Questions and answers about my weight loss.

Ever since I blogged about my weight loss, i’ve received numerous queries from friends and readers. Decided to dedicate a few blog entries about this and hope it can help clear any queries anyone may have.

I shall do this in a question and answer format.

Q: Did you really lose weight from exercising and dieting? Come on, tell me how you REALLY did it!!

A: For some reason, everyone has been asking me this. I am not lying to anyone really! I lost weight through diet and exercise. If i had a miraculous way to lose weight, i would 1) lose weight way faster than i did. 2) be skinnier than what i am now. I really did diet and exercise. Friends, colleagues, family can vouch on my diet. I cut down on carbs. Jacelyn can vouch for my exercise, i run with her pretty often. I use a running app which posts on Twitter and Facebook whenever I run. If you are asking if i took an appetite suppression pill, no i did not. If i had, i would have lost 10kg in 1-2 months can?! Anyway, i really eat a lot. It’s pretty obvious to people around me that i’m eating.

Q: Why bother exercising and dieting? Why not take pills instead?

A: Friends around me would know, i tried an appetite suppression pill previously. But after one pill, i got crazy migraines (in the first place, i’m already prone to migraines) and heart palpitations. It does not happen to everyone though, the pill that i took from a friend did not have any side effects for her and she lost a tremendous amount of weight in a very short period of time. Do take note that I do not condone taking of such pills, that’s because of the side effects for me. Maybe my body can’t take such things. Also, since i’m getting married this year and the possibility of raising some gremlins is possible in the near future, i think it’s better not for me to try such pills again. The only pills i’m taking currently is glucosamine and fish oil pills for my joints.

Q: Why go on a low carb diet? Are you sure it works?

A: i’ve introduced the low carb diet to plenty of people and it has worked for them so far. Jacelyn, her fiancé, Ching Chong Boy has seen results. Ccb has lost 4kg so far! And for him, he is only cutting down on one meal no carb. The low carb diet works. Why did I go onto it? I did my reading, research and decided to experiment on it. I tried a low calorie diet previously and it didn’t work for me. It might have worked but results are terribly slow for me. For some of you guys who may know, Carbs are your main source of energy. Are you an extremely active person where you’ll need a lot of energy? Do you run marathons everyday? If your answer is no, why do you need so much carbs? If the energy is not used, where do you think it’ll go? Yes, that’s right. It becomes your blubber.

In my humble opinion, optimal weight loss = 80% diet, 20% exercise. Like i mentioned in my previous blog post, all that exercise ain’t gonna do shit for me if i keep putting shit in my body. Do you know how far you’ll have to run if you drink a can of red bull? Anyway, i find it hilarious that most people do not know sugar = carbs. Carbs = starch AND sugar. Remember that! Shouldn’t it be common sense in the first place?

Q: I find it so hard to eat low carb! Is there an easier way?

A: i likened weight loss to getting a distinction in your exam. There will be some lucky fuckers who are smart (=skinny) who never had to study (=diet and exercise) and still get distinctions (=remain skinny) while they party all night (=eat like a pig).

Well, if you are not born smart, what do you do? You’ll have to work harder. You study twice as hard, go for bloody tuition even though it is painful as hell. If you do not study, don’t freaking whine and complain about failing your exam. You bloody deserve it. Yes, call me mean but that’s the hard truth baby. Remember, shitty inputs = shitty results. Do you WANT to get a distinction? If so, work hard.

I asked everyone who asked me how to lose weight this question: Do you REALLY want to lose weight? If so, you’ll have to put in some sacrifices. If you find it harder to lose weight cause 1) you may be very very very overweight 2) you do not have the time 3) you may need to take certain medication that causes weight gain. then don’t aim for unrealistic results. Aim for long term ones. It’s more important to look at it as a lifestyle change. If you take 2 years to lose 10kg, so be it. Do it at your own pace. What matters is that you did it. Don’t aim for unrealistic results if you can’t be committed. A grade C is good, aim higher at the next paper.

Do it slowly, it isn’t a race. The thing with most people is that they give up too easily. They set unrealistic goals. So what if you only lose 1kg a month? It’s good enough! Take all the time you want, what matters most is that you are embarking on a healthier lifestyle.

If you can’t lose weight, how about toning up? Some people just have a bigger body structure. Toned and lean looks better to me than slim and yet wobbly with cellulite.

Q: I can’t not eat carbs.

A: Yes you can. I used to be CRAZY over carbs. Cut down slowly if need be, going cold turkey immediately is crazy. Start with cutting carbs from one meal (dinner would be good) then slowly cut two meals etc. For people trying to lose weight, carbs shouldn’t form the main bulk of your meal. Make it the minority. Small dosages of carbs are fine, just don’t go overboard. Always try to aim for complex carbs (google it if you do not know what it means) rather than simple carbs. Remember brown rice is better than white rice and wheat bread is better than white bread.

How much do you want to lose weight? If very much, you’ll have to put in certain sacrifices. If you can’t diet or exercise, then don’t lose weight lor!

Q: Could you share with me on what sort of low carb diets can I eat?

A: i know that many food contain hidden carbs, it’s impossible to cut totally, so what I do, is cut off as much as I can. Some of my typical meals: soup dishes like yong tau hoo (be careful of what you choose!), fish soup, beef soup etc). I do order main dishes w/o the rice e.g. Chicken/pork from the chicken rice stall, caifan w/o fan, McSpicy w/o the bread etc. I eat a lot of meat. My diet is not a salad diet. Sorry, i’m not a rabbit. I need my meat. I usually order from the Western food stall and ask them to swop the bread and potatoes for an extra egg instead. Try to cut down on sauces too as most of them do contain sugar. From the jap store, i’ll order sashimi, chawanmushi and saba fish usually. I usually eat steamboat and whack veges and meat!

Q: What else should i cut down?

A: i would suggest watching your sodium intake. For example the caifan w/o fan is usually quite salty as most of the hawkers are rather liberal with their salt and msg. Salt increases water retention, and you do not want that. Remember to drink at least 1.5 – 2 litres of water a day.

Q: Can i just diet without exercising?

A: sure but what’s your goal in the end? To just lose weight? To lose body fat? To tone up? Different methods apply for different goals. For me, back then, it was to change my body composition completely. To lose weight. Now, it’s to lose body fat and tone up. Yes, dieting can help you lose weight but you need your exercise to lose body fat and tone up.

Q: What is your exercise routine like?

A: While i was trying to lose weight, i ran up to 4 times a week. I would suggest that you find an exercise you like and stick to it. If you hate running, don’t do it just because i did it. You’ll find yourself dragging your feet and hating every single moment of it. Cycle, swim, play tennis, do something you love and it will not be a chore but it’ll be a hobby instead. For me, i LOVE to run. I destress when I run. It feels good for me. I also do weights and static exercises occasionally. To help tone up. 🙂 if you are not the kind who is motivated enough to exercise, then get a personal trainer to whip your ass in shape. I can recommend you mine (from Phillip Wain), she’s pretty sadistic but i love her. She’s also a certified nutritionist and she can recommend you on an appropriate diet. (side note: she 100% approves of my diet.)

Q: i can’t seem to exercise! How?!

A: get a friend or personal trainer to motivate you. Work out together, don’t make excuses. Personal trainers will push you hard and it doesn’t make sense to slack off after paying that amount of money : x

Q: if i just want to lose my tummy, what can i do?

A: if you only have problems with your tummy, i would recommend you cut down on your sugar. My tummy shrank tremendously after i went on a low carb diet. After losing the blubber, do some exercises to strengthen your core. Crunches etc!

Q: Should i follow my friend’s diet and exercise?

A: Everybody’s body respond differently. And everyone has different weight loss goals. A slim person with some flabs should focus more on fat (different from weight) loss and toning as compared to an overweight individuals who is 30kg overweight.

That’s about it for now. I will be sharing my Personal Training experiences soon. Hope this will answer your queries. If you have any others, please feel free to comment here and i’ll add it in and answer here. For the record, i still think i have loads more to lose and to tone up. I don’t think i’m a guru or anything, am just sharing my methods and my experience.