artwork

The thing is.
I've completely gone off track with the eating and nutrition and moving and working out, moving, whatever.
I miss feeling that active, and light, and responsive.
These past few months have just been a pause.

However, after "pause" you can absolutely press "play" again.

I think it's time I start taking my body for granted quite this much and consider it something much more special.
Strength, endurance and flexibility.

Artwork.
M.

lose

I've been watching Biggest Loser on and off for a long time.
A lot of people don't like it, I get why someone would find it boring, if it's just not their cup of tea. But to passionately not like it, beats me. Calm down.
Whatever.

Point is.
I've watched a lot of it.
First of all, the trainers are heroes. Simple.
Not just because of the workout and nutrition knowledge, but, how they read the people on the Biggest Loser ranch place, how they read them, and work at breaking down their walls, and the walls are high. High, high, high.
I know a few people have tuned in and go, "Oh, I don't like the way they shout at the people" and blah, blah, blah, blah. Blah, blah.
It
is
there
for
a
reason

Seriously.

ANYWAY.
The only reason I'm talking about this is to post some before and afters of the contestants.
This was last season's winner, Danni.



Now then.
A few seasons ago there were these two sisters, Olivia and Hannah.
Hannah had been working towards going to the Olympics as a volleyball player and then had a back injury and it was all over.
So what she did was eat, eat, and do nothing, and pity herself, and she ate some more and just in the middle of all of it just got lost.
This girl was just lost.
And this is where the trainers come in.
This is NOT about dropping the number on the scale! It's just not. They rebuild themselves. The trainers rebuild them. There bodies get so exhausted that their walls break down and they climb out, out of the crap they have decided to surround themselves with. This cold hard layer of "I can't" or "I am too weak" or "I don't know" or whatever. The pity and being the victim. Never being good enough. All of this.
And
they
just
come
out

This is Hannah's before and after. And below her sister Olivia.

When fitness makes you YOU.
M.

new

No-energy-Maria here.

New energy.
Where to get energy from.
Nutrition, obviously. Good nutrition.
Exercise. All the happy-hormones and stuff make you feel better and more alert (maybe not straight after).
(Also worth mentioning that I've had around 0.5% bothered-ness to do any form of moving/working out lately. Thinking I'll "save energy". Bulls*it. I'm just being lazy. I'd feel so much better over-all.)
Then, like, new hair, I think, gives energy, in a way. Or at least changing my hair does have a very positive effect on me.
I think I might cut it. Not off-off, but definitely shorter. Medium-length, rather than long.

And maybe dye it. Anything to shake my out of this rather apathetic state.

Explanation.

Packing.
Anyone who hasn't had to move, I mean, really move, does not know how exhausting this is. Not like, oh dear, boo hoo, you have to put stuff in boxes, cry about it. But rather, you have to sort through the things. Deciding whether this goes, that stays, sifting through your life.
Not the top of my list, if I'm honest. It's just a tiring process. I never got it, before I had to move out of my boarding house. Jesus.

So therefore, project. More energy! Woo! I'm not lethargic, or sluggish as a person, so periods of this piss me off. Okay, sometimes they mean I need more sleep, or more this, or more that, at the moment it is simply a matter of "Work out a gameplan to get more energy wooo and stop moaning wooo!"

I just googled it.
A 3-minute sing-a-long dance session. (Quite like this idea)
Snacking and chocolate. (Haven't done enough of that today. This might be low bloodsugar, you know?)
Playing. (I like this. Playing. Like, an online-scrabble session if others are out.)
Getting more organised. (I hear you, sister, from my pile of crap.)
Listen to tunes. (I need some more of those tomorrow, thanks.)
Dress up. (I might pack tomorrow, wearing jeans and actual clothes, and do my make-up.)

Okay, so I will do all of these things tomorrow.
For now, I've played some really cute games online (www.orisinal.com) and had some chocolate.
And changed my Google background.

And I've decided to post a few photos, of course.
The thumbs up is for all of you who are in a similar state right now. Of just, No, thanks, life.
Thumbs up, because crap-ness passes.
Then there's one of me and my naked Ryan Gos pillow. Birthday present, oh yes. I highly highly highly recommend you all get one. It solves many many issues.
And then the last one is of my chilli hot chocolate, and a peanut butter and banana sandwich on toasted rye bread with dark chocolate sprinkles. My soul needs it.

Lots of un-stressed love to all of you.
M.

strong is the new "skinny"

(After this post I promise to go off the whole subject for a while.)

This is a good tagline. A great tagline, actually.
One that I have a lot of respect for and one that is worth spreading.
This saying, turns out, is the motto of the "tumblr fitness community" - people who blog about healthy living or their journey towards a healthier lifestyle. Most of these women are from the States.

Regardless whether the problem is over-weight, under-weight, or just body-image - it's just a waste of time really.
Go healthy, you know.
It's the easiest way to feel good about whatever skin or skeleton you're in.
Whatever the length, width or shape.
Go healthy.
I mean, this is as much to me, as it is to anyone else.

I wrote a post some days ago about positive role-models and kind of ended up moaning about the lack of flag-flyers for "healthy" when it comes to discussing this topic.
Turns out there's a whole load of people who blog about healthy living, and everything that it encompasses.
Go them, and go healthy living.

http://ahealthynewbeginning.tumblr.com/
http://onefitmodel.tumblr.com/
http://thefameofhealthandfitness.tumblr.com/
(I chose these few because of a) her transformation; b) motivational pictures (i have to admit - my personal favourites) and great tips; c) good recipes.)

If there are only two choices: healthy, and unhealthy.
M.


PS. I really feel like kickboxing would be a very fantastic addition to my existence.