The Brunette Diaries

Mistakes that slow down your weight loss

Ever wondered why the finish line keeps moving away from you in your race to a fit body? There are times when your fitness goals are so close yet so far. But what could be the problem? Well, we’re here to let you know just that. Here are a few common mistakes that we make which actually slow down our weight loss.

(Also read – Diet tips for weight loss)

Light breakfast

If you are one of those who have your breakfast on the run, well, then you aren’t doing your weight loss goals any favours. Although you may think that you are eating less each morning, a protein deficient breakfast is going to add to your cravings throughout the day.

(Try reading – Eat smart for easy weight loss)

Only cardio

There are some people who swear by cardio alone. Those who live by cardio will work their asses out and take the longest route to their fitness goals. Well, it’s more like following the finish line that keeps moving away without doing anything about it. Here’s the trick. Build lean muscle by incorporating strength training in your fitness regime. This will help you lose weight faster. Easier route, isn’t it?

(You may find this interesting – Kick-start your weight loss plan)

Light weights only

For those of you who do lift weights, lift heavy, or at least as heavy as you can. Research has shown that using heavier weights for fewer reps can burn more calories than using lighter weights for more reps.

Poor pre-workout nutrition

Most people want to keep the calorie intake on a minimal level when they are looking to lose weight. However, you must understand that protein will actually help you to lose weight faster. A good protein meal before a workout will help you boost your metabolism and make you burn more calories than before.

(Also read – Super foods that help you lose weight)

Diet soda

Well, soda is soda, and soda contains sugar. Although the amount of sugar is lesser in diet soda, in no way is it healthy for your body. Diet soda can stack a large amount of calories that maybe hard to burn away.

If you can stay away from these common mistakes that we commit, then your weight loss goals will be an easy target rather than a far-fetched goal.

Fitness habits to establish in your 20’s

Your twenties is the time to live life to the fullest, to explore, to go on adventures and do everything your body permits you to do. However, if we neglect our body at this age, it is obvious that we have to bear the brunt of it at a later age. It is essential that you take care of your body and inculcate the following fitness habits at this age.

(Also read – How to avoid weight gain due to a desk job)

Strength training

Strength training is one habit that you must get into. It increases lean muscle mass, boosts metabolism, torches calories, eases back pain, helps you sleep, and even wards off diabetes. Doing this at a young age when you have the strength and time to do it is like making hay while the sun shines.

(Try reading – Benefits of push-ups)

Drink water

Get into the habit of having enough water

If you aren’t into the habit of having six to eight glasses of water per day, you must! Our body is made up of 50-65% water and it is the most essential and overlooked part of our fitness regime. So get to chugging on that H2O.

Learn proper form

The key to weight lifting and circuit training is proper form. If you do not use proper form, you risk injury; and injuring yourself at such a young age could make matters worse later on in life.

(Also read – Too much of fatigue ruining your lifestyle?)

Stretching

Stretching before and after your workout is essential. If you do not stretch, your muscles can get tight and this sets you up for injury. Stretching is one thing that most of us overlook but is imperative in your fitness regime.

Have fun

While you’re at all of this, make sure you have fun. Because, remember, you’re in your twenties after all!

(You may find this interesting – Post workout mistakes you may be making)

Your 20’s is basically a time to prepare yourself and your body to live a wholesome life. So get off your behind if you are lazy and make the most of it!

Top 5 Women Instagrammers To Follow For Best Fitness Tips

Social Media is the new bible of today’s generation. Everything is on Social Media. From Photographs to Phones, facts to food, Buying/Selling, Celebrities, etc. In fact, people search “How to lose weight?” on Google before giving up their toxic habits and hitting the gym. Naturally, people turn to social media to look for motivation so that they could lose weight or even go to the gym. For example, people follow who they like or aspire to become like, they may follow actor SRK if they’re aspiring actors, girls tend to follow role models of their liking. And people who are trying to lose weight or be more pro-active, more of a fitness person should follow these lady bosses who are masters of fitness.

1) Ishwari Patil

If you’re interested in learning YOGA the right way then she’s the one to follow. Ishwari Patil, based in Mumbai, is a Women empowerment enthusiastic. She is trying to increase the awareness of benefits of Yoga and Fitness through her Instagram account. You can see her posing at different locations all over Mumbai, she also provides online consultation to the ones in need.

Instagram Account – @_ishwari_

2) Rashmi Agarwal

Rashmi Agarwal is a fitness freak being a mother. She goes by the name #FitMom or #Momwholifts. She is a fitness model and an inspiration to many. No one can guess that she’s a mother by looking at the pictures she posts on her account. From Weight Lifting to Cross fit, there’s nothing this lady can’t do.

Instagram account – @rashmiaagarwal

3) Surbhi Sharma

Surbhi Sharma is a Rhythmic Gymnast who also practices Yoga. Her Instagram feed is filled with her pictures doing all the extreme yoga poses with a smile on her face. She is on her journey to inspire and teach people the true meaning of Yoga.

Instagram Account – @_surbhisharma

4) Jinni Shaikh

Jinni Shaikh is one of the most hardcore lady bosses of all. She is an ESN Athlete who trains in heavy lifting. Her training videos will get you off of your couch and into the gym. A perfect role model and inspiration, she shares her experiences through her posts and her feelings of motivation and dedication through her captions.

Instagram account – @jinni_shaikh

5) Priya Chandra

A certified nutrition and Fitness consultant, Priya Chandra is a Body Transformation Specialist. She provides diet and workout schedule and guidance through her Instagram account online. She majorly posts videos of her working out for her followers for them to see and do it themselves.

Instagram account – @priya_chandra94

Apps that help you lose weight

Losing weight is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it is definitely achievable. With a little motivation and dedication, you can too, reach your goal weight, and that too this year itself. Going to the gym, working out, while following a strict diet isn’t going to cut it. For the constant track of your journey as well as the progress, you need a personal trainer. A trainer that isn’t just present in the gym, but is with you 24/7. Your SMARTPHONE. As many aren’t aware, your smartphone can be of a great help in achieving your weight loss dream. How? All you need to do is just need to download these following apps, which are designed specifically to keep track on your health, on your food intake, calories, workout and many more.

1) My Fitness Pal

When you download this app, it will first take your weight, height and your lifestyle to understand what you eat, and how it can help you to lose weight easily. It cuts down your weight loss goals shorter, for like what you can achieve in a month which is really motivating.

2) Lose It!

This app keeps a proper track on your food and calories, your current weight, and prepares you a plan to focus on weight loss along with tracking your workout regime and your only job is to lose it!

3) Fooducate

Fooducate educates you about every food there is to eat. It helps you understand what harms your body, which food is rich in fibre, protein, calcium and so on. With the help of this app, you know what you eat and this way you can easily substitute the harmful junk you were eating into healthy and wholesome foods.

4) Pact

We are sure you must’ve seen a video of a girl running behind a car where her friend is seated giving her cash for running. How about you get cash for every kilo you lose? That’s what the app Pact does. It’s a weight loss app that uses cash stakes to keep you motivated and help you achieve your goals.

5) Nike Training Club

If you’re not comfortable with personal trainers or their high budgeted bills and expenses, this app is for you. Here you can get professional help from Nike’s experts and tons of workout plans from, guidance from pro athletes and celebrity trainers and much more. The app considers your requirement and plans your regime accordingly.

So, which app are you downloading next?

Tips To Help You Maintain Your Weight Post Weight Loss

Neither it is easy to lose weight, nor it is a cup of tea to maintain the lost calories. Once you’ve lost a significant weight, you feel proud of having to achieve what once you thought was a dream. But often people feel so proud, they allow themselves a lot of cheat day, that not only harms your system but also puts you off of your daily routine. It is NECESSARY to award yourself some prizes, but if you want to maintain that weight loss, you got to work harder all over AGAIN. Worry not, we have some tips for you, especially that will help you keep your fitness at bay, and your health top notch.

1) Never skip your breakfast

Breakfast is the MOST important part of your meals. It helps the body kick start, provides the right energy for you to keep going the whole day. It’s a proven fact, people who have breakfast as compared to those who DON’T are healthier and at lesser risk of obesity.

2) Exercise daily

Remember the time you worked so hard to lose all the fats that you carried, but now that you achieved your goal, you don’t hit the gym that often. Regular exercise is a MUST, it helps you burn any new fat that the body produces. It also keeps you on track with your health.

3) Weigh yourself quite often

Checking your weight on regular intervals helps you keep a track. It shows if you have gained or are gaining constantly. You can, accordingly, moderate your diet and exercises. Anytime you feel lazy about following your routine, just check your weight.

4) Lift weights

Doing cardio may be fun, but weight lifting is essential for maintaining your weight loss. You may not need to hit the gym every day of the week, if you train in heavy lifting, going 3-4 times a week is more than enough for your body. Lifting weight builds your core stronger, eventually helping your system to be stronger and healthier.

5) Stay hydrated

No matter what, keep your water intake proper. Don’t neglect this point, water is extremely crucial for any problems. Acne – drink water, constipated – drink water, need to lose weight – drink water!

6) Make sustainable changes in your lifestyle

Now that you’ve achieved the unachievable, you need to keep that goal forever. If your work schedule doesn’t allow you working out a time or you have to eat outside often, DON’T. Make sure you remind yourself of all the hardships you went through to achieve wherever you stand today. Make necessary changes in your lifestyle and priority to your health and fitness.

Get on roll, guys! It’s time to take your health seriously! 😉

Why You Should Have The YOGA Way Of Lifestyle

Yoga is a Sanskrit word derived from the Sanskrit root “yuj” which means to connect, join or balance.
Yoga is a way of life, it is not removed from it. We do not need to feel disappointed or frustrated considering our limitations with regard to physical health, shape and size of the body, lack of time, lack of space or unavailability of a teacher. Yoga, in fact, is the means to overcome all these problems. Yoga includes every aspect of life. Yoga touches everything in life. All healing methods and meditations are part and parcel of Yoga. Yoga is like the sun itself, which brightens everything that comes into contact with it.

Yoga is usually defined as union: It is a unison of the limited self and the Divine Self. The aim of Yoga is not really to unite us with anything for we are already united. It is to help us realize our identity with the Divine Self, to make us know and tune into our intrinsic nature.

The Bhagwad Gita, a very widely known classical text on Yoga, gives various definitions of Yoga.

1) Yoga is equanimity of mind in success and failure.
2) Yoga is discretion in work.
3) Yoga is the remover of misery and destroyer of pain. Yoga is the supreme secret of life.
4) Yoga is serenity.

Also, check out this article (Click here) of how ATTOI is taking the initiative to bring all the YOGA professionals to the birthplace of YOGA, Kerala.

Here’s why you should make YOGA a part of your life:

1) Helps with weight management

Through the twists and bends and cleansing practices, yoga stimulates detoxification, the preliminary requirement for effective weight loss. Also, it promotes better metabolism and fat burning potential. Regular practice of yoga also helps to reduce stress, thereby lowering cortisol, the primary culprit behind the dreaded belly fat.

2) Stronger bones and joints

Various balancing postures of yoga improve bone density and strengthen the joints and bones. This cuts down the risks of osteoporosis, fractures, and arthritis through bone loss.

3) Helps with menstrual and menopausal issues

Yoga could help to ease menstrual woes, including water retention, bloating, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, and irregular menstrual cycles. Various restorative and balancing poses are also known to help with menopausal symptoms management, including hot flashes and osteoporosis.

4) Keeps un-curable diseases like diabetes under control

Various yoga poses and Pranayama techniques could help to improve insulin sensitivity, lower anti-diabetic drugs usage, promote weight loss, and curb spiraling sugar levels. Yoga also helps to lower stress, one of the primary contributing factors to Type II Diabetes. Yoga, when practiced regularly, gives the diabetic patients a chance to enjoy a better lifestyle.

5) Helps with blood pressure management

Conscious breathing practices promote better oxygen intake, thereby improving circulation and keeping the blood pressure under control.

Lastly, practicing YOGA every day, making it a part of your life will give you a better health, physically as well as mentally, also will improve your lifestyle drastically.

Fitness Tips From Fitness Guru Herself, Up Close With Sonam Bajwa

Interviewing celebs and great personalities is one of the perks enjoyed by the team of TBD. We get to ask various questions that many fans wish to ask their role models. This time, TBD got the chance to get up close with the beautiful and graceful, Sonam Bajwa.

Sonam, who is known for her role in “Carry On Jatta 2” starring alongside with Diljith Dosanjh, also participated in the Femina Miss India Contest in 2012. But, if you follow her on Instagram, you’d know she is a huge fitness freak too. She loves Gymming and the results are evident from her super hot body for which she seems to have worked hard.

Check out our video on our Youtube Channel:

Also, here are some pictures from Sonam’s Instagram proving her love for fitness!

Happy National Lemon Juice Day!

Yes, there is an entire day dedicated to LEMONS. When life gives you lemons, have tequila shots :P. More like, when life gives you a chance to celebrate lemon Juice Day, JUST DO IT! This fruit is well, may be hard to taste all on its own, but if you add it to different drinks, dishes or simply water, it delivers many health benefits.

WHAT IS LEMON GOOD FOR?

•   The lemon is high in vitamin C, fiber and various beneficial plant compounds.
•   These nutrients are responsible for the health benefits of lemons.
•   In fact, lemons may support heart health, weight control, digestive health and more.

HISTORY OF LEMONS:

• The 1900s: Little Lemon

Lemon is a common name for both boys and girls.

• The 1800s: Posh Lemon

Lemons are a sign of wealth and their trees are grown outside of homes to show affluence and provide fragrant smell.

• 1493: Continental Citrus

Christopher Columbus brings lemons to The New World

SOME MORE BENEFITS OF LEMONS:

1) Treats Indigestion

Lemon juice helps to cure problems related to indigestion and constipation. Add a few drops of this citrus fruit juice to your dish (take care, it does not go well with milk), and it will aid in digestion. It acts as a blood purifier and a cleansing agent.

2) Prevent Kidney stones

Kidney stones are small lumps that form when waste products crystallize and build up in the kidneys. They are quite common, and people who get them often get them repeatedly. Citric acid may help prevent kidney stones by increasing urine volume and increasing urine pH, creating a less favorable environment for kidney stone formation.

3) Hair Care

Lemon juice has proven itself useful in the treatment of hair care on a wide scale. Its juice, when applied to the scalp can treat problems like dandruff, hair loss and other problems related to the hair and scalp. If you apply this juice directly to the hair, it can give your hair a natural shine.

4) Weight Loss

Lemons are often promoted as a weight loss food, and there are a few theories as to why this is. One common theory is that the soluble pectin fiber in them expands in your stomach, helping you feel full for longer. That said, not many people eat lemons whole. And because lemon juice contains no pectin, lemon juice drinks will not promote fullness in the same way. Another theory claims that drinking hot water with lemon will help you lose weight.

5) Controls blood pressure

Drinking lemon juice is helpful for people suffering from heart problems because it contains potassium. It controls high blood pressure, dizziness, and nausea as it provides a calming sensation to both, the mind and body.

So, don’t forget to celebrate National Lemon Juice Day with lemons and do pass on the good information

Are You On The Highway To A HEART ATTACK?

I’m on the highway to hell…..

Well, you might not to be on your way to hell, but you surely are heading towards a heart attack if you follow any of these habits. It may be your mood, sleeping schedule or even your surroundings. The little things that you need to be kept a check on, these littlest things make a huge difference, and in this case, can definitely put your life in danger. If you notice any of these signs similar to your behavior or lifestyle, you need to make serious changes and that too ASAP.

1) Sleeping for less than 6 hours

With our fast-paced life, we tend to work more hours than spending it in taking care of ourselves. Sleep is as essential as food for the body. Many adults and well now, even young adults struggle to get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night, and that is leading them to their death beds. We don’t realize it, but as our health start deteriorating, our bodies fail to function properly and it’s only then that we start taking care of ourselves.

2) Getting cranky or angry over little things

Turning into a Hulk is cool only in movies, having fiery emotions in real life can drastically increase your risk for a heart attack. Researchers at the University of Australia questioned 313 patients who had suffered suspected heart attacks about their anger levels before the onset of symptoms. They found that patients were 8.5 times more likely to have a heart attack in the two hours following an intense outburst of anger, defined as “very angry, body tense, clenching fists or teeth.” The more often you’re angry, the higher your chances for a heart attack.

3) Living in a smoggy area

Smog doesn’t just give you breathing problems, lung diseases or bad hair, it is just as bad for your heart as well. Exposure to such air leads up to heart attack symptoms. Even the small combustion particles that come from fuel burning and vehicle emissions are equally dangerous to your health.

4) You live in an area with extreme temperatures

Studies show that both extreme cold and extreme heat can put people at risk for heart attacks. Abrupt temperature swings also may be bad for your health. Cardiology researchers in Michigan recently linked extreme day-to-day changes in temperatures to a significant increase in heart attacks, a finding that raises the disturbing possibility of yet another harmful effect of our warming planet on human health.

5) Your mother had a heart attack

Or it was your father, either of your grandparents, siblings. No matter which relative, heart disease and risk factors for heart disease are strongly linked to family history. There are at least 67 sites in the DNA sequence, or variants that can increase your risk of a heart attack, each of these variants raises the relative risk of cardiovascular disease by about 10%. But if you have a number of them, it adds up. The good news is, having a family history of heart attacks don’t guarantee you will have one. Actively maintaining a healthy lifestyle can lower your overall risk.

Though, we don’t guarantee that having a healthy heart leads to heaven 😛