Looking for effective weight loss programs? How about eating & drinking your way to a faster metabolism?
An effective weight loss program...
Eating & drinking your way to a faster metabolism?
1: DRINK GREEN TEA
Green tea has a catechin - one of four major catechins- called Epigallocatechin gallate. EGCG as its called, cause the body to burn fat for fuel. The catechins blocks fat from being absorbed and so less fat are being deposited in your body. As for the teeth, green tea is a good source of fluoride. So not only does it not stain teeth, it strengthens them.
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2: EAT AT THE SAME TIME EVERYDAY
While eating small portions throughout the day may not help much, there is good reason to eat those meals on a regular schedule. I have found a very interesting article about how animals that were put on predictable diets so they could anticipate when they were going to eat, actually experienced hormonal changes that helped them better process and burn the calories they consumed. Animals that didn't know when the next meal was coming were much more likely to store calories as fat.
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3. DRINK MORE WATER
Cool water expends extra calories because the body uses energy to warm up the body. What I usually have as an appetizer is a glass of ice water because it may help you burn more calories and sometimes, even though you think you're hungry, your body probably just needs to be hydrated.
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4. EAT SPICY FOOD
When you eat foods spicy enough to make you uncomfortable, you're experiencing a "brief raise in body temperature because your system has to break down the spices. However, the effect doesn't last more than 10 - 15 minutes and in terms of additional calorie burn it's probably not significant. Personally, I like spicy food anyway so I'll eat as much as I want even if it doesn't do anything!
Shoot For Coca-Cola
Yesterday I did a shoot for Coca-cola and you wouldn't believe it... I only got off at 11.30pm! Long day...
There's another PLAYEUR magazine party tonight and I'm gonna dress as an sexy elf! Let's hope I can find what I need...
When is the best time to exercise?
QUICK TIP:
Exercising in the morning before breakfast puts your body into an active mode so that your body can function better through the day. Doing it before breakfast also helps to utilize stored energy in muscles and fat cells.
Exercising in the evening helps to reactivate your body's metabolism since it is found to slow down as the day passes.
I don't know about you but working out in the morning really wakes my body up and I feel more progressive when I do my work. Working out in the evening however, makes me fall asleep easier at night. I'd workout twice a day if I could but personally, I prefer doing it in the morning.
I have a shoot for Coca-Cola, will write more later!
10 easy steps to hit your dream weight
There's one universal truth about losing weight: it ain't easy. But it can be done, and it's not really all about dieting.
Here's how it's done:
Your attitude is just as important to your success as how you eat and exercise. Ask yourself, what's your motivation to lose weight? Is it bikini season? Is it to please a guy/girl you're dating? If so, rethink things. Once people reach a short-term goal like that, they tend to go back to their old habits and regain the weight. Instead, focus on several small steps - like exercising three times a week or eating breakfast everyday - and one long-term goal, such as "I want to feel and look healthy." The small victories will keep you motivated while you give yourself the time you need to reach your ultimate goal.
Next, ask yourself if your expectations are realistic. No one gains a stone in three weeks, so why would you expect to shed that amount that fast? Expecting more dramatic weight loss only sets you up for discourage and failure.
Finally, review your past mistakes. Think of all the diets you've tried and what happened. It's hard to recognize bad habits or illogical thought processes while you're doing them. But once they're in the past, they're easier to identify and amend.
Start your diet by writing down what you eat, including how much you had, the time you ate it and how you were feeling. This is a real eye-opener for people who think they eat healthy but can't lose weight. Some realize they're eating because they're bored, stressed or hungry, others are munching out of habit. If you're on your computer alot like myself, use Wordpad, your phone or a little notebook to keep track. Then you can really see for yourself if you're been "a good girl/boy".
You could start out by cutting back or cutting out fast/junk food and eat the healthier stuff such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and replace sugary cereals with high fibre ones. It was hard for me to give up sweets but that doesn't mean you should give up treats. At the end of week, you could treat yourself with a slice of apple crumble because you've been disciplined and should never deprive yourself because you might only start overeating again.
Most people eat more than what their body actually requires and complain they are "too full". I know a number of friends who work 9to5 and most skip their breakfast only to eat more during lunch and either snack way too much before dinner. Try to have a daily routine and have breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same time. Remember, you don't necessarily have to finish what's on the plate. Eat to fulfill your hunger, not until you're too full.
Spend at least 15 minutes on every meal. Take moderate bites, chew them completely and pause between mouthfuls to see how full you are. Give your stomach a chance to tell your brain it's had enough.
People don't eat in the morning because they think they'll save calories. But breakfast prevents you from becoming ravenous and making bad food choices as a result. Plus, if you don't eat within two hours of waking up, your metabolism slows to conserve energy. A good option? A veggie-filled omelette, a piece of fruit, half a cup of low fat yogurt and two slices of wholewheat toast. The protein and fat keep you feeling full because they take a long time to digest and the carbs energize you.
I have a friend who was getting 800 calories a day just from drinking soda. That soon adds up to alot. Alcohol is another no-no, at least for the first few weeks of healthy eating.
Start slowly. Work out for 10-20 minutes three times a week, then tack on five minutes every week. Work up to 45-60 minutes of biking, speed-walking, running, aerobics or another cardiovascular exercise five to seven days a week for peak weight loss. Once your cardio becomes a routine, add two 20 minute sessions of strength training (weights) per week.
When people start to see weight loss, many are tempted to speed things up by cutting even more calories or skipping meals. But that can send you into starvation mode. Your body will cling to food and your metabolism can slow by 20%. Have dessert once in a while too. Avoiding all things sweet (or salty) only leads to binges or burnout. No food should be completely off limits.
So you had a slice of cake. And it was huge. Instead of being angry at yourself, just start being good again immediately. Women often think, "I've blown it - I'll start again tomorrow" but you need to get back on track with the next meal, not the next day. The extra calories you ate will barely dent in your weight - if that's where it ends.
Women who lose weight and stay slim are the ones who continue to exercise regularly for a long time after they've shed pounds. Successful slimmers also say they occasionally return to the tricks that got them there: portion control and using a food diary. From time to time, all of us need these tools to get through a stressful period or buffet-filled holiday. These are good habits you should keep for life.
Amazing Beauty Cheats
When I get home after a long day out, all I really want to do is take all my makeup off and go to bed. Neautrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser is amazing because it quickly removes all my makeup (even waterproof mascara!) without leaving raccoon eyes from all the eye makeup and won't leave any pore-clogging residue. Acne hit me at a much later age (quite recently actually), and my dermatologist had highly recommended that I only used non-comedogenic face products so that it won't clog pores. Had I known what non-comedogenic was, I could've probably avoided acne! But it's common that we all go through this stage in our lives. It's just a matter of controlling the oil-buildup on your skin and avoid picking your pimples to prevent scarring. So ladies, next time you go shopping for your make-up or skin products, look out for non-comedogenic products, especially if you have oily skin. One brand that carries a few non-comedogenic makeup is Ettusais.
Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser is oil-free, non-comedogenic, hypo-allergenic, soap-free and comes in a pump-bottle. I would recommend this product to those who spends alot of time putting on their makeup but is too tired to take it off by the time of the day.
3 Hours A Week – All It Takes
"A smart workout three times a week is better than mindlessly going through motions on the elliptical every day."
"Hey Fay! It's so good to see you again. You have lost some weight, haven't you?" an old school mate of mine, Peter, said to me last night after we bumped into each other after FEMALE Magazine's 50 Most Gorgeous People show at Zouk.
I must admit, all that running & working out pays off when you receive such a compliment. While working out/running, sometimes all I can think of is "Why am I making myself do this? Oh god, I just want to stop, give it up, surrender to the couch and try again harder tomorrow." I procrastinated on working out alot and sometimes I'd just eat 2 burgers and tell myself that I'll just work it out tomorrow. The next day, I'd drag myself out of bed and like "oh-no", literally, I would have a last minute appointment/casting and would have no time to work out. I try, for the longest time, I kept telling myself I was trying. But I was doing too little yet expecting too much.
A YEAR AGO, I was growing a little out of shape. I went from 100pounds to 125pounds faster than you can say Big Mac. I had just graduated from school and I had put on a little bit of weight from all the late night snacks, going to bed late (sometimes not having any sleep for more than 24 hours at all), eating fast food and not working out AT ALL. Any art student could probably relate to the outrageous deadlines and mountainous workload that continuously piled up day by day. I was already procrastinating with schoolwork that I don't even remember even thinking about working out. It started to show. Friends in school started pointing out that I was beginning to put on a bit of chub. I joined a bikini competition and even a pageant but lost all confidence when I saw how I looked like in a bikini. After graduating, I flew over to Florida to live with my aunt and do a bit of modeling.
I would say that that was probably the first big turning point in my life. My aunt, Martini, sat me down for a serious talk about what I wanted to do with my life. I was too shy to say it at first because I was so insecure... so I told her I wanted to do graphic/web design because it was related to what I did in school. She read me like a book and firmly asked me again what I really wanted to do, or be. I finally told her I really wanted to be a model.
"What's holding you back?"
"My weight."
I looked back at my photos two years ago and I realized how much I had neglected my body. I wanted to lose weight so badly I became anorexic. I'd refuse to eat, but when I did, I'd binge. I hated looking at myself in the mirror, I'd shower with the lights off and go out with wearing a sweater even if it was 30degrees Celcius outside. Anorexia didn't work for me. It doesn't work at all. So I started to change my diet and started eating more fruits and greens and less sweets and treats. I didn't start running in the beginning because I had little (or no) stamina so I started out with in-line skating. I learnt in-line skating since when I was probably 8 and enjoyed doing it. Then I tried out jogging, and gradually started running. I also got into kickboxing and did ab workout videos. However, I still wasn't seeing any results.
I felt extremely low about myself and almost wanted to give up. I didn't take up a number of modeling jobs because I realized I was out of shape and barely looked anything like my modeling photos. After 3 months, I moved to California and started going to the gym. I'd run on the treadmill for about 30 minutes and do some light weight lifting to tone up. I also discovered a new favorite toy - the workout ball. There's just so many things you can do with the workout ball, especially if you're aiming for that fab abs. More on that coming soon...
When I weighed myself early March this year, I was about 120pounds (I had lost about 5pounds) and in the next month I was about 118. I returned to Singapore mid-April to surprise my mother for her birthday and realized there were actually a few things I could do here. So I started working the 9 - 5pm and did some web designing, then doing retail. Since I started working, I haven't had much time to work out but I realized I was still losing weight. I didn't own a weighing scale, believe it or not, but I realized that I could wear my sister's clothes. She wears a size 0 and I was a size 4. And I haven't ran in a month.
I was guilty, but glad it was still working out. Maybe because I stayed active by working office hours and still made sure I went to bed by midnight. But I wasn't about to let myself go. I wanted to get back on track again. On my days off, I'd run for half an hour and jog for another half and do some ab workout on the workout ball. I tried to make sure I did this at LEAST twice a week, as compared to what I did before - every single day. I realized I fit into clothes better and that I didn't really have to workout everyday to feel better or lose weight. After giving my body its much needed rest/break, I actually started to notice the difference in how I look when I wear my old clothes.
So, if you're planning to start losing weight, you have to find a sport that you like doing. Something simple like perhaps swimming, jogging/running, tennis, basketball or in-line skating. Mix that with light weight training, and a balanced diet. Go easy, start by doing it three or two times a week. It is important that you do a sport that you like so you always look forward to it. If you suddenly feel like running is too boring, switch to in-line skating, like what I do, or swimming. An hour a day, 3 times a week. That's 3 hours a week. All it takes.
You can do it too.
Working Out Like a Pro
I exercise at least 3 times a week, doing a mix of cardio and weight training exercises. For cardio, I run for 30 minutes, jog for another 15 minutes and brisk walk for the remaining 15 minutes to cool down. I prefer running outdoors than working it on the treadmill.
Running outdoors vs Treadmill:
Using the treadmill the machine actually assists you to move your feet back which makes the workload less than running outdoors. You also do not have to endure the outdoor weather when running on a treadmill. But a disadvantage would be that you do not have the benefit of the changing scenery while running to take your attention away from your perceived exertion.
Running outdoors means you can vary your route, take in a change of scenery, run hills and dales and it also presents more motivation, burns off more calories and helps you to feel more triumphant in your achievements. I usually try to take a different route when running outdoors and/or run further while taking the same duration of time, meaning to run faster. Its a sort of challenge for me and it pays off quite well.
Walking is most evidently one of the best exercises to start with to help you lose weight. With that being said, if you are serious about getting fit and back to shape, you need to follow a clear laid out plan comprising of the right diet and exercise combination to fast track your results and keep losing weight and extra inches consistently week after week.
The focus of any weight loss program is basically to burn more calories than you consume daily. Also, the focus should be on getting rid of the fat and not merely weight. Even by making you lose water content from the body, you can bring about a weight loss, but this type of weight loss will make you gain all the lost weight as soon as you are off those crash diets.
A lot of people tend to feel guilty and start overdoing tough exercises in short bursts. This will not help you burn the fat. For example, cardio workouts like brisk walking for a consistent period of time will burn more fat than a small burst of sprinting. This is because, sprinting will for sure burn calories, but the way the calorie burning works is that, the carbohydrate will get burnt out immediately to supply energy and only then does fat burning happen. Since sprinting is for short spurts, it will only burn carbohydrate calories and not much fat. Consistent walking for a long period of time will burn more of fat and is an excellent exercise.
If you are starting out, it is best to begin with walking long distances, then brisk walking, jogging, and work towards running. This is very important because you do not want to suffer any injuries, especially knee or ankle injuries.
Alternatively, other cardio workouts like slow jogging, swimming, dancing, could well be as beneficial as walking to lose weight. The trick is to do something fun, something that you enjoy so you always look forward to your next workout.
If you start to get tired or bored of running, alternate your workout days with a kickboxing workout, swimming, or inline-skating (which is what I do myself). Personally, I prefer to workout in my own space, and I feel more focused when I'm working out on my own so I don't go to the gym. Instead, I create my own gym at home. My tools of trade would include the workout ball (55cm, it's best to do sit ups), weights (two 2.5kg is just enough for me), a workout mat and some DVD videos of kickboxing and ab workout exercises.
Chasing the sun across the globe, starting from Singapore to California, Florida, and now Kuala Lumpur.
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