Exercise and Diets.. WHICH?!?!

So YOU surf the Internet and at every nook and aperture you see an advertisement - Flatten that FLAB, Ten RUles of Fat Loss, Flat Abs in 5 minutes, Lose the love handles, You too can have this (image of a super sexy, ultra hot, almost always airbrushed, chiseled, toned AND tanned model enjoying the sun *setting may differ*) etc. ET cetera indeed! The myriad of Ads are mind-boggling and when the lil Beezlebub creeps up our ears and whispers, its much too tempting to resist clicking on it! But resist, you must?(Yoda's speech style surely comes in handy when advice is concerned.. :P)

These exercise machines, diet tips, exercise strategies and pills all should have their various merits - they wouldn't be marketed if they didn't, then again, half the items DON'T work, but sadly, most people are out for a get rich quick scheme! Plus the Health Ministry (this is universally applicable but in particular regards to my national government department, Malaysia) approves the pills then withdraws them ONLY AFTER something has gone terribly wrong with someone somewhere.. *Generalisation noted*.

But should you (me?) click on that link which creates a liaison between you and the almost impalpable possibility of having a gorgeous AND healthy body without damaging the interiors of our body through hazardous diets and chemically-imbalanced pills or even machines that might just (hyperbolic hypothesis follows suit) - tear your muscles or ligaments?

My ignoble opinion accepts its place below..

Phew.. It was too tough to type it out (left me panting), so I decided to abbrevate it.. :D

I am a typical creature, a she-creature. I eat - binge, gulp, chuck, gargle, munch, chunk, crunch, glut + every other possible way to gastronomically satiate myself. Then, when I feel that i've put on weight ( and I know it's fat and not muscle mass, which I'll come to in a minute) I rush (while trying desperately to pass the 1m marker from my door) to the gym or jog along a 3km stretch of dangerously overwhelming hills near my home. SO when you tell me about exercise, I think of it as a means of escape from the world of OBESITY instead of a lifestyle choice that leads to a healthy, prosperous and enjoyable life.

Yes, you are right! How could I possibly live with myself? Well, a survey I did in several colleges on "Healthy Dieting and Exercise" yielded startling results! 1 in 3 of those college girls said they starve to lose weight when they check their pounds on the Doom Machine. Most don't exercise but resort to cheap pills mass produced from China, Taiwan and Thailand which are available over the counters in pharmacies and personal care stores in Malaysia.. More over, almost all have no idea that these pills have proven side-effects such as depression, insomnia and diarrhoea.

NOW THAT IS SCARY! And, I am not alone in the crazy-behaviour-after-gaining-pounds department. The only difference(s) between these girls and me is that I ACTUALLY resort to EXERCISE THAN STARVATION (and I eat without guilty pleasure! :P).

I now exercise daily - cardio and non-weights stretch. A jog of 25 - 30 minutes on a non-levelled plane and then stretching nearby for about 20 minutes. Cool down period: 10 minutes.

Therefore, a good hour of workout! Now that doesn't seem so outrightly outrageous now that its broken down into part does it? :D

The ultimate important factor to note is that exercise is meant to be something you take an initiative in, not other people making you do it. As it always goes, when you are passionate about something, you make an effort to improvise and do better in it each time you attempt at it. I started caring more about my health and so decided to give constant exercise a shot. I gave up a week after i started but I tried it again. Now I love exercise mainly because it gives me such great results! Go on, try it.. It's not as daunting as it looks.. :)

So, do you diet healthily before you end up dying of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke and/or other non-exercise (or lack of it anyway) related illnesses? Or do you starve yourself, become anoerexic or bulimic or simply extremely skinny that people walk into you, don't notice you and think they hit an invisible curtain? (They wouldn't have felt they hit a wall since you'd be so light anyway.. :P)

The best part is...

Here is where interrupt me and say: "YOU CHOOSE!" with so much enthuasiasm I don't believe you, might think you are being sarcastic but still place a wide smile on my countenance.. :D

Now, there is a common misconception that all diets are unhealthy. The obvious "breaker" of this assumption is that we all come in different shapes and sizes. Hence, a person who is large in physique ( meaning fatter instead of more built and toughened up) would probably have to diet according to the doctor advises to reach a healthy weighing scale measurement.

Dieting becomes a problem only when people who are in a healthy weight range (according to the BMI Index) feel that they are fat and want to lose weight. Even this is quite alright as some of us just have some cellulite even when we are in a healthy weight range. However, some people rely solely on their weight instead of their muscle mass composite as an indicator to their health and fat percentage index.

Allow me to illustrate: A friend of mine who is a full time model, part time student (and part timer party goer :P) has a gorgeous body: with curves mind you but she does not exercise very often. SO you would naturally presume that she is healthy. When she went to the gym for a fat analysis, it would surprise you then that hers was at 34%!!! As far as I am concerned, a healthy index of fat is at around 25% for me - a 18 year old female of height 170cm.

so, how do we decide, who should diet or not?

My suggestion would be to have a chat with your General Pratitioner (GP/ family doctor). Find out your muscle-fat percentage and be willing to listen to their advise to proceed.

Alternatively, visit your gym (or sign up for one :)) and ask them for a bady fat analysis (most gyms do it for free). See the results and again, it is important that you listen to the personal instructor/trainer's advise. They know what they are talking about and they've met soooooo many people like you before so they know how approach your problem.

MODERATION is always the key..

Try do exercise at least 2-3 times a week for an hour or so..

Eat what you like but never for-go exercise. IF you want to ignore exercising for a week, the least you could do is pass on the steak and have some lean meat or fish instead. Be considerate to your body, it is your own after all.. :D

Enjoy munching and looking great while you are at it!

PK.

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