10 points you need to know about losing weight and keeping healthy.

1.          Your diet is more important than exercise when it comes to a flat tummy, accounting for 75% of your efforts. 25% is physical activity or exercise. Majority of the people do the opposite.

exercise must follow a strict diet for you to lose weight

2.       Sit-ups, crunches and planks may be important for you to get those elusive six packs, but honestly, these exercises won’t reduce an inch of your waist.

most of us just rely on sit ups to reduce a pot belly

3.          To lose weight, you actually need to eat more healthy meals, not eating less. Skipping meals tends to make you add more weight.

4.       The secret to healthy eating is in portion size, having4-6 portions of fruits and veggies every day, reducing sugars, salts, drinking lots of water, or just use the 50-25-25 ratio on vitamins, proteins and carbs respectively on your plate.

follow this on your plate to reach your ideal weight.

5.          Weight training is more effective than cardio in achieving the right shape and figure, as to only doing cardio all through. The best workout should involve both. Many women avoid strength training citing muscle gain, estrogen hormone shields women from bulky muscles as opposed to testosterone hormone which make men get muscular.

6.       To be in great shape, takes motivation, sacrifice and guts. No one I know got a round butt by sitting on it.

 Most women endeavor to have tight thighs and butt but just sit on them

7.        When it comes to losing weight, the details don't matter much. It's the principles that count.  The principles are guided on nutrition and training.

To learn more on this principles, follow me on Google Plus.

8.       The gains you achieve through regular exercise can reverse if you stop working out. Research has shown that elite athletes start losing these benefits in just 14 days.

Illustration of a swimmer and the effects of reversibility.

9.       A normal heart beat for a  person is 72 beats a minute. A highly trained individual’s heart rate is far much less, going for about 50 beats a minute.

illustration of different heart rates in untrained and trained individuals.

10. There are far more myths in weight loss than any other field in medicine. Most of us rely on pills, ointments, belts and fad diets to lose weight forgetting the reasons why we add weight is because of our lifestyle. What we put in our bodies correlates to our weight. Change starts from within.

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5 MYTHS ABOUT FITNESS YOU THOUGHT WERE TRUE!

• Stretching before workout is good for me.

According to the British Journal of Sports Medicine Stretching before exercise does not prevent you from getting injuries. According to this  article, read it HERE, stretching before exercise can actually lead to more susceptibility of getting injured.

According to The American Journal of Sports Medicine see HERE, warming up is of benefit in preventing muscular injury by increasing the length of failure and elasticity of the muscle-tendon unit. 

So, just refrain from stretching before workouts and work upon warming up slightly before doing any strenuous activity. I normally warm up for 3-5 minutes before a workout to warm my muscles. Stretching after a workout is highly recommended to avoid soreness and injury.

stretching before a workout should be avoided to prevent injury.

A 5 minute warm up is quite effective in  preventing muscular injury.

• Doing sit-ups/ crunches will make me lose belly fat.

Spot reducing is impossible, meaning you can not pick one place on your body to lose fat from. Instead as you exercise you melt fat from your entire body. Sit-ups help to tone the muscles of your stomach, but completing hundreds of sit ups won't actually melt fat. A combination of cardio training and sit ups help to reduce your belly. According to Jillian Michaels, world reknown fitness trainer sit-ups and crunches just strengthens your core. She recommends doing 8-12 repetitions in three sets for abdominal strength but not burning fats.

To look superb with tight abs, incorporate cardio, weights and abs exercises.

If you only do sit-ups to lose the belly fat, reconsider your workout plan.

• Squats hurt my knees often and i better stop them altogether.

Squats are known as compound exercises  as they deal with large muscles of the body. Squats are magical (especially for women) as they reveal that curvy, tight round butt that every woman adores, its achieved easily and are quite effective when done correctly and consistently.

Every woman's dream of getting a round shape is valid with squats in correct form

According to Kevin Yates, a functional training coach, see HERE If your knees hurt when squatting it doesn't mean that squats are a bad exercise. In fact, squats and lunges have gotten such a bad reputation for causing knee, hip and lower back problems.The truth is that the squat is a poorly understood exercise.

Squats are an excellent exercise for strengthening the hips and knees but, unfortunately, most people do not perform them correctly even though think they do. click here to see the correct form and understand the benefits of squats for you and why you should squat more often.

• No Pain no Gain

Most people believe they must feel pain, and must feel like they are bleeding internally before stopping an exercise. Truth is that, pain is an indication from your body screaming "hey stop that, you are actually dying right now, and I don't like that!

But most of us, toil through the pain and hurt more. If you feel pain in lets say, a joint, when exercising, you are actually supposed to stop that exercise until you recover and then proceed with working out later on.

The discomfort is understandable if it comes from burning muscles, elevated heart beat and heavy breathing.

Anatomy of the knee joint with bone on bone pain and a normal knee

Avoid working out injured joints.

• You must workout in a gym to lose weight.

To most people, working out needs a gym and all the equipment s it has to offer. The truth is that, you don't need to drive all those kilometers to the gym whereas you have a chair, a wall and your phone's timer to work out. You can even use your nearest public park with a few friends and work out  from there. Yoga is a wonderful exercise and can be done in your bedroom any day any time and its effective.

working out in groups is much more fun, and cheaper compared to a gym.

 I remember once when i was in college and my gym membership had expired and had me use a bag full of books on my back when doing sit ups and press ups working as weights. Empty water bottles can be refilled with sand and work as dumbbells and are quite effective in toning. I have a close friend who has lost 6 kgs in less than 2 months by the help of home workout DVDs.

Yoga exercises are effective, need a lesser space and help strengthen the back.

I have uploaded a video on the 15 top fitness myths you thought were true.. Enjoy watching the video and feel free to comment on the article above and also throw some questions.

My Email address is farmoha13@gmail.com and if you feel like writing to me feel free. Please follow me on Google plus by clicking the 'follow' button.

Like My facebook page to learn more.

  

REASONS KENYANS DONT LOSE WEIGHT.

If I had a a shilling for every time I heard someone say “I can’t lose weight”... well... I’d be a wealthy man! While a small percentage of Kenyans do struggle to lose weight because of a medical condition, more often it tends to be a matter of more energy (food) in than out (physical activity).

December holidays had most Kenyans 'enjoy' like this.

 Though it sounds easy, many people struggle to find a balance of food and activity that’s right for their lifestyle. Read on for some of the common reasons people can’t or don’t lose weight.

They skip meals. Our bodies are designed to eat at regular intervals during the day. When we skip meals our metabolism becomes sluggish, making it more difficult to lose weight. It also makes us vulnerable to extreme hunger which can lead to overeating. Eating more or less often than 4 or 5 times a day (this includes meals and snacks) can increase your risk of excess weight.



They don’t get physical. Losing weight and keeping it off takes a two-pronged approach – smarter food choices AND more physical activity. Physical activity helps your body burn more energy during and after your activity. Research shows that people who change their diet and increase their activity, lose more weight than those who do one or the other.

healthy choices and right information are necessary.

They don’t know what to eat. We are constantly bombarded with conflicting messages about what to eat and not eat - fat is good; fat is bad; eat more meat; be a vegetarian; do a detox diet… And if it’s not a new media story about how to lose weight then it’s a new diet food product that promises to improve your health. So much to choose from! Who to believe???  oh my my!!! nutrition and diet nowadays...


They eat too much. Maybe your activity levels have declined but your appetite hasn’t. Or you’ve cut back on one type of food only to eat more of another. Or maybe you just feel hungry all the time...


They don’t persist. Small changes can make a big difference but only if kept up most days of the week. Unwinding on the weekend with a little more food and a little less exercise does have consequences. Consider that one fish and chips meal a week could easily undo five days of smart food choices and physical activity!


They don’t alter their environment. Do you keep biscuits in the desk drawer or a stash of ice cream in the fridge, do you buy your young ones chocolate and secretly buy yours thinking you should be able to summons the “willpower” to resist the taste? hehe.. This is crazy! Trying to change your diet without changing the types of foods you keep around you is a recipe for failure.

They don’t realize that extras matter. Extras can easily creep into our days - an extra scone at morning tea, a fanta with lunch, chips and a smokie before dinner, a couple glasses of wine with tea. While they may not seem like much at the time, these “extra” foods all add up quickly. Too many are bad for health and make weight loss more difficult to achieve.

To achieve better choices this year, pliz stick to a healthy diet, there is a misconception with most kenyans that healthy foods are boring, are unavailable locally and are expensive. Physical activity to help you lose weight does not mean that you must hit the gym, hire a trainer or engage in strenuous activity. walking, gardening, playing with your small ones and occasionaly breaking a sweat will do you much as opposed to just sitting down on the couch procrastinating and dreaming about the figure or shape you want.


 
 

TIPS TO REDUCE THAT KITAMBI

welcoming a new client to the gym with a screen shot!

Are you that person that wishes you would trade your potbelly/ spare tires for any price in this universe? To have that favorite wedding dress you wore a year ago, fit you like it did, have that skinny jeans accentuate your figure like it used to? Well, are you  that gentleman who tucks in your shirt in your trousers for it to just keep un tucking (sp) itself?
I feel you, I understand the frustration of finding a former school mate and he goes sarcastically like " Na Grace si u eating good"! Yet you secretly know that its the nyama choma,biscuits, sugars,beer, chocolate to just name a few... that has you made weigh so much. Honestly, I am the kind of that person who will tell you straight to your face that you are fat and you need to lose that weight. (Its not cool, i know, but it ll make you do something about it)! Enough of the talk lets see how to do it and why!

Rich African man.. the big belly was a sign of wealth.

apple shaped bodies= bad heart

SIMPLE TIPS FOR LOSING KITAMBI/SPARE TIRES
When it comes to loosing weight, the best and most effective method for weight loss does depend on the individual, but there are some tested principles you need to follow in order to see results. Some of them are
1) By joining a Gym
(2) Taking of Exercise or any physical activity.
(3) Eating Less Food.
Now let me explain each of this example in its simplest form in order to have an achievable result.

did you know that fatty foods are addictive?

Joining a Gym membership is becoming popular and it can be extremely beneficial. Provided you adhere to the basic rule, make sure you add some resistance training exercise because not only will they help you lose weight faster than aerobics, but they can also help tone up your body. This will give you more strength and vitality.
Taking of Exercise is one of the most fundamental strategy of successful weight loss , take some simple exercise for thirty minutes, three times a week. Going for a brisk walk instead of driving everywhere will have the desired effect, as will gentle jogging or swimming.

It is important for human to eat less food more often. Most medical practitioners recommend eating more meals a day, with less food at each one. as you can see it is more balanced to take food into the body, spreading the load on the body over a far wider period of time. The system of eating three meals a day is designed far more to fit in with the working day than it is to fit in with the needs of the human body. When you eat less more often, the body absorbs more of the nutrients in the food, so your body craves fewer calories.
your questions and comments are always welcome!

Limit your intake of beer and other alcoholic drinks.

2

Develop proper posture. Stand erect, walk tall, sit straight and avoid slouching.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_2036655_lose-pot-belly.html

imit your intake of beer and other alcoholic drinks.

2

Develop proper posture. Stand erect, walk tall, sit straight and avoid slouching.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_2036655_lose-pot-belly.html

Procrastination and YOU!

You ever wanted to lose weight and really went ahead to Google on how to eat healthily in order to cut weight, went further to buy a Jillian Michaels, Shaun T workout, Zumba Dvd etc. Only to realize you don’t have the morale and the energy to actually work out?

Are you this person who is normally aggressive and ambitious in your career, and have strong beliefs that all one needs in order to attain goals and targets is a good calculated plan, motivation and focus to succeed?

But wait, why then are you adding on weight every year, and you know your friend Nancy, Joe and a fellow workmate have all been talking excitedly of how they’ve lost a considerable amount of weight by actually following what you already know?

Even as a fitness expert, I have seen some people who have extensive knowledge on how to lose weight, and are quick to correct you by throwing in scientific facts on matters weight to your discussion . This people follow online fitness tips from the biggest women magazines out there; never fail to buy the local newspapers to read the nutritional advices from the experts in the field, know the prices of jumping ropes, the difference between a barbell and a dumbbell? Know the difference between a Bosi ball from a Swiss ball, and technically can even gauge your level of education just by asking you a few questions to ascertain your level of know-how on matters, nutrition and fitness.

 But wait, again, they weigh so much that were it not for their weight, you could have assumed they are planning to join the fitness industry.

I’m not going to be a judge to anyone out there and fault people as to what they should do with their lives, but there is one sure thing I know, that as much as one can be optimistic, motivated and have an extensive knowledge on a particular subject… and does not ACTUALLY use the knowledge to their benefit, then it I tend to think something somewhere is wrong.

who's still doing the 30-day squat challenge? thumbs up!!

I just want to know from you, how long did you procrastinate, before you took that bold step to transform yourself and your lifestyle? 

Just comment below and let me know!

HELP, I NEED TO GAIN WEIGHT!

Hi Personal Trainer,  PLEASE HELP.

Hi
Trainer farouq, . Am Anne Waithera and I need to add up to 10 kilos in the fastest time possible. Oh my! I'm in desperate need of adding weight..........................
Due to the fact that am are getting a lot of questions from skinny guys on tips to add weight, I have therefore decided to aid in giving guidelines, tips, recipes and  have also uploaded  a  free video to watch on the top ten weight gain foods. These tips and guidelines to adding weight include:

Eat often
 • Eat small, nutritious meals often; try five small meals-snacks a day.
 • Set an alarm to remind yourself to eat.
 • Have a full meal at the time of day when your appetite is best.
 • Have a snack before you go to bed at night.
 • Keep nutritious, high calorie snacks where you can see them and reach them easily.
Slowly increase your food
• It will take your body some time to get used to the extra food. Slowly increase how often and how much you eat.  There are a lot of ideas in this handout, try a couple every few days.  On different days you will want different foods.
Eat what you like
 Have lots of your favourite foods around and eat these whenever you want.  If meat and potatoes does not appeal to you at supper, try a bowl of hot cereal topped with fruit, nuts and cream.
HOW TO GAIN WEIGHT
Don’t fill up on low-calorie foods 
• Limit plain coffee, tea, clear soup, diet drinks or raw, bulky vegetables.  These fill you up but don’t give you the calories that you need.
If you get tired easily, use these quick and easy foods

hi! i need to pack up! help!

 • Buy “instant” cereals, soups, hot cocoa package mixes, noodle and rice mixes to which you just add hot water.
• Cook meals in advance and freeze them in single portions.
Choose high-calorie foods (Fats are high in calories)
 • Add butter, margarine, mayonnaise, salad dressing, cream cheese, oil, gravy, sour cream and cream sauces to recipes and foods.
 • Fry or deep-fry foods in fat for extra calories.
HOW TO GAIN WEIGHT

Eat high-fat foods
• Buy regular, not “light” products.
• Meats that are high in fat include bacon, sausages, luncheon meats and spareribs.
• Drink whole milk with meals or as a snack.  Try condensed milk and evaporated whole milk.  Chocolate or strawberry milk, hot cocoa and instant breakfast mixes are good too.  In cooking and in soup, use whole milk or cream (or try canned coconut milk).  Use cream on cereal and in coffee and tea, and on desserts.  Top pancakes with whipped cream.
Have protein at every meal
 • Protein includes cheese, eggs, poultry, fish, meat, peanut butter, nuts, brown beans and lentils.
 • Add an extra 1 or 2 eggs when making pancakes, cakes or muffins. • Swirl a beaten egg into soup or into macaroni and cheese while it is cooking. • Add grated cheese to soups
 • Add milk powder to soups, stews, casseroles, mashed potatoes, cereals and scrambled eggs.
HOW TO GAIN WEIGHT
Sugar 
• Add sugar, honey or jam to your drinks and foods.
 • Try drinking non-alcoholic drink mixes such as Malta Guiness, alvaro,
Snacks
• Try mandazis, toast with margarine or peanut butter, samosas, peanuts, sunflower seeds, avocado pear, coconut, hard-cooked eggs, sandwiches, milk shakes or sweetened juice.
• Dip fruits in a mixture of sour cream and honey, but you can also have some high calorie desserts and sweets such as cakes, cookies, pies, donuts, chocolates, candies and soft drinks.

HOW TO GAIN WEIGHT
Buy high calorie drinks
 • For example: Ensure, Ribena, Lucozade etc. are parts of your drinks plan.
These drinks are high in calories and have added vitamins and minerals.
  • Add Instant Breakfast eg. Weetabix to your milk.
 • As well as canned drinks, you can buy sugar and protein powders that you add to your foods for extra calories.  Try other high-calorie foods that have vitamins added such as puddings, soups and or meal bars.
  These bought drinks and foods are handy, but they do cost more than homemade kinds.
Eat out once in a while…
Vitamin and mineral pills
 • A” one-a-day” vitamin and mineral pill for a period of time may be good for you if you have lost a lot of weight or if you are not eating enough food. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting to use any vitamin pills, mineral pills or herbal products.

Make high calorie drinks  
High Protein Milk (fortified milk)
• Add 1 cup of skim milk powder to every litre of whole milk.  Mix well.  You may also want to add one teaspoon of vanilla to every litre, for flavour.
Hot Chocolate
• Mix 2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, and stir in 1 cup of whole milk.  Microwave for one minute or until hot.

Fruit Milkshake
• In a blender mix 1 cup of whole milk, 1/4 cup of milk powder, 1/2 cup of canned or fresh fruit and a scoop of ice cream.

Lies pregnant women believe

During my line of work, I have met pregnant women who have come to me to ask me whether it is quite healthy for them to work out. They have come with different myths as to what they have heard pertaining to exercise and pregnancy and sadly enough most women have come to believe such lies. Such myths include;

·         Working out when pregnant will lead me to deliver a premature baby.
·         Squats might make my baby ‘pop’ out as it accelerates (am not sure why some of this ladies lack a better word to use) labor and should be avoided in the last trimester.
·         High temperature that is accentuated by workouts will not be healthy for me and my unborn baby.
·         If I was a runner I can’t continue running into my pregnancy.
·         If I exercise too much I will pull nutrients from my baby so he/she won’t grow properly.
·         Any sign of trouble like spotting or pain means I should stop exercise and not to do it any more during pregnancy.
·         Abdominal workouts will make it hard for the medicals to perform caesarian operation on me as the stomach muscles will be very tough for this operation. And probably the worst to avoid;
·         This is my time for serious feeding. This baby means a lot and I believe that I must take high calorie foods (including complex carbs) for the sake of my baby and I have requested my mum to come from the village to help.

This are just a few of the excuses people give and am shocked at the level in which Kenyan women have come to believe them. Due to the fact that some women believe in this myth and more so the last one, they end up packing on so many kilos and ladies who were size 10 might even add up to size 14.

To make it clear for you, let me just say that all the above excuses some women use for not exercising are all lies. For example, it’s actually very safe to do abdominal exercises when you are pregnant  since your abdominals and your entire core, including your pelvic floor, should be strengthened throughout pregnancy, and doing so will not only help during pregnancy, but also aid in labor and delivery… oh… And … before I forget… in recovery too.

I would therefore advice any pregnant woman to feel free and engage in an exercise program as it will be beneficial to the unborn baby and the potential mother.

Warning signs to stop exercise that you need further assessment from your doctor include:

Ø  Vaginal bleeding

Ø  Fluids leaking from the vagina

Ø  Decreased fetal movements

Ø  Uterine contractions

Ø  Muscle weakening

Ø  Calf swelling or pain

Ø  Headache

Ø  Chest pains

Ø  Increased shortening of breath

Ø  Dizziness or feeling  faint

Farouq Githenya is a fitness enthusiast, a blogger and a writer who loves making people fit and healthy. He is also interested in social issues that affect the ordinary mwananchi and likes to put this serious issues on a lighter note. He holds a Bsc. (Sport and exercise degree) from Makerere University and is currently undertaking rehabilitation programs for patients with bone injuries as well as personal training on clients to assist in reaching their desired weight goals. This is done at the convenience of your home, office or even outdoors. like https://www.facebook.com/losegainkenya to learn more.