SunDown Marathon - My personalised race route

Results of my blood test - I have high cholesterol

About a month back, I had a blood test. I eat 5 eggs with yolks a day, not including fried eggs, steamed eggs, eggs in sandwiches, eggs in... I can't think of any now... But I know I eat a darn lot of eggs... Just before I start blogging, I ate 2 hard boiled eggs.... lol. So I was thinking if my arteries are all chocked and cluttered... until this report is out.

Vision is purrrrrfecto! =D I was curious what a 6/5 vision means... I always thought perfect is 6/6... so after reading this... now I know what is 6/5...

and is it really a normal for people to have waistline of 90cm??? I don't think so leh... their standard very funnyy...... wierd..... outrageous!

Snellen Chart

This is the important part... cholesterol! My total cholesterol is borderline high. My HDL (Good cholesterol) is high, very high in fact. My LDL (Bad cholesterol) is Borderline high. So what does all these HDL, LDL, Total cholesterol means?

Actually there is not much meaning on their own, we have to look at the ratio. A person can have Normal levels of LDL (Bad cholesterol), but less than normal HDL (Good cholesterol) and he/she will still have higher risk of heart diseases if the ratio is not optimum.

As for my case, the ratio of Total/HDL is 3, and that is less than the normal of 4.5, meaning I belong to the low risk. So from this we can see that to prevent risk of developing heart diseases, there is 3 things we can do:

1. Increase HDL (Good)
2. Lower LDL (Bad)

BUT the golden question is How? What can I do?

To increase HDL (Good) - Increase cardiovascular exercises, Lose weight (fat mass) if you are overweight, Stop smoking, Increase intake of monosaturated fats from sources such as avocado, olive oil and PEANUT BUTTER! Omega 3 fatty acids, and cut down on transfats (killer).

To Lower LDL (Bad) - Decrease intake of saturated fats, avoid transfats, increase intake of soy products according to studies, Lose weight (fat mass) if you are overweight, eat food high in fibre such as wholemeal bread, oats.


As for my Triglyceride level, mine is 23, which is much less than the optimum or 150. Too low in Triglycerides is also not good as it suggest malnutrtion. Anything less than 10. I am still safe. :)

Blood Glucose normal

and they say... "we are happy to note that you are generally not at increased risk of developing heart diseases...bla bla bla"

You are happy... so am I. =)

On egg yolks
http://www.chetday.com/eggyolk.htm

On increasing HDL
http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/cholesterol/a/raiseHDL.htm

On Vision
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/medical/med_conditions/major/vision/visual_acuity_vision.asp

On Triglycerides
http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/common/standard/transform.jsp?requestURI=/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/triglycerides_test.jsp
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/triglycerides/CL00015

Qualities of a Personal Trainer

My previous client has terminated with me after a grueling 10 months or so due to personal reasons... but he will resume next year! Too bad no pictures to show his Before and After picture. Initially, his goal was to pass chin-ups. As easy as 1, 2, 3... from a Zero-Fighter (zero chin-ups), he progressed to a few. This is nothing. He has lost about 5 kilos (he is not fat in the first place, just need to gain some muscle mass and reduce his BF%). Most importantly, I think what I'm most proud of is that he look so much better now. Even under his T-shirt and Jeans, his friends are commenting that he look better now. I am glad that his hardwork pays off, and I wish him all the best in the future and continues to train on his own... which he promised. The area that I can improve on would be his diet. He has followed every training program, but diet-wise, I think that I should have done a better job on this. But overall, I am glad that his training pays off!

I have got a new client now, in his 30s. Some background information about him, he has very good eating habits. Oats and banana in the morning for sustained energy for his work as he needs to raise his voice a lot, so ya, a good breakfast is very important for him. Lunch, he always eat soupy stuffs and avoid oily food. Dinner he cut down on carbs. I am glad when i hear this, because I need not educate him on nutrition. Well, he is a smart guy, he knows better. But, he failed in the area of exercise. He only ran once a week, and each time around 20min. Surprisingly, he is still pretty average size due to his good eating habits. But now, he knows he needs to do something about his lifestyle. His goal is to be able to complete a marathon... a 42.2km marathon. Nothing is impossible. Currently the longest he ever covered is 3.2km, and that nearly took his breath away. After only 4 sessions with him, I have seen improvement in speed as well as stamina. His training will be focused mainly on cardiovascular, but also some elements of resistance training to strengthen his lower body. Upper body is not neglected as well. He is lacking of motivation, and I hope that in this area I can do something about it.

Qualities of a Personal Trainer in my opinion:

1. The most basic, the PT himself must have the passion for health and fitness.
2. They must be knowledgeable, and use these knowledge into practice.
3. They must be a role-model in mind, body and action to his client.
4. They must have good communication skills, can you imagine 1 or 2 hours of silence and just training? eeww... this will just bore the hell out of anyone.
5. They must help clients achieve the results they expect in the shortest possible time, but at the same time, ensure the the training is progressive so as to not lead to over-exertion.
6. They must know how to make the training interesting and fun but yet effective.
7. They must be responsible for the client.
8. They must constantly update themselves, and learn from others as well. Nobody in this world knows everything!
9. They must be able to put themselves in the shoes of the client
10. Lastly, they must inspire!

Starved or Stuffed?

Scrawny, skinny, boney --- Achieve this simply by starving yourself and you look like a POW during WWII. Some people go to this extent just to be skinny, but it is unhealthy! Not only is this unhealthy, you have to forgo the goodness of food! restricting yourself to less than 1000Kcal a day... that's sad man...

on the other hand...

Muscular, lean, toned --- Achieve this simply by stuffing yourself with the right nutrition, combined with the right exercise. She can eat more than the normal intake of daily calories, yet staying lean and mean. Occasionaly, she can indulge in something sinful after her workout, this is life!

Can our society accept overweight people?

This Video showcase the mockeries and pain that overweight people go through... What TAF Club is like, as well as it's success and failure.

What is your opinion of TAF Club?
Can you accept fat people?

Is it one's fault to be fat?

Where to run? Places to run?

The Army Half Marathon and Nike Human Race is approaching, and I have increase my frequency of running. Usually I will run at the track as it is easier to the knees, its free, and its convenient for me. But is there like a best place to run? What is the difference between running on track and running on concrete?

Grass - The grass is a great place to run because it is easy on the knees and on the ankles, and it provides extra resistance to the runner, but this also means that you cannot go fast running on grass. But most of the grass patches in parks in SG are not for running, maybe the grass field in the stadium will be a good choice.

Stadium Track - The track is easy on the feet if the track is a pretty new one, as some of the worn out tracks are no better than concrete. Another plus point is that it is obviously easier in measuring distance, and tracks can be found in all stadium. Not too sure if colleges tracks are now still open to the public. anyone care to tell me?

Concrete - A lot of impact to the joints and tendons, but it is the most convenient place we can run. Difficult to gauge your distance, but you can go to www.can.com.sg to plot your running points to measure the distance. Provides scenic view too, but be sure to wear a good running shoe if you are running long distance on concrete.

Treadmill - Running like a Lab Rat... Boring, but acceptable...maybe you can listen to your favourite music or watch the TV while running. Treadmills generally don’t provide enough intensity for running, and you cannot sprint or slow down as and when you feel like. Some threadmills provide good absorption, while some cheapo ones can be quite bad to your knees, but ideal for sunny/rainy Singapore.

Sand - Many people hate to run on the sand, but the sand is actually the best place to run sprints and intervals. This is bcos, the sand provides much resistance to the quads and the calves, causing explosive power to quickly ensue. But it is recommended to run long dist on the sand.

Trail - Trail such as those in Parks are often hilly and you might be very susceptible to injuries or even sprains. Impact absorption wise is not too good as trails can be quite nasty sometimes. But the ups and downs slopes provides extra resistance to your quads.

so where do you like run? =)

3 High Protein Meals - Can be nice and yummy yet not too unhealthy

As you should know by now, Protein is required by the body for repair, build and maintain muscle tissues. Therefore, it is a must if you want to gain muscle mass. No Protein = No Muscle. But of course, first of all you must hit the gym, even if you eat a whole chicken or even a cow, it will still be useless! I love protein, I hate carbs, I like fats from nuts.

Today meals was protein packed!

Breakfast 1 @ 6am:-
1. 100ml Multi-grain Milk
2. 1 Slice multi-grain bread with Peanut Butter

Breakfast 2 @9am:-
1. 3 Eggs whites and 1 yolk
2. 3 Turkey Bacon strips
3. 300ml HL Milk
4. 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter
5. Strawberry Protein Shake

Lunch:-
Grilled Chicken with Baked Herb Potatoes at Airport T2 canteen

Dinner 1:- Popeyes' chicken & Biscuit
set 3 - 3 Pcs Chicken Breast + 1 Mashed Potatoes + 1 Biscuit

Dinner 2:-
Bak Kut Teh from home - Just the Lean Meat
Steamed Fish

Now before I sleep:-
150ml HL Milk to prevent catabolism!

Nike + Human Race 10k

2 more months and 8 days!

To Register for Nike + Human Race 10k

the tee-shirt is very nice, and every indivdual will have a personalise tee (own bib number printed on it!) how cool is that... and you can choose which organisation for some donation thingy, and i chosen Lance Armstrong Foundation - for the people fighting against cancer.

LIVE STRONG!

Any Foodies or Gymmies running that day too? Tag/comment! probably we can run together on that day! =)

Weights and no Cardio - The "consequence"

Fitness articles

This is not a subsidiary of EatAndTrain. I am promoting this website to you because I happen to chance upon it, and I find it very useful, and the contents are certified not bullshit by me. Therefore, the nice FoodieGymmie would like to share this with you.

http://www.fitnesschapter.com

enjoy~

Exercise...the good and the not so good.

After training for so long, seeing people transform from fat to lean, thin to muscular, but of cause there are also people who failed in their fitness goals. So i came to my own conclusion as to why some people fail and why some achieve what they want, based on what i observed and my own thoughts. I will classify people into a few categories.

(In this context, exercise means a combination of weights training and cardio exercise; Junks refers to food high in refined carbs and fats)

1. DEDE - Don't Exercise, Don't Eat
People falling under this category have very poor fitness level due to the lack of exercise. They do not literally don't eat at all, but they eat just enough to sustain life. They don't look healthy and might look scrawny.


2. DEEJ - Don't Exercise, Eat Junks
These people do not exercise but they eat junk food. Therefore they might look out of shape due to the intake of junks, and are physically unfit as well.


3. ELEJ - Exercise Little, Eat Junks
These people exercise a little, but this gives them the illusion that they had work out and thus they deserve a good treat. As a results, what they input into their body later on due to this self-created illusion is much greater than what they workout. As a result, this in fact causes them to gain fat mass instead. They might be fitter than DEDE and DEEJ, but they might not be in shape.

Very often, this is due to ignorance, as they do not know what food to choose, the time to eat, the portion etc.


4. EREJ - Exercise Regularly, Eat Junks
These people exercise regularly, but they are not particular about the type of food they eat. In terms of fitness level, they are far better off than the 3 above. Just like ELEJ, they might be eating junks without even realizing due to ignorance.

This category is rather broad, as the frequency in which they indulge in junks varies. But in general, the less junks taken, the better shape they may have.

5. EREC - Exercise Regularly, Eat Clean
These people exercise very regularly, and have a very good knowledge of what to and what not to eat. They follow a very strict healthy diet. Generally they have better overall fitness than the rest and are in tip-top shape.

There are also exceptions, as they are some who exercise regularly, but might not achieve what they want and this are very often the case and is quite common. This could be due to wrong training methods. You need the right intensity, the right frequency and the right pre/post work out nutrition.

All these categories are very general, and of cause you can fall in between as these are not absolute.

So What Are you ?

Disclaimer: These are all based on my own personal opinions and views.

Why you should not eat too much Mcdonalds...

now... tell me, are you still loving it?

CONFESSIONS OF A CORPORATE CLOWN

FORMER RONALD McDONALD NOW VEGETARIAN ACTIVIST

Summer/Fall 1990

Dear Concerned Citizen,

For almost two years I went against everything I ever believed in by selling out to the McDonald's corporate juggernaut by playing RONALD McDONALD to thousands of innocent, trusting children.

Prior to that, I am sorry to say, I also portrayed THE MARVELLOUS MAGICAL BURGER KING in the Northeastern United States doing a children's magic show promoting the glories of meat eating for the Burger King Corporation.

Ten years later, I now realize I have a debt to parents and children everywhere to try and present the truth about the wonderful vegetarian lifestyle to which I owe so much. Toward that end I have developed a brand new show to gently educate kids about their true relationship to the environment, their animal friends, and each other, as neighbours on a dreadfully victimized over-burdened planet.

This show (complete with music, magic and fun) is my way of saying sorry for selling out so blatantly to concerns who make their millions off the murder of countless animals and the exploitation of children for their own ends. Although moderate expenses are expected from sponsors, this is a not-for-profit scheme centered on showing young people the peaceful alternatives of the natural, healthful, vegetarian way of life.

Peace & Love,
GEOFFREY GIULIANO

extracted from: http://www.mcspotlight.org/people/witnesses/advertising/guiliano_geoff.html
Retrieved 27 March 2008.

Eating Disorder - Are u guilty?

extracted from http://www.dietinfocare.com/mental-health/what-are-the-warning-signs-of-eating-disorder

Am i having eating disorder? What im guilty... what about u? ... But how accurate are this pointers....

Why Gym?

Another reason why man should go gym...

haha

Muscle War 2008

Muscle War '08 - held at the open amphitheater at Vivocity.

Im seated very far la.... cannot see the faces... This is the Open Category, one of them was so brave... cos hmm... i think i should not say more.. kind of bad...

I missed the NUS one.. wonder what participated...

Healthy Weight link to Longevity

Extracted from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6906377.stm on January 09 2008

Abs exercise with Blake Adams

Abs to die for

Bodybuilder Abs



Lady Abs

Eating Responsilbly 101

#1 Share the Fats
Imagine how much fats you can prevent yourself from gaining simply by sharing food high in fats content. sharing a 3.8g fats macaroon for eg. will save you 1.9g of fats which might seem insignificant, but imagine over the weeks and months, how much fats can you prevent yourself from gaining!

Metabolism

so many people are talking about how slow their metabolism yet they don't even understand how human metabolism works. So before i even go into how to speed yours up so that you can go for more makan guru trip, i want to go over some of the basics.

What is Metabolism?
In simple terms, metabolism is the rate at which ur body burns calories to sustain life. I should also note that your body burns calories 24 hours a day, regardless of whether or not you work out.

What Affects Metabolism?
What do you think is the biggest impact on your metobolism? Activity levels? Thyroids? Age? All Wrong! Its muscle tissues! The more muscle you have the more calories you burn regardless of how active you are.
Here's some factors affecting metabolism:
- muscle tissue
- meal frequency( the longer you go betwee meals, the more your metabolism slows down to conserve energy)
- activity level ( but makes no difference if you do not match your eating to your expenditure)
- food choices
- hydration ( lack of water causes all your systems to slow down)
- genetics
- stress ( stress can slows down metabolism by placing extra stress and strain on numerous systems + people tend to overeat when stressed out.

Solution:
Step 1: - stop the storage of new fats
It doesn't make any sense to start an exerciuse program if you jusr end up adding new fats later that day. The problem is that we don't get fat due to a lack of exercise- we get fat because we supply our body with my calories than it needs at a given time. They key is to supply the body with energy it needs, just that amount and not a bunch extra, because xtra is xtra, it doesn't matter where it comes from. Salad can be stored as fat, celery too! as long as if its extra to your body requiements - it will be stored as fats. So forget about burning those fats unless you can first stop storing new fats.

Step2: - Attack the existing FATs
This requries a conbination approach consisting of stable blood sugar/energy levels, and progressive cardiovascular/aerobic exercise and strength training. Just because you run on the threadmill 30min three times a week, doesn't mean that your body has to burn off that unwanted body fats! You have to force the body to make changes and improvements and the ONLY way is to consistently provide a stimulus that is greaterthan what the body is used to.

In conclusion, I should say that it is extremely important that you have a well thought out and detailed plan to follow. For starters, if you are serious about achieving your goals fast,i would recommend you to get the help of a professional - your chances of success are much greater. It doesn't have to be confusing.