Weight Loss Tips and Tricks

Food for Thought: The starting point of all achievement is desire.  Strengthen Your Desire! Weak desires bring weak results, just as a small amount of fire makes a small amount of heat.

Photo source: Pinterest 

I gain weight so easily because of my slow metabolism, that's why maintaining my weight has always been a challenge to me.  I need to exercise regularly and watch my diet just to maintain my current weight.  Gaining weight is so easy, but losing weight is so hard.  Isn't this unfair?


Last year, I became lax with my exercise and diet, causing me to gain 5 kgs (as shown by my picture below).

August 2011

I worked hard to get my weight back on track and all my hard work has paid off :).  I achieved my weight loss goal after 3 months and I have managed to maintain my weight within my target range since then. 

Me after losing 5kgs.

I'm going to share some weight loss tips and tricks that worked for me.  I am not a fitness expert but I am writing from my experience.  


10 Weight Loss Tips and Tricks That Really Work:
1. Participate in a weight loss challenge. 
This is what I did. I joined the Vibrant Living Walk, Run, and Donate Program that was offered by P&G. This gave me the extra  motivation to work really hard to achieve my weight loss goal. It also helped me to stay on track. 


2. Start a cardio and weights work out.  
The best way to lose weight is a good exercise routine and weight training.  You don't necessarily have to go to the gym to start an exercise program. I love to exercise but I'm not fond of going to the gym.  I prefer to run or walk outside.  I run 5km (usually in the morning) within my fat burning zone (60-80% of my target heart rate).  If the weather is bad and I can't run outside, I do dance exercise at home (I have several dance exercise DVDs).  I also do weight lifting 2-3 times a week (I have my own set of dumbbells at home).

3. Watch what you eat.
I am using the "My Plate" application on my iPad to keep track of my my food intake and my exercise. If you want to lose weight, you need to use up more energy than what you eat.  It's that simple. However, you need to determine first your metabolic rate for you to know your caloric balance status. You can estimate your metabolic rate by using the BMR calculator (you can search this in google). 

  

4. Eat healthy.
Eat more fruits and vegetables and less of fatty foods. Avoid processed foods as they contain a  lot of transfat (bad fat).  I have learned from the Corporate Athlete training that we don't necessarily have to eat healthy food 100% of the time.  We don't have to deprive ourselves of the food that we really like to eat.  80% healthy food  is good enough.

Healthy Eating Pyramid

Source: P&G Vibrant Living

5. Eat 3 meals and some snacks in between meals.
Eat full breakfast and lunch and light supper.  Low glycemic index (~100cal) snacks are recommended in between. 

6. Use smaller plate. 
I tend to eat less if I use smaller plate :).

7. Drink a lot of water.
I drink a lot of water (minimum of 3 liters per day). If you want to eat less, drinking a lot of water before meal will do the trick.

8. Go for natural fruits instead of fruit juices. 
Fruit juices contain a lot of sugar and calories.

9. Avoid sweetened drinks.   
Sweetened drinks contain a lot of sugar and calories too.  Drink water instead.  Honestly, I still crave for coke sometimes, especially this summer season.   Ang sarap kayang uminom ng coke na maraming yelo :).

10. Drink green tea. I drink green tea everyday.  I've read that green tea increases the metabolism, therefore it can also aid weight loss.

Remember this: The key to losing weight permanently is lifestyle change.  

My Weight Loss Challenge

I'm sure you're going to tell me "But you are not fat!". Yeah, I know :), but the thing is, I easily gain weight because of my slow metabolism. I have to exercise regularly just to maintain my weight. And this has always been a challenge to me.

It was the start of summer last year (June 2011) when I started gaining weight, as you can see from my picture below. I was burned out and my motivation to exercise went down. I also started eating a lot. I tend to eat a lot whenever I'm stressed.

Chubby looking Glo :)

This was my turning point (picture below). I asked myself - "Is this really me? ". It was then that I realized that I had gained enough weight, time for me to do something before it's too late, time for me to get back on track!

My "before" picture (taken last August 2011 in Singapore). Thanks to Ajoh for this photo.

I decided to join the Vibrant Living Walk, Run, and Donate program of our company (P&G). I committed to lose 3 kilos (or min. of 3% body fat) in 3 months (from Sept. 1- Nov. 30). I was determined to win this challenge so I vowed to start moving some more.

I started running, slowly at first, until I was able to complete the 5km non-stop around Greenbelt. I did 5km run in the morning and another 5km brisk walking in the evening (after work), total of 10km, 5-6 times a week. I also included resistance training in my exercise routine, 3x a week. In order for me to lose weight, I had to burn more than what I eat. So, I kept track of my food intake using the Livestrong (My Plate) application.

I overdid it! I lost 5 kilos after 3 months (more than what I committed), but I looked like I had just recovered from an illness. As they say, too much of anything is also not good ... so I decided to gain back 1kg, that was easy :).

After 3 months

All's well that ends well. I achieved my weight loss goal and so happy with my achievement (good job!). This is not about being thin. It's about being healthy, confident, happy, and beautiful in my own way.

Before and After photo

My weight is now hovering around 46 to 47 kilos, but I'm not stopping from here.  The challenge continues...