4 tips for a flat tummy

A couple of things I learnt in search of the 6-pack. :-)

1) Every body is different, and there’s no one blanket solution for a flat tummy.

Healthy looks different on every body, and don’t feel discouraged if you’re not getting the same results as another person on the same regime. The trick is to experiment and find out what combination works best for you.

Most importantly, don’t make it your goal to be fit. Make it your goal to be disciplined, and being fit will follow.

2) Shift your focus from weight loss, to lowering your body fat percentage.

“That six-pack will never show if you have a layer of fat covering them. A reduction in your overall body fat percentage gives the ab definition you desire, but how low you have to go to get that musculature depends on your gender and genetics.” -Andrea Cespedes.

Check out this article by Marc Perry to give you a better understanding on the body fat percentage for visible abs in men and women:

https://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/

3) You can’t just do crunches, that’s a lie.

I believe in the DCBA approach – “Diet first, cardio second, building muscle third and Abs exercises last.” -Myatt Murphy, author of The Body You Want in the Time You Have.

Personal notes:

Diet does not equal starvation. Fuel your body & start the day right right. I’ve learnt that eating right in the morning can help set the tone for the rest of your day.

My personal daily routine consists of 1 shot of my regular natural liquid supplement followed by 1 litre of alkaline water (lemon is one of the best ways of alkalinising water) first thing in the morning.

After 30 minutes, I start with 2 half boiled eggs + a serving of fruit.

For the rest of the day, I basically eat what my body feels like having, but I always try my best to start each meal with 1 serving of fruit.

I don’t really like drinking water, so I discipline myself by ensuring that I finish a minimum of 1.5 litres (I carry a bottle infused with my regular natural liquid supplement), before I drink any other form of liquid.

I eat often – small portions, every 2.5 to 3 hours. Hence, why I find it hard to label my meals. Lol. (i.e. whether I’m actually eating my 1st or second breakfast/lunch etc.).

Whole foods over processed foods. Basically eating food that still looks as it did growing in nature, or very close to it. Eg, eating actual potatoes as opposed to having potato chips.

It is also important to find out if there are any foods with which you have an intolerance for, that are causing you to bloat.

Ultimately the key to a good diet is sustainability and consistency. Before you attempt a new “diet”, ask yourself if it’s sustainable, ie. Will you be able to stick to it for long term? If the answer is no, then don’t even bother to start.

And as Bruce Lee said, “Long-term consistency trumps short-term intensity.”

A great tip in choosing a regime that’s sustainable is to modify instead of overhaul.

Cardio – If you’re like me and have minimal time to exercise, opt for High-intensity interval training (HIIT). I try and clock in 15-20 minutes each session a few times a week. Combine HIIT with resistance training, you’ll get more from those 20 minutes that a full run on the treadmill.
Building muscle – “Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, which means the more you have, the faster your metabolism is and the more calories you burn all day long.” -Tom Holland.

4) Laugh it out. I’m serious. Lol. Here’s one way to start:

OOTD: Top: Emporio Armani Women Visibility Training Microfiber Bralette, Black | Bottom: Emporio Armani Women Visibility Stretch Lounge Pant with Cuffs, Black | http://www.boxers-and-briefs.net/

References:

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20385798,00.html#eat-at-this-magic-hour-0
http://www.mensfitness.com/training/pro-tips/how-get-abs
https://www.builtlean.com/2013/04/01/fat-burning-zone-myth/
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/what-it-takes-to-get-a-six-pack

http://www.hannah.today/girlystuff

How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Week 3)

This blog post is a follow up from:
1) How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Intro)
2) How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Week 1), and
3) How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Week 2)

When most people think of swimming they think of this.

Or this...

...and this.

Unfortunately, when I think of swimming, I think of this.

OMG, and this!

So basically, I blame my water phobia on this.

If you read my last blog post, you’ll know that I took a big step to overcome my water phobia last week – I had my first swimming lesson.

My swimming teacher is a very interesting lady. She comes from China (yes China CHINA, so no nonsense) and she used to train the national swimming team in her country. Guess what? Her son is a national swimmer for China and was on TV just the other day for the World Championships.

Did you expect anything less?

For ease of reference, let’s call my swimming teacher Super-Cikgu.

So having such a super “keng” [Cantonese equivalent to the Malay expression “terror”] teacher kindda made me a little nervous. Just a little.

Ok I lied.

Don’t laugh, but I actually had a nightmare about swimming last week, so you can imagine how stressed I was about my first lesson. No joke.

Anyway, since I’m still alive writing this blog post now, you’ll know that I survived that lesson. Lol

Within that first half of my first lesson, I had learnt the proper way of swimming breaststroke.

Okay, I have to clarify here, that “learnt” doesn’t mean I “can properly execute” the style. Let's just say that I tried my very best. Lol

So the first half of the lesson was stressful, but I survived (although I felt like vomiting for some reason and tried so hard to hold it all in. Maybe I drank too much pool water. *laugh*).

The second half of the lesson was when it got interesting. Super-Cikgu asked me to try freestyle (oh did I tell you it was a very efficient and productive first lesson? Lol~ Hey, I had to pay RM180 for that 1-hour lesson, so I was determined to make the most of it. Come on guys, do you blame me? #kiasu).

Okay, back to learning freestyle. Once I managed to get the hang of breaststroke (it was far from perfect but at least I figured out how to float and inch my way about in the water looking like a distressed frog), Super-Cikgu said..

“Ok, now I want you to try freestyle.”

Me: Errr…freestyle?

Super-Cikgu: Yes, freestyle. Do you know how to do freestyle?

[In my head, I was like… “If I knew how to swim freestyle do you think I’d be in this pool with you?!”…but of course I just said…]

Me: Errr…I’ve seen it once or twice on TV…

Super-Cikgu: Good. Now you try.

Me: Oh.

[Mampus. What do I do now?!!!!! ]

Anyway, to cut the long story short, what happened in the next few seconds after was…shall I say, a rather embarrassing ordeal. Thank God there wasn’t anyone else in the pool with us.

All I could think of was:

Just kick my legs to stay afloat no matter what
Swing my hands like a windmill, but alternating between left and right hand (honestly, I was just trying to recall what I saw on TV a LONGGGGG time ago)
At some point, I’m gonna need to put my head out of the water to catch my breath

So that’s why I did. Or at least attempted to do. Lol

Not very successful, and I leave the rest to your imagination.

If you’ve seen a cat being forced into the water, you’ll be able to imagine what the commotion in the pool was like that glorious morning. Yep.

I can imagine Super-Cikgu shaking her head amidst all the water splashing in her face thinking… “What did I get myself into?” Lol

So yeah. My first lesson was… interesting. I suppose since Super-Cikgu agreed to meet me for the next lesson, it wasn’t THAT bad. Or was it? Lol

Anyway, I will have to be doing a lot of practising over the next few days which brings me to Week 3 of our lil’ beach-body program. Hehe.

How was your last week on the program?

Moving into Week 3, time for us to pick up a sports activity that we can commit to, during our cardio off-days. As you would’ve already guessed, I chose swimming, and here are some of the reason’s why:

Great way to tone muscles (and apparently, swimming is now recognised as one of the biggest calorie burners around)
Works the entire body
Low impact
Burns calories (this website says that swimming burns anywhere from 500-650 per hour depending on how efficiently you swim, and apparently you burn more flopping around than swimming cleanly, so good for moi! Mwhahahaha~)

So this week, just keep up the good work with Week 2’s toning exercises + commit to your new sports activity (cycling, running, playing badminton, etc).

And just to update you, my progress for the week (with normal eating and no crash dieting)

Happy, happy! Not so much on the weight drop, but because I feel a little less flabby all-round. Hehe. 1 more week to go, and out comes the bikini so let’s get to work ladies! Have a fantabulous one this week. Mwah!!!

Source: http://www.hannah.today/healthandfitness/

How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Week 2)

This blog post is a follow up from:
1) "How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Intro)", and
2) How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Week 1)

So how did Week 1 go for you? *big-grin*

I have to admit, not the best week for me, but I managed to lose 1.1% of body fat and gain 0.2kg on lean mass. Yay! And I have proof!!! Mwahaha~

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. That’s not much of a difference, right? But hey, it’s only been 1 week on the program, give me some credit la. I keep telling myself – consistency, consistency; focus on consistency.

Oh and guess what?!

If you remember, in my first post of this series – How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Intro) – I mentioned a few things that you probably didn’t know about me…

Point #1 in that post – I don’t know how to swim.

Well, I decided to take Adib’s advice and take up swimming lessons... and I start this week! :-D

Not sure how this will go (my phobia of water is still very apparent), but it will be worth the try. Please pray for me ya! Haha.

So back to our to-do list for a beach-ready body (tick if you've done accordingly this week) – THEF:

1) Tracking

Keep track of weight/inches, food and water intake (if you’re tracking your sleep too that’s great!)
Keep bikini in sight to stay motivated

2)Habit

1 litre of water in the morning, before breakfast
Another 1 to 2 litres of water during the rest of the day (depending on how much you need. Learn how to calculate here)
No skipping breakfast
Sufficient sleep
Consistent morning routine

3) Exercise

11-minute cardio (see cardio program here) followed by…
Top-to-toe stretching and..
Toning exercise 10 reps each, with a 30-second rest interval between each exercise

4) Food

Balanced diet, eat more protein and no skipping meals (our body burns more calories digesting proteins than it does digesting carbohydrates, so technically, we’ll be burning fat while eating proteins)
Daily supplement (learn how to choose one that’s right for you here)
Weight loss snacks

This week, we are going to turn it up a notch:

1) Beef up our cardio from 11 minutes to 14 minutes.

Oh I soooo feel like eating a piece of steak now. Focus, Panda, focus. Okay, back to beefing up our cardio. We’re going to add on an additional 3 minutes of the following to our existing plan (cardio plan here):

2 minutes – Exertion/Intensity level 5
1 minute – Recovery/Intensity level 1

Don’t undermine this additional 3 minutes. If you’ve been doing last week’s suggested cardio workout, you’ll know it’s not as easy as it looks.

2) Keep doing the same toning exercises; except that we’re going to spend 15 minutes doing this every day this week (instead of alternate days).

I’d suggest doing it in the mornings before you hop into the shower – get it out of the way, at the start of the day.

Simple? :-D

Consistency, consistency; focus on consistency.

Have fun working out this week ladies. Meantime, here’s a little motivation to keep you going.

How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Week 1)

This blog post is a follow up from "How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Intro)"

Okay, so we’ve done our shopping. Let’s recap on the list of things we have at hand:

1) A new bikini/swimsuit-of-sorts

2) Tape measure, weighing scale

3) 1-litre water bottle

4) Exercise mat

5) Your staple breakfast for this week: yoghurt, muesli/muesli bar, milk, eggs, fruits

Brilliant! Let’s move on.

I decided to break down our to-do list into 4 key things - THEF:

Tracking
Habits
Exercise
Foo

1) Tracking

Objective: Set goals and track our progress over the next 28-days to make sure we’re on target

What we’ll need: Measuring tape, weighing scale, our smartphones.

For me, the goal of this specific program is to get a beach-ready body in 28-days. Because I’m toning up and may gain some pounds in the process (since muscles weigh more than fat), I’m going to focus my progress tracking on measurements rather than weight. Keep track of your process by logging your food intake/exercise on a notepad or a mobile app on your smartphone. I choose to use my smartphone because I have it on me most of the time; but if you like, you can also opt to use the traditional pen and paper. ;-)

If you’re going on a weight-based goal, please do not weigh yourself everyday. This will drive you crazy. Trust me.

If you’re using your smartphone, you should be able to find some free mobile apps to assist your tracking process.

Take a “before” and “after” picture for our reference. At this point, we’ll be taking our “before” picture first. If it’s convenient for you, do it now.

Hang our new bikini/swimsuit-of-sorts at a place that we’ll see every day when we get up in the morning and before we head to bed. Trust me, it will make a difference. If at any point in the next 28 days we feel like giving up, we’ll wear it bikini and stand in front of the mirror for a renewed sense of motivation. Deal?

2) Habit

Objective: Create a new positive daily routine

What we’ll need: 1-litre water bottle, a strong commitment and total mental preparation to have the toilet as our new best friend.

Habits are routines of behavior that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously. [Wikipedia]
Some good habits I practice that could also potentially make all the difference for you in the next 28 days include:

a) Drinking 1 litre of water upon waking up in the morning (I do this after I have taken my liquid supplement).

This helps to cleanse our system and most importantly, our colon. It may be a bit difficult at the start, but your body will eventually get used to it. You don’t have to gulp down the entire 1 litre in one go. Drink a few sips, wait for a few minutes then take another few sips and keep going until you finish. If you’re going to implement this new habit, wait for at least 30-minutes before having your breakfast.

http://undergroundhealthreporter.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/fb-uhr-infographics-morningwater.jpg

b) Making sure I finish another 1.5 to 2 litres of water by the end of the day (total = 3 litres/day)

If you’re not sure how much water you need, take your weight (in pounds), multiply by 2, and then divide that by 3.

For example:

If you weigh 100 pounds, then the amount of water you should be consuming (in ounces)

= (100 x 2)/3

= 66.67 ounces (~ 2 litres)

Add 12 ounces of water to your daily total for every 30 minutes that you work out. So if you work out for 45 minutes daily, you would add 18 ounces of water to your daily intake. [http://www.slenderkitchen.com/how-to-calculate-how-much-water-you-should-drink-a-day/#]

If you’re not the biggest fan of plain water (like myself), you can always add in your favourite liquid supplement. I infuse my water with 2 ounces of yummy liquid supplement (which tastes a bit like grape juice minus the sugar and preservatives) together with a shot of slow release natural energy booster for each 1 litre of water I drink. That way, finishing 3 litres of water each day seems less dreadful for me.

Also, since thirst is sometimes mistaken for hunger; if you feel hungry at any point in the day, drink a few mouthfuls of water and wait for 10 minutes before deciding to eat.

c) Getting least 8 hours of sleep a day – be in bed by 10pm – 11pm (depending on what time you need to be up in the morning).

It takes a whole lot of discipline, but did you know that sleep is a key component of weight loss? ;-) [http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/weight-loss/why-sleep-is-key-for-weight-loss.html#b]

d) Never skip breakfast.

Or any meals, for that matter. In fact, it does help to spread out your food intake into 5 to 6 times a day instead of 3 main meals. We’ll talk more about what to eat later in this post.

"People skip breakfast thinking they're cutting calories, but by mid-morning and lunch, that person is starved," says Milton Stokes, RD, MPH, chief dietitian for St. Barnabas Hospital in New York City. "Breakfast skippers replace calories during the day with mindless nibbling, bingeing at lunch and dinner. They set themselves up for failure."

e) No alcohol, no cigarettes.

If your blood type so happens to be “A” for alcohol and you’re a smoker, this may be a bit of a challenge but I’ll leave it up to you. Remember, you’re too sexy for weakness. ;-)

Pick and chose the habits you want to implement in your life and make it part of your daily routine
If you already have a positive daily routine that is giving you the results you desire, stick to it. Otherwise, don’t worry. You can always create a new one now. ;-)
If you’re creating a new positive daily routine, think long term; so try not to be too ambitious with this. For example, my typical morning routine consists of the following (after which, I proceed with the rest of my day):

Take the next few minutes to decide on your new positive daily routine. :-)

3) Exercise

Objective: Strengthen our core (and get a sexy belly), tone up our arms, legs and… *clears-throat* bootie.

What we’ll need: Exercise mat (and some adrenalin pumping music if you like). An elliptical trainer will be a bonus.

a) CARDIO

Cardio-intensive exercises will help you burn calories, speed up your metabolism, and improve your cardiovascular health. [http://www.wikihow.com/Get-the-Perfect-Beach-Body]

If you’re already doing some form of cardio workout, stick to it and just work on increasing the intensity/duration. Otherwise, you can always start by doing 10 to 11 minutes a day (for the first week), and increasing it by 3 to 6 minutes each week.

I prefer to use the elliptical trainer since it has a lower impact on our joints and allows us to stride in reverse motion (which can help activate different muscle groups) for a varied workout. If you don’t have access to an elliptical trainer, don’t worry. You can always run on the spot – it’s fuss free and…free.

My cardio routine for this first week (11 minutes in total, alternate days) will consist of:

2 minutes – warm up/Intensity level 1
2 minutes – Exertion/Intensity level 2
1 minute – Recovery/Intensity level 1
2 minutes – Exertion/Intensity level 3
1 minute – Recovery/Intensity level 1
2 minutes – Exertion/Intensity level 4
1 minute – Recovery/Intensity level 1

This will not only burn us some calories, but also help strengthen our heart and lungs while at it. I’d recommend doing this 3-4 times this week (1 rest day in-between cardio days).

b) STRETCH

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stretching/SM00043

Stretching is probably one of the most important components of a workout.

“Aesthetically, well-stretched and limber muscles appear leaner than shortened, constantly contracted muscles.” [http://www.prevention.com/fitness/strength-training/stretching-101-moves-longer-leaner-body]

If you’re not sure how to stretch, you can check out this site for the basic stretches you should do immediately after your cardio.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stretching/SM00043

Don't compromise on a good stretch. Otherwise, you’ll ache like nobody’s business the next day. Believe me, that won’t be much fun.

c) TONE

For this week, our homework is to do the following exercises – 10 reps each, with a 30-second rest interval between each exercise:

Planking: Hold position for 1 minute

Dance

During your cardio off-days, just put on your favourite upbeat music, close the doors and dance for a good 10 to 15 minutes like no one’s watching. If you’re not sweating and panting after that, that just means you haven’t danced enough. Hehe.

4) Food

Objective: Regulate our metabolic rate with a balanced diet, nutrition and spaced out eating times (5 to 6 times a day, if you can).

What we’ll need: Health supplement, a balanced and realistic diet plan for the next 28 days

Even with all the healthy eating options available, we are still missing 75% of our body’s nutritional requirements. [Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, 11th Edition]

“When it comes to obtaining the micronutrients your body needs, your best possible source is food, especially fruits and vegetables. But circumstances may prevent you from eating optimally every day. The main reason I take nutritional supplements is for insurance against gaps in my diet.” –Dr. Andrew Weil

Find a natural liquid health supplement that is suitable for you. Why I specifically say “liquid” health supplement is because our body is like a sponge. If you were to put 2 sponges side by side, pour liquid on one and put a pill/capsule on the other, which would likely be absorbed faster and more efficiently?

Did you know - our body absorbs only 10% - 20% of the vitamins and minerals in a pill form, compared to 98% in a liquid format? [http://www.pdr.net]

That means, for every RM100 we spend on pills, we’re literally flushing about RM80 – RM90 down the toilet.

Anyway, if you’re looking for a good health supplement, here are some criteria that may be able to help you decide on which to choose:

http://www.30daychallenge.asia/Articles.asp?ID=250

If you’re peeing neon, that just means that your body is not absorbing the supplements you’re currently taking, so time to change.

Balanced diet – remember to start your day with a healthy hi-fibre breakfast. If you’re on a mission to shed some pounds, don’t skip any meals. In fact, skipping meals leads to a slowed metabolism and…jeng-jeng-jeng… weight gain. Yup.

When we skip a meal our body goes into “reserve” mode and stores up the food we eat.

Each meal should consist of lean proteins, whole grains, vegetables and healthy fats; but let’s face it – it’s impossible to have the words “healthy”, “affordable” and “convenient” in 1 typical Malaysian meal. So if you can afford to have a champion’s balanced meal, broken down into 6 makan times a day, then great. If you can’t don’t worry, you’re not going to hell for that. Just make sure you start your day right, with a healthy breakfast since that is something you can control.

I usually have yoghurt, fruits and cereal for breakfast; with the occasional soft boiled egg on my cardio workout days (protein is crucial for muscle recovery).

www.hamiam.com

For your in-between meals/snack a few suggestions would be to chew on nuts (roasted edamame, almonds, etc), turkey ham, cheese (limit to 1 portion), figs and beef jerky. Our body burns more calories digesting proteins than it does digesting carbohydrates, so technically, we’ll be burning fat while eating proteins. Now that, I like! Mwahaha~

Eat slowly. It takes your body about 20 minutes to signal to your brain that you are full. Don’t forget to chew your food properly while at it. :-p
In reference to item #1 above - TRACKING - keep track of what you’re eating and drinking.
Don’t go on a diet you can’t maintain for the rest of your life. Self-explanatory. Just avoid crash diets or taking meal replacement shakes for all 3 daily meals.

“This calorie-deprivation/binge eating weight-loss method encourages your body to hang on to more and more fat until your metabolism is critically damaged.” [http://healthscamsexposed.com/2013/07/stop-drinking-meal-replacement-shakes/]

http://theberry.com/2013/02/08/daily-motivation-25-photos-26/da-mo-24-17/

That’s it for week 1 of this 28-day challenge. I didn’t realize there was so much to cover in just this 1 post, but I hope I’ve shared enough to help get you started. Sorry for not being able to include every single detail in this 1 post. I included some reference links so that you can do your own further research (if necessary), but if you have any questions, feel free to post them in the “comments” section below.

Till next Monday (11 November), enjoy the first week of your challenge!! Big Panda hugs to a great start. Mwah!

Source: http://www.hannah.today/healthandfitness/

A couple of things I learnt in search of the 6-pack. :-)

1) Every body is different, and there’s no one blanket solution for a flat tummy.

2) Shift your focus from weight loss, to lowering your body fat percentage.

3) You can’t just do crunches, that’s a lie.

Personal notes:

This blog post is a follow up from:1) How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Intro) 2) How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Week 1), and3) How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Week 2)

“Ok, now I want you to try freestyle.”

Me: Errr…freestyle?

Super-Cikgu: Yes, freestyle. Do you know how to do freestyle?

Me: Errr…I’ve seen it once or twice on TV…

Super-Cikgu: Good. Now you try.

Me: Oh.

How was your last week on the program?

This blog post is a follow up from:1) "How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Intro)", and 2) How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Week 1)

1) Tracking

2)Habit

3) Exercise

4) Food

1) Beef up our cardio from 11 minutes to 14 minutes.

2) Keep doing the same toning exercises; except that we’re going to spend 15 minutes doing this every day this week (instead of alternate days).

Consistency, consistency; focus on consistency.

This blog post is a follow up from "How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Intro)"

1) Tracking

2) Habit

a) Drinking 1 litre of water upon waking up in the morning (I do this after I have taken my liquid supplement).

b) Making sure I finish another 1.5 to 2 litres of water by the end of the day (total = 3 litres/day)

c) Getting least 8 hours of sleep a day – be in bed by 10pm – 11pm (depending on what time you need to be up in the morning).

d) Never skip breakfast.

e) No alcohol, no cigarettes.

3) Exercise

a) CARDIO

b) STRETCH

c) TONE

4) Food

This blog post is a follow up from:
1) How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Intro)
2) How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Week 1), and
3) How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Week 2)

This blog post is a follow up from:
1) "How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Intro)", and
2) How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Week 1)