How to be fit, lose weight, and keep it off
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The easiest way to lose the extra weight is.....
to Chop off a limb
okok just joking... Being fit, losing weight, and keeping the extra weight off requires a change of lifestyle. It is not achievable by short term slimming programs, slimming pills, or even short term dieting.
One should not focus purely on losing weight. The simple reason is because weight loss can be both healthy and unhealthy. The way that you want to lose weight plays an important role in how long you can keep that extra flab off.
In this topic, I will attempt to write what I know and what I have gathered about being a healthier and fitter person. The following topics will be covered:
1. Diet
2. Exercise
3. Weight Loss Centres
These two areas to be focussed are common sense to everyone out there who aims to lose their flab. I would like to point out these two areas because there are a number of misconceptions about them. I wouldn't say I'm good in these areas, but I have read widely about them, and I would like to share my knowledge here. Please help point out any errors that I may have made... Thanks.
If there are any other areas in which you think I should cover, feel free to post. -
Diet
Diet plays the main role in any fitness program. The main belief is:
"A calorie is a calorie"
Which means no matter what you take, be it fats, carbohydrates or proteins, they will eventually be the same.
Well, it is both right and wrong. A calorie, by its simplest definition, is a unit of energy and is equivalent to 4.184 absolute J.
Our body metabolise fats, carbohydrates and proteins differently. The energy yield from a gram of fatty acids is approximately 9 kcal (39 kJ), compared to 4 kcal/g (17 kJ/g) for proteins and carbohydrates.
The composition of meals we eat is important:
An example of French Fries
French Fries are considered "poison" because they consists of mainly carbs and fats. Let us not consider the unhealthy trans-fat in French Fries yet.
When the carbs enter your body, insulin is released. However, a major effect of insulin on fat is it prevents you from burning it. Imagine eating french fries: the carbs enter your body -> insulin levels rise -> fats from french fries is prevented from burning and stored. Essentially, this is going to add lots of energy into your body without you realising it!
Adding protein into meal
Amino acids are the building blocks of muscles in our body. Without it, we cannot function. There are a few advantages of ensuring there are some protein in your everyday meal.
1. It helps you to recover from workouts.
2. The body uses more energy to digest protein.
3. Protein supposedly helps to slow down the rate of digestion of carbs, lowering the insulin spike after meals.
However, it is important to note that too much protein is also harmful. Urea is produced when excess protein is broken down into usable energy, giving more stress to the liver and kidneys. How much protein to take will depend on how much you have exercise, the nature, and the intensity of it.
Effects of fibre in meal
Roughage helps you in the following way:
1. Easier bowel movement.
2. Makes you feel fuller during meals.
3. Actually slows down your digestion, ensuring a more even release of energy from food
4. I have heard that it helps to reduce the amount of fats being absorbed by the body... Not so sure about it though.
The easiest way to get fibre is from vegetables, fruits and wholemeal bread.
Glycemix index
Not all carbohydrate foods are created equal, in fact they behave quite differently in our bodies. The glycemic index or GI describes this difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels. Choosing low GI carbs - the ones that produce only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels - is the secret to long-term health reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes and is the key to sustainable weight loss.
What are the benefits of a low GI diet?
1. Low GI diets help people lose and control weight
2. Low GI diets increase the body's sensitivity to insulin
3. Low GI carbs improve diabetes control
4. Low GI carbs reduce the risk of heart disease
5. Low GI carbs reduce blood cholesterol levels
6. Low GI carbs can help you manage the symptoms of PCOS
7. Low GI carbs reduce hunger and keep you fuller for longer
8. Low GI carbs prolong physical endurance
Eating too much high GI food helps can be detrimental to the body, and this is especially so for obese or sedentary people. However, it is still worth to note that high GI carbs help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after an intensive exercise.
Fats
As we know, there are four types of fat: saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat and trans fat. It is however unnecessary to go too deep into details.
Do we need fats in our diet?
Yes! Fats have many important roles to play in the body:
1. Fat is the main energy store in the body.
2. Fat deposits act as a cushion for vital organs and help to insulate the body.
3. Fat is a carrier for the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, and helps in their absorption by the body.
4. Fat is a source of essential fatty acids, such as omega-3, which cannot be made in the body and must be obtained through food sources.
Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids, or EFAs, are fatty acids that cannot be constructed within an organism from other components (generally all references are to humans) by any known chemical pathways; and therefore must be obtained from the diet. EFAs play a part in many metabolic processes, and there are evidences to suggest that low levels of essential fatty acids, or the wrong balance of types among the essential fatty acids, may be a factor in a number of illnesses.
They are classified into omega-3 (ω-3) and omega-6 (ω-6). Some of the food sources of ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids are fish and shellfish, flaxseed (linseed), hemp oil, soya oil, canola (rapeseed) oil, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, leafy vegetables, and walnuts.
Trans Fats
Trans fat raises LDL-cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) and reduces HDL-cholesterol ("good" cholesterol) in the body. As a result, trans fat increases the risk of developing heart disease.
Our body does not require trans fat, so we should try to keep trans fat intake to a minimum.
The main sources of trans fat in our diet are pastries, cakes, cookies, biscuits, commercially deep-fried foods as well as products containing vegetable shortening and hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. Do take note to consume less when indulging
The timing of meals is also important
As mochou has already mentioned:
Eat breakfast like a king.
Eat lunch like a normal citizen.
Eat dinner like a begger.
DONT eat supper at all. <---- to me, this depends on your lifestyle; ie how much exercise you do, and what type
Dont eat too fast, your stomach is slow on sending the signal "I am already full".If you eat too fast, you wont feel full when you already eaten enough. You will feel full when you have eaten more than enough.
Breakfast is essentially Break Fast. Your body has been starving for the past 6-9 hours when you are sleeping. Your metabolic rate has slowed down, your body is surviving on reserves (muscles?); i.e. your body has entered a state of starvation. By eating breakfast, your metabolic rate will be revved up for the rest of the day, and this equates to "burning" more of the food that you will eat in the following hours.
To be written: Eat smaller meals, but more frequently
To be written: After workout
References:
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/79/5/899S
http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/08366/h&p2fat.htm
-- to be continued -- -
Exercise
Exercise helps in burning up excess calories. There are however different kinds of exercises. The way in which you work out determines your final outcome.
In short, work smart, not hard.
-- to be continued --
P.S. For some information on playing with the Iron, please take a look at Pumping Iron forum -
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Shave your head?
ETA: Don't ask me which head har! -
i am 178cm, 90kg
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BMI = W / H^2 = 28.4Originally posted by MyPillowTalks:i am 178cm, 90kg
If you are not an athlete with high muscle mass and low body fat ratio, you are overweight. -
Not bad wat! BTW how much is your corpse worth? http://www.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=269172Originally posted by MyPillowTalks:i am 178cm, 90kg -
Eat breakfast like a king.
Eat lunch like a normal citizen.
Eat dinner like a begger.
DONT eat supper at all.
Dont eat too fast, your stomach is slow on sending the signal "I am already full".If you eat too fast, you wont feel full when you already eaten enough. You will feel full when you have eaten more than enough.
Choose what to eat wisely, this one i cant go into every details, i believe most ppl know what to avoid.
In terms of eating, keeping fit doesnt mean eat very small amount of food. The total volume can be same, but when/what/how you eat matters. -
i am 178cm 69kg
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That's ok what...Originally posted by Agenda:i am 178cm 69kg
Me before flying to Germany was 170cm 72kg...
Now may be heavier, but in Germany, I think I gained muscle mass too... Not much jogging here cuz I dun really like the route, but instead, much more gyming and increase in meat/milk consumption.
I will embark back on my jogging/swimming/badminton routine once back in Singapore... -
I can plan what I eat.Originally posted by mochou:Eat breakfast like a king.
Eat lunch like a normal citizen.
Eat dinner like a begger.
DONT eat supper at all.
Dont eat too fast, your stomach is slow on sending the signal "I am already full".If you eat too fast, you wont feel full when you already eaten enough. You will feel full when you have eaten more than enough.
Choose what to eat wisely, this one i cant go into every details, i believe most ppl know what to avoid.
In terms of eating, keeping fit doesnt mean eat very small amount of food. The total volume can be same, but when/what/how you eat matters.
But as I told my doctor, this is Singapore.
Food comes to me quite regularly.
Friends, neighbours, relatives, my wife, colleagues, bring eats to me.
I really have to fight them off.
Frankly, if I do not feed myself, I won't starve. But I will be eating "junk" -
Ya, It's true, there are many outside factors affect what you eat.Originally posted by mancha:I can plan what I eat.
But as I told my doctor, this is Singapore.
Food comes to me quite regularly.
Friends, neighbours, relatives, my wife, colleagues, bring eats to me.
I really have to fight them off.
Frankly, if I do not feed myself, I won't starve. But I will be eating "junk"
Mom/wife cook you fat pork, she ask you to eat, it's hard to refuse.
Friends all say go KFC, you also bo bian must go eat together. -
When my mum cook fat pork, what I will do is just try to cut away the fats manually. It's a tiring thing to do, but it helps you reduce those saturated fat intake.Originally posted by mochou:Ya, It's true, there are many outside factors affect what you eat.
Mom/wife cook you fat pork, she ask you to eat, it's hard to refuse.
Friends all say go KFC, you also bo bian must go eat together.
For KFC, I will forgo the skin every time i eat. Without the skin, the meat is a lot of protein.
And whenever I eat anything that unhealthy, I try to make sure that I exercise to cover it up.
In life, no matter what we eat, eat in moderation. Do not eat excess.
All these coming from someone who has failed napfa from sec 1 to J1, to a silver in J2 and all the way till now. I just can't make it under 9.45 mins for 2.4km. Will embark on a interval training program for my next IPPT if I can find the time I guess... -
I guess one way would be to get away from the computer and actually do some exercise
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I do thoughOriginally posted by AndrewPKYap:I guess one way would be to get away from the computer and actually do some exercise
I want to share my views and hope to motivate more people to exercise together. -
no advertising
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Back to the topic how to keep those pounds away, i think the secret/sucess lies in your lifestyle.
As long as you maintain a healthy lifestyle, those calories won't come back knocking. -
strength training is a MUST to lose fat
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dont' forget HIITOriginally posted by Marco_Simone:strength training is a MUST to lose fat -
god is so evil to make us need to suffer and torture ourselves just to keep fit and live longer and better
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Hi, I'm suffer from severe obesity.
I weigh 105kg and 172cm in height.
I've cut down on my sugar intake and stick to steamed food for almost a year now, I weighed around 120+ kg during August-September period last year. While the loss was beneficial for me, I feel I need to lose even more weight till about, 75-80kg. I will be enlisting into National Service soon, but I did not qualified for Pes BP as the MO told me my weight is too severe and my knees might not be able to take it. I was looking forward to it as I've heard Pes BP cadets tend to lose alot of weight. Therefore, I would like some advice on how can I possibly lose 20-25 kgs(hopefully) by the end of 2008. I've tried jogging but I get breathless easily and I can't seem to jog more than 1 km.
I've read abit about strength training and HITs, but I do not understand how to go about doing it. Is it possible to do it at home with the right equipments? Going to the gym is not plausible as I find my weight and size to be off the scale comparing to the people there.
I'm 19 this year and I hope to have a healthy and fit body, hoping to hear from the friendly people here soon!
Thanks in advance
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Hmmmm.Originally posted by demolition lovers:Hi, I'm suffer from severe obesity.
I weigh 105kg and 172cm in height.
I've cut down on my sugar intake and stick to steamed food for almost a year now, I weighed around 120+ kg during August-September period last year. While the loss was beneficial for me, I feel I need to lose even more weight till about, 75-80kg. I will be enlisting into National Service soon, but I did not qualified for Pes BP as the MO told me my weight is too severe and my knees might not be able to take it. I was looking forward to it as I've heard Pes BP cadets tend to lose alot of weight. Therefore, I would like some advice on how can I possibly lose 20-25 kgs(hopefully) by the end of 2008. I've tried jogging but I get breathless easily and I can't seem to jog more than 1 km.
I've read abit about strength training and HITs, but I do not understand how to go about doing it. Is it possible to do it at home with the right equipments? Going to the gym is not plausible as I find my weight and size to be off the scale comparing to the people there.
I'm 19 this year and I hope to have a healthy and fit body, hoping to hear from the friendly people here soon!
Thanks in advance
i suggest u
start by doing some bodyweight exercises first:
push ups
squats
lunges
and the girls type of bar for napfa, not full chin up, i.e. the flex arm hang
wads ur diet like?
the one u gimme not specific enuff.
And y going gym for u is not possible. -
i 162cm 77kg... last time i did this what fats n dunno what test hor.. say i 44% fats leh (tt time i 82kg
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right now.. i eat normal kopitiam servings.. eat every 5 hours (if not will gastric pain de.... ) den every sunday play 2 hours of badminton with some break.. kinda intense...
under all the fats are muscles gained frm my sec sch days.. when i was under medication due to my stupid head, and wasn eating much, i was 60kg... but my mass was still there...
i wan lose the bulk of the muscles gained... can lose anot? =X
i must state... i hate gyms..
been to 1 before i dun like... i think u all noe lar..
and also i believe there are sets of exercises that i can do in the comfort of my home (best is can study n do it at the same time )
preferably exercises that doesn gain mass