Losing weight the healthy way in a three-month program<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
There is no such thing as a free lunch.<\/p>\n
The maxim has been niggling at Heidi a lot lately since she
\nfound that it takes a lot of effort to acquire the shape she has
\nbeen dreaming of.<\/p>\n
It has been three months since she started her fitness program
\nat the Jakarta Hilton International's LifeSpa and Fitness Center.<\/p>\n
The program is aimed at recovering Heidi's fitness, long lost
\nas the result of long periods of inactivity, a sedentary
\nlifestyle and endless hours at work as a desk-bound reporter.<\/p>\n
The past two years have been crazy, ever since Heidi started
\nher reporting job in fact. She had gained eight kilos at one
\nstage, up to a whopping 64 kilograms, which made her nearly obese
\nfor her 1.55 cm height.<\/p>\n
She weighed 62 kilograms before the program commenced and now,
\nthree months later, the scale has moved down a bit to 60
\nkilograms.<\/p>\n
It's certainly a lot harder to lose weight than to put it on.<\/p>\n
\"Why, oh why did I let my body balloon out like this?\" Heidi
\ngroaned.<\/p>\n
There are, however, other things that Heidi has gained from
\nthe exercise. Despite the small weight-loss, her body is more
\ntoned. She has also become fitter, stronger and lither.<\/p>\n
Something else has also improved in her lifestyle. In the past
\nmonth, instead of staying in bed longer like she used to, she
\nwakes up earlier to play badminton in addition to going to the
\ngym.<\/p>\n
Occasionally, she also goes to the batting cage at the Senayan
\nSports Center to hit some baseballs. Blisters and all, her
\nmotivation is still high.<\/p>\n
\"I'm desperate to lose weight. But on the other hand, I don't
\nwant to do it destructively, like becoming anorexic or taking
\ndiet pills. So, I guess this is the only way for me,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The Center's manager, Thomas Weber, who assists Heidi with her
\nprogram, recently gave her his evaluation.
\nHere are some of the highlights:<\/p>\n
* Increased strength<\/p>\n
Over the three months, Thomas said that Heidi had shown an
\nincrease in strength. At the beginning of the program, she
\nstarted by doing eight exercises with two sets of 10 to 15
\nrepetitions for each exercise. After two weeks, this had
\nincreased to 11 exercises with three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions
\nper exercise.<\/p>\n
In the middle of the program, there was also an experiment
\nwith \"circuit training\", which Heidi liked due to the quicker
\ntempo.<\/p>\n
* Weight loss<\/p>\n
With regard to weight loss, Thomas said that the healthy way
\nwas to lose no more than two kilos a month.<\/p>\n
\"People who say they can lose more than that are usually
\nstarving themselves. Also, don't be tempted to take supplements
\nor by any of the other ways that are said to make you lose five
\nto eight kilos a month. That's not healthy. Besides, it's most
\nlikely that the weight is going to bounce right back on again,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
\"You might have lost only two kilos. But that's weight that
\nyou're not going to put back on again quickly.\"<\/p>\n
* Heidi's shoulders, back and arms are apparently pretty weak.
\nHowever, it is not necessary for her to concentrate on exercising
\nthese. Instead, she should continue to work on her entire body,
\ndoing the basics first and building a foundation. After that, she
\ncan focus more on her weak points.<\/p>\n
What's next?<\/p>\n
* Keep up the rhythm<\/p>\n
After three months, Heidi decided to take a break for two
\nweeks as she felt a little fatigued. She did not stop exercising
\ncompletely though as she continued to play badminton and do some
\nbatting in the cages.<\/p>\n
According to Thomas, taking a break for a week or two is fine.<\/p>\n
\"I've always advised my clients to take a break once in a
\nwhile. But beware, because that one week of a break can become
\ntwo weeks, three weeks, and suddenly, you're sedentary again.\"<\/p>\n
Thomas said that Heidy was already in the rhythm of regular
\nexercise, so she should not get out of it.<\/p>\n
* Continue the program for the next four weeks, and then change
\nit.<\/p>\n
Right now, Heidi is doing 20 minutes on the treadmill, 10
\nminutes on the stepper, a series of abdominal exercises and
\nweight training.<\/p>\n
Thomas suggested that she do more on the stepper to work on
\nher mid-section (\"Oh God, I must have a bump like those girls
\nSisqo's been singing about!\" Heidi sighed.)<\/p>\n
* Combination<\/p>\n
Doing exercise regularly at the gym can be boring after a
\nwhile, unless you are surrounded by gorgeous hunks. So, combine
\nthe exercise with a variety of cardiovascular activities outside,
\nlike biking, running or swimming.<\/p>\n
If you do get bored, just go twice a week to the gym, and
\ncombine the gym work with sport.<\/p>\n
\"You've also been playing badminton and going batting, which
\nis good. So, come by here two times a week, and then play
\nbadminton two times a week and also softball. So, it's
\npractically everyday,\" he added.<\/p>\n
\"What? Isn't that too much?\" Heidi asked.<\/p>\n
\"Nope!\"<\/p>\n
* Weight training is important.<\/p>\n
\"Say I don't exercise at the gym, but I play a few different
\nsports three times a week on the same days I usually go to the
\ngym. Would that be OK?\" Heidi asked.<\/p>\n
According to Thomas, this depends on what the goal is. Since
\nHeidi still wanted to shed a lot of kilos, it would not be
\nenough.<\/p>\n
\"Playing sports like badminton and softball does not involve
\ncontinuous calorie burning. You will only be running for the ball
\noccasionally and quickly,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"In the gym, you continuously burn calories. Weight training
\nis also important because it focuses on different muscle groups.\"<\/p>\n
Research also says that weight training is good for women so
\nas to increase the strength of their bones.<\/p>\n
* Fifty percent of the success in losing weight is due to good
\ndiet.<\/p>\n
* On top of that, be patient. Keep up your motivation because
\nhard work really does pay off.<\/p>\n
\"Imagine if you keep doing it for the next six months, you
\nwill have lost, what, five, six kilos? That's good, isn't it?\"
\nThomas said.<\/p>",
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