Sticking To The Plan!!

The number 1 problem I am facing now with my clients is that everyone tells me they have NO TIME. Ok. So could you elaborate “No Time”? The replies range from heavy workloads, family commitments and mental fatigue. Truly, we are overworked and we have little time left to take good care of ourselves.

So perhaps sharing a few tips on how to add fitness and making small nutritional changes gradually would help form healthy habits. See folks, no matter how busy you are you have to at least 1 meal a day. Exercise and eating right are similar. The idea of this article is to actually reach out to friends/family or yourself to achieve a healthier lifestyle. Most people know that they need to make this change but whenever they try youtubing a video or googling a topic, the accuracy is questionable and dependable on whether it inspires/motivates one to make the change.

But I am going to provide 5 simple steps that you can start off with to get you going.

1.    Make Activity a part of your day!

 If there is the lift and the stairs. TAKE THE STAIRS. But I stay on the 20^th floor! Well climb as many stories as you can before you get tired then take the lift to your level. Trust me, if you diligently do this your stamina will improve and your heart will thank you.

2.    Spend 10 mins everyday warming up.

Do some assisted push ups, leg swings, squats with a chair as support, dynamic arm swings and do no more than 10 MINS and STOP! Reason being is that if the work outs are 45 mins it may be a challenge to complete it effectively. Increase the duration and number of exercises or sets and that is one way to indicate that you have become fitter.

3.    Avoid having guilty pleasures stocked up

Though I mentioned about flexible dieting but if you need to see and feel an improvement then you have to get to a certain physical goal before the flexible dieting can be applied. For now, clean out the chips, cookies, soft drinks and ice cream till you achieve the milestones. You are allowed to have these once in awhile but ask yourself and touch your heart regarding the frequency.

4.    Eat regularly and maintain the portion sizes

This is probably the most challenging because most of us are about convenience. We have become so lazy that we even cannot be bothered to eat regularly. I have clients that tell they one meal a day, why am I still fat? The answer is simple, when you put  your body through such a metabolic roller coaster, it will lower the metabolism and store fat the first possible opportunity it gets to store fat aka weekend brunch or buffet. Keep your meals regular and I assure you the waist size will reduce.

5.    Pack yourself with Physical Challenges

Don’t just join a gym and use the treadmill. Don’t engage a personal trainer and depend on him/her for your program. Pick up a sport that you used to do. Join a group class if you need to be motivated by others. Join more fun runs. Trekking overseas even. As long as you plan these physical challenges, the mind will be motivated enough to tell the body to do it. IF you continue on a course of living a sedentary life then I suggest you work harder and make sure you have set aside enough for medical fees later.

I am sure there are many other ways to motivate and get you going. Experiment and feel free to share with others how you are getting started or share this article with a loved one who needs it.

Next topic: Top 5 Heart Healthy Foods 

Written By: Ryan Lye

Read More

Tweaking Calories

Determining the basic caloric intake or maintenance calories takes some time and should be done gradually through a few weeks to months for the body to adapt to this new pattern. The key here is proper digestion and adequate enzymes to consume the amount of food that is required.

If the body does not digest the nutrients provided due to a sudden excess, it will either store it or get rid of it. Patience is virtue.

Take some measurements and monitor them monthly to make sure you are on track. If you have been gradually increasing calories but weight is still the same and body fat is decreasing or even maintaining, then good, keep increasing, you would be surprised how much your body requires. 

How often should I increase? The increments should be around 5% weekly for weight gain or even monthly depending on your goal. The weight gain is around 1 to 2 lbs per month. Take note that you want to have a good muscle : fat ratio! Meaning 2:1 or better.

However, if you notice your waist measurement is increasing quickly, perhaps it is good to slow the increase of calories as the body is starting to store fat due to the rate of absorption being low, low to slow metabolism or the workouts are not intensive enough to justify the increase in calories.

The key to success is consistency and understanding how your body works. For example if you are consuming too much simple carbohydrates through the day the insulin levels will be spiked and that slows metabolism. That is the reason why people feel sleepy if they consuming too much carbs after lunch. 

Choose slow digesting or carbohydrate choices that have lower glycemic scores such as sweet potatoes, brown rice, or rolled oats. Breads that are high in fiber would have a lower glycemic score compared to white bread.

If insulin is kept low to moderate and consistent throughout the day, metabolism will be kept stable. This in turn encourages fat loss. Exercise will always be the main method of heightening your metabolism and keep it high throughout the day. This is the most natural and best way to burn fat safely!

Next topic: Metabolism in a nutshell

Written By: Ryan Lye

Read More