Mix It Up to Lose Weight!

Dear Friends,

It’s the Festive Season and it’s time to feast and celebrate and be grateful for the things we enjoy. It is also a time when you put on weight from the eating and drinking. All the hard work you have put in to maintain or lose weight will go out of the window.

So, you need to ramp up your exercise to counter the increase intake of unwanted calories. And if you are still not having much success then you should also exercise to at least maintain the weight or your weight will balloon. 

The solution may be to mix your work out by incorporating different things. For example, if you only jog, then include cycling and swimming as part of your workout routine. Include Gym workout where possible as building muscle can help in increasing metabolic rate which then will help you lose weight. 

Last week, I played soccer with my neighbor for about two hours and he claimed that he lost about 2 kg. Of course he did a lot of running plus he scored a few goals. It could be mainly water lost but he would have would have also burned more than 500 calories from the workout playing soccer.

Alternatively, you can combine High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on days that you do not Run, Cycle or Swim. That way you can mix things up and your body does not get used to a routine which may result in diminishing returns.

Try different things and mix things up to get better result. Each one of us responds differently to different kinds of workout. Good Luck.

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year! God Bless!

Love All, Serve All!

Best Regards,

Mark

http://helpyourselfnhelpothers.blogspot.sg/ 

KUDOS to Leicester City for Winning English Premier League Title!

Dear Friends,

This is a fairy tale story coming to life. We could not have imagined a team with no stars and a team that has never won the English League title ever winning the 2015-2016 English Premier League (EPL) title. I am really happy Leicester City have won.

I am a die hard Manchester United fan for a long time and I still am. I was hoping that David Moyes and now Louis Van Gaal (LVG) would continue the Alex Ferguson tradition of attractive attacking football and play with a never-say-die attitude. But that was not to be. Manchester United are playing poorly despite having a team worth millions. When I started supporting Man United, they were a mid-tier team. But they were interesting to watch. But now its really painful that a bunch of millionaires can't even string decent passes together. I am waiting for a Man United revival but for now I am going enjoy watching Leicester- the underdogs play attractive football.

I have always wanted the underdog to win. Even when United were winning, in those seasons where United were not on top of their game, I would wish for a underdog not in the top 5 teams to win. Almost every EPL season will start with the underdogs leading the pack but they will eventually fizzle out because they do not have strength in depth or the money to buy big name players like the top teams. This is the first time a couple of journeyman who have stayed up and won. Why?

1) Teamwork- Everybody worked hard for in the Leicester team.
2) No Star Player only a team of players.
3) No pressure to win because nobody expected them to win.
4) They had a strategy and system in place which is counterattacking football by allowing opposition teams to have most of the possession and make the mistakes. Apparently, they had the fastest players in the EPL.
5) A good coach in Claudio Ranieri. He has managed some big teams but the ex-Chelsea manager has never really won a league title with any of the clubs he has managed. And he is a nice guy.
6) Having the winning mentality to the end. They never let their league position to get to their head. The coach made sure of that.

The Foxes ( Leicester's nickname) outfoxed the big teams like Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspurs and Manchester United to finish on top with two games to spare. Its a remarkable achievement for a team that nobody would have given a chance at the start of the season.  There is a thing or two we can learn from this fairy tale. Never give up hope! Those who dream big and are persistent will eventually be rewarded like Leicester.

Cheers,
Mark
http://helpyourselfnhelpothers.blogspot.sg/
(still a Man United fan but a closet Leicester fan)

On a Mission to Lose 5kg!!!

Hi Friends,


It has been a long time. How have you all been?

I have been enjoying life-good food, drinks and celebrations. But at the same time I have been exercising where I can. However, when input is greater than output, you put on weight. Simple maths. It did not help that the haze prevented me from exercising outdoors towards the last quarter of 2015. I especially missed my running and cycling. This was followed by Christmas and New Year celebrations. Added to that is work and family commitments.

I started the New Year with a 10km run. This was followed by 2 or 3 gym workouts, cycling, trekking and golf. But this has not really helped with the weight loss.

So, I am going on the assault and start exercising every alternate days.

Wish me luck! MAY THE FORCE BE WITH ME!

Cheers,
Mark

How to Look Great!

Dear Friends,

We are at the end of the 1st month of 2017. How has the year been so far? For me the year has been great so far. I have been exercising almost everyday since the start of the week and I have been getting 6-8 hours sleep a night. The bet is who will be the first to reach the goal of reducing our weight by 4 kg. I am sure I will be able to hit the target if I can stop my habit of snacking and drinking beer.

This bring me to the subject of  "How to Look Great!". There some very simple steps you can take to achieve this goal. You have to work at it to make it a permanent feature in your life.

1) Good Posture
This a easy step but one that is difficult to maintain because you have to be conscious about it 24/7. Most of us work in front of the computer. So we have a tendency to develop a slouch. We need to consciously pull the shoulders back, chest out and suck in the tummy. This will automatically make you taller. You need to be relaxed otherwise you will get tired very fast trying hold the posture.

2) Exercise
If you exercise regularly and keep your weight within your BMI then you will feel energized and look healthier. The key is to exercise at least 150 minutes a week. You can exercise 3x a week 50 minutes a week or 5x for 30 minutes a week. You can also incorporate some body weight exercises together with cardio exercise. This can include-push ups, squats, sit-ups, chin-ups, jumping-jacks, etc.

3) Eat Healthy Food
Eating healthy is also important. You need to cut calories, eat less salt, reduce fatty food and reduce alcohol intake. I was feasting for most part of December 2016 and I gained 4kg. Beer and high carbohydrate diet was cause of this weight gain. Plus, I did not have time to exercise as I was partying. I felt tired, lousy and I looked terrible. Now since I started exercising I feel much better and I have lost some of the weight.

4) Sleep
Many people fail to realize how important sleep is. You need to sleep so that your body and repair itself. Lack of sleep has been highlighted as a cause of death. People who get only about 2 to 4 hours of sleep a night may be doing a lot of damage to their body. If you want to look fresh in the morning you should get at least 6 to 8 hours of sound sleep.Hence, I have been consciously trying to sleep by 10 pm as I need to get up by 5.45 am. There are devices like "Jawbone" and "Fitbit" that you can look up that will assist you to get fit and healthy. But you must be disciplined enough to get back on track even if you fall of the bandwagon from time to time. Otherwise having these devices may be absolute waste of your hard earned money.

5) Dress Cool & Funky
This is the easiest of the steps to achieve the goal of "How to Look Great!". But before you rush out to the shopping center and spend. Plan your purchase. If you plan to lose 5 kg of weight, that might affect your waist line and therefore the cloths you buy. If you plan to bulk up then you need to take that into consideration buy clothes that a loose fitting so that you can fit into the shirts and pants. But everyone needs a wardrobe update to look sharp and smart. Ladies will need to keep up with the fashion trends. Just make sure you do not bust your budget. Always live within your means and you don't have to buy the top brands. Some of the mid-tier brands can make you look good and you will feel rich because you can have some savings.

I hope I have covered the essential points on how to "How to Look Great!". You will definitely feel great when you achieve the goals.

Have a Great Week!

Cheers,
Mark
http://helpyourselfnhelpothers.blogspot.sg/

Healthy Lifestyle-Superfood!

Dear Friends,

If you are finding it difficult to lose weight try maintaining a "Food log" that enables to help you track how much and how well you are eating. It should have complete details such date, time, place, type of food, amount, drinks, etc. Monitor what you eat to see if that is the area you need to focus on if exercising is not helping. If you like fast food or you like to snack then you need to cut back on that and start eating healthy food and continue to exercise. Quality is more important than quantity. Hence, Superfood can be a good source of nutrition while reducing too much of carbohydrate intake as well as saturated fats. 

This YouTube video on Superfoods also highlights other benefits that you may enjoy by consuming such foods.

If you like to purchase some Superfood you may to go to the following online store to purchase them (for now Singapore only) :-   http://www.lebonocollection.com/category/153-superfoods#oid=1031_14

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Cheers,
Mark

p.s.Check with your doctors if you have any medical conditions before consuming foodstuff that may not be suitable for you.

The Haze vs Exercising!

Dear Friends,

If you have been running or cycling in the haze, here is a word of caution. If you have any respiratory ailments please stay indoors or train indoors like in a gym. It is not worth risking your health just to maintain your exercise regime. Even if you have perfect health you are better of taking precaution. There is always a possibility that you may develop a health issue if you push the boundaries too far.

I have seen too many people who have caught the exercise bug training when the haze level is high. I was planing to cycle the last two Sundays but as the PSI level was at 70 and above I decided I will not risk getting respiratory ailments so I went to the gym. It did not give the same thrill as cycling outdoors but I was happy with my workout.

I intend to run or cycle when the PSI is about 50 to 60 as I have some respiratory issues from young. I love running and cycling and I want to do it as long as I can. So, I need to take care of my health first and foremost. You need to listen to your body at all time. But you should not give in to laziness!!!

Be safe, not sorry!

Have a Good Sporting Weekend!

Cheers,
Mark

No Time to Exercise? No worries!

Dear Friends,

You often hear this....No Time to Exercise...Busy......Can't find the time. etc. Well, no worries. Here is a solution for the busy people of the world. You just need ten minutes a day to keep in shape. You may ask, what can you do in ten minutes? Well, you can do enough to tone your body.

Start with one set first for at least 3x a week. You can add additional set and reduce the rest time 15 secs or 10 secs depending on how well your body is able to adapt to the routine. This routine is a short burst program and can be intense for some. So, it would be good to check with the doctor before you start if you have lived a sedentary or unhealthy lifestyle.

1) Start with Jumping Jacks for a count of  25 reps. Rest for 15 secs.
2) Push-ups - 10 reps Rest for 15 secs.
3) Stomach Crunches- 30 reps Rest for 15 secs.
4) Body weight Squats - 10 reps Rest for 15 secs.
5) Triceps Dips (using a chair)-10 reps Rest for 15 secs.
6) Glute Bridge- 10 reps. Rest for 15 secs.
7) Planks- count of 30 seconds. Rest for 15 secs.
8) Lunges- start with 10 reps (as it can be the most challenging exercise but its great)

You can do these exercises first thing in the morning before you get busy and tired. You can always get up 15 minutes earlier than usual to do this.

But you should incorporate cardio workout 3x to 5x a week such as Jogging or Cycling or other sports to complement your routine if your goal is to lose weight and get fit. You should workout at least a total of 150 minutes a week to see real results.

Good Luck!

Best Regards,
Mark