Recently, makeup artist guru extraordinaire Kandee Johnson, who is known for her sweet, positive “glass half full” nature said something that I found to be very impactful on her blog:
let the words that come out of your mouth…encourage, inspire, compliment, and brighten someones day! When you speak positive words into others…you’ll be surprised how it actually “speaks” positivity into your own heart and spirit…never let a compliment rot in your heart because you felt funny telling someone….set your compliments free the moment you think them….you never know how many times that person will replay what you said in their mind…and it can really change their outlook on themselves….and their world!!! Spread compliments, love, and something positive today!!! I’ll do it too….let’s sweeten up the world!!! can’t wait to tell you the surprise….. I’ve always been the type of person that (sincerely) compliments people. I never keep anything I have to say inside, because I always feel like it is my duty to brighten someone’s day. You never know how a comment can change someone’s day or lift their spirits or self confidence. The best part is, complimenting someone else, like Kandee says, actually makes me feel good about myself. It releases a positive energy and distributes good karma into the world.
The idea of spreading positivity and kindness is what inspired me to do the blog post. I realized that there are so many beautiful people (both on the inside and outside) in my life…and although I love to share my thoughts and opinions all things fashion, beauty and makeup, I think it is also important to showcase the people who inspire and motivate me.
Maja is a beautiful, intelligent woman I met recently at my cousin’s wedding in my hometown. I was immediately drawn to her because we were both wearing a black flower hair accessory in our hair! It was fate! We ended up chatting the night away about all things girly. It is literally a miracle that we did not meet sooner…we are like long-lost twins!
I just started back at the gym after a post-wedding bout of laziness, so I hope Maja’s tips inspire you as much as they did me. Note that this blog contains two parts. This first part will focus on health and fitness, and in part two, Maja will talk fashion and beauty with us (because she has a ton of product-faves I know you guys will love!)
Here’s what Maja had to say about her fitness routine, and tips for overall health:
Age: 25
Career: Director of Services at an IT Security company
1. You were a ballet dancer for 16 years, what do you do to stay in shape now?
Ballet was a huge part of my life, and still holds a very dear spot in my heart. I danced English style, Royal Academy of Dance ballet which is one of the most formal styles, adhering to traditional, very technically driven ballet. So I’m lucky to have those years in my back pocket when it comes to discipline and staying fit. Although I only dance recreationally now in a few adult classes, I am in the gym 6 – 7 days a week to maintain and improve (that, combined with a clean diet of course). I think one of the most important things for working out is Variety! You need to keep you body guessing as opposed to falling into a rut. This will also prevent you from getting bored and dreading it. Specifically for me, I love the classes my gym offers. My favorites are, ‘Core & Sculpt’ as well as ‘Step’ class (great for the glutes!)
In general, I tend to do more cardio than weight training which is just a personal preference. Weight training is something that everyone should be engaging in. For girls similar to myself (super girly) DO NOT BE SCARED! When I really started to get into the gym I was petrified of bulking up, or becoming too muscular. Stemming from my history in dance and love for the Victoria’s Secret models, I tend to prefer the long, lean, toned look over the muscular look – BUT quickly realized how important strength training is for your overall health and well-being. Here’s the secret that took me a VERY LONG TIME to believe/trust. LOW WEIGHT – HIGH REPS. That is the golden rule for me and when I don’t think I could ever do even just ONE more squat, you can probably do 3 more. Always ALWAYS ALWAYSSS, push yourself!
A sample of what a regular week would look like for me is:
SUNDAY:
Cardio: Elliptical trainer, 60 min
Incline: 70% (high incline really targets the glutes and hamstring area)
Resistance: 35% (lower resistance is good in the sense that it helps keep you in the fat burning stages (as opposed to the cardio stage)
MONDAY:
Core Conditioning – Focusing on strengthening the abdominals and back muscles using a mat, stability ball and weighted ball: Approximately 1 – 1.25 hours
TUESDAY:
Legs – 50 min
Squats (regular and sumo) – Approx 100 squats – No added weight
Lunges – 150 lunges (each leg) – No added weight
Leg Extensions – Approximately 50 Leg Extension – 10 lbs
Leg curls – Approximately 60 – 12.5 lbs
WEDNESDAY:
Cardio: Elliptical trainer, 60 min- Incline: 70% , Resistance: 35%
I also do a Hip Hop or Ballet class on Wednesdays at a local school if I don’t want to go to the gym.
THURSDAY
Interval Drills – 60 min – This class has a cardio element consisting of athletic drills alternating with resistance drills
Core Conditioning – 60 min – Focusing on strengthening the abdominals and back muscles using a mat, stability ball and weighted ball
FRIDAY
Step Class or Boot Camp
SATURDAY
Body Sculpt – Full body conditioning using 3 lb dumbbells, step, stability ball and mat!
Also, to close on this one, if there is one recommend I would make – it is, to go out right now, and invest $20 in the book “Making the Cut” by Jillian Michaels . This is my lean body bible!!!! When you try it, you will know why!
2. What are some foods/snacks/ meals that you would recommend for women who are trying to eat healthier?
I’d like to start off by telling everyone who is reading this, that I eat 7 – 8 times/day! Secondly, I’d like to squash any rumors of Carbohydrates.
Carbs
50% of your daily calories should come from COMPLEX carbs. There is a common misconception whereby many women think that a diet rich in protein and low carbs is the master plan, but it can actually limit your potential! Also, avoiding carbs like the plague can lead to binge on simple sugars because you’re depleting your body from the supply of glucagon that it needs. Glucagon is what gives you that energy everyone loves you for-subsequently turning you into Little Ms Moody/Grumpy.
Caloric intake:
First and foremost, this is NOT the holy grail, but simple mathematics! If you’re looking to lose weight, you just need to burn more calories than you’re taking in. If you’re maintaining, balance them out, and if you’re looking to gain, eat more :).
A great way to calculate what your body need is via the following calculations (Please note this does not take muscle mass into account so the numbers will be lower if you’re more built):
BMR
655 + (4.35 * your weight in lbs) + (4.7 * Height in inches) – (4.7 * age in years)
THIS # is your Basal Metabolic Rate (calories you burn each day just from being the fun loving girl you are!!)
CALORIC INTAKE
Take your BMR # and multiply it by:
1.375 – if you’re mildly active
1.55 – if you’re moderately active
1.725 – if you’re very active
1.9 – If you’re over the top extremely active
=the # of calories you should be consuming daily if you want to maintain your current weight.
Connecting all this back to carbs (I go off on a lot of tangents) take that last # you calculated and divide it in half, then take that # and divide it by 4 (the # of calories/gram of Carbohydrate)=The # of grams of carbs you need each day! Take that and tell Dr. Atkins to shove it!
*Note* I can’t stress this enough – MUSCLE weighs MORE than fat! So if you’re looking to kick it up at the gym or are an active member, do not be discouraged if your weight isn’t going down. That little number “screaming at you” on the scale isn’t not the ‘end-all-be-all’, its how you look and feel! Instead of the scale (I hardly weigh myself), I use my clothes to gauge progress – They don’t lie to you! If you want to go that extra step (some may think its a little over the top), I take my measurements and record progress/maintain size that way. Click HERE for a great summary of what to measure
This is all nice and pleasant (because you can stop thinking carbs are the end of the world now), BUT it is useless unless you stick with some wholesome COMPLEX carbs vs. the sticky icky SIMPLE ones. Some examples:
Complex Examples
GREEN VEGGIES!- Broccoli, Spinach, Green beans, Cucumbers, Asparagus (Our fridge is full of glorious greens!)
Brown Rice
Unsalted Unleavened Rye Bread
Sweet Potatoe
Oats/Grains
Simple Examples
Anything Bleached (white bread, rice, pasta, sugar)
Refined cereals….(On that thought, anything refined should be banished)
On the average day (I am not an experimental person, so this is usually my meal plan every day) I eat:
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Breakfast – 7 am
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1 Large glass of water
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Snack – 10 am
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Fruit or Granola bar
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Lunch – 1 pm
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Turkey Warp with Veggies and Salad
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Snack – 3 pm
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Fruit
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Immediately Before the gym – usually 6 pm
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¼ scoop of Oatmeal
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Immediately After the gym
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Weight training – ½ scoop of protein powder for muscle repair
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Dinner (No earlier than 25 min after the last post gym snack)
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Chicken or Fish
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Night time snack (optional)
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Unsalted Soy nuts |
*Daily vitamins:
Multivitamin (for women)
Glutamine (in my protein powder to keep my immune system optimized)
Vitamin C
Calcium (With a lean diet its hard to get the suggested daily intake amount)
B6
Omega 3-6-9 Oils
CLA (should be 3 times a day – assists with fat burning : ))
My daily caloric intake target is about 1250 on a non-active day and can be up to 1800 on a cheat day (I love candy and pastries and will not deny myself a treat every so often)
Here goes my disclaimer…again…This meal plan is relative to my body, proportions, activity level etc. Your own meal plan should cater to your needs and what your body is telling you. The KEY NOTE to takeaway is CLEAN EATING and no junk!!
3. What do you like to wear to the gym?
Anything Lululemon! They understand a woman’s body especially when she is active! They were a bit better when they were privately owned and operated, but are still the top place for me.
There is more to come from Maja later this week, so watch out for that. In the meantime, if you have any questions for this fitness-guru, please leave them in the comments below, and I will ask Maja to answer them when she can!
I hope you all feel motivated and positive! I was definitely more motivated at the gym today after reading Maja’s wise words.
Who inspires you? Let me know in the comments below…and remember, when you see someone and you genuinely enjoy something about them, set that compliment free and brighten someone’s day!
xoxo,
Veronika.
That is a very intense work out and that diet does not sound appetizing. I definitely feel that looking like a top model is not normal. (haha).
I rather just stay a healthy weight, and eat my foods that I enjoy in moderation, but I do think weight lifting is very good and cardio.
TX- a diet and workout regimen of this nature is definitely something you have to build up to, but with a lot of hard work, you can achieve it. As an athlete for her entire life, Maja is used to have a high level of fitness (it is definitely not for beginners).
I definitely have to build up to such an intense workout myself, but it is definitely motivating for me to see how hard others work!
I also want to comment that even with a strict diet, you can treat yourself in moderation (like Maja says). Sometimes, pastries and candies just call my name!
Love this post. I am a clean eating, CLA taking beginner and found this entry very informative. I too will have to build up to this, but seeing a picture of solid abs motivates me to start! PS. I think the authors name is Jillian Michaels, not Anderson.
Thanks Veronica for this post. I am a gym addict working out 6 – 7 days a week, doing both cardio and weight training. I just need to work on my eating habits, this post helps me alot!!
Maja looks incredible and after sharing her gym programme and diet you can see why.
My fiance and I go to the gym several times a week, but looking at her programme I don't think we do enough. I agree she's an athlete and does loads, but for me wanting to tone up I've definately been given some ideas from your post!
Long time nest/knot lurker here, but I just had to comment. I love your blog, but this was my favorite post by far!!! I can read every fitness magazine under the sun, but when I see someone with a kick-ass body I want to know exactly what they're doing! Thanks so much for this! Keep up the good work!
I am glad that many of you enjoyed this piece. I think it is definitely motivational (for me at least) to see someone who works so hard. I too always wondered when I saw someone who was incredibly fit, what they do to be that way- and now I know!
Yes, it is a lot of hard work, and not doable for many people off the bat (150 lunges is definitely something you need to work up to!) but implementing just a few of the changes to your diet and workout plan (her tips for the elliptical machine are awesome) can motivate you to work hard and most importantly- achieve great results.
I've asked Maja to do a follow up to provide us all with information on her ab routine. I think this is a trouble spot for a lot of women, and looking at her abs, she is clearly doing something right! Look out for that in the next few weeks!
Muscle does not weigh more than fat. One pound = one pound. Muscle is, however, more dense than fat and therefore takes up less volume, resulting in a leaner look. A good visual is to think of one pound of feathers vs. one pound of coins. It's the same weight, but obviously the coins take up less room.
I guess fitness seems to be on everyone's minds these days. Your friend has a great body and works very hard at it. I however, don't have that much discipline. I would just be happy with being leaner and healther. Good luck to you too.
This definitely motivated me. She has more discipline than I do and I totally give her kudos for it! She looks great.
Also I was nominated for a blog award and in turn had to pass it on… you were one of my nominees! https://kelsmcrae.blogspot.com/2009/10/blog-award.html
aww thank you Kelsey, that is very sweet of you! 🙂 I am honored!
Glucagon is a hormone produced by your pancreas that allows your body to use glycogen stores when your blood glucose level is low. You don't get it from food. Glucagon levels actually increase when you're not eating enough. I'm pretty sure you meant glucose.
anon- I did not write the post, so I am not sure what she meant, but if that is in fact true, then I am sure that she meant to say Glucose. Thanks for the heads up!
Hi All,
This is Maja! I am so glad to hear that this has motivated most of you and like Veronika prefaced, its all about having people feel good about themselves and reinforcing overall well being. This is not a post to say everyone needs to go out right now and spend their life in the gym. For me personally, I use the gym as an outlet for stress relief in my hectic lifestyle and hobby 🙂
I also wanted to comment on a few valid points others have made:
Glucagon – Per Anonymous-2, thats definitely true! I did not say that Glucagon is IN food, simply that its good to be eating the right foods which trigger its production replenishes the the glucose levels (aka your overall energy). Thanks for reiterating that if the point wasn't clear 🙂 – For those of you who don't care about the nitty gritty background physiological components that are much deeper than even this, the takeaway I was trying to get across was clean, balanced eating.
As for the 'Muscle weighs more than fat' – 100% true comment from anonymous-1 and again, I must not have articulated it properly 😉 I meant 'weighs more by volume'. If you saw a 150 lb women who had more muscle mass, she would look smaller in size when compared to a 150 lb women who had less muscle mass. Very good point though – thanks!
A third note I realllllly want to add because I didn't elaborate much on it is that is I DO CHEAT – oh my goodness, I have a major weakness for pastries and candy, I just know for myself, as long as I keep to a clean diet, I never feel bad for enjoying them in moderation.
Hope my next note to Veron about my core workout helps those who are interested 🙂
xoxo
m²
Glucagon levels go down when you eat, not up. Glucagon is what allows you to maintain your blood glucose levels while you are fasting. No food = increase glucagon, food = increase insulin.
anon- thanks for clarifying for the readers. I don't think anyone here is saying they are an authority on anything or have all of the facts 100%, this is just someone who has a great plan, sharing her tips and workout plan to inspire and motivate others.
That said, it is important to have the correct facts. I don't think Maja said that the levels go up or down, just that food triggers its production and balances levels. In any case, thanks for clarifying!
Her diet and exercise plan is almost exactly what I used to do in college, except I had a higher protein take. I am trying to re-ignite these old habits, so for me this post was inspiring.
On Thursdays – she does two classes every Thursday? or just one of those two?
Right now my biggest problem is that I have to study ALL the time (I am in an intensive, very intensive language program learning Chinese!) and my time is really limited. I've been doing about 4 days at the gym, mostly cardio. I really want to get my weigh lifting routine back in order… I feel weight lifting definitely is what keeps you toned! Or, me toned anyway.
so, I appreciated this post. It was good because it sort of reminded me what I used to do and inspired me even more to get it back!
MsHark- I am glad you enjoyed it! I think she probably only does one of the classes, but I am not sure so i can ask her to come back and answer that for you!
I was also inspired by her routine- I've been to the gym every single day this week! I definitely can't start a routine as intense as hers at first, but I do plan to try and work up to it to achieve the best results I can before our vacation in Janurary.
Hi MsHark,
Its Maja – WOW CHINESE?! That is so impressive and I can totally empathisize with you – that would be very time consumming! But again, so impressed.
I try to make both classes (just because I can't pick which one I like better) and love that 'burn-pain' I feel the next day haha. Realistically, with my schedule, there are often a # of conflicts and I can only make the later class, but feel just as good with that.
xoxo
m²
Maja,
Can you go into more detail about your core conditioning routine? Thanks!
Hey Anon,
I most definitely can! I am away from home on business and have a poor memory and will need to look back at my journal. I will get back to you on Friday of this week (when I get home) for sure 🙂
Great, thanks! I have hit a plateau and am needing something to amp up my core workouts.