Bypass The Hidden Challenges In Your Weight Loss Journey

The most straightforward approaches to shedding a few pounds are to exercise and maintain a healthy diet. However, it’s easier said than done. Disappointment easily arises when the desired results are not met. Aside from the difficulty of losing weight, one may struggle losing fat at specific parts of their body. Frustration brews when you try your best to lose fat at specific areas, for instance, the belly, but to no avail. If you’ve reached this stage, perhaps it’s time to look at some of the things that you might be doing wrongly. There may have been a few things you’ve overlooked and these factors may very just be the reason why the results did not come to fruition.

1. Having A Bad Sleeping Schedule

Weight gain is not just the result of the things you’ve been putting in your body. Arguably one of the most important activity for your body as it uses this time to recalibrate and repair your body essentials.

The most straightforward relationship between a sleep-deprived body is having not enough energy the next day to exercise. Going further in, your body produces more cortisol, the stress hormone, which further increases the likelihood of stress eating. In addition to an increased cortisol level, the level of ghrelin also spikes. Ghrelin is a hormone that helps to stimulate appetite, and thus, you’d go hungry quickly when you didn’t clock in those hours.

Thus, be sure to maintain a consistent sleeping schedule and ensure that you clock in at least 8 hours of sleep every night.

2. Wrong Exercises

Many make the mistake of doing different types of exercises without understanding the muscles that they’re activating. If you’re not activating the muscles of your desired body part, then it’s only understandable why you’re not losing weight in that area.

For instance, contrary to popular belief, crunches don’t actually reduce belly fat. Crunches work on the rectus abdominis, the muscle that runs from your rib cage to your pubic bone. But to effectively lose weight in your belly area, you need to work on that muscle and 3 others: internal and external obliques, and the deepest abdominal muscle. Losing your belly fat will not be as effective if you didn’t activate all 4 muscle groups. Thus, instead of working on an isolated area of your body, a cardiovascular exercise such as swimming, will work much better.

 3. Be Mindful Of The Types Of Fat You’re Consuming

It is not a crime to eat fatty foods, but it will pose a problem should your body be the one who pays for it. Contrary to popular belief, a healthy amount of fat is needed for normal bodily functions such as temperature regulation, the absorption of nutrients, cell growth and production of essential hormones. Thus, getting rid of fat from your diet is not only impossible, but unadvisable. That said, what you can do is ensure that the fats you’ve been consuming have little to no unhealthy fats, which are trans fat and saturated fat. Apart from the extra calories (fats contain 9 calories/gram, twice the amount of carbohydrates and protein), you’d also cause cholesterol build up in your arteries, leading to ailments such as arteriosclerosis and heart attack.

Reduce your intake of foods high in saturated and trans fat, and replace them with healthier options, such as avocado, whole eggs and nuts. Be aware of what you put in your body at all times.

4. Ageing

With age, the body loses its ability to burn calories as effectively as it used to. Your metabolic rate slows down, especially so when you reach menopause. The drop in estrogen will cause your body to gain weight, which is frustrating if you also take into account the drop in your metabolic rate. Since your cell recovery rate is not as efficient, exercise will not give you the results as quickly as you wish to.

Thus, it may be wise to consider going for slimming treatments. Not only will it help you shed a few pounds, but it will be easier on your body when you do exert energy in a physical exercise.

Conclusion

Weight loss is challenging, but you can do yourself a favour by noticing the few things that may hinder your progress. Of course, this also means that you need to have the patience to try and tweak your journey one step at a time. If not, you can always opt to ease your burden a bit by going for an effective weight loss treatment.

Unfortunately, due to COVID19, we will be temporarily cease all operations from 7^th April 2020 to 4^th May 2020. Whilst we look forward to help you achieve your desired waistline, your health comes first! Let’s stay indoors, stay fit and help flatten the curve!

4 Foods That Will Aid In Burning Any Excess Subcutaneous Fat

Weight loss is an issue that most of us partake in, some more successful than others. Women, especially, have a harder time losing weight as their body composition carries more subcutaneous fat. This type of fat is not metabolically active, thus, they aren’t able to burn as many calories as their male counterparts. Apart from apparent risks of potential health issues such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, this alone can easily adversely affect one’s image of oneself.

Subcutaneous fat isn’t all that bad for the body. Like most body composition, having the appropriate amount of subcutaneous fat is beneficial for your body. Not only does it stores energy for later use, but it also serves as insulation and padding to absorb the impact of hits and falls. This type of fat also functions as connective tissue between your dermis and muscles and bones. It also acts as a passageway for nerves and blood vessels between the skin and muscles.

However, too much will increase the risk of health complications. Thus, it is important that you keep it in check. Amongst the fundamentals and various slimming treatments, a healthy diet is paramount. We will look at some of the foods that will help you lose subcutaneous fat, which will improve your metabolic rate and thus, allow you to shed those pounds much more quickly.

Lean Meats

The most straightforward to lose weight is to cut down on calories. Since a high protein meal not only helps keep you full for an extended time, your meal frequency will drastically reduce, thus reducing any energy deficit. Lean meats, in particular, are sources of protein that are highly beneficial for you as they have relatively low fat content. It also possesses fewer calories than their non-lean counterparts.

Black Beans

Black beans have been acknowledged as one of the handful power foods, and with good reason too! Not only are they high in fibre and low in fat, but they also carry resistant starch. This complex starch allows you to feel fuller longer by sticking around your digestive tract. Furthermore, these beans promote the production of a particular chemical, butyrate, which encourages the body to burn fat as fuel.

Tuna

Fatty fishes such as tuna, are a prime source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a component of omega 3 fatty acid. Whilst omega 3 fatty acids are comprised of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and DHA, the latter is found to be 40 to 70 percent more effective when it comes to down-regulating fat genes and inhibiting their size expansion.

Jerusalem Artichokes

Jerusalem artichokes carry a particular insoluble fibre that will help you shed a few pounds tremendously. This fibre, the oligofructose, encourages the production of a hormone that maintains hunger, ghrelin, whilst simultaneously lowering down your blood sugar.

Conclusion

These foods are only a small portion of your effective weight loss journey. It needs to be supplemented with a good sleep cycle and regular exercise, amongst many other things. If you wish for fast results that do not pose a significant health risk, you may want to consider TCM weight loss treatments, such as our Divine Slim treatment at Slim Couture that utilise specialized TCM techniques to lose weight healthily.

Essential Tips For Maintaining Good Health During Menopause

Menopause is a period wherein every woman dreads. Not only will you experience random hot flashes, sleep problems, mood changes, you also have to deal with an abnormal weight gain. Your body is undergoing a major change and these are responses to the changes in hormones – the follicle-stimulating hormones (FSH), estrogen hormones. The drop in estrogen specifically, leads to a reduced metabolic rate and thus, you won’t be able to break down foods the same way before your menopausal years.

Whilst this is perfectly natural, adopting a lax attitude and letting the situation be is not advisable. The abnormal weight gain is an issue that, if not checked, may turn excessive. When one has excessive weight gain, your body is more perceptible to health risks – physical and mental – with consequences that may turn irreversible. Before that happens, it’s best to take up precautionary measures.

Here are a few tips you can incorporate in your daily life that will help you maintain a healthy weight during menopause.

Up Your Physical Activities

Undoubtedly, when one wishes to maintain a healthy weight, regular exercise is always the go-to approach. For ladies who are experiencing menopause, having an exercise routine is more than just fitting into the desired weight bracket.

A study done by the Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Cancer Control Alberta, found that women who engaged in aerobic exercise, especially one in high-volume enjoy several benefits. It includes reducing adiposity (obesity) measures and a lowered risk of postmenopausal breast cancer.

Do note that the primary risk of breast cancer is age, with weight being one of the secondary factors. To reduce the probability even further, you will thus need to ensure that you incorporate both aerobic and resistance training. If you have a hard time losing weight, you may want to consider slimming treatments to give you a little push.

Review Your Diet – Eat Fewer Calories

During menopause, your body will experience several hormonal changes which may bring about undesirable results. One result, in particular, the drop in estrogen levels alludes to cells that are more resistant to the effects of insulin. This greatly hinders the sugar absorption rate by your blood cells, thus increasing the likelihood of health issues such as hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), heart and diabetic complications.

Such health issues call for a change in diet to one that is healthier. For one, you can afford to cut down your intake, as your activity levels are significantly lower than those who are younger. Having 200 fewer calories is the first step to balance out and reduce the extra glucose in your bloodstream. Incorporate more greens and whole grains in your diet.

Another option is to check your sweet intake. Without realising, a large portion of our calorie intake comes from added sugars in sugar-sweetened beverages and sugared foods. A 500ml Coca-Cola bottle accounts for more than 10 teaspoons worth of sugar, which easily goes against the World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) recommended intake of 6 teaspoons. Thus, be sure to cut down on your sugar intake, especially seeing as how your body won’t utilise the glucose.

Get Sufficient Sleep

Another side effect of menopause, or rather the drop in estrogen levels, is hot flashes and night sweats that may disrupt your sleep. This isn’t an issue if it’s a short term complication, but for most menopausal women, they tend to persist for more than 7 years. If not checked, sleep disruption may not just lead to chronic insomnia, but it also makes it harder for your body to manage your blood sugar levels.

Since a slight increase in body temperature can trigger hot flashes, always ensure that your environment is cool. Open your windows or switch the fan to lower the room’s temperature. Before you head to sleep, sip a cold drink. You may want to also consider switching to beddings with better aeration.

Keep The Stress At Bay

With all the changes the body has to undergo, you’re bound to experience stress that may be overwhelming at times. It is thus crucial that you find ways to relieve your stress. At Slim Couture, you may be keen to try our weight loss treatment that incorporates Traditional Chinese Medicine principles.  Not only does it look into helping you shed weight, but this treatment also uses approaches that help you boost your mental wellness. It also enhances circulation and reduces cortisol (stress hormone) levels.

Conclusion

Menopause is inevitable and with it comes all the troubling symptoms. To alleviate these issues and complications, you will need to have a good grasp on your health. These tips will hopefully build the foundation for a better overall well being.

Tell-Tale Signs That Your Body Needs More Physical Activity

Whilst the majority of Singaporeans believe that they are healthy, a survey conducted by Prudential Singapore’s Health Literacy Poll would state otherwise. Not only are we not eating enough greens, but we also lack in the exercise department. As a matter of fact, 426 out of the 501 respondents admitted to not hit the recommended 75 minutes of exercise per week. That’s 86 percent of the total participants. Likewise, if you’re one of those that don’t clock in the regular amount of physical activity, you may be ignoring the signs that your body is telling you that it’s in dire need of an exercise.

You Experience Unending Fatigue

You’ve ticked most of the boxes for cultivating a proper sleep cycle. You ensure that you clock in a full 7-hour each night and even take things a little further by eating healthy meals. However, even with these precautions, you always feel tired and lethargic as soon as you wake up.

Extreme fatigue may be due to the lack of exercise, which can cause deconditioning. Deconditioning can hinder your performance by making tasks feel significantly harder to complete. In this case, exercise is highly recommended. A regular exercise routine contributes to more restful sleep by increasing the time you spend in a deep sleep. Exercise has been found to reduce fatigue by as much as 65%! Whilst it may be challenging to start, much less keep up, you’re bound to be grateful first thing in the morning.

You Have Unexplainable Joint and Back Pains

Perhaps unending fatigue is not the only thing that’s bothering you. Do you also experience unexplainable joint aches and back pain?

Apart from your mattress quality, sleeping position and posture, the lack of exercise may be one of the causes. The lack of exercise may result in the stiffening of your spine and the lack of utilisation of the surrounding muscles may cause it to weaken. This goes the same for your joints.

Jumping into an intense workout routine when you have weak joints may not be a sound idea. The same if you experience back pains. This is a definite no-no, especially when you are on the heavy side, as an intense physical activity will put a strain on your joints, which is the last thing you’d want. Apart from researching the types of exercises that you can do, you may also want to sign up for a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) weight loss treatment. At Slim Couture, our TCM weight loss treatment will look into your health and even your physicality. By using specialised techniques like Guasha, it will help to stimulate better blood flow and increased circulation, which can be effective against joint aches and back pain. Not only does this slimming treatment will shed off a few pounds on its own, relieved joints and back will make it easier for you to move around and continue with an exercise routine.

You Can’t Cope with Stress

The adverse effects of a sedentary lifestyle don’t just stop at the physical, but it will also leak into the psyche. When you are always fatigued and plagued with constant body aches, coupled with the inability to complete tasks, you’re bound to accumulate stress. In the worst scenario, you’d get overwhelmed and crumble under it.

Exercise helps by not only eliminating body aches and fatigue, but you will also be happy. At the chemical side, at least, exercising will promote the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which will boost your mood and cognitive ability. Your body also releases dopamine, and beta-endorphins – the feel-good hormones – and reduces cortisol – the stress hormone – levels in your system.

You Have Issues Digesting Food

Workout sessions do more than just burn those extra calories and increasing your metabolism rate. Exercising helps the contraction of the intestinal wall muscles. It helps to strengthen the digestive tract and keep it healthy. By increasing blood flow, it aids in the digestion and reduces any issues.

Conclusion

As you can see, exercise does not just affect your physical health, but it influences your mental and emotional health as well. In a society such as Singapore’s, not adopting a sedentary lifestyle seems almost impossible. The lack of time is also an issue.

Instead of exercising for a full 75 minutes in a day, break it up into 20 minutes that you can intersperse during the week. This is a more doable approach, one that your body will thank you for.