MY ROUTINE & TIPS

So for those are curious or just started to follow the blog, the premise is simple; I wasn’t happy with the way I looked, and finally decided enough was enough.

I took initiative and decided to get back into shape.

Within 3 months, I lost about 4kg, and lost a bit over 3 inches off my waist.

Firstly, my stats

Height: 165cm / 5’5″

Clothing size: AU8-10 / KR66 / US4-6 (dress)

Exercise is the key

You can eat as much or as little as you want, but if you don’t have an active lifestyle, doesn’t matter if you starve yourself – you’re not going to change anything about yourself. Being inactive means you can’t tone your muscles, and you can’t get rid of excess water retained in your body. Therefore, exercise is key.

What I personally did was go out and buy a weighted hula hoop and used that as a means of exercise. You can do anything you want – one effective way is skipping – a skipping rope can be bought for as little as $2.50 from a $2 store. Just remember to choose something you’re likely to stick to, with some sort of momentum or incentive to stop you from stopping.

In my case, I didn’t want my money from buying the hula hoop go to waste; you may want to do a similar thing and invest in zumba classes or something so you feel you need to turn up.

My exercise routine:

First day: 5 minutes hula hoop

Second day: 30 minutes hula hoop

Third day: 15 minutes hula hoop

Fourth day onwards for a week or two: 30 minutes hula hoop

Then onwards: 60 minutes hula hoop

Note that I used the hula hoop on a DAILY BASIS and did NOT stop within the 60 minutes (unless I really had to).

One reader asked me how I managed to continually spin the hula hoop – you don’t have to spin it continuously, but we all know that >30minutes of exercise is required to burn calories and fat.

• One way to train yourself (as the hula hoop in question is heavy/ weighted and hurts as it has bumps on it) is by splitting your hula hoop sessions into segments throughout the way. It should be made enjoyable, and not a chore or a burden.
• It’s perfectly okay to stop, rub yourself down – and then start again when it doesn’t hurt as much.
• Always keep an eye on the clock to note when you started so you know when to end.
• Hydrate yourself by drinking plenty of water.

No pain; no gain.

If you experience any really bad symptoms like bruising near your kidney area or internal pain, STOP IMMEDIATELY and please consult a physician and seek medical advice.

Food and diet – you are what you eat

I also went on a diet. It wasn’t too special, but this what I did:

• Instead of rice, eat noodles or order a salad while eating out (since I couldn’t change my diet at home)
• Cut out any sugary drinks or drinks containing lots of cream or icecream
• Eat grilled meat rather than deep fried meat
• Exercise 30-60 minutes AFTER eating or eating after exercise

Keep track of your BMI and your measurements

Measure yourself in the morning after going to the toilet, preferably dressed in something light (pyjamas), before you eat breakfast. Do this only once a week, and do it on the same day each week.

Calculate your BMI using a BMI calculator or the following formula: (weight in kg)/ (height in cm)^2.

Do a bit of research – please do NOT go below a BMI of 19 – that’s UNDERWEIGHT and it is not necessarily healthy.

When I started doing my exercise routines I wanted to have a borderline underweight BMI, but now that I’m at BMI ~20.3 ish I’ve noticed how much I’ve shrunk. Any more and I would be way too thin. Please be healthy; being healthy is the first and foremost consideration, regardless of weight or measurements.

Mix up the hula hoop routine (if you choose to do it)

Try to incorporate hand movements, lift your heels (lilke stationary marching) and vary the speed of the hoop.

For the particularly ambitious, try to keep your upper body still and only move your hips. You may find that you can feel some burning in your stomach/ waist area.