1 month progresss

It is a month since I start to work with Michelle Brannan as my coach and I begin my diet. 
This month was full of new experiences and lessons. 

Diet itself was hard at the beginning but after some amends I got used to limited food and preparing everything in advance. As soon as first changes started to come, I was more motivated to keep it. I sticked to my cheat days, but the be honest only once I cheat in a full understanding of this word (where we went to restaurant and I had cheesburger and fries ;). Other 3 cheats were more like refeeds with some freshly baked baguette and some ricecakes. So carbs, carbs, carbs mainly ;)

my cheat meal after week 2

Training wise I am thrilled about my resistance trainings and still working on proper amount of cardio I had to do ;)

my regular foods: some complex carbs (wholemeal couscous), protein (oven baked white fish) and veggies with balsamic vinegar

If it comes to stats, after 4 weeks I've lost 2kg and minus 4,5cm in waist and 3,8cm in my hips. Wow! :) I couldn't been more excited!

trainings legs 3 times a week results in rounder booty ;)

But, the most importnatly, by doing that, I haven't feel that good in my own skin for years! This is the best outcome I got so far!

Free from...

Internet is back! Now I can blog again for real! :)

find me on instagram: majanordic

With previous Faceboook post probably you have noticed that I was forced to try gluten and lactose free diet. 


For couple of weeks (or even months) I've been feeling bad. Always bloated, with water retention, with huge problems with indigestion. For a person who works in fitness industry (but as well as for any other person!) this was a nightmare. Imagine coming on a class and your instructor have a belly like a 3 month pregnant woman! ;)

I started to look for some reason of that and accidentaly saw that at Stratford they make allergic tests. I took one of them and the results were obvious: highly intolerance for wheat gluten, intolerance for dairy (milk, yoghurt, cheese), yeast, leek, onion and chive. 
The only think to do for now is just to try avoid those products.

my test's results

But what is exactly a problem with intolerance of gluten and lactose? 

  
Gluten is a protein from wheat, rye and barley. 
Some people tolerate it good, some can't have anyting with gluten (one who suffers from celiac disease) and others have gluten sensivity. I am in the third group. 

If you experience bloating, pain in your joints and bones, 'chicken skin' in the back of your arms, dizzines, chronic fatique, you might suffer from the same condition as I. 

With dairy intolerance is even eeasie to explain. Most of the people has very little lactaze enzym which digest lactose, sugar from milk. But there is group of people who tolerate it even worse than others and  after consuming milk products they get bloated, sometimes diorrhoea, winds and stomach pains.


Luckily nowadays we have lots of gluten and diary free products. Not mentioning all the natural ones like vegetables, fruits, meat and fishes. However, I love yoghurts and kefir and there were always the best snack for me, so I will have to look for some other snacking choices..

even with gluten and lactose intolerance, you can still eat lots of food, just be creative!

If you also can't consume gluten (in my case only from wheat) and diary, you can still have:
* gluten free oats
* pure whey protein with little carbs in it (the less carbs - the less lactose in it)
* rice
* lentils 
* groats
* coconut, hazelnut, almond milk
* vegetables
* fruits
* starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes and so on
* eggs 
* soups (watch out for ready ones, they are often with flour)
* pastries from sesame, oats, rye or buckwheat flour
* nuts and peanut butters
* rice and corn cakes 

story of my life! cottage cheese I miss you!

Stay away from:
* bread, rolls
* yoghurts, creams
* souces
* cheeses
* tortillas
* crispbread
* cookies, muffins and pastries
* beer (contain gluten!)
* pastas 
* supplements like gainers (they have lots of carbs, with lactose included)

now we can find a big range of gluten and lactose free products! ufff!

Terrible blogger

I admit sincerely. I am terrible blogger recent days/week. 
It is all due to the fact that we are still not settled down in here, in UK. We still don't have our own apartment and share place with my man's kind family. I hope this situation will change somehow soon and I will be more dedicated to my blogging.

warm up at roing machine

If it comes to work and training, it couldn't be better. I started my own routine consisted of 3 heavy lifting sessions and 2 hiit cardio days in between. 

daily lunchboxes

I am not so strict with my diet as well, I still track my macros. I keep my carbs quite high, but I have to admit, that my body react very positive for that. 

friday flex

My current training split is: 
* back/biceps
* legs/shoulders
* chest/triceps
(I did ABS on my class and sometimes with chest day)

Beside that I have 2 cardio workouts, which are normally hight intensivity interval ones. In practice they are no longer than 25 minutes. 
Sometimes I did hiit on treadmill, sometimes by doing 15 reps of different exercises like clean up, burpees, push ups, kettelbell swings and so on. After one full month of that routine I want to track my progress by doing bodyfat percentage measurment :)

current form

Have a nice Sunday!

Cool down approach

Having a while to contemplate my recent fitness journey I would say that for last 3 weeks I have incorporated more cool down approach for my dieting and training.
 

struggling with diet and training? ;) foto by Marek Sysoł

Last years are constant battle with my body and mind (with my ups and downs). 
The more I am into that, the more I know that without love and care for yourself, you won't achieve anything. 

You can train as much as you can and eat 100% clean but if you don't do that with peace with your inner self, you will in the end collapse and find yourself binding.

After rough start with my journey in UK and very stresfful job, my body and mind were tired. I prepared myself for photosession with Marek Sysoł and did amazing job with him and then I just simply... allow myself to relax. It is totally not my style, but I felt my body needed that. 

I took 1 recovery week from training, then gradually back to gym activity. For about 3 weeks I allow myself to eat wisely but not strictly. 

today's form

I definitely look softer, but I think it will work good for metabolism as well. While you dieting you metabolic ratio decrease, especially if you are crash dieting (drastic calories restriction in a short amount of time where your body goes to starvation mode and slower metabolism in order to stay alive). Once you eat normal or a little bit more (gradually) and don't stop training, you metabolism has a chance to recover and speed up. I hope that at the end of my 'cool approach' I will achieve exact that effect.

And do you take regular breaks from dieting?

I'm back!

After some pause from blog I'm back and ready to start a new chapter of my English journey.

making off latest photosession

Over the last couple of weeks I finished my Stoppani's program as well as work for LA Fitness. I got another job offer which was even more into my interests than sales. From today I will work as gym instructor/general assistant for Soho Gyms :)

Finishing my work for LA Fitness was at the same time as I had my trip to Poland planned. It was a great ending of some chapter for me, my first chapter of my life in UK.

 

Over last week I had a photo session, then break from gym (recovery week) and dieting. I spend quality time with my closest, eat natural and home-made food and try to relax as much as possible.

made by Marek Sysoł http://foto.sysol.pl

As I mentioned, I finished Stoppani's "Shortcut to shred" program. Honestly speaking, due to my very demanding job I did 80% of the program, but still I was satisfied. 

Marek Sysoł http://foto.sysol.pl

How was effects of the program? I think that pictures from my last sessions speak for themselves :)

I start this week with new energy and excitement! How about you? :)

Sometimes you have to take step back...

yeah, one of those bad days

On Friday I found myself drained from stress, trainings and dieting with horrible mindset and in terrible mood. 

My new job is very demanding and time consuming, so I have to adapt to new, longer working hours and more stressful environment. Combined with exhausting "Shortcut to shred" trainings and low carb phase of diet, it resulted in Friday's mind&body collapse. 

my weekends remedy - normal amounts of carbs and green tea at starbucks

But I took my weekend off and charged batteries. 
I did a step back and treat my body better, give it more sleep and food (since I started to getting cold as well!).  
Three things always helps me getting better: good food, sleep and shopping. And I did exacxtly all of them ;D

week 4-5 "Shortcut to shred" form with some stress and job related distractions

My weekend, beside mental relax, was quite active though.

On Saturday I had my personal training session where I mastered deadlift technique. 
As a new LA Fitness worker I have to check classes, Personal Trainers and other facilities to make sure that I know what I am offering to our clients. That is why I had my PT session on Saturday. 

deadlift are one of the best whole body exercises but only if you do them right!

An hour with a trainer was challenging and I enjoyed it very much! I am finally sure about my deadlift technique (I found it hard to check my own form while exercising) and was reassured that my squats technique is perfect! :) After that we trained in a park with Meggie :) 

we trained at Green Park again :)

Today I joined Body Conditioning class, followed by yoga session, quick swim and relax in jacuzzi.
 

quick relaxing swimming session in our renewed swimming pool at LA Fitness WIQ

I am not keen in yoga, but my body and soul needed that and really enjoyed that form of activity and stretching. Perfect! A already feel better :)

I hope that I've charged my batteries for whole week and I won't find myself in a place like on Friday again

Silence

Lot's of things happened recently and together with two very exhausting days at work it all results with a little silence on the blog.

from yesterday's aerobic class

But I will come today again with some good food!

Roasted meat chops and recent news

easy dinner on the go (and on a budget) - roasted meat chops, roasted potatoes and vegetables

I did not came with some gym log because my body failed me and I've got sick :(
No trainings then, to let the body got back to normal form soon.

Instead f training, I cooked and also establish cooperation with Funksjonell Mat - Norwegian company which produces different types of healthy food alternatives like almond, sesame flours, natural sweeteners, cake mixes and healthier chocolates. So.. prepare for more baking recipes on the blog! ;)

they look like bread rolls or cakes, don't they? ;)

Yesterday I made healthier version of meat chops which were actually baked, not fried. 

I mixed minced meat from chicken and turkey, add chopped onion and spices, together with hemp, bran and 1 egg. 
I formed chops and put them on a baking paper and roast in oven for 40 minutes. Together with meat I prepared roasted potatoes.

This healthier version of meat chops is even easier to prepare that traditional one!

Facebook page

Hey!

If you're reading this blog and you still haven't like my Facebook page, please click "like" and stay updated!
I will appreciate your support! :)

And the winner is....

The winner of yesterday flex competition is:

Ingrid - because she is has a strong, good looking body and an angel's face :)

and Ken - for his office flex :)

Congratulations! :)

Flex and win!

add your pictures to MyRevolution's competition and win Muscles Brownies!

It's Maja's Muscle Monday aka Majas Mest Muskuløse Mandag Med Musclebrownies people! Together with MyRevolution I would like to open window number 10 from their Christmas Calendar. 

Rules are simple - share with as your picture of you and your muscles and win Muscle Brownies! Also click "like" on my Facebook page, if you haven't done it before! :) 

To add pictures to the competition hashtag them with #myrevolution on Instagram/put them on MyRevolution's Facebook page/share them on MyRevolution's Forum.

You have time til midnight when we will choose the winner!
 

The winner will get delicious Muscle Brownies. Make you Christmas even more sweet :D
 

I encourage all you to compete. No matter which shape you have - it is all about creativity and fun though!

Interview with me in Energy Magazine (english translation)

 
Few days ago I was interview for polish Energy Magazine. We talk about my blog and my two passions - Norway and fitness. 

With pleasure I share a link to this interview with you and put and enslish version of it above.

Polish version: http://magazynenergy.pl/od-joggingu-pod-torunskim-lasem-do-norweskiego-fitnessu-wywiad-z-maja-rogalska/

English version:

From jogging in Torun's forest to nordic fitness - an interview with Maja Rogalska

I present Maja Rogalska - a young girl, who has been interested in Norway for years. While living in Poland, many times she was traveling to this country, and consequently steered her life that now lives, works and continues to explore her favorite country piece by piece. In an interview we talks about how it is to fulfill your dreams, enjoy them and make new plans. Maja is writing her blog for serveral months http://www.nordicfitnesss.blogspot.com/

Katarzyna Pawłowska: Maju, I allow myself to you to speak in that way, because you're the daughter of my friend from work. I remember when you were a little girl, and now you are a grown woman who is doing well in the country which culture, history and people were a point of your interests  for many years ...


Maja Rogalska: Exactly. Norway has always been my passion. Even after graduating from high school I knew I had to do something, to learn about this country as much as possible. I studied International Relations with a scandinavian specialization, learned Norwegian in a private languages schools and traveling there every year. I was amazed by Norwegian nature, peace and way of life. Despite the fact that my marketing career was developing in Toruń, along with my boyfriend we decided to leave the country and travel to the land of the fjords. We did that not only for better earnings, we wanted to start there new life, together. It was a very good move, since I live in Oslo lfor about a a year and I do not regret the decision we made.

KP: I have to admit that I was surprised that fitness has become your dominant passion and, as it turns out, the profession now?

MR: My story is probably an example that dreams can come true at any stage of life, even when it seems that they are a complete fantasy! For several years I have been interested in fitness, first visiting local fitness clubs, later switched to at-home-workouts, and began to build a little gym at my garage. In Torun, living near the forest, I began my first adventure with jogging. In the meantime, I managed also to learn a lot about healthy eating and cooking, which slowly became my passion. Totally amateur, learning from my mistakes, I started to understand the idea of healthy lifestyle. This was nicer to see that, in contrast to Poland, Norwegians are taking care of their health, doing sports and cooking light which is something ordinary and everyday,  not just seasonal.
I found my first job in Norway in a fitness club. Although I was looking for engagement in other places, the owner of a large fitness club Sports og Mosjon was most interested in my candidacy. Initially, I was responsible for marketing and reception only, with time, and after proper training, I also started to work as an instructor. Firstly there were only spinn classes, but later also aerobics, step and strength training. Working as a fitness instructor turned out to be THIS~! I found a job that gives me so much pleasure, that it's hard to call it work!

KP: In Poland you were taking a fitness course. What exact specialty. Can you tell us something about that?

Q: Two days ago I finished an intensive course of physical recreation instructor with a specialty fitness / aerobics, organized by the Polsih Fitness Academy. Despite the basic training in Norway, I decided to get a licensed instructor to be able to do this job anywhere (my certificate is valid throughout Europe). But most importantly, I wanted to increase my competence. Of course, I could take a similar course in Oslo, but it was a lot easier for me to learn the basics of fitness training and theory in my native language first, and later in Norwegian. In addition, Norwegian prices are really high in comparision to polish ones, in addition, I can meet up with the whole family. During the course facility also managed to get a certification to trainin Total Muscle Training. TMT is a training system consisting of a combination of performing simple exercises with gradual increase of their difficulty and pace. This is a typical interval training and during the one-hour class can burn around 600 calories! From what I know so far I am the only authorized person in Norway  to teach this class, so I can not wait to introduce these classes at my gym!
 

KP: Where did the idea for having a blog Nordic Fitnesss came from?

Q: There were many clients asking my typical questions after my classes - why did they not lose weight despite exercising, how to lose fat from hips, what to eat, etc. In addition, I was inspired by fitness oriented Norwegian women who are having similar blogs. I came across this blogs by looking at their recipes for low-calorie dishes and effective workouts. I needed some time to get used to the idea of such a - kind of - online exhibitionism and the possibility of starting my own blog. However, after a few months, I finally decided to do this. At nordicfitnesss.blogspot.no I share my experiences about workouts, diet and insights on the life of polish girls in Norway. I hope that by doing this I could gain trust of my current and potential clients. I would like to continue my education and eventually work as a personal trainer . I'm 'new' in Norway so I want to show other that fitness is not only the way I am earning money but a way of life. I know how hard it is sometimes to fight your own weaknesses and chronic lack of time. If I can share my experiences, findings and ideas with others - I'd be happy if any will use them. Nordic fitnesss is an English-language blog, because I wanted to make it both for Norwegians and Poles.

KP: Do you have time to travel round Norway in your spare time? What corners of the country did you visit so far?

MR: I was lucky that I managed to see Norway from south to north before I moved here permanently. The first time I came to the land of the fjords I was at the age of 16 and since then I managed to be in almost every corner of this beautiful country - from the south to the North Cape itself. In addition, on weekends, we try to explore areas round Oslo and when we have a little more time, we take a car and drive to the fjords. Two hours drive from Oslo and move to a different, magical land. There are still places where you want to go (Trolltunga), there are also those where we have to return, such as Kjerag.

KP: We have already written on our website ENERGY about Norway, where you can bike around all the country. What type of travelling in this country can you recommend?

Q: The car, a tent and a full tank of petrol. In Norway, you can camp almost everywhere, the car also gives you the freedom of movement, not necessarily on typical tourists routes. Car take us to the place we want to visit, and later with a backpack on your back we can go to the mountains. If we get bored of winding road, we can take a ferry. Not necessarily expensive tourist ferry, sometimes having water tram ride from island to island can provide mass experience!
 

KP: Do you have a favorite place here? Any tips?

MR: My favorite is the town Flåm - it is like Norway in a nutshell - fjords, mountains, beautiful nature and climate cottages. There you can kayak through the fjord, take a bike or climb to the top of the surrounding mountains. It is located on the Aurlandsfjord, branch of the largest Norwegian fjord Sognefjord. Undoubtedly, an important tourist point of Norway is Preikestolen, also known as Pulpit Rock. I would recommend, however, climb up to Kjerag and Kjeragbolten, the so-called 'ball'. But I must warn fans of mountain walks - is a proposal only for the brave ones. Mountain range is situated high above the sea level and roads and tunnels leading to it are closed for the winter until the snow melts. The route to the summit is challenging and long (3 hours up, 3 hours back). All, however, compensates by the views and incredible rock ball suspended between two rocks. Kjerag is an unusual place for me because I tried to get there four times, but each time something came on my way - buried tunnel, closed road, bad weather, inadequate preparation for the tour ... It was only the fifth time, after 3 years trying, I managed to get in there! The satisfaction of overcoming so many obstcles and realize my dream was amazing!
 

KP: Your fitnness blog is also partly a culinary blog, isn't it? What about typical Norwegian food? What do you recommend to our readers?

MR: As I said, cooking is my passion. Willy-nilly, on my blog there are many rules and pictures of dishes. That's what separates Norway from the Poland, is no variety of products in stores. I was used to the fact that in Polish shop I find everything - the mass of dairy products, fresh meats, vegetables and cheap meat. Of course, I find the same products in Norway, with the only difference being that everything is more expensive and less varied. There are two manufacturers of yogurt and all meat is already packed and portioned. Norwegian market is very poor in this aspect, what is why I was forced to modify my cooking habits. If I had to choose one dish with  to recommend, I'd choose what Norwegians have the best - fish. Grilled fresh salmon need only a little salt and basil, wrap in foil and roasting for a few minutes in the oven or on the grill. Interesting to taste the fish is also atlanitc trout - I prepare it like salmon and serve with broccoli and sweet potatoes, which have recently conquered my heart.

Norwegians also have a great picnic food, such as potato-spell pancakes called 'lomper' - it's like a small pancakes, which can be served as a base for the dessert when you decorate them with cottage cheese with fruits or lunch when you put a ham and cheese with lettuceinside. Wrap it and fast&healthy snack is done! Lomper can be found in every Norwegian store, but I'll try to put on the blog a recipe for homemade lomper.

 
KP: What are your plans for the future?

Q: I would like to continue working as a fitness instructor, leading classes in a couple of clubs and start working as a personal trainer. I care about the development of the blog and would love to multitude the number of readers. I am also open to establish new contacts with the sport clothing manufactures and health supplements. I want to help other women understand their bodies and help them work on them. And most of all I want to continue to enjoy life and explore Norway. And there are so many places which I still haven't been!

KP: I support your plans, good luck!