On a whim, I decided to join the "Biggest Loser" contest my colleagues at work are doing. I was the most hesitant participant intially because I didn't think I had the willpower to say goodbye to white rice and to my favorite soda (Coca Cola). Well, it has been 2 months and so far I've lost 16 pounds. 5 more to go!
Surprisingly it wasn't simply the force of my will that did it but also a combination of knowledge, making better food choices, and portion control. When I signed up for the contest, I downloaded an app called MyFitnessPal which is basically a food, drink, and activity log. Based on my age, height, and activity level, it told me how much calories I need in order to get adequate nutrition and still lose 1-2 lbs a week. It also helps me keep track of my carbohydrate and sugar intake which I've been limiting because an increase in blood sugar levels increases insulin levels which in turn prevents your body from burning fat. That's an oversimplification of a somewhat complicated physiologic process but the bottomline is you cannot eat sugar-rich foods all day and expect to reach a healthy goal weight. Take note that I have not totally removed carbs and sugar from my diet, just reducing the amounts. I've been eating more protein-rich foods and those that have more of the good fat (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) and less of the ones that contain bad fat (saturated and trans). In the beginning, it required a lot of diligence (i.e. researching a specific food's nutrition facts and writing them down) and patience (i.e. recording every single thing on the app). But once you've got everything down, it's as easy as updating your status on Facebook.
Exercise also played an important role. I didn't necessarily exercise more but I did continue the level of physical activity that I've always been doing (e.g. abdominal exercises 2x a week and walking). Exercise alone will not help you lose weight. You have to burn 3,500 extra calories every week to lose 1 lb. That means you have to walk an average of 3 hours a day at a speed of 3 mph in order to do that. Unrealistic? Totally! Exercise and food portion control, now that's a recipe for a successful and healthy weight loss. An HBO documentary titled Choices showed how eating small portions 4-5 times a day coupled with light physical activity have helped people jumpstart their metabolism and lose weight. Not only does it help you lose the extra pounds but following this plan also curbs cravings.
There is no short cut to attaining a healthy weight. It's a lot of work! But once you start seeing that BMI go from "overweight" to "normal", it's totally worth it.
Surprisingly it wasn't simply the force of my will that did it but also a combination of knowledge, making better food choices, and portion control. When I signed up for the contest, I downloaded an app called MyFitnessPal which is basically a food, drink, and activity log. Based on my age, height, and activity level, it told me how much calories I need in order to get adequate nutrition and still lose 1-2 lbs a week. It also helps me keep track of my carbohydrate and sugar intake which I've been limiting because an increase in blood sugar levels increases insulin levels which in turn prevents your body from burning fat. That's an oversimplification of a somewhat complicated physiologic process but the bottomline is you cannot eat sugar-rich foods all day and expect to reach a healthy goal weight. Take note that I have not totally removed carbs and sugar from my diet, just reducing the amounts. I've been eating more protein-rich foods and those that have more of the good fat (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) and less of the ones that contain bad fat (saturated and trans). In the beginning, it required a lot of diligence (i.e. researching a specific food's nutrition facts and writing them down) and patience (i.e. recording every single thing on the app). But once you've got everything down, it's as easy as updating your status on Facebook.
Exercise also played an important role. I didn't necessarily exercise more but I did continue the level of physical activity that I've always been doing (e.g. abdominal exercises 2x a week and walking). Exercise alone will not help you lose weight. You have to burn 3,500 extra calories every week to lose 1 lb. That means you have to walk an average of 3 hours a day at a speed of 3 mph in order to do that. Unrealistic? Totally! Exercise and food portion control, now that's a recipe for a successful and healthy weight loss. An HBO documentary titled Choices showed how eating small portions 4-5 times a day coupled with light physical activity have helped people jumpstart their metabolism and lose weight. Not only does it help you lose the extra pounds but following this plan also curbs cravings.
There is no short cut to attaining a healthy weight. It's a lot of work! But once you start seeing that BMI go from "overweight" to "normal", it's totally worth it.
Wow! I would want to lose 16lbs in 2 months too!!! Sige man lang ko jump start. Ningas kugon!
ReplyDeleteWhat? But you don't have 16 extra lbs to lose. Ako Tiris kay naabot jud ug "overweight" on the BMI scale. Nag panic ko kadali thinking about the health complications (hypertension, cardiac problems, diabetes, etc.). Now I feel healthier. :)
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