WHY WHY WHY??

I've got a lot of questions lately of why I'm doing this to myself. Especially after I came back home to Norway.


"Why did you decide to get that big?"

- Like I'm THAT big (sounds like I'm the hulk, and actually I feel pretty small :P)

"Why did you decide to train like guys?"

- What? come again. Train like guys you said, do you mean to train, lift weights? There is no guy training nor no girl training - except the focus of different body-parts maybe(like guys wants big arms, and girls loves a nice booty)

"Why do you want that low fat percentage?"

- Simple: To see the muscles I've been working so hard to build during my bulking period, you can't see them through the fat.

"You are not going more extreme now are you?"

- well, there is a competition coming up, so yes, I'm going more extreme. The fat percentage still has to go down.

"I think that there comes to a certain limit when it doesn't look nice anymore, do yo?"

- hmm, actually not. Maybe when the women starts to grow a broad jaw, a little penis and hair growth appears at places it should not.



Well, I want to thank all of you others for supporting me, believing in me, backing me up, giving incredible motivating comments and remarks - knowing there is NO shortcut to get where I've gotten today.

This picture summarizes quite well why I do what I do, and I can imagine there is more of you people feeling the same way.
Don't let the "haters" drag you down, make you have second thoughts or make you question yourself. (been there, done that - but now it's enough! ;) )
Do it for your own reasons, do it for yourself and not for anyone else.

To me, a trained athletic body says more that just esthetics. It screams discipline, a will to use the humans total potential and a will that can move mountains in any situation in the daily life.

To me the training makes me stronger in every situation!
and as I've written many times before, I think it's amazing to see how the body can transform with some adjustments in activity and diet. This time I decided to take it to the extreme, and make the mind and body ready for the stage!

Some people just needs a challenges everyday, and I guess I'm one of them.

This is btw me ready to train like a man! ;)

And it gives results! To me this is something to work against, to me muscles and low fat percentage on a girl is pretty! Say whatever you want, but I will continue doing my thing ;)

Will you?

Dessert containing less than 300 kcal! (+ a small update)

Raspberry Sorbet with yoghurt and cherries

Ingredients	Approx nutritional content
200g frozen raspberries 250ml natural yoghurt 50g cherries (5 pieces +) Cinnamon 1/2 tsp Bourbon vanilla (you can drop this one if you want) 3tbsp unmixed fun light raspberries	Kcal 264 Protein: 12,5 Carbohydrates: 26g Fat: g 10,4

You need a blender, hand mixer or smoothie machine :)
How to?

1. Weigh the raspberries and put them in a bowl/the blender or so together with the fun light and the vanilla

2. Measure up the yoghurt, put it in a deep bowl and have some cinnamon on top

3. take out the stone of the cherries

4. Now the raspberries has defrost a bit, and are ready to be blended until they have a nice smooth consistence :)

put the sorbet on top of the yoghurt, decorate with the cherries and EAT with a clear conscience ;)
put the sorbet on top of the yoghurt, decorate with the cherries and EAT with a clear conscience ;)


tip: If you want it sweeter, add more fun light into the berries during blending




Now I got two months left of my diet, and as you see: I'm trying to make all my food as tasty as possible..
I'm craving for everything at the moment, and the only way to satisfy this cravings is to make food that tastes good and looks good ;)
To be on a strict diet, does not equal to eat food with no taste ;)



To all of you others out there being on a diet, hold strong, stay continuos in what you are doing - and the results will come!
For the first time in my life I can spot some vessels on my belly, and I'm soo proud! This picture is taken in the morning, so "kåre blodåre" hides after a meal ;P

Hope you all enjoy your summer, and are creating memories together with the ones you love.

Peace out! :)

Delicious summer dinner tip :)

Tonje's shrimp special ;)

Exotic spicy coconut shrimps!

How to??

Ingredients	Approx nutritional content
50 g dry rice 75 g shrimps 100g mixed salad 1/2 chili ( I like it spicy) and some fresh garlic 1 tsp coconut oil (cocosa) 1 slice lime curry dried basilicum	317kcal Protein: 25g Carbohydrates: 40g Fat: 6g

Well - this ingredients list is for me and my diet to fit my macros - use as much as you want to of the different stuff ;)


First of all - this tastes best with fresh/frozen shrimps - don't use the one in that smelly, salty "water"!
If you don't have the patience to clean them yourself, make sure you rinse them good with water!

1. Put the shrimps (after cleaning them) in a bowl together with the oil, garlic and chili - stir well together and let it stay 
2. Boil rice (I use Basmati rice), and add curry and bassilicum to it while it's boiling
3. cut the salad, put it on the plate and add whatever spice you want to it
4. When the rice is done - put it on the plate and lay the shrimps on top of it so it gets heated by the rice and squize the lime over it.
5. EAT :D

Keep on having a great summer! :D

Stay focused on you goals and creative with your food ;)

Competition coming up! (fast!)

Hey! Long time now see!

A lot has happen since last post!

I've had a bunch of exams, I've moved to Norway - and now - finally I can lower my shoulders a bit - and try to have total focus against my training.
Don't worry  - I've sticked to my training regime and diet all the time, but now (or pretty soon) I can get my mind totally set against my goals again.

It's hard to be in this transitional phase! Now I have to adjust to new surroundings, and create new routines which has to fit into how the daily life will be here in Norway. It's been 4 years since I lived in my hometown Kongsberg - and I must admit its a bit weird and at the moment I'm a bit lost!



During the summer - there will be occasional updates on my blog, - now its time to focus on people around me and personal development. But - I will stay active on instagram so feel free to follow me: tonjecho



The competition is right around the corner, and 21st of September I have to be in my best shape ever! Both mentally and physically. Aiming to be ready for competing in women's physique.


Here you got some pictures taken lately, updating you a bit of how the shape is now ;)
Slow but steady progress! The key now is to find a way to keep the progression going with no stagnation and minimal muscle loss!

The lower the fat percentage, the closer to the competition and the closer I'm to my dearest ones - 

my respect for this sport and the ones successful in it grows every day!

You need a psyche of steel! And a big group for support around you - without the amazing and big support I get from my boyfriend - I wouldn't even be close to where I am today.

I'm also a part of a team now: Teambodywork - and I'm really looking forward to meet all of them!



This was btw my breakfast today!
(I must admit I go early to bed, just so I know that when I wake up its not long until I can have a delicious meal!)
With some creativity - egg-whites, oatmeal, and fruit can turn into a master piece! ;) Topped with cinnamon, and chocolate sirup from walden farms!

Hope you enjoyed the summer so far! :) Try to make every moment a special one :)

Peace out!

Time for rest!!

Look how happy I was this morning, full of energy and happiness - knowing that today I can train again :D

How the hell should I know that someone was going to take out my batteries one O'clock???!?!??! :@
- I didn't, but someone did!!
Back to fever, and adding sore throat ! - how is that possible?? shouldn't medicines remove this stuff?? Not adding extras??
Just don't get it...

Was thinking first to just take allot of ibuprofen and dexaphrine, and then hit the gym anyways!
But then some common sense finally took over the control again.. So now there will be rest until monday.. :-O Don't have time to be sick, and surely don't have time to be sick for a longer period: So then it's TOTAL rest until monday!

So just gotta say it! Life sucks right now!
- Cravings (yeah, the body would like to have some extra energy now - to be sick is stress for the body, and then it wants more food (because it also uses more energy to get rid of that bacteria/virus/foreign materials)... BUT - got to stay strict to the diet - have to do at least that right when I can't train!)
- tired
- Feels like all my muscles disappears
- Feeling worried about measurement and status update monday
- Didn't get to check the fat percentage today!!


Well, sharing my thoughts actually relived some of the pressure I feel on my shoulders! Don't want to disappoint you out there! Trying to give the best inspiration and motivation possible, but life doesn't only have sunny days..

Tnx for reading! ;) Promise to come back bigger, better, faster, stronger next week! ;))


EJOY YOUR WEEKEND!

Sleep and overweight - a wider relation than expected?

 Sleep, an interesting subject, which the science havent fully explored yet.
Some days ago this subject where brought up at treningsforum.no, and I think it's an important subject to bring out to you! - You can read the whole article in norwegian HERE.

For my international readers, I will summarize the key elements from it in this post.


There is an increasing amount in research about sleep, and that sleep has an central effect to our appetite and food consumption. (also written about earlier HERE, "Can lack of sleep lead to overweight?"(norwegian article))
In this post there will be explained closer about what's known about sleep, what it's important for, and how sleep regulates the two most important appetite hormons, ghrelin and leptin.


What is sleep?
Sleep is a active process, that includes inhibition of nerve fibers conducting pain, and stimulation of nerve fibers who secrets the sleep producing neurotransmitter serotonin.


Sleep, and its functions
This is not fully explored yet.
But of experience in periods with lack of sleep, you know this decreases:
- the cognitive functions
- productivity
- concentration
- physical performance.
Sleep does probably play a role in the maintenance of body functions, development of the nervous system and the ability to learn.


Development of sleeping patterns
Our sleeping pattern has a background in the cyclus of light/darkness.
Disturbances (artificial lightning, increased activity in the evening) disturbes the biological rhythm  and decreases the sleep quality.
Including this, the access of energy-dense foor has increased over the past years, and a bader sleep quality is associated with the explosive increase in bodyweight.

On this basis, sleep is associated with overweight and metabolic syndrom trough the following mechanisms:
1) Increased/up-regulation of appetite
2) Energybalance


Increased/ up-regulation of appetite
Back to the appetite regulating hormones Leptin and Ghrelin.

Leptin - satiety hormone (high levels = satiety, Low levels = hunger)
Gherlin - functions opposite (high levels = hunger, Low level = satiety)

Van Cauter and Knutson,2008 - a systematic review, shows result from studies exploring the Leptin-response after a variable amount of hours sleep.

Comparing 12 hours of sleep with 4 hours, the Leptin-levels where 19% lower in the population sleeping 4hours. (=increased feeling of hunger)

Another highlight, was that the glucose-tolerance was reduced with 40%(!!) including a lower insulinesensitivity by lack of sleep.

Low Leptin-Levels + reduced insulin-sensitivity = the appetite increases with less hours of sleep!

Further on there are in total 23 different studies reporting this facts. In total of 28 studies, only 4 studies did not find the same relations.

Energybalance

Lack of sleep can be associated with a lower energy consumption, because of earlier fatigue/tiredness, lowering of trainingvolum/activity, and more time in front of the television (wich is associated with snacking).

Less sleep, also gives you more time for eating.

So if we adds the increased appetite to this, there is easy to end up with a energy-surplus over time resulting in increased weight.

Chaput et al, 2010 - gives an good schematic overview in how lack of sleep can lead to increased weight.

Further on:

An increasing amount of studies points out that sleep doesn't only play a role, but are maybe the most important role when it comes to overweight in children (Chaput et al. 2006)
Epidemiological data - indicates that lack of sleep is associated with diabetes type 2 (Yaggi et al. 2006), coronary artery disease (King et al. 2008), high blood pressure (Gangswich et al. 2006) and death (tamakoshi and Ohno. 2004)

BUT - do not worry! In the fight agains overweight and lifestyle diseases, does it seem like we have another weapon in position - something we have in our control, and something to lead us in the right direction --> namely : Sleep!

To find more articles like this - visit treningsforum.no.

Knowledge is power!! ;)

How many hours do you sleep every night?

My goal is 8hours quality sleep every night, and never under 7 and a half!




BTW! I'm feeling allot better after the day of, yesterday! Allot of sleep and relaxation was good and needed for the body!! Today - I'm having my scheduled day of - so now I'm soon going insane!! (or I maybe already did!!) So good there will be workout tomorrow!!

This is the results of two days with no training!!

Hope you had a nice week so far! Soon it's the weekend, and time for som relaxation of sleeping ;) (If you don't have an exam on monday of course!)

Wish me good luck!

Hopefully things will go well, and my lack-of-training-induced-insanity will disappear soon!!

Chaoo! ;)

Listen to your body!!

Ohh yeah! That came from the right person!!

Well, I've actually been feeling quite tiered and heavy in my body lately, It's just that I have refused it to myself!! (you know, the mind is the limit, and when you want something, you do it!)
But in my case (as usual when I'm actually sick!) it went a little to far, AGAIN!

So - finally I decided to go to the doctor (I don't know why, but there is something about doctors that frightens me more than anything, so thats only for emergencies!) Of course, I have an infection in my body... doH!

soo, after my appointment: I rewarded myself with this nice top :D

 Love the ethnic style over it! And love Indians, don't know how many times I watched Pocahontas as a little girl! Before going wild into the woods :P Well no, this aint no fashion blog babe, just need too show of when I by myself something new! Maybe happens twice a year! (You know, I got the famous student wallet!) - and all my money goes for supplements, paying the training center, and food!


And after that, I went to the gym!! yepp, with the body full of antibiotics. Talking about stupidity and a girl don't knowing here limits!
"Yea yea, I will take it easy!" - The workout wasn't that bad, but after it - someone took out my batteries!

 Sooo, today I'm lying here, feeling sorry for myself, pissed off I did't go to the doctor before (so I had been well again now!), restless cause I can't train and simply pulling myself down!

Worried about the measurement for progression this week, and so it goes on!

Cause when you are measuring the progression every week, you really want to see improvements every week too! - A real motivator, actually! But someone needs to be encouraged, and someone need to be hold back!

naaah, it's not that bad!

Common! what are you talking
about?? This sucks!!

Pity on me!

Guess my point is, if you feel really tired, don't hesitate to take a day off! You're body need it, and instead of missing many days of training, you maybe miss one!
(in my case I hope it's only two, but made a promise to myself I wont go before "stupidbody! allows it!)

Moral: don't do it the way I do! Or simply, don't make excuses, but be true to yourself!
when maybe others makes excuses for not going to the gym, I find excuses of why I should go (like, "I only feel this way because of the diet")

Hope you had a nice day!

Good night!

Peace out! ;)