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7 reasons why you are not losing weight

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 02 Jan 2016   Posted by Cheryl Tay


By Darren Ho

We have heard it all and some of us have tried it all before – weight loss remedies, methods and fad diets that promise to aid us in the battle of the bulge but end up leaving negative effects on us in the long run. So what is it that baffles so many of us? Why is it so difficult to lose the excess weight and then to keep it off? Here are the top seven problems people face when trying to lose weight:

1) Overtraining

I can never emphasise on this one enough. Most of the people I know who are battling the bulge start off on a high because they are eager to do something new. All of that is great until fatigue and the reality of training sets in. There’s no way to hide it from all of you, training is tough work and it does get monotonous from time to time.

Once the adrenaline is done and we resume our normal selves, that’s when our body begins to break down. We also often forget that our bodies are now finding ways to become more efficient to the training that it is being subjected to and most of us will assume that training harder and longer will solve this problem.

All of a sudden, we can no longer go the same distance as last week or the deadlift has stagnated (worst yet, the numbers have dropped). This results in a panic that we need to train even more which ultimately leads to injury or a complete breakdown of the process of becoming active.

Make sure you plan your training schedule and take breaks when your body is tired. Even if you’re skipping one day because you’re not up to it, it’s perfectly fine as long as you know that you will get back to it and that you have been training hard. Rest is when the body grows and shows results!

2) Under-eating and eliminating carbs

Everyone is probably guilty of this at some stage. For most people starting out, this has become a big problem that has led to see-saw results or to some of us even putting back on all the weight. The irony of it all is that our bodies, regardless of how active or non-active we are, requires food to fuel itself, recover and to lose weight (yes, burning calories takes energy too!).

Many of us go on a carbohydrate starvation process when we’re trying to lose weight, which means we cut out everything that has carbs in it. While this has shown to have fast results, it has also shown to be non-sustainable by our bodies. Carbohydrates are the building blocks of energy and when deprived in large quantities, our bodies begin to crave sugar for quick and fast energy replenishment.

Ever found yourself cutting carbs and eating more sugary snacks? That would be your body requiring more carbohydrates to fuel itself. Instead, consume carbs from other sources such as leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes and other real foods. Cut out the processed food found in cans and packages at the supermarkets and you will be just fine.

If you do not fuel enough, your body cannot possibly recover and worse, it begins to consume those muscles that are now being developed during your workouts. Why? Because muscles release more calories when consumed as compared to fat. So if you find yourself working out but actually being more flabby and you have been cutting out all of your carbohydrates completely, now you know the problem! Eat properly; your body needs it!

3) Idolising others

We often look at others and wish we had their killer bodies without realising that there are so many factors involved in getting there. First of all, we must learn to accept that genetics plays a part in all of this. Some of us put on weight far easier than others while some can’t seem to put on weight no matter what they do.

Next, consider how long and how much effort the other person must have put into their training regimes to achieve what they have and compare it to where you are right now. If you were to ask around as I did with my group of cycling pals, most of them have been cycling for at least five to 10 years while I have only been doing it for a measly year and a half!

Remember, looking at other people and their bodies serves no purpose for you because it’s not your body in the first place. Instead, focus on a long term plan that will yield health benefits for you rather than just looking good. Good looking people have insecurities too!

IMG_20141016_075940

4) Taking it too extreme

Cutting out all the sugar or fat or maybe even one of those slimming teas? They may work for a while but ask yourself if it is a trend you can follow or even afford for life. Extreme methods work for short term results but they also always indicate that a proper diet plan and exercise routine is required for optimal results.

It’s all about hard work, dedication and being fair to your body. When you lose weight rapidly, most of the loss is coming from water and muscle. Your fats are actually retained by your body for sustenance and it begins to break down your muscle for the calories that you need on a daily basis.

Once you’re off the diet and worse yet, if you don’t exercise, your muscles never recover and your level of fat continues to increase. The results are demoralising to so many that they have given up trying. Stick to real foods and stay active. Walk the stairs or better still, do a ruck walk (carrying a backpack with weight and doing a 30-minute hike) if you cannot fit running into your system. Cycle, swim, run, gym, choose anything that works for you and make sure you stick to a plan while eating sensibly. The results will show; it just takes time and patience.

5) Losing weight for the wrong reasons

So many of us aim to lose weight because we want that number on the scale to drop, which leads to us resorting to short cut methods, diet fads and all the other common mistakes made. The aim for losing weight should not be linked to numbers but because we want to lead a better, healthier and more active lifestyle.

Obsession with numbers can lead to all sorts of medical conditions and it rarely leaves us satisfied. When you embark on this adventure, always prioritise your health above anything else and do it for the right reasons. It is tempting to go overboard but at the end of the day, it does not necessarily mean that a slimmer person is healthier than a person who is less slim (and vice versa). Focus on staying healthy because your body deserves to be treated that way, not because you want to look good for the world to see.

6) Not improving on what worked

So that 5km run worked and has been working for you all this time; runs become comfortable, too easy, but you think that because it’s worked before that it will keep working… right? Not true! Once our bodies reach a natural state of efficiency, we need to increase the intensity, duration or distance of the workout to ensure that we are continuously challenged.

Now, obviously we cannot be running thousands of kilometres to keep challenging ourselves but throw in a little cycling, weights, gym sessions and increase the speed and duration of the runs for greater effect. Keep challenging your body to achieve more and you will be more than satisfied with the results.

7) Setting unrealistic deadlines

So you decided to go down the path of adopting a healthy lifestyle and have incorporated exercise into your daily routine. You go at it for a couple of weeks, stand on the scale and realise you have not lost any weight. In disbelief, you try every scale in the gym but the results are the same and you become demoralised.

Your initial routine breaks down because you start to think that it’s not worth the effort. Guess what? You are not alone. Many people give up on their diet and exercise plans because they set unrealistic deadlines for themselves. No one loses weight or becomes fit in a matter of days or weeks.

It takes months to see visible results at times and weight loss is usually calculated over the course of a year. This may sound demoralising but it just strengthens the fact that all of this has to be a lifestyle and not some fad that we all adopt just to look good. So, give it some time and you’ll see results soon enough. Just remember to keep eating properly and to stay active!

Screen-shot-2012-11-06-at-10.13.17-AM

There you have it! Based on my own experience, these are the seven most common weight loss problems that people face when they embark on this exciting journey. Hopefully it gives all of you an idea that these problems are faced by everyone and not just by select individuals. Keep faith and stay the fight! You’ll get there.

Darren Ho was once overweight, hitting 142kg for his height of 1.76m. Once training on the tennis national team, Darren let himself go when his career picked up, giving himself the excuse that he was busy and balance was not important. When his health started failing, Darren realised he couldn’t live like that anymore. Deciding to do something about his weight, he recalls how painful his first attempt to jog was – a total of 200 metres was all he lasted, before he collapsed to the ground in breathlessness. Finally, after a year of cleaning up his diet, cutting the alcohol and processed foods, as well as a regular exercise regime, he lost over 60kg, kept it all off and is fitter than before. All opinions expressed in this article are his. 

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    First establishing herself in the world of cars and motorsports, Cheryl Tay is a sports and fitness blogger who advocates living an active and healthy lifestyle. Founder of body image movement Rock The Naked Truth, Cheryl overcame over a decade of eating disorders and is now passionate about helping people with similar struggles. She also has a running club ROCKrunners and a tri-enthusiast club ROCKtri.

    Rock The Naked Truth encourages others to be comfortable in their own skin and to learn that there is more to life than just being a slave to the numbers on your scale. Truly, life has more meaning than just forcing yourself to look good - it's most important to be happy and feel good about yourself!

    Previously...
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    > Motoring writer for TODAY
    > Columnist for Rev / Run magazines
    > Official photographer for ONE Championship
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    > Business development for Kartright Speedway
    > F1 youth speaker for Singapore GP
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    Work hard but remember to set aside time for leisu Work hard but remember to set aside time for leisure too! It has taken me 35 years to find a decent work-life balance, between work, play, fitness and personal.

I used to be a full-on workaholic, working every day till late, eating rubbish and not exercising. And then I was trying not to eat so I could be skinny. And then I would fall very ill when my body snaps because I wasn't resting enough.

I've since learnt that we need to take care of ourselves properly, because work is important yes, but the effects of overworking and too much stress are very detrimental, especially in the long term.

Quality of life, always remember to enjoy quality of life!

P.S. Little Oli's face is everything!

#beachday #bikiniempire
    Been a while since I’ve gone on the ground to sh Been a while since I’ve gone on the ground to shoot and report on sports! I love watching sports and this has been such an amazing experience.

I can't help tearing up when I see dreams being made and broken. These SEA Games athletes are fighting so hard and leaving nothing behind. You can see the highs, the lows and the unexpected.

The emotions in sports are so raw and pure, and that's why I love sports. You can't cheat the feelings.

Go Team Singapore!!!

#sportplussg #seagames2021 #seagames #sportphotography #teamsingapore
    TOP 5 TIPS TO SAVE WATER! Tip #1: Cut your shower TOP 5 TIPS TO SAVE WATER!

Tip #1: Cut your shower time by 1 minute and save 9 litres of water.

Tip #2: Save 11 litres of water when you rinse your teeth with a mug instead of using a running tap.

Tip #3: Use reduced flush for liquid waste and save 1.5 litres per flush. 

Tip #4: Save 14 litres when you wash vegetables and dishes in a filled sink instead of under a running tap.

Tip #5: Do not use the washing machine for just a few pieces of clothing.

Did you know that the BMW Group powers production of two of their electric vehicles, the BMW iX and BMW i4, entirely with regional green hydroelectricity?

We recently went down to the NEWater Visitor Centre and learnt a lot about water conservation. There are also a lot of mind-blowing facts - pre-COVID, we use 145 litres of water per person per day (as seen in this photo), but during the pandemic when everyone was home, that number went up to 158 litres 😱😱😱.

Watch the video to learn more mind-blowing facts!
    Got to hang with @sweetvarnvarn this week! She is Got to hang with @sweetvarnvarn this week! She is really fun, friendly and I wish we had more time to go out and play. Next time! Perhaps I need to go to Thailand hmmm...
    WE FINALLY HAVE A DATE FOR OUR WEDDING! This is s WE FINALLY HAVE A DATE FOR OUR WEDDING!

This is super exciting, after all the hurdles we have had to overcome. From being turned away by venues, to not being able to do a wedding because it has to be ROM registered due to COVID-19 restrictions, to finally, finally being able to hold our wedding because private events are now allowed.

YAYYYYYY!!!

Our union may not be legally recognised in Singapore, but we still want to get our nearest and dearest together in the name of love. Can't wait to celebrate our love and share this special occasion with y'all!

P.S. for those asking, we will get our paperwork done somewhere overseas at some point.

#TaykeMeHuangMoreTime

Gown: @thegownwarehouse
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    What a wet weekend! Got drenched while riding yest What a wet weekend! Got drenched while riding yesterday and then ran in the light rain today.

But I didn't mind today's run at all because it was a bagel run! That is, we ran from home to CBD to get breakfast. Today we got bagels!

And then cabbed home, not run home, in case you're wondering lol.

#RoadToBerlinMarathon #wetweather #runintherain #runtobreakfast #iloverunning
    Bikini Empire beach day, extended pack! Thank good Bikini Empire beach day, extended pack! Thank goodness we had such good weather yesterday and also happy that we don't have group size limits anymore!

I love that we can bring our dogs to @olabeachclubsg so that they can hang with us, nawwwwww.

Swipe to see all the nonsense we were up to!
    If you know me, I love my snacks - A LOT. And some If you know me, I love my snacks - A LOT. And sometimes the guilt does get to me. So I'm glad that I have found plant-based snacks, without the guilt, with the same pleasure. This really helps as I'm trying to cut down on the bad stuff as my training picks up. These Nuggets, Bites and Strips are from FIRST PRIDE and are entirely made of plants. Best part, they taste like the real thing. Whuuuttttttt!

These have a three-step coating so it has maximum crispiness, meat-like texture made from plants so they feel like your usual nuggets and they have 0% trans fat. You won't even realise they are made from plants honestly. In addition, they make for a good source of protein and fibre.

Available at FairPrice, CS Fresh, Giant and RedMart, these are going at a promo price of $6.95 per packet (from 12 – 25 May). More details at @firstpridesg!

#FIRSTPRIDESG #SOOOGOOD
    New HM PB!! Put on a little bib for the first time New HM PB!! Put on a little bib for the first time in over two years for the Shufflers invitational half-marathon event and omg I was feeling a bit nervous, so silly.

It was more of a time trial than a race for me (because I wasn't gonna win) so I just focused on pacing and running my best.

Man, it really hurt! I haven't been running this distance much, so by the 18km mark my legs started to fade and I could see my pace dropping.

But I've already come so far, so I just sucked it up and somehow managed to make it to the end.

Really happy with my time - my fastest HM ever I think. Woohoo! Thank you to the organisers for the effort and to the volunteers who made this event run so smoothly.

Woke up this morning with sore legs but with a silly grin on my face, because I've missed this feeling!

144 days to Berlin Marathon.

#roadtoberlinmarathon #bmwxcheryltay #halfmarathon
    It costs $0.00 to be grateful for what you already It costs $0.00 to be grateful for what you already have. Stop looking for greener grass - the grass is only green where you water it!

#showgratitude #beachday
    You probably have seen this photoshoot that I rece You probably have seen this photoshoot that I recently did for @shiseidopro_official, where I was very fortunate to have had a team of professionals glam me up for this.

1 hair stylist, 2 make up artists, 2 stylists, 1 photographer + assistant, and of course the client team and the agency team. Totally made me feel like a superstar for a day!

You know what? The younger me would have killed for this opportunity.  I suffered from various eating disorders so I could become skinny and I really, really wanted to become a model.

Swipe to see my journal entry where I talked about how badly I wanted to be one and get in print ads and do TVCs, how I still felt I wasn't skinny enough, and how insecure I felt about myself. It's crazy!

Oh if I could talk to my 21-year-old self I would tell her how amazing she is and how she doesn't have to be skinny and become a model to prove her self-worth. Somehow I kept thinking that if I became thin, I would be better accepted and being a model would validate my existence. No gurlllll you already are enough!

BONUS - swipe to see some of my photos from my modelling days back then. WHO IS DIZ?! I did get some jobs here and there, but they weren't big jobs. @thehuangergames had a good laugh at these pics, but hey we were all young once ok!

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    I used to hate my legs, thinking they were thick a I used to hate my legs, thinking they were thick and huge and ugly. I hated how my shorts would keep riding up between my legs because I have no thigh gap. I hated how I looked terrible in short shorts because my legs just looked fat.

But now I'm proud of these legs. They can do so many things and right now they are training for a marathon, on top of achieving many other things that I like to do like cycling and swimming and wakesurfing and taking long walks.

So don't hate your legs or any part of your body. It's yours!! It doesn't have to look a certain way because who gets to decide how it should look?!

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    This is probably the best and only proper photo we This is probably the best and only proper photo we got that day, because with @jyanyoga and @constancelaujm always goofing around, it's hard to get a decent pic.

Swipe to see what I'm talking about.

Still, always happy for time spent with these siao zhabors!

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    I'm always up for anything interesting so when @sh I'm always up for anything interesting so when @shiseidopro_singapore gave me this opportunity to get creative with my hair, I was like, BRING IT! Totally loving this split-coloured hair with the magenta shade that is new to their ULTIST by PRIMIENCE range.

This hair colour formula is developed for Asian hair and has COLOR-in-CORE Technology that locks the colour into the core, so it really brings out the shade you want. I also like how my hair does not feel dry at all, which is a big thing for me when I colour my hair.

I get that some people cannot be too wild with their hair because of work, but a shade like that is not too loud and probably more palatable for the office? So, go on and get creative with the new trend shades from ULTIST - and ask for a split colour like mine!

#ShiseidoProfessionalSG #PRIMIENCE #ULTIST #BeautyStreamSS2022 #SpectralAllure 
#TogetherWithBeautyCreators #BeautyCreators
    The latest Honda Civic, which is in its 11th gener The latest Honda Civic, which is in its 11th generation now, is something I was curious to try as this is the successor to the Civic that I currently own.

For starters, the new Civic has a cleaner look but the interior is where the difference is greater. The cabin ambience feels more upmarket now, with premium features like wireless charging, a bigger 9” screen that sits atop the dashboard and a honeycomb mesh that runs through the dashboard and conceals the aircon vents.

One thing that stood out is its 1.5-litre turbocharged engine that is now the only engine variant that the Civic is available in, in Singapore. Mine is the 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine, so I’ve really missed driving a turbo with its quick pick-up.

But I feel the biggest thing to note about this 11th-gen Civic is the range of safety tech features. It has adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist to prevent you from veering out of your lane, collision mitigation braking that alerts when you get too close to the vehicle ahead, and something called the LaneWatch system which essentially is a camera under the mirror of the passenger door that shows you what is in your blind spot when you are turning left. With all of these, you have less excuse for bad driving behaviour.

I definitely enjoyed this zippy drive and I had a lot of fun!

Engine: 1,498cc turbocharged inline 4
Power: 129PS at 5500-6000rpm
Torque: 180Nm at 1700-4500rpm
Transmission: Continuously Variable
0-100km/h: 10.5 seconds
Price: S$143,999 with COE*

*A low downpayment option is available, starting from only S$14,400. You may leave your details at https://bit.ly/11-CivicSG to find out more.

#HondaCivic #Civic #Builtaroundyou #KahMotor @honda_sg
    Rented a motorbike for a week just for fun, before Rented a motorbike for a week just for fun, before I start my Class 2 lessons next month. Oh how I've missed the feeling of the wind on my face! And of course it has to be a sports bike. Can't afford a sports car so sports bike it is!

Taking my motorbike licence at such a late age in life feels like some kind of mid-life crisis for a need for speed you know hahaha. I first took 2B lessons in 2010 but gave up then, which I regretted, but it's ok NEVER TOO LATE!!

#motorbike #bikergirl #yahamaR3 #sportsbike #class2a
    We finally got blue skies for wakesurfing! OK in t We finally got blue skies for wakesurfing! OK in this photo the cloud cover came but I swear there were blue skies, just swipe to see the rest of the photos haha.

I am really grateful for my life, that I get to do this; for my friends, whom I can do this with; and for my body, that allows me to do what I want.

🙌🙌🙌

#wakesurfing #blueskies #watersports #dreamwakeacademy #fitgirls
    Saturday night boxing! Was wondering if I would r Saturday night boxing!

Was wondering if I would run into any friends there and I'm glad I did yayyyyyyy.

#boxing #superdrysg #fjbenjaminsg #fitnessclass #workoutime #fitpeeps
    After two rained-out Saturday mornings, we finally After two rained-out Saturday mornings, we finally made it out to ride with @teamfugu!

It's been a full Saturday for me from 4am to 10pm and I'm ready for a good sleep. Tell you more tomorrow!

📷: @tubberchubbs
    Excited to announce that I'll be racing the BMW Be Excited to announce that I'll be racing the BMW Berlin Marathon this year!

2022 is the year I'm on a mission to do better - for myself, the environment and those in need.

I'll be representing BMW Group Asia in the BMW Berlin Marathon, which is a World Marathon Major and the exclusive slots are usually via ballot. It will be my first WMM and I'll also be raising funds for the National Cancer Centre Singapore.

I recognise that environmental and social sustainability are essential for our future, so to do better for the environment, I'll be embarking on beach clean-ups and other conservation activities with BMW Group Asia and you can join us too. Stay tuned for more updates on how you can do your part.

It's gonna be an exciting year, I can feel it!!

Come on, do it with me and make this year YOUR year as well. Time to set some goals!

Shot by @jerrytangcl
Edited by @thehuangergames

#berlinmarathon #bmwgroupasia
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