Surviving That Time of the Month

Let's just say, I didn't do so well the last few days. Eating healthy and working out has been replaced with eating comfort food and finishing assignments. Stress + 'that time' = HELL-O CHOCOLATE! I'll admit that every bite was better than the last. Anyone who's ever felt that craving knows what I mean. Right, girls? However, after the fact, you might start to feel guilty, or put yourself down. PLEASE DON'T!

The important thing to remember is to never look back. Always move forward. You have to remember that we all have bad days, and we all fall off the horse. There's no point in asking, "Why did I fail?" The question you have to focus on is, "What can I do to get back on track?" 

Here's what I try to do:

Work out when you can. Take it easy during your period, if it's too uncomfortable. Walking, cycling, yoga, anything to just keep you moving. I find that after the first few days, I am back in full swing, and I go full force 

Drink lots of water: It should help with water retention, and it just makes me feel better, knowing that at least I'm being relatively healthy. 

Indulge if you want to! Life's too short to deny yourself everything. Just keep in mind that the more you overdo it, the harder you might have to work later on. I try to get back on track after about two days, so that I  don't let eating bad become my life again. 

Weight loss is not a sprint, its a marathon. You can't have lasting results, if you don't put in the time. Also, Please don't forget to PACE YOURSELF!

Through thick & thin,

Siddeeqah

Getting Back to It

Hello again fellow bloggers/bloggees (what I would assume one would call a person who reads blogs). This week has been super hectic. Which was followed by a great weekend. So, after a very fun-filled/lazy weekend, I finally got back to the gym today. This is what my gym time looked like today:

1 Hour CX Worx

30 minutes BodyPump

5 km run/walk

For a total of 1165 calories burned according to MyNetDiary.

How accurate this number actually is, is beyond my skill set, but seeing such an insane number pumps me up, and motivates me to keep going. Make sure that if you are burning high amounts of calories, you're eating enough to maintain your ideal net calories. 

Since I mentioned it in this post, I would like to add, that MyNetDiary is amazing at keeping count of my daily caloric intake. I've used it for as long as I've been trying to work out and it really has helped me keep track of my calories among other things. I find that I do way better at eating the right amounts of certain foods when I follow the suggestions of the calorie counter. Check it out or something similar to help you keep on top of your goals. The one I have is a free app for iPhone, but there are plenty of options out there that will fit your lifestyle. 

Like I've mentioned before, I'm trying to run at least 20km a week, which usually means I have to run almost every day, which I love! But after a crazy running week last week, it was hard to keep going today. I had to slow down to a walk a few times, because I was scared to pull a muscle. I'm not even going to go into my knee issues. I took it slow, and got to 5km eventually. I always feel a little tense and stiff when I start working out, because obviously my muscles need time to warm up, but once I'm in the groove, I feel almost unstoppable. I say almost, because sometimes being truly unstoppable is just unattainable. It doesn't mean you can't still feel good/on top of the world at your own pace. 

I want to get a good stretching regime in place after I run. I also love those foam rollers lately. I used the ones from school and it really feel like it's massaging my muscles. It hurts a little, but it's a good hurt. It lessens the tightness of my leg muscles and its supposed to improve recovery time. 

That's it for now my bloggees! Now time to get back to Breaking Bad and my comfy bed.

Through thick & thin,

Siddeeqah 

Sunday Say-So: Nike+ Sportswatch GPS

Sunday Say-So will be a review blog. 
(Yes, I do realize its technically Monday, but I wrote this yesterday and I like the name lol. Also this is purely my own experience with the product. I can't talk from a technical point of view).

Watch specifications: Nike+ Sportswatch GPS

Initial Reaction
Thanks to my amazing boyfriend, Riyaz, (who, might I add is the BEST volleyball player I've ever met; unrelated point but I thought I'd throw it out there) I received the Nike+ Sportswatch GPS for my birthday. Clearly my initial reaction was a mix of awe and utter excitement. I've wanted a device like this for a while. I literally wanted to go for a run right then and there (granted it was 11pm at night, kinda chilly, and I was in heels).I like the sporty design and the cool thing is there is a USB plug built right into the watch. 

The watch might look like it's kind of bulky but I don't find that it gets in the way when I'm running. I have the white one and it just looks quite bad ass when I have it on. Upload the software, do a quick little charge, and you're good to go (for a run).

How it Works
The watch uses a GPS signal to track how fast and your elevation of running. Once you upload your run, it shows you detailed information of where you ran, and how fast you ran at every point. When running, you can scroll through the screen to see your current pace, average pace, calories burned, distance, the time, and time elapsed. You can also set up intervals.

I love that I can set goals on the Nike+ website. Right now, I'm doing 100 km in 5 weeks and I'm loving every kilometer of it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the fastest runner by any means, but I love the feeling, and I hate not achieving my goals. 

The Glitch
Error Code 52 was going to be the end of me. Sometimes my runs would stop uploading mid sequence, and sometimes it just wouldn't load at all. I tried a few different USB ports but they were all failures

I tweeted Nike Support and they were on it straight away. They tweeted me a few times until I got my watch working properly. @NikeSupport, you guys rock!

Hint of the day: if you do get this watch, do a soft reset (by pressing the top and bottom button simultaneously for a few seconds) before you do ANYTHING else... Well except for maybe loading the software and charging it. Load the software. Then only once it's loaded, plug in your watch.

Overall Say-So Rating? 
4.5/5. Other than the glitchiness in the beginning, this watch has really kept me focused and does the job it's meant to do.

(I told you, I'm not the fastest runner, but it's not about the end goal, it's about the journey that gets you there. I promise you'll meet the coolest people along the way. And yes, this just became a metaphor for life.)

 Through thick & thin!

<3 Siddeeqah

Information Overload

I want to start this post by welcoming everyone to my blog. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. Whether you're here to stay or just popping by, I am grateful. If you have no idea who I am, that's okay, check out my About Me. Now, lets get this party going.

Sometimes I feel like I have way too much information about weight loss and fitness that I don't know which way to go. It's like that feeling when you eat dessert when you really know your stomach can't take one more bite. You enjoy that delicious (insert your favourite dessert here) until you really can't anymore, waddle to your bed and feel like you might need a forklift to get you up again. I feel full of tips and tricks to lose weight. And I just can't seem to move, because of it.

(Source:http://community.weightwatchers.com/LoadDown/Blogs/d4/2c/048d501122354ae9ab623335477a7c0e_2.jpg?repository=2)

I started my weight loss journey about two years ago. May 2011 to be specific. I went from 240lbs to where I am now and I've fluctuated between 160 and 180 for awhile. I've tried boot camps and TRX Training (LOVE IT), detoxes, cutting out carbs, counting calories, green coffee beans, reading health magazines and books, blogs and vlogs, and while some things keep me going and feeling stronger (loving the weight loss blogs for motivation), other things just seem to fall to the side (let's be real, I love bread). I can't keep track of what not to do anymore. Does anyone else feel like this after awhile?

I will do my best to give you the best information I have; the tips and tricks that have worked for me. Maybe I'll throw in my very own reviews too! I would love feedback and tips from you too. Being part of a community that helps each other out is how we will all succeed eventually.

Let's stick together through thick & thin!

<3 Siddeeqah

P.S. I just found this website about weight loss myths. I think it helps sort through the clutter
Weight Loss Myths