Womens Health, How do you ladies stay in good shape and lead a balanced lifestyle?

[Foxy]

Hi Ladies

The below discussion is all about how we Xaliimo’s stay healthy/fit through everyday life.

 

As women, we all want to look and feel our best. This is not always easy, considering the busy life today's woman leads and the many responsibilities she may have. It can be tough to find time for exercising and eating right to have that toned body or even maintaining it, not to mention controlling stress!

Having a healthy diet is sometimes easier said than done. It is tempting to turn to less healthy food choices the likes of take away after a long day at work/school because they might be easy to get. And yes who can resist the good old Baariis iyo basto not to mention with hilib…..As they say You are what You eat! Developing and nurturing a positive body image and a healthy mental attitude is crucial to a woman's happiness and wellness…

 

So how do You ladies stay in shape? (lucky for some who have High metabolic Rate and are genetically skinny)

 

What’s the do’s and don’ts in your daily diets?

Do you have a balanced diet that suits your lifestyles?

 

Are there especial foods that are high in content of (Carbs, Fats or Proteins) You Ovoid and what sort of healthy eating habit do your body normally responds to?

 

As for me, this is what works for me to maintain my ideal body weight:

 

-Try not to skip breakfast or any meal for that matter unless otherwise impossible

Snack on fruits

-Stay away or minimise the combination of Basto/bariis plus hilib (don’t get me wrong ladies basto / bariis/hilib is good food but it has a way on showing up on your hips…..)

-Try to cut back on bad Carbs and instead try to stick to complex carbs especially those high in fibre, water, minerals and vitamins

-Eat lots of ….chicken/red meat/tuna/ Veges…not too keen on salads

-Jump on the exercise wagon 2-3 times a week, preferably high impact Cardio workouts

 

Q Has anyone tried Pilates or Yoga……I know I haven’t and wanted to know what’s the Fuzz is all about?

 

So that’s my piece……let the sharing of what works for whom begin

[J.Lee]

lucky for some who have High metabolic Rate and are genetically skinny

I'm one of those people, and I'm quite young too so I never had to worry about staying in shape, or leading a healthy lifetstyle. I pretty much ate what I wanted and the only form of excercise I used to do was running up and down the stairs in my house, and at school.

 

However, I discovered I was anemic recently (I went from size 6, to 5 to size 2 in less than a month) so now I eat alot of iron Rich food, take Multi Vitamins, drink alot of water, and try to gain weight.

 

Plus, I go to the GYM atleast 2X a week with my brothers (On days I can't make it, I usually run in the morning). I do cardio for 30 minutes, weight lift/condition for about 20 minutes (I can't handle more than that!), and I play racquetball when ever I get the chance.

 

It's hard getting used to it or sometimes maintaining it but at the end of the day, regardless of how sore I'm, I do feel better, and more.......positive?

 

Way scary dude.

[Valenteenah.]

Hello girls.

 

Healthy diet? (What is that?) Exercise? (Are you mad?)

 

LoL..Am just kidding.

 

Ms Word,

 

I have been suffering from major fatigue over the last year and my silly GP reckons am anaemic too. She prescribed me these huge black iron pills (who on earth can swallow those things? I almost gagged the few times I tried...and the tablets completely mess up ur digestive system), but I decided I didn't want to take them.

 

So I attempted to change my diet. I went from cheese and pickle sandwiches to cheese and spinach sandwiches (spinach has a lot of iron, you know) and that lasted all of two weeks (yuck yuck yuck).

 

Then I decided to cut out all red meat and start eating more fish, and so far it's going well..I have been ordering salmon (the only fish I can stand) whenever I go out to dinner.

 

Next step is to increase my veg and fruit intake (salads, raisins, nuts etc) and also cut out dairy products. I have been advised that cutting out dairy reduces hayfever symptoms.

 

But more excercise? Erm..No. Its enough for me to sprint from one platform to another every bloody morning.

[Foxy]

….Skinny lil Xalima ey! Lucky Bugger

 

So do U alternate your resistance training days and Cardio work out days Mizz,? If You want to gain weight (healthy one that is due to your massive shrinking body….Just kidding Gal) then you should do more resistance training. Only do no more then 10-15 min of Cardio, besides You will still burn calories while doing resistance training. And since size isn’t the issue in your case trying eating carbs with your protein, so that consumed Carbs would be the immediate fuel while working out, instead of your body going to your reserves, which is why your loosing more weight, instead of gaining.

 

For both with anemic conditions, shouldTry prunes and dried apricot, they are known to have good source of Iron. They say Consuming Vitamin C, meanwhile, helps increase the amount of iron your body absorbs. Chick peas/red beans is a very good source of Iron too.

 

Zhep, I guess that covers your work out routine ( those Bloody platforms ..... do run up the stairs mise you use the Escalators....lol just being cheeky)

If you are intending of cutting back on all dairy products, due to its benefits of reducing Hay fever, then how do U intend to get ur calcium intake, unless otherwise U were planning to take supplement or switch to soy products which they say, it is a good source of high-quality protein, B-vitamins, iron, and calcium.

 

cheers

[Rahima]

I’ve spent the last couple of years (as a result of an alliance between my mother and GP) trying to get my weight up to healthy and my iron levels to sufficient :cool: .

 

Now all I have to do is to concentrate on getting in some exercise and getting my vitamin D levels up. I joined the gym last year, but it was so boring I quite (although the buggers continued to take my money for the whole year :mad: ). I have to find a different form of exercise now, I’m inclined to basketball again-how I enjoyed that back in high school.

[Foxy]

Lolz Rahima....GYMs are cheeky buggers that are there to rip people off.....its their middle name.....

You should advertised on a local paper or an auction site and do a Tranfer of Membership once U have a potential buyer....since your deal would be much better than the one the GYM would be offering to new members and prolly U have a cheaper rate

 

cheers

[Haddad]

Originally posted by Rahima:

I’m inclined to basketball...

So, we can safely deduce you're above average height (+1.75 cm)?

[Rahima]

^Although i meant by 'inclined' leaning towards based on interest not height , to answer your question, let's just say my height is considered above average.

 

Foxy-Brown,

 

Honestly, i despise gyms with a passion now. Never will i ever sign up again, mainly because I’m more interested in playing actual sports then running on a treadmill or doing s-t-u-p-i-d weights which bore me to death :rolleyes: , but also because of the horrifying experience i had to endure. Every month they ate $80.00 out of my account ($960 for the year) and i wasn't even using their stinking facilities. I get even more irritated :mad: when i think of what i could of have done with that money.

 

Your suggestion is a little too late dear , why weren't you around when i was being ripped off

[Xafsa]

I just recently had a baby....I have lost 20 lb in the last 2 months..I still have 20 more to go. It is kind of hard for me to go to the gym so I walk for an hour everyday with my baby. I stopped eating bread, dairy products and I also stopped eating bariis and basto.

I just started this new diet called the cabbage soup diet..so we will see how it works.

I really miss working out at the gym...but I can´´t trust anyone to take care of daughter while i´´m gone.

But anyways if anyone has any pointers please let me know.

love

Xafsa

[Foxy]

Walalo Xafsa,

I am no expert when it comes to which diet or plan would suit each individual, but I will share what I know when it comes to healthy tips on loosing and keeping fit.

First of all let me touch some base about the cabbage soup, also known as the Soup diet and a closely related cousin of the Negative Calorie diet: Basically its a very low calorie diet; the Cabbage Soup Diet works, temporarily, by cutting daily calories to near-starvation levels, coz all U eating is vegetables that have been boiled. the Cabbage Soup Diet plan is very strict. The idea is to eat as much cabbage soup as you like every day - enough to keep you full up, but its ridiculous You will or can only carry on such diet on a short term to lose certain kilos, and how is it You lose those kilos, coz U have limited ur average daily calorie intake required by your body due to its weight and height.

 

On the short term most people would lose weight very quickly. However, the loss of weight will come from loss of water and muscle tissue not from fat reserves. The combination of foods "allowed" would force most people to nearly starve each day.

 

SO walalo this is a short-term "quick fix" diet to lose weight quickly. It is not a solution to a healthy, long term eating plan.

 

Dietitians say A balanced, healthy diet combined with exercise is still the most effective and safe long-term way to lose weight. However the results are gradual and require perseverance."

Walalo so eat more often but fewer calories this way your diet should create a mild caloric deficit. In other words, your body should burn off more calories than you take in and do power walking or brisk walks for 45 min for 3-4 days and that way U don’t have to leave ur newly born child with no one……it’s a win win sitaution……try to ovoid eating Carbs during late at nite, infact stop eating Carbs from 5pm 0r 6pm onwards……

 

Hope that helps

 

Cheers

[nafta]

First of all, can I just say how much I hate the word Xalimo and whenever I see someone using it to refer to a girl it makes me sick to the core! It's such a sleazy term that just makes my skin crawl. Akhas!

 

UHUM .....moving on

 

I used to lead the most unhealthy lifestyle of all probably. One time I practically lived on take away and junkfood. It was a choclate bar, some crisps and a soda in the morning and then nothing in the afternoon. For dinner I usually had some kebab from the local TA shop.

 

However, somehow that all changed. Don't ask me what made it change but, thank god, it did! I do my work out, eat a balanced meal. Lost of fruit and water. I never really had a weight problem since most of my family is naturally slim.

 

I don't follow any diets either, because I could never keep one up and it's just some sort of scheme to make money out of the people. In my eyes at least.

 

So looking back I feel much healthier and pysically fit and strong than I felt couple of years back.

 

Zeph and Word...believe me I've been there, and you might be in a position to refuse to take yur pills, but I remember that my mom literally had to shove them down my throat when I was 12. I used to hide but somehow she always seemed to have spare ones tucked somewhere in her drawers .

 

P.S. Does anyone drink Soya Milk? I absolutely love them!

[Xafsa]

^^^^soy milk? Does it have as much calcium as regular milk?

Foxy brown...thanks for the advice...I do gowalking everyday with my baby in her stroller. Cutting down on my carb intake is very hard since I LOVE malawax...But i´´m trying. I am also allergic to fresh fruit, so I buy the canned fruit and wash the sugar off it...it seems to be working.

 

Anyways...thanks

[Valenteenah.]

Soya Milk? Yuck. I can't imagine anything more revolting.

 

What about Multivitamin supplements? Does anyone here take any? There is always something about them in the news...It is great for your health, take them...oh no..don't, they cause cancer..oh no, they only do that if you take very high doses...they are benefitial...they are useless...they stop colds...they don't...blah...blah...blah.

 

Makes me think the whole thing is a load of cobblers.

[Foxy]

Hello Gals

Nafta

In everyday language, we describe things by comparing them with other things. The term or name Xaliima’s is just language used in a figurative or non literal sense, So my friend if that is not to ur desired liking then tough cookie dear.

 

About soy milk,

I guess if you are Lactose Intolerance, which another case then soy milk is an alternative, but what I have heard is soy milk doesn’t provide the same recommended dietary Allowance per day as normal cow’s mild would its said that a glass of soymilk would only provide 1/3 of what normal dairy milk would……but then again if its taste we are talkin about, then its merely by choice which one of the above U would choose…….

 

Vitamin supplements

its said that our body only needs a small amount of vitamins every day. A varied diet generally provides enough of each vitamin and mineral. Its also said that most of the vitamins you get from the food you eat are better than those contained in pills. However, some people may need supplements to correct deficiencies of particular vitamins or minerals, so a multi vitamin for women which is largely found in many health shops would be a good alternative. I am currently using one of those Multi Vitamins for Women, which U only need to take twice a day and has loads of minerals and vitamins recommended for women. So sky is the limit on which brand or product suits your purpose……

 

Xafsa…..are U allergic to all fruits or only to one or two……how is it U cant consume fresh fruits yet are able to do so when it comes to canned fruits…..just wondering?

 

I hope that helps

Cheers Gals

[Bambina]

Salam Alaykum ,

 

Good topic Foxy-Brown ! The key to a healthy and balanced diet is never to skip breakfast and never eat too much at night because your metabolism becomes slower and you wouldnt digest food properly like during mornings.

 

You should also incorporate fruits , fibres , veggies ,poultry and seafood and drink plenty of water. Minimize the fat content in your salads

( mayonnaise or salad dressing) and the sugar (sweets , sodas ,ice-creams). Prepare your food in containers in advance and take it with you at work or school, so you wouldnt be temptated to dine out.

 

Allow yourself to feel good , be happy and have 1 or 2 cheat meals per week and you wont binge any other times.

As for excercices try jumping rope or treamill great for your bottom and legs , as well as any dance moves fast enough to make you sweat or walk outside.

Some people believe that soy products are a must to stay healthy but your usual food can do the trick as well.But trying soy products arent bad either , I tried soy milk ( vanilla is the best) , soy burgers , soy desserts etc... the choice is up to you.

 

If you are not sure how to start a healthy diet ,consult a physician or pick-up a fitness magazine to help you.

At last but not the least , be patient and you will see the results within 2 to 3 weeks.