Reading...is a good habit

I loved to read since I was very young, perhaps because even though we have just one life, I wanted to be on that spaceship to the moon, I wanted to go 20,000 leagues under the sea, I wanted to drink tea with Alice in Wonderland and learn a magic spell from Harry Potter. And this love of reading defined the entire course of my life eventually.

Innumerable brilliant men/women have left the fingerprints of their minds for us so that we can absorb that information and build on it; all we have to do is open a book and begin.

Where you came from...

Knowing where you came from is no less important than knowing where you are going.

2 combos:

Jeans: American Eagle, Top: Loft, Shoes: Etienner Aigner

 

Skirt: Gap, Top: Loft, Shoes: Etienne Aigner

What the health: Part 9 - More reasons you are not losing weight...

This is part 9 of 'What the health' series. You can find earlier parts here - part1, part2, part3, part4,  part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8

6. Same old routine

You do not switch your workouts and rely on the same routine day-in-day-out. Your body gets accustomed to your workout and is not challenging it enough to make a difference. It is good to mix things up and try and do a different activity every day, or at least every week.

7. Inconsistency

If you don't work out regularly, you do not see results. Consistency is the key! There is no way around hard work.

8. Sedentary Lifestyle

Just working out might not be enough, if your remaining of the day is stationary or is spent on a chair. Try and take a walking break. Experts recommend setting a timer on the computer to remind you to move every hour. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park far away from the mall, run with your kids and whatnot.

Skirt: Gap

Top: Guess

Shoes: Mix No. 6

What the health: Part 7 - Reasons you are not losing weight

This is part 7 of 'What the health' series. You can find earlier parts here - part1, part2, part3, part4,  part 5, part 6

1 - You are in denial

One day I went on a hike with a hiker friend, this was the year when I weighed a lot - 170 pounds to be specific. After finishing the excruciating hike we stopped at a restaurant for dinner. She ordered a plate of idli sambhar and I ordered a dosa, which is the longest dosa I have ever seen, I could eat only 25% of it.

During dinner, the hiker said "people are lucky to have good genetics and metabolism - they eat anything and still don't put on weight. I hardly eat anything, I do these strenuous hikes and still put on weight".

While she said this she finished the food that she had ordered and the 75% of dosa that was left on my plate.

We think we are doing everything right - we are eating right, exercising - even if it is one excruciating hike once in a while, and everyone who is in shape is just lucky. Do not conveniently ignore and forget that 75% extra that we are consuming.

From this incident I learned, I was in denial too.  I sat - analyzed and found so many things that I needed to change (mid-night snacking anyone?). I needed to take control of my health than it controlling me.

If today I am in shape or feeling light and right - it is not because of luck- it is because I came out of denial - I changed my entire lifestyle (from diet, exercise, sleep, habits, organization-prioritization skills to managing stress) - and obviously I had to put in efforts to do so. Do not be in denial and say that you are doing everything right, take an objective look at what you are doing wrong and try to fix it.

2. You are finding lame excuses

Do not blame being fat or unhealthy on genetics, metabolism or horoscopes!

A list of lame excuses is covered in earlier parts. or you can find it here

to be continued ...

Skirt: Gap (12 years old)

Top: Loft (8 years old)

Shoes: Impo (4 years old)

What the health: Part 6 - Lame excuses continued

This is part 6 of 'What the health' series. You can find earlier parts here - part1, part2, part3, part4,  part 5

15. It hurts my body

If you have never worked out then yes, it would hurt for the first few days. But go past that and then you would get addicted to that 'good' pain. Stretch before and after a workout, get a massage once in a while, soak in warm water with Epsom salt.

16. Exercise make me more hungry

Yes! That happens. The best solution to that is to have a protein shake right after your workout and have a lot of healthy snacks - fruits, salads, nuts. Munch on them every 2 hours even if you are NOT hungry.

17. I don't know where to start

That's fine. Just start with walking for 30 mins, do yoga at home, what helps the most is joining classes - you pay for it so you show up and then it is easier to work out in a group of people...the atmosphere keeps you motivated.

18. I am already skinny (thin)

A lot of people are skinny on the outside and have unhealthy fat reserves inside, some are skinny and have no energy to do anything, you can be thin but chances are you are not fit … so exercise and eat healthy home-cooked food!

I hope this helps and gives you a kick in the butt... exercise today if you haven’t already.

Skirt : Gap (12 years old)

Top: Old Navy (7 years old)

Shoes: Nine West (4 years old)

I No Longer Have Patience

Life becomes so simple once you figure out who you are. I have thought and said things on similar lines many times to many people but I think José Micard Teixeira puts it way better than I do -

'I no longer have the patience for certain things, not because I’ve become arrogant, but simply because I reached a point in my life where I do not want to waste more time with what displeases me or hurts me. I have no patience for cynicism, excessive criticism and demands of any nature. I lost the will to please those who do not like me, to love those who do not love me and to smile at those who do not want to smile at me. I no longer spend a single minute on those who lie or want to manipulate. I decided not to coexist anymore with pretense, hypocrisy, dishonesty and cheap praise. I do not tolerate selective erudition nor academic arrogance. I do not adjust either to popular gossiping. I hate conflict and comparisons. I believe in a world of opposites and that’s why I avoid people with rigid and inflexible personalities. In friendship, I dislike the lack of loyalty and betrayal. I do not get along with those who do not know how to give a compliment or a word of encouragement. Exaggerations bore me and I have difficulty accepting those who do not like animals. And on top of everything I have no patience for anyone who does not deserve my patience.'

Shoes : Impo

Skirt: Gap

Top: Black house white market

Truly Madly Guilty

Shoes: Etienne Aigner

Skirt: Gap

Top: Old Navy (also worn here)

My new post Truly Madly Guilty is available here

Long lasting happiness

What gives you long lasting happiness - Consumption or creation?

For me it is creation… that is why I decided to create a blog on what I consumed ;-)

Skirt: Gap
Sandals: Tommy Hilfiger (from DSW)
Top: JCrew Factory