The Teeny Bikini Body

just a girl's struggles of trying to be lean

Category Archives: Well Being


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Wait a Retro Minute… The Tribulations of Non-Progressive Thought

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There’s a lot of classic things, I like.  I’m currently obsessed with New Balance 574s. Yes, I wear them everywhere, to the gym, at the beach, kickin’ back on a sweet summer day in a jean mini skirt,  cute jean shorts, or must bummin with my comfy jeans. It’s so damn cooooool.  I can’t wait to get it in every color.  After all, I want them all to myself, every color.  What’s a girl to do without her favorite kick backs.

My new, I mean old, uh hum… 90’s music that’s been in my head is Digable Planets “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like That). Check it out if you don’t know them.

Digable Planets – Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat) – YouTube

Who could resist the cool ramblings of jazz/hip-hop intertwined…

Of all things I like that’s retro, I love the nostalgia.  That’s what gets me.

However, all that being said, I love modern technology, innovative thinking, and new discoveries.  That is, mind you, I love new discovery in ways of diet and health.  How many times have I heard people still spouting out the same ideas of dieting, exercise, health?  Not everyone’s a research freak like myself, comparing, and analyzing, discriminating what is obviously driven by money, commercialism and bandwagon thinking.  I’m not a doctor.  I’m a researcher.

Well, here’s some of the old traditional ways of thinking in terms of diet that are still floating out there….

1.  “You have to have six meals a day to increase your metabolism.” Diet innovators who’ve changed this way of thinking with eating one meal a day.  Read the Warrior Diet by Ori Hofmekler or check out http://www.leangains.com with guru Martin Berkhan.  He’s got a new article called,

Dirty Secrets of Intermittent Fasting Exposed.

Check it out.  And last but not least, Brad Pilon’s  Eat Stop Eat (eatstopeat.com ).  These guru’s have changed the way of thinking in terms of diet. Be creative.  What’s you’re lifestyle like? Honestly, does everyone have time fixing up six meals a day.  OMG, I used to complain about just making my lunch. And if you’ve got kids, forget it.

2. “Carbs will make you fat.”   “Webmd” which some how I trust more than Huffingpost regarding health. Yes, chocolate cake, and chips are horrible for ya.  Obvi.  Eat good carbs. In the article, Good Carbs, Bad Carbs: Why Carbohydrates Matter to You, the article states the following:

In September 2002, the National Academies Institute of Medicine recommended that people focus on getting more good carbs with fiber into their diet. The following statements are based on information given in the report:

  • To meet the body’s daily nutritional needs while minimizing risk for chronic disease, adults should get 45% to 65% of their calories from carbohydrates, 20% to 35% from fat, and 10% to 35% from protein.
  • There is only one way to get fiber — eat plant foods. Plants such as fruits and vegetables are quality carbohydrates that are loaded with fiber. Studies show an increased risk for heart disease with low-fiber diets. There is also some evidence to suggest that fiber in the diet may also help to prevent colon cancer and promote weight control.1

3. “If you eat less, you will lose weight”.  Usually, this is a temporary fix.  Remember when you were going on diet number ten, and just realized.  Crap.  I’m fatter than before.  Arghhhhh! According to the government website for the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, in the article “Guide to Behavior Change”, setting specific goals is the key to long-term change.2  In other words, don’t just go on a temporary diet, make a long-term specific change, such as committing to a specific way of eating, or exercising. Make it last, baby!

4. “If I do the elliptical every day, I will lose weight.”  I love the elliptical trainer… but using the same dang machine, day in and day out??? Booorrring.  I admit.  I did that. And guess what?  I started to hate the gym.  Not to mention, the body adapts.  It actually worked for a while, but eventually your body will adapt and the gains you previously saw start to diminish.

5. “Eat only low fat foods.”  Lots of people fall into eating low-fat foods.  Read how eating low-fat foods is not necessarily the answer.  Concentrate on good fat and stay away from packaged food labeled “low-fat”, usually with added sugar or thickeners to make it “low-fat”.3

Well, with all that said, retro your style, but don’t retro your thinking!  Keep it up!

❤

L.

Reference:

1. Good Carbs, Bad Carbs: Why Carbohydrates Matter to You. (n.d.). Retrieved August 10, 2014, from http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/carbohydrates

2. Guide to Behavior Change. (n.d.). Retrieved August 10, 2014, from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/behavior.htm

3. Low-Fat Diet: Why Fat-Free Isn’t Trouble-Free. (n.d.). Retrieved August 10, 2014, from http://www.webmd.com/diet/low-fat-diet

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Believe

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LOL, now that’s not real!

There’s so much doubt out there.  And among all the haters, the negaters, the non-believers who overwhelm the world, there is one believer.

Believe the impossible, believe the achievers, worship the goal-attainers.  Defy gravity.

What does that mean? It means that out there in this cynical world is an optimist.  Surround yourself with successful, optimistic people.

Yes the world is not all rainbows and butterflies, but would you rather focus on vermin, deceit, and disbelief?

Reality has its place.  What I mean is sometimes, reality is STARING at you right in the face, and the most negative will reject and deny.

Of course this applies to all aspects in your world.  If it’s a fact, believe it.  If it’s reality believe it. Dozens of people in the fitness world has obtained fantastically fit bodies.  And guess what? It’s actually not photo-shopped.  If you don’t believe it go to a fitness show.  Then, you can’t deny that it can happen.

1. Surround yourself with positive people

2. Find proof before doubt

3. Believe in the attainable

4. Get the facts

5. Avoid haters, negaters

6. Find successful people and study them

7. Be with like minded people

8. Be happy first, negative last.

Today’s Workout:

Bodyweight Circuits

Pushups, prisoner lunges, planks, jumping jacks, walkouts, squats, inverted row, mountain climbers.. repeat 5x no rest.

Happy Monday!

L.

 

 

 


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Tone it down in 2014, Girls and Boys, You’re Gettin’ Way Too Massively Big!

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This is me, about three years ago, when I was doing tons of cardio, eating normally with no special diet, except for an occasional fasting. Read this article by Rusty Moore, the guru of getting lean not bulky.  I love his website! Check it out:

http://fitnessblackbook.com/workout-routines/muscle-tone-vs-muscle-mass-workout-routines/

I believe that bulkiness can look great naked to some people, but if you’re short like me… it can look terrible in clothes.  Here’s the deal, I don’t want to diet all the time, but I do want to be lean and fit and healthy.  I had to re-evaluate what my goal is.

I want to achieve what is attainable for me:  Can I maintain a workout program with at least 60 minutes of cardio 6 days a week? Probably. Can I incorporate my strength training on top of that?  I guess.  I have to of course have, my no workout days, my cheat days and be committed.

What lessons did I learn from 2013:

1) If I keep going at the pace I was going at, I’ll probably go nowhere. (Eating whatever, dieting sometimes, maybe overdoing group ex, etc.

2) I learned that my straight hair can be curly!  (My sister showed me how to make our textured hair wavy by just using product. Check out…http://www.naturallycurly.com/

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3)  Stay away from bad people (weirdos, anyone who does any type of drugs, people who make you feel bad, and people who get into trouble a lot).

4) I have a great family that can’t be pegged by what you remember, (everyone is changing and evolving and learning).  Family truly surprised me!

How about 2014, what can I do right?

1) Exercise and eating (stay focused on your goal)  Identify what you want ( super muscular, lean with no fat, skinny with lean muscle).  In other words, don’t get caught up with the fitness hype.

2) Regroup every month to evaluate where you’re going (life wise, exercise wise, food wise).

3) Write it all down…you can think about it but the mind has this wonderful way of getting distracted and forgetting.

4)  Get positive reinforcement (pics for inspiration, pic a healthy idol, etc.)

5) Get friends that are positive, smarter than you in different ways, and diverse (You may learn something!)

6) Take breaks! Life’s to short to not enjoy it.

7) Call people you love more often and tell them you love them.

That’s it!  Don’t forget to keep it totes fun!

Happy New Year friends…

heart and soul,

L.


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A Rocket – The Art of Communicating

Goldfrapp – Rocket

Nothing like music to start things off.  I love this song.  It’s brilliant.

Hello friends!  I wanted to tell you a story about a situation that I’ve been dealing with.

Every week I deal with an auditor that reviews my work, asks for numerous items, that takes so much time.  She’s never communicated well with me and she would send requests by fax.  In the beginning, I got into a huge fight with her and she made my life that week a living hell.  I had to send her intricate backup that required me digging through with other departments, old files from previous years, and with very few conversations.  I could barely stand it, and I was going on vacation for two weeks at the time.  I left it in the hands of others who also had a difficult time with her.

When I returned from vacation, we never spoke on the phone and she continued to send me requests by fax.  I would email her my backup and it got easier sometimes. When it was difficult, I just dealt with it and never called her once.  At that point I decided to send her positive emails, either funny or silly just wishing she had a great day.  She never would respond and for six months, and sometimes I thought I was just writing to myself.

Today she sent me an email and this is what it said:

Hello Lilitte,
 
Happy Friday!  Thank you for all the help with providing backup in such a timely manner.  I don’t always have the opportunity to respond to every single email I receive, but I wanted to thank you for all your cheerful emails each and every time you send backup.  I truly appreciate your positive demeanor and cheerfulness.  Just wanted to let you know, your emails do not go unappreciated.  Quite the contrary, makes me smile especially when having a tough day.
 
I hope you have a great weekend and I look forward to keep working with you.

I’m not trying to pat myself in the back, but this simple email made me feel so good.  It made me think that when I write, someone out there is listening after all.  Sometimes I feel like I’m just writing to myself, but it’s not true.  If it’s out there, someone’s reading it.
Thank you for listening.
 


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Fi, Fo, Fum, Foodie

If I went to heaven, my dream would be that I could eat whatever I want and never gain weight.  That I’d have all the home-made apple pies, steaks that melt in your mouth, and fresh caught fish or lobster.

Am I a Foodie? Probably. Lately, I’ve been hearing that word a lot.  I thought about it and always called myself a food lover.  It’s not about gluttony.  It’s about exploring the creativity of food. As with everything that is wonderful and good in life, there are unexplored flavors that the palate has.  I like trying different ethnic foods.  The idea behind it all is to go for quality above quantity.

That’s why I’m a big fan of tapas, appetizers, happy hours (good ones only) and tastings of all sorts, wine, beer.

I always dream of traveling to different countries, tasting the best foods.  Now, always being a dieter, how would I do it?

Here’s a idea, instead of dinner, start eating small quantities of foods with friends.  Get a couple appetizers, share, compare, and eat a few.

Now, I know i just wrote about my diet hybriding.   This is an altogether different subject.  Do you really want a giant plate of pasta, with bread, and soup and dessert to boot?  Do you really like that feeling of being so full, you can’t walk?

Start like this, (and please don’t go to a buffet), when you go out to eat, try eating appetizers and sharing.  It’ll be much more fun.  And I’m not talking sliders, bacon covered mini hotdogs.  Quality people!  I mean mini lobster cakes, or mini angus burgers, or lox on a deluxe cracker.

Change your mindset.  Start thinking of instead eating a huge meal, eat a small meal with a little of this, a little of that.  You will be satisfied in a different way… because you have tasted different things.

For lunch, have a small salad, eat a herb-crusted salmon, eat a side of roasted veggies, and a 5 nuts.

For breakfast, have fruit with plain yogurt, a boiled egg, some lox.As for quality, have the organic foods, whole foods that are fresh, fresh coffee, make your own salad dressing.

Satisfaction comes from having something delicious, not having a lot of something.  This in turn, will increase your serotonin levels, therefore increasing your quality of life.  Food, living, conversation, enjoyment.

Make every moment count.


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Azul, Azure, Bleu, Bluest Sky

La Roux…

Nothing hurts more than unrequited love.  All the things that hurt us will dissolve in time…

I love to go outside and do my exercise.  Lately, the days have been filled with blue and grey skies, and whether the sky is blue or the sky is grey, I become one with nature.  There’s something peaceful about walking, jogging, or running outside.

Have you ever heard of cortisol?

Here’s the definition:

Cortisol, known more formally as hydrocortisone (INN, USAN, BAN), is a steroid hormone, more specifically a glucocorticoid, produced by the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex.[1] It is released in response to stress and a low level of blood glucocorticoids. Its primary functions are to increase blood sugar through gluconeogenesis; suppress the immune system; and aid in fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism.[2] It also decreases bone formation. Various synthetic forms of cortisol are used to treat a variety of diseases.1

Well, this hormone, as you can see, controls our metabolism and if there’s stress in our lives, then cortisol can make us fat.

When I go outside, I de-stress.  I feel great, just watching all the greenery around me.  Now today I did jump over a snake before I realized it was a snake.  I tried to take a pic, but the little sucker slithered away before I got a chance. If you’re scared of snakes, don’t run where snakes are… since that won’t help you…

Find a peaceful place to go where you can find and enjoy beauty. Try to get outside often, whether it’s to walk even if it’s not a vigorous walk.  Remember the key is to de-stress.

Here’s a few suggestions:

1. Find a place of beauty:  A beach, a park, a hiking area, a lake.

2. Walk or jog peacefully… let your mind relax and breathe in the fresh air.

3. Take deep breaths… take it all in.

4. Dream.

5.  Listen to your favorite beats.

6.  Do stretching exercises to keep you from being tense.

7.  Try to think of good thoughts: what you appreciate, things that make you laugh, what’s good in your life.

1.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortisol

Today’s workout:

Light jog, light uphill run, walk down hill, varying speeds, total 1 hour.


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Dessert Freak

IMG_0073It’s true.   I love dessert. Our new lovely neighbors invited us over for dessert and I can never resist my sweet tooth.   I had a bowl of frozen yogurt on top of a fudge brownie.  Add a glass of wine and a cup of coffee with good conversation and I’m good.

Could I ever imagine giving up dessert for the DIET?  Not really.  Some of the most joys of life is being able to enjoy the experience of something scrumptious and delicious such as… dessert!

So how does this fit into my supposed diet?  It fits into my cheat day and I don’t eat dessert every day.

Rules of eating dessert?

1.  Have your favorite dessert. Why settle? …have the most delicious thing.  For me, it’s either strawberry cheesecake or chocolate fudge brownie.  My to favorite cheesecake was the one I had in New York at Carnegie’s.  Some people seem to like Junior’s. For me I loved a late night run at 3:oo a.m. to Carnegie’s.

2.  Don’t eat it every day.  If you do, it is no longer special.

3.  Have a nice drink with it to enhance the experience.  That could be hot chocolate.  My favorite is Abuelita’s hot chocolate.  I gave up coffee but I still love the flavor … so I will drink a nice decaf with it.

4. Don’t eat it fast.  Savor it nice and slow and let yourself taste every aspect of it.  It’ll be worth it.

5. Don’t eat it after a big meal.  You don’t want to ruin the experience by being too full to eat it.

And that’s pretty much it.  Enjoy!