Fitness

Training – Motivation at the Gym

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I have always been of the mindset that, if I am going to the gym, I might as well make the most of it as the hard part is getting out the door. That is still the case for me but not in the sense you might think.

The past week I have gone 11 days out of 14. This does not mean that I give it my all every single time. It is about being smart when going to the gym. I do the full workout 3-4 times a week and the rest I do a simple walk or elliptical for 30-45 minutes. Those minutes are to help my joints not get completely stiff after a tough workout and it really helps. There is nothing worse than the day after a tough day at the gym and it hurts when you are trying to sit down. The walk the next morning, is the solution but never forget to stretch after a workout.

I was doing a bit of research online to find out how I could make the most of my workouts and most research agreed with what I am already doing. Whew! What a relief, cause I like my routine.

If you are looking to learn how to run longer or faster, most suggest 3 days of actual running and 3 days of some other exercise with 1 day of rest. Military.com, Runnersworld.com and Active.com vary slightly so all in all it depends on your motivational level. Military.com is what you would suspect. Hardcore with no resting days until you get to a pretty high level but they are starting you off slow to avoid injuries. Runnersworld.com has you set at 5 days of training and 2 resting days while Active.com has you average out at also 5 times per week but you can get away with 4 times per week but they do not specify if you need rest in between.

I know these are simple articles and perhaps not as trusted as medical advice or university research but when I do a simple google search for university level research, the results are not too dissimilar. John MacKenzie at Delaware University, also, suggests 5-6 days of training with 1-2 days of rest in alternating weeks. Although, his take, is slightly different from the articles I first found. He has you running all of the days but in different speeds, styles and levels. The Mayo clinic is similar to John MacKenzie’s style with 5-6 days of training but they are adding in more walking in between. This has been my primary style, when I have been training for a run.

I had never really done proper research on how I should be running or training for a run but it looks like, I was not too far off. Although, I am not training for a run (although I have one coming up next week), I am using the same principles for my workouts. And why will come in my next article about training, which will be about the balance between cardio and weight training.

I would not suggest that you start off with a 5-6 day training routine per week as for any starter that will be too much and you will lose your motivation. If you are a newly starter or you have a hectic schedule, go for a more manageable training schedule of 3 days per week but if you have a sedentary job, think about taking a couple of smaller walks during the day. Personally, I try to get to roughly 10,000 steps per day as that will add roughly 500 calorie burn per day. That is 1 pound per week, in weight loss or more of the delicious food that you like to eat. Mind you, this is for me and my current size, the smaller you get (are) the farther you need to walk to burn the same amount of calories.

I am no doctor or training expert but I have done my fair share of research and I have tested it all out on my own body. With minimal injuries, I would say, my recommendations are not too off. However, it is always important to listen to your body and seek medical advice if you are unsure or over the age of 40.

Let me know if you want to work out with me. I couple of you have already signed up to be a support 😀 Love it!

XOXO

 

 

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My Journey

Results – Step 4 To Losing Weight

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This last step might be obvious but it is the most important. Results! The point of all of this is results so they should be highlighted and celebrated.

I know that in the long run, I might not see results every week but the goal is to lose a 100 pounds. This is not simply for the reason of looking good, fitting into clothes better etc. It is about my health and how I would like to live my life.

My husband and I have a goal of retiring as soon as possible and then travel the world. We want to make sure we spend as much time together as we possibly can and that means that I need to take my health seriously.

As I have written in previous posts, I have high cholesterol. That in itself is not killing me at this very moment but it can in the long run. Especially, with my family history, it is important that I take that seriously as it could shorten my life significantly or decrease my life quality in such a way that I would not be able to enjoy the things that I look forward to the most.

Although, this is a great motivation in itself, it is at times not enough, so I have set up a few small rewards each time I hit my goals. As my first main goal is 30 pounds with 5 pound intervals I have come up with 6 rewards to begin with.

So below I have listed the desired pounds with the reward next to it.

248 lb – New summer workout capri pants. The ones I have, all have wholes in them and some of them are not really that comfortable and convenient.

243 lb – It might seem odd but I love being organized, so cleaning out of my clothes is actually a treat. Yes, I want to sort my clothing and find out which I need to get rid off and which I still love and use and which I think I would want when I have lost my weight. This should be fun and I will make sure to post about the fun times.

238 lb – My feet seriously needs some love, so I will get some products that can help me out when taking care of my feet.

233 lb – Gloves for working out. I am making use of bar and dumb bells more and more and it does at times hurt my hands. So thought gloves might be a good idea.

228 lb – I think it is time for a new dress or two. If you know me, you know that I have way more dresses than a woman needs but they are just too pretty, practical and fun.

223 lb –  As this is the 30 pound mark, I want to celebrate in style, quit literally. Therefore, my 30 pound reward is to get my hair done. My favorite hairdresser is really expensive so it is a once a year treat (if not more seldom) but I would love to go back to my short hair.

I knew, I had gained weight and above number is way higher than what I stated last time but I just learned that it matters where you set your scale. Where I have been setting it roughly takes off 20 pounds so I did not gain that much but it just gives me a more true look at what I weight. I, therefore, now have to weigh myself in the kitchen where there are tiles and not wood or carpet. Bummer, for my confidence but looking at the true numbers is more important.

As I get closer to my 100 pound goal, I am sure the results will have to adjust slightly but for now, I know I can loose 30 pounds without too many concerns and I will go through the results as I get closer to my 100 pound goal.

I am really excited to reach my goals and I hope you will be with me along the way, cheering me on, go for a run or simply share your most delicious healthy recipes.

XOXO

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My Journey

Consistent Motivation – Step 3 To Losing Weight

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I want to apologize in advance for this long post. So many things motivate me and so many things can help me stay on track. However, I do know, that no matter the amount of motivation, sometimes my desire of eating more or sugar is stronger than listing my motivations and sometimes I simply forget them in my desire for the foods that I crave.

I, therefore, thought it a good idea to list all of the things that could motivate me so I have something to look back at to help me remember why I am doing this in the first place.

I want to list all the things that my friends and family can help me with as well. As you are part of my motivation and as I mentioned in an earlier post. Sometimes, I need a little help to stay on track as I can have a weak backbone.

Also, I will list images, sayings and tough words to keep me on track. These will be a mix of images and words, I aspire to or images that should wake me up should I have a moment of being too weak to take the next step. It would be helpful if you help me make this list longer. Post images of what you find beautiful, what you aspire to, saying that keep you motivated or images that you know you loath but it is a reminder of never going back there.

Firstly, my list of things that keep me motivated and will keep me on track.

  • Stopping the perpetual sweating when it is hot outside. I know it is a bit odd but there is nothing more unattractive than someone sweating.
  • Feeling better. When I am in good shape. I eat healthy and balanced. I simply feel better, my mood is fluctuating less and I feel like I can conquer the world.
  • Rewards. Having something to look forward to is a big one for me. For this reason, I will set up a “Rewards Calendar” for every 5 pound goals that I reach and each main goal that I get to.
  • Having people around me helps me stay on track. So do not be shy.
  • A good kick in the ass (verbally of course) is always a winner. I  get competitive (yes me, I get competitive).
  • Listen to people and their advice. A lot of you have already given me such great advice and I will start taking those to heart and try them out once I start losing my motivation. So keep the advice coming.
  • Not fitting into clothes that I like. I know this is superficial but I can’t help it. I like to know that I could wear whatever clothes I want.
  • Wearing a pair of beautiful heels without feeling like I am running a marathon. This is so going to be one of my rewards…
  • Good, healthy recipes help me stay motivated. There is nothing like an easy, health, filling and yummy recipe. So please share if you come across one and I will start sharing some of the meals that I do. Maybe you can get motivated by some of my recipes.
  • Singing, has always been a release for me and always will be. It is, also, a great distraction (one of the 3 D’s Weight Watchers use in their program).
  • Freedom. This is an odd one for me as weight loss is not in itself freedom but the opposite but there will be some freedom at the end of it. I will have the freedom to not me held back by my size and abilities to hike, travel, simply feel comfortable around other people. Freedom is in that sense the most important and biggest motivation for me.

Now, for what you can help me with. I do not think anyone can lose weight on their own. I know, it is me making the choices. Me, who has to get my ass out of bed in the morning when I really do not want to get out from underneath the covers but what friends and family help with are the tough days. The days when my cravings take over and I lose myself in them.

Invite me for a walk, talk or simply send me an image or saying what helps you stay on track. The love is what helps me when it is most difficult.

So to help you, help me, I wanted to give you some ideas of what you can do, either if I ask for your help or if you simply feel like it.

  • Show me images that inspire you
  • Show me images that should wake me up
  • Give me a pep talk
  • Share a saying that is dear to your heart
  • Invite me to things that will help me burn calories or invite me to a restaurant than can inspire my own healthy cooking.
  • Join me at my gym (I have unlimited guest passes) to make sure I give it my all on the days I really do not want to go.
  • Share your own goals and aspirations.
  • Help me celebrate when I reach my goals and make sure to compliment me when it is warranted.
  • Give me a verbally kick in the ass.
  • Share your thoughts and advice.
  • Share your best healthy recipes

This is a list that will be ever growing but what I could come up with at this moment. So do not be surprised if it will be re-posted with updates.

I have images and sayings that help me keep straight. It is a mix of uncomfortable images, aspirations, things that I would like (yes the material stuff), goals and simply truths that I live by or try to aspire to.

I will try and post these images and sayings on Facebook and Instagram when I am starting to lose my motivation and I would love for you to like, share or comment with your own thoughts and images that keep you motivated.

Stay in touch!

XOXO

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My Journey

Guidelines – Step 2 To Losing Weight

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Losing weight is a numbers game. You need to take in less calories, than you can burn. You need to burn 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound. This means, to lose 5 pounds, I need to burn 17,500 calories more than I take in to be able to lose 5 pounds.

Therefore, my guidelines are very much based on numbers to make sure I will get to my first 5 pound weight loss.

For every 7 days, I will have 1 Off day from exercise and tracking my food. The only caveat is that on my off day, I burn 2,500 calories on that day.

I will have 4 days with burning 2,500 calories and 3 days with burning 3,000 (give or take a few calories of course). This will leave me with a total burn of 19,000 calories.

My intake of calories will have to be less than the 19,000 calories in order for me to lose weight so with a day off where I don’t track calories, I have to create a plan that will allow me for this.

I, therefore, estimate that I if I take in 1,500 calories on 3 of the days and 1,600 calories on the other three that will leave me with a total of 9,300 calories. This leaves me with the ability to eat no less than 2,700 calories on my day off and still manage to loose 2 pounds each week.

With this much cushioning on my day off that leaves me thinking very comfortable and that it is doable. It, also, leaves me with a sense of not having to feel bad after my day off. 

It is all easier said than done but as I am breaking out my days I hope this will mold my thoughts around the concept of ‘taking one day at a time’.

I will keep you all posted on my weekly progress on how many calories I have taken in, burnt and how much I have lost for the week but keep an eye out for the different things I might take advantage off to make sure I stay on track and keep my goal. Which leaves me to my next step and my next post: Consistent Motivation.

Do you think it would be helpful if I post what I ate during the week?

Keeping constant track of everything will be my challenge, but i hope, I will be able to get into a routine that works. Hopefully, I have an understanding husband that helps me and understands the hours it requires to keep up with all of this.

I love the support, I have around me and my friends who are able to keep giving suggestions. Go to events and make sure I get back on track. More to come on this!

I will start posting more about what I do during the week to stay motivated, to get to my calorie count and what might be on the calendar for me in the future in case you want to join me. I have dancing in Bryant Park, Yoga in Inwood Hill Park and testing out the different Planet Fitness locations around Manhattan (and I can invite a guest every time).

If anyone want to join me, let me know. The more the merrier and it is so much more fun to do it together!

The more I write, the more I get my motivation back and I am getting very excited. You, my audience, will therefore be more of a priority than you have been in the past. You are part of keeping my motivation.

Stay tuned on the next post.

XOXO

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My Journey

Goals – Step 1 To Losing Weight

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I do not think there has been a diet, book or TV program I have not watched that has always started with “Goals”. Some have said to set yourself the overarching end goal, others have said to set yourself small goals, medium goals… you get the point.

One thing most have in common is a set of smaller attainable goals that will give you the sense of victory. This has always been both a motivator but, also, one of my pitfalls. I would reach goal 1 or 2 and then be so pleased with myself I would “allow” myself X amount of time to enjoy not constantly thinking about what I eat and drink and how often I go to the gym and how much I burn while I am there. This is all well and good, however, I would always forget to move towards the next goal and I would end up going back to goal 1, if not -1, after having put on more weight than I had already lost.

My thoughts are therefore, how can I avoid my own trap?

Talking to my friend Claudia yesterday made me realize that there is a thought behind the idea of what Weight Watchers do (that is her thing) and she managed to loose 60 pounds on that system. You would get 1 day off every week so you had a bit of a break from counting, managing, dealing and simply being in a constant state of competition with yourself.

I think, I will take her advice and try that out this time around. I will set goals but leave myself to breath 1 day every week, which honestly, also works much better with my lifestyle and my other blog, as I have restaurant reviews pretty much every week. Luckily, I have my husband to take care of the leftovers.

From the title and my post from yesterday, there are a few steps I need before I feel like I can succeed.

  • Step 1: Set Goals
  • Step 2: Set Guidelines
  • Step 3: Consistent Motivation
  • Step 4: Results

This is one of four posts on setting myself up to success and the only thing I know that could knock me off my course is the need for a schedule but I will have to bite the bullet and just deal with it.

I hate schedules. I have never been a fan and I tend to be a “off the cuff” kind of person

I should probably get on with it, setting my goals but before doing so I wanted to make sure you all were aware of my thoughts behind my goals and why I decided to set this type of goals.

I want to set small goals. Even smaller than I have done in the past to make sure that I celebrate the victories. The older I get the harder it is to loose the weight and I should be rewarded and celebrate even those small moments.

We all know that I need to lose 100 pounds but that is a bit too much to think about so this time, I am simply going for an overall goal of 30 pounds which would then be divided into even smaller goals. I will celebrate ever 5 pounds that I loose. The celebrating and rewards that would come with every 5 pounds would be part of kicking off my motivation as well, although much more would go into Consistent Motivation.

I am not going to set myself a timeline, as that would simply stress me out and I know too well what stress does to me. I give up before I have begun and I start stress eating and I put on more weight. So there we have it. 30 pounds with 5 pound intervals.

I will still keep you all informed on where I am weight wise but I will move away from my weight pictures as I have done in the past and instead focus on the things that I do to reach my goal. More on that in my next few posts.

Stay tuned and I am so happy that I have a following that has not given up on me just yet, while I keep struggling to lose the weight that my body so desperately needs to get rid of.

XOXO

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My Journey

Confession

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I have been slacking off. When I got back from vacation I found myself having a hard time getting back into my routine both with food and with my exercise.

I do not really have any good excuse. Just that I did not have the motivation. I guess this is not uncommon but I kept thinking about what I can do about getting back to my groove and motivation.

I concluded that there was not anything I could do but simply wait until I felt my motivation come back on its own as it tends to come back once I start feeling unusually large and uncomfortable in my own skin. And as usual, I was right. I have gained weight (not sure how much as I have been on a scale yet) and I am starting to feel that my health is deteriorating.

As soon as I felt these things change, my motivation started coming back to me. I guess it is my brain naturally telling me I need to start focusing on my health again. I just hope I am not starting from scratch this time around.

My next step was to figure out what I could do to keep my motivation. Usually, I need a set of goals, I need a consistency of motivation, I need results and I need guidelines.

My next post will be about setting my goals, guidelines and how I could go about creating consistent motivation and then I would simply have to trust that the results will come.

Mike and I have been doing A LOT with my other blog that I write for SociallySuperlative. Perhaps, too much as I have been writing articles one after the other and I have not really been motivated to write here for the lack of energy and inspiration.

As we always agreed that health comes first, I will try and cut down on my articles with SociallySuperlative and focus more on what really matters. My weight loss.

Some of the things, I know motivate me are seeing images of myself being overweight, as I hate looking at images of myself, especially, when it is obvious that I am much larger than everyone else. So do not be shy to share those images. I tend to stop being motivated as soon as I start seeing results which is not really a great trade and I have a long way to go an loosing 10 pounds is not really rocking the boat when I have a total of 100 pounds to loose. So please encourage me continuing this process and help me if I reach out for help, motivation or simply the need to get distracted from eating a tub of ice cream.

One thing I do know, is, that I can’t do it alone. I need the help of my family and friends as my backbone tends to be a bit weak.

Hoping for your help, encouragement and engagement and I will try and commit to my new plan (to come).

All help is welcome!

 

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My Journey

Week 46: It Has Been A While

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Finally back from vacation. And yes, I mean finally!!! I need a vacation from my vacation. Or maybe I just need a new job that can motivate me and get me out the door in the morning without thinking “so what is my new career going to be”. Well, there are so many things to talk about since it has been such a long time but let’s start with the numbers first, as they are most important.

I gained weight but honestly, I did not think I had as my clothes fit me better now than when I left. I, also, just gained 1.6 pounds so not overwhelmingly lot. I am now 220lb even. Because my clothes is fitting better, yet I gained weight, I want to start keeping track of my measurements. I will report these on a monthly basis. I will measure hips, waist and bust. This time around I measured 42inches around my bust (107cm), 36inches around my waist (91cm) and 51inches around my hip (130cm).

I keep sticking around the 220lb and I really want to push for the next 10lb before my first year is over. This means I need some support as I only have 6 weeks left before my first year is up. 10lb is 6 weeks does not seem to be a lot but as I have only lost 22lb since I started and that is over the course of almost a year, I think it is a challenge.

As I alluded too in the beginning of my post, so much has happened since my last post. Mainly due to my travels but also because the trip gave me a chance to realize that I am not happy with the job I currently have. Don’t get me wrong. It is a great company and I honestly think it would be hard to find a company that would treat me better and a job that is willing to pay me as well and I like my colleagues. However, it is the job itself that is not really giving me any joy. I am all about giving back, doing something for good and I am very much a minimalist by heart and being in marketing is pretty much the opposite. It is all about getting more money and selling more for huge companies and there is not any giving back or thinking about humanity or the planet for the future. I, therefore, have decided that I need to start thinking about what I would like to do next. I need to figure out what I really want to do and then just go for it. I have the best support system around me and so many people believing in me that I do not have any excuse. So stay tuned while I will probably talk about my options and what I want to do for the future… A LOT! And please feel free to send support, thoughts, ideas etc.

I, therefore, have decided that I need to start thinking about what I would like to do next.

Now to the fun part. My vacation! One of the reasons why I do work for a kick ass company is I was away from the office for 5 Weeks and they did not complain once. This meant that my husband and I were able to go to London, Porto, Lisbon, Paris and Denmark during that time.

London: I love Mike’s family. They are so welcoming and we attended the most beautiful wedding of Adrian and Jenny. Thank you for inviting us! We went to see 2 plays because you have to see plays in London (and musicals in New York) and both were awesome. The first one “Chinglish” was with Mike’s cousin and her husband and my in-laws. The second one was with Imelda Staunton (Professor Umbridge in Harry Potter) in “Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Wolff?”. She is an amazing actress. Love her! As much as I loved the wedding and the plays, my favorite part was “touristing” in London for once and getting a bit lost and finding some amazing gems we would not have otherwise. I, love getting lost.

As much as I loved the wedding and the plays, my favorite part was “touristing” in London for once and getting a bit lost and finding some amazing gems we would not have otherwise. I, love getting lost.

Porto: The most amazing Couchsurfing hosts.. ever (except for my husband of course ;)! The city is beautiful and there is so much history. I know everyone raves about Paris being the romantic city of Europe but obviously they have not been to Porto. It has couples everywhere… EVERYWHERE…. As beautiful as it is, I doubt I would go back. I feel like we saw everything we wanted and experienced what we needed to.

It has couples everywhere… EVERYWHERE….

Lisbon: I fell in love.. This city is beautiful, people are incredibly nice and Ana is there with her amazing wife… If the pace was not so slow, I would move there tomorrow. But it might be a town we would consider for retirement. Lisbon has history, culture, amazing nature and the food… the food… is amazing and amazingly cheap. Go now before Europe discovers their own hidden gem!

Go now before Europe discovers their own hidden gem!

Paris: As much as I love art, museums, history and cheese, I just did not love it. Perhaps, it was just me being already filled with impressions from Portugal that I had a hard time digesting the ones in Paris or if it is the number of snobbish people being on average so much higher than anywhere else in the world, or maybe a combination of the two that I had a hard time really enjoying Paris. We did meet a lot of family, we had not had the chance to meet until now which was amazing.

Denmark: I always wish that I had more time. There is never enough time, yet I do not want to live there either. It is a dilemma. I have been considering whether or not I need to live part time in Denmark and part time in New York but not sure if that could even work. Maybe one day or if I become ridiculously rich (which will never happen). Well, until then, I will just have to live with a few days each year. At least I came back to New York with family already in town. I loved having my sister in New York and my nephews. Did I mention how much I love my nephews and nieces? And how proud I am of them? My sisters are doing a kick-ass job with their kids and they will be just as beautiful on the inside when they grow up as they are now.

 

I always wish that I had more time. There is never enough time, yet I do not want to live there either. It is a dilemma.

Well, I think that was it for now. Stay tuned for the next post and hopefully 2-3 pounds lighter. Fingers crossed.

 

XoXo

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My Journey

Week 40: Being Productive

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I have had one of the most productive weeks in a long time. This usually happens when I have WAAAAAAY too much to do before a deadline. I work very well with deadlines but that also means that I am an awful procrastinator.

Since we got the plain tickets for Europe, I have been in “I need to get s..t done” mode. I am sort of impressed that we got all of your plane tickets for just below of $1,300 for the both of us and that was even with one of the dates not being flexible which definitely drove up the price (by roughly $350, if my memory serves me right).

Back to the “I am getting s..t done” mode… When I had the tickets settled it was about time for me to figure out what needed to be done before we could leave and what we would be comfortable with. My husband is not a “let’s just wing it” kind of guy. Things needs to be thoroughly planned out before we leave. Oddly enough, not necessarily where we are staying. We are still looking for places to stay in Porto and Paris but we have a maybe from a couple of couchsurfers, so that is good at least.

My list looked something like this:

  • Send box (A friend of a friend had a package sent to us that I needed to send to Denmark)
  • Pay bills
  • Pay student loan
  • Activate my new Danish Debit Card
  • Write Blog
  • Purchase dress for wedding (the reason we are going to Europe after all)
  • Create itineraries for London, Porto, Lisbon, Paris and Denmark.
  • Make a list of what to bring to Europe
  • Purchase phone/data SIMs (my sister is coming with her family and they need new SIM cards as their phones would not work in the US).
  • Create New York itinerary for my sister.
  • Purchase Mike’s Tux
  • Clean apartment
  • Hang images (and mirror)
  • Buy nails and hammer (my friend Claudia actually got me these so that was an easy one to cross of my list)
  • Wash clothes
  • Buy board and Atlas for livingroom
  • Print images of friends (for a picture in the hall way)

My husband is not a “let’s just wing it” kind of guy. Things needs to be thoroughly planned out before we leave.

A bit of a list and I did not get to do all of it but I still have a couple of weeks to go. I sent the box, paid my bills and loan, activated my new debit card, purchased the dress (and tried it on, it fits!), wrote last weeks blog post, hung images and the mirror and I am well into creating the itinerary for Porto, Lisbon, Paris and Denmark. All the while, I was having a big meeting at work that I needed to focus on. So all in all, it was one of my better weeks and I am thinking this week will be no different but with a couple of things added as we will do a restaurant review tomorrow and I will be celebrating my in-laws 49th wedding anniversary. Yeah! 49th.. Crazy, right? It is inspiring to see a couple live their lives together for so long and I am definitely taking notes on how they have made it so far.

Because I have been so busy, it also means that I have been good and too distracted to think about food and sweets in particular. Not that it shows on the scale as I am weighing the same as last week but I know what I did this week and I am completely OK with that.

As I see it. It is always a positive for your diet if you can distract yourself from the routinely thoughts of chocolate, cake, cookies, ice cream or what have you. That is why I love moments like these where I am in a go go go go go mood. I am too busy to even notice my cravings. That is why distracting yourself when you are trying to loose weight is a good tool. Not that I should be using it all the time but sometimes it is nice to get a break from analyzing my “why do I crave chocolate right now? Would it be OK to eat some or should I try and drink some water? Is it that time of day where I crave sugar (usually in the afternoon for me)?” and the list continues.

That is why distracting yourself when you are trying to loose weight is a good tool.

Starting off my week right. I am updating my to-do list and I know that by Thursday morning, my itineraries will be done, final bus tickets purchased and I have the last weekend to clean the apartment and get things settled before we have to take off. For some reason I am so excited about this trip. Even more than usual. I just hope, that I won’t jinx it and set my expectations too high.

Would love to know if anyone has tried staying on track with their weight while traveling or loose weight while on vacation (being sick does not count, lol!)? Any insights, tools or suggestions would be appreciated!

And if you or someone you know are offering a bed, room, couch to crash in Porto or Paris don’t be shy either.

A few images from my productive week 😀

XOXO

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My Journey

Week 39: Things Are Starting To Come Together

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I got my extension to my extension! This means that I have an additional 10 months in the US legally, while waiting for my more permanent green card (10 year Green Card, as they are no longer permanent).

I did not want my blog to become too political but it is too hard to ignore the new administration that is completely void of integrity, moral and ethics. As someone who is going through the Green Card process legally, I am telling you, it is not easy. I am one of the fortunate ones. I am Danish, white and married to someone that is American and looks white (although half Venezuelan) and I have the option to legally find a way to stay in the US. Sometimes, I think, what if I was not Danish and white but Muslim and from Iran? What if I was staying in this country illegally because I had nowhere else to call home. Even though I feel the anxiety from waiting to see if I get my permanent Green Card and whether or not Trump is going to change the law/rules while I am out on vacation, I know that is nothing in comparison to what other people in this country is currently going through. My heart weeps for them and I am crossing my fingers that we all will get through these times unscathed and not too much damage to the foundation of what is the US (and quite possibly the world).

Even though I feel the anxiety from waiting to see if I get my permanent Green Card and whether or not Trump is going to change the law/rules while I am out on vacation, I know that is nothing in comparison to what other people in this country is currently going through.

With that said, and all of my anxiety, I am still excited that Mike and I are finally going on trip together. When I got my extension we finally agreed upon the destinations while in Europe. London, Porto, Lisbon, Paris, Denmark and back to London for a family wedding. I love to travel, learn, discover and go on adventures (hence the name of the blog). I know it will be a challenge to not gain too much weight while I am on vacation especially as it will be for 34 days. I will not have my scale with me but I will stay on track with the help of my measuring tape. It should tell me if I am going out of control, staying within my weight or perhaps even loosing weight. The Monday before take off I will make sure to list my dimension before I leave so we can all keep track of my progress while traveling.

I love to travel, learn, discover and go on adventures (hence the name of the blog).

I have never measured or kept track of my weight while traveling for this amount of time so this should be a first and I am sort of excited to see how all the walking, climbing, eating, drinking etc etc will effect my weight. There are definitely lessons to be learned and I can’t wait to see what I can do differently, better or all together stop doing while traveling. I am, also, excited to write about my trip, the adventures, the places and hopefully you will be inspired to go yourselves.

At the moment I have my head buried into several books Mike took out from the library about Portugal, Paris and England. I am trying to figure out my schedule in Denmark and I wanted to plan a few things to do and see there as well. I, usually, have more plans than I can actually do, especially, as I have to work from London and Denmark but the benefit of working New York hours is that there is room for adventure in the morning (before 1PM local time). I was thinking of doing “KattegatCentret” in Grenaa while visiting my dad, Aros when going to Aarhus and something else in or around Viborg, Herning or Holstebro when going there. Then at least Mike will not go insane from boredom. To my Danish readers, I would love some input and ideas of what could be fun to do or see in those areas while there. And for people who have been to Portugal and Paris let me know if there is something that we should check out that would not necessarily be in all the tourist books.

I, usually, have more plans than I can actually do, especially, as I have to work from London and Denmark but the benefit of working New York hours is that there is room for adventure in the morning (before 1PM local time).

I hope you can all help me stay on track and perhaps even drag me out for a workout while in London and Denmark.

About the past week. As you can tell from the image. I actually lost weight! I am super excited about that. Although, only 1.4lb from the past 2 weeks, I have been stuck in the 20’s for a while so it was good to see a 1 for a change. The past 2 weeks I have been staying on track with the gym, went to the Oyster and Beer Festival, played in the snow, took at stroll down the Highline after the show had fallen and baked the most delicous chocolate cake. I know I should not but I tried to make a more healthy version and it paid off. It is the best chocolate cake I have ever made (and that is counting my sisters wedding cake, which was amazing). Luckily, Mike ate most of it which is probably why I managed to loose a bit of weight. Check out the images below from the past week.

XoXo

 

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My Journey

Week 37: Nerve Racking Time

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Just to get the numbers out of the way. I gained 3.6lb from two weeks ago. I can’t say I am disappointed. I let myself have a wild night Saturday and I am pretty confident that alcohol is the culprit. I have been good with my diet otherwise and I am back in a good routine with my workouts. So if I can stick to my diet and my workouts I should be back in no time. Much of it is probably water weight. Alcohol messes with my system EVERY time. So stay tuned for next week.

As for my headline. As most of you know, I am in the middle of applying for a Green Card. We have a family wedding in London coming up in April but my extension is running out on March 17th. So I have been trying for over a month to get an appointment as I need an extension to my extension. Crazy, I know but apparently it takes between 1 and 2 years to get the condition off of the temporary Green Card.

With the Trump news, I have been an even more nervous wreck, even though I should not have anything to worry about. But the thought of traveling and then knowing that you have no idea what this man might come up with next and I might be the one in the airport not allowed back in is truly scary.

At my meeting today, I got to ask all of my questions. Questions such as, if they call me in for an interview while I am out of the country and I am unaware of my appointment. Then what? Technically, they could throw out my case, and I have to start over, but if I am traveling there are some leniency and I should be able to apply for a new appointment. If I get my permanent Green Card (permanent in the sense that I will have it for 10 years) while I am out of the country will my temporary one be invalid and not usable once I get back into the country? No, it will still be valid as long as I have my extension.

So with all of my questions answered and our minds put at ease, we have decided to go ahead with our travel plans. I am super excited. I should get thumbs up from my job tomorrow and we can go ahead and plan. The only downside is my sister, my nephews and her boyfriend and his kids are coming on April 1st while I will still be out of the country. I am hoping to be back early April 3rd though to be here with them for their last 4 days in New York. A bit of a bummer that things are falling around the same time but I think we can make it work.

If everything else falls in place, flights, job and the like we are most likely headed to Paris and Portugal this time around (besides our usual stop to London and Denmark of course). Super exited. Never been to Portugal and I have only been to Paris for 1 day (and a long time ago) so it will be great visiting places I have never been.

Let the planning commence and soon there will be blog posts about trying to loose weight while being on vacation. That is always a challenge. So should be good.

Most of all, I am happy for Mike. He has not had a vacation since Christmas of 2015. So about time he takes some time off.

If anyone of you have been to Portugal or Paris (or lives there) please send some recommendations our way.

So exited!

Xoxo

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