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by healthfirst » Wed, 10 May 2017 1:48 pm
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 !!!