/ˈfərvəd/ Fitness

This might come as a surprise but--I'm unashamed to say--I have developed an eating disorder. I started noticing the signs about a month ago--after trying to combine intermittent fasting protocols--where I admitted to a few people that I don't really have control over my food intake during my feeding window. And by admitting it, I realised that what I considered as a 'healthy' habit had become an obsession. But before I continue, let me clarify that intermittent fasting will not cause an eating disorder in everyone and it is certainly not the sole contributor. I know that there are a few factors that caused mine--I recently removed carbs and fruits from my diet, and even challenged myself to eliminate sugar and gluten for 60 days straight (which, of course, I failed). I wouldn't have noticed anything wrong with my constant need to remove food groups, if not for the increase of binge eating episodes. Once I did some research, I discovered that I have orthorexia-...

It has been over a month since I embarked on this IF combo. And, based on my experience, I've decided to drop it. Why? I'm dropping it not because this combination isn't sustainable. I believe it is very doable. But, because of the adjustments I made to my workout regime, this combo became rather difficult to adhere to. What were these changes? In WEEK 2 of this combo, I started swimming. I swam for 25 minutes 5 days a week, on top of my weight training. Jump roping barefoot on tiles for a season was taking a toll on my feet. So, I decided to go low impact--in this case 'no' impact--for cardio. And with a pool an elevator ride away, I incorporated swimming into my regime. During that week of swimming, I realised that 500 calories today couldn't sustain my workout tomorrow . So when WEEK 3 rolled around, I tossed the 5:2 protocol out the window and ate in the 1000 calorie range. I also readjusted my workout schedule, moving my recovery day to help my b...

After my week of  liquid fast , I decided to make minor changes to my nutrition and fasting routine. This intermittent fasting combo is the tweak I'm making to my fasting game. But before I explain how I'm bringing these two protocols together, let's start with what is what. WHAT IS OMAD? OMAD stands for one meal a day. Some people call it the warrior fast, where you fast for 20 hours and feed within 4 hours. But many who've adopted the warrior fast find it easier to just have one meal, often making it a 23:1 fasting to feeding window. Personally, I've been doing OMAD for 8 months now and it hasn't affected my health or my gains. I've been growing in strength despite training fasted, and 'hunger' is no longer a word I use - the growls in my stomach are daily occurrences I've acclimatised to. WHAT IS 5:2? The 5:2 protocol involves consuming normal daily calories for 5 days a week, with 2 days where calorie intake is dropped to 500 fo...

Fitness is a journey. It's something we choose to embark on. Nobody hops on this bandwagon by force - we all have a reason - and just like you, I started somewhere. But surprise, surprise, this journey has been dreadful... until last year. WHAT SPURRED ME TO GET INTO FITNESS? My mum said I was getting fat. No kidding. My mother was the first person in my family to embark on a fitness journey. She became a Pilates instructor in 2008, and has since been known as the fittest member of my family. So, when she says 'you're getting fat', you're getting fat. And in this case, tough love worked. DID I BUILD A PASSION OVERNIGHT, OR DID IT GROW ON ME? It grew on me. Prior to 2013, I loathed working out - I never thought it was fun and hated the thought of expending any energy. Then, I entered the workforce and my once somewhat-active lifestyle became sedentary. Naturally, this sparked physical expansion and I knew I had to do something. So, I started with - my mu...

Throughout my fitness journey, I've asked a lot of questions. And when I get an answer, I'll go looking for more. Personally, I don't buy into things at the word of one individual. I like to know what other's think, appreciating explanations backed by science. By pooling answers, I'm able to make better decisions. This includes my choice to intermittent fast. When I first stumbled upon IF, I spent hours reading and listening to different sources in fitness and nutrition. After being certain I knew enough, I jumped on the bandwagon. And yet, even now, I'm still researching - still reading, listening, and learning. Because fitness, as we all know, is never static. With that said, I've come across a few common misconceptions among women I'd like to address (in regards to weight-training). These misconceptions are so common, it has left many misinformed. So without further ado, let's get to it. #1 HEAVIER WEIGHTS = BODYBUILDER PHYSIQUE ...

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...

I hit my abs three times a week, after my usual workout. Two out of three, I do a 20-minute ab routine; the remainder, Ab Ripper X from P90X. I also slip in a core session of Pilates on Saturdays. Now, I've heard different things about working abs daily versus alternate days - there are so many contradicting thoughts on the internet. And to be honest, I don't know who's right and who's wrong. At the end of the day, I choose to do what's best for me - including designing my own ab routine. For a long time, I relied on the ab regime that came with whatever workout program I'm on. But I soon realised that some of them quickly lose their effectiveness (on me). So to have an effective workout, I needed to create my own. And by creating my own, I simply mean sourcing from YouTube - specifically Athlean X. My 20-minute ab routine consists of ten moves. Eight of which are from Jeff Cavaliere's videos - credit goes to Mr Knight. You'll find them listed bel...

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...

Disclaimer: This isn't a sponsored post. I'm not a Beachbody coach. And in no way was I coaxed into writing this. I just wanted to share my thoughts on Body Beast - its pros and cons. Before I begin my 'review', I should state that I'm someone who does home workout programs. As I don't have the time to hit the gym, I opt to workout at home. It's much more convenient for me. This also means I've cycled through a handful of Beachbody programs, including the entire Insanity series, P90X, P90X2, The Master's Hammer & Chisel, 21 Day Fix Extreme, and as of this moment, Body Beast. Now with this mentioned, let's get to the topic at hand. I began including weights in my workout middle of last year. It was, without a doubt, a great decision. I discovered how much I loved weight-training, and saw change quicker than ever before. So, when I was done with The Master's Hammer & Chisel, I sourced for my next weight-centered program. Lo and b...

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...