/ˈfərvəd/ Fitness

I know it's not Tuesday, but I stumbled upon a cool video by TED-Ed today. It answers one of the most common misconceptions people have about fasting. If you're one of the many wondering if intermittent fasting will cause stomach ulcers, it is definitely worth watching. Disclaimer: I do not own the video. All rights belong to TED-Ed. As their tagline is 'Lessons Worth Sharing', I'm doing just that. On a separate note, I know I've been missing in action for a while. September has been a transitional month for me - I changed day job, and rewrote a portion of my fantasy novel upon my publisher's request. Did I tell you I'm an author? A royalty-free one, that is. Pun intended. Anyway, I'll be back in action soon. But till then, I hope this video-post has debunked a fasting myth for you. Now, isn't this a lesson worth sharing ? Thank you, TED-Ed! --- If you like what you've read,  SUBSCRIBE  for more content!

Often times, you'll come across posts on how you should fast and what you should do while fasting. So instead of repeating what has already been said, I'd like to share what you shouldn't do. I wouldn't say my don'ts are new, but they've not been emphasized enough. Hopefully, my post adds to their importance. #1 DON'T FEED 30-60 MINUTES BEFORE BEDTIME Whether you're on the 16:8 protocol or the warrior fast, do not feed too close to bedtime. Why? Because you'll have trouble sleeping. There are two reasons why you struggle to snooze: one, your heart is beating faster than usual. Most of us break fast with larger meals. And if your meal contains high amounts of carbohydrates, your insulin level will rise resulting in an increased heart rate. But what if you consume little carbs? A large meal naturally releases more hormones. These hormones bump your heart rate too, and possibly extend its tenure. Two, you're just too full. It goes withou...

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor. These tips are what I use to tackle the impulse of overeating during intermittent fasting. What you'll find below are in regards to intermittent fasting, and unrelated to medical conditions such as binge eating disorder.   Overeating is a common problem among intermittent fast-ers. There'll come a time when we trick ourselves into believing we can eat a whole lot, in a short period, because fasting will balance off what we're about to consume. We believe, with the evidence of results, that fasting will counter our bad habits. But let's face reality - fasting isn't a free pass to unhealthy eating. And if we continue to buy into the idea that it is, we could possibly develop an eating disorder. Wouldn't that make us worse off than before? Personally, I'm no stranger to  binging . After a month of intermittent fasting, I began consuming more food than usual. While on a 3 meal a day plan, I had better control over food po...

Back in 2014, I experimented with the skipping rope (as we call it here). I designed my own regime using only the rope, and worked my way to 2000 skips a day. As skipping rope is low impact, it provides a great cardio session without taxing the knees. A skipping rope is also an inexpensive equipment. So, if you're new to exercising and have no idea where to start, I recommend skipping. HERE'S WHAT I DID: - 100 side-to-side skips - 100 front-to-back skips - 50 single (right) leg skips - 50 single (left) leg skips - 100 high-knee skips I ALSO THREW IN: - 10 single leg push-ups - 15 sets of renegade rows (with 3kg dumbbells) - 10 sets of plank oblique twists This whole combo counted as one giant set. I started off with three giant sets and increased to five giant sets, for six days a week. Now, you probably have questions. So let me try to guess them: 1. Were there results? Yes, there were. Did I tabulate them? Unfortunately, no. Even if I did, they're pr...

As many have mentioned, health starts in the kitchen. Yes, exercise does wonders to the body. But without healthy eating, one wouldn't see any change. We all know this. It's not top secret. However, getting healthy is difficult. Switching your diet overnight, and sticking to it for the long run, requires determination and discipline unbeknownst to men. For most, transitioning to a healthy lifestyle takes time. The passion to eat right and exercise is developed over a season. So if you're just starting out, fret not. It may seem difficult now, but it'll be second nature one day. At the moment, take it one step at a time with the first, most important step: eliminating sugar. Disclaimer: I do consume sugar. I have a sweet-tooth - I love chocolate and ice-cream. But as I share my sugar-cutting techniques, you'll see that I consume little of this 'useless' carbohydrate without sacrificing my occasional cravings. Also, the word 'sugar' in this post...

I've always noticed how I experience DOMS whenever I start a new workout program. It starts the day after and lasts for a few days. I've also experienced soreness the day after a workout, that disappears on day two . But oddly enough, I've never experienced pain on day two itself - with no pain on day one - until recently. So, what's with these different sore experiences? I decided to do some research to uncover the source behind these variations. WHAT IS 'DOMS'? DOMS stands for delayed-onset muscle soreness. The soreness is caused by the inflammation of muscles due to broken tissues. Pain intensifies in the rebuilding stage - the rebuilding results in muscle growth. WHEN DOES IT KICK IN? Delayed-onset muscle soreness kicks in 24 hours post-workout. Hence, feeling pain on day two means growth is happening. WHAT SPURS DOMS? Eccentric training - eccentric training involves the lengthening of muscles. With extension, your muscles are more prone to tea...

I started intermittent fasting on the third of March. It has been a little over a month since. Due to a few hiccups - me falling ill the past 2 weeks - I was unable to track my one-month result. I didn't lift a single weight, and couldn't visit the gym to get my readings. It's unfortunate, I know. Having proof that it works would be a wonderful way to start this post, alas I'll call it a miss opportunity. So to spare you the excessive word count, I'll just get to why and how I started IF . WHY The science. I love researching, especially about health and fitness, and I found the science behind intermittent fasting legit. It makes sense. In layman's terms, our body is meant to use the food we consume. And for it to use the said food, we need to give it time. Hence, the fast. Allow me to get a little science-y; it takes approximately 12 hours before our bodies stop processing our last meal. After which, our bodies use what has been digested to power itself...