Weightloss: Tips to get off ur BUTT!

When I was Fatter... I won't even start of saying "When I was Fat" because I'm STILL F.A.T.

No one believed what we said when we offered our tips on our diet and exercise plans and I don't blame them.. would you trust a poor person on investment advice? Likewise, a fat person for diet advise? Nope.

Time passed and of course results speak for themselves and bit by bit, people come to us asking us how it was done. We opened a support group when we were midway to gather a group of like minded people to lend each other motivation to keep on going.

More than 16 people expressed interest. They said they were sincere and genuine. When the meeting was called. Only 2 came. Many giving excuses that it was too far to meet. Hell, we are almost in the central of Singapore. HOW FAR can it be IN SINGAPORE!!!

Pathetic.

It shows how people are STILL more talk than action. Without commitment and are not willing to put in an effort AND still expect a miracle to happen to them. We were seriously disappointed.
Even in the midst of the 2 who came, only one came out triumphant, of which we are most pleased. He stuck to the plan and dropped 8kg in his 3 month stint. Only gained 2kg during his carb holiday and is now back on the plan. He didn't exercise much to our horror and hope that he does in this second round so that his results can really show for all the effort that he and his family is putting in. *You know who you are* Keep it up!

Over the weeks, several people added me to their msn list to ask and it was always "how? how? how? I want I want". Having hope, I started of explaining it to EVERY SINGLE one of them only to realise that majority just asked for the SAKE OF ASKING which absolutely PISSED ME OFF. If you read my blog, you know who you are. I was and still am seriously pissed OFF!

It takes alot of time to advise someone on the concept of the diet that we work on along with little tips that we find useful throughout the course of our diet so that it works for our local context. It differs a little for everyone as health status and daily schedules come into play. It literally takes more than an hour JUST to explain it and MY TIME IS PRECIOUS U KNOW! .... TU LAN. *GRrrrrrr*

Only a couple of people lately have taken our word seriously, did some research on their own diet plans either by adopting our plan or devised their own combination and worked out their schedule around their life and made it work for them for this, we are proud of them for their success and for not making us WASTE OUR BREATH.

For C - who aimed to lose her 4-5kg and did it in a month... she's off to maintenance now. Congrats!

For Jo - who researched and researched, tried our plan and found that a low calorie diet worked better for her for her lifestyle.. ANY diet works lah.. .as long you KEEP TO IT. She lost from 58.5 to 47kg in just a couple of months. Good for her!

For K - Run dude! Run!!... You have to start excercising.

Then there are some newer ones in the pipeline who have either recently begun with our support and we wish them all the best...

For Lynn - Keep it up!

And there are some who have written to me personally asking for some support and help.. for this, I am thankful that my blog has reached you and helped to inspired you to make this change. Hell, even my anti-blog hubby now has a blog that you can use for support ok! .... See link in the side bar.

It frustrates me when people come to us asking how it was done only just to make us explain it over and over and then not do anything about it. And worse! Argue with us that our methods don't work! hahaha.. what a joke.. if it doesn't work.. explain how CJ drops 25kg in 3 months and how I dropped 16kg in 2.... explain that. If you're not convinced and are not willing to try, don't bother to detract us for what we know works for us. Go devise your own plan lah!

As you can tell, its very TU LAN *FRUSTRATING* to constantly be in touch with these people.

I will state here and now that unless you're serious for a change and are willing to join us WITH AN OPEN MIND AND HEART. Don't bother contacting us. We're not interested to talk.

In the meantime, for those on the plan.. here are some tips that I've gathered from around to get you off your butt!! Some are gathered from the latest Men's Health Magazine and some online sources..

• Blackmail Yourself - take a picture if yourself holding a sign with your email address, date, and weight. And send it to a very unforgiving friend with a huge social circle and say "If I don't send you a new picture that shows serious improvements in 12 weeks, post this photo in facebook and anywhere you think will be embarassing"


• Pre-pack your gym bag - Get your bag ready the night before so you only need to grab and go and are more likely to use it with no excuses that you forgot something like your PANTS or socks.


• Make a workout music list - Plonk it into your MP3 player or phone and use it to gear yourself up when you work out. Fast beats that makes you want to shake your booty always works. No slow love songs please unless u use them for warm downs! Studies show that people who work out to music do so for longer durations and at a higher intensity than those who are doing it in silence.


• Go through the motions - Even if you don't feel like working out, try going through the motions first of your favourite parts. It would be likely that once you start, you will complete it. If you're still not up to it after, just go home.


• Don't do what you hate - If you start to hate what you do, time to change routine.


• Buy a longer store of supplements - If you open your cupboard and realise that you still have several bottles of supplements, you may be more inclined to keep to your workout to reap the full benefits of what you are using them for.


• Feel the difference -How you feel after a workout. Its the endorphins. I always feel great after a good workout. It’s a high. And I let that motivate me the next time: “You know how good you’re going to feel!” And note how as each session passes, how much stronger you feel or more flexible you have become and how each movement gets easier with time.


• If you hate going to the gym alone/run alone, then try to make your workout time and days the same so that you tend to bump into the same people. Be friendly, say hello and you will soon have a circle of people who share your routine and can help spur you on. For me, I rather work out alone. I hate talking unless necessary when I'm running or working out and rather concentrate on my breathing. Time for contemplation. I love, love the quiet time of exercise for thinking about things.


• Blubber broadcast - This is most effective for me because it means that there are TOO MANY people watching me. Firm up your commitment by going public and telling everone about your exercise and body shaping plans. If you lose pace, you lose face and hell... its BLOODY embarassing... so show people you can do it and be an inspiration instead. Posting it on your blog. Tell people you’re going to lose weight or exercise daily, and report to them. You’ll make it happen.


• Challenge youself each time - after a couple of days of running the same circuit, challenge yourself to either increase your repetitions, run faster or longer or beat your previous time.. as long as its an improvement, its always good.


• Make every workout second count - Exercise is accumulative, something good to know for time tight people so make every minute count, whether you're doing a 5 minute or a 60 minute routine. Don't do a half fucked job if you can give it your best effort.


• Record your measurements or weight progress - It helps to know how you have been progressing to keep the motivation on and rejoice at even the slightest change. A small good change is BETTER than NO change.


• Set realistic targets each way but keep a bigger picture in mind - If you aim for a 10kg loss, aim for a target of 2kg each time and celebrate when you reach it and keep on going! "If I can do it for 2, I can do another 2 and another.. and another... " Before you know it, you've reached ur target. :) Reaching a goal. Set a goal for weight, or your waist measurement, or a number of days to work out, or a number of miles to run this week. Setting and tracking a goal helps motivate you to complete that goal. Make it easily achievable.


• Keep a positive mindset - if you convince yourself by thought and words that you will fail. You will fail. Keep things light and be positive.


• Make Time for you. - While many people make time to take care of others (kids, spouse, other family, co-workers, boss), they don’t often make time to take care of themselves. Instead, make your “you” time a priority, and don’t miss that exercise appointment.


• Having fun. - Exercise should be fun. If it isn’t, try a different kind of activity that you enjoy. As long as you’re moving, it’s good for you.


• Visualise - How you’re going to look. Imagine a slimmer, fitter you. Now let that visualization drive you.


• Subscribe to magazines like SHAPE or Men's Health. - It motivates me to read fitness stories and more tips. Not sure why, but it works.


• Look at Cover models. Sure, they’re genetically freaky, and probably photoshopped to look perfect. But for some reason, looking at how good a cover model looks helps motivate me to work harder.


• Blogs - I enjoy reading blogs about people who are into running or losing weight. It can show the ups and downs they go through, and you can learn from their experiences.


• Success stories - I find the success stories of others incredibly inspirational.


• Rewards - If you exercise for a few days, give yourself a reward! A week? Another reward. Do it often in the beginning. It doesn't have to be a food reward, it could be anything. Material or otherwise.. as long it makes you feel good.


• Fitting into new clothes - Wanna look good in a smaller size? Work out and buy new clothes! In the same breathe, throw out the older oversized ones.. even if they're expensive. You won't want to fit into them again so don't give yourself a chance to grow back into that size.


• Go for an exercise class as an alternative - Sign up for a class, perhaps with a friend, and you’ll be motivated to get there and work out. Classes like Body Combat, Dance, Abs Butts and Thighs, Step, Martial Arts or even fly wheeling aka Spinning.


• Keep your before picture - You often don’t realize how far you’ve come. Take ALOT of pictures and use it as a visual chart.


• The dread of feeling “yuck” from not exercising - I hate how I feel after not exercising. So I remind myself of that when I feel tired. Once you get started exercising regularly, you will know what this means... *gow ek - uncomfortable and restless*


• Buy a weighing scale that works -It doesn't even have to be an expensive digital one, even a cheap needle one works. You don't have to weigh yourself every day, as your weight fluctuates. But if you weigh yourself once a week, you’ll be motivated to have it keep going down, instead of up. Combine the scale with the measuring tape, and measure your waist or whatever body part you want to reduce. For me, I still do a daily weight check more out of obsession but thats just me?


• Bask in the comments on how good you look - When someone notices the changes in your body, it feels good. And it makes you want to work out more.


• Look forward to an upcoming special day like an upcoming birthday as a target market or a reunion and you have a timeframe to work towards. Aim seriously for that date and don't harbour thoughts of "if I haven't reached it by then, I'll just set a later date". If the date is set, keep to it and it will make you more mindful of the time you have "left".

There you have it.. if I find more in due time, I'll post them up here.. in the meantime.. I hope this helps someone out there whos working through their weightloss plans.

GOOD LUCK!!