29.09.2017

10 Budget Friendly Things To Do In Barcelona




Hey guys, 
I thought I am making a little series of my top tips/experience since I have been living in Barcelona. This time, I would like to introduce you to the things that cost nothing (or almost nothing) and help you to explore Barcelona without feeling you are missing out.
As most of you know, my wallet got stolen three weeks ago. This meant, I had to focus on things that costs nothing or little, which is why I think this is a good guide for any of you who is planning to move here or stay here for vacation.
Btw, my wallet was found last week and I have all my cards back! (Though, the thief took my Hunkemoeller card, pictures of my boyfriend and cash … what a weirdo)
Here are my Top 10 budget friendly tips for Barcelona:


18.09.2017

What I eat in a day (to loose weight)


Hey guys,

So since I have posted my first transformation picture on Instagram, I have noticed that many of you are pretty much all about my healthy diet. I thought I might as well show what I eat in a day on a regular basis to keep/lose weight.


Before we start: don’t get me wrong, I still indulge whatever I am craving, or I like to drink a glass of wine or two, but I have learned to do this in moderation. I like to balance my current health journey in a way that I do not feel bad about what I am eating, but at the same time I don’t want to miss out on certain things. (total FOMO)

So I thought I might as well show you guys what I eat in a day to loose weight over the week. As I am working full time in Barcelona it is pretty easy for me to schedule my meals and plan ahead. My weekends are so different in that case! I sometimes forget to eat, I sometimes eat at unreasonable hours or I have one unhealthy option which covers me for two meals that day. It varies every weekend. I love having brunch with the girls in the weekend as we are usually choosing places that offer healthy(-ish) options.

Just a quick reminder: I don’t treat my eating habits as a diet. I actually started to do this journey 4 years ago when I moved to the USA. My first year in California has taught me so much about organic and homemade healthy options, where in my second year in New York I have learned about weight lifting, nutrition’s and unfortunately - what it is like to get your heart broken. All of these factors helped me to lose 25 kg in two years. And it felt amazing.

When I came back, my weight started to fluctuate heavily, gaining and losing a few more pounds every month.
Moving to Barcelona is my new kick-off start to shred the rest of the pounds I would like to lose. In addition, I want to get stronger and leaner. I try to moderate my carb intake over the day. I like to keep it simple with a lot of veggies and lots of protein. After getting my measurements in the gym in the Netherlands, I have noticed that my protein intake has been too low for me. So you can imagine that getting my protein in in every meal is one of my highest priorities. 
So lets get right into it: I decided what works for me best is a ratio of 30% carbs, 40% Protein and 30% fat. I used to track my calories religiously, but stopped doing so as I learned now how much I basically need around the day. For right now I eat between 1300-1700 calories per day to loose weight and 1900-2200 to maintain. That’s pretty low for most people, but that’s actually more than enough for me. Everyone has a different body and therefore it’s the best to figure out for yourself what suits your height/weight and exercise level. (Calculate your TDEE on websites like www.bodybuilding.com)

So here comes a typical day to day meal plan from me:

Breakfast: 
  •      Oatmeal
  •      Skim milk or vegan options as for example unsweetened Almond Milk
  •    Half a scoop of protein powder
  •      Toppings usually involve: Banana, Nuts/Seeds/or Peanutbutter, Berries (Blueberries, strawberries) and cinnamon



Lunch:

 

  •      Variation of salads and veggies as for example tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, you name it.
  •      A source of protein as for example: Tuna, Salmon, Chicken breast, chickpeas, Mozzarella or feta cheese, hard boiled eggs, turkey lunch meat
  •      Add half of an Avocado for extra source of fat
  •      Dressing (Olive Oil and balsamic vinegar, salt pepper)


Dinner:


  •      A source of protein as for example grilled chicken breast, turkey, grilled salmon, fried eggs or lean ground meat
  •      Veggies in form of frozen vegetables mixes (easy and cheap), baked/grilled aubergine, bell peppers, onions and zucchini
  •      Depending on my carb intake of the day: whole wheat pasta/rise, quinoa or whole wheat/ezekiel bread
  • Spice things up with a bit of Sriracha Sauce 










Snacks*:

  •      Skyr/Quark/Greek yogurt
  •      On gym days: Proteinshake (current favorite: Gold Standard Chocolate)
  •      A piece of fruit
  •      A hand full of nuts
  •      Rice cakes

*Note: I don’t eat snacks all of the snacks above in one day, I listen to my body. If I feel like I haven’t had enough energy, I eat a piece of fruit or rice cakes (I only ear carbs until 3 pm). If I feel like I need something that fills me up until the next meal, I choose healthy fats as for example nuts. I do intake skyr/quark or greek yogurt everyday as it helps me to reach my proteins.

So I hope I might have helped someone to get an idea of what to eat. I am not an nutritionist so I can´t tell you that I am all the way right about my approach, but as I said, this is what works best for me. I can only recommend everyone to get into meal prepping and documenting your meals ahead.





Have a healthy and good start into the week!















13.09.2017

Hiking up Tibidabo


















Good evening guys!

I hope this Tuesday treated you well.
My Swedish friend Linnea, my American friend Hannah and I have decided to take a nice hike up to Tibidabo after spending half of the afternoon at the beach. (Hannah unfortunately couldn’t make it anymore, but she’ll join our next hike )
We love hiking, but of course, we are not really experienced when it comes to trails. That is why we used the guidance of Hiking Barcelona, which gave us clear instructions on where to go to get a beautiful and easy hike to Tibidabo!

Linnea and I have decided to take our cameras with us, as we were rewarded by a beautiful view on our way up. Most of the candid material you will see here is made with her camera, as I have noticed that there is something wrong with my camera. (It is not only my lack of knowledge woohoo) Linnea took amazing pictures on our way up and I am so thankful that I can show you guys the pretty view we had! The church almost looks like a Disney castle doesn't it?
We watched the sun set and even saw some wild hogs! (which was kinda scary!)
I can only recommend everyone to do this hike. It took us about two hours to get to the top as we were stopping several times to take pictures. But see for yourself! :)











































11.09.2017

Weekly update 9/11/2017



Hey guys and welcome again! 

I have been thinking and decided to have a fresh start for my blog before I actually start to blog religiously. I am a total perfectionist and the old design was always a problem for me. I thank Serena from @prettywildthings for this bomb design!
So what is new? My boyfriend left Barcelona two weeks ago to start his study, and I have been living in Barcelona now for about over a month. I want to show you guys the little hotspots with the best views, amazing restaurants and other things next to the usual touristic activities. I met an amazing group of girls from all around the world that I will be exploring these things with! So, stay tuned J
Just to mention, this blog will not only contain travel content, but also weekly updates of my current adventure abroad, my balanced diet and fitness lifestyle and makeup related topics. So for everyone who isn’t into traveling, maybe the fitness journey I am pursuing is a more exciting topic for you! ;-)
On that note, I am currently studying a lot of different things that I have always been interested in. My Swedish friend Linnea is  teaching me how to properly use my camera and I am also watching a ton of tutorials to get the math behind the camera. I am loving it! So will see and hear a lot about our little photo adventures.
There were lot of things happening and there hasn’t been a day where I haven’t been out and about to explore Barcelona. Gladly, I will share it all with you here.
I hope you are having a good start in the week and don’t forget to subscribe to the blog to be updated on my newest adventures.

Love,

Karoline
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