Everyday Fitness Tips

Four ways to control your hunger

2010-01-24T03:13:00.000+08:00

Kick your cravings to the Curb!

Eat Six Meals Day to Keep Hunger at Bay

Cravings are reinforced by hunger
Eating small meals throughout the day helsp keep blood sugar levels stable, thus reducing cravings

Don't Be A Casual Eater

Plan your meal times and stick to them. Eating off schedule leads to cravings

Don't Avoid the Foods You Crave

Putting these foods off limits will only increase your desire to indulge.

Just Say No

If you ignore your cravings for atleast one week, they will diminish and eventually go away.

Slow Down!

2010-01-17T23:14:00.000+08:00

Fast Eating can lead to weight gain and diabetes

A Japanese study has found that people who eat at a super fast pace are overweight and insulin-resistant, two early signs of diabetes. The same study discovered that slow eaters do not experience the same result.

Enjoy your meal and enjoy it one bite at a time.

Aerobic Fitness

2010-01-03T00:00:00.000+08:00

You can add up to 12 years to your life if you stay aerobically fit

So they say, according to British Journal of Sports Medicine. Cardio workout favourites such as swimming and biking can condition you body to pump blood more efficiently, take in more oxygen, and expand blood vessels and release endorphins.

It's now 2010, have you set your fitness resolution for this year? I should not procrastinate any longer and should put this information into my fitness regiment consideration. Happy New Year.

Post-Workout Bar with Milk

2010-01-01T21:25:00.001+08:00

Tired of having shakess all the time? I do!

Wash down a balanced sports nutrition bar with low-fat milk.

This is a fast and convenient way to get the energy you need without any prep time.

Serving size : 1
Calorie count : 359
Protein : 23 grams
Carbs : 63 grams
Fat : 3 grams

Green Tea Anybody?

2009-12-30T07:12:00.002+08:00

Green Tea contains an amino acid called L-theanine ,

..which can curb your appetite and reduce stress.

Hopefully, you won't be tempted to buy that extra large bag of potato chips or bottle of soda after a stressful day at work.

I promised someone that I'm going to restart my Green Tea program today.

Tighten Up Your Butt

2009-12-27T15:56:00.000+08:00

Strengthen Your Glutes

..because tightening up your posterior will help correct postural issues that leads to lower-back pain.

So guys, work that butt and don't skip those squats!

Got Milk?

2009-12-26T18:07:00.000+08:00

Men can get osteoporosis too

..and it hits up to one in four men over age 50 and kills between 20 and 25 percent of those men. Diets with adequate calcium and vitamin D and high impact exercises like running, along with quitting smoking are ways to help prevent osteoporosis.

Lets Do Kickboxing!

2009-12-25T17:30:00.001+08:00

Kickboxing burns between 500 to 800 calories an hour.

Using my Suunto T1 heart rate monitor, I recorded calorie burn of up to 670 calories an hour average, doing 2000 kicks on the heavy bag for 4 hours and 8 minutes during new year 2009.

Now, you should put Kickboxing in your to do list in 2010. Join a Kickboxing studio near you. Lets do it!

Bananas

2009-12-24T23:29:00.001+08:00

Bananas are a great way to increase your dietary potassium,

..which helps reduce blood pressure, maintain fluid balance and protect against atherosclerosis (plaque formed on the lining of your arterial walls due to fatty substances.

They also contain pectin, a type of soluble fiber that can normalize bowel movements and relieve constipation.

Bone Fracture

2009-12-23T13:12:00.001+08:00

Anti-Inflammatories such as Ibuprofen should not be taken immediately after a suspected bone fracture..

because they could stop the broken bone knitting together properly

Pomegranate Juice Saves Heart

2009-12-21T18:26:00.002+08:00

Pomegranate juice may help stave off heart attacks.

A study was conducted on a group of women and men with poor blood circulation to their hearts, a strong indicator of future heart attack. They were given 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily. After 3 months, their bloodflow improved by an average of 17 percent.

Pomegranates' high levels of artery-clearing antioxidants are credited for this.

Burpees

2009-12-20T22:40:00.005+08:00

Burpee is the best bodyweight exercise

A plyometric exercise that work every major muscle group while adding agility, flexibility, and stamina.

Get into a push up position, do a push up, immediately move into a squatting position, leap into the air while moving your knees towards your chest and simultaneously lifting your arms overhead. Land, onto the balls of feet, moving into the squatting position. Thrust feet rearward so that you end in a push up position again.

Repeat. Many many times.

Cut Down Your Sugar

2009-12-19T23:36:00.000+08:00

Diet high in sugar can temporarily lower your testosterone levels

..which in turn can undermine your erection and sap your sex drive.

Maybe, I need another can of soda..

Peanuts!

2009-12-17T13:58:00.001+08:00

Peanuts pack 4 times the nutritional punch when they're boiled.

The shell and skin contain the bulk of the antioxidants. So, by boiling in the shell, antioxidants are transferred from the shell to the nut.

I usually stop by the R&R area and get myself a bag of boiled peanuts whenever I'm on a roadtrip.

I remember KL-Kulim, KL-TC... hmm..

Lemon Green Tea

2009-12-16T18:02:00.000+08:00

Squeeze some lemon juice to your green tea for added health benefits.

A big percentage of the polyphenol antioxidants breakdown before they enter your blood stream. However, adding lemon juice to the tea helped preserve 5 times more polyphenols. Possibly, the additional vitamin C protects the green tea's antioxidants during digestion.

Belly Fat Dementia

2009-12-12T15:08:00.000+08:00

Men with the most belly fat are 2.7 times more likely to develop dementia than those with the least.

Hmm.. Is it true? I always thought belly fat indicates happiness and prosperity. Hehe..

Snooze N' Lose

2009-12-11T22:25:00.000+08:00

In a 16 year study at Harvard, scientists found that..

..People who slept for 5 hours or less a night were 32 percent more likely to pack on major pounds than those who dozed a full 7 hours.

The average increase was 2 pounds a year.

I rarely sleep before 2am :(

HP Over Tommy K

2009-12-10T23:42:00.001+08:00

Next time you get a sandwich, reach for HP brown sauce instead of the Tomato Ketchup.

HP brown sauce have significantly less salt than its red cousin. It also boost your immune system, fights fatigue and ups calcium level.

15 Minutes or More

2009-12-09T13:11:00.002+08:00

15 minutes or more is the length of time that 80% of the 22,000 women in 12 countries want you to spend on foreplay.

That is according to MH. Unless she pulls you towards her first, you should always remember this 15 minutes rule.

No. I take it back. Not you, me, I.

Improving Concentration and Focus

2009-12-08T11:40:00.001+08:00

Improve your concentration and focus by following the second hand on a clock for a full 5 minutes.

I need to install a wall clock in my office, where I need my concentration and focus the most. Or can I just install a full screen clock watch on my PC and stare on my 19-inch monitor when I'm losing concentration at work?

Vitamin C Supplement

2009-12-07T15:04:00.000+08:00

500mg of Vitamin C twice a day halves defective sperm in the average man.

Oh no! I'm out of that Redoxon which she gave me. Must get one myself immediately.

RDA of Salt

2009-12-06T13:26:00.001+08:00

Recommended Daily Allowance of salt, an essential muscle-building component is 4g.

It's the equivalent of half a teaspoonful, no more.

Before and After Workout

2009-12-05T22:14:00.001+08:00

20g is the amount of protein you need in both your pre- and post-workout shakes.

Read the label on your protein shake. A study in the journal Amino Acids found that men taking 20g of protein before and after a workout had more muscle and less fat than men who took only carbs.

High Intensity Interval Training

2009-12-04T12:12:00.000+08:00

If you use the High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) method, you'll burn 9 times the fat than you would running at a slower pace for a longer time.

Yeah. No more slow 10k jog for me. It has been a while. Well, not that I have started interval training around the tracks though.

How Much Water do You Need?

2009-12-03T22:21:00.000+08:00

Divide your weight in Kilogram by 30 to find out how much water you need in Liter.

The lack of water will cause the strength of your smaller muscle groups such as shoulders and arms to decline.

Leg Strength Training

2009-12-02T14:02:00.000+08:00

The difference in leg size between men with a stationary bike ride in their leg strength training and those who didn't, is 3%.

I once had a plan to buy a really cheap bike and a roller trainer with adjustable resistance. Money or the lack of it was the obstacle.

So, now, for leg strength, I do squats and Muay Thai kicks on the heavy bags. Suggestions or opinion anyone?

I Heart Prawns

2009-12-01T22:22:00.000+08:00

Prawns are not just tasty but protecting too.

Their Omega-3 acids combat post-workout inflammation, helping you avoid injury.

I remember when I was a little kid, when mom said she's cooking prawn for dinner, I'd be jumping up and down in joy because I used to love prawns so much.

Count to 20 Baby

2009-11-30T11:23:00.001+08:00

You need to hold your breath for 20 seconds to delay ejaculation during sex.

Sting's record is six hours. Of sex, not holding his breath.

Hmm.. All these while I thought it was 10. Nevermind, I shall keep this in mind.

Don't Miss Breakfast

2009-11-29T13:27:00.000+08:00

Your daily calorie increases as much as 100 if you skip breakfast.

Always kickstart your metabolism early in the morning. I'm guilty of having my breakfast really really late, lately.

Twice a Week, At Least

2009-11-28T23:40:00.000+08:00

Having sex at least twice a week will boost up to 20%, the cold and flu combating immunoglobulin A.

Hmm.. At the moment, this is the most useless advice for me. Sigh..

Lets Take a Walk

2009-11-27T17:49:00.001+08:00

15% improvement in learning, concentration and abstract reasoning you get from walking for half an hour, three times a week.

That sounds so easy. Anybody can do this. Everybody should do this.

Anyway, let me take this opportunity to wish my Muslim brothers and sisters all over the world Eid Mubarak on this sacred day of Eidul Adha. Keep fit and stay healthy, Physically, Mentally, Emotionally and Spiritually.

Ameen.

Fat for Strength

2009-11-26T14:40:00.000+08:00

86% increase in strength for men on a normal diet with a moderate amount of fat, rather than a low amount. They gained more muscle too.

This is the type of information I would like to hear and I would most likely prone to abuse.

Lamb Kebab! Yeah!

Oats and Muscles

2009-11-25T15:41:00.001+08:00

Raw Oats = Lean Muscle

A handful of them in your protein shake will keep you ripped. Just make sure you whizz it in a blender first.

Must remind myself to get me a pack tomorrow. It is payday tomorrow and coincidentally my personal office ration is out of oats. The last one I had was a pack of toasted ones. Taste great. Everybody in the office who tried it want to get one for themselves. However, here it says, Raw Oats. Hmmm...... Sounds so.. uninspiringly Boring!

Hey.. I can't put it in the blender too. Besides not being able to afford one, yet, I don't think any of my colleagues would tolerate such aural annoyance. I'd be pissed too. I think I'll just mix it with my protein shake, and manually shake it.

Chinups

2009-11-24T16:33:00.000+08:00

There's a common saying among fitness people:

"If you can't complete atleast 10 chinups, you have no business doing arm curls."

The chinups work your biceps as hard as armcurls do but they also help build upper-body strength. It's better to work more on your upper body and less on one specific muscle group.

I'm sure I'm qualified to do the arm curls.

Training Diary

2009-11-23T11:05:00.000+08:00

You should keep a Training Diary.

Make a note of when you start your current program so you know when to change it.

I used to have one early this year. Where I note down my workout, amount of time working out and calorie burnt as captured by my Suunto heartbeat monitor.

So. what happened to it? I don't know. It went missing. Probably after the batteries of my monitoring device and body fat scale went dead. Hmmm...

Must start all over again. When? Soon I hope.

Show Off

2009-11-22T23:12:00.002+08:00

You could lift 20 kg more if you workout in front of a crowd, because your energy production increases.

That is why, Mayweather always train at a ferocious intensity in front of a usually raucous audience.

Can't wait for his fight against Pac-Man, and hopefully I would get the chance to watch this historic fight.

Edamame

2009-11-21T15:31:00.001+08:00

Edamame is the only vegetable that contains all nine amino acids.

Essential for lean muscle growth, it's the most complete protein you can get that doesn't have a face.

Reminds me of Nabila, the edamame girl who probably knows my secrets. She was scrolling through them when I left my device lying on the table during lunch. Uh-oh..

Creatine Intake

2009-11-20T15:35:00.001+08:00

6% increase in metabolism increased experienced by those taking creatine while following a lifting based workout program.

It makes sense to supplement.

I used to take creatine for my Kickboxing workout. However, I'm currently not taking it for a while since I don't do heavy workout as I used to. Furthermore, I've been advised by a friend to stop taking it after every 3 months and flush them out of the system.

Personally, I could feel the effects of creatine in my Kickboxing workout especially during sparring session. I don't tire easily and have more energy to do more workout.

Interval Training

2009-11-19T10:45:00.003+08:00

5 calories are burnt for every liter of oxygen consumed when an average man is training. Interval training increases consumption by approximately 8 liters per minute compared to constant training.

So train smarter people, and not harder.

No more senseless one and a half hours slow jog for me. But actually, I miss that one and a half hours of slow jog that I used to do last time. It takes my mind off to.. I don't know where. Everywhere. Anywhere.

Whey Protein

2009-11-18T19:02:00.004+08:00

6% is the amount of extra body fat lost by men who took whey protein while on a reduced-calorie diet compared to those who did not.

Always take in 20-30g of whey before and after training.

I'm not taking whey protein currently because I'm out of the program for a while. I shall resume taking it as usual when the new program starts. When? We'll see.. Soon I hope.

This pair of jeans is feeling a bit tight lately.

Stick to the Program

2009-11-17T17:46:00.001+08:00

12% is the the amount by which aerobic capacity increases after 12 weeks of circuit weight training.

It pays to stick to the program. Aahh... No wonder that I'm gaining so much lately. I've been slacking off.

Music Please!

2009-11-16T13:04:00.003+08:00

10 is the number of additional repetitions that men completed per workout session when they were listening to their favourite music on their iPod.

I personally would like to put on fast, heavy, and angry music like Pantera's Great Southern Trendkill.

Well, actually, I can listen to anything on the radio as long as they take my mind off the tiredness that I'm feeling while doing my workout.

Protein Requirement

2009-11-15T14:02:00.003+08:00

130g is the minimum amount of daily protein required by those lifting weights.

That's a steak, two eggs and 195g of cottage cheese.

Currently, I'm no weight lifter. Perhaps, I'll settle for a Grilled Lamb Sandwich tonight. Lebanese Style! Yeah!

Carbohydrate Requirement

2009-11-14T13:11:00.003+08:00

3g is the approximate amount of Carbs per pound (0.45kg) of bodyweight that an active male should be eating everyday.

Remember, that 3g is the amount of actual carbs, not the food you get it from. That brings to approximately 430g of actual carbs for my personal consumption.

Mmmm... I want to eat rice, but I'm not very active currently. What should I do?

That's it. I'm going to do some punching and kicking on the heavy bag today. Or do you have a better suggestion?

Total-Body Workout

2009-11-13T12:26:00.005+08:00

3 total-body workout sessions a week needed to burn fat and build muscle effectively.

So plan your week ahead to make sure you don't miss a workout session.

Personally, I do 2 Silat sessions and 3 or 4 Kickboxing sessions in a week. The Kickboxing sessions are more complete with cardio, weights and calisthenics. Sparring during Kickboxing sessions are intense too.

After a few 3 minute rounds, and taking off those safety gears, my studio top and Muay Thai pants would be soaking wet with sweat.

Speed Up Your Workout

2009-11-12T10:55:00.006+08:00

11% increase in the amount of calories you burn every minute if you do your exercises explosively instead of slowly.

So, pick up the speed of your reps to get a faster and improved fat burning session.

Calcium Supplement

2009-11-11T15:01:00.010+08:00

2.6% more fat are lost by those who take Calcium supplement compared to those who don't.

I had a cup of Tairu (pronounced Tie-Roo)*, consumed with my banana leaf lunch last Sunday. That was a very important lunch. My last lunch with her. Sigh...

FYI, Tairu is a thick yogurt that you can get when eating at any authentic Indian restaurant. Personally, it's a must have with my curry and rice. Awesome!

I still have a ration of powdered skimmed milk stashed at home and in the office, but, I tend to forget about them lately. Please remind me. Or maybe, I should remind myself. That's why I have this blog at the first place.

A reminder to self.

Cardio after Weights

2009-11-10T15:15:00.008+08:00

30% of extra fat are burnt from doing cardio after a weight session as opposed to doing cardio alone.

I do some burpees, jump rope, shadow boxing, weights, and calisthenics in a session. For 2 or 3 sets. Are they suffice?