Honesty Hour

"One day you fall for this boy. And he touches you with his fingers. And it hurts when you look at..."

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:31:28 +1000

“One day you fall for this boy. And he touches you with his fingers. And it hurts when you look at him. And it hurts when you don’t. And it feels like someone’s cut you open with a jagged piece of glass.”

- The Tracey Fragments (via pale-afternoon)

Photo

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:45:41 +1000

"Love, no matter how you come at it, is a huge risk."

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:11:40 +1000

“Love, no matter how you come at it, is a huge risk.”

- Erwin McManus (via onlinecounsellingcollege)

thehealthjourney: I get a lot of questions about the basics of...

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:11:44 +1000

thehealthjourney:

I get a lot of questions about the basics of weight loss, so I thought I’d make a comprehensive guide! This post will tell you everything you need to know about how much you should eat, the kinds of foods to eat, and exercise. Weight loss is not magic - it’s science, and anyone can achieve it with the right knowledge!

Part 1: How much should I eat?

You may be surprised by how much you can eat and still lose weight! The biggest mistake I see people making with weight loss is eating too little. I’ll help you figure out how many calories you can eat per day for safe, healthy weight loss!

First, you’ll need to know your body fat percentage. Fair warning: it’s almost impossible to get a completely accurate number for this, so we’ll just be working with an estimation. Use this military body fat calculator to get a good guess (you’ll need a tape measurer). I find that it estimates a little low for me, so I usually add 1-2% to what it tells me and I work with that!

Next, you’ll need to find out your BMR and TDEE. You can do that here, using your stats (including the BF% you just calculated). One thing, though: where it says to enter your goal weight, I want you to just enter your current weight again. This will make sense in a moment. Click submit!

Now at the top of the page, it will tell you your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) under the Harris-Benedict Equation header. This is important: never eat below your BMR! This is how many calories your body would burn if you were in a coma; in other words, it’s how many calories your body needs just to keep functioning. Sounds important, right?

Now scroll down a little further, under the heading “How many calories should I eat?” Since you inputted your current weight as your goal weight, this chart is showing you how many calories you would need to eat to maintain your current weight, depending on your activity level.

Now, it’s time to select your activity level. There are two ways to go about this. You can include your exercise in your activity level, or you can choose a level not including your exercise. Personally, the amount I exercise varies week to week, so I choose not to include it. I chose “lightly active” because without exercise, I don’t do much; I’m a student with a desk job. The most exercise I get normally is just walking to classes. (Note: if you are using this method, do not choose Sedentary. This is a mistake people make all the time. Unless you literally never get out of bed, you are not sedentary. Grocery shopping, talking to friends, etc., all burn enough calories to put you in the “lightly active” category. I promise!)

If you do want to factor in exercise, choose a higher activity level based on how much you exercise and how intense it is. Now you know how many calories you’d need to eat every day to stay the same weight. This is your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). Therefore, if you eat less than this amount of calories every day, you will lose weight.

It takes 3500 calories to lose one pound of fat, so if you want to lose one pound a week, a good deficit to aim for is 500 calories a day. Similarly, you could eat at a 250 calorie deficit and lose half a pound a week, or a 750 calorie deficit and lose 1.5 pounds a week. For example, my TDEE in the “lightly active” category is 1932, so if I eat 1432 calories a day (not including exercise), I should lose a pound a week! My BMR is about 1400, so it is safe for me to eat this amount of calories. Remember: never eat below your BMR that you calculated earlier.

That’s it! Now that you know how much to eat every day to lose weight. If you go over your daily calorie goal every once in a while, don’t freak out! Remember, you will only gain weight if you consistently eat above your TDEE number. You can use a site like myfitnesspal to track your daily calorie intake. Keeping a food diary is really helpful!

Now that you know how much to eat, what foods should you eat? Let’s discuss.

Part II: What should I eat?

The simple answer? Anything. For weight loss, calories are the most important factor. If you’re staying at your calorie goal, you will lose weight whether you’re using your calories on vegetables or donuts.

So why bother to eat healthy then, right? Well for one thing, you won’t be hungry. Think about it. One donut is about 300 calories, and it’s not even filling. You’ll be hungry again 30 minutes later. On the other hand, I dare you to try to eat 300 calories of squash - you’d probably pop! Choosing healthy, lower-calorie foods means you can eat larger quantities of foods without going over your calorie goal. That means no hunger! Yay!

Of course, healthy foods are just overall better for you! They contain essential vitamins and nutrients to fuel your body. This is especially important if you work out! So while the occasional Taco Bell dinner isn’t a bad thing for weight loss, it’s generally a good idea to stick to minimally-processed, healthy foods.

One last thing I’d like to mention is macros (macronutrients). The big three macros are protein, carbs, and fats. Now, it doesn’t really matter how much you eat of each for weight loss, but it is important to figure out what works for you. High-protein is a generally good method for everyone; eating a lot of protein will help keep you strong and ensure you don’t lose too much muscle mass as you lose weight. A lot of people also tend to find that when they eat lower-carb, they retain less water and feel better over all. Another thing to consider is that fats have more calories than protein or carbs, though some fats are very healthy for you! Again, it’s really up to personal preference. Play around with your macros and figure out what makes you look and feel your best. I currently have my diet set up so that 35% of my calories come from protein, 35% from carbs, and 30% from fats. Myfitnesspal tracks your macros along with calories, so it’s really easy to figure out how much of each thing you’re eating!

Now let’s add in the last big factor: exercise!

Part III: What about exercise?

I get asked all the time for recommendations on good exercises to do and what will help lose weight. The truth is, it doesn’t matter! The main point of exercise is to burn calories and preserve strength. So if you’re working your heart and your muscles, you’re already doing it right!

Let’s talk briefly about the two main categories of exercise: cardio and strength training. Both are important in their own way. Cardio gets your heart rate up and burns lots of calories. This includes activities like running, swimming, dancing, kickboxing, etc. Just find something that you love and that gets you moving, and you’ve got a good cardio workout! Strength training is extremely important because when you lose weight, your body will try to deteriorate some of your muscle mass. You don’t want that! You want your body to lose fat, not muscle. When you train your muscles regularly, it really goes a long way towards helping your body preserve them. I love training with heavy weights, but if you don’t have access to a gym, there are plenty of bodyweight routines you can try at home. Just do something that challenges your muscles and keeps you strong! Bonus: muscle burns more calories than fat, so if you manage to build some muscle your metabolism will actually increase, allowing you to eat more!

One other thing to remember: exercise burns calories! Think back to the calorie goal you calculated in step 1. Did you include exercise in your TDEE? If so, then great, you’re all set! If not, this is important. When you exercise, you need to eat back the calories you burn. Say your calorie goal is 1400, like mine. But you didn’t include exercise with that number. You go for a good run and burn 500 calories. Now if you eat 1400 calories, your net calories for the day are actually only 900. That’s below your BMR and it’s just not good for you. Your body needs fuel! So, eat 500 extra calories that day to bring your total back up to 1400. Myfitnesspal automatically does this for you when you log exercise. Many people get confused by this concept, but you will still lose weight right on track. Trust me!

How do you know how much you burn when you exercise? There are many online calculators for this, and myfitnesspal has one built in, so it’s super easy!

Part IV: Final Remarks

Sorry this post has been so long, but I wanted to cover everything! Here are some final things to consider. If you have any additional questions feel free to ask!

Muscle is more dense than fat. If you are strength training (which I highly recommend), you may not see as big of a drop on the scale. Take measurements and pictures to track your progress so you don’t get discouraged!

Weight loss is science, but it’s not always an exact science. Some weeks you may lose more than expected, some weeks less. Keep at it and it will all even out!

Drink lots of water! Water retention is caused by not drinking enough and it can stop the scale from moving. Try to drink at least 8 cups a day. I drink more like a gallon a day.

If you stumble, don’t beat yourself up! We all do it. You will not gain weight from a day or even a week of falling off the wagon. What matters is what you do the most in the long run. Ignore the hiccups!

I am in no way affiliated with myfitnesspal. I just think it’s an amazing tool and it’s the site I used to lose the weight I lost!

If you do use myfitnesspal to track everything, the calorie goal it gives you when you set it up may be different than the goal you figured out here. But you can customize your settings in MFP! Just go to the “goals” section and choose the “custom” method. Then you can input the number of calories you want to eat, your macro percentages, and more!

You have a super supportive community here in the fitblr community, so don’t be afraid to reach out! We’re all here for you! xoxo

yeah-disneygeek: Disney Castle Architecture Appreciation:Part...

Sat, 18 May 2013 02:19:14 +1000

yeah-disneygeek:

Disney Castle Architecture Appreciation:
Part 1: Beast’s Castle

"Do you ever wonder whether people would like you more or less if they could see inside you? … but I..."

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:22:25 +1000

“Do you ever wonder whether people would like you more or less if they could see inside you? … but I always wonder about that. If people could see me the way I see myself—if they could live in my memories—would anyone, anyone, love me?””

- John Green, An Abundance of Katherines (via jennayliu)

"She thought she was independent and strong, but she got one small taste of love and she was hungrier..."

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:17:34 +1000

“She thought she was independent and strong, but she got one small taste of love and she was hungrier than anyone.”

- Ann Brashares (via onlinecounsellingcollege)

Photo

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:18:23 +1000

buzzfeed: The books that will move you, inspire you, make you...

Thu, 16 May 2013 00:29:58 +1000

buzzfeed:

The books that will move you, inspire you, make you cry, make you think, make you laugh. Are there any books that you would add?

Photo

Thu, 16 May 2013 00:25:48 +1000

Hyperbole and a Half

Tue, 14 May 2013 23:46:00 +1000

Hyperbole and a Half:

Just wow.

Allie Brosh, everybody. She’s the one who created the ‘ALL the things’ meme, among other things.

This is perhaps the most heartbreakingly realistic account of depression that I have ever read. Now you go. Read. You won’t regret it. Maybe you might just understand a little bit what it’s like to live with depression, or you might not feel quite so alone.

Photo

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:36:50 +1000

Photo

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:02:14 +1000

so tonight i was looking but just couldn’t find a damn soup spoon for my dinner. because i was...

Mon, 13 May 2013 22:47:15 +1000

so tonight i was looking but just couldn’t find a damn soup spoon for my dinner. because i was having soup. it seemed logical to use a soup spoon.

so, i spontaneously started making up lyrics to the tune of ‘holding out for a hero’….

where have all the soup spoons gone?

and where are all the spices?

where’s the tasty loaf of bread?

to dip into the bowl of niceness!

isn’t there a clean spoon, hiding in the drawer?

late tonight i’ll toss and i’ll turn because i couldn’t have my soup

i need a soup spoon!

i’m holding out for a soup spoon till the end of the night

it’s gotta be strong, and it’s gotta be fast

or my soup will be going to waste!

I need a soup spoon!

i’m damn well sure, it’s gotta be soon

or my soup will be down the drain, down the drain…

oh i could go on, but i won’t. because i’ve reached the point of tiredness where sanity is no longer an option

i’m sorry. i apologise.

"Each time I’m asked to tell about myself, I find myself starting the same way: “My name is Kelsey..."

Mon, 13 May 2013 20:26:51 +1000

“

Each time I’m asked to tell about myself, I find myself starting the same way: “My name is Kelsey and I’m nineteen..”
but what I’d really like to say is:
“My name means island of the ships but once
I found a translation that said I’m a burning shipwreck-
not a burning ship but a ship that has caught fire
after the wreckage and well, I’d say that’s more fitting.”

I’ve learned that people don’t have time for about me’s.
They need two things: a name and an indication you’re someone special.

The doctors, they want facts not details.
“I broke my leg when I was three, it’s a funny story actually-“
The right or the left?
Conversation over.

The teachers, they want interests, hobbies.
You’re sad, yes, but what do you like to do?

The adults are a spew of questions.
What school do you go to? What classes are you taking?
What do you plan on becoming? Got a boyfriend?
No, stop.

People my own age are the worst.
“I’m planning on an English degree with a concentration in creative writing.”
Yeah, aren’t we all. So how many times have you, you know,
done it?

I’m pulled apart, my interests travelling highway 2
my goals at a stop light at traffic hour,
my medical history on a billboard for the world to see.
But what about me?

Where’s the chance to say,
“I hang on to fistfuls of poetry like loose change in my pockets,
and I keep waiting for the day that the world turns upside down
so I can swim with the stars.
I’m not afraid of darkness, it’s a loneliness I can empathize with it.
It’s the blackholes like cigarette burns inside of me that get troublesome.
I walk through graveyards and read the dashes between years,
each a story I’ll never know. Sometimes I create my own.”

No wonder none of us know who we are anymore.

”

- Kelsey Danielle, “I Was Told to Write an About Me and This is What Happened” (via commovente)

australiansanta: dont ask me if im being sarcastic because most of the time i dont even know

Mon, 13 May 2013 20:26:42 +1000

australiansanta:

dont ask me if im being sarcastic because most of the time i dont even know

First trailer for Arrested Development - Season 4!

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:56:42 +1000

First trailer for Arrested Development - Season 4!

Meeting a guy

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:56:37 +1000

whatshouldbetchescallme:

Sober

Drunk

pineappleexpression: attekari: macaroons-at-tiffanys: manrayba...

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:56:33 +1000

pineappleexpression:

attekari:

macaroons-at-tiffanys:

manraybans:

oldmanstephanie:

jackalsfeast:

himynamesray:

Just your everyday problems.

did he just drop his phone on his fucking baby
done with the infomercials tag

the baby i’m gonna cry

well why the fuck would you touch pasta that was in boiling water?

Reblog again

the girl tho shes all like “o M G jimmy what the fuck did you do my CRAYONS YOU HOESLUT”

so i got up at 8:30am and i’m already falling asleep and it’s only just 12:30 pm....

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:28:22 +1000

so i got up at 8:30am and i’m already falling asleep and it’s only just 12:30 pm. If i didn’t have a compulsory workshop at uni today, I don’t think i’d be going in.

I don’t think i’m going to manage to get through a 60 minute body attack class tonight. i could aim for a 45 minute zumba one instead. because i don’t have the motivation to go to the gym and do cardio myself because i get bored. and i feel awful because i’ve already eaten too much today even though i shouldn’t be feeling bad about that.

but i’m just so tired.