Intermittent Fasting 101: What It Is And How It Benefits You

Most dieting trends feature lots of restrictions as to what you can and cannot eat. To illustrate, keto says no to carbs, and limits protein and sugar intake. Meanwhile, intermittent fasting only dictates when to eat, and not exactly what you should be eating. During intermittent fasting, you will vary between periods of eating and fasting. It could be eating within 8 hours and then fasting for the remaining 16 hours of the day. However, you will still need to watch what you eat during the 8-hour period.

When combined with a healthy lifestyle, intermittent fasting can be particularly useful in aiding weight loss. Here are some tips to make the most out of your fast:

1. Strive to eat healthily: Consume fruits and vegetables, fibre, healthy forms of protein and healthy fats. Avoid sugar, fast foods, processed foods and refined grains.

2. Let your body burn fat between meals: Restrict yourself from snacking! Instead, stay active by signing up for the best weight loss program to build muscle tone.

3. Experiment to see what works for you: See if you prefer your 8-hour time frame to be from 7 am to 3 pm, or 10 am to 6 pm, as long as it’s not in the evening before you go to bed. This is because nighttime is for resting, not eating. Adding on, those who eat late at night tend to consume more calories instead – which contradicts the purpose of intermittent fasting.

Now, let’s move on to how intermittent fasting benefits in your weight-loss journey!

Decreases calorie intake

Restricting your eating window may naturally decrease your calorie intake! Adding on, it may also increase norepinephrine, which is a hormone that boosts your metabolism to promote the burning of calories throughout the day.

Lowers insulin level

As long as you don’t snack between meals, this eating pattern may reduce levels of insulin. The fat cells with stored sugar will then release them as energy! We lose weight when our insulin levels are down – which is the point of intermittent fasting, as it allows the insulin levels to decrease as much as possible, enabling your body to burn off fat.

Promotes heart health

In our weight loss journey, attaining a healthy body mass index (BMI) is one of the main goals aside from achieving your dream body. Intermittent fasting has been shown to improve blood pressure, cholesterol, inflammation and blood sugar levels which overall, improves heart health. In turn, it also reduces the risk of heart-related diseases.

Conclusion

There are many other health benefits to intermittent fasting, but if you want to see results in weight loss or overall health, it all comes down to nutrition and staying well-hydrated. Sometimes, certain diets won’t work for you, but you won’t know unless you try. Additionally, TCM slimming is also a great way to lose weight. Through the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it serves as an all-natural slimming treatment meant to improve your health and metabolism.

As we abide by the Circuit Breaker measures to flatten the curve, you can continue to take care of your health and stay on top of your weight goals at home! We look forward to serving you with your slimming and weight loss needs soon.

Is the Number on the Scale A Good Indicator of Weight Loss?

When you’ve committed to a healthy diet on top of exercising regularly, you’d find yourself expecting a significant drop in your weight only to realise that your weigh has been around the same range for months.

Losing weight effectively requires a negative calorie balance by consuming fewer calories than your body burns in a day. If your weight is still the same despite a lower food intake, then it’s probably because you haven’t cut enough calories from your diet. In the pursuit of weight loss, having a balanced diet and a consistent exercise regime is not to be forgotten either. If you’re not losing weight despite the changes made, consider signing yourself up for the best weight loss program in Singapore.

While weighing yourself is a standard part of trying to lose weight, is it really a huge determining factor when it comes to tracking weight loss progress?

Focus on fat loss instead of weight loss

Losing weight usually refers to slimming down. Conversely, slimming down doesn’t necessarily mean losing weight off the scale. It may be unheard of, but it is possible to get thinner without seeing a drastic change in your weight! This is when you have lost body fat while gaining muscle. Even though your weight remains the same as you lose inches, take it as a positive sign.

The scale measures everything

The number on the weighing scale is the sum total of your muscle, fat, water, bones or organs. Scale weight tends to fluctuate throughout the day, due to water retention or how often you eat or go to the bathroom. If you step on the scale feeling unhappy with what you’re seeing, then how does that make you feel? When your vision is too narrowed on weight, other results like fat loss or endurance may be overshadowed. On the contrary, the scale may be helpful to track your progress. However, you shouldn’t rely on it too much!

Rethink your approach to track progress

Keep yourself motivated through tangible ways that’ll let you see if your body is making changes, no matter the number on the scale.

– How your clothes fit: If your clothes fit more loosely; then you know you’re making progress!

– Keep track of measurements: It’s difficult to notice the differences between different shapes, so it’d be hard for us to see for ourselves if we’re slimming down in certain areas. If you measure your body at various points (and see results), we’re sure it’ll motivate you to keep going!

– Set performance goals: Focus on completing a certain number of workouts each week. Take note of how long you can hold a plank each day, or set workout goals to accomplish in days to come.

Conclusion

Sometimes, you’re not losing weight where you want to due to factors that are beyond your control, such as age and genetics. But don’t give up your journey of attaining your dream body! Seek help in the form of TCM slimming procedures to aid your weight loss journey. It utilises TCM techniques to improve your health and metabolism, thus ensuring fast results. As you thrive towards your #bodygoal, keep in mind that the process does give you instant gratification. But when you do achieve your desired body or weight, you’ll know your efforts didn’t go in vain.

In light of recent events, please be informed that our operations will temporarily be ceased from 7^th April 2020 to 1^st June 2020, as of now. We look forward to welcoming you in stores again for our slimming programs. Until then, stay home, healthy and stay safe!

5 Healthy Ingredients To Incorporate In Your Diet Plan

When you think of diet, you’re probably thinking of basic meals like salads. Not that it’s dull, because salads can be fancied up with ingredients, texture and flavour! The point is, dieting isn’t restricted to just romaine lettuces and cherry tomatoes! Just because you’re eating healthy, doesn’t mean the flavour and variety should be compromised! Adding on, it can be challenging to eat healthily all the time – but that’s because we make healthy eating sound more complicated than it is.

Aside from signing up for weight loss programs online or at the gym, healthy eating also plays a part in weight loss. However, instead of giving up on everything you love, think about healthier substitutes that can ease your dieting process instead. So, we’ll be shedding light on some healthy ingredients that can ensure guilt-free meals, along with how it benefits your health and body!

Shirataki Noodles

Also known as ‘miracle’ noodles, shirataki noodles are derived from the roots of konjac plant. This ingredient can be adapted in to a wide range of dishes!

Shirataki noodles are high in glucomannan which is a type of soluble fibre that can absorb water to form a gel. Glucomannan is also a powerful weight-loss tool as it promotes feelings of fullness, despite being low in calories.

Zucchini Noodles

Zucchini noodles, better known as ‘zoodles’, took the world by storm when it was first introduced. Despite its rapid popularity, this trend is here to stay. Simply use a peeler or spiraliser to cut the zucchini into noodle-like strands. While zoodles can be eaten raw, they also taste great when stir-fried, boiled or drenched in sauce.

Aside from having low carb content and being gluten-free, zucchini contains little calories, as seen by how approximately five cups of zoodles are equivalent to one cup of regular wheat-based noodles! It also increases your vegetable intake, which significantly aids weight loss.

Avocado

Regarded as a form of healthy fat, avocado is the most versatile ingredient! Not only does it taste divine on toast, but it can also be used to replace butter! So, you can still factor some brownies in your diet – just make sure to check online for proper measurement conversions.

Since it contains high fat and fibre content, avocados can help you to feel full for a more extended period – partly because of the fat and fibre that slowly release food into your stomach. Also, the fact that it’s a form of fat might seem rather daunting. But, it might be assuring to know that the monounsaturated fats in avocados burn at a higher rate than regular fat, which causes your body to burn more calories after eating.

Dates

You should think twice about adding sugar to your smoothie. As alternatives, use honey, stevia, or even dates! Deseed a couple of dates and add them in to your smoothie mixture before blending it all up. You’d be surprised by how naturally sweet they are! On top of that, the fibre adds a new depth to your smoothie which will leave you wanting more.

Similar to avocados, dates contain high dietary fibre content which helps you feel fuller longer. Dates also help reduce inflammation and are a rich source of protein! And because it is sweet, it can help to satiate your sweet tooth cravings.

Cauliflower

If you miss indulging in the rich and creamy texture of mashed potatoes, fret not! Cauliflower is a healthier substitute to potatoes which are loaded with carbs. Most importantly, you can still indulge in a hearty bowl of cauliflower mash without compromising the texture of the original dish!

Being low in calories, cauliflower serves as a great replacement to high-calorie foods like rice and flour. It also contains an impressive nutrient profile which includes almost every vitamin and minerals you need to lose weight.

Conclusion

Any food eaten in abundance could be fattening. So, take note of your calorie intake when meal planning; otherwise, it’d be quite counterproductive. When embarking on your weight-loss journey, you can consider signing up for TCM slimming treatments, which is a safe and natural form of slimming technique with zero harmful side effects that might usually come with taking slimming pills and other unhealthy dieting methods.

While Slim Couture is temporarily closed during the Circuit Breaker, you can still stay up-to-date through our Facebook page. We would also be happy to attend to your enquiries regarding the slimming treatments offered at Slim Couture. As you stay healthy, remember to stay home as much as you can too!

How Your Kitchen Design Can Help In Your Weight Loss Journey

We’ve talked about how foods and your lifestyle have an impact on your weight loss journey but do you know that your environment plays a significant part as well?  You may be wondering how your kitchen designs have anything to do with your weight loss journey, but truth be told, it has a great amount of potential. Have you ever walked into your kitchen with no plans of eating anything, but you suddenly find yourself walking out with a packet of chips at your hand? Your kitchen layout and organisation may have a more significant influence on your diet than you think it would.

More families are cooking and eating at home, especially now due to the global pandemic. Eating out every day is not financially sustainable and when you’re spending more time at the kitchen, naturally, there should be more consideration given to your kitchen organisation.

If your goal is to lose weight, then your kitchen design should also reflect your conscious decision to stick to healthy meals. It’s time to include your kitchen layout into your weight loss program.

Display Fruits

Since fruits are one of the important parts of weight loss, it is good you keep fruits at arm’s length so you can reach them when you crave snacks or something to munch on. Get a fruit bowl or a pie plate, lay fruits such as banana, apple, pear, oranges and mangoes on the kitchen island or the countertop where you can easily reach them. Not only are they a healthy alternative to your regular chips, but they also give your kitchen an amazing pop of colour!

Sets of Measuring Items

If you’re cooking in the kitchen often, one of the essential kitchen utensils you’ll need to always have at hand is a set of measuring items. An effective way to shed those pounds is simply portion control. The first step to making a change is being aware of what you’ve been putting in your body, and how much! With a measuring tool, it’ll be easier to maintain a healthy level of consumption that your body needs.

Rearrange Your Food Store

Make a conscious effort to arrange your pantry in such a way that healthy food stays in front while omitting those that won’t do you any good. Keep unhealthy snacks out of sight as much as possible. As the adage goes: out of sight, out of mind.

Get Your Healthy Alternatives

On that note, take this opportunity to replace your unhealthy ingredients and foods with their healthy alternatives. It’s time to say goodbye to your chocolates, candies and chips! Try your best not to include sodas and soft drinks too, as they contain nothing but empty calories and sugar.

Of course, doing so does not mean you can’t have any of these foods whilst you try to lose weight. But the fact remains, the less you have them, the better it’d be for you. Thus, limit your consumption as much as you can.

Your kitchen is only a small part of a successful weight loss journey, but the effects it has is undoubtedly significant. The bigger aspects you need to look into are the fundamental factors that we’ve talked about previously: the types of food you’re consuming, regular physical activities and a healthy sleeping schedule. Otherwise, you may want to consider opting for weight loss treatments such as TCM slimming treatment to help you get a head start and at the same time, improve your well-being.

In hopes to help curtail the spread of the coronavirus, Slim Couture has ceased all physical operations temporarily until further notice to abide by the circuit breaker measures. We hope to continue to assist you in your weight loss journey once we’re back!