Weight loss/gain guide blog

Weight loss doubts

2010-01-11T06:44:00.001-08:00

Ever started an exercise program and then you suddenly stopped because of thinking that you might not succeed? Ever went on a diet program and told yourself that you don't want to continue it because you don't know if you're doing it right? There may be a lot of weight loss books out there to choose from and most people get confused on which one is right and which one is wrong. In order to lose weight, you have to believe in yourself. In order to believe in yourself, you must be comfortable with the program you are choosing. When I started to lose some weight, I had doubts that I will never eat that much again. Guess what? I didn't give up.

I did research on some way where I could still eat whatever I want after I succeed in this program. Since there were so many options to choose from in loosing weight, I picked Tom Venuto's "Burn the fat, Feed the muscle program." Im not actually promoting his book Its just that he is totally honest when it comes to weight loss and his advice on it makes me feel comfortable. I know most people would think they will be comfortable on those weight loss ads they see on TV that promises great results in a few weeks. I did try them but then I didn't like the results. I just knew that there is no such thing as quick fix. Doubts usually occur on weight loss. Its normal. Just continue what you normally and comfortably do and there's a guarantee that you'll go on permanent weight loss in time. Don't rely too much on instant weight loss. Good luck!

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Maintaining weight even on holidays

2010-01-05T22:13:00.000-08:00

The holidays are over. I wasn't able to blog last month because of my busy holiday schedule. Thank goodness I only gained atleast a pound or two. Its really hard to get rid of food once its in front of you. I never even attended a gym session for the past 3 weeks. It made me feel the gym pain again when I worked out 2 days ago. The reason why I only gained a few pounds is because of my strong metabolism. This month Im gonna work out on it again by eating 6 low calorie meals a day and hitting the gym again. I just love the idea of maintaining my weight no matter how much I eat. Maybe its because I also do walk a lot. Although its time to get serious again because summer is just a few months away. Most people I know do have a resolution of weight loss. My new years resolution is to lose the little tummy fat which I guess takes 2 months of discipline. Happy New Year to all my blog readers! Good luck on your weight loss journey.

How long does it take to lose weight?

2009-11-27T21:44:00.000-08:00

How long does it take to lose weight? I do see a lot of weight loss ads that promises instant results in losing weight. Most suggest that you can lose a lot of weight in about a month. True? Well, seeing these ads brought a lot of excitement to me. I even thought about liposuction in the past because thinking that it will produce instant results. Somehow its very expensive. Its true that you can lose a lot of weight in a month but its not going to work your metabolism. If your metabolism isn't good at all, you'll gain back all the weight you've lost instantly. Although there are some ads that promises that they will also work on your metabolism. Its just that you'll still eat junk foods because your body is used to it.

The best way to lose weight is still the old fashioned way which is diet and exercise. Remember that you won't see changes in a month. You'll probably see changes in about 6 months or more. Just don't worry if it takes long because its more of a lifestyle change. Once you succeeded on weight loss using the old fashioned tips that I gave (diet and exercise), you'll notice that you can eat as much as you want without worrying about weight gain. Your body will get used to exercise. It will also get used to the food that you eat. I myself noticed that I've been eating a lot of clean stuff ever since I succeeded in my weight loss. I do eat junk foods but I don't crave for it the way I craved with it before.

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Automatic Diet

2009-11-08T21:06:00.000-08:00

A lot of people asked me how I lost weight. I gave them the typical weight loss advice. The hardest advice they can't take is go on a diet. Dieting is really hard especially if you become tempted by comfort foods most of the time. Even I myself had a hard time dealing with it. Anyway, I know of a program called "automatic diet". I just noticed this program myself. Its automatic because it just happens. The first thing you need to do before it happens is to exercise more. Stick to your standard eating habits first. If you have a hard time giving up that mouth watery juicy burger, that is fine as long as you exercise. Discipline yourself with some exercise. I do schedule my exercise in the afternoon. I do 30 - 45 minutes cardio but I don't do cardio immediately after eating. Weeks after doing it, I noticed that my eating habits started to change. I began eating a lot of fruits and vegetables. I did neglect them before. I even noticed that my point of view with junk foods changed. That is how the automatic diet works. The good thing about it is that this automatic diet is really fun. You won't feel the grudge of dieting when you do this kind of program. Its just automatic!

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Weight loss books. Do we need it?

2009-10-23T23:03:00.000-07:00

If you're totally serious in losing some weight, you probably need to invest on a weight loss book. There are many kinds of weight loss books depending on how you want to lose weight. Most people want to lose weight. First thing they do is ask someone, whether an expert or not, on how to lose weight. Some read blogs and some do what their mind is telling them. In case they ask an expert on how to lose weight and the expert suggested them a thing that they can't do, they easily give up. When they rely too much on blogs, a different opinion from another will totally change their mind. Whenever they rely on their personal thought about weight loss, they lose motivation once the mood is gone. Books are more of a daily guide. It helps you become motivated.

Weight loss requires knowledge. Its not as easy as you think. There are many ways to lose weight and all people have different perspective when it comes to it. When I decided to lose weight, I decided not to give up junk foods. I went online and read a lot of blogs that made me confused. After days of research, I bought a book titled "Burn the fat, Feed the muscle" by Tom Venuto. He does have some tips there on how one can lose weight without giving up the food he/she loves. Well that is my point of view in losing weight. I know others have a different point of view on how they can lose weight.

Weight loss books are really a great source for weight loss. Just remember to stick to one weight loss book that you love. It takes a week of research to find out what it is. Do you want to lose weight the normal way? Do you want to lose weight without giving up junk foods just like I do? Do you want to lose weight without giving up beer? Do you just want to lose your tummy fat? Its up to you to find out what book is for you.

photo from http://livingrightlosingweight.com/blog/

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Law of attraction and Weight loss

2009-10-18T22:33:00.000-07:00

Law of attraction is one big requirement when it comes to weight loss. The more you picture yourself that you lost weight, the more you will succeed. Most of us who go on a weight loss journey easily give up especially if we don't see results in a week or two. For me, its normal not to see results in that short amount of time. Going on a weight loss journey should be more of an exciting adventure instead of a struggle. If you think of it as a struggle, there is an assurance that you'll give it up right away. I remember reading Tom Venuto's book called "Burn the fat, Feed the muscle". Its actually placed near my desk so whenever I see it (just the title itself), it does remind me of me burning the fat in me and trying to gain some muscle all through out my imagination. On the first part of the book, Tom suggests that before you decide to lose weight, you have to be happy. I know happiness is a big part of law of attraction. Its more of accepting the fact (contentment) that you are fat or overweight. Because of that you'll be able to motivate yourself more on losing weight. The more you don't accept yourself for who you are, the more you compare yourself with others, and crave for comfort foods like junk foods.

I also think of the food we eat as positive and negative. Positive foods like fruits, vegetables, and highly nutritious lean meat give a good outcome on our bodies. Negative foods (I don't mean the negative calorie ones like fruits...) like junk foods makes us fat and sick but it doesn't mean that we have to give them up. We just need to eat them moderately. During my journey, I eat them once a week. The more positive foods we consume, the more fit we'll get and speed up weight loss as well. Same thing with life, the more positive you are, the more good things happen to you.

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Getting used to weight loss routine

2009-10-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

When I started to lose some weight, I told myself that I will not give up eating the foods that I love. I'm a big fan of junk food because the people around especially my friends love to eat them. I'm a beer drinker as well. I also remember myself as some lazy person who doesn't walk, move, and exercise that much. I told myself that I wanted to lose weight so therefore I need to take action. I made a list of foods that I will mostly eat. I also made a schedule of exercise. Lastly, I did make a schedule for a diet cheat day. I usually do the cheat day during Saturdays because special occasions happen on that day. I also suggested to myself to move more instead of being lazy. Then I tell I told myself that when this is over, I'll go back to my happy go lucky lifestyle.

A few months later, I noticed that Im getting used to the program. Exercise has been part of my weekly routine. My diet became automatic. Even though I hang out with my friends to eat, I pick the healthy choice in the menu most of the time. I also started to realize that eventhough I don't need to lose weight anymore, Im still living the healthy lifestyle. My addiction to junk food is gone but when there are days that I crave for it, I give it a go. I also noticed that I tend to move more these days. If one location is about 5 kilometers or less away from me, I just walk instead of using my car. I really don't do these things around 8 months ago but now it has been part of my lifestyle and Im totally loving it!

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Starvation mode

2009-10-14T23:18:00.000-07:00

photo from http://opinionhead.com/wp-content/

I went to weight loss forum site yesterday and saw a question about someone who wants to lose 10 lbs before Halloween. The person who asked this question is willing to go to starvation mode. She does not want to listen to any other advice about diet and working out. She just wanted to try and see if it will work. Most people including me who answered her question said that it is too dangerous. I know people who tried them and all of them fail. I wonder why most people define diet that way.

Starvation mode doesn't really work at all. It might be obvious that you'll lose weight on it but most of the weight that you'll lose there is water weight. The bad thing is that you'll regain it all back. Not too good for a hard work huh? It will make you look weak and it will even ruin your confidence level because you'll look different. It will also ruin your mood and people will start to hate you. What I suggested to that person is to go on a detox diet for atleast 2 weeks. Its a diet consisting of fruits and vegetables. These foods are totally low (most have negative calories which will promote more weight loss) in calories and can help you lose more weight the healthier way instead of you looking sick. Remember to eat when you are hungry but in case you wanted to lose weight, eat the healthy ones instead of the unhealthy ones. Isn't it obvious?

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Less sodium to flatten tummy

2009-10-11T19:54:00.001-07:00

This afternoon, an idea came in my mind about how to lose tummy fat. Its actually the hardest part to lose because it is where the food comes first when we eat. Sit ups will only help if your total body fat percentage is less than 10%. Most people in the gym don't do cardio because of the fear in losing muscles. I thought about it as well. I just do cardio once or twice a week. Before I do it everyday. I've been thinking how to lose tummy fat without losing those hard earned muscles I've been working out for months now. The first great idea that came in my mind is to eat well meaning more veggies, fruits, and water. Another tip is not to make yourself go hungry. Whenever you feel hungry, eat something healthy in the right amount. I use to follow the 6 meal day diet plan. In that plan I include my favorite potato chips. I thought it was alright to include it since its less than 400 calories. I finally know that its wrong. Although it didn't make me gain some weight, it didn't trim my little tummy as well. Maybe its because of the sodium. I learned that too much sodium retains the water in your body. Its too much because, I made it a habit in between meals. Im going for a clean diet plan now. I will substitute those potato chips snacks with some fruits and veggies.

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Discipline

2009-10-05T23:29:00.000-07:00

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Whenever I think of the word "discipline", one thing comes to my mind. Boredom! Although its a must if you really want to lose weight or become fit. Starting to become fit can be a little bit boring at first. Maybe its because most people are comfortable with who they are already until a great warning strikes them. Before, I don't really care about losing weight. All I ever do in my life is eat whatever I want, drink beer, and binge on sweets. My brother even tells me why I should go on a diet if eating is fun.

Weight loss is more of a goal. Its not just a simple goal but a long term goal. In order to achieve a long term goal, you have to have a long term discipline. How do you get discipline on weight loss? Its up to you. If you think you're doing the right thing, do it. During my weight loss days, I remember that I use to jog 6 days a week. I wonder why some suggest if I should exercise with a friend. What if my friend doesn't want to? Shall I force him/her? I don't care what the people around me tell me. I just do it according to my willpower. If I tell myself that Im gonna spoil my diet once a week, I follow it. Now that I succeeded in improving my metabolism, I spoil my diet 3 days a week because I don't worry about gaining weight anymore. If I tell myself to stop eating when Im full, I do it. Another good example of discipline is when I go to the gym. If I tell myself that Im going to focus my workout on my chest and triceps, I just focus on it. If I say 4 sets and 12 repetitions each, I go for it. I don't play with my other muscle parts.

So that is how discipline works. It can boring at first. You'll just be surprised that you'll become use to it in the days to come. Its like its gonna be part of your lifestyle. Right now, I still exercise even though I don't have to. Why? Maybe its because it automatically became a part of my weekly routine and I just love doing it.

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Cheat day

2009-10-03T06:12:00.000-07:00

I remember during my weight loss days, I usually schedule a cheat day on it. Eating healthy foods everyday becomes boring so its important to go junk once in a while. Cheat day is very important when it comes to weight loss. We are not perfect when it comes to this goal. Most fitness experts suggest that one should have a cheat day. At least once a week. I do schedule it on Saturday or Sunday. Without it, I just start to crave.

I do admit that I'm totally addicted to burgers. Whenever I walk inside a mall, I find it hard to resist the smell of a delicious burger. A burger meal(with fries and soda) is around 1000 calories or more. Its pretty hard to get rid of it when you're with your friends. When you're on a cheat day, I do suggest that you move more on that day to burn extra calories. You don't have to run or do something extraordinary. A long walk is fine.

I do invite my cousin to eat at Chilis restaurant every Saturday. After a heavy meal, we usually go for a 2 mile walk. Another great tip that I can offer on a cheat day is to save some calories. Substitute your drinks with a diet one instead of the sugary one. It will be great if you go for water. Diet drinks are zero calories too but you don't have to drink them often. If there is a wheat bread option for your burger, go for it! Its healthier compared to white bread.

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Undergoing MyBlogLog Verification

Walking your way to weight loss

2009-09-30T22:45:00.000-07:00

Walking has contributed a lot on my weight loss. Ever since I starting saving money for gas, I decided to walk as much as I could. The grocery is a mile away from my home. Instead of filling up my refrigerator with loads of food, I just walk everyday to that grocery back and fort to buy the food Im in the mood to eat. The good thing about it is that the food that I buy is 100% fresh and that is a real advantage for me. I also noticed that the more you walk, the more you decide to pick healthy foods in the grocery. I don't how it happens but I guess its an automatic program.

I remember my cousin who stood on my weighing scale a few weeks ago. He was 180 lbs back then. 2 weeks later, he came back to my house, stood on the weighing scale and found out that he was 199 lbs! I asked him how he got that heavy in a span of 2 weeks. He told me that he didn't have any control of what he eats. He is a burger fan like me. He even told me that he is too lazy for exercise. Anyway, I told him to walk often and limit his food intake. He can bring his back pack with him loaded with some books. I remember that the heavier you are, the more weight you'll lose that is why I suggested the back pack.

If in case he can't resist that juicy burger, he can schedule it once a week. I'll even join him if I crave for it. 2 weeks later I invited my cousin to come over to my place and stood on my weighing scale surprised to see that he lost 5 lbs. He told me that he did follow my advice. Instead of using his car to school, he just walked. He ate meals moderately. His school is around 2 miles from his home. He even saved a lot of money for gas as a bonus. He decided to continue the program but I don't know if he'll be committed to going down to 170 lbs. Its up to him I guess.

Weight gaining tips

2009-09-11T03:49:00.000-07:00

I did have some weight loss program before which I find successful. From some fat guy who looks like alcoholic and someone who doesn't care about his health to a slim guy who looks like a new teenager. Although, Im not a teenager anymore. Im saying this because whenever I look at my pics when I was a teenager, I see comparison to how I look like in the present moment. That is why I decided to gain some weight. Let me share my weight gaining tips. I got confused at first that is why I did some research on how I can gain weight the right way. I became afraid to eat more because of the fear of gaining a tummy fat and ruining my metabolism again.

I decided to go to the gym. In order to make the process quick, I invested on a whey protein. I drink it immediately after workout. I lessened my cardio to once a week. Sometimes I do it on times when I had too much fat and cholestorol on my body. I really can't skip temptation most of the time. I focused more on muscle building which is one of the best weight gaining tips. I also eat 6 small meals a day. Sometimes its more than 6 cause my rule is not to get myself hungry. I stepped on a weighing scale this morning and noticed that I have gained around 9 pounds. Its ok because when I measured my waist and tummy with a measuring tape, I noticed that I lost 1 1/2 inch. I also measured my arm size. Just noticed a little addition to it's size but thats ok. That could probably the reason why I gained weight. I will continue this program and still take note of its progress. Well then this are just a few weight gaining tips to share for now.

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Exercise from home

2009-09-08T22:01:00.000-07:00

I remember last year when I decided to lose weight, I bought myself a new elliptical trainer. Its expensive for me and I only used it for about a month and a half. Is it worth it? Most of my program were exercise from home. Well it made me lose a little weight like 5 or 10 lbs with diet included. Most of it are weight coming from fat because the elliptical trainer maintains muscle weight because you are carrying your own weight to burn some calories. In my conclusion, I believe that buying exercise machines at home is effective as long as its in your own room. If you display your exercise machine in your living room, the people in your house will see you exercise and they'll probably tempt you not to exercise (base on my experience). The most productive exercise equipment that I had was those 2 10 lb dumbbells that I bought. It may not made me gain some weight but it did help me lose some during my first few weeks especially on that time I went on a weight loss plateau.

Outdoor is still the best exercise to lose weight compared to exercise from home. I went to my neighborhood and Im lucky enough that there is a jogging track in it. Good thing about it is that Im not the only one jogging in it thats why its motivating for me. To other people who wanted to lose weight without a jogging track near you, my advice is for you to attend some sport activities, go to the gym, or jog in the morning to gain more focus and lose more fat. Relying on weight loss machines only helps a little. There are so many ads about it on tv that tempts us to buy no matter how expensive it is as long as we will lose weight on it. Somehow, I feel kinda sorry for my elliptical trainer machine. I tried to sell it but its been rusted by rain already. I still see it everyday and I use it as a remembrance of me when I was motivating myself to lose weight.

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Best way to loose weight

2009-08-29T23:26:00.001-07:00

Why most people don't lose weight?

The first reason to that is that they don't have time for it. They spend 9 to 10 hours a day at work then go home to relax and unwind themselves. Weight loss is more of a decision making. Its a long term goal. Its not just something you do because you're in the mood to do so. You are your own boss when you're on this program. You make your own schedule and ask some pro if you have additional questions.

Second reason is that they think there is a shortcut to it. They see this infomercials on television that promises weight loss in a week or two. I believe some of these infomercials work but not the way you expect it to be. I tried a slimming tea before. It helped me lose weight but it does ruin my mood most of the time. I regained the whole weight back immediately. I don't know with other weight products but I think most of them have side effects even though the endorser tells you it doesn't.

Third reason is that they are already happy with themselves. They think that skipping their favorite meals will make them miserable. They even think that they are already satisfied being fat as long as they are happy. Well it does happen, but if you are really concerned about your health then think of it as part of the program. You never know one of these days, those favorite food of yours will give up on you. Do you want your doctor to tell you that you should stop eating ice cream, pizza, and mouth juicy burgers? When you're on a weight loss program, there is still word called "sacrifice". You don't need to worry about it because there is also this word called "cheat day" where you can schedule a time of eating what you want. It does happen once a week. Even I myself can't get rid of comfort foods. Please be informed that once you succeeded on your diet (which will take just a few months with one cheat day a week), you can go back on eating what you want because your metabolism is way much stronger compared on the day you started. Some even think that weight loss is for people who are too concerned about their looks.
At first I thought it was but then it wasn't. If you only think you are overweight then go on a weight loss program. If not, then just go on weight maintenance mode unless you plan to shape up for some occasion.

And lastly, they think its expensive. There are ads out there that tell us that you can get thin right away if you have a lot of money. I agree and totally disagree to that. You can get thin with liposuction but it won't really work on your metabolism. Losing weight the natural way is still the best way to loose weight. It will boost your metabolism which will further allow you to eat more. Did you notice how models endorse food products like pizza? They just take a small bite and recommend it to people! These models do have some money to burn.

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Eat six small meals a day

2009-08-24T04:43:00.000-07:00

I was actually thinking about it right now. Its a type of program where you eat 400 calories per meal(according to my diet plan) because excess calories turned into stored fat. Its also defined as to stop eating when you're full. Why should I eat 6 meals a day? I know that our body burns calories even if you're not doing anything. Probably the reason why we should eat 6 meals a day is to prevent muscle loss and ofcourse to trim that tummy fat. If I starve myself, its going to get some energy from my muscles. I don't want that to happen. I was also thinking about cardio. It lowers overall body fat percentage. Overall means fat from everywhere including arm muscles which isn't good at all. I do heard that when you do cardio after workout, it won't let you lose muscles. Although its pretty confusing at the moment. I know it is really hard to stick to this kind of program (Eat six small meals a day) but I guess I'll give it a shot. When temptation strikes again, like eating out with my buddies, I'll take full control of it for the sake of the small tummy fat I need to reduce. I know that I can't stick to this program forever but I do know as well that it boosts metabolism.

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Will you stick on your diet?

2009-08-18T22:15:00.000-07:00

When I decided to lose weight a few months ago, I had some thoughts going on a diet. I started to get rid of the temptations surrounding me. The people around me tempt me a lot with food and its really hard to get rid of it. I even came to the hardest point where depression takes place. Its like you're addicted to something and you have to go on rehabilitation to get rid of it. Sometimes they even offer me some alcoholic drinks every time there is party. Anyway, what I did was forget about the diet plan. Whenever I read about diet plans, I hear stuff like "do not eat this and eat that". Is it really possible? Yes it is but its also frustrating. So I started to do some cardio. It was quite fun and it really does burn some calories. A few days after, I got addicted to it. I still eat what I want its just that I do it in moderation. Lets say for example a friend invites me to go to Mcdonalds, I really find it hard to resist the quarter pounder meal upgraded to large fries and soda. I substitute soda with diet soda. Before, I used to go for an extra fries and nuggets. Moderation for me means sticking to one meal. I don't mean one meal a day. What I meant was one meal every breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, and dinner. The healthier the foods are, the more you'll lose weight. My point here is that junk foods can also help you lose weight if you eat them in moderation. It really does work though. Whenever I feel ready for cardio, I do it to burn some extra calories.

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Serious in losing tummy?

2009-08-16T18:59:00.000-07:00

Im planning to make my tummy become flat so it means that I have to give up my weight maintenance for now. I've been on weight loss vacation for 4 months now. During that time, I eat whatever I want although I still manage to balance it. When I eat a box pizza today, I make sure that I eat salad and oatmeal the next day. Its some type of calorie shifting that I know. Anyway, moving to the topic, Im really serious now in flatenning my tummy. So for now, I need to focus on my diet. I have to sacrifice the taste of Chilis burger, potato chips, sodas, and ice creams. My actual plan is to replace them with healthy ones. Just in case I can't get rid of them, I'll make a schedule on when to eat them. I'll probably schedule it on a Saturday. I know there are diet pills that can help but I won't rely on it because I don't want to ruin my metabolism which makes me eat more during weight maintenance period without worrying about weight gain. I love eating. Cardio? I know it reduces overall body fat but it makes me worry that it might shrink my muscles. Ofcourse I don't want to look sick. What about beer? Uhmm... According to weight loss experts its alright to drink 2 bottles of beer in a day. Maybe I'll just substitute it with a hard drink like rhum and brandy without any additionals.

I'll be doing this in a few weeks. I know I've done this before and it really did work.

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Article about flattening tummy:

Bulging belly? Foods that shrink your stomach

Why people go to the gym? (motivation)

2009-08-10T21:48:00.000-07:00

In the past, I thought people who build muscles do it because they want to look attractive. I suddenly asked why they do it. Aren't they satisfied with their bodies? They may have a body like that but does it change their eating pattern as well? I also thought that those people are conscious when it comes to eating. I gave it a try to be like them a few years ago. I went to this gym and the instructor told me that I should eat less. The instructor also told me that I should stop eating junk foods. 3 months of having that kind of thought in the gym made me give up. I felt like I was so vane. My friends and relatives even made fun of me whenever we go to a party because they think that Im so conscious with my body. I even have thoughts that a slice of pizza, which is one of my favorite food, will make me fat.

I didn't go to the gym anymore after that. I went back to my old eating and drinking habits. I even had a date that time who was a manager of a french restaurant. Food suddenly becomes a habit for me again. I ate a lot and exercised less. Every time my friends invite me on a drinking session after office hours, I didn't say no to them. I never even cared about how much sugar and transfat I consume as long as the food taste good. A few months after that, I noticed that these fatty foods and addicting alcoholic beverages gave up on me. I remember every time I eat a large burger, I feel like my heart begins to go weak and I feel dizzy. I went to a doctor and the doctor asked me if I do exercise? I said just a little. He even asked me how bad I eat? I told him "most of the time whenever food is around". The doctor informed me that I should go to a sport program to pay off my happy go lucky lifestyle. I can't think of any sport that is why I decided to go back to the gym. Am I going to do it just to become vane again? I guess not that is why I went to do some research online. Here is what I learned so far:

1. Muscles burn fat. One of the classic ways to have it is to go to the gym, eat the right foods, and rest well. I also read an article before that says weight lifting can burn sugar.

2. Looking good shouldn't be your goal if you're going to the gym. It will only result to some sort of insecurity. Your main reason to go to the gym is to live a healthy life.

3. If you want to make changes in your body, follow what your instructor says. But if you want to maintain your figure even if its a six pack, you can still eat junk foods.

4. Weight lifting won't make you become bigger right away. Gaining big arms is way too harder than getting a flat tummy.

5. Doing cardio after weight lifting will help you lose more weight and can defeat weight loss plateau.

Gym has become a part of my lifestyle after knowing these things. It did work for me and I hope it works with others as well. My point of view of why people go to the gym become different. Although there are still some who do it to look good because of their job. I still drink beer, eat a lot of pizza, and consume some sweets without gaining weight and feeling bad. The gym also thought me the importance of eating the right food too. Whenever I feel demotivated, I just follow the 3rd one above.

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Whey Protein vs Weight Gainer

2009-08-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

3 months ago, I bought this Gold Standard Whey. Its a Protein shake used to build up muscles. I remember I was kinda confused on what will I buy whether its Weight Gainer or just a protein shake. A friend of mine told me that I should only buy weight gainer if I really look lame. Imagine someone that is super thin. The sales person informed me that I should go on weight gainer (it was done over the phone that is why he doesn't see me). In fact, the sales person told me that I shouldn't worry about gaining all the weight and tummy back when I buy a weight gainer because building arm & chest muscles is way too harder than flattening your tummy. When I succeeded on my weight loss program, my body looked a little bit not proportional that is why I decided to gain some muscles. Instead of trusting the sales person, I just went to my friend's advice instead. He tried the weight gainer and he gained a big tummy but the positive side on that is he gained some arm mass too. After 3 months of using the Whey Protein, I noticed that my arms didn't get that big at all. One thing good about the Whey Protein is that it can help you lose weight but the instructions doesn't say that you should do it. It just went in shape but not as I expect it should be. Probably next time, I'll buy Mega Mass and not worry about gaining the fat back in my tummy because cardio is way too fun and easy. I'll probably gain some arms and chest I guess if I combine it with proper work out. Once the goal has been achieved, I'll buy a protein shake again to tone them.

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Eating more to lose weight

2009-08-06T06:27:00.000-07:00

I remember watching the documentary film "Super size me". There was this scene here about a guy who lost weight eating a Subway sandwich on every meal. The guy even have some picture as evidence that he lost weight doing it. There is also one scene here where a guy, who had a record of most Big Macs eaten, is not even fat at all. Most of my friends think that when they are on a diet, they should eat less or not at all. I remember my dad went on fasting the whole day when he ate a huge burger meal the day before. I even recall my mom telling my big cousin that he should eat more because he is big. She even reminded him that when he goes on a diet, he'll get weak and die. Those are the diets that I've learned in the past. A diet that is interpreted the wrong way.

Eating can make you lose weight as long as you eat right. If most of your calories are based on fats like the ones found on burgers, then don't expect that you'll lose weight even if you eat it in small portions. You can lose weight if you combine the small portions with exercise but you won't get a nice figure after. If most of the calories you consume are made up of vitamins, high in fiber and protein, and low in fat, you'll probably lose some weight. If you add exercise to it, you'll lose more and have a proportional figure. Whenever you feel hungry, substitute junk foods with fruits. You can eat as much as you want to without worrying about how many calories it has because most fruits have negative calories which means that this calories need calories to burn.
If in case you think that this diet expensive, I bet it is not and it is way too cheaper than junk foods. Im the type of person who is addicted to rice. I just substitute it with brown rice so that I can have complex carbohydrates and a good digestion. If Im in the mall and brown rice is not available, I just order something made of wheat bread which is high in fiber.

Its really hard to get rid of delicious foods especially if you're someone like me who grew up surrounded by it. There are a lot of healthy foods out there that are addicting too. Salad, grapes, oranges, oats, almonds, and veggies can be addicting. Its just that most unhealthy ones are the ones being advertised as cheap while the healthy ones are not.

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Losing weight when you're alcoholic

2009-08-04T05:40:00.000-07:00

Most experts say that alcoholic people don't lose weight. Its because alcohol blocks fat. Its scientifically true but what if alcohol is part of your lifestyle? Im the type of person who drinks every weekend but I did lost some weight. Eventhough I drink that much, I try to make sure that I exercise a lot once the hangover and headache is gone. I don't exercise the day after the drinking session. I exercise on the second day. In case I drink, I usually go for the hard ones because they are low in calories and doesn't have carbohydrates in it like beer. Drinks like rhum, brandy, vodka, and tequila. I just drink water as my chaser and a side dish of lemon instead of fatty ones. There maybe times that I can't resist beer with my friends so what I do after that is punish myself with a 45 minute cardio after 1 day. Its also hard to resist the food once you get drunk. If one is really serious in losing weight, drinking should be done moderately which means that you don't need to get drunk every night or every other night. Drinking is part of most people's lives thats why its hard to get rid of it unless your parents train you to live a healthy life since birth. Drinking alcohol doesn't actually prevents you to lose weight. It only prolongs your weight loss.

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Weight loss the hard way vs easy way

2009-08-01T22:45:00.000-07:00

There are so many tips out there to lose weight. I just divide it in to two which is the hard way and the easy way. Whats the difference between the two anyway? Lets start with the easy way. There are some channels on TV that promote weight loss products like equipments, herbal teas, pills, and other programs that will help you lose weight. Some of them work, some of of them don't. Some even promise that you will lose 25 lbs in two weeks if you strictly follow their program. In my opinion, it can be true. I do remember 2 years ago, I tried drinking this herbal tea that made me lose 10 lbs in 2 weeks. The disadvantage that I got here is that it led me to some mood swings. It also gave me a feeling of a bathroom rush over and over which is kinda frustrating. I gained those 10 lbs back a few weeks after even though I was on weight maintenance mode. After that, I didn't consider trying that herbal tea again and I even stopped relying on those weight loss ads.

2 years after that incident, I noticed that I've been gaining some weight. I had this kind of lifestyle where I eat whatever I want. I even thought that vegetables can make you fat that is why I keep eating some meat and junk food. Then after that, I decided to lose some weight again. I was thinking if I'll do it the easy way again. I chose to do it the natural way which is proper diet and exercise. At first I thought diet is more of cutting portions of your meal which is kinda demotivating to listen to. People I know keep telling me those kind of stuff for many years. I then noticed that its more of a meal replacement. Thats the time I realized that I should start eating some healthy stuff like wheat and vegetables. These foods are really low in calories. Your friends won't even notice that you're on a diet even if you fill up your plate with a lot of salad. Just watch out for the mayo dressing. I combined these diet with jogging, swimming, and weight lifting. Although it didn't made me lose a lot of weight in a month. It took around 6 months for those people I know to notice some weight change I had.

After that, I went on maintenance mode meaning I will stick to my daily calorie limit which is 2400 calories a day. I eat whatever I want. If I crave for a Chillis burger, I go for it. But ofcourse, I balance my meal. If I had a big lunch, I go for a lite dinner. If I spend the whole day eating a box of pizza, I'll spend tomorrow with a salad meal all through out the day. It really depends on the situation.

We can actually lose weight the easy way but its pretty frustrating because we will gain it back right away. It doesn't really focus on working your metabolism. Even vegetables can make you regain your weight back if you chose this way. If you really can't give up junk food just like I'am, its better that you'll lose weight the harder way. The rewards are great although it requires a lot of time and patience.

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Online Weight loss tips that worked

2009-07-30T22:23:00.000-07:00

What motivated me to lose weight? I remember before when I decided to lose some weight, my brother asked me “Why do you want to lose weight? Eating is fun and you don’t really need to lose weight at all.”. This information from my obese brother made me confuse that is why I suddenly stopped my weight loss program. A few years after that, I did watch some movies and shows and see that most celebrities are in perfect shape. Whenever I see them on commercials, I noticed that they take a little bite on the products they endorsed especially if its junk food. That didn’t motivate me again. Suddenly, the internet started to make a lot of information on weight loss. I did some research when I finally decided to lose weight seriously. Obviously my brother(who is still obese at this day) told me the same thing. This time I won’t be affected by it so I’ll probably do it in a committed way. I did research some information online. Most of them are really hard to follow. Suggestions like:

- Eat 6 small meals a day

- Sleep 8 hours every night

- Don’t eat any meat, junk foods, candies, and ice creams.

- Stop drinking sodas even if its diet

- Stop consuming carbohydrates

- Don’t drink alcohol at all

All of the things said above this are so hard to follow. My lifestyle won’t fit into it. Like any other normal people, I drink soda, beer, and other alcoholic drinks. The suggestions above also drove me nuts thinking that I won’t lose weight if I didn’t follow one. I kept researching and I found out some suggestions that I can follow like:

- Do cardio 30 minutes or more a day, 5 days a week. If you find it boring, get some sport.

- Lift some weights. If you can’t go to the gym, lift something heavy in your home.

- Reduce your calorie intake to 500 to 1000 a day. Eat a lot of clean stuff like natural carbohydrates, oat meal, and brown rice.

- Have a cheat day! That’s the weekend.

After doing these suggestions, all I can say right now that they do work. I lost 45 lbs in 4 months by following them. Cardio was a task at first. It became an addiction a few weeks after. Weight lifting burns sugar and fat. Eating a lot of clean stuff buffs you up and distributes fat all over. In fact, they are easy to burn compared to junk food and it won’t make you look stupid when you’re eating in front of your friends. I noticed when Im in a restaurant with my friends and I make it look obvious to them that Im on a diet, I feel kinda vain in front of them. Now I eat more than what they eat but I make sure that what I eat is clean. Once my metabolism improves at its best, I might compete with them someday in some junk food eating.

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Calorie replacement after cardio

2009-07-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

I did some sprints this afternoon. Whenever I sprint, I feel the burn targeted in my stomach. A lot of people around me are jogging as well. I learned that jogging can only reduce those hard earned arm size. Im more focused on my little tummy fat which is a few inches away from becoming a flat one. I used to jog before and a few months after that, I lost some weight the wrong way. I also remember my diet during those days were 500-1000 calories below my daily limit because I was really serious in losing some weight. Thanks to Tom Venuto's advice on his book "Burn the fat, Feed the Muscle" where he suggested that you can still maintain those arm size and lose that belly fat by eating more clean stuff and doing some cardio. This book is the best and most honest when it comes to this topic that is why its worth buying.

I sprinted for about 30 minutes and walk whenever I need to refill my energy. A few hours after that, my brother invited me to have dinner so we went to this restaurant called Tender Bob's and they serve a lot of tempting junk foods. Good thing they have salad. I replaced those calories I burned when I was sprinting by eating a large amount of Chicken Caesar Salad. I did eat some steak too but I did get rid of those fat around it. I just went for water instead of soda.

Im thinking of gaining weight but I wanted to gain it the right way. I want the weight gain to go in my upper body instead of my lower one. My goal is to get big arms, shoulders, chest, and melt the fat in my tummy till it gets a six pack. In the past year, I used to be someone who is very addicted to alcohol, junk foods, and sweets. I felt my heart started to palpitate when I had enough of those. Now I just take them moderately and only on my cheat day. I know I can eat them someday again when I go to weight maintenance mode. I will still try them on my cheat day.

I noticed after tonight's dinner, I didn't feel my tummy becoming heavy eventhough I ate a chicken salad good for 4 people. I felt the heaviness in my shoulders and chest. Maybe its because of what I ate. Whenever I eat a pasta and a burger, I feel that my tummy is the one thats becoming heavy. I'll probably take control of that then. There is this rule that one should eat six small meals a day which I believe is right if you are not doing any cardio activity. In case you're doing a cardio activity, you can still eat as much as you want as long as what you eat is clean.

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