Feverish today

Some insect bit me. And now I think the venom is causing me to feel a bit sick.

Luckily its not the Denggue mosquito, cuz if it is, need to go the hospital fast and get warded.
Hope it isnt

Anyway, Harai Raya is coming soon. And it's usually the time for FAT GAINING!
ARGH!!!!

Will not do that.

I will strive to control my lust for food.

Anyway, wishing all Eid Mubarak (Selamat Hari Raya)
and also
Happy Deeavali!

Spot Reduction

The flabbier parts of my life are now over. I'm very thankful to God for that.

During that time, I knew that I had a big problem of losing fat. Nothing I did seemed to work. I tried dieting. I tried excercising. I considered a vegan diet... but that didn't happen because I linked far too much pain to not be able to eat chicken! LOL!

Then one day, as I was watching the home-shopping channel, I saw this MIRACLE CREAM!!! Apply it to your stomach, and VOILA!!! 1-3 sizes of your dress or pants size.

I was ecstatic, and considered buying it!

Luckily, I was still a student then, with no credit card. So, I didn't buy it. Got quite sad... but LUCKILY I didn't have the means to buy it then, because not far after I found out the truth about fat loss. It simply does not work like the commercial suggests! What a bunch of bull ****!
What the product promoted was called SPOT REDUCTION. Meaning that you can target the areas where you want to lose fat!

This, is impossible. Because the body does NOT work that way. From what I've learnt, if you can't afford Liposuction (which is also dangerous), stick to the natural more effective way. It's har to go wrong!

Anyway, back to spot reduction. As I said, it's impossible.
The body stores fat in a Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) manner. This means, the place where fat accumulated last, will be the first place fat will dissappear once you engage in a fat loss or fitness programme.

So let's say Mr. X is someone who, when eating unstoppably, his stomach gets big first. After that, you can see his fac starting to fluff up after his stomach. After that, his hands start to expand. And finally, his thighs and feet.

When this guy repents, and desperately wants to change his physique, and goes on a fat loss program, he will start 'shrinking' from his feet first (The last place he gained fat). Assuming this guy is a consistent bugger, his thighs also start to shrink after his feet. This is followed by his hands, face and stomach.

This is how fat is being burnt. That's also why, spot reduction is not naturally possible. I persnally have not seen it happen.

During my 'shrinking' phase, I started to lose fat from my tummy arm area, followed by my legs and face. Different people have different bodily compositions. And they also accumulate fat at different areas, first to last. So, the fat will dissapear according to their physiological profile :)

So, please do remember that spot reduction cannot be done. Unless thru liposuction of course (which is dangerous).

Okie. Teeing off.

How To Get Six Pack Abs Naturally

Six pack abs... Ahhhh...

Who wouldn't want a set of those...

But how many people actually know HOW to get a rock hard chiseled mid-section?

How To Lose Fat and Get Ripped, Fast

As you might notice in the title above, I mentioned the word 'naturally'. Well, that's actually the only safe way to get nice abs! No liposuction, no diet pills, no starvation and also no patches.

The best reference available on how to lose the fat in the mid section is to ask bodybuilders. Natural bodybuilders to be precise. You can go and ask the pros, but they would use un-natural fat loss supplements, which would beat the purpose of this blog post :P

Natural bodybuilders (and pros alike) have been using fat loss techniques to achieve ripped figures. Ripped here means, the muscles are CEALRLY visible below the skin layer. Very-very-very little fat is present. And usually, the level of fat left on their bodies are measured in Body Fat Level (BFL). For a bodybuilder to compete successfully in a bodybuilding competition, his BFL must be in the low single digits,... 3% to 4% :)

Do you need to be a bodybuilder to achieve body fat levels as such? HECK NO!
Just follow their techniques, and just wait for the fat to melt away!

How Bodybuilders get Ripped Fast and Display Those Rock Hard Abs

If you really-really want to lose fat and get ripped, I cannot repeat this enough. Follow what bodybuilders do. They lose fat at an astonishing rate! You don't have to be a bodybuilder, but use their methods and techniques, and it's hard to go wrong.

How they do it?

1. Frequent Meals - Can anyone and everyone really tell me that they are losing fat through 3 meals per day? Or less? I don't think so.

Bodybuilders have been eating 5, or 6, and in extreme cases 8 times per day! But still, they are ripped to the bone. But for the average guy or gal whose just starting out, 5 for women and 6 for men would be a good optimal.

The reason for such meal frequency? If you eat less food (like 3 meals per day...sound familliar?), your body will think that you are in a state of famine... starvation! Yes, the body does have a mind f its own. Scary aye?

So, when this happens, it just tries to conserve energy due to the little supply of nourishment you are feeding it. As a result, metabolism is slowed down. Which also causes the tendency to store more fat and burn everything else. BUT! If you eat 5 to 6 meals per day, in the proper quantity with the proper nutritional values, the body would come to realize that you are actually having a constant supply of food. So it basically believes that it can work at it's best and also at full throttle!

"NO NEED TO CONSERVE ENERGY, CUZ I'VE ENOUGH CONSTANT FUEL INFLOW TO KEEP ON REVVING, FOREVER!!!"

Not the body's exact words, but something like that... As a result, metabolism is increased and stabilized! Since metabolism determines how many calories (thus fat) is burnt, eating more often is simply the most logical course of action anyone who wants to lose fat can take!

2. Include MORE FAT in your diet - What??? To lose fat you must eat fat? Yes sir! That's quite true :) The fat I'm talking about here is unsaturated fats. Specifically, Essential Fatty Acids (EFA).

These fats are NOT produced in our bodies, and thus, we have to obtain them through our diet. They are very beneficial and necessary for many biological functions in our bodies. One of them is to decrease the chances of heart disease. Since EFAs increase the bodies Good Cholesterols, and this s simply good for the heart.

As for fat loss, one of EFAs contributions is to aid in the production of Testosterone. This hormone aids muscle growth,.. and when you've got more muscle, that means more FAT BURN!

3. Eat Correct Amounts of Calories (Food) - Food intake should not be constant in order to lose fat and get the rock hard abs!

If you're fat (or skinny fat), you would firstly need to eat lesser calories. To get fast results, you need to supplement it with weights and exercise (more on this later). Once you start with a slight caloric deficit, combined with weights and exercise, your body will try to adapt to this change, and will burn more fat (due to increased metabolism).

Eventually, the body will achieve a level where it starts to feel comfortable, and change is no longer necessary. Since the body adapts, and will at one point feel comfortable, it will feel that the amount of food received is not enough anymore. Since metabolism has increased, the body wants more source of energy!!! By maintaining the lower calries, starvation will kick in. And you know what happens if the body realizes that it is in possible famine... Yes, it slows metabolism down to conserve energy. And also starts to store more fat.

Back to square one. NOT what a person seeking chiseled abs would desire.

So, basically what you need to do is eat more after that phase is reached. And after that, adapt your food intake to the bodily changes. In short, eat the correct amounts of food, depending on the situation. You wouldn't need to do MAJOR changes, just slight adjustments. And sticking to it for a couple of weeks or months would yield astronomical results!!! NICER ABS!!!

4. Exercise and Train with Weights - Yes. To get the best results, you will need to do this. It is optional, but it would take TWICE as long to lose the fat if you don't add it to the equation.

Exercise here means doing cardiovascular activities. These activities should be ones that bring your intensity levels up to a certain point, where you heart rate start to beat at the optimal fat burning zone :) Activities such as running (out doors or treadmill), swimming, skipping rope, cycling (including the stationary bicycle), dancing... or anything else that can rev up your heart rate.

Weight Training serves to maintain or build muscles. More muscle means less fat. Less fat means VISIBLE ABS! So, basically that's why you need to do weights. Not only must you concentrate on the abdominal area (because SPOT REDUCTION is actually IMPOSSIBLE) you must do the WHOLE BODY! That's the way to go.

5. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS... BE CONSISTENT!!!! - The last point, but the most least important. Point 1 though 4 won't yield any results if consistency is not added into the fray.

Have a fat loss GOAL. For instance, "I want to see my ABS this DECEMBER!!!".
(assuming that we made the resolution in AUGUST let's say?)

And work towards this goal. I realize that without the proper knowledge, it is almost impossible to do this. If you don't already have the know how, some programs that are available online and off line can help you not only get started, but propel you towards success. For suggestions that have worked for so many people, I have them outlined in this post.


Well, basically that's it. There are more specific details that you need to follow, but it's beyond the scope of this blog. Plus, I'd have to write a book! Which would not fit into this Blog. Ok. GO GET RIPPED! Get those ROCK HARD ABS SHOWING! (I'm more saying this to myself than to my fellow readers. LOL!)

The festive season will be coming soon. Eating wisely would simply be out of the equation.
Thus, I have decided to make a full recovery (from this 1 year 'injury') after Hari Raya Puasa.

Muscles building has always intrigued me. And become a muscle man?
Not really, but I'd like to own a six pack one day :)

Will start to follow the MuscleNow program 'religously'.

5 to 6 meals per day.
3 days weight training
4-5 days aerobics or cardio

____________________________

A BIT ABOUT MUSCLENOW

Have to say though, MuscleNow is a rather interestingly-unusual programme. Compared to some of the other programs that I've read (namely Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle and BodyForLife), the methods and techniques that the author preaches are controversial, but at the same time sound very very logical and useful!

In February 2002, I wet to Monash University to further my Masters degree. Went there with a realtively flabby 74kg physique. Although flabby, it was way better then the 83kg me way back in 1999. I had BodyForLife to thank for that transformation.

Anyway, at Monash, I joined the gym and started the MuscleNow program. I actually had underwent TWO 'phases' if you may of the program. Don't get me wrong... the program does no have phases... it's just that I went through two separate experiences using the program, which I will explain in the following sections.

Like any other good pogram, MuscleNow preaches eating 5-6 square meals per day, plus the importance of Cardio and Weight Training. But this program stands out from the others, because in my book, the author is so damn honest, and simply has great passion for what he does!
After buying the book (which had a 90 day money back guarantee), I was kind of skeptical about the LIFETIME email support that Francesco Castano promised he'd give people who bought his program. I mean, what if 100,000 buy the program. Then, can he say that he could respond to 100,000 emails (maybe and most probably MORE!!!) every day of his life? I thought NOT!

But, this guy proved me wrong. Not only was his program superb, but Francesco also answered ALL... yes, ALL the email questions I sent to him. No matter if it was a really-really silly dumb question, he always had a friendly reply. Heck, he even answered lots of my emails before I even bought the book from him. LOL!

Ok, ... now back to what I went through at Monash with MuscleNow.

FIRST PHASE

I started out with full enthusiasm to succeed! I was no longer contempt with the flabby body I had. I was determined to change my physique to become a lean and muscular individual... someone who'd look nice naked. LOL! (Not that I plan to strip for anyone in the near future... :P)

For food, I consumed chicken breast as my primary source of protein. This was augmented by egg whites, skim milk, cottage cheese, light singles cheese, tofu and also potein powder (due o its convinience). My carb intake mostly consisted of cornflakes, rice (brown and white), low fat pita bread, and also fruits such as bananas and oranges. In MuscleNow, the author has come up with an ingenious and simple way on how to measure these foods, so that I'd get the proper balance of Protein and Carb.

I chose to do weights 5 times per day. Now, I saw that as a bad choice, because 5 days of weight training was not suitable for a newbie. Bodybuilding pros do 5 times per day (and usually more!).
Anyhow, I got results no matter what. After around 3 to 4 weeks (of religiously following the cardio and weight training regime), I went down from 74kg to around 68kg. As my main goal at the time was to lose fat, I was extremely ecstatic! I was seeing veins in my arms as well as on some parts of my biceps, and I was able to see the my chest, sort of separating from my arm-pits. I know this sounds a bit wierd, but before that, it was like a big blubber of flab there. But after that, it looked lik there were actually two body pars! LOL!

I was doing great! I was also noticing my back muscles starting to shape up. And my forearms were taking up a muscular shape (even though no BIG) that I've never ever seen before. Again, the word ecstatic is appropriate here.

After that, I decided to take a little break. And unfortunately... the short break lasted for almost 3 to 4 months :(

During that period, I was going back to Malaysia due to the university break. When I came back, the food missed me, and everything was miraculous! I went up from 70kg to 76kg in two monhs. Darn, that 3kg (around 6.6 pounds per month). Started to feel bloated, and started to realize that I need to do something about my weight increase here.

So, after two months holidaying in Malaysia, I was determined to start fresh in Monash... which I did. I managed to get down to 73kg. Now, even though it didn't seem much, it was a very very BIG achievement. Along the way (which was around 2 plus months), I lost a great amount of fat, and gaied some mass!!! Yes!!! I gained MUSCLE!!!

I noticed it when I really2 looked into the mirror and also when I started to take measurements.
My frame started to change. I was seeing separation in my chest, my upper abs were sarting to show, and it seemed like I was actually having a V-shape-torso(well, almost a least) !!! Biceps went from 12.5 inches to 13.5 inches. Now, 1 inch is something to be proud of at my level. :D

In short, it was one of the best moments in my life!!!
I was fit, and had everything in front of me!!! I was going to MAKE IT!!!
.
.
.
.
But like most of my triumphs, I decided to reward myself with a ONE WEEK break from healthy eating and excercise (both cardio and weights). That was one of the gravest mistakes of my life.

It was very2 hard to start over again. Plus I'd have to reschedule the eating plan, because I forgot how it was done before. In all, quitting was easy, but rebuilding what I brought down needs much more effort than I initially thought.

Anyway, now I'm planning to get my dreams fulfilled. And with MuscleNow, I am confident tha I can do it. I've fallen in the past, and am sure I can rise again NOW!

Just hope you all wish me Good Luck, and with a lot of help from GOD, I'd be able to reach my dreams.