The "Quick Fix" Series - Part One

Have you ever searched online for quick fixes for weight loss? All of us are probably guilty of that.  The thing about quick fixes is that they are never permanent and they, for the most part, actually have more side effects than benefits. At some point in our lives, most of us have looked into detox teas, weight loss pills, body/cellulite wraps, fasting, weight loss drinks, quick diets, or ways to physically remove food from our bodies (ex: forceful vomiting or laxatives). None of these are actually effective in permanently keeping off your fat. The thing that we all need to realize is that it didn't take us a couple days to put on these pounds, so it won't take a couple days of a quick fix to take them off and keep them off. What usually happens after using these quick fixes is that the pounds come back and we find ourselves in a vicious cycle of weight gain and weight loss. Nothing will keep the pounds off unless you are changing your lifestyle to a healthier lifestyle (with a better diet and exercise). Over the next week, I will analyze each of these methods listed above. You will come to the realization, after the analysis of each method, that a "quick fix" is, in fact, a quick and temporary fix, not a permanent one, and that, to change your weight and health, you need to change your lifestyle, not add a quick fix to your current lifestyle. Comment below with any comments or questions you have on the matter. 

Thinspiration vs. Fitspiration

There has been something that has been eating at me for a long time. Have you ever looked on Pinterest or anywhere else and seen people post pictures of their "dream body" with the caption thinspiration or fitspiration? I definitely have and thinspiration just upsets me. People say they want to be skinny or thin and it really bothers me. To me, skinny and thin are negative words because I think of scrawny when I hear those words, so when I see people talking about thinspiration or wanting to be skinny or thin, I am disturbed. My goal with my health (and as part of my resolution) is to become fit and healthy, not thin or skinny. Sometimes skinny and thin is healthy, but in other cases it is not.
Here are some images of thinspiration:

These thinspiration pictures make me feel sick. These girls have no muscle on them and some girls genuinely can't help that, but it is not something we should be encouraging our youth to become. I prefer fitspiration (below).

Unlike the thinspiration photos, these make me happy because these girls genuinely worked to have a great body and to be healthy, not thin, skinny or scrawny. The whole "thinspiration" idea is just horrible and it should stop. I admit, at times in my life I have wanted to be skinny, but I finally realized that it is better to be healthy, fit and strong and actually be eating than to be skinny, thin or weak and not eating anything. These girls above (for fitspiration) have worked themselves hard and got a rocking body for that while the girls for thinspiration either had the body already and can't control it or just don't eat. I personally would prefer fitspirations rather than thinspirations. What about you? Comment below with your answer, any thoughts you have on the matter or what you think I should discuss in tomorrow's post. 

New Years Resolutions

5....4....3....2...1... Happy New Years!

With the arrival of a new year, 2015, it is a tradition within my household, as well as many others, to create New Years Resolutions. To be honest, most of the time I don't end up following my resolutions but this year will be different. I have made a resolution to follow my resolutions. As silly as this may sound, it is true. Every year we create a list of things we want to change with the new year, but we come up with some sort of excuse to not follow through with our resolutions. We always say "this year will be different" but it ends up being the same. This realization has brought me to the point of genuine change in my life. Not only will I be following through with my resolutions, but I have made other resolutions that will truly change this year and possibly my whole life. To make this year different, I will keep myself accountable for my resolutions by blogging via this blog, "Ideal to Real". This blog will be about my journey in achieving my ideal health. It is titled "Ideal to Real" because the transformation will be from the healthy image of myself being ideal to it becoming real.

Resolution #1: Be Happy

As I prepare to embark on this life-changing journey, I look back at the past. I remember the times when I was happy and compare them to now. Some things I notice in this comparison are the differences in physical exercise and eating habits. The outcome of this comparison is that I was healthy when I was happy. This brings me to my next resolution.

Resolution #2: Get Healthy

As previously stated, when I was happy, I was healthy. So, in order to achieve happiness, I must become healthier. Being healthy entails many things including eating right and exercising to get into the best shape physically possible for myself. This brings me to my third and fourth resolutions.

Resolution #3: Eat Right

With this new year, I will try to eat right when possible. This means that in situations where I have healthy options, I will chose those and in the correct portions. I will not call this resolution a "diet" because of the negative thoughts associated with that word. I will only ease myself into a healthier lifestyle by eating better. 

Resolution #4: Exercise

Another component of health is exercise. Over this year, I will follow many different exercise programs to get myself physically fit. I will get at least three days a week of about 20-30 minutes depending on the workout. 

Happy New Year and good luck on your personal resolutions!