When weight loss is concerned, the standard rule states: burn more calories than you consume. This meant that in addition to reducing the amount of calories you take, weight loss is almost always incomplete without exercise. Whilst it may not be as important as what you consume and your genetics, it does play a role in helping you shed those few extra pounds and keep it off long term.

But exercising goes beyond simply weight loss. Apart from losing weight, exercise offers numerous health benefits that you can enjoy even once you’ve reached your weight loss goal! Let’s dive into a few of them.

1. Bone And Muscle Health

One of the main apparent benefits of exercise is improved strength. When one exercises, the engaged muscles will come with resistance, weight or force, which will lead to structural damage to the muscle fibre. The body will then repair these damaged fibres by fusing them, which will increase the mass and size of the muscles. Similarly, bone tissue will also adapt by building more bone and becoming denser.

Stronger muscles will contribute to one’s general fitness, whilst stronger bones will improve one’s balance and stability.

2. Protection Against Health Conditions

In addition to making one physically stronger, engaging in physical activities will help one’s body healthier simply by reducing the risk of developing chronic diseases. This is done through the regulation of hormones. For instance, regular exercise helps to effectively lower one’s cortisol level. This will help one to reduce stress, and prevent any stress-related conditions such as heart disease, mental health issues and gastrointestinal problems, amongst other things.

Moreover, exercise ensures that one’s internal organs are working at optimal efficiency with little strain. Regular physical activities will also help to keep arteries and other blood vessels flexible, ensuring normal blood pressure and good blood flow. Due to the increase in blood and oxygen flow, this also meant that the cell turnover rate is improved, which translates to the body being much more effective in repairing itself.

3. Boost Mental Health

As with the other parts of the body, the brain also reaps the benefits that exercise has to offer. As mentioned prior, exercise helps to regulate hormones. This includes releasing certain hormones that help to facilitate brain cells’ growth. By increasing its blood flow, regular exercise also helps to supply more oxygen to the brain, thus effectively boosting its performance. This helps to slow down the brain’s ageing process, and also reduce the risk of degenerative diseases such as Dementia and mental disorders such as schizophrenia.

How Should I Start?

According to studies, one should clock in at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity in a week. And as with any project, start with a goal and a time frame, and work backwards. If your goal is to have greater muscle strength, perhaps you should try weight lifting. If you wish to improve on endurance, perhaps try incorporating cardio exercises in your schedule. Once you have a goal and time frame in mind, you can then plan your workout schedule and structure.

Understandably, it’s hard to hit 150 minutes a week consistently if you have a busy schedule. As such, try to find some time amidst your hectic schedule. Perhaps take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible or have a short walk at the park after work. No matter how small your exercise activity may be, your body will thank you for it.

If you wish to supplement your dietary change and exercise routine even more, try your hand at TCM slimming treatments! Through the incorporation of Traditional Chinese Medicine slimming techniques, your body will be more effective at removing body toxins, eliminating water tension and boost metabolism, all of which will aid in your slimming journey. Make an appointment with us to find out more!

Every weight loss journey is a long battle that can slowly eat away at your motivations and self-esteem. This arduous battle requires you to tweak and sometimes even transform your lifestyle habits, throwing you into a loop. From sticking to a clean and sensible diet to making ill-advised decisions that can cause health consequences, your journey can make you feel like you’re doing every single thing right and yet, you can’t see the results you’ve been hoping for.

But did you know, you could actually be self-sabotaging by following outdated and misguided advice? So, to significantly aid in your journey, here are 5 common mistakes you should avoid when trying to lose weight.

1. Choosing diet or low-fat foods.

Foods that claim to be low-fat or weight loss friendly may not be as great as they claim to be. Many of such foods are jam-packed with oil, sodium and sugar to compensate for taste. The granola and trail mix boast healthy properties – whole oats and grains – but they are often prepared with an unhealthy amount of butter and oil. The emblematic weight loss food of all time, the salad, is a healthy meal – that is, if you’re eating it by itself. Once you add the croutons, cured meats and high-fat dressing, it stops becoming the healthy meal you thought you were going for.

Be sure to research and check the nutritional label before purchasing any of such foods. The rule of thumb: choose a combination of nutritious and minimally processed foods instead of low-fat ones.

2. Not consuming sufficient protein

There are several diet trends out there, one of which is the low-protein diet. Unless you have certain health conditions that require you to reduce your protein intake, not taking enough may actually be hindering your progress!

Eating enough protein is vital if you’re aiming to lose weight. In fact, protein helps to reduce appetite and calorie intake, whilst simultaneously increase feelings of fullness and metabolic rate. It also protects your muscle mass during your weight loss. Ensure your meals contain sufficient protein for optimal weight loss.

3. Not cutting down on sugary drinks

Sugar-sweetened beverages are one of the unhealthiest beverages on the planet. These drinks contain a lot of calories, which is detrimental to your health. Moreover, liquid sugar calories don’t make you full either. You end up unknowingly adding extra calories on top of your normal intake.

You may know this and have already eliminated sweetened beverages and soft drinks from your diet, but maybe you have missed out on fruit juice. Similar to sodas and the like, fruit juices are loaded with sugar, and will not help in your weight loss.

4. Not tracking what you consume

Successful weight loss does not stop at consuming healthy foods, but portion control is another aspect that you will want to look into. No doubt, consuming healthy and nutritious foods is an excellent way to lose weight, but you might still be subconsciously eating more calories than needed. When you don’t track what you eat, you’re also uncertain if you’re getting the right amount of fibre, protein, fat and carbs that are necessary to support your efforts.

Studies also show that you get an accurate overview of your nutrient and calorie consumption and provide accountability when you track what you eat. It’s recommended for you to jot down everything you eat in a day to give you a better idea of your consumption habits.

5. Setting unrealistic goals 

Having weight loss goals can motivate you to lose weight, but setting unrealistic expectations can work against you. Unrealistic expectations can lead to utmost frustration, which might in turn, cause you to give up.

Adjust your expectations and set a more modest and realistic goal to increase your chances of achieving successful weight loss. This prevents you from feeling discouraged and significantly improves your chances of success.

On the other hand, you can also opt for our natural TCM slimming treatment in Singapore to achieve the desired body you’ve been yearning for. At Slim Couture, rest assured that you’ll be in good hands as we take care of your body inside out to boost your metabolism and improve your overall health.

Going on a weight loss journey can be undeniably frustrating, especially when results don’t seem to show. The smallest actions that may seem inconsequential, but they tend to have a substantial impact on the number on the weight scale. While these actions alone are not the impetus for your climbing weight, they can easily develop into bad habits, and this is when the problem arises.

The insidious part about this is the fact that these habits don’t develop overnight. You’ve probably unknowingly made these habits without truly understanding its effects, especially to your weight. But fret not! You can still make the necessary changes and change always start by recognizing what these counterproductive habits. Without further ado, read on as we present 5 common bad habits you should avoid when trying to lose weight.

1. You stay up late

On top of repairing and renewing your cells, restoring energy and releasing molecules and proteins, getting sufficient sleep can also keep you slim. Studies have shown that maintaining a healthy and proper sleep schedule is essential to keep your tummy slim and tight. In fact, dieters who get less than 5 hours of sleep tend to gain 2 times more weight than those who get more than 8 hours of sleep.

Aim for 6-8 hours of sleep every night, which is proven to be the optimal amount for weight control. Avoid taking naps during the day and refrain from drinking caffeine 6 hours before your bedtime.

2. You skip meals

Many are under the impression that skipping meals will help them attain their weight loss goals, hence the diet trends. Unfortunately, this has been debunked. Skipping meals can increase the likelihood of you gaining more weight, especially when it comes to skipping the most vital meal of the day, breakfast.

Skipping meals will not only make you feel hungry faster, but it also slows down your metabolism. On top of the likelihood that you’ll overeat at your next meal, your body will have a harder time burning calories during rest and activities. As such, you’ll put on weight. To help you with this, you can make your healthy yet delicious breakfast the night before to motivate you to eat.

3. You binge-watch television 

When you binge-watch your Netflix series or movies, the chances of you subconsciously snacking are exceptionally high. Make the most of your television time by multitasking as you watch. It can be as simple as folding some laundry, doing planks, or even wall sits occasionally.

4. You rush through meals

A study found that slow eaters consume 66 lesser calories as compared to their peers who eat fast. By eating slowly, the stomach will signal to the brain to release more satiety hormones, hormones that govern the feeling of fullness. Once these hormones are secreted, you’ll feel full faster and will stop eating.

You can start each meal with two glasses of water, which serve as a natural appetite suppressant to help you feel full. When your food comes, place your fork in between bites and slow down your eating pace, giving your body additional time to digest the food.

5. You hardly drink water

Surprisingly, most people confuse thirst and hunger, often mistaking the former for later. Clinical studies have shown that 36% of people have weak thirst signals, thus mistaking hunger for thirst.

As such, make an effort to drink 8 cups of water every single day. If you’re not a fan of plain water, try spicing things up by adding fruits like calorie-free fresh citrus to make your very own detox water.

The 5 common habits above might be hard to shake off, but follow our useful tips, and you’ll be a step closer to attaining your weight loss goals. To aid in your weight loss journey, we also offer entirely natural TCM slimming in Singapore to enhance your metabolism and boost your overall health without any downside. Start losing weight effectively with us today!

The end goal of any weight loss journey is to shed a couple of pounds and keep that weight off for the long term. Unfortunately, not everybody is successful in maintaining their weight loss. In fact, a 1999 study estimated that only 20% of overweight Americans are successful at losing at least 10% of their body weight and maintaining this weight loss for at least a year.

Losing weight is surely not an easy feat, but keeping it off long-term is where many tend to struggle the most. The reason behind this hurdle all boils down to your biology: your brain and body are hard-wired to regain lost weight! After you’ve lost weight, not only will your metabolism slows down, but your body will also burn fewer calories compared to the start of your journey. Compounded with convenient lifestyle choices, it makes it all too easy to put the pounds back.

Before you conclude that your efforts are all for nought, know that not all is lost! There are numerous scientifically proven methods that can help you keep the weight off. All it boils down to is consistency. Here are 5 lifestyle choices to incorporate in your weight loss journey.

1. Exercise regularly

Exercise plays a crucial role in not only weight loss, but also weight maintenance. In fact, it becomes the most important factor when trying to maintain weight loss. Physical activity helps to prevent metabolic slowdown.

Studies have shown that those who are successful in weight maintenance exercise more than the average person. You’ll want to clock in more than 200 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. You can start with walking for 60 minutes a day, 6 times a week. If you wish to do more vigorous activities, you can afford to shorten it to 35 to 45 minutes a day. This amount of activity can be daunting to many, so you can always start slow before increasing your physical activity levels when you’re ready.

2.Incorporate “modified foods” to your diet

No matter how many superfoods or carb-free foods you include in your diet, there is no shortcut when it comes to maintaining your weight loss. What does help to keep those pounds off is to instil consistent eating habits. Besides watching your intake, consider swapping your regular ingredients with “modified foods” containing less sugar, fat, or processed carbs. Eating such foods will satiate your hunger without eating excessive calories and fat.

Of course, by replacing your regular foods with these “modified” ones, it also means that you’re working with a more limited diet of ‘safe foods’ that you have to eat over and over again. Whilst it may be boring, it is no doubt effective at reducing the number of calories, fat grams and sugar that you would have otherwise included in your diet, rendering your efforts moot.

3.Stay hydrated

Drinking water helps boost your metabolism, cleanse your body of waste, and acts as an appetite suppressant. Thus, it stands to reason that you’ll want to ensure that you drink enough during your weight loss and weight management journey. Always strive to drink 250ml of plain water 8 times a day. If you sweat a lot or exercises regularly, you’ll want to increase your intake accordingly.

4.Get enough sleep

Getting sufficient sleep has a significant impact on weight control. In fact, sleep deprivation is one of the culprits of weight gain in adults! Inadequate sleep has been found to trigger decreased levels of leptin and increased levels of ghrelin, which will increase your hunger and appetite. To make things worse, those with insufficient sleep are unlikely to spend time making healthy food choices and work out, opting for something more convenient. Find ways to adjust your schedule and sleeping habits, and strive to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night for optimal weight control.

5. Manage stress

Controlling your stress levels is imperative to weight control. High level of stress promotes increased production of cortisol, the “stress hormone”. As a response to a spike in cortisol, your body will also produce more insulin. This will cause your blood sugar to drop, and you’ll end up craving sugary and fatty foods.

To better manage your stress levels, you can consider incorporating meditation and breathing exercise in your morning routine. Regular exercise is another excellent approach that’s effective at keeping your cortisol levels down.

You can also maintain your weight by opting for our TCM slimming treatment in SingaporeHere at Slim Couture, we’ve adopted Traditional Chinese Medicine practices to help you slim down easily and safely. Reach out to us and start your weight loss journey today!

Open chat