Fitness Report #9

Hi everyone,

Exactly three weeks ago, I was frustrated about the lack of weight loss. I worked my butt off and didn't lose any significant amount of fat at all. On top of that, I was starving all the time. You see, I wanted to fast-track my weight loss record by eating less of everything. Instead of seeing dramatic decrease, I actually gained a little bit of weight. It went on like that for two or three weeks and I asked a couple of trainers about that, none of them gave me a satisfactory answer.

So off to Mt. Google I climbed. After a little bit of digging, this is what I found out: when I ate less, I put myself in starvation mode. Like a bear preparing for winter, my body converted any bit of food I ate into fat and tried to retain my weight as much as possible. And we all know fat has 3 times the volume than muscles. Not only did I not gain weight, I probably looked bigger, too.

Part pissed off, part hungry, I decided to enjoy my meals while exercising a bit longer. And off went the pounds. I was really surprised that the recent weight loss was actually fat loss. Now, I have less fat to lose and the battle seems less daunting.

Why am I telling you all this week after week? I know I cannot force anyone to exercise but I do hope I inspire you enough to be healthy with me. My sedentary life did damages in my body that people my age does not expect. Achy back and knee pain combined with an insatiated hunger for food. Does that sound familiar to you? But all that has gone away after I started exercising. I found myself being active and happier. Before, a little hiccup along the way can send me to a merry-go-round of worry. But now, I know how to deal with them. I have become more accepted to life.

So please, exercise with me and write down what you did in the comment section. I'd love to hear from you.

What I did last week:

• Monday: break
• Tuesday: Zumba Cardio Party and abs training (1hr 20 min)
• Wednesday: Zumba Ripped and arms workout (1hr 20 min)
• Thursday: Zumba Concert and abs training (1hr 25 min)
• Friday: break
• Saturday: Pilates and butt/thigh workout (1hr 20 min)
• Sunday: Gym with upper body workout (1hr 15 min)

Total amount of time sweating my butt out: 6 hours and 40 minutes!

And remember what I said earlier about eating and working out? I lost 2 lbs of fat this week and gained almost 2 lbs of muscles. 1 lb of fat is in the abdominal area, which is great news. According to Dr. Oz, the smaller the omentum (the layer of fat around the abdomen), the less likely for a person to get diabetes, hypertension, and even a heart attack. Therefore, I am exercising to keep my waistline smaller.

That's it for this week. I can't believe I'm into the 3rd month of exercising already. The results are not as huge as those in "The Biggest Losers" but they are mine :)

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!