placing your hands on your knees, without bending your arms, which is similar to the free fall gravity exercise my mother-in-law has to do.
Since prayers are five times a day, prayers get your heart pumping through the movements.
Not only are you spiritually required to pray, but also you're required to get up and move to complete your worship!
The beautiful thing is Islam makes things that are good for you, obligatory. Islamic prayer combines both physical and mental exercise for a complete "work out."
Things that are bad for you, like drinking, are prohibited.
"Indeed there are signs for those who reflect (30:21)"
Journalist
- - - - - >
On a side note, here's a blog called "For Those who Reflect"
http://forthosewhoreflect.blogspot.com/
Symphonic Discord does not necessarily agree with the views of the above mentioned site.
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