A - Z Blogging Challenge - Time, Trends & Traps

Welcome back to A - Z! Today is the last "easy letter day" before a tough series begins...

We have covered quite some exercise, so today we won't be training but talking. Fitting, right?





We're talking about tomatoes. Is it tomato or tomaaaahto? 







What movie is that song being played in? Hint: I did a Top Ten Thursday about it.

But we're not really talking about movies or tomatoes, even though I like them both.

We're talking about trends, traps & time.

I feel this whole fitness world is a giant bubble, it has become so trendy and fancy to go to the gym, to wear flashy gear and to have gadgets to track progress. Of course there is nothing wrong about that, I'm just observing and wondering.

Are people just bored and don't know what to do with themselves? Do they all want to get and keep in shape? Do they hope to get more attention / become more successful once they're skinny? Is working out a way to release stress? Is it a way to belong somewhere?

Even the mafiosi in "Analyze This" worry about their weight. 


What kind of sandwich ain't too fattening?




Back in January I braced myself that it would take some time until it'd see results. To be honest I fully expected to go like this for a year.

So I just did my thing and tried not to think about it too much. Veggies, Zumba, Shower, Check.

I accounted the first couple of pounds to lost water retention,  and kept doing my thing. Veggies, Zumba, Shower, Check.

Here I am today, that close to minus 20 pounds lost in a bit more than 3 months, and I am pretty amazed and proud. 

I did, however, invest a big chunk of my time (not to mention money, blood, sweat and tears) into my quest. Time to go to the gym, time to wash and pack my active gear, time to prep food not only for myself but for the carbs consuming part of the family. 

During that time I wasn't able to go to the mall, sit at Starbucks, have coffee and cinnamon rolls and write. 

Instead I'm squeezing in some small bits of time to write about my journey, and my message is if you're willing to invest that time, if you're determined and consistent, you can expect results in less time than you thought.

When I started out, I didn't have a plan, other than quitting chocolate and wine for a month (hahaha!), and I pretty much just did what my fitness instructor told me to (quitting white carbs and working out), which was brilliant advice. 

In the meantime I googled and learned a ton, here's an article that would have been helpful for me if I had embarked on that journey alone.

If you plan on eating healthy food and working out, take it one day at a time. Track your calories spent and burnt, look the other way when the candy aisle calls your name at the supermarket, get some carrots instead and go for a walk. 

You know: Veggies, Zumba, Shower, Check.

If you slip one day, move on and do better the next day. And if plan A doesn't work...


Nobody knows better about the alphabet
than us A - Z Bloggers, right?

Speaking of slipping. Here are some traps that I want you to warn about:

  1. Unbalanced diet: too much (hidden) sugars, too little veggies
  2. Being clueless or Forgetting about calories and sugar in beverages: fruit juices and wine (sorry)
  3. Underestimating portions (who knew how little a teaspoon of olive oil is? Still it's 40 calories! That's 120 per tablespoon, booo! How much oil do you use for browning your meat? For dressing your salad?)
  4. Eating items labeled as "diet food" (low-fat is loaded with sugar; low-sugar is loaded with fat, both of which we don't want, especially if they don't leave us satisfied and we end up eating more!)
  5. Using your workout as an excuse to overindulge in treats
  6. Depriving yourself from any treats and ending up stuffing your face on a bad day
  7. Not planning ahead and getting lost in everyday life: slacking on both, food and exercise
  8. Always doing the same exercise means losing its effect
  9. Having unrealistic expectations
  10. Being a slave of your scale, getting discouraged and giving up

During the course of this month I have addressed pretty much all of them, and I think 


You can do it!

I realised I haven't used any photos. Here is one that represents "trendy". Saw this denim  jacket and was in love. Until I saw the price tag, that is.




So tell me, did you find out about the movie? Have you ever turned your lifestyle around? How much time did it take for you to see results, and did you stick to your new routine? What is your personal worst pitfall?

Let me know down below and drop back in tomorrow for the letter U. No clue yet what I'm gonna do about U, but I will come up with something, I promise.

In the meantime why don't you check out some of the other posts?

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