life experience - Obscure Journey

5 Reasons Why Men And Women Lose Weight Differently

Publié le 31 Janvier 2015 par Charly Cross

Catégories : #beauty, #life experience, #tips, #tricks, #Uncategorized

Everyone wants to look and feel good regardless of their gender, with people often being rated based on their attractiveness level. Having a body that is on a slim side looks attractive and is also deemed healthier, and the number of those who want a slimmer body seems to be on the rise. This brings a new problem into the spotlight: men and women lose weight in a different way and at a different rate. Let’s have a look at 5 reasons why losing weight is different for women than it is for men.

A different approach to losing weight based on gender

Numerous women are visually attracted by a male who is muscular and lean, while most men fantasize about a slender woman, with an hourglass figure. These ideals make men and women use different routines when it comes to losing weight. A male will spend many hours in the gym lifting weights while women generally prefer the cardio machines. In addition to that, more women choose to hit the nearest eatery right after working out, as a reward for their efforts. This action defeats the purpose of the exercise routine, and causes the entire weight loss process to become difficult. It has been observed that men are more prone to stick to a regular workout regime without distractions, thus adding to its effectiveness.

Men have a more competitive mindset compared to women

Men's competitive nature exerts a certain degree of influence on how the 2 genders view fitness. Males typically look at a workout to reach their goal: improving health and endurance levels. At the same time, the gym can be seen a place for friendly competition. Women, however, view exercising as more of a chore and not a healthy hobby. At the end of the day, feeling pressured to keep up a workout routine can decrease its benefits by a great deal. Women adopting a more competitive way of thinking have noticed faster results when it comes to losing weight.

Men and women approach hunger and food differently

Men usually eat only they feel hungry, while often times women use comfort food as an emotional crutch to relieve boredom, stress, or work related anxiety. Females are known to be emotional eaters while men prefer dealing with their feelings in a different and maybe more pro-active way. The way both genders deal with hunger and food in general is also dictated by the different hormones their bodies produce. Men release more leptin, also known as the "satiety hormone". Women's bodies release more of a “I’m hungry” hormone called ghrelin. Furthermore, men and women have different types of comfort foods: men prefer “mom’s cooking” while women mostly enjoy foods that give a quick pick-me-up such as cookies and chips.

Different percentages of muscle and fat compared to total body weight

Healthy and fit men are genetically designed to have a higher percentage of muscle compared to body fat. As an opposite, a female body is built with more fat and a softer appearance. Muscle growth is influenced by the higher levels of testosterone in a male’s body. Muscles need increased energy to work properly, and this is one of the reasons why men burn more calories at any given time. When comparing people of both genders with similar proportions, specialists noted that women have much lower metabolic needs. This translates into burning fewer calories for basic functions like breathing, brain activity, and even walking.

Hormonal fluctuation

Women are affected by monthly hormonal fluctuations, while men have a constant level of hormones released into their system. This is an aspect that influences everything related to the body’s well being. These hormonal changes also play a significant role in how much women eat compared to men. Women are genetically programmed to keep up a certain weight for a regular and healthy flow of reproductive hormones, and a significant drop has negative effects in the long run. Harsh dieting is linked to loss of fertility in women due to the body not being able to release enough reproductive hormones.

While these are a few guidelines worth taking into account, each person is different and a weight loss program should be chosen on an individual basis. If you pay attention to your body, you have much higher chances of achieving your fitness goal.

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My experience as a first time dog owner

Publié le 3 Janvier 2015 par Charly Cross

Catégories : #animals, #dogs, #life experience, #life lesson, #pets

Last year around this date I went to the store to buy some stuff. On my way there I saw with ugly puppy that seemed lost as I saw no brothers nor his mother around. It was cold, and he was hungry. Needless to say I felt so bad for the little thing and I wanted to do something for him. I went home with the shopping bag, but then I somehow went back and took him home with me.

While going home, he started kissing me, and I too a better look at him only to see he's not actually that ugly. Reaching home, the first thing I did was to check his gender, which to my surprise was 'female.' So I had a female puppy dog to care for. however my house was already populated by 2 demon cats, and only one of them saw a dog before. These 2 cats were not too happy to see the new comer.

Kali on her first night with us

I didn't plan on keeping her with me forever, and well, in the end this wasn't the case. It doesn't mean I didn't get attached to her, because I did. I named her Kali, after the Hindu Goddess. If you're curious, this Wiki page has more information about the Goddess.

The first things I did, was introducing Kali to some food and water, and boy was she both thirsty and hungry! Poor thing. Of course, the only food I had was some cat food, but for the time being it was more than enough and ok. The next day I would go to the pet store to buy some puppy food. The 2nd thing I did was to give her a bath because she wasn't the cleanest puppy ever.

I gave her a thick scarf I spend a whole year knitting, for myself. Yea, you read that right. However it wasn't something I could easily wear, so it seemed something that would keep Kali warm enough as her fur was so short.

Of course, when time was right, I went to the vet to give her the required shots. We couldn't go out anyways because she was too tiny and it was too cold and snowy outside. After some 4 months, I had her spayed. It seems that there is a new law that requires all pet owners to spay or neuter their dogs if they don't have a breeding license. Not knowing Kali's breed, or her parents, this was out of the question. Also I didn't want more puppies to deal with. People here want mostly pure breed dogs, and who can blame them?

Kali grew up a medium-sized dog that would eat literally anything you'd put on her plate, healthy, and very energetic. She didn't mind the leash nor the collar around her neck, not even the firs time I put them on her. How lucky is that?

Yes, this is the same, dog, her face changed a bit. at about 5 months old.

To take this picture, I had to tie her leash to the heater, or she wouldn't stay still. She was that energetic and excited, haha. Based on the angle, her ears looked quite big compared to the rest of her. Everyone would comment on he ears.

Her favorite activity was going out on a walk. Because she was a very energetic dog, we had to take rather long walks, so she would get tired.

What she disliked the most was seeing people sitting around without doing anything. This included random workers we would see during our walks. They were wearing uniforms, and she seemed smart enough to realize they were supposed to work. Seeing them just sitting, even if they were eating, she would bark at them. I had to explain to her they needed to rest a bit so she wouldn't bark anymore. It almost always worked, and every time I thought of this behavior as funny.

Walking Kali everyday was a good thing for me. I managed to go out, breathe some "fresh" air.. Living downtown, on a high traffic street takes away from the freshness of the air, after all. It was still better than staying indoors. It also made me feel more cheerful and not awkward about being out. Despite her medium size, Kali was a strong dog, so I always had to have a good grip on her leash. This made my arms stronger, while tiring me some. I sure didn't need to stop by the gym thanks to her.

Kali did like to cause trouble. Or it was her need for attention. As a highly energetic dog, she need a lot of workout and attention. I'm not an active person, but I was more active while caring for this dog. After 8 months, I realized that our living conditions weren't what Kali really needed. At the time I also had a lot of work to do [for my job] and I slowly realized I don't have time to go out with her as much as I used to. As much as it hurt me, it was time Kali found a more suitable home.

One month later, we found a family [friends of friends of relatives] who owned a house with a yard, they had a teen daughter, and were more experienced in raising dogs. Going there for a visit seemed fortunate. They loved her and Kali seemed to go along well with everyone else. She never minded meeting new dogs or people, and the environment seemed 1000 times better than what I could offer her. I knew she was going to be fine, and I get news from time to time that she's happy. This is all I wish for her.

Would I do this all over again? Surely not. I sure miss Kali and I do want another dog. However now this is not possible. If I ever decide to get a new puppy, I would make sure to find one with an energy level that matches mine and hopefully, a small breed dog.

Have a nice new year, and don't fall for just any stray puppy or cat you see on the streets.

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Being productive.... as a freelancer

Publié le 4 Décembre 2014 par Charly Cross

Catégories : #life experience, #tips, #tricks, #job

So earlier today I was thinking about posting a blog entry, however I was out of ideas. And I started wondering why was that... Is like when I have work to do, my head gets filled with 10000036487234 other things I want, need, or have to do. I also get many more ideas of what to write about in my blog. When I actually have the time to do whatever .... guess what? all my inspiration is gone, all my motivation is gone too... everything.

Is it only me? I don't think so. In fact, I noticed many people in a similar situation. How do we work around this, in our favor?

My friend came up with the best, most perfect solution. That is to create a schedule and a rewarding system. Say I work for some 30 minutes straight, or an hour, with NO distractions. Then, I take a short break, no more than 15 minutes, when I do whatever else I want to do. Sounds, awesome, doesn't it? So WHY don't I do that?

To be honest... I have no idea why. Some might call it being lazy, not enough motivated, lack of a strong will... and who knows what else.

Well, maybe I should try harder to break this nasty habit... Wish me luck?

You can now buy "productive freelancer" merch from here. By default you can see a spiraled notebook, but many other types of items are also available.

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Summertime and icecream

Publié le 18 Août 2014 par Charly Cross

Catégories : #advice, #Cooking, #life experience, #life lesson, #tips, #Uncategorized

Hello world~~~

Now my summer is almost over. But, summertime is everyone's favorite season to enjoy some ice cream. Or more ice cream than usual. The main reason is its cooling effect, or so they say. I personally don't need an excuse to eat it, and neither should you.

Strawberry mousse “ice cream” from my cookingmyexperience.wordpress.com blog

But, tell me: for how long does the cooling effect last? For me it lasts only as long as I eat it. Some 5 minutes later I start feeling very very hot. This is especially true if I have while I'm outside, with no air con. If you don't believe me, go ahead and have a small ice cream and tell me how you feel. Stop your air con, go outside, stay 5 or 10 minutes in the scorching sun (don't forget to protect your skin against sunburn), come back in a warmer room, and have an ice cream. Go on, go, do it! OK, so you finished it. Do you feel refreshed, chilled, hotter, or do you feel nothing much compared to before?

Delicious!

When I'm done eating an ice-cream I rapidly start feeling more hot and energetic, than before. The explanation is simple: the ice cream contains a lot of sugar. Sugar is what gives more energy. Part of this energy turns into heat that keeps us warm. Additionally, the low temperature of the ice-cream [at least 0 degrees Celsius] tricks the body into thinking that it is warmer outside than it actually is. We can record summer temperatures as high as 32 degrees Celsius, so eating something frozen will definitely makes us think it's actually so much hotter than it really is.

salty caramel icecream [my picture - that's the former name of the blog]

Japanese people noticed these effects of the ice cream and this is why they eat it in winter too. I must admit, I did eat ice cream in winter, while being out and about. What did I feel? I felt warmer. I was also walking, and the energy boost was needed. In case you were wondering, I didn't catch a cold because of eating an ice cream in winter outdoors - that's just a myth. I didn't have the flu shot either, but I'm considering having it this year.

[my picture - that's the former name of the blog]

Ok, guys, enjoy the last days of summer, and pay attention to how much ice cream you eat ;)

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Living with animals, defending cats, defending animals

Publié le 2 Juillet 2014 par Charly Cross

Catégories : #animals, #cats, #dogs, #life experience, #life lesson, #love

Hi there~~~

There are 5 typpes of people out there: cat people, dog people, bird people, people who love all animals equally, and people who do not. Honestly I will never understand those who don't love animals or not have pets. (Unless they have allergies, that's different.)

The orange cat is Whiskey, the gray cat is Mickey. The tuxedo one is the foster cat we had, Milky.

The orange cat is Whiskey, the gray cat is Mickey. The tuxedo one is the foster cat we had, Milky.

I am a cat person. Just look at the above fluffiness, how can you not like cats?

People say that cats are evil, unloving, unfaithful, and many other bad things. They say dogs are man's best friend, faithful, loving, and so on. But is it true?

It many be true to some degree, however if you're not a cat person, you can't really understand why does the cat act the way he does.

The first thing we need to understand about cats is that they are choosing a favorite human. It is usually the one who cares about them the most, but of course many exceptions do exist.

The cats purr, dogs can't. Enough said.

somebody's dog.

Have you ever been in the situation where you had to re-home your pet? Or do you know somebody who took in an abandoned animal? Have you noticed that a dog adapts quickly to his new family, whereas the cat not so much? Sure, the cats are more sensitive to changes than dogs are, but there is more than this to it. The cat would not eat nor use the litter for a couple of days in a new home with people he doesn't know. The dog, on the other hand, might cry endlessly at night.

A cat is better at hiding his or her illness than a dog is. On the other hand, the dog can help us spot an illness, and especially cancer in our bodies, early on. Animals can alert us if there is some gas leak, if someone is at the door, they show us what being needed is like. Many of us complain about how our partners don't make us feel special, loved, or needed. We are important in our pets' life because they depend on us for food and a clean potty place. [gosh, I hate the word 'potty']

It's good to raise a pet, especially a dog if you have an active lifestyle. If you're more laid back, a kitty is a better match for you. If you can't have pets at home, maybe you can volunteer at an animal shelter.

I'm also a bird person.. or crow person.

You have no idea how better life is with an animal. Seeing its silly reactions to various stuff they find weird, or simply screaming at you for food, it's priceless. I would never exchange my current life for anything. For the next 10 years I am bound to these animals that fulfill my life. I can't see myself without them.

until next time.

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Is this really true love?

Publié le 29 Juin 2014 par Charly Cross

Catégories : #advice, #life experience, #life lesson, #love, #Uncategorized

There are forums which promote self discovery through Love. Being in love can build you up and make you feel like you belong, like you are special, like you are chosen by God and by a certain person.

And if someone is in love and discovers such a place it may give them a feeling of certainty, making them think << I wasn't wrong.. It is true!>> but is it really?

It's a bit similar to fashion so its like we have the avant-garde designers who sometimes take things too far and it becomes "avant-merde." People take things too far to often. It's the case with love, too. Sure love can be a spiritual experience but the Soul-Mate concept only holds truth if shared by the other person. You can get signs from God that tell you he or she is the one And then the truth doesn't match your expectations. And you become very disappointed Because the forums tell you: "You can have it all" Its yours For $0.99 or if you do enough work on yourself.

So you chase the (most often completely unaware) ''partner'' and the more they don't give you what you want, the more you hold on. And you send them 100 messages in 3 days telling them how things are from your POV (aka ''your truth'') ... when you haven't even studied anything spiritual before.. hmmm

People who have issues fall for unavailable people - be it emotionally or physically, but what is a love without the chaos? It's the chaos and the intensity of it all that makes the whole experience worthwhile ... and so 99% of the people have it wrong. Then they wonder why the other person doesn't feel the same

But it's because they never really felt anything or not to that intensity you did, especially if you have borderline personality disorder or bipolar. Or if you're married and you're not happy, it's always easier to live in a fantasy. But when the people close to you, tell you: "You are going to far," do listen to them.

(S)he won't complete you (s)he doesn't love you. Your "love" is delusional and borderline obsession and hating the people in the person's life only shows your own insecurities and denies your ''truth'' of being a Loving Being. Isn't it?

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[blog entry.1] Cooking Pomme Anna

Publié le 25 Novembre 2013 par Charly Cross

Catégories : #advice, #Cooking, #life experience, #life lesson

So today I wanted to cook Potatoes Anna, or as French called it, Pomme Anna. The recipe is here, and as you can see, not on my blog. BUT, it will be, once I adjust it. And we reached the point where I explain why I felt the need to write a blog entry in my "cooking book."

Sometimes when I follow recipes they don't turn out as I expected. I usually blame it on my stove, not using the same sized pans/pots/so on. But, what if the recipe hasn't been written exactly the first time it has been recorded?

For instance, the recipe for Potatoes Anna above says to use 1/2 cup of melted butter. Another recipe said I can use melted margarine. And this is what I did use, as I didn't have butter on hand, nor time to run to the store to buy it, even if it's literally around the corner.

Pommes Anna by @jwagnerdrums on instagram. mine didn't look this nice.

BUT, you should head over to Wikipedia to read about the dish/recipe, and you'll find out this is a 19th century dish that uses "a very large amount of melted butter." The last time I checked 1/2 cup is nowhere near "a large amount," let alone "a very large amount."

If you want to try this dish, you must do some heavy research on what it's supposed to look like. HINT: it has to look like a round cake. To get this look, you have to turn the pot you cooked it in, upside-down, on a large enough plate. "A very large amount of melted butter" allows this process to be performed easily. During the cooking in the oven, the water in the butter/margarine evaporates, and your 'potato cake' will stick to the pot and burn, which is what happened to me. Thankfully, it was only the bottom that got burned, and the rest was edible. Needless to say, that if the potatoes stick to the pot you'll have a hard time removing the "cake."

So these are my thoughts on cooking Potatoes Anna. I will definitely try this recipe again, and that is when I will post the (I hope) 'right' recipe for you guys. With pictures too.

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