The secret of success....

The secret of success is to be consistent....After my injury (hip pain) i have slackened. Have been also diagnosed with hypothyroid but the medication is taking effect and i am back in the gym. New year resolutions? As always try and make it to the gym and get back to the fit and slim body i am loving but with sensible goals. The single most important lesson i have learnt is that indian food has some really nice healthy options with lots of fiber and protein and good spices but not much of fat/carbs if you choose the right things. I will start posting about simple recipes/ideas for food because that is the other most important thing in being fit - eating healthy.

Will be posting more regularly. So desi women all around, lets pull up our socks get ready and get back to shape!

Strength training

Probably an integral part of a workout. I am glad to be sucked into this in the gym. Strength training builds muscle, shapes and tones the body and the muscle is what really helps carry your body weight!!!!Plus, it looks a lot tighter than equal amount of fat! So yeah there are several reasons for doing it. The beauty of this is that you can use your body weight to begin with. Squats, ham string curls, leg extensions and some calf raises are great!!!
All of these have helped me get over my Runner's Knee especially the leg extensions. Last week i completed an 8 mile run with walk breaks and felt good.The moment I dont do them for a few weeks I can feel a difference. So lets make Strength training part of our routine while the rest is happening.

Have fun!

Where am I?

Whenever you want to embark on something like losing weight or getting fit, you always need to ask yourself where you stand. Everyone has a different start point and different bodies. No two people are the same. The important thing is to be consistent - set sensible goals and work towards them remembering that results are not instantaneous. After my knee injury i have realised the importance of stretching and proper flexibility. I discuss my goals with a trainer and this has helped me so much although i dont think the heavy weights and excessive straining is necessary at all. Talking with a professional would have saved me from injury but sometimes i learn the hard way. Right now i think i am poised to begin thinking about running once again. This time it will be sensible with walk breaks in between. I realised that when i was running earlier i considered it inferior to take walk breaks so if i was running 5 miles it was essentially : start - 5 miles - stop. Most people who say they ran this much seem to include walk breaks and i suppose that makes sense.
And this year i need to lose about 5 lb minimum.
The weather is getting to be amazing so here is to a fresh start and hopegfully some nice morning activity!

Good luck with yours!

New Year Resolutions

Its a tradition almost everyone follows. Making new year resolutions. While i am not against them, i would hope people would make reasonable ones. So lets not get lofty. Nothing dramatic like no carbs after 5 pm. However something sensible that will help us feel refreshed. The Seratonin release due to exercise is one of the best way to prevent depression and help find a work-life balance. So lets vow to fit it into our schedules. 3 times a week. A class at the gym is a perfect alternative to a solo workout session. Heres wishing you all a happy and healthy 2011!

Like they say - It Begins at Home

Yes, exercise can be something you can bring to your home too. My first attempt at doing something ended up being following Winsor Pilates DVD. I had hurt my knee a little and i needed to wait. At that time, it wasnt the Runner's Knee injury i had. It was a mild ligament issue. So i decided to order this DVD. I followed the exercises everyday in the morning and increased reps and intensity. I did a little bit of cardio too. No Running. And i watched what i ate and lost inches around my tummy. Proving that you dont need to hurt or harm yourself in anyways to lose weight. The key thing though was that i did this before i ate breakfast. This really hits your fat reserves so if you ever want to lose fat, work out in the morning. The most important thing then was still watching what i ate and eating 6 smaller meals compared to 3 huge ones. One of the best way to get easy cardio is to climb up stairs. Dont climb down (bad for your knee) several times but take the elevator. And add push ups and squats to bring your heart rate up. With the Pilates and all this, you dont need any fancy instrument. Most of the exercises use your body weight. Spectacular isnt it?
So lets stop waiting and get started!

Where do we start?

The question that we first ask ourselves when doing something totally new like this is where do we start? Ok , so we have issues. You might want that killer butt and lose that belly fat. Now belly fat especially is a problem issue. Why is it an issue? Because we eat way too much of fat everyday. The first step towards losing weight is being aware of what it takes. You are most likely consuming much more than you burn. For example, look at the fried foods you eat. Fast foods like vadas/pongal with loads of ghee usually, haldirams (personal favourite),Lays, coconut in everything and lots of rice all adds up the calories. Ever wondered why its so hard? its because of what you eat. So the first step is to be aware of how many calories goes into everything. Keep an account of what you are eating. So why not have 2 chappatis with dal and a mixed berry milkshake for dinner?
Think about it. Its much better than eating out. And remember this will also cut down the sodium that you are consuming. Getting fit is not about losing weight. Its about changing your lifestyle to become more healthy. This is a link talking about how much every entree can contain - calories and sodium much much more than a day's worth and its so hard burning it off.
http://www.menshealth.com/20worst/worstpasta.html
So lets make a resolve to eat out once a week, cook healthy and watch what we eat. Thats the first step to a healthy and fit desi girl. So now in addition to your lovely thick hair and black eye liner and kajal, you will be out walking in those teeny weeny shorts with full confidence :)

Welcome

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog. This isnt some blog on Geometry. Heavens No! This is about a desi woman's attempt to stay fit, healthy and strong. In the past few years i have struggled to change my lifestyle, exercise regularly and eat healthy and i hope to chronicle most of it in order to inspire other desi women in my generation. I had a complex when i started grad school. The gym was intimidating and i wanted to overcome that. I remember bugging all of my wingies about my tummy and how i thought it was ugly. Well, i finally decided to do something about it and a lot more. No more tummies, no more ugly flabby arms and no more thunder thighs!
I hope that with this blog i will inspire other women to get out there. We will no longer let desiwoman and fitness be an oxymoron. Lets get rid of that fat, shape up and discover what sexy really feels like!Beneath all the scoffing and denial i know everyone of us has dreamt of being healthy and of course,fitting into that absolutely sexy top we pass by and sigh everytime when we see it!