Lemme guess, every February, it's the same story...you're faced with post-holiday pineapple tart coma, kueh bolu tummy tops, and then you're trying to convince yourself that those skinny jeans must have shrunk in the wash *wink*. I'm no stranger to post-holiday diet guilt and sometimes go on a rampage to lose that muffin top with fad diets and telling myself "I'm not eating ever again!" Then the hunger pangs sets in, and you're back to square 1. There's nothing wrong with enjoying an extra cake or kueh during the festivities, but that doesn't mean you can't get back into shape. Now that the holidays season is over, it's back to life, back to reality...take a peek into my list of things to get back into shape.
First up: Don't skip meals
One common mistake I'm guilty of is all-or-nothing, which is a no-no when it comes to dieting. Cos this will only mess up your metabolism more than your holiday pig outs. Focus on taking nutritious, balanced 200-300 calorie meals 4-6 times a day.
An example would be a hard boiled egg with an avacado on a whole wheat toast (~200 cal)
Homemade slice fish bee hoon soup (~350 cal)
1/4 cup of almonds (~200 cal)
1 apple (~70-100cal)
baked salmon steak (~250 cal)
stir fry veggies (~150 cal)
It's not just about calorie counting, but eat a variety of foods, with a rough proportion of 1/2 the plate of veges, 1/4 complex carbs, and 1/4 proteins (about the size of your palm).
And eat like a princess, small bites and chew more! Cos most of your digestion starts in your mouth.
Drink up
Sip water all day instead of downing and gulping it all in. You've also probably heard about drinking 1-2 glasses before meals. This made more sense to me after reading an article lately. Other than filling yourself up, drinking water while eating will actually dilute the enzymes essential for digesting your food. Hence, drinking about 10-15 mins before meals is advisable, furthermore, it takes about 20 mins for your brain to realize you are full, so by drinking 10-15mins in advance, it will probably help you feel satiated and prevent you from overeating.
Recently I've also been adding Cinnamon Tea to my diet. Personally, I think it does help with my digestion and circulation. I don't feel so bloated after or in-between meals, and I feel 'warmer' as I'm prone to cold fingers and feet, hence better circulation overall. Studies have shown numerous benefits of cinnamon, such as lowering cholesterol, blood sugar levels, anti-bacterial, anti-oxident properties and supports healthy weight loss by giving your metabolism a boost!
Sweat it out
You can't run away from the good old fashion way to get fit. That is to sweat it out, be it in the gym, at home, or even doing household chores. Recently I've been plagued with a pull in my ligament behind my knee, but that's no excuse to shy off exercise. I've been staying away from lower body workouts, but here are 2 videos that can tone up those flabby arms and banish those kueh bolo muffin tops. Don't aim to camp out in the gym, cos just 30 mins a day is good to get you started. But say you're feeling lazy a couple of days a week, don't do nothing! Even 5 mins of simple cardio, pushups, or climbing the stairs amount to something. Basically, just do it even if it's for 5 mins, beats having done nothing at all.
5-4-3-2-1 workout
if you have 5 mins:
1 min high knees
1 min jumping jacks
1 min mountain climbers
1 min run on the spot
1 min burpees
4 mins:
1 min lunge
1 min mountain climbers
*repeat 2x*
3 mins:
10 push ups
15 tricep dips
15 booty lift bridges aka glute bridge
*repeat untill 3 mins*
2mins:
30 squats
30 V push ups
1min:
plank/side plank
*dont forget to warm up and cool down*
Get a hobby
This is something I struggle with everytime I plan to go on a diet or get in shape. Getting obsessed about losing numbers but end up adding on my food cravings! I figured the best way was to divert my attention to something else. Get started on a pet project or interested in something new, to get your mind off eating for a bit, and it'll help you wean off those sugar cravings at least for a bit.
Smart Swops
Make smart swops in your everyday choices. For instance, swopping white rice for brown rice or Quinoa. Quinoa (always have troubles pronouncing this, "keen-wah"), the supergrain of the future is rich in proteins and fiber. And it's flexible, you can either have it as a sweet breakfast porridge or savoury as you would with your rice/noodles.
Swop the use of bottled drinks into "lightweight equipment" you can use as mini dumbbells instead of emptying it into your stomach and filling yourself with non-nutritonal empty calories.
Swop the lift and take the stairs instead.
And if all else fails, swop those skinny jeans into relax fit for just a bit. Don't fret about losing weight fast, cos if you're gonna lose it fast, chances are you're gonna put it on faster and heavier.
Cut yourself some slack and get back on the fit wagon healthy and gradually and dieting won't seem so scary after all.
First up: Don't skip meals
One common mistake I'm guilty of is all-or-nothing, which is a no-no when it comes to dieting. Cos this will only mess up your metabolism more than your holiday pig outs. Focus on taking nutritious, balanced 200-300 calorie meals 4-6 times a day.
An example would be a hard boiled egg with an avacado on a whole wheat toast (~200 cal)
Homemade slice fish bee hoon soup (~350 cal)
1/4 cup of almonds (~200 cal)
1 apple (~70-100cal)
baked salmon steak (~250 cal)
stir fry veggies (~150 cal)
It's not just about calorie counting, but eat a variety of foods, with a rough proportion of 1/2 the plate of veges, 1/4 complex carbs, and 1/4 proteins (about the size of your palm).
And eat like a princess, small bites and chew more! Cos most of your digestion starts in your mouth.
 |
| via andypost.com add herbs like basil, dill and chopped mangoes to spice up your healthy meals |
Sip water all day instead of downing and gulping it all in. You've also probably heard about drinking 1-2 glasses before meals. This made more sense to me after reading an article lately. Other than filling yourself up, drinking water while eating will actually dilute the enzymes essential for digesting your food. Hence, drinking about 10-15 mins before meals is advisable, furthermore, it takes about 20 mins for your brain to realize you are full, so by drinking 10-15mins in advance, it will probably help you feel satiated and prevent you from overeating.
Recently I've also been adding Cinnamon Tea to my diet. Personally, I think it does help with my digestion and circulation. I don't feel so bloated after or in-between meals, and I feel 'warmer' as I'm prone to cold fingers and feet, hence better circulation overall. Studies have shown numerous benefits of cinnamon, such as lowering cholesterol, blood sugar levels, anti-bacterial, anti-oxident properties and supports healthy weight loss by giving your metabolism a boost!
 |
| Boil 1 stick of cinnamon with 1 1/2 cups of water and let it steep for about 20 mins. |
Sweat it out
You can't run away from the good old fashion way to get fit. That is to sweat it out, be it in the gym, at home, or even doing household chores. Recently I've been plagued with a pull in my ligament behind my knee, but that's no excuse to shy off exercise. I've been staying away from lower body workouts, but here are 2 videos that can tone up those flabby arms and banish those kueh bolo muffin tops. Don't aim to camp out in the gym, cos just 30 mins a day is good to get you started. But say you're feeling lazy a couple of days a week, don't do nothing! Even 5 mins of simple cardio, pushups, or climbing the stairs amount to something. Basically, just do it even if it's for 5 mins, beats having done nothing at all.
5-4-3-2-1 workout
if you have 5 mins:
1 min high knees
1 min jumping jacks
1 min mountain climbers
1 min run on the spot
1 min burpees
4 mins:
1 min lunge
1 min mountain climbers
*repeat 2x*
3 mins:
10 push ups
15 tricep dips
15 booty lift bridges aka glute bridge
*repeat untill 3 mins*
2mins:
30 squats
30 V push ups
1min:
plank/side plank
*dont forget to warm up and cool down*
Get a hobby
This is something I struggle with everytime I plan to go on a diet or get in shape. Getting obsessed about losing numbers but end up adding on my food cravings! I figured the best way was to divert my attention to something else. Get started on a pet project or interested in something new, to get your mind off eating for a bit, and it'll help you wean off those sugar cravings at least for a bit.
 |
| via metzgerbusiness.pressbooks.com |
Smart Swops
Make smart swops in your everyday choices. For instance, swopping white rice for brown rice or Quinoa. Quinoa (always have troubles pronouncing this, "keen-wah"), the supergrain of the future is rich in proteins and fiber. And it's flexible, you can either have it as a sweet breakfast porridge or savoury as you would with your rice/noodles.
Swop the use of bottled drinks into "lightweight equipment" you can use as mini dumbbells instead of emptying it into your stomach and filling yourself with non-nutritonal empty calories.
Swop the lift and take the stairs instead.
And if all else fails, swop those skinny jeans into relax fit for just a bit. Don't fret about losing weight fast, cos if you're gonna lose it fast, chances are you're gonna put it on faster and heavier.
Cut yourself some slack and get back on the fit wagon healthy and gradually and dieting won't seem so scary after all.
 |
| via womenshealthmag.com |
 |
| via theguardian.com |
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