Exercise + diet routine (how I lost 6 kg in 4 months)

Losing 6 kilograms in 4 months may not be a feat to some people, but to me, it's a reward for my hard-to-come-by perseverance. The main reasons why I was so determined to lose weight was because I had enough of people shunning me because I look fatter than the average human being. I mean, yes, some people were nice and they sais I was just a little bit plump, but there were others who went all out to make sure I felt bad about myself - including some family members too.

I was under depression almost 1.5 years ago because of this matter and had so many suicidal thoughts. Then one night, I snapped out of it and decided to give it my all. I lost 6 kg between February 2012 and June 2012, and currently I'm just trying to note gain anymore weight. If I do lose more weight now, it will be a bonus, but my exercise and diet routine now is just to maintain the weight loss.

So here is my exercise routine!

Running/jogging/walking

I made it a habit to run, jog or walk at least 4 times a week. It's not about how much calories you are burning, it's about moving around. You remain stagnant in a certain position so much everyday that you  accumulate fats in areas that you don't want fats to store. For example, studying or being in school means you are sitting down a lot, and hence if you eat too much, your fats are probably going to accumulate in the tummy and butt area. NOT GOOD. Therefore, it's important that you move about by either running or simply walking around your estate.

Don't under-estimate walking. Walking more contributes to the increase in your metabolism level. Increase in metabolism level means that the rate of you burning fat WHILE NOT EXERCISING is faster.

If you want to lose weight, running is great, especially when you add intensity levels into your routine. For example, you can sprint for 1 minute, and then jog slowly for the next 2 minutes. You don't need to be a marathon runner to be able to lose weight. It's all about moving around and not being in the same pose for too long.

Online fitness videos

I have two videos that I want to share:

1. Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred (Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3)



The video above is a compilation of all 3 levels, but the gist is you start with Level 1, and then change to Level 2 on your 11th day and then to Level 3 on your 21st day. Some of the moves are quite simple, but some are really painful.

The 30 Day Shred has varying effects on different people. Some lost weight, some gained weight instead (but they noticed their body contours were more defined and firm). For me, I lost minimal weight but the inches lost from my tummy and legs were quite spectacular. I was really happy with my tummy area because my waistline was very obviously smaller!

2. P90X videos

Sadly, I couldn't find legitimate videos on Youtube, but you can always Google for them. I don't really do P90X exercises often because they are really intense. The first time I did it, I couldn't walk properly the next day. It was really quite painful.

For those who don't want to gain more muscle mass than necessary, I suggest that you don't do the P90X exercises too often.

A typical exercise day for me will be:

• 45 minutes jog around my estate
• 15 minutes of a combination of 30 Day Shred moves and P90X moves
• 5 minutes stretching

Of course, exercising only WILL NOT lead to weight loss. What you need to couple it with is a good diet. Not starvation definitely (I'm guilty of this, especially on days when I feel flabby. Yikes.)

A good diet to have:

• Many people say just avoid carbohydrates. WRONG. Carbohydrates are highly important for your system. What you need to take note of is what kind of carbohydrates you eat. Anything processed is a no-go. White bread and white rice are two of the most evil things you put in your mouth. Once in a while is of course perfectly fine, but I will suggest going for unprocessed carbos. Whole grains are fantastic, and just avoid eating potatoes. Beans are also great. 
• More fruits and vegetables. This is a no brainer. However, skimp on the dressing. Many fast food joints' salads contain higher calories than their burgers because of the crazy amount of dressing they include. Red wine vinaigrette is a great dressing. Personally, I eat my salads with as little dressing as possible. 
• TOFU. This is my all-time favourite diet food. Tofu is just packed with goodness. You get the calcium, you get the protein, but not the calories. Furthermore, eating tofu regularly can help to lower your cholesterol levels! 
• KIMCHI. I love pairing kimchi with tofu. They fill you up like crazy, but you don't get as much calories and fats. 
• WATER. Yes, water really does help in weight loss. Also, it doesn't hurt to hydrate yourself with something that contains no calories at all. 

It's a good diet to have, but don't follow it too strictly. Sometimes, you need to reward yourself with good food and it's okay to eat fatty food once in a while. 

In my case, I cannot resist good food AT ALL. So, whenever I eat high-fat content food or high-calorie food, I compensate by exercising more. Indulging in good food every now and then is amazing for your mental health. Don't deprive yourself!! You'll get depressed along the way and nope, that's not very nice! 

The above is just my personal take on exercise and diet routine, please don't take it too seriously. The tip is to find the best exercise and diet routines to suit youtself! :) However, I hope this post has been useful for anyone who's looking to lose weight/maintain the weight loss - I hope it directs you in the correct direction! :) 

Have a good weekend, everyone! :D