#pumpingfairy 2015

I hope you all had a great start in the new year 2015. I stayed at home with my love and enjoyed our last cheat-meal before my preparation starts again. Yes, it's preparation time... The next season won't be long in coming and I am aspiring to compete in several shows, nationally and internationally. Hence I have to get back on track after all those delicious and cozy family feasts over the holidays... Hands up who's guilty too, whoops.

As far as I am concerned, I am highly motivated to reach my goals and I really wish that you stay as motivated as I am. That's why I cordially invite you , if you haven't already, to join our little fit-army to motivate each other so that we can all stick to our good intentions for this new year and reach the goals we set on New Year's Eve. Simply use the hashtag #pumpingfairy for every fitness and health related post on Instagram and get feature on my blog and on my personal Instagram account every Friday.

1. lauragetsfit.14 couldn't resist when she was walking along the Oxford Street in London ( I totally feel you)
2. pia_fit03 gets back on track
3. veronique_xxx enjoys a great tennis-game
4. clairshess on a sunday morning run
5. fashionbarbecue having a colorful breakfast when she was in Düsseldorf
6. xeniia_93 won a personal training with Barbie Bee , congratulations.
7. laurali173 being all proud about her curves
8. nillesjulie had a tomato-salad with tuna and cottage cheese for dinner
9. My new training shoes... Sorry not sorry, I had to share them again. ( @lifting_fairy )

Fitfriday: 1 Step closer!

Hey fitfam!

Finally, it's Friday! Which means week-end! Awesome! Have you already planned something for your weekend, or just recovering from the week's workout, or are you still going to workout?

I had to take a break from training because I caught a cold. Dammit! I can hardly breath, so no gym for me since Wednesday...

Even though I feel a bit miserable, Ken (my boyfriend) and I had our first check-up at Jean-Marie's yesterday and it was better than expected.

First of all , what I like most about him is that he is 100% honest, in luxembourgish you would say ' From the lung to the tongue'. Which means if he thinks that you still look flabby, he says it outright. This made me a bit timid when I first met him, so for yesterday's check-up I was kind of , let's say, 'nervous'.

I didn't know what he would think of my current form, but worst of all what would he tell me?!

So when it was time to check my form he was quite satisfied, even though I wasn't sticking to a concrete diet or training plan. He thinks that my overall muscles are very proportional and that there won't be any problem to be ready for this year's winter season competition in 'bikini class'. Already, wow! This motivates me even more! ( Ego booster hehe)

That's Jean-Marie, he looks quite scary but he is such a nice person!

I think you can have an awesome coach who will prepare you very well for your competitions, who will give you a great training and diet plan by which you can achieve great progresses. But I think it is also important that you feel comfortable with your coach. Most coaches aren't interested in what you have been eating before or how you have been training before. They simply ask what your goal is and then they develop a program for you, mostly in the gym. I mean how 'personal' is that...?

J-M is the one on the left. 

But J-M. is different. He asks you in advance to write down your eating and training habits for one week and then hand it to him. On this paper you list everything you eat and how you train, which supps you take, how often and how much each day.

Then, when you meet again, like Ken and I , he asks you to visit him at HOME! That's what I call personal!

He goes through the list and again asks you exactly if you have sticked to this or not. He takes care of your eating preferences(like; I can't eat raw or cooked paprika), how your working shifts are and when you have time to hit the gym.

J-M during a competition! Great form!

I am honest I couldn't imagine a better coach than J-M. He has a lot of experience in coaching athletes for competitions as he has been competing too and while he is the president of the NAC Luxembourg federation, he is well informed about the criteria and the judgments for the several competition-classes.

I finally got my License! YAY!

So now that I finally got my license for the competitions, I can't wait to get my diet & training plan, which J-M will set up now, to get started. Looking forward to rocking the stage with a badass form in winter!

Stay tuned!

Breakfast, important or not?

Hey my dear!

How do you usually start your day? Do you like having breakfast or do you skip your breakfast because you don't have the time, or just because you are not hungry in the morning? I love to have breakfast, for me sleep is like a time machine to breakfast, awesome! It's my favorite meal of the day , not only because you can eat so many delicious things but it is also the most important meal of the day!

But why is breakfast the most important meal of the day, you may ask now? 

Let's have a closer look:

• Having breakfast in the morning is important because if you eat breakfast, you are most likely to lose weight. And with 'breakfast' I don't mean having breakfast at Mcdonald's or having a piece of cake at Starbuck's. I mean having a REAL breakfast, like wholewheat toasts with salmon, chicken-breast, an egg, peanut-butter, honey and so on. If you need some ideas for a HEALTHY breakfast click HERE.

• Having breakfast is a good way to get your metabolism working better for the day. If you eat in the morning, your body tells your brain that you are going to need to start working to digest it which wakes up the system and warm ups your metabolism. So you are ready to steady!

• If you skip breakfast, your body still thinks that it needs to keep its energy because it isn't getting any through nutrition which actually slows down your metabolism , which then results in a decreased amount of calories burnt during the day. 

• Plus, if you don't have breakfast, you are more likely to fail through the day because if you don't feed your body for several hours, like from 8am to 12pm, you maybe turn into a grumpy-cat and already get hungry early in the day. Then, when you are going to have lunch, you mostly choose something high in fat and calories to satisfy your cravings. And again if you then can hold out until dinner without eating anything, you are more likely to snack the whole evening.Not good at all!

• I don't know how you feel when you haven't eaten for breakfast, but when I have to skip my breakfast I can get really grumpy and pissed off, especially as long as I don't get to eat anything. So by having a good breakfast it is a bit easier to stay in a good mood as you don't crave for some fatty foods or whatever. So by having a healthy meal in the morning, you help your body to control your blood sugar levels through lunchtime, which plays a vital role in your mood. Believe me! When I skipped breakfast and went right to school I was so damn grumpy until lunch time and I could hardly concentrate in class!

• So now you may be saying, ' But I don't have the time to get up and have breakfast' or ' I am working shifts , I don't have the time or I can't eat '... Well how do you think bodybuilders or fitness athletes are supposed to eat enough and balanced? RIGHT! They prepare their food and put it in boxes! If you are searching for such boxes click HERE. 

• Now that you have no excuses at all, get your little butt up a little earlier than usual and prepare yourself a healthy meal! 

• If you really don't have the time to prepare something the morning itself,prepare yourself a smoothie the day before, which you can drink while driving to work or to school, but don't cause an accident, that would be a very unhealthy breakfast!

Have a nice day and enjoy your breakfast !

Good vs. Bad Fats

Good Morning everyone!

How often have you been told that a low-fat diet is the key to losing weight, managing cholesterol or preventing health problems? I bet more than once, right? But it is not only the amount of fat that you eat that matters, it is also the type of fat that matters. 

Bad fats increase cholesterol and the risk of certain diseases, whereas good fats actually protect your heart and support your overall health. Some fats are essential for physical and emotional health. In today's post I want show you the difference between good fats and bad fats.

Let's start with some common myths about fats:

• All fats are the same and are therefore bad for you:

FACT: The only fats which are bad for you are trans fats and some saturated fats because they raise your cholesterol and increase the risk of heart diseases. Whereas monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are good for you. They lower your cholesterol and reduce the risk of getting heart diseases.

• What matters the most is lowering the amount of fat you eat:

FACT: What matters most, when it comes to cholesterol and health, is the MIX of fats you eat, not the actual amount. The key is to eat more good fats and less bad fats.

• Healthy is equal fat-free:

FACT: Many fat-free foods are high in sugar , refined carbs and calories. So eating a lot of 'fat-free' products doesn't mean that you can eat as much as you want, if you care about your waistline.

• The key to weight-loss is a low-fat diet:

FACT: The only key to weight loss is cutting down on the calories you don't need. And since fats are filling, they can even help to curb overeating.

• Body fat is equal body fat:

FACT: Not every body fat is bad.What matters is where you carry your fat The health risks are bigger if you have body fat around your abdomen. A lot of belly fat, which is stored below your skin, and surrounding the abdominal organs like the liver , which is closely linked to insulin resistance and diabetes.

Here a list of the GOOD FATS:

• Monounsaturated fats:

- Olive oil

- Canola oil

- Sunflower oil

- Peanut oil

- Sesame oil

- Avocados

- Olives

- Nuts like almonds, peanuts, macadamia, hazelnuts , pecans and cashews

- Peanut-butter

• Polyunsaturated fats:

- Soybean oil

- Corn oil

- Safflower oil

- Walnuts

- Sunflower,sesame and pumpkin seeds

- Flaxseed

- Fatty fish like salmon, tuna , mackerel, herring, trout and sardines

- Soy milk

- Tofu

These fats are GOOD for you as they protect and improve your heart, your cholesterol and your overall health. 

Here a list of the EVIL FATS:

• Trans fats:

- Commercially-baked pastries, cookies, donuts, muffins, cakes, pizza dough

- Packaged snack foods like crackers, microwave popcorn and chips

- Stick margarine

- Fried food like french fries, fried chicken, chicken nuggets or breaded fish

- Candy bars

And a list of rather QUESTIONABLE FATS:

• Saturated fats:

- High-fat cuts of meat from beef, lamb or pork

- Chicken with the skin

- Whole-fat dairy products like milk and cream

- Butter

- Cheese

- Ice cream 

- Pam and coconut oil

How many fats do you actually need?

This actually depends on your lifestyle, your weight, your age and most of all the state of your health. This is what the USDA recommends:

- Keep your total fat intake to 20-35% of your calories

- Limit saturated fats to less than 10% of your calories, which would make 200 calories for a 2.000 calorie diet.

- Limit trans fats to 1% of your calories, this would make 2 grams per day for a 2.000 calorie diet.

Now if you want to cut down on the bad fats, I got some good alternatives for you.

- Butter             ->               Olive oil

- Cheese            ->               Low-fat or reduced-fat cheese

- Red meat        ->               White meat (chicken or turkey)

- Cream            ->                Egg whites, and egg substitute or tofu

- Ice cream        ->                Frozen yogurt or reduced fat ice cream

- Whole milk    ->                Skim or 1% milk

- Sour cream     ->                Plain or non-fat yogurt

Tea benefits

Hey there!

I think that everyone is well aware what tea is, am I right? Some might think that drinking tea is only for old people... Well I'm gonna show you in today's post that drinking tea does your body good and that you will be ready to change your order after having lunch or dinner.

Here are the TOP 10 Health benefits of Tea:

1. Tea contains antioxidants which protects your body from the ravages of aging and the effects of pollution.

My tea-cooler containing Mango Tea by Teas& Sweets, get it here

2. Tea contains less caffein than coffee. An 8-oz cup of coffee contains around 135mg of caffein whereas tea only contains 30 to 40 mg per cup. So if drinking coffee gives you jitters, causes indigestion or headaches, I'd switch to tea.

Winter-pastry tea by Teas& Sweets ( my favorite in WInter), get here

3. Tea can reduce the risks of a heart attack and stroke.Drinking tea helps your arteries to stay smooth and clog-free , just as a drain keeps your bathroom pipes clear. A 5-year study from the Netherlands showed that 70% of the people who drank at least 2 or 3 cups of black tea daily lowered their risk of a fatal heart attack , compared to non-tea-drinkers.

Raspberry-Choco tea by Teas& Sweets, get here

4. Tea protects your bones just as milk does. Research revealed that people who were drinking tea for more than 10 years had stronger bones than the non-tea-drinkers.

Thyme tea, perfect for treatment for respiratory diseases

5. Tea gives you a sweet smile.It's the sugar, that you add to your tea, which is the main cause for bad teeth. Tea itself contains fluoride and tannins which may keep plaque at bay. So if you drink unsweetened tea and brush your teeth regularly you will have healthy teeth and gums.

Ginger tea by Tee Geschwendner, see the variations here

6. Tea boosts your immune system. It will help  fight off infections. Research showed that tea-drinkers have a higher immune system activity than the coffee-drinkers.

Almond-Popcorn Tea by Tee Stricker, get here

7. Tea is a good protector against cancer due to the antioxidants found in the tea. There are enough studies that show the potential protective effect of drinking tea. Better switch your coffee for tea.

Herb-Tea by LR Figuactiv , contact me if you want to order here

8. Tea helps you to stay hydrated.  People always thought that caffeine beverages couldn't contribute to our daily fluid requirement because you have to pee a lot. However, recent research has shown that the caffein really doesn't matter. The only time caffeine becomes a problem  is while drinking too much, like 5 to 6 cups at a time.

Rose-flower-tea by La Via del Tè

9. Tea is calorie-free. Tea doesn't have any calories, except if you add sugar or milk to it. If you're looking for a satisfying non-caloric beverage, tea is a top choice.

Black leaf tea, by La Via del Tè

10. Tea increases your metabolism. Especially green tea increases your metabolic rate. Over a years' time you could lose up to 3 kg just by drinking green tea.

Green-tea-mango, by Teas & Sweets, order here

Food-to-go

Good Morning my dears!

I know that some of you don't have the time to cook a super big breakfast or lunch and some of you aren't even at home for breakfast or lunch. Whether you're at work or at school , that's no excuse to eat unhealthy, even if you don't have a lot of time during your break.
That's why I decided to write this post : Food-to-go

I will show you how you can easily prepare your breakfast and lunch the day before and enjoy it the day after when you're at school or at work.

First of all the breakfast , which is the most important meal of the day:

Today I got some Protein-Muesli

My little 'Prêt-á-Paquet' bowl-box
Get your own Prêt-à-Paquet here

What it looks un'wrapped'

opened bowl-box

Bowl-box with Protein Muesli ( low-carb too)

Adding milk to it

Close the bowl-box

Wrap it in the cover 

Close the zipper and your food stays inside

These little lunch-boxes by 'Prêt-à-Paquet' are the best I've ever had. They are super practical and fancy ( because they are pink hihi), and as you can close them twice they are super leakproof too. So you don't have to worry about eating your muesli from your pretty bag.



For lunch I got a very easy-to-make recipe , which is also my favorite one. For me the bigger lunch-boxes by 'Prêt-à-Paquet' are perfectly divided as you got a little square for your carbs, a middle square for your veggies and a large square for your proteins. So you got the perfect dimensions for your lunch.

Sweet potatoes with vegetable and chicken burger

Cut your sweet potato, I like them cut in little flowers

make the marinade with your favourite spices and olive oil

add olive oil to the bowl

add your spices

Dip in your sweet potato chips

put them on a baking tray

ingredients for your chicken burger

mix the grind chicken breast

add egg spices, tomato paste & wholewheat toasts and mix

form your burgers

my favorite vegetables

add your burger, vegetable and sweet potatos to your lunch box , by 'Prêt-á-Paquet' too
Get your own Prêt-á-Paquet here

take the little square for your carbs 

the middle square is for your veggies

and the larger square for your proteins, as those are the most important ones

What you need for the chicken-burger:

• Grind Chicken breast
• Tomato paste
• 1 egg
• 2 wholewheat toasts
• spices

Directions:

1. Mix the grind chicken breast 
2. Add the egg, tomato paste and your favorite spices
3. Mix everything until well-mixed
4. Ripe of little pieces of your wholewheat toasts and add them to the rest
5. Mix until well-mixed
6. (you may add some milk if it's too thick) 
7. Take a handful of your mix and form it to burgers
8. cook in a pan until light-brown

How to make these awesome sweet potatoes:

1. Slice your sweet potato
2. prepare your marinade by adding olive oil, and your favorite spices to a bowl
3. Dip in your sweet potato slices 
4. Put them on a baking tray
5. Bake them in the oven for about 15minutes at 200°

Enjoy your lunch!