Flashback to a couple of months ago; I was skinny, I had visible abs and my legs were ‘to die for’. Simply said; according to instagram I was #goals. That hashtag kept turning up under my pics but somehow  I didn’t feel that way. I started to realise that what I posted online influenced others. Was this really the message I wanted to send? No, it wasn’t. And that’s why I decided to start my journey of gaining weight and began taking those fist steps to self-love and self acceptance. 

Those countless pictures I took on the beach never made it to instagram, and why? Because my perfectionist self felt like they weren’t ‘good’ enough. You couldn’t see any definition on my belly, my arms looked fluffy, I always found a reason not to post them.

It might have not been that clear but even though I looked fit, at each fat percentage measurement I scored quite high. And yes, even in comparison with those who aren’t considered fit. And like that grew the ‘obsession’ of having a lower fat percentage. Having been in a caloric deficit for so long my metabolism was completely screwed up and I had to eat less and less to maintain my weight. It came to a point where even staring at a brownie practically made me gain a kilo.

Then one day I decided it was enough. Yes I wanted a lower fat percentage, but I wanted more than that. I wanted to be able to enjoy life, feel comfortable in my own skin and above all; be a worthy example. Having lost so much weight my feminine curves seemed to have disappeared completely. It was time to make some changes!

Switching from losing weight to gaining weight was scary and I think it’s needless to say that I wasn’t happy with the fact that I gained 5 kilos in my first 2 weeks of bulking. Of course this was mainly water weight that my body held on to due to the sudden changes but still F-I-V-E Kilo’s, I felt like a balloon. Instantly my jeans were too tight and this was a constant reminder of the weight I had gained. The people around me were surprised, did this fit girl actually gain weight? Lots of them even wanted to ‘feel’ my fat. The first month was though.

It didn’t help that so many people felt like giving their -clearly not asked for- opinion. Both on the internet and in real life people called me anorexic. Meanwhile I was working my ass of to gain some weight. Then there were the people who thought it was okay to call me fat -like seriously?!- Or with a voice of disgust had to mention how obvious my weight gain was and that I’d better do something about it before I turned into a little piglet.

One day it came to the point where I was crying in my bed. Who were these people thinking they could pin their opinions up on me? I dragged myself in front of my mirror and stared at my newly gained fat. It was that moment that I decided something very important; I thought I was beautiful no matter what. I was done listening to the opinions of others and letting them hurt my self esteem. From now on I was going to do what I desired. Finding happiness, it’s as simple as that.

I did not feel uncomfortable in my own skin because of myself but because of the opinions of others. Staring at myself for a really long time made me realise that if I forgot about the ‘standards’ of todays society for a little while my body was just that; my own body. No need to criticise it, no need to find ‘imperfections’. This body had kept me alive for the past 20 years and all I did was hating it. My body deserved to be loved instead of loathed. And actually it had been loved all those years but constantly hearing that I shouldn’t, that I had to look a certain way to be beautiful had completely faded those positive feelings away.

That said I didn’t care for the 9 kilos I gained over those 4 months. I was happy with them and proud of my achievements. And yes I do want to lose some of the extra fat I gained but there’s no need to hurry. I’m happy with where I am in the moment whilst working on further progress.

If I look back now I also don’t see any problems with my physique from a couple of months ago. The biggest difference is not physical, it’s the confidence and the acceptance of who I am regardless of that I look like. I hope you can find that same acceptance and be at peace with yourself. Nothing is more destructive than your own mind. Then again, nothing is more powerful than your mind either. Use it in your advantage and make the best out of your life!

Read a bit more about my weight gaining experience here!

Hooray, it’s Easter! This means gatherings with the family at which you eat like you’ve never seen food before. It would be great if it weren’t for that voice in the back of your mind telling you that you shouldn’t eat that much. But hey, everyone deserves a carefree Easter! Let’s get a quick workout done before hopping to those next Easter eggs!

Whether you’re trying to eat healthy or lose some weight holidays like these can be a dilemma. On the one hand you want to keep on track but on the other hand you want to enjoy these days to the fullest. The decision is yours. Personally I feel like there’s nothing wrong with treating yourself  -in moderation of course!-. But if you’re really strict or think this will not be enjoyable at all, don’t do it. It’s easy like that.

But there’s also the more difficult group; The ‘I-will-treat-myself-but-feel-guilty-afterwards group’. Sounds silly doesn’t it? Still most of us will feel guilty or like they ‘failed’ whilst they haven’t done anything wrong. Try lowering that feeling of guilt by consciously deciding that you’re gonna enjoy Easter and everything that comes with it. It’s a holiday for a reason so stop stressing!

Getting a workout done is always satisfying and defenitely after indulging mountains of chocolate shaped bunnies and eggs. -oh and you know you’re gonna eat some more- Going to the gym might not be an option these days. Maybe the gym is closed, you’re not in your hometown or that little cousin of yours won’t let go of you. So why not burn some calories at home in between Easter snacking? -hey someone’s gotta finish the leftovers!-

Easter workout:

• 20 jumping jacks
• 10 jump squats -look at you jumping like a bunny!-
• 15 hipbridges
• 1 minute plank
• 10 burpees
• 10 push ups

There are different ways of doing circuits.

You can either decide to do as many of the following exercises in 8 minutes, have some rest and then do 8 minutes again. Try going for at least 2x 8 minutes depending on the time you have.

You can also, this one is a bit more challenging, decide to do 4 circuits in a row without any rest, take 3 minutes of rest after the 4 circuits and then do 4 more.

I’m going to assume that you know these exercises but if you have any doubts google should be able to give you a helping hand. When it comes to the push ups try NOT to do them on your knees! Not able to do ‘regular’ push ups? Read here how you should be doing push ups for now.

Still need some creative yet easy ideas for Easter brunch? Check out this blogpost!

Happy Easter to you!!

XX

With Easter being just around the corner we are getting bombarded with chocolate bunnies, eggs and much more. Maybe you’re already exhausted by the fuss we make out of Easter brunch nowadays. Or it could be that you’re planning what should be the most impressive Easter ever. But what will you be making for Easter brunch? Here are some creative ideas to get you started.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Eggs are turned into little chicks quite easily. Use some cheddar or little pieces of carrots to create the beat and use peppar grains for the eyes.

There’s yet another savory option that we shouldn’t forget; bunny eggs! No matter if you make an ommelette, scrabled eggs or sunny side up it will work. Get creative and use your favourite breakfast ingredients to design your easter bunny.

Maybe you’re a real kichen princess and are planning on doing some baking. I’ve got 2 options for you; sweet or savory. Aren’t these little chick cookies the cutest? Definitely a winner if you’re spending easter with kids of if you’re a big easter fan. Find the recipe here! Chances are you’re more of a savory fan and maybe don’t feel like having edible chicks at brunch. This Huevos rancheros crescent bake is perfect for you then. It has the easter feeling without going over the top. Find the recipe here!

This one is an absolute winner. Whether you have kids or are just with your grumpy boyfriend/girlfriend, who does not love bunny pancakes? This is what I made with easter last year and I absolutely loved it. Use your own pancake batter (or mine) and create circles for the base of the head. For the ears you can either use a spoon to spread the batter in the right shape or just cut the pancake after baking. If you’re really in the spirit try making a the happily hopping bunny!

Are you just too addicted to that everyday sandwich you have? No problem, it’s easily transformed into an easter sandwich. Just cut out a piece of the upper slice in whichever shape you prefer and ‘tada, there’s your easter brunch.’

And for those who were already tired of easter before it had even started or don’t feel like putting all the effort in. Simply boil some eggs and decorate them (or not). If you’re really lazy you could just buy them painted already. -no one will know you bought them- Tell your family you stayed up all night painting those eggs, they’ll love it.

 After having lost a lot of weight it felt like I’d literally been working my ass of and it was time for some changes. That’s why a couple of months ago I started my bulk. I made the decision to go from really skinny to building some curves and I was quite nervous about doing this. Who said I was actually going to gain muscle instead of just fat? 

I’d always intended to bulk one day but somehow I kept pushing the starting date forward. Who was gonna bulk with a beach holiday ahead? I always found different excuses but truth is I was just scared. Being so active on instagram had made the impression that I was this fit, skinny and lean girl. That’s what people would expect if they saw me coming through the door. How were they going to react if that changed? What if I’d only gain fat?

My experience

In the first 2 weeks of my bulk I instantly gained 5 kilo’s. It made me feel fluffy and quite insecure. Most of it was water weight and over time it slowly got replaced by more muscle and fat. These first weeks really were something I had to get through and the thought of quitting my bulk did come up to my mind. Nevertheless, I decided there was no going back. I had to do this! Once I let go of those numbers on the scale things got easier.

When I started my bulk I told myself I had to bulk for 3 months. I have to admit that there have been moments I wanted  to quit. Not really fitting into my jeans anymore didn’t necessarily make me happy. Then there was this moment at which I realised why I was doing this -more about that in the next blogpost- and I ended up deciding to bulk for 16 weeks.

Now the big question that you’ve all been asking; how much weight did I gain in these 16 weeks?

The answer to that is 9 kilo’s!

If you’d told me this before hand I would have been shocked. Gaining 9 kilo’s sounds like a huge amount, and it is. I’m actually almost back at the weight of the before pic of my transformation. I’m looking so different though! If I’d gained 9 kilo’s of fat I’d definitely look kind of fluffy, but I don’t. My muscle definition hasn’t changed that much and my fat% is actually lower than before my bulk. According to measurements I gained about 7 kilo’s of muscle mass. Definitely something I feel like I can be proud of! (difference between the picture on the left and right is only 3 kilo’s! difference between the middle pic and the one on the right is 9 kilo’s)

Now that it’s over I can say that bulking has been one of the most difficult but mainly best things I’ve ever done! You’ve got to trust the process and let go of so many fears. It has tought me to be happy with where I am at that moment even though it might not be where I want to be.

Right now I am in a cutting phase to get rid of some of that fat I’ve gained over the past months. If you’re interested in how I’m planning on doing that, you can read it here!

Next blogpost: The emotional rollercoaster that was my bulk. I’ll be showing you a more personal view of the whole thing and the bare truth. Why did I decide to do this and how important is self acceptance?

& a more detailed explanation of my nutrition and training during my bulk + a food diary. 

I’ve decided to separate these different aspects so I can give you a better explanation of each one of them. Oh and let’s all take a moment to appreciate those booty gains.

The winter months are great; we go from stuffing ourselves with christmas to downing even more food & drinks on New Years eve. Oh and don’t forget the countless cups of hot chocolate and delicious cupcakes you had. We all know you deserved them, it was freezing outside! Then we move on to valentines day and Easter. But wait, suddenly it’s March. Shouldn’t we be getting summer ready? Thankfully MENATWORK is coming to the rescue to get you fit in time for summer!

We all enjoy the holidays, getting together with family is great. But secretly we’ve mainly been looking forward to shamelessly indulging mountains of food. And yes, us so-called ‘fitties’  too! We just like to call it bulking and pretend we gained those extra kilos on purpose. No one is thinking about bikinis yet cause ‘brrrr’.

When the trees are starting to blossom and the birds are starting to sing we know what is coming; Spring! Suddenly those days of wearing shorts are coming closer and we’re starting to worry about that little layer of fat. Many make the mistake of thinking you can get summer ready when summer is only 2 weeks away. Imagine sculpting a statue of yourself. It’s gonna take time to get it exactly how you want it, right?

That’s why MENATWORK decided to give you a helping hand. They’re offering 3 different types of workouts 6 weeks long. Bootcamp and boxing to get that heart rate up like never before. And of course yoga because getting fit can be stressful. Working out together has shown to keep you motivated and adds a lot of fun. -Show your best friend who’s fittest during boot camp!- These workout will be held all through the Netherlands & Antwerp. Best part; they are completely free! Get summer ready without seeing your wallet getting slimmer too.

Sign up Here!

Locations of the workouts

• Antwerp
• Arnhem
• Amsterdam
• Den Haag
• Groningen
• Nijmegen
• Amersfoort
• Maastricht
• Tilburg
• Den Bosh
• Eindhoven
• Enschede

Some days you just wanna put on your sweatpants, comfy sweater and a messy bun in your hair. Well actually you didn’t want to do all of that, you just wanted to stay in bed. Sadly that’s not an option and your sloppy outfit makes you feel even worse. Putting on some sparkles instantly brightens up your day!

These shiny flared trousers have it all! Not only do they shine -just like you-, they are also super soft and thus comfortable to wear. While you’re feeling like you’re wearing leggings; the material, colour and flared ends make it look like you’re making a fashion statement. -winwin-

You’re gonna want to stay warm though so put on a sweater! I absolutely adore this woolen light grey one. It’s simple, yet has its loose hanging turtle neck to give it just that tiny bit extra.

Add a little clutch and you’re ready to rock your day!

Trousers: H&M Sweater: H&M Shoes: Superga Clutch: &otherstories

Earphones, I’ve got plenty of them. Mostly black but sometimes white. One thing they all heave in common; they are not so stylish. Then there’s the option to switch to headphones since they do come in style already. But are they convenient? I am pretty sure that silly me would sit on them and they don’t seem that comfy for a workout either. So I can tell you that I was quite excited when I came across Sudio earphones.

Their vision is one I like; beautiful products with a good quality yet affordable. Full of excitement I opened the package when it finally arrived. The box said it all. Not only did I get a fine product, the packaging itself was already something on its own.

My earphones had their own little leather case; could have just ordered this only for the accessories that came with. It felt a bit like I had just bought myself a Barbie doll with different outfits and accessories. There was the little bag, the pin to keep the wires together and different sizes of sleeves.

 

That’s nice and all you’re probably thinking right now but how is the actual earphone function? I’m gonna be totally honest with you; I do not have any kind of musical talent or experience so telling you how amazing the technology is would be a bit stupid. If you do have some knowledge about this you should definitely check the specifics on their site! What I can tell you though is that my music has never had as much ‘dept’ as it has now. All sounds are so clear!

As a little surprise I’ve got a 15% discount code for all of you! Use the code: IMRECECEN

Visit their website here for more beautiful products!

Hi there! If you follow me you probably know that for the last couple of months I’ve been bulking. The idea of bulking was to gain weight, aiming for more muscle mass. Nevertheless I -as expected- gained some extra fat  too.  Well, bulking season is over and now it’s time to lose some of that newly gained fat! So how am I planning on doing this? 

In this post I’m going to give you a short explanation of what I’m changing in my training routine and diet.This is what I’ve got planned for now but of course I might have to make some other changes if these do not work out the way I want them to. If so I’ll update you guys in a month or so.

Diet

The last 16 weeks I’ve been eating +3000 calories a day. Great to gain weight, not so great if you want to lose it. I’m starting my cut at +-2000 kcal a day. It’s very important to make sure I’m still eating enough. I want to lose some fat, not muscle mass! Of course  the first things I’ll be cutting out of my diet are things like candy and chocolate. -which I’ve been eating plenty lately- That doesn’t mean I am forbidding myself to eat them. If I really feel like having some; I will. It’s called moderation people!

If after 4 weeks there are still no results I might lower my calorie intake a bit, or make sure to burn more calories through the day.

Training

Cardio is back on the schedule! That doesn’t mean I’ll be neglecting my weight training though. I am going to combine the next ways of training to get the best results.

• Weight Training: I’ll be doing more sets, higher reps and less rest in between.
• HIIT: Hooray! Interval runs on the treadmill are back. I am so happy! -not-
• Circuit Training: In circuits you can combine cardio elements with weight training. The high tempo will definitely get that heart rate up. -and my tomato face on-
• Cardio: Inclined treadmill walks, rowing etc. Not so special but will definitely burn some calories.

Losing weight is actually just math; burn more calories than you consume. Personally I’d rather train a bit harder so I can still eat plenty than drastically cut my calories.

I will share my bulking experience with you all as soon as possible! I decided to put this one up first because I got so many questions about how I was going to cut etc.

Flared jeans; for a while now we’ve seen them make a comeback. With plenty of ways to combine them I went for an all black version – black is never wrong-. And when you’re wearing flared jeans, why not as well wear a flared top? #flaredeverything

Your concern with this flared hype  might be a shoe issue. Do you have to wear heels? No absolutely not, they work perfectly fine with sneakers too. Okay, okay there is a catch. This works as long as you find the right pair of jeans.

For these jeans I do need a slight heel and no not for any fashionable reason. Purely because I do not reach supermodel  heights and without that little extra bit of height I’d be stepping on and ruining my jeans.

If you absolutely do not want to be even near heeled footwear just find yourself some jeans which aren’t too long. -or let a tailor take them in-

The beauty of #flaredeverything is that you do not get to decide what your outfit looks like. The wind and your movements do. Let it loose, do a little dance and your clothes will be dancing with you.

Jeans: H&M Top: H&M Boots: Pull&Bear

Hey lovelies,

I noticed a lot of similarities in all of your stories and therefore wrote down these 5 stages of gaining weight. You might be able to relate to some of the stages but some of them could of course also be unrelatable for you. Keep in mind; everyone is different and deals with things in their own way. This post is either to take a critical look at yourself, find a way to prevent making the same ‘mistakes’ in the future or maybe just for fun.

Denial

You usually go through denial first. ‘it’s not that much’ ‘just some water weight’ ‘I’ll start eating healthy next week’ ‘really, I’ll go to the gym again’. Sound familiar to you? In the beginning the weight you’ve gained isn’t that noticeable yet and pretending it isn’t real just makes you feel so much better about yourself. At this moment you can’t handle the truth yet and making up these simple excuses is easier than facing the truth. I’d like to call this stage denial.

You only realise what has happened when it’s too late and your jeans ‘suddenly’ don’t fit anymore. For some months you’ve fought with your jeans every morning and once they were on you pretended that the struggle never took place. You probably continue doing this until the day comes that you don’t win the battle anymore and have to buy a new pair. -leggings are now your best friends since they don’t have precise sizes-

Anger

This is where anger sets in. It’s not your fault that the stupid jeans don’t fit anymore, they shrunk during laundry. You might even blame other people ‘it’s not your fault that all of your friend’s birthdays were in this month’. Blaming others is always easier than taking a critical look at yourself. The thing with weight gain is though, is that most people do blame themselves and not in a healthy way. Often self hate and disgust arise and can cause gaining more weight since many like to comfort themselves by eating the pain away. Eating because you’re sad and then getting sad because of the eating is a vicious circle and difficult to get out of.

Bargaining

This one can make you go completely insane. As you start to question why you did certain things the answer keeps being that you made some ‘bad’ choices. Maybe you shouldn’t have eaten that much on that holiday, or always eat out with your friend. These questions have heightened your self-consciousness and you don’t like what you’re seeing. You realise that you can’t blaim others; they didn’t stuff the food in your mouth and they also didn’t tie you up keeping you from going to the gym.

Disappointment

Realising what your decisions and behaviour have led to probably makes you feel sad. Most people will feel disappointed in themselves and regret their actions. It’s important not to drown in self sorrow but to actually take responsibility, this is the first and most important step to acceptance. A lot of people get stuck in this stage and end up telling others how they aren’t happy with themselves and really have to lose some weight. Trust me, no ones feels sorry for you when you’re complaining about your extra pounds whilst shoving cupcakes and donuts into your mouth. This kind of behaviour will bring you annoyed looks and nobody will take your seriously which also means not that much support.

Acceptance

This final step is the most important one. Personally I think that without accepting what has happened and realising that you can’t go back in time and change this, your weight-loss journey is kind of doomed to fail. Accepting and reflecting what went wrong and why this happened can prevent a repetition. Starting a diet or fitness program because you are full of self loath won’t get you far. Make changes because you love yourself and want to be the best version of you!

Of course you don’t have to lose weight! If you’ve gained some extra pounds but are completely happy with yourself, please don’t make society change that!

How did I cope with my weight gain?

As I said it everyone deals with this differently. As for my way of dealing with the weight I had gained I actually stayed in the denial stage for way to long. That daily struggle with my jeans didn’t bother me that much and I was actually happy with my self (this is important people). Then one day I woke up and realised that I had let it go too far and something had to change. At that moment I still didn’t fully realise how much I weight I had gained and that I really did look fluffy. It is now, when I look at those pictures, that I see all the fat.