(Alrighty guys, I have yet to get my laptop working but I'm using my dad's computer while he's at work. XD For my subscribers, I'll try to update as soon as possible. >< This is just a random blog I felt like posting. o.o *shot*)

(Also, I don't know how many of you are even going to read this blog post. I could be talking to myself, LOL. XD)

 So recently I've been scouring the internet in attempts to find an easy and fun way to loose weight. First things first, let me say that I'm not overweight in the least. But I want to get thinner than I am, and at the same time I also want to be healthier. Before you start bombarding me with comments about how "if you aren't overweight then you shouldn't try to loose weight" or about how I'm probably one of those skinny girls who wants to look anorexic, that isn't true. 

 Anyway, back to the subject at hand before I let my ADD get me off topic. 

 First of all, let me say two things. 

 One - I am in no way a specialist in these things. I'm not a doctor, nutritionist, etc. I am, however, the daughter of a doctor, and I've asked him many questions on these things. 

 Two - I'm really a fan of the word "diet." It seems so.... dark. I don't want to "diet," I just want to eat healthier and just overall live healthier, losing weight along the way. 

 Being the k-pop fan that I am, I've come across many articles about the diets that k-pop artists go on to loose weight. And let me say, I would never, ever use these measures to lose weight. I have, however, taken some of the things I've seen or read about and kind of morphed it into a "diet' that works for me and at the same time is healthy. 

PLEASE don't follow those insane diets that k-pop idols use. For example, the lettuce diet. That may initially help you to lose weight, but it's not healthy and as soon as you start eating normally again, the weight will come right back. 

 Once again I'll say that I'm in no way an expert in this stuff, but these are my tips that you can follow if you'd like. As an added note, last time I weighed myself I had lost 10 lbs (4.5 kg) with this, and that was about a month ago (I don't own a scale, I used my friends). And the thing is, I didn't really have to try, or force myself. I started exercising and eating healthier, and that was that. After I kind of got into it, it was easier.

Food, drinks, etc. 

Alright, so I'm not great at organizing my thoughts, so I'm going to bullet point everything I know about healthy eating to lose weight.

- Drink water with a lot of ice. I know that you've probably heard this all the time, but it's true. According to my dad (a doctor), your body literally burns calories when you drink ice water, because it's warming your body up. I literally fill a tall glass with water and walk around the house with it. XD 

- Limit carbs. Carbs make it really hard to lose weight. Things high in carbs include white bread, bagels, spaghetti, etc. However, you don't have to completely drop carbs. Carbs are also a part of your body.

- Eat 5 smaller meals a day rather than 3 huge meals. Eating more often, but smaller portions, can imrpove your metabolism greatly. So rather than eating only 3 meals a day, eat a smaller breakfast, lunch, and dinner and then eat small snacks in between. I usually eat something like a banana, cucumber salad, an apple, yogurt, etc. Something healthy but filling.

- Never let yourself go hungry. If you let yourself go hungry, you can actually gain weight. Your body goes into starvation mode, and the next meal you eat, your body will store EXTRA fat and nutrients. So if you feel even a tiny bit hungry, eat a small snack.

- Stay away from soda, even if it's "diet" or "zero. Even if your'e drinking a "healthier" soda, it's still (in my dad's words) basically chemical water. Even the diet or zero sodas are filled with unhealthy things that aren't good for your body. 

- Eat cucumbers. At first I wasn't sure whether I would like cucumbers, but I really enjoy eating them now. Later, I'll provide a recipe for cucumber salad that I LOVE. Plus, cucumbers have almost no calories and therefore are SUPER good for trying to lose weight. I swear, a whole cucumber is only like 40 calories. I usually use a half a cucumber when making a salad, which gives you only about 20 calories right there for a yummy and filling snack.

- Eat on a smaller plate. If you eat small portions on a huge plate, your body will continue to want more food. But if you eat small portions on a small plate, then you can essentially trick your body into thinking you have more food. 

- The more you eat healthy, the easier it becomes. My dad told me once about an experiment they did with rats. The rats were used to eating a certain type of food and only wanted that, but after being fed a different kind of food for a while, they were given the choice between the two and the rats went for the second food. The human body works this way too. If you eat junk food all your live, you'll always crave junk food. But if you start eating healthier, you start to CRAVE the healthier food. Seriously, whereas I used to want sweets a lot and whatnot, now I find myself craving healthier foods. 

- Never eat after 7 PM. This might be hard for some people, depending on your family's lifestyle. I know that sometimes in my family, we don't end up eating dinner until, sometimes, 8:30 (like last night). But I try to follow this rule whenever possible and trust me, it helps. It's bad for your metabolism to eat after 7. 

- Give yourself 20 minutes  before going for a second helping. It takes your body 20 minutes to begin digesting, so you won't know until then if you're really full or not. 

- Eat lots of fruits and veggies. This one should be obvious. XD I'm not a picky eater so I don't have a problem with it. 

- Don't completely eliminate meat, but don't eat too much. Eat smaller portions of your meat in order to get the protien you need, but not too much. 

Exercising

Trust me, I know how hard it can be to get yourself to work out. But I've recently found some routines that I like to use that really help. 

 For example, I really like this girls video. Here is an example, this is her "How to get longer and leaner legs" video. LINK 

I've also recently been attempting to do the "100 workout." It seems daunting at first, but gets easier with time. For those of you who don't know the 100 workout, there are many variations but here's an example: 

I also LOVE dancing. I'm not the greatest dancer, but learning k-pop dances really works up a sweat (if you do the right dances), which leads to burning calories. 

 Some of the dances I like to do to work up a sweat are:

Supa Luv - Teen Top

Shock - B2ST

Mirotic - DBSK

Lucifer - SHINee

Ring Ding Dong - SHINee

Sherlock - SHINee

Before the Dawn - Infinite

Be Mine - Infinite

And... pretty much anything else SHINee or Infinite. XD This is definitely not my whole list, but just some examples.
 

Unfortunately, with my laptop being dead I have no real way to practice dance. DDD: There's no room in my dad's office and there's no way I'm using the computer in the kitchen because it's open to the living room - where my mom usually is. XD 

As for running - I'm not a runner, let me tell you that. I have asthma, so it makes running difficult for longer than a couple minutes at a time. But I've been trying to go on walks a lot for recently, and my best friend clear-s and I go on walks a lot in the afternoon (because that's the only time it's cool here in Texas XD). I also go on walks on the weekend with my dad and sister at this nature preserve, and we eat a healthy lunch at this Vietnamese restaurant afterwards. :3 Kind of a daddy/daugher tradition we've started. 

Alright, and for anyone who's curious here's how you can make a cucumber salad. :3 

1. Slice half a cucumber into thin slices.

2. squirt lime juice onto it (the amount just depends on how lime-y you want it to taste).

3. Put a little bit of salt and pepper for flavor, but not too much. 

4. Let it sit for just a little bit, like 5 - 10 minutes, to let the lime juice, salt and pepper set in.

Ta-dum! :D

Alright, I hope this was helpful to anyone who was interested at all. :) I might add on to this later as I think of more things to say, we'll see. :3

Once again I'll say this. It will get easier with time. At first, it may seem like the hardest thing ever, but don't worry. Keep going. Find something that motivates you. :3 I think what motivates me is the fact that even k-pop GUYS sometimes weigh less then me. -___-; Haha, just kidding. Maybe. ANYWAY, don't give up. If you need your own personal cheerleader, PM me and I'll cheer you on. :D Just remember, the more you eat healthy and exercise, the easier it'll get.

GOOD LUCK!  

- Kenzie