This is me, sharing abit of what I have been quite the enthusiast in almost half my life. I am not saying I am perfect, but I want to share. I started off as a skinny little brat, started putting on weight when I was 10. By the time I was 12, i was quite overweight. My bro would be calling me fat. He made pig noises whenever I reached for seconds. I got sick of it and decided for myself I had to do something about it. I started reading on everything I could get my hands on. Even when I was 13, I went out to the fitness store and bought weight-loss cream. My dirty little secret. Did not work. Weight loss was not easy, I wanted it badly and after reading so much, now I have an idea of how everything works. But even after all that, I have come to learn that the right weight for everyone is different. As long as you are happy with the way you look, that really is enough. But if you feel like you want to have more control over weight, your bodysize, this is where you can read on.
Let's face it, there are so many ways to lose weight. You have those crazy starving diets. You have meal replacement. You have those that cut on carbs and cut on fat. You have those that only drink water. Protein supplements too. All those that I mentioned are things that you consume. They are all from the nutrition view of things. Then there is the second method, that is to increase your metabolic rate. That is exercise. Weightlifting, cardio exercises, calisthenics (push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks). So these two make the golden key, nutrition and exercise. Only two! I'll help break down a few things.
When it comes to nutrition, I always advise to stay away from entirely starving yourself. You heard of those guys before. No dinner, no supper. The main idea in nutrition (when it comes to losing weight), is to control two things; caloric intake and fat intake. (I've included a website below, to know roughly how much is your recommended daily intake). So here are the numbers, if you take 300 calories less per day, for as long as a week, you can lose about 1 pound of fat (works the other way round just the same!). 600 calories less, 2 pounds for extreme weight loss. Any more than that is usually dangerous and not feasible. You might just gain all that weight back on. It's common to read that the best plan is six meals per day, but we Malaysians will find that hard, if not, impossible to come by. But we can fuse it in a little. Lighter breakfast, lighter lunch, definitely lighter dinner, and small amounts in between; tea time or supper anything conventional you might prefer. If you are trying to consume 1800 kj calories, then 6 meals would mean 300 calories per meal. Include the Malaysian factor, four meals might be more the norm, then one needs to take below 450 per meal.
Idea: The body metabolises constantly throughout the day, just like on the road when there are too many cars too heavy traffic. Control your calories, don't let it control you.
Cutting fat or carbs yes, but meat? There are many out there that try to cut down on meats. Meats are high in protein. As an asian, it is very difficult to have "too much" protein. The recommended intake is equal amounts protein as weight in pounds. 60 kilograms; 132 pounds, 132 grams of protein. And the magic of protein, is that you almost always never have enough. It is carbohydrates (sweet sugar love) and fats that we often take too much. In fact, protein actually increases your metabolism rate naturally. Proteins are more complicated to digest, they need more energy to be broken down.
Idea: You want to be cutting down on fat on the meat, not the meat itself. So instead consume lean meats that are lower in fat. Lean is the magic word. Chicken is comparatively low in fat, go for the breasts. How they are prepared is very relevant, any lean meats steamed or boiled or grilled prove the least in fat (less oil). KFC is good, but control your supply and demand.
Everyday drinks are a big concern, when it comes to watching one's weight. The math is simple, you drink 8 glasses a day, and if you take take say 4 glasses of soft drinks and 2 glasses of iced water, maybe 2 cups of milo or coffee, that will be at least more than 600 calories a day. Based on the numbers above, it is easy to lose at least a pound or two per week by steering from sweetened drinks. Sodas ARE bad, because everybody takes them everyday and they are at least 150-200 calories per can. Beers are the worst, and this is comparatively the main cause of weight gain. They are so high in calories and one can is always not enough, true?
Idea: You want to drink healthier drinks, there is quite a range. Kundurs, Green tea and Chrysanthemums are quite low in calories. Green tea is even proven to encourage oxidation of stomach fat. Stay away from carbonated whenever you can. If you have to drink beer, drink less, and especially drink slower than you normally do. Drinks which use milk as a base always have more calories. Milo, Teh-C Special, Kopi Peng are some examples.
So what now.. hmm the nutrition part of things is simplified into this short note. But the idea to get started is there.
- Divide your meals throughout the day. As little calories and stop when you are satisfied.
- Control carbs and fats. You always have enough sugar and fat in your diet. Take less fried foods, less sweets and junk food but aim for the leaner foods.
- Watch what you drink. If plain water doesn't work, pinch in some lime.
- You need to have a plan, and set a goal, if you ever wish to lose weight. It's like telling yourself, I want to do better in school, it needs a good plan.
This is getting too long, so I wont be talking about exercise. Maybe next time when I get this bored again. :)
A few facts and myth-debunking.
1. There is nearly no such thing as targetting fat loss. When you lose fat, you lose it overall.
2. Sit-ups do not help you lose tummy fat.
3. Although, to burn tummy fat you can try performing Metabolism Equivalent Tasks (MET) of 10 or higher, which means very intensive.
4. 10 minutes of brisk jogging burns about 100 calories. Exercising 300 calories each day is enough to lose a pound each week.
5. Beer-bellies come from visceral fat (organ fat), as much as people love them, they are really not healthy.
6. Drinking beer isn't the main cause of beer-bellies. Drinking alot of beer, and fast, contributes however.
7. Having an idea, is nothing, if it does not come to reality. :)
You are what you eat, and to each his own. I hope you like everything that I have shared. Have a good day!
By the way, one of the best inventions of mankind, is the NUTRITIONAL FACTS on food! Nasi lemak is roughly 600-700 calories, KFC thighs are nearly 300, Green tea is about 60 per can. Stuff like Starbucks Frappucinos etc have easily 500+ per drink. Pretty crazy eh, 1 frap everyday a week can almost make you gain 2 pounds. :/
