Weight Management - Step 3

It has been awhile since I wrote on my blog.  This is partly because of laziness and the other part is because of work, travel schedule and doing assignments for my PHD.  However, I have not forgotten about my training. I am still keeping my 2 swim, 1 bike and 1 run routine weekly.

If you have followed Step 1 & Step 2, you would now know how to determine a healthy weight range and fitness level for yourself.  Then it is time for you to set a time frame to achieve both.  A "rule of the thumb" for weight loss is 1kg per month (3500 calories = 1 kg).   Cardio fitness, which is generally the most important fitness can generally be achieved after 12 training sessions. If you divide it into 3 sessions per week, your fitness level would improve in about a month's time too.  

Now comes the difficult part - How to keep the first ONE month going.  For this to happen, you need a great deal of motivation and determination!!!!  

How  and where do we get that motivate and that much needed determination?  Lets take a look at a typical scenario in any city. It is common for a teenage lass of an ecto/ meso build, standing at 1.61cm to weigh slightly over 61kg with BMI just over 23, to pass off as "OK" in many developed cities.  This lass considers herself active by doing 2-3 hours of sporting activities per week, but very little house chores and no other physical chores. 

First, we need to determine the ideal weight for this lass. Using the BMI model, a weight range between 50-58 is recommended. However, since her current weight is on the high side, this would make cardio activities harder because of the extra weight that the body has to work with. She needs to have baby steps. Work on a disciplined diet as indicated in Step 1 before embarking on aggressive workout plans as stated in Step 2 is important.  By detoxing and eating right for at least 2 weeks, the lass should drop her weight to a more manageble range of around 58-59kg.  Then start working progressively, ie, for example if she has decided "running" as her form of cardio exercise, she should start with a run for around 20min, then packed with other calisthenics exercises such as push-ups and planks in each training. After continuing the 20min for more than 6-8 times - at least 3 times per week, she could then increase the intensity to a faster pace or do a 30min run instead.  After a month, her muscles development would be able to bring her to another level of training either by increasing the intensity or increasing the distance.  By this stage, she would be able to manage her weight in the range of 58kg but would definitely look leaner than before.  Continue with the proper eating habit with loads of veggie, fruits and protein, less of starchy food such as rice and noodles.  If she continues this routine, this lass would be able to achieve the targeted weight in less than 3 months.

So there is no secret to great motivation or determination, there is ONLY small steps, small steps that you can see results. And the result will then bring you to another level that you want to see in your plan.

Keep up the spirit. No men or women are born FAT or OBESE, you can make the change.