10 tips on how NOT to put on weight

Ever since my wedding, I've been slowly gaining weight. This year, I kept telling myself that I need to lose weight and that I will especially as I'll be a bridesmaids again (for the second time) in September. 

I still cringe every time I look back at Miss Lawyer's wedding last year. For one, the bridesmaid hairstyle and make up I had wasn't flattering. :( And secondly, I don't think I look that pretty in the dress. Not saying it's the dress' fault but more of me not being happy with my body shape.

Putting on weight is so much easier than losing weight. Because you eat away and just pile on the weight slowly and surely and before you know it, you're a fatty. Not you. Me, that is. :(

And when you do decide to do something about losing those few gained weight, it feels like it takes forever and oh-so-much effort. I watched My Kitchen Rules 2/3 of the week early on in the year and gained 2kgs. I got sick in March and last those 2kgs.

But since then, I've gained them back and I've been at my heaviest. Shocked me to the core to see my weight on the scales. Told myself I've got to really do something about this and I have. Shall leave it for another post.

Thinking about all this and based on my own experience, I've come up with a list on 8 tips of how NOT to put on weight!! Lols.

#1 Don't sit on the couch like a couch potato after meals. Do house chores. 

#2 Don't eat chocolates, chips or ice-cream or anything unhealthy that is loaded with carbs and sugar. Well, don't eat every single day of the week lah.

#3 Don't be a bum, get your ass moving and go for a jog or a swim or a Zumba class or Body Combat! Health is wealth!

#4 Don't eat more than you need. Eat to live and not live to eat.

#5 Don't be picky with your food. Eat your fruits and veges even if your mother doesn't make you do so!

#6 Don't be a girl who has sugar cravings and erm.. PMS?

#7 Don't have friends so you won't have anyone to meet over yummy meals.

#8 Don't have money to enjoy the delicious food out there?

#9 Don't bake or cook as it will lead you to have second helpings for sure!

#10 Don't EAT! lol

Haha.. Ok. I was kind of struggling towards the end. Hence, the silliness. Lols. But hey, true isn't it? Hope it was helpful! :)

TGIF and fat me

One thing to be glad of the whole week- it's Friday. The weekend officially begins!

I have been blue the whole week signalling that annoys-me-to-no-end time of the month. I hate it when I am blue for no particular reason. Doesn't make sense but it makes me blue about everything else; life, work, friends (or lack of) or lack of communication from them etc.

Fret not. I'll be fine by mid next week. Hopefully.

But with this moody broody feelings, I always feel bloated, fat and ugly.

What's new, right? Reckon it comes with the territory.

It's one thing to feel fat and to know that I've packed on a few kilograms, it's a totally different level when my blur-about-these-kind-of-things hubby asks me if I've put on a little bit of weight as he inspects my thigh.

He's lucky I didn't punch him there and then. I would have had the perfect alibi anyway... crazy hormones. ;p

Oh well, time to cut down on my sugar, again and start three times a week exercise. To start, I shall be trying out Zumba on Wednesday with two colleagues. This should be interesting. Hope it turns out to be a long term endeavour in my bid to shed some weight.

Unwanted love handles and Green Coffee

I've finally sent out my save-the-date via Facebook today. Took me forever to get the guest list sorted out and even then, there's still a few people that I'll need to get their contact and let them know since I don't have them on Facebook.

And so with about 7 more months to go to the BIG day together with every bride's fervent wish to look svelte in their gorgeous white gown, I have started to think what can I do in order to lose the unwanted love handles.

This has been an ongoing item to strike off from the things-to-do list for the past I-don't-know-how-many-years... like forever!

Somehow, I never seem to lose more than 4kg and when I do, I just gain them back!

Darn.

Anyway, back to my big day. I think it's not too ambitious to lose at least 1kg a month. As long as I exercise, eat well, drink lots of water and watch my sweet tooth, it shouldn't be that difficult. Right?

I came across this article on Glamour.com about 8 workout moves for a toned body in two weeks written by a Shaun Dreisbach and it's really good for all who are clueless where to begin in regards to losing some weight.

(the below was taken from HERE)

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We’re all a teensy bit guilty of having unrealistic expectations at the gym: a few squats and presto—one size smaller! Nothing works that fast, but with the right strategy you can see results in just two weeks, says Pete McCall, trainer and exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise. What makes that possible: focusing on muscles that respond fastest to strength training—those in your arms, shoulders, calves and lower abs.

These moves will help you score, tighter arms, calves and lower abs in two weeks; see sexy definition in your butt, hips and thighs in four (and, if you have weight to lose and are eating right, drop a dress size); and after six weeks, you’ll be slimmer and more toned all over. Do two sets three or four days a week circuit-style.

Toning Move 1: Squat and Shoulder Press

Works butt, thighs, arms

Stand with feet hip-width apart holding five-pound weights in each hand, arms bent, palms facing in. Bend knees and squat, as shown; pause, then stand and press arms straight up over shoulders. Do 8 to 12 reps.

Toning Move 2: Pull Combo

Works butt, thighs, abs

Stand with feet hip-width apart, arms bent 90 degrees, with left hand near hip and right hand up by face, like a sprinter. Bend and lift left knee toward chest, then lean torso forward, extend left arm forward and left leg back, as shown. Return to standing, step left foot behind you and lower into a lunge, arms back in sprinter position; pause. Rise up in one explosive motion, swinging arms so they switch positions, lifting left knee toward chest and rising up onto toes of right foot. Do entire sequence 8 to 12 times; switch legs and repeat.

Toning Move 3: Crossover Lunge

Works calves, hamstrings, butt

Stand with arms at shoulder height, palms down. Step forward with right foot, crossing it in front of left. Lower into a curtsylike lunge (right knee shouldn’t go past toes) while twisting torso right, as shown. Untwist, push off right foot, return to start. Do 8 to 12 reps; switch legs and repeat.

Toning Move 4: Inchworm

Works abs, chest, arms

Bend forward, place hands on floor in front of toes, and walk hands forward, as shown, until you reach plank position. Do a push-up, then inch back to start. (Keep belly button pulled in.) Do 8 to 12 reps.

Toning Move 5: Standing Lift

Works obliques, back, shoulders

Stand with left foot in front of right, holding one weight with both hands, arms extended so weight is by right hip. Rotate arms up and across, as shown (don’t twist torso); pause, then return to start. Do 8 to 12 reps; switch sides and repeat.

Toning Move 6: Side Plank

Works abs, obliques, butt, hips, thighs

Lie on right side with legs extended, hips and feet stacked; prop yourself up on your right forearm, elbow under shoulder, and place left hand on your waist. Slowly lift hips off the floor as high as you can, as shown; hold for 15 to 30 seconds, belly button pulled in toward spine. Lower to start, switch sides and repeat.

Toning Move 7: Biceps Curl

Works biceps, shoulders, back

Stand holding a weight in each hand, arms down, palms facing thighs. Curl weights toward shoulders, rotating palms up toward your chest as you lift, as shown; pause. Lower to start. Do 12 to 15 reps.

Toning Move 8: Kickback

Works triceps, back

Stand with right foot in front of left, holding a weight in left hand; lean forward with back flat; bend left elbow 90 degrees. Slowly extend arm back, lifting weight as high as you can, as shown; pause. Lower and repeat. Do 12 to 15 reps; switch sides and repeat.

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Try it out and let me know if it works! =p

Meanwhile, I've been sipping Green Coffee yesterday and today - the lazy method. *hehe* Below pictures were taken with my newly acquired Nex3 (got it on a super awesome bargain). Still need to learn more about this baby of mine.

Thanks Mr. C for the early anniversary present! :)

See me?? You'll see only my right hand and the camera's lens.

And now, can you spot my left eye??!

Still here...

10 Ways to Reverse Holiday Weight Gain!!

Just a month ago, it was food binging during Christmas time with all the delicious turkey spread, chocolates and other glorious sumptuous food.

Now, it's Chinese New Year once again and every open house you go to, including your own, will be filled with a variety of food and titbit's such as cookies from pineapple jam tarts to love letters (Kuih Ka Pek) to butter cookies and so on.

But fret not, just because it's the season to eat and celebrate amongst gambling and drinking... it doesn't mean that one should be a glutton and pile on the weights. There are many things one can do that is simple and yet practical to maintain or shed some weight.

Read some of this good pointers at Glamour.com and find it useful enough to share it with you girls and guys who are anxious about potential weight gaining. =p

A summary. Happy reading and putting it into application!

#1 - Don't be so hard on yourself

It's inevitable to gorge oneself silly during holidays especially hanging out with friends and family. And it's ok. Don't start beating up yourself over the lack of exercise coupled by the food binging. Just accept it and move on which brings me to...

#2 -Keep eating

With all the pigging out, constant eating, you might feel that you need to skip meals to lose the 'fats' but I've learnt that skipping meals will only make you feel more hungry and when you get hungry, it is harder to stick to a diet or any healthy eating plan. And when you cave in to your hunger, you're going to be eating more. Perhaps, cut down on carbohydrates such as rice or bread etc and have more protein like meat and also vege is always good!

#3 - Shake your booty!!

Being on holiday, the only exercise you get is probably walking from the couch to the table for more cookies or lifting your fork to your mouth. But with all that food you input, it's good to exercise. It makes you feel healthier, lighter and it also makes you feel more positive and happy somewhat.

Just a small walk with your cousins or friends around the park or take a hike in the morning or evening whilst catching up doesn't make exercise feel like such a bore.

#4 - Put your goals in black and white

It's easier to have a goal, write it down and achieve it. When you write it down, it's easier to focus than to leave the thought swimming in your mind to be done at a later date.

Being specific is important ie. say you want to lose 1kg by end of February. Or lose 5kgs by 1st June. And apparently it's good to keep a logbook on your exercise regime and food intake. It supposedly helps to minimise mindless eating. This however requires discipline. I tend to forget and write only once a week. >_<

#5 - Love your greens!

It is said by my mum and lots of health experts that vegetables are a natural appetite suppressants. I totally see it, after eating yucky greens, one just does not have any appetite for anything else. Bread, on the other hand is supposedyly an appetite stimulant, hence, you'll see it on tables in restaurants. Well, mostly the ang moh ones. =p

#6 - Leftovers are a NO NO!!

Yes, saving leftover food is good and wasting is bad. However, if you keep temptation in the fridge, it's going to be hard to say no when the hunger pangs comes a knocking. Instead, store fruits and veges as snacks.

I used to shudder at the thought of veges as my snacks but I have come to looove salads with onion and tomatoes drenched in some vinaigrette. Simple to make and filling enough for a meal.

#7 - If you fail to plan, you plan to fail

If you plan your meals, it's easier to keep to it. Of course, try to set realistic ones. In fact, sometimes bringing your own meals to work, you save time and money and at the same time, control what you eat.

I had a colleague previously who had some health issues due to stress and improper food intake. Hence, he started bringing home cook food to work. And every once a week, he'll 'reward' himself for eating healthily. This definitely requires LOTS of discipline but when you see the end results - in his case, he lost a fair bit of weight and looked and felt healthier - it's really worth it.

I always bathe and brush my teeth at the same time after dinner. This is to curb my temptation to snack after as I'll be too lazy to brush my teeth again.

#8 - Lots of h2o is good

Apparently, most of the time when we're hungry, we're actually thirsty. Drinking lots of water is good cos it feels your tummy and it also helps to flush out the bad stuff you input.

#9 - Sleeping early is essential

This is a good habit to pick up and takes awhile to cultivate this habit. If you sleep late, you'll realise when the clock strikes a certain time, say maybe 12am or 2am, your tummy will start to growl and you'll need to snack on something. But if you're asleep by then, you won't feel the hunger and hence, cut down on unnecessary food intake.

#10 - Patience is a virtue

We are an instant society these days whereby we want fast results, instant rewards but like in everything else in our lives, things takes time. Only time will tell. And if you've put in the effort as mentioned from #1 to #9, you just have to practice #10 and you WILL see the results.

I say this because since making my resolution or rather things to do for 2011, I've cut down on milk tea to a cup a day, on top of that, I eat half bowl of rice, if not lesser and since coming back, several people have commented that I've lost some weight.

I did. I lost about 2kgs but I think since coming back, I prolly put them back. =( No worries, I'll just continually work on it. Was hoping to go for some hiking etc but will have to be realistic and work on my plans to meet all and sundry before I go back.

2011 really is starting out to be a great year and I have to continually be thankful for that. =)