The university as in going to classes every day is done now until next September. All the exams are done, the weather is nice and I have a whole week free before starting my work placement next week. As I've already written, I am going to work with a trainer who strength-trains Denmark's elite athletes and does all the training for some throwers (shot putting and discus throwing). There are so many different sportsmen from different kinds of sports, so I learn a lot about different lifestyles and nutritional challenges. As well about all the necessary muscles for different kinds of sports and ways to train them; plus about how to be a coach of professional sportsmen. On the same time I also want to be a good example and am therefore training myself as well. I am so looking forward for the work placement to start.
I have also signed myself up for Aarhus half-marathon on the 3 June and am training and waiting for that :).
The stressors of the month are work ( to be able to keep up working besides my work placement and training) and Danish classes, for what I really really need to do a lot at home and attend the classes without any excuse not to go. What makes it very difficult to me is that by now I can easily read, write and understand Danish, my only problem is speaking it, as it apparently sounds more like Norwegian or Swedish than Danish. But I'm really fine with the level I'm at - as long as I can reply in English I can communicate and everyone here understand English, so..there's not much motivation to do all the work I have to to be able to sound normal in it. Plus the Danish classes are like basic school - we learn history, politics, laws, society, famous people, art and so on and so on.
And then I have decided to lose weight. I made an agreement with myself that I am only allowed to lose one kilo in a week, no more and no less. I've been doing it for three weeks now and so far so good :). I'll write more about that soon. Right now I need to go rollerskating and then to the gym :).
I've been also thinking/writing a little about different ways to loose weight and how to be healthy, I'll post that soon too.
Have fun! :)
Monday 30 April 2012
Monday 23 April 2012
Is a burger healthier than salad?
My question, however, came from a different place and from more personal sources. I dont want to give anyone an excuse to eat junk food just because they find themselves being like me, but I can say that for me, in some situations a burger is definitely more healthier than eating a salad.
Let me explain. I'll do it based on an example from last night (..oh those Sundays). I was home thinking what should I have for dinner. As all the shops were closed and I didn't have anything real easy and appealing at home, I figured I could just as well walk to the burger place by the corner and get a burger. However, sometimes habits and 'norms' really work 'for us' so as I'm not used to doing that and there was no special occasion or other excuse (and not even anyone to accompany me doing that :O) plus it's more expencive and 'more unhealthy' as I figured, I didnt do it. Instead I stayed home and ate my pure soup made of different vegetables. But there wasn't much left so I also made a salad with almost everything I could find from my fridge. And as a desert I had a piece of fruit. And then I had some cookies my roommate gave me.
So that's the story. BUT. As I have a 48-hour exam in Physical Activity coming, I've been studying a lot, so I wouldnt have to do it during the exam when I guess it'd be better to focus on actually completing the tasks. So today I was sitting in my room, reading and thought about the fact that I should move more than just the walk to the grocery shop earlier in the morning. It made sense and everything, but I didnt feel like going for a run. And there I was, discussing with my self, when my brain went like 'and yeah..I did have just a salad for dinner yesterday...if I'd had the burger, of course I would neeeed to do something...but no, I just had that salad..' And I even recognized the same kind of argumentation with my self from before. repeatedly.
So out of curiosity I compared the nutrients and energy I got out of the dinner of mashed vegetables and salad with everything + an apple + a crispbread + cookies against the one I figured the burger would be, using www.tap.nutridata.ee (in Estonian), and found out that energy-wise my healthy dinner was leading, having about 200kcal more, (under the assumption that if I'd just had the burger I probably would have been feeling bad/guilty and not taken the cookies from my roomy).
And now I was sitting and my (even though educated in that field) brain figured that having a burger=need to go running; salad = can easily stay home. Of course the dinner I had gave me so many different and useful micronutrients whereas burger would have basically been just protein and saturated fat, BUT
-calorie-wise the burger had less
-having a burger makes me go running
I did go running anyway and enjoyed it, but...it did make me think how wrong it is to think that eating healthy won't make us fat. Healthy food can easily provide you with just as many calories, but it doesnt come with the feeling of guilt or necessity to do something about it, as 'junk food' often does.
Of course one's body gets more vitamins and minerals and hopefully better-quality fats from healthy food and is likely to feel better, but just so you'd know - having a salad instead of a burger doesn't make it at all less necessary to move. ;)
k.Thursday 19 April 2012
I was ill for four days. My body started to take the shape of the bed. Yesterday I was a bit better and went to gym in the evening, couldn't stand the feeling of being week. Today I was a lot better. Went rollerskating and made the crash of my life. I was rollerskating to test out my new protectors i got for birthday. Lucky for me they were great. They almost make me feel immortal. And yes it was a coincidence not a testout crash.
My computer's charger has broken down, so I cant use my computer.
But spring and sun are outside and so should you be, so it's good i wont write longer. Happy sun :)
My computer's charger has broken down, so I cant use my computer.
But spring and sun are outside and so should you be, so it's good i wont write longer. Happy sun :)
Tuesday 10 April 2012
Birthday week :)
I wish I had more time. I learn, experience and think about so many different things and then I would like to write down what I think of what and why, just to share it, get reflections and reconsider. But there's so many things and so little time, that I manage to think all my thoughts through and around and change my mind about them so many times, that in the end I dont know what to say.
I think that's the process of learning - getting confused and more confused and more confused within some things and then finally reaching some understanding, that enables you to get confused about some new thing.
Last week, during the paskeferie, I was doing my workplacement, that still hasn't officially started. There was this throwing camp for young elithes in Denmark, and the camp lasted from Saturday until last Friday. Besides that I was following the coach Simon around in other practices, so all day every day of the last week, I was in a sports environment. That meant two throwing sessions out on the field, and about three workouts in the gym every day, meeting a lot of new people, some of whom have already won the olympic games, even repeatedly and some who are sure they are going to, watching a lot of movies, readying some things on the internet and learning so much. About shot putting and throwing discus, about coaching, about people, about proffessional sports, myself and who I wanna be and..ooh. But it also ment eating with professional sportsmen. And not just random ones, but the one's who's main goal is to get big, get ripped :D. Therefore having a buffet every day for lunch where they "eat as much as possible. and then some more" and then dinner with dessert as well. So now I think I might get ripped as well :/:D:D
All in all we had so much fun, did so many things and I have many new thoughts to write here. And on 5th of April we even went swimming in the sea :). I'll add some photos too when I get them.
Now it's two weeks until the end of school, so keeping the excitement down, Im trying to learn the last things; and its three weeks until the beginning of work placement, so Im trying to make my last big efforts to get as strong and smart as possible. Im already so tired of living out of exercising, eating and reading, but it's this nice tiredness of making an effort to improve. And once again I have to be surprised, how fast it's possible to improve at something in the start. I have never been much of a going-to-gym kind of girl and if I did, I ran and did some stomach and back exercises and something with dumbells and then when about an hour was done, went back home. But now, when I've been actually doing something to get bigger and stronger and making a real effort, Im shocked how strong I am. :D not obviously compared to strong people, but compared to myself before all this. I know I have a long way to improve, but now I really want to get strong and be fit and have muscles. I used to be this runner/biker/roller skater and never really thought of nor felt as if getting any muscles or doing strenght training, but suddenly Im so into it, I dont know if I ever can get out and I hope I wont.
With all the new thoughts from the camp, I had rested and digested enough throughout the weekend and yesterday made an exercise program first thing in the morning. Then I got so excited about it myself that I needed to try it out, so I did. It was soooo...good. I had put in only the exercises I like to do but that are challenging, and then I almost mastered some of them. No. I didn't really, but I know Im going to :). The only problem with the program is that it's too long and missing some exercises, so I might need to make it into two different ones. It's real basic and real nice program, so I can post it here as well, but I'll do it in the end of the week, as then I have had some time to figure out how exactly should it be. So that's what I'll be doing in my birthday week :).
I have some thoughts about growing up as well, but I'll write them as a grown up :).
Right now I had a chocolate candy and then watched this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzktJYFkEJ0
now I cannot eat my lunch.
By the way quarter of the year is now done, how's the new-years promises going? They better be at least quarter-way filled, or you gotta start working hard.
The last post from
20-year-old Kirsi Kaups :)
I think that's the process of learning - getting confused and more confused and more confused within some things and then finally reaching some understanding, that enables you to get confused about some new thing.
Last week, during the paskeferie, I was doing my workplacement, that still hasn't officially started. There was this throwing camp for young elithes in Denmark, and the camp lasted from Saturday until last Friday. Besides that I was following the coach Simon around in other practices, so all day every day of the last week, I was in a sports environment. That meant two throwing sessions out on the field, and about three workouts in the gym every day, meeting a lot of new people, some of whom have already won the olympic games, even repeatedly and some who are sure they are going to, watching a lot of movies, readying some things on the internet and learning so much. About shot putting and throwing discus, about coaching, about people, about proffessional sports, myself and who I wanna be and..ooh. But it also ment eating with professional sportsmen. And not just random ones, but the one's who's main goal is to get big, get ripped :D. Therefore having a buffet every day for lunch where they "eat as much as possible. and then some more" and then dinner with dessert as well. So now I think I might get ripped as well :/:D:D
All in all we had so much fun, did so many things and I have many new thoughts to write here. And on 5th of April we even went swimming in the sea :). I'll add some photos too when I get them.
Now it's two weeks until the end of school, so keeping the excitement down, Im trying to learn the last things; and its three weeks until the beginning of work placement, so Im trying to make my last big efforts to get as strong and smart as possible. Im already so tired of living out of exercising, eating and reading, but it's this nice tiredness of making an effort to improve. And once again I have to be surprised, how fast it's possible to improve at something in the start. I have never been much of a going-to-gym kind of girl and if I did, I ran and did some stomach and back exercises and something with dumbells and then when about an hour was done, went back home. But now, when I've been actually doing something to get bigger and stronger and making a real effort, Im shocked how strong I am. :D not obviously compared to strong people, but compared to myself before all this. I know I have a long way to improve, but now I really want to get strong and be fit and have muscles. I used to be this runner/biker/roller skater and never really thought of nor felt as if getting any muscles or doing strenght training, but suddenly Im so into it, I dont know if I ever can get out and I hope I wont.
With all the new thoughts from the camp, I had rested and digested enough throughout the weekend and yesterday made an exercise program first thing in the morning. Then I got so excited about it myself that I needed to try it out, so I did. It was soooo...good. I had put in only the exercises I like to do but that are challenging, and then I almost mastered some of them. No. I didn't really, but I know Im going to :). The only problem with the program is that it's too long and missing some exercises, so I might need to make it into two different ones. It's real basic and real nice program, so I can post it here as well, but I'll do it in the end of the week, as then I have had some time to figure out how exactly should it be. So that's what I'll be doing in my birthday week :).
I have some thoughts about growing up as well, but I'll write them as a grown up :).
Right now I had a chocolate candy and then watched this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzktJYFkEJ0
now I cannot eat my lunch.
By the way quarter of the year is now done, how's the new-years promises going? They better be at least quarter-way filled, or you gotta start working hard.
The last post from
20-year-old Kirsi Kaups :)
Sunday 1 April 2012
What I've learned in March
Happy April! 10 more days before I'm a grown-up
:D haha...
First of all, I feel really good. It might ofcourse be also because it's spring or because I believe that this kind of clean month makes me feel good and my thoughts make me think I feel it, or just a coincidence, but I have a lot of energy, I feel very motivated and inspired to do things and I enjoy myself in the things I do :).
*All in all it wasn't a great challenge. Partly probably because as it turned out I dont eat much meat anyway and partly because as I made the plan from the start lasting a whole month, it wanst hard to stick with it, as I knew the thing is going to last for a month and there's no point thinking about it before every meal for example.
What was interesting, however, is that even though I didn't miss eating meat, after about two weeks, I started missing the feeling of it. I didnt realize it first and thought that I've just discovered that sun-dried tomatoes are good and kept on eating them, but later I figured that it's probably the texture, that it's a bit like meat. I somehow missed how it feels in my mouth - not as crunchy as raw vegetables and fruits, but not as soft as the other things I was eating.
What was interesting, however, is that even though I didn't miss eating meat, after about two weeks, I started missing the feeling of it. I didnt realize it first and thought that I've just discovered that sun-dried tomatoes are good and kept on eating them, but later I figured that it's probably the texture, that it's a bit like meat. I somehow missed how it feels in my mouth - not as crunchy as raw vegetables and fruits, but not as soft as the other things I was eating.
*I also learned that although there's been a lot of discussion whether or not it's possible to have sufficient amount of proteins and micronutrients like iron, zink, magnesium, b12 and so on in your diet when you're a vegeterian, it's actually quite easy. I double-checked myself using the webpage www.tap.nutridata.ee and managed to post almost everything I ate every day, to keep track of myself, and to me it seems that it's not very difficult to have sufficient nutrients as long at least, as one is not a vegan.
If anything, I might have run a bit low on iron. As the recommendation is bigger for females as it is for males anyway, as we loose it through our blood, and a great deal of iron comes from meat, (and heme-iron only comes from meat), it is, I'd say the micronutrient I had most troubles with.
The symptoms of mild iron deficiency are having difficulties to focus, feeling tired and moody. I think it's my symptoms you can read about a couple of posts below ;).
The symptoms of mild iron deficiency are having difficulties to focus, feeling tired and moody. I think it's my symptoms you can read about a couple of posts below ;).
*What surprised me was the social factor in it. Wouldn't it make sense, that what I put into my mouth is my decision and problem, and not supposed to affect people around me? Well, that's not how it worked. And even my hypothesis that it's gonna influence my social life because I might start avoiding parties and not feel as if I'd wanna go, was wrong.
What happened was, my friends, started to be all weird to me. For example when just going out to lunch they suddenly said 'ooooh, but you're a vegeterian now, huh? So you can't eat anywhere...what can you eat? Is there a place you know where you could have something normal?' And I was like..hey, I do eat fish..and I can just have a salad or soup..naah :D.
What happened was, my friends, started to be all weird to me. For example when just going out to lunch they suddenly said 'ooooh, but you're a vegeterian now, huh? So you can't eat anywhere...what can you eat? Is there a place you know where you could have something normal?' And I was like..hey, I do eat fish..and I can just have a salad or soup..naah :D.
And my smoking friends didn't felt weird smoking in front of me a'la you're all so healthy now and do you mind if i smoke, i can have the cigarette later if you want to, are you sure its ok with you etc etc...
AND what surprised me the most were conversations like ( I promised it really happened. repeatedly) oh it was a really great party yesterday, but we missed you so, you sooo should have been there, parties are not the same without you...and I'm like..well, you could have just invited me..:/. and they would be like yeaah, but you're not drinking anymore.
So the thing is, if you dont drink, you cant have fun and you won't be invited, probably based on the assumption that you'd say no anyway.
AND what surprised me the most were conversations like ( I promised it really happened. repeatedly) oh it was a really great party yesterday, but we missed you so, you sooo should have been there, parties are not the same without you...and I'm like..well, you could have just invited me..:/. and they would be like yeaah, but you're not drinking anymore.
So the thing is, if you dont drink, you cant have fun and you won't be invited, probably based on the assumption that you'd say no anyway.
So my friends became very aware and conscious about their own actions and felt..i guess kind of weird around me, so they (unconsciously I hope) started to avoid me. And I find it's crazy that thats how things work.
Of course it might be just cause I'm friends with the people im friends with :D.
And actually some really nice things happened as well, like for example a couple of them joined me for running, as that's a thing we can do together, and I went swimming many times with my roommate, and when I suggested for example going rollerskating and watching a movie later at home on a friday evening, my friends were up to it and enjoyed it. So the people, who managed to keep an open mind or not think about 'my march', actually start doing what one could call 'higher quality' activities with me :).
*I also learned, where in Aarhus, is the best Salmon salad; that tofu is actually ok to eat and so are olives and sun tried tomatoes; and that I do not like Falafel even if I'm a vegetarian.
*With a lifestyle like mine in March, there's no...place nor need nor..reason..for junk food. I mean..first of all, if you dont eat falafel (I dont even know how widespread as a junk it is..) then..how many items of junk you could get, is there at all? French fries..yeah..but boring..a shrimp pizza? not in the middle of the night.
Plus if no alcohol is consumed, I dont actually feel as if wanting something..and if there's no hangovers, then..yeah. When or why should you eat junk at all? So I didn't..but on the other hand I never do anyway..but it took me zero thinking about it.
Plus if no alcohol is consumed, I dont actually feel as if wanting something..and if there's no hangovers, then..yeah. When or why should you eat junk at all? So I didn't..but on the other hand I never do anyway..but it took me zero thinking about it.
*There is awful ways to be a vegetarian. If you think about it ice-cream, candies, fried potatoes, potato chips, salted peanuts, cookies, pastries and so on and so on..don't have any meat in them :D.
I did not practice that. much.
*Once I really really dreamed of a (sorry I dont know how it is in English, but) a viiner. I really really wanted to have a viiner - that's like a little sausage you put into oven or eat as it is. And the craving lasted almost the whole day :D and at one point I was so focused on it, that I actually caused a dangerous situation in traffic. :/. :D.
But then I slept on it, and it passed.
But then I slept on it, and it passed.
*And I really missed getting drunk. I'm sorry, I know how awful it sounds, but i did. I missed it for social reasons. Apparently thats like a..real proper way to slappe af or relax among a lot of people and my friends to it and they feel uncomfortable if they're drinking and Im not and think Im bored and uncomfortable and I dont want to make them feel like that, so it's easier to not be there. Plus there is only that much you can tolerate a bunch of people getting drunk when you're sober :D.
To put it in a really harsh way - life is boring without alcohol. And
*weekends actually seem shorter without partying - when I go out partying, so many things happen and I see so many people with who we do so many things, then arrive home so late that it's almost early already :D, and then go by the pronciple 'have energy to party hard, gotta have the energy to study harder', then I study and clean my home and train and maybe even party again on Saturday and then relax on Sunday and..it's like doing so much. But in March I like basically train-clean-study-meetfriends-sleep-meetfriends-study-clean-train. go to school it's monday. kind of.
To put it in a really harsh way - life is boring without alcohol. And
*weekends actually seem shorter without partying - when I go out partying, so many things happen and I see so many people with who we do so many things, then arrive home so late that it's almost early already :D, and then go by the pronciple 'have energy to party hard, gotta have the energy to study harder', then I study and clean my home and train and maybe even party again on Saturday and then relax on Sunday and..it's like doing so much. But in March I like basically train-clean-study-meetfriends-sleep-meetfriends-study-clean-train. go to school it's monday. kind of.
* I like to have a cigarette after handing in a n exam and I cant remember the last time I didnt. Again, Im sorry and know it's not nice. And I wanst even aware of it before I was in the situation. But I had a fruit smoothie instead and discovered, it was at least as good, so that's gonna be my new thing to do. (haah, it might get difficult to find one every time tho..:D)
Basically, I've learned so much about myself and other things during this one month, that I could write forever. However, these were the main discoveries if you can call them that, that I brought out here. I'm so glad I did it and I feel physically good as well. I have decided to not eat meat until next Sunday as it's..:O:| what the is that called in English?:D:D..it's...Lihavõtted/Paske and then Im going to start eating meat together with all religious people who were fasting as well.
And the future looks oh so bright:
We have started our Paske holiday, lasting for a week, during what I'm going to participate in an intensive training camp for throwers, that the coach Simon, Im going to do my work placement with, is throwing. It includes two workout sessions and a bunch of social activities every day, started yesterday and last for the whole week. People participating are all around Denmark and seem to be a lot of fun :).
We have started our Paske holiday, lasting for a week, during what I'm going to participate in an intensive training camp for throwers, that the coach Simon, Im going to do my work placement with, is throwing. It includes two workout sessions and a bunch of social activities every day, started yesterday and last for the whole week. People participating are all around Denmark and seem to be a lot of fun :).
Then it's two weeks of school again, then free for almost a week before a 48 hour exam, a little free time as Simon is travelling and then my workplacement for 8-weeks starts :)! I cannnot wait, i promise. And then it's the end of June and time to enjoy the summer :). Plan is to be in Denmark mostly in June and then in Estonia in the beginning/middle of August. And in the end of August come back to start the new schoolyear focusing on overweight and obesity. Haaah, gotta love life, right? :):P.
I'm looking forward and I keep you posted :)
:O and run to gym now, the camp is waiting :):)
I'm looking forward and I keep you posted :)
:O and run to gym now, the camp is waiting :):)
Have fun!
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