Singapore Expats

I moved to Singapore about a year ago and have been looking for a program similar to Weight Watchers. Does anyone know if this exists or if there are enough people maybe we can start a meetup group. Would appreciate any feedback.
Cheers!

How much weight do you have to lose. Are your serious about it. NOT on again/off again yo-yo dieting. I have a solution for you but you have to be seious about following it through to the end. I guarantee you will lose the weight and probably be healthier as well. Been there, done that. Eight years ago. Lost 26 kg in 22 weeks. Couldn't feel better even today.

So I have about 18-20 pounds to lose - 10 of which I gained in the last 2 months due to a torn ligament. I am still recovering so can't start any kind of exercise routine for a while which is why I figured I would focus on my diet at least.
I am not someone who is going to take any 'special' weight loss drinks etc so I need a group that is supportive of everyone's journey. And yes, I do prefer a group setting to get inspiration from others.
Cheers!

This program is not "group" setting per se, but is supported by a great online forum specifically for the users of this program. They do have a clinic here in Singapore so you can get help from them as well, although I preferred the online forum (which is based in Australia but of which I have been a moderator for the past 7 years). There is not any special foods or pills or wraps or other equipment other than a basic set of electronic kitchen scales which allows weighing in grams. They do recommend taking a vitamin supplement (but only certain ones, there are several - I never bothered to take any). Absolutely no exercise is required which is great if you happen to be a couch potato! If you already have a fixed exercise routine, you are advised to cut back on the duration and intensity while on the program and if you don't exercise, you are advised not to start until after your doctor advised goal is obtained.

You will be required to have a blood test and give them a full medical history and the good doctor in the US who designs the program retains the right to refuse you the program if he feels there may be any risks to your health. Most who do the program find there overall health improved immensely. In my case my cholesterol and HPB returned to normal (been on meds for a decades prior to that) - now, 8 years later still in good shape and not on any meds (I'll be 70 in 6 months).

Your medicine is the food your eat. The entire diet is comprised of fresh foods you can buy off the shelves at NTUC, Cold Storage or any other supermarket. Plenty of vegetables, protein sources (meats, poultry, seafood), fruits. However, no carbohydrates or sugar and if you can dump salt at the same time it's very helpful. (no carbs means no Bread, Rice, Potatoes, Carrots or pasta/noodles).

It is NOT a high protein diet like Atkins Diet (which is unsustainable). It is a lifestyle change and the weightloss part of the program is to get your body back in sync and reprograms your Serotonin in the brain which also controls your insulin responses.

Anyway, I don't work for the company, but I will tell you it did save my life. Check it out. read over their website and give the clinic a call and make a no obligation, no hard sell appointment with them. You will be glad you did.

Cohen's Lifestyle Clinic

http://cohenlifestyle.com.sg/ Official Site
https://www.facebook.com/CohenLifestyleSG/ Official FB page

http://newyouforum.com/forum/ Cohen orientated Forum (which was started by an Australian woman who lost 88KG!!!! in 12 months on the program - I'm also a long time moderator there).

Oh, and good luck. If you want it you can do it.

Here is a post made shortly after I finished the program weight loss period.

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=50730&p=330523&hil ... am#p330523



sms

Make pancakes even healthier by adding mashed baked sweet potato, a number of pureed spinach and blueberries, as well as cooked quinoa.

Drink more and more water and a weight loss tea supplement called Mummy magic tea 3xday.

exercise regularly and cut down intake in moderation

Cut out carbs. I've done that and lost 6 kg in a few weeks. By carbs I mean sugars, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes (fried specifically), soft drinks and definitely beer and most alcohols (red wine occasionally and whiskey once a month). Increase your protein and fat intake to compensate - meat, eggs, soy and of course vegetables.

PNGMK wrote:Cut out carbs. I've done that and lost 6 kg in a few weeks. By carbs I mean sugars, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes (fried specifically), soft drinks and definitely beer and most alcohols (red wine occasionally and whiskey once a month). Increase your protein and fat intake to compensate - meat, eggs, soy and of course vegetables.

I can confirm, this works very well, but be aware you have to be healthy to do it and specifically very healthy with your liver and kidneys. High protein diet puts a huge load on these two and normally it is not recommended to continue it for longer than 2 weeks in a single run.

I remembered when I was working out in the gym years back, a seasoned weight lifter shared this secret with me. Look at all these crazy guys, lifting sets after sets and thinking the more they pump, the bigger they get. They have no ideas what they are doing.

I was of course doing much like these guys (sometimes feeling guilty why I could not catch up with the sets they do) and what he said next changed my perspective.

Muscles need rest and nutrition to grow. The workout is just 1/3 of the equation, the remaining is equally important. The over eagerness and impatience to see our biceps getting bigger, chest firmer, etc is the result of many unethical people selling steroids to boost performance (short term and with side effects).

Food that are rich in protein like tofu, vegetables, nuts and seeds (in moderation), drinking enough water to keep body hydrated and ample rest is important. He advocates cold ice pack to relieve the muscle ache we get sometimes from working out a certain body part.

In contrary, losing weight is just the opposite. Exercising to shed the extra pound is part of the equation, just as what one takes for the meals must not be underestimated. In our busy, tech driven society, snacking has become a habit for many (the proliferation of cafes everywhere, 24 hours supermarket, vending machines all over the island, internet ordering) and to resist that extra calories require discipline and a clear goal that we have.

Energy is all about balance and our body weight is measured by the amount of calories that we need and calories that we expend. An average person needs about 2200 calories a day and anything excess is stored in the body as fats. It is the accumulation that shock many people, an extra piece of cake for Mary's promotion, celebration party at night with beers and sodas, barbecue over the weekend. If we do this every fortnight in addition to the 3 meals we have (not counting the coffee , iced tea, etc), it is no wonder that we can conveniently put on weight easily.

Environment does play a part so do the friends you hang out with. To kick off a bad habit (over-eating and not exercising enough) is to create a new habit to replace it. Now, most habits would take a minimum of 21-30 days according to some research.

So start a program, any program even if it is a 20 minutes walk after dinner.
Keep track of your progress, measuring your BMI and purpose of the goal
Reward yourself at each incremental goal you had achieved , eg. completed 2 hours of walking (ideally reward to be non-food related - how about a headphone to take with you when you are doing the brisk walk)

Make some new friends - people who are better than you in fitness sense, they will encourage and motivate you.
Blog about your progress, take pics, selfie, instagram, etc - never mind if people respond or not. It is your journey , your result you want NOT them. There will always be critics out there, just ignore them.
Mental exercise - think of the end - when you had achieved what you want. the desired weight, able to put on that special dress, whatever. How would that makes you feel? And if you are doing just that, who would know about it? What would you say to this person? Each time, you feel discouraged, not in the mood to put on your workout attire or hit the road for a run, think of the end, charge up emotionally and you would not need anyone or anything else to push you. You would be self-driven as you are crystal clear the reasons you are in this !

I wish you all the best !!!

don't totally rule out carbs but just maybe take half a portion of them and rmb to exercise regularly and drink lots of water!!

greendesign wrote:So I have about 18-20 pounds to lose - 10 of which I gained in the last 2 months due to a torn ligament. I am still recovering so can't start any kind of exercise routine for a while which is why I figured I would focus on my diet at least...

it's simple. you eat less food than your body requires, and you will lose weight.

so... (keep yourself occupied and) eat less. that's it! you'll lose the weight whether you work out or not. you can work on your strength later if you wish.

the weight you put on when you're stuck in a chair/bed isn't too difficult to lose. but you may not want to lose all your muscles either.

so if your ligament is torn but you can still shower, work out with other parts of your body that are uninjured.

you can sit at home and lift bottles of softener or bags of detergent with your good leg, arm, your head, etc.

edited.

I am wondering if anyone in this group would be willing to be my volunteer client for weight loss counselling to help me complete an assignment for the Master of Counselling course I am pursuing.

You might want to consider it if you want to talk about issues such as motivation, mindset, food attachments, binge eating, underlying drivers, and protective beliefs. This is likely to benefit someone who feels their weight is affecting their life, has been struggling to lose weight for what seem a lifetime and feels like there's an internal saboteur at work.

I am required to do 3 - 5 sessions and as part of the assignment requirement, I will have to videotape the sessions but can do this from the client's back or side if privacy is a concern. This video will only be seen by a reviewer and will thereafter be deleted. There are no charges involved.

About myself - besides pursing counselling qualifications, I also have a degree in Psychology, professional training in psychotherapy as well as weight loss related issues. I am focusing on weight issues because as someone who also battles with weight, I have a great deal with empathy and understanding of the weight struggle. Please PM me if you are interested or have any questions.

Are there any websites that folks here can recommend for diet plans? Looking to lose some weight after my first child

clariceboecker wrote:Are there any websites that folks here can recommend for diet plans? Looking to lose some weight after my first child

If you are absolutely serious and you have more than 15 kg to lose, you can approach these people. (I lost 26kg 10 years ago in 22 weeks) But you have to be absolutely serious else it will not work and you will be guaranteed to gain it back if you try to cheat/deviate from the plan. There are not any pills, wraps, special prepared packaged meals. It's all fresh food from the shelves of NTUC or CS or SS. Google "Cohen's Lifestyle Centre Singapore"

Additionally, as a result of the eating habits formed during the course of the diet, at the end of it, my decade on being on HBP meds (2), Allopurinol (gout), and Lovastatin (cholesteroil) was over. My physician said he'd never seen anything like it. My BP went from around 220/115 unmedicated (138/80 with both meds) to 70/115 without meds, Cholesteroil and uric acid levels were within normal ranges as well. Worked for me.

[quote="shashank160997"]
thank you extremely much for these links. i'm going to check them more carefully now. i'm a weight loss junkie for a long time now and i guess i've tried everything! this is why, anything might be helpful for me now! thanks again!