Slimming Centres - To go or not to go

Many of us big ones have had experiences with slimming centres. I have had 3. Once when I was about 18 years old. My mother signed me up at MFB. In those days, they only had the "cold wrap" treatment. This is where you strip down to your underwear and they wrap freezing cold clothes soaked in some solution around every part of your body (except your face and neck)!. Then they put you in a small air conditioned cubicle for 45 minutes.

I remember those horrible days. I would be shivering and freezing for that 45 minutes. I would sit there and watch my fingers turn blue. Did it work? NO!

Then a few years later, after I started working, I again got disillusioned by the slimming centre adverts. Here, I decided to sign up with GG. This time, it was hot wraps and saunas. Did it work? NO!

Then 2 and a half years ago, about 6 months before my wedding, I decided to give it a try. Why you ask me? Well us insecure people never learn do we ?
So this time I signed up with MF. But this time, I combined it with a very very strict diet and exercise. Did it work? Yes! But only because I practically starved myself! I would go a few days a week purely on fruit juice the whole day. If i did that, then I would see a slight weight loss at the next session. If I don't, their machine will show that I put on weight.

So based on my three experiences, I realised one thing. The treatments don't do sh%t if you don't cut out everything bad - which basically means no carbs, no sugars, no fried foods. With the amount of food that they listed for us to cut off, you can lose the weight without having to go to the slimming centre in the first place!!!

Yes, some of the treatments are good. For example, at MF (the last one I went too), they use a couple of machines which simulate exercising and some which trigger an increase in your fat burning process.

But most of these centres paint such lovely pictures. Some ads say no pills, no exercise, do starvation blah blah. That is a bunch of crap. Because after they swipe your credit card; at your first session, the story is different. "Don't eat this, don't eat that, exercise 3 to 5 times a week, oh we have this good pills to help you burn fat faster!".

And what I hate most about these slimming centres?? They prey on your low self esteem. You may walk in to the centre thinking that you just need to lose 5kg but when you leave, you would feel really lousy about yourself and suddenly you need to lose 20kg! And what's more, at the time they are pitching you, they tell you "You need about 20 sessions to achieve your target". Then, halfway thru the course, they tell you that your fat is very stubborn so you need another 10 sessions. And at every session, the "consultant" will try to sell you their creams or their pills etc to use at home to "quicken" the fat loss process!


So my advise for those of you who are considering going to a slimming centre.
a. If you are swimming in money, then go ahead. It can be your added boost for your weight loss program but remember, if you don't diet and exercise, it doesn't work.

b. If you can't afford it but are thinking of sacrificing other things to pay for it, DON'T! It's not worth it. Just exercise 5 times a week and cut off the unhealthy food and you will lose the weight.

I'm not saying that slimming centres are bad. I'm not saying don't ever go to one. I'm just sharing my experiences with them. Maybe one of you have a better experience to share with us?

Cheers for today!

Support Group

A few months ago I was surfing the net looking for some info on the rumour I had heard about TBL Asia. That is how I stumbled upon DM's blog (www.dailymuscle.com). So many people were leaving comments on his post about TBL Asia and I was amazed to see how many people there are in Malaysia having the same feelings I have and struggling with weight issues. Even more amazing was the fact that there are a lot of people even bigger than I am! That really surprised me because I didn't think that we have such big people (above 260 - 300 pounds). I thought that was more in America. Boy was I wrong!

Anyway, looking at all the comments, I realised that all of us need the support of people in similar situations; because frankly all you slim people out there who have never been fat before, you cannot understand how we feel. Try as you may, you will never understand what goes through our minds and hearts unless you have been one of us.

So I suggested forming a support group. The response was good and even better, DM jumped on the wagon and offered to help us out for free. That was pretty cool of him!

Sadly though, our first 2 meetings didn't go as planned. The 1st meeting, only myself and DM made it. The 2nd meeting, only Zana and I made it! It is tough having a support group when everyone doesn't seem to be able to make it. I do understand that everyone is busy; but as a group we really need to make the effort to meet up and support each other.

I guess people are just not yet used to the idea of a support group as there has never been one in Malaysia before. But we are at the infancy stage and I am sure that everyone will get the hang of it soon and start participating more actively.

So, here is a Shout Out to the other big ones out there. Anyone interested to join a weight loss support group where we can meet up and share experiences and struggles and help each other???? Do drop me a comment here with your email address and I will be in touch.

Cheers!

Calculating Your BMI

I am sure that most of you know how to do this : but just as a refresher and for those of you who are new to this, here it is.

What is BMI? BMI stands for Body Mass Index. This index is a measure of a persons weight in relation to their height. Knowing your BMI would give you an idea of how serious your weight issues are.

How to calculate your BMI? Simple! Go to this website http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ and key in your height and weight and click on Calculate.

BMI Categories:

* Underweight = <18.5
* Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
* Overweight = 25-29.9
* Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

Sadly, I am in the OBESE category. So my first goal, is to go down 1 category.


Now to get started!

The Biggest Loser Asia

Hi All!

The hype and excitement about the Biggest Loser Asia is mounting! I am excited about it too. Initially I had planned to send in a video audition but since they decided to have on ground auditions, I have decided to go for that. The KL auditions will be on 1st August at Fitness First, the Curve.

The sad thing is that since its for ASIA only 2 people from each country will be chosen. So the chances are low. And I realise that there are so many bigger people out there than me. I am curious to know what are the criterias they are looking for. Someone I met recently was told that she wasn't big enough to apply. She is about 85kgs. So how big IS big enough?

So here is some info for anyone who wants to join but still doesn't know how to :

Official Website : www.biggestloserasia.com
KL On Ground Auditions : 1st August (Saturday) 10am - 4pm, Fitness First, The Curve
What to Bring : application form (download from website), 10 x 15cm potrait and photo identification
Others : Wear exercise clothes to the audition

TBL Asia would be a great start to help obese people like me to lose weight and gain a healthy lifestyle. I am super excited and really want to be a part of the show. But a word of advise to all of us : Don't put all your hope into this. If you don't get in, don't despair. It is not the end of the world. There are many people who have lost weight without the help of such shows - thru sheer determination, diet and exercise.

The rest of us can do it too!

So with or without TBL Asia, make it your goal to get slim and fit and gain a new lease in life!!

Cheers!

Women and Exercise

Women and Exercise

• By Christopher McCombs
• Published 08-Aug-08

Women are more prone to obesity. They have to exercise every day for as little as 10-30 minutes. This will enhance their quality of life.

Importance of exercise to women at different stages of life:

A woman, whatever her age, has to have some sort of physical activity to keep herself physically fit. The benefits derived from physical activity are enormous. This little extra activity adds to the quality of life a women can have. Now we shall examine the need for exercise at different stages of a women’s life.

Early days

Before the advent of computers and televisions, children were not required to exercise. But once the computers became popular, studies conducted has found that a little exercise for children is also a must. A child sticks to her computer or television which takes away from her the option of playing on the ground. This lack of exercise will lead to unhealthy adult generation. The present age killer is the cardio vascular diseases. This disease can attack men and women alike and it is due to the lack of exercise. So the prime time for developing healthy lifestyle and good habits is in childhood and adolescence.

Middle age:

When a woman is in her middle age, the most common complaint she has is that of weight gain. The weight gain is slow but persistent. The major belief for this weight gain is due to hormonal changes.

Yet some others link this weight gain to reduced amount of lean muscle tissue. This decreased amount of lean muscle tissue results in a slower metabolic rate. Research has shown that women, who have adopted some extra physical activity, have more lean muscle tissues even in their middle age. This helps them to an increased rate of metabolic activity and the rate of weight gain is less.

It has also been found out that many other common complaints of women can be avoided or even controlled by exercising. Exercise not only improves sleep but also helps in improved energy levels during the day. Exercise also controls diseases like blood pressure, arthritis, high levels of cholesterol etc. One of the crucial reasons for women to at least start exercise in her middle age is to keep off from osteoporosis. A woman’s density of the bone starts declining from her middle age and bone loss speeds up after her menopause. Thus to avoid this women can adapt herself to walking, jogging or strength training to reap the benefits of healthy life.

Elderly

Elderly women can also live a good and healthy life style if she takes up to lighter exercise. Research has found that even those who are in their 90’s can also be physically fit. The best of exercise is that it is never too late to start. So starting to exercise at a later stage of life can also keep a women fit and lead a quality life. So women of today what are you waiting for? Start today right now and discover the secret to a healthy life.

A Dedication

Hi Everyone

This blog is dedicated to all the fat girls and guys out there. I want to share all my struggles and accomplishments with the hope that my mistakes made and the successes I have had would be of help to all of you in your struggles with your weight.

In my blog I will be sharing with you guys interesting articles that I read on anything to do with health and weight and I will be blogging about my daily activities.


Word of inspiration : Being fat doesn't make you less of a person or less special. Don't let anyone make you feel worthless because of your weight!