My workout!

Hey! I was at the gym yesterday and I thought I would show you my routine.
The pictures aren't that great but I hope you will understand though.

I start with running for 10-15 minutes to warm up. Then I start doing weight training, and then I usually do cardio for about 40 minutes after that. If you start with cardio instead it doesn't burn as much fat I have heard.
My favorite three exercises which have given me the best results are the following.

1. Best ass workout
Put you feet on top of the ball, like in the picture below and lift your waist from the floor.
Then "curl" your legs up and bring the ball towards your hips and go back, repeat 10 times three rounds. Rest. Do the same again if you can, trust me you will feel this one. And the higher you raise your hips, the harder.

2. Pushups
This is the one I hate/love the most. it is so hard for me since I don't have a lot of arm strength. but ever since I started doing this move I have gotten stronger and a lot leaner arms!
Just do regular pushups but with your feet on the ball. Sometimes hard to keep your balance!

3. Flat stomach!
You all probably know that if you want a flat stomach you have to eat healthy and do cardio as well. But we all still want nice abs right? So this is my absolute favorite!
Sit on the ball and do situps. use a weight like I am in the picture if you want to make it more effective.
Change it up with regular and sideways!

Good luck with your workout! See you on the beach ;)

A girls guide to "how to run your ass off"

First of all...don't take the headline so seriously.
I have gotten many questions about how to inspire yourself to put on those jogging shoes and head out for a run. I am running every second day more or less depending on how much I am working, and I love it. I actually long for the moment when I get to head out. I am going to tell you how I learned to enjoy it, because it hasn't always been like that. I actually used to HATE it! I had to force myself to go out for a jog and I always came up with bad excuses like the weather or that I felt a bit sick and so on...

I also had a period when I really wanted to loose weight so I ran two times a day. On the morning, and on the evening...when my knees started to hurt I got a wake up call and understood how foolish I had been. Running and exercising is supposed to make you feel good and keep you healthy, not the other way around. But I guess We go through different phases when we are growing up. Now I finally have found my balance and feel and look better than ever!
And not too long ago something happened. I started to LOVE running. I ran EVERY single day further and faster. I started loosing a bit weight, my muscles got tighter, I felt more energetic, happy and focused.

WANNA KNOW HOW?!
It all started in when I was in Spain. I forced myself to wake up every morning early and go out for a jog along the beach so that I would be able to concentrate on writing on my script.
It was so beautiful, warm and it simply made me feel so good that I noticed that I didn't have to force myself to get up after a while. Also my condition naturally got better so it was easier to run.
Then I just kept it up when I got back. The thing that had changed was that I made a deal with myself not to "force" myself to run. If I felt like running I would run, if not then I simply didn't, no excuses needed.
Then I got to a point where I didn't feel like running for a while...after a few days I felt so disgusting that I simply didn't have a choice. I HAD to go and run, my body demanded it.

A BIG DIFFERENCE was that I also started doing strength training. It was horrible in the beginning, especially the pushups! God I still hate doing them. I think that's the ONE FACTOR that changed it all in the end. I got stronger, leaner and running doesn't feel "heavy" anymore. I can just run without getting tired for a very long time.
So start strength training! I mainly do 30 pushups from a bench, 40 lunges, 20 squats and triceps on a bench at the end of run. If you want to loose weight it is important to do both strength and aerobic!

ALSO remember that music can enhance your achievement, it is scientifically proven. So find your favorite music that helps you get that energy into your legs! My favorite tunes right now are the songs made by my amazing and talented friend Madeleine.


LAST BUT NOT LEAST it made a huge difference for me where I run. I did some research around my area, where I could run and which route suited me the best. So I found my DREAM route. It is so stunning that I kind of "forget" that I am running because I am enjoying the view.
I took some photos while running today so I could show you...

I took pictures every 1 km on my 9 km running route with my iPhone 3gs.

About struggling with your bodyimage

I have noticed that my post "how to get a rocking body" has woken divided opinions. I am glad to see that since it kind of was my intention to begin with.
Let me explain...
I have written before a lot about the pressure many young women feel today when it comes to being thin, perfect and good at everything we do. I am one of them. And I am surrounded by amazing women who struggle with their body image. So I wanted to talk to two different women with very different body types, who both feel great about themselves, and let you see how different their habits are.
We are ALL different, and we all have to find our own balance that makes us feel good. This is what I wanted to portray, not that you should stop eating to loose weight. I can understand now, after reading my post again with distance, that some of you might had gotten the wrong impression. I am sorry for that. But I think it is grate that it wakes some sort of discussion at least. We talk way too little about this huge problem that the majority of women are struggling with. So I just wanted to put it out there, give you the truth black on white. Not any preaching bullshit. It is time to face reality, for all of us. It simply feels so much better to be in good shape. So do yourself a favour, look into the mirror and ask yourself if you really are eating and exercising so that you and your body benefit from it, even in the long run? I don't know what more to say, simply that I know that we all want to be happy. And happiness starts with eating, sleeping and exercising well. Having balance. Your body truly is your temple. Take care of it. Nourish it, the way it deserves to be nourished. You only got one body, one life. Don't waste it feeling bad about yourself...
And finally I just need to say, that I truly do find it interesting, writing about these kind of things...
and realising more and more how different we all are. That there is no given "right or wrong" way of doing things.
What do you think?

Wanna know how they got a rockin body!

I promised before that I would reveal all about how to get a body like these girls. I have talked to Bella and you can read the result below!
Next up is my cousin Tinja with her stunning body! She could model for Victorias Secret!

But first...Bella, the word is yours! Btw love her bikini from Victorias Secret!

So Bella, tell me exactly what you eat for breakfeast?
First of all, I don't eat breakfest. Ever. I usually don't wake up until 10:00.
I have never been a big fan of eating in the morning and it just makes me so hungry during the whole day. So I eat my first meal around 01:00 or 02:00 pm. I am usually hungry by then but I only eat natural yoghurt with a lot of seeds and muesli. Sometimes I also eat a piece of riebread with butter, cheese and avocado or rucola. Yummy!
   
So you don't eat a real lunch either? What about dinner?
After my "lunch" I don't eat anything until 07:00 or 08:00 pm when I enjoy my only warm meal of the day. My dinner can consist of anything but I always try to eat small portions. I also avoid carbs as much as I can. Because of the man I am living with I usually make lean proteins like chicken for dinner. With that I would enjoy a lot of sallad.

This is what Bella eats for "lunch". I love her teacup!

Do you eat anything after dinner?
I eat more yoghurt and muesli! I love it and it is healthy as well. Later I might eat a piece of bread or two.

Do you ever eat snacks in between?
If I am craving for a snack I usually eat tomatoes with mozzarella cheese and rucola. So good! Instead of eating potato chips I sometimes bake superthin slices of sweet potato with olive oil and spices in the oven. You have to try it! It is delicious and pretty healthy as well...perfect huh? I also eat vegetables with light dip from time to time if I feel like snacking.

This was Bellas snack tonight.

You don't eat so much, don't you feel hungry or out of energy? 
Sometimes. And then I tend to eat A LOT of carbs during ONE day. After that I feel stuffed and really don't feel like eating at all the next day. You know the light feeling you have when you wake up on the morning and your stomach looks flat and nice. The trick is to have that same feeling the whole day and even go to bed with that feeling, you will start loosing weight fast.
This is just what simply works for me. When I used to eat more I constantly felt swollen and had issues with my stomach.

This was Bellas dinner a few days ag

Do you get a bad conciense if you overeat?
Yes.



You do? Often?
Yes.

Why?
Well...for example. If I have eaten something bad, like say a chocolate bar, I never want to tell anyone about it because I feel ashamed.

Why do you feel ashamed?
Because it seems like everyone else can stay away from sweets and bad food. In real life I believe that a lot of people tend to eat secretely and that it is kind of common. Or maybe it's just me? haha.

So you give in to your cravings often?
I allow myself to eat what I am craving very often, provided that I have been eating very little during the day. Then it is ok. Otherwise no.

But you have lost a lot of weight this past year, how did you do it?
I have started to eat less. That's how simple it is. I don't eat out, when I lived in the US it was a lot easier to dine out. Fastfood was more ok. And even if you ordered healthy fastfood the portions were huge and ofcourse I had to eat it all then. Just eat smaller portions, that's it. Or just make smaller portions and don't make more! In the beginning you can feel hungry but after a while your stomach starts to shrink and you will be full even if you eat less.

You don't exercise do you? How do you stay fit?
Well I have never been a big fan of sports, but I usually do about 200 situps before I go to bed. I rarely train cardio but when I am at the gym I like doing a lot of strength training, escpecially with my arms. That's why I have always had slim arms. Cardio training doesn't work as well for me, I can't see any results if I don't run for like an hour every day and it is just a pain in the ass. Strength training is just easier and gives you faster results.

So finally, are you satisfied with your body right now?
I am satisfied with my upper body but would like to tone my tighs and butt more, although it is a pain in the ass literally to do it, haha.

Bellas top 5 dieting tips!
1. Don't ever eat until your stuffed. It will only strech your stomach and increase the feeling of hunger.
2. Keep yourself busy, so that you don't think about eating.
3. If you feel hungry even though you just ate, drink a lot of tea and water, it makes you feel full.
4. Try to substitute sweets with yoghurt or a smoothie. Berries are good as well!
5. hmm...be frustrated! haha...when I feel frustrated or mad I want to work out!

Check out Bellas blogg HERE 

Do you want a rockin' body?

This is my cousin Tinja. She has an amazing body as you can see. And soon I am going to tell you EXACTLY how you can look like this as well. I had a chat with her and I am going to tell you exactly what and how she eats and how she exercises!

This is Bella. One of my best friends. She also has a gorgeus body but her eating habits are very different from Tinjas as well as her exercise routin. I am going to compare their diets...this is going to be very interesting...
Find out soon!

Run bitch run

I have been running almost everyday for two weeks now. I can see and feel the difference already.
It is no surprise that you loose some weight and that your skin looks more fresh. We all knew that already. The real surprise was what it did to me psychologically.

I usually run for 40-50 minutes 7-9 km, depending on how I am feeling that day. Sometimes my body feels so exhausted when I wake up that I need to drink my morning coffee before I can even think the thought of running. But making yourself run before breakfeast is the trick. Not only does it burn more fat than running after you have eaten, but it gives your day a kickstart! I am going to tell you how it has affected me:

1. My ability to focus has changed dramatically. 
If you start your day with making yourself put on those running shoes and get out that door,
It clenses you. You get time to process all your thoughts that would be in your way during the day, the thoughts that would pull your focus away from what needs to be done. Breathing that fresh morning air (even if it's just for 30 minutes on a bad day) makes my day totally different.

2. I haven't been as hungry!
Forst of all I am not feeling as hungry as before. I did some research and found out that it is because it empties the storage of glycogen in your body(the carbohydrates in your muscles) which results in that your blood sugar is more balanced. When there is no glycogen left, that's when your body starts burning the fat. So run before you eat! Your body will burn more fat! This is why people are crazy about the LCHF diet. I tried doing that but noticed that I had NO energy left. And without energy there is NO CHANCE that you can focus and do what you need to do! Now I can eat carbs, (good ones, and a restricted amount ofcourse) I feel much better!


3. I don't crave for unhealthy food anymore!
If you start your day with doing something healthy and good for your body and mind you will notice that you don't want to stuff it with bad things afterwards! Your body is your temple and you should treat it that way. Ofcourse you have to allow yourself to enjoy your favorite foods from time to time but make sure that you really ENJOY them when you do, and that you don't regret it afterwards! Then it is not worth it! And you will get those feelings of bad conscience which leads to that you punish your body instead of giving it an indulgence. BAD BAD BAD. This only leads to that you start hating yourself for eating stuff that you shouldn't and you don't want to go down that path! It is really hard to turn around!

4. I am more inspired

5. I am happier


6. I have more energy!
Before I could feel really tired, sometimes exhausted by the end of the day. When I came home I just wanted to cuddle up on the sofa with a chocolate bar and watch tv. Not only do I find that I have the energy to work now, but I have tons of energy left over! It is a miracle!

And if I am able to keep this up I am going to look like this by summer ;) Who is your inspiration?

I could continue this list for so much longer but then it would turn into a book, so I am just going to stop here. But I hope you get the point? I know running is the last thing you feel like doing when you wake up, but after doing it for a while you get used to it and actually start looking forward to it (with the help of a little good old brainwashing).
So put on those running shoes and start your day by an endorfin kick!
It will change you slowly but surely...











And finally, buy yourself nice running clothes that you feel comfortable in and that makes it easier to get dressed! Here are some celebrity work out looks. Not anything for me though.

Feed your mind

Inspiration doesn't come by itself, it's something you have to work for, something you have to go out there and find! Most great ideas will not suddenly appear by simply sitting on your couch. And using different "substances" to get into a creative mood is a short cut, easy but not right, and it will somehow someday backfire. And anyway insipration is everywhere. You don't need substances to create, you just need an open mind and some thirst for adventure! Ideas are everywhere and you can go out there and hunt them down any day. The problem is that we are just too damn comfortable to ever really do it. If we constantly expose our senses with new stimulation, that's when ideas will start to come to uss naturally.
I myself like being comfortable. I have to drag myself out on a walk in the forest for example(afterwards I always feel great though), so that's why I am very thankful for my friends who constantly introduce me to new things.

Tonight has been magical. I met my opera singing friend Reeta and her friend Remu Aaltonen(known for Hurriganes) and we shared a wonderful experience.
First we saw a modern flamenco dance performanc. I have never seen anything like it! The lights, the music, the movement. It was so inspiring and beautiful. I tried to take some pictures, unfortunately the quality is not good but you will get the idea. I got so many new interesting visions on how you can express feelings.

Then we went to sing some karaoke which was hilarious! People went a bit nuts when Remu suddenly sang ols Hurriganes songs and Reeta sang an opera version of Delilah!

After that we got a private tour of the art exhibition Reeta works for and just talked about life and art until 3 am. I feel so rejuvenated in some way! A very interesting and productive night in many ways!

BURN FAT BURN...

Coffee will save you, literally! Read this!
My mum used to tell me that drinking coffee is bad for you, but she was wrong!

Did you know that not only does a couple of cups coffee a day lower the risk of many diseases (as diabetes, breast cancer, hepatic cancer, intestine cancer, parkinson, gallstone) but it INCREASES the burning of calories in your body just like other strong spices does. Unfortunately does your body get used to the effects of coffee really fast if you are a regular coffee drinker. BUT it increases the effects of exercise and makes you more durable! A test was made with nine bikers, where they first got to drink regular coffee and next time caffeine free coffee one hour before bicycling. They noticed that their durance increased conciderably after drinking the regular coffee. They could bicycle in full speed for 15 minutes longer than after the caffeine free cup! Here comes the best part!
Something that increased as well was their FATBURN! It increased remarkably!
I am so not giving up coffee drinking any time soon!

Along with the several positive impacts coffee also has negative ones.

1. It colors your teeth.
This is caused by the molecules of coffee that absorbs into your dental enamel. You can mostly avoid this by brushing your teeth and using dental floss!

2. Your breasts can diminish!
Damn it! At Lund university they noticed that three cups of coffee a day can diminish your breasts. Luckily it only impacts the women who have a certain gene variation. Approximately half of the Swedish women have it.

3. It disturbs your sleep
It can keep you from falling asleep as well as it impacts on the quality of your sleep. This is very individual though. Keep in mind that coffee stays in your body for about 14 hours. So if you can't seem to fall asleep skip the afternoon coffee.


4. Coffee can disturb the absorption of minerals essential to nutrition
Too much coffee can keep important minerals such as magnesium and calcium to absorb. If you wait for one hour after dining this wont be a problem though and a hint of milk in your coffee will make sure that the calcium absorbs!


Now you have to excuse me, I have to go and drink some coffee...

Bigger is not better

Here's a fact for you:
Good food makes you happy.
It's so simple and yet...not. If you know what I mean? My mother, who is a health freak used to tell me this about food. "One minute in your mouth, one hour in your stomach, forever on your hips." Made it so much easier for the teenage me to have a normal relationship to food...not. Well anyway, I think that food is one of the grate pleasures in life, and I want to enjoy my life! So I am never going to give up good food. And the best things come in small packages right? So remember (and I remind myself of this all the time) it is not the quantity but the quality that counts! So get out there and enjoy, just in small doses, because we all want to enjoy life right? And at least I can't enjoy it if I would become fat. Bigger is not better...when it comes to both food and weight. But sometimes, sometimes we have those days when we just want to eat...well I had one of those "days" today. And I have been enjoying it, but now I am so stuffed that I have to go out for a run...

So today has been a gourmet day for me. I started of with my favorite Breakfast, natural yoghurt, berries and roasted sunflower seeds and almonds with my favorite girl Isabella...Yum! Oh...and never forget the coffee! I love drinking it from my Starbucks mug, makes it almost ok that we don't have one over here...

Then I met my brother and grandmother for lunch and we ate a fabulous lunch. My absolute favorite food, sushi! It was delicious!

And then we celebrated an early Christmas with my family because we are not going to be at home this Christmas. In fact we are going to Aspen, Colorado for a month and we won't get any Finish delicacies there, but hey...I am SO not complaining ;)

the Dream girl

Who is she? Does she really exist? Is she you?
You probably don't think that yourself at least, am I right?
We all have a picture, or an image inside our head of "the perfect girl". About the girl we would like to be, the person we want other people to think we are.

But why do we want to be like someone else? Maybe it is because we don't that we are enough, simply by being ourselves. Because we don't think that that boy will actually like ME just by being ME. Instead we often put on a mask, or an act, to prove people that we are funny and smart and beautiful and...you name it!
But that's how you get lost. You loose track of who you really are.

I just saw Friends with benefits with Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake. I immediately noticed myself wishing that I would be more like Mila. Witty and sexy with big eyes and tanned skin. And then there is my obsession with Blake Lively, maybe you have noticed?
I am so angry with myself, for wanting secretly to be more like "that perfect girl".

The dream girl? Is she defined by who WE want to be or who we think OTHERS want us to be?

Here is a test for you if you are in the mood:
Try to create an image in your head of the "types" described below.

1. Who you want to be.
2. Who other people see you as.
3. Who you are.

Take your time to do this. And when you feel that you are ready compare them. Are the images similar or totally different? They shouldn't be that different. If they have no differences at all, that's unrealistic, so try again.

1. who I want to be.
Blake Lively Of course...more like who I want to look like.

2. Who other people see me as.
artsy, funny, walking her own path, doing weird stuff like this photoshoot, clueless..?

Find out who the hell you are

Feeling lost?
Well don't worry. Because we all feel that way occasionally. And the best part is that you can do something about it. So don't just sit there in drowning in the pool of self pity. Get out there! I don't think you are going to find the answer in your computer at least.

Finding out who you really are and getting to know one-self is probably one of the most important things in life. But it is an endless search. Not in a bad way, exploring who you are can be fun! I love growing up and noticing that I am a totally different person than I was a year ago and that my relationship to myself has totally changed and developed.
The best thing to do if you want to get rid of feeling lost is:
TRAVEL

I think that EVERYONE should travel. Take a friend with you or even better, travel with the most important person in your life, only yourself.
You do not need a lot of money, of course the money makes things a whole lot easier, but it is not necessary. 

Traveling does wonders for you. It is good for soul searching and I at least have found so many answers during my travels. You become independent on a whole other level. 

A few years ago I traveled around Europe. I did not have a lot of money. I used couchsurfing.org and one night I even slept on a rock on beach in Venice, but I had the time of my life and came back knowing a lot more who I am a.

I recommend it to everyone. Get out there, explore, live, laugh and figure out who you are! That's really what life is about in the end...

Life is not the days that pass, but the days that we remember...

Let there be light!

Ever felt uninspired? Well if you haven't then your'e lucky. because it's the worst feeling in the world. It empties you. Living nothing but a black hole behind. I was supposed to write today, but I just couldn't. So I sat at a cafe, deep buried in my thoughts, trying to find enlightenment. It wasn't going that well...
Then God said "let there be light", and there was light.
The whole city suddenly bathed in it. And it wasn't the ordinary kind of light, no...it was an electric and a dazzling kind, just magical. And it struck me without a warning. Suddenly everything was changed...And I knew THE answer. Everything made sense. But then the light was gone, just like it never would have appeared in the first place. I heard myself thinking "what was THE answer now again?" and that magical moment was over. But inside of me it wasn't. That black whole was suddenly gone. Instead I felt inspired, and it stayed with me the whole day. So the next time when someone asks me if I believe in magic, I will tell them "yes, because I have seen it." Today was magic...

About being thin...

That’s what our society circles around these days. And I have totally jumped on that same train...a train with destination -> UNHAPPY. 

I don’t know why, but somehow I catch myself thinking that being thin is one of the most important things to me, when it should be feeling good instead. Diets don’t make you feel good, period.

It has definitely something to do with the fact that all the women I look up to and admire are super thin. We associate being thin to success. I mean one of my friends says that the best diet is being really busy, you simply have no time to eat. Correction, not ”best diet” but ”best lifestyle”. 

Thought:

Is that why most of the succesfull women are skinny?

cool, succesfull, beutiful, inspiring and very thin. Sofia Coppola.

The always lovely and skinny Blake Lively.

Are these women simply too busy to eat? Or do they just have it all under control? Their work, style and also their diets as well as their exercise routines.

Honestly I don't think I can ever truly feel that I have succeeded if I am not in good shape. 

Being skinnier simply makes you feel good. Your clothes suddenly look better on you, you feel lighter (not only physically but mentally as well.)

Exercise and good food equals that you feel and look good.

It is a very very easy and simple equation that we all understand. Then why is it so damn hard? 

The thinner is the winner?

Amazing, daring, so talented and very particular about being skinny. Lady Gaga.

Kathrene Bigelow, the first woman to win an Oscar for best director year 2010, for her film
Hurt Locker. Imagine that it took 81 years for a women to win!
She is so amazing, and so is her body...

A young Emilou Harris with a kickass country voice and a kickass body!

super stylish, super hot and a super skinny Elin Kling.

Even Emily Dickinson ;)