Why the Sony Xperia Z2 is the best running partner.

Sony Xperia Z2

I am always on the lookout for tools that can help improve my running. In fact, my last post on this blog (nearly 2 years back) was about the MOTOACTV GPS running watch. I've stopped using the MOTOACTV device, because Motorola discontinued the product, and the runs recorded on the device can no longer be uploaded for analysis.

MOTOACTV: My new running & cycling partner.

MOTOACTV GPS Sports Watch from Motorola

I am a big fan of the Nike+ running system.. That system is designed with the runner in mind. Since I started using the system more than 2 years ago, I have logged more than 3000 kilometers on the Nike+ website. The system helped me to stay motivated during running, and more importantly, stay in shape.

I initially started using the Nike+ system using just the shoe sensor and an iPod touch. I eventually upgraded that to iPhone 4. The iPhone gave me more flexibility to measure runs indoors as well as outdoors using GPS. In my opinion, the Nike+ system is the perfect companion for a dedicated runner.

Unfortunately, I had to give up my iPhone and move to the Android OS (The Samsung Galaxy Note to be exact). I love the Galaxy Note for my day to day tasks, but as a running companion, it just does not cut it. It is too big to hold in the hand or to keep in the pocket. Strapping it on the arm would make me look like a hipster.

When Nike announced their GPS Sports Watch, I thought it would be a good replacement, but held off the purchase because it does not have a MP3 player. Without a MP3 player, I would need to carry a separate device to play music during my runs.

I was casually searching for "gps sports watch and mp3" and the first result I got was the MOTOACTV GPS sports watch from Motorola. I had heard about this device when it was launched, but given its steep price ($249), it did not  fit my budget. However, it appears that Motorola decided to slash the price of the unit by $100, and suddenly it looked like a very attractive option.

Here are the key features of this device:
1. GPS Sports watch to keep track of your route, distance, calories burned, etc.
2. MP3 player that automatically recommends playlists based on your past history.
3. Accelerometer to track your runs indoors or on a treadmill.
4. Wi-fi enabled to upload your runs without the need for wires or connecting to a computer
5. ANT+ receivers to link heart rate monitors, bike speed and cadence sensors
6. Can be used for running or cycling (unlike Nike+ which is just for running).
7. Small size. You can wear it like a watch, or clip it to your clothing like iPod Nano.
8. Android based device. Can connect to Android phones for reading text messages, missed calls etc.
9. Being Android, the software can be easily updated. Since its release, Motorola has done a number of updates to the software to make it stable, as well as add many new features.

The amount of technology packed into this tiny device is just amazing. It fits all of my requirements and I am anxiously waiting for Amazon to ship my order. Once I get it, I will do a more detailed review.

Philips 9140/90 Food Steamer

The Philips 9140/90 Food Steamer

I have recently incorporated grilled chicken and grilled meat into my diet. The grilling is done using the Philips Air-Fryer, which I reviewed here. The Air-Fryer is really a nifty tool, and has become a permanent member on our kitchen table-top.

Any grilled food, of course, goes well with boiled vegetables. Up to now, I used to just boil them in water. The problem with that is:
1. You have to keep monitoring the boiling vegetables, to ensure that they don't overcook and become soft.
2. You lose too many nutrients in the boiling process.

After doing some research, I found that the best solution to second problem would be to steam them. You can read more about that here.

I narrowed my choice down to the following 2 Philips models, which are available locally in Kuwait.
 1. Philips 9140/90 (which I eventually ended up buying)
 2. Philips HD9160.

The 9140/90 is a 900 watt model, while the HD9160 has a whopping 2000 watt power. I figured I don't really need the extra power and couldn't justify paying nearly twice the price.

The steaming itself is a really simple process. You fill water in the base tank, and you can mix and match upto 3 different combinations of bowls for different types of food. You don't need to steam with all 3 pans. You can cook with just 1 pan. You can even remove the middle partitions to effectively make the bowl bigger. For my first trial, I started off with just 1 pan.

Steaming in progress.

The steamer has handy buttons to automate the process of choosing the correct time, depending on the type of food being steamed. You can also manually set the time. I steamed some potatoes and cauliflower - which takes 20 minutes.

I was really amazed at the result. The potatoes turned out perfect. Crispy yet not hard. The cauliflowers turned out a bit soft - but that's because I should probably put them in a separate bowl and reduce the steaming time to around 15 minutes.

Perfectly done Steamed Potatoes.

This gizmo is definitely taking up some prime real estate on my kitchen table-top, right next to the Air-Fryer.

Rating: Highly Recommended.

Visual Food Diary

Daily log of food consumed

2 years ago, when I got serious about healthy life-style, and started this blog, the first article I wrote was about determining our calorie needs. This is very important, because regardless of how much workout we do, it all comes down to what we eat, and more importantly, how much we eat.

The very next article I wrote was about keeping a food journal - and the various resources available online. My favorite resource for tracking calories consumed is My-Calorie-Counter. Initially, I used this resource extensively to figure out what I should be eating, and how much I should be eating in a day.

Both these resources have helped me to reach most of my fitness goals. Of course, keeping track of a food diary is not practical on a daily basis. It is something we should do for 1 or 2 weeks, and then use that knowledge to guide us for the rest of the way. Since we tend to go astray after some time, it's a good idea to come back to the food journal every few months to keep ourselves in check.

The Kettlebell Transformation.

My Kettle-bell collection.

Back in June 2011, when I first started getting serious about kettle-bells, I didn't realize just how serious it would get.

Fast forward six months, and the year 2011 is over, and a new year has started. I now do kettle-bell workouts 3 times a week.

And that's it. No gym, No treadmill running, No bench-pressing, no Nike+ running. Just kettle-bells.

Initially, my biggest fear with kettle-bells was the danger of injury. When you are swinging a 16 kilogram round object all around your body, it is very easy to assume that it is a very risky and a very technical workout. I was discussing kettle-bell workouts with my gym trainer, and the first thing he told me was that I would likely get injured, since he had seen many people getting injured while doing kettle-bell workouts.

Well, there is no denying the fact that kettle-bell workouts are highly technical workouts. You can get injured if you don't follow correct form or do not respect the kettle-bell. This means watching YouTube videos and trying to repeat the same at home is a sure-fire way to injury.

I was lucky because I was guided from the very beginning by a RKC certified trainer, and under his guidance, I moved from a kettle-bell newbie to someone who can comfortably do swings with 24 kg kettle-bells and snatches with a 16 kg kettle-bells.

I did not get a single injury with kettle-bells - which is quiet different from the regular injuries I used to suffer, while doing running or resistance workouts.

Last week, our trainer made us do an evaluation to see what we are capable of. When I first started kettle-bells, I could not do a single snatch with the 16 kg kettle-bell. During the evaluation, I did 80 snatches in 5 minutes.

The Kettlebell Influence.

An edible Kettlebell. Courtesy: My wife.

When I first got interested in Kettlebells (thanks largely to YouTube videos), I had no idea how much involved I would actually get into these type of workouts.

My blog post on Kettlebells got the attention of Suleiman - a certified Kettlebell expert, who is currently settled in Kuwait. Suleiman wrote to me and offered to show me the correct way to do Kettlebell workouts. I jumped at the opportunity of getting expert advice - even though the suggested time was 6 AM.

For the past 1 month, I have religiously woken up at 5:30 in the morning every Saturday - and headed off to our workout place. Under the expert guidance of Suleiman, I have learned the proper technique of executing a Swing, a Turkish Get-up, and a Clean. It was an eye-opening experience to me, because I was made to realize how little I knew of  handling Kettlebells. YouTube videos may be fine to demonstrate basic exercises, but when it comes to complex (and potentially dangerous) exercises such as Kettlebells, it is always a good idea to learn the basic form under expert guidance.

Kettlebell workouts now form a major component of my weekly exercises - while my running has reduced greatly due to my obsession with Kettlebells. I still try to put in a few miles on the treadmill at least once or twice a week, but it is no where near what I used to do few months back.

The influence of Kettlebells in my life can be best described by what happened to me yesterday (which also happened to be my 46th birthday):
   - I got up at 5:00 AM and headed off to our workout place.
   - 90 minutes of solid Kettlebell workout.
   - Returned home to find a birthday cake prepared by my wife and daugher, shaped like a Kettlebell.

Protein Bars on the Cheap.

Home-made protein bars.

I've been looking at protein bars as a snack for in-between meals, but the price is simply outrageous. A single bar retails for anything between KD 1.500 to KD 2.000, depending on the brand.

Last week, I received an email from Lee Haywards, one of the body-builders that I subscribe to on YouTube. The email was a link to his video showing how to make cheap protein bars at home. The video and the recipe is here.

I've previously seen home made protein bars from another one of my favorite body-builder Scooby. However, his bars looked like dog poo, and he even proudly calls them Scooby Poo Bars. You can see the recipe for that here. I was not really that keen on eating bars that resembled poo, so never gave that a second thought.

Lee's recipe looked reasonably edible, so I decided to give it a shot. I picked up all the required ingredients, which are:

• 8 scoops Whey Protein powder
• 1 cup oats
• 1/2 cup skimmed milk
• 3 table spoons honey
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• Crushed peanuts (I purchased normal peanuts and crushed them myself)

These are the actual ingredients that I picked up.

Ingredients for Protein Bars

My wife helped me to mix the stuff up and roll them into nice rectangles. Each bar packs a solid 27 grams of protein, and taste good too.

What is interesting, of course, is the cost break-down. Each bar costs approximately 300 fils (1 dollar), which is 5 times cheaper than the cost if purchased in the shop. Lee claims that his bar comes to 49 cents - which makes sense, since protein powder costs half as much in U.S, compared to the price here in Kuwait.

The nutritional values will be the same - and in fact, the home-made bars have an added benefit of not having any additives or preservatives. Now I can comfortably keep my protein intake at the required level thanks to these cheap protein bars.

The 30-Day Diet.

Healthy Veggies.

I have maintained a very good diet for the past 1 year - ever since I got serious about my fitness. This, in turn, has translated into a fit and trim body. There is still a bit of fat in the mid-section that I am sure will disappear in the coming months - as long as I stick to my current diet and exercise.

However, I have lately started feeling that the gains (in terms of muscle-building and/or fat-loss) have ground to a halt. Since my workouts are pretty intense, I believe the lack of gains is due to the food. Even though I am careful in what I eat, I do tend to indulge now and then, but since I don't keep track of these "indulgences", I believe the calories are creeping in unchecked.

That's why I came up with this idea of a 30-day strict diet regimen. During the next 30 days, there will be no more indulgences, no more cheat meals. This is what my daily diet is going to be:

Breakfast: An omelet made of 4 Egg whites plus 1 glass of low-fat milk.
Mid-Morning Snack: 1 fruit.
Lunch: Green Leafy salad with grilled chicken.
Pre-Workout: A serving of nuts
Post-Workout: Smoothie with Whey Protein + 1 glass low-fat milk.
Dinner: Green leafy salad with grilled fish.
Plus Multi-Vitamins to keep things in check and plenty of water.

The workouts will remain more or less the same. If I see any results after 30 days, I will know the result is due to the food. I can accordingly set my future goals based on this experiment.

I just finished day 1 and already I am craving for fat and greasy food. Not sure I can keep this up for another 29 days.

Kettlebells for intense workouts.

Kettle bells

I am a big fan of CrossFit training. One of the key component of any CrossFit exercise is a set of Kettle bells. Up till now, I had been unable to locate Kettle bells in local sports shops. Even my well-equipped gym does not have any Kettle bells.

Last week, I was at Muthana Complex in downtown Kuwait and passed by Orient Sports shop. I was pleasantly surprised to find a range of Kettle bells. I picked up 2 medium-sized ones to try them out, and incorporate into my daily workout.

Kettle bells provide several benefits over traditional weights. Due to the explosive range of motions used in Kettle bell workouts, they provide a full body workout and combine both cardio and resistance into a single workout, targeting multiple muscle groups at the same time.

To learn more about the benefits of working out with Kettle bells, read this article.

I've started working with Kettle bells on alternate days, and so far, I am enjoying the hard workouts. I am using this "300" workout as a starting point. As of now, I am unable to complete the full workout with my puny 7 Kg Kettle bell. The guy in the video is doing it with a 24 Kg monster!!.

The Color Purple

I started running with the Nike+ System for a little over a year now. In that period, I saw my metamorphosis from being an average guy with a pot-belly to running my first official half-marathon.

Just this morning, I finished my weekly workout. A nice 2 hour run at the gym. When I went to the changing room, a fellow gym-member walked up to me and asked me what is the secret of my running? How is it possible for someone at my age to run for 2 hours? I told him the same thing I tell everyone. There is no secret. You just have to commit to it mentally and keep running - making sure that you challenge yourself by increasing the distance or the speed slowly every week. That is exactly what I did and that's why I can run for 2 hours.

The workout itself catapulted me to my next Nike+ Level. The Color Purple. This color is assigned to those who complete 2,500 kilometers. This means that I have run an average of 200 kilometers every month or about 6.5 kilometers every day for 30 days in a month. Any way you look at it, that's a lot of running.

When I uploaded the run, I was immediately greeted with a video from Nike+ congratulating me on achieving the Color Purple.



Last June, when I reached 1,000 K, I had predicted I would reached the Color Purple in February 2011. I missed the target due to the 1 month vacation that I took in December, and also the slowing down of my running recently, in order to focus on the half-marathon.

Now the only challenge left is the final color code. The Color Black. This is like the black belt of running and is assigned to those who complete 5000 K of running.

At my current pace, I should achieve this in May 2012. Well, if the world doesn't end before that, of course.

My First Half-Marathon.

Yesterday, I ran my first official half-marathon race. Today, I can't walk.

As my wife massages my sore muscles with Iodex, I have to ask myself. What is the difference between running 21K every Saturday morning on a treadmill without any pain, and running the same distance on the road and having my body in complete ruins?.

I think I know the answer: Heat.

It was a nice and sunny day, as I headed out with the family to the Marina Mall - where the race was scheduled to begin. I had not run for the last 6 days to ensure that my legs were well rested, and I had plenty of sleep the night before. I was feeling good.

I collected my timing chip, and mingled around as runners started turning up. It was a very good turnout. Nearly 200 runners for the half-marathon and a similar number for the 10K run. The race was scheduled to start at 8:00 AM.

Everything was really well organized, and the race started at the scheduled time.

The start of the half-marathon. Photo by bloggermathai.

I started off really well. My Nike+ GPS app alerted me that I had completed my first KM in 5 minutes. If I could maintain that pace, I was pretty sure I would get a nice place. However, it soon became apparent to me that I would not be able to maintain the same pace because I started feeling the heat. Heat is something that I am not accustomed to when working out on the treadmill. I had earlier participated in a 10K race in November - but during that time, the weather was very nice and I never felt the heat. But this time it was different. The heat was hard and direct - and even my patented silly hat was no match for the heat.

As I continued running, I started noticing a second problem. The drinks. We had been briefed that there would be drink stations along the route serving water, Pepsi, and Gatorade. The problem was picking up the right drink. I would have preferred to sip Gatorade throughout the run - in order to maintain salts in the body and avoid cramps, but it was not apparent which glass contained what (unless you stopped by to inspect). Most of the time, I ended up with a glass of water. This was not a good sign.

By the time we reached the half-way point, I was really tired, and my pace dropped considerably. It was now 6 minutes for every kilometer. On my return trip, I tried to be more choosy on the drinks - even stopping by twice to make sure that I got Gatorade.

The heat was really intense and maintaining pace was now a struggle. I felt I should stop, but I carried on. At the 17km mark, I suddenly got a cramp in the calf and stopped in sudden pain. After drinking some more water, I started again - this time being very mindful of the cramps developing.

I was determined to finish the race under the 2 hour mark and I am proud to say that I did it. I completed the race in 1 hour and 55 minutes, and my official position was 60th out of 150 runners who completed the event.

The only strange thing I found was that my GPS shows that I completed only 19.7Kms, while the distance markers showed that I ran 21K. I don't know which is correct.

All in all, it was a well-organized event. I hope the organizers make this an annual event for Kuwait.

Fry foods without oil?

The Philips Air-Fryer.

I first heard about the Philips Air-Fryer when a local business posted a Facebook contest. The contest was very simple. Write a comment about the Air-Fryer and you could get a chance to win the Fryer.

Of course, I never win anything. But that did not stop me from posting a random comment. Also, as a marketing gimmick, it worked. My first thought was: "What the heck is an Air-Fryer?". Philips claims that you can cook tasty fries with 80% less fat than a conventional fryer.

80% less fat? That's very impressive. My heath antennae immediately went into overdrive. My kids regularly eat fried food so cutting the fat percentage by 80% would make me feel a little bit less guilty. Reviews suggested that this is the real deal. Even though the price is a bit on the steep side (KD 75/- or around $260), I thought the health benefits will make the device pay for itself so I went and bought it the very next day.

Pushing Hard

Less than 2 weeks after I started doing push-ups on a regular basis (using the awesome Push-Up wars app), I managed to make it to the Top 100 in the Global rank.

My 63 push-ups that I did today catapulted me to #89 on the Global leader board.

Of course, this does not mean that I am #89 in the world. My ranking is purely between the list of participants:

a. Who own an iPhone.
b. And heard about the Push-Up Wars app.
c. Then decided to pony up the $1.99 required to purchase the app.
d. And don't mind posting their videos to the games' website.

Whatever the case may be, it's nice to be on the Top 100 list and now I am determined to aim for 100 push-ups.

Kuwait's First Half-Marathon Update

Back in November, I wrote about Kuwait's first half-marathon event. The event was originally planned for January 28th, but got postponed. I think that was a smart move from the organizers, as January would have been too cold to run.

The event is now scheduled for March 19th. Registration is now open and you can register for the run by visiting either the C-Club or Extreme Sports shop. Details of the registration can be found here.

I did my registration last week. The registration fees are KD 10/- and you need to put a deposit of another KD 10/- for the timing chip. The deposit will be returned back to you after the end of the race - when you hand over the timing chip back to the organizers. You can (and should) also give a donation for the charity.

I love the idea of running with a timing chip as I will have a clear idea of the exact time that I will take to complete the race. I am currently training 5 days a week and hope to complete the race in the top 30 or 40.

There is also a 10K run on the same day for those who find running 21K too daunting. Participants of the 10K race will not get the timing chip.

The Push-Up Wars

This is a fun little app for iPhone, that I found on iTunes. I use the word "fun" loosely here, because doing push-ups may not exactly be fun to most people.

The idea of this app (or is it a game?) is to record video of your push-ups using the app. This ensures that the video is straight from the app - and not edited or enhanced in any way. That's a subtle way of saying that no cheating was involved. The video is uploaded to the pushupwars.com website, where it can be viewed by other members, and flagged for any discrepancy.

The application also features direct integration to Facebook, where you can brag (or in my case.. lament) your achievements.

The application features Global Leaderboard (I am not going to be featured on that list - at least in this lifetime), and a ranking system that promotes you based on the number of push-ups completed. It is even integrated to the Game Center for achievements.

For $0.99 that's an amazing deal for any fitness addict. Just as Nike+ improved my running, this should help me build a strong upper body.

Anyone care to challenge me?

RATING: 5/5

The South Beach Run.

Map view of run from Mobor Beach to Benaulim Bach.

It seems ironic that my first blog post in Goa is on my fitness blog instead of my photography blog. I had promised myself that I would focus mostly on photography during my vacation and give my running legs a rest but I guess even if you take the running legs away from the treadmill, you cannot take the running from the legs of a dedicated runner.

My plan was basically run on the beach as far as I could and then figure out how to return back home. I was hoping that I could run as far as the Colva beach (I estimated this to be about 12 kilometers from where I live, which is the Mobor beach). The last time I tried running here was back in May, when I has come down for my parents 50th wedding anniversary. At that time, I could do only about 8 km. But since my running has improved a lot since then, I thought 12 km should be achievable.

The Technical Shirt

Reebok PlayDry Shirt

In one of my previous articles "Dressed to Run", I highlighted the importance of wearing the right clothes (especially the shirt) while running.

These shirts are also known as "Technical Shirts". Basically, they are made from a special micro-fiber that pulls the sweat away from your skin and dries it quickly - keeping your warm and comfortable.

I have some good running shirts, but none of them are the real deal. At the end of the run, my shirt would be soaking in sweat and I would be desperate to hit the shower. The reason that I avoided buying technical shirts is that I just couldn't justify paying around KD 20/- for a T-shirt that is used primarily for running.

Yesterday, I was passing through a shopping mall in Kuwait City (Al-Muthana Complex) and noticed that one of the sports shop had a sale going on. I thought I'll check out to see if there is anything interesting. I hit the mother-load when I saw the Reebok technical shirts on sale for KD 8/-. I quickly picked up 2.

The "PlayDry Compression Shirts" are designed to move moisture from your skin. It accelerates evaporation, increases ventilation and reduces chaffing. And it doesn’t trap the heat inside. PlayDry. Because dryer is cooler. - Source.

As can be seen from the photo, these shirts are like body gloves and cling to your body. You don't even feel that you are wearing anything. Obviously, you need to be in pretty good shape to carry it off. If you happen to have a pot belly or love handles, you will look awkward wearing something like this.

I tried my first run with the shirt. I now regret not having invested in a technical shirt before. The difference is amazing. The sweating is still there. However, because the shirt is clinging to your body, it is the equivalent of running without clothes. This running without clothes is emphasized by the fact that the shirt almost turns "see-through". As I said before, if you are not fit, you will be VERY uncomfortable wearing this shirt while running thinking that everyone is looking and laughing at you.

However, once you start running in a technical shirt, there's no going back to normal shirts. I need to go back to that shop and pick up a few more before the sale runs out!!!.

Monitoring your body fat index at home.

Omron BF400

Whenever I need to check my body fat index, I normally visit one of the local pharmacies and take my measurements using the machine that they keep there for such purpose. I've done this a few times before and posted it on this blog.

I had heard about these Omron home-use devices that use Bio-electrical impedance to measure your body fat percentage and thought I'll pick up one just for convenience. My wife is also interested in keeping track of her BF% but doesn't like visiting the pharmacy.

The Omron BF400 allows me to store up to 4 profiles and quickly measures the Body Fat Index once you select the profile and step on the device. It also doubles as a weighing scale.

A preliminary check shows my BF as 20% but I this may not be accurate as I had just had lunch before taking the reading. I will do this again tomorrow morning to get a more accurate reading.

The BF400 is available in X-Cite Electronics for KD 19.500 (after the normal 20% discount).

Trying to be Fahad.



Fahad Al-Yehya (well, his resemblance).

"Trying to be Fahad" is a health & fitness blog by Fahad Al-Yehya. Fahad is the owner of Core Fitness, a fitness gym that focuses on short 20 minute sessions that people can easily incorporate into their busy life - while ensuring that they stay active and healthy at the same time.

I have personally not met Fahad, but I bet he bears an uncanny resemblance to his avatar posted on his blog. In other words, I wouldn't want to mess with him or piss him off.

Besides being a fitness guru, Fahad is also a certified nutritionist - which means that when he tells you to eat something, you eat it. No questions asked.

Fahad writes with a light and entertaining style, which makes his blog a nice addition to anyone who is interested in fitness and health.

Fahad is very helpful and answers all of the queries posted on the blog, including detailed advice on diet and nutrition. For example, I recently asked him to review my diet and he gave me a complete diet plan - which I plan to incorporate immediate.

The good news? The advice is completely free!!.

This is my new diet plan - as written by Fahad. Note: The Vetal milk Fahad refers to is a brand of low-fat milk fortified with proteins.

Cajie: I would like to make a few changes if you don’t mind (since I’m more familiar with your daily routine and preference in activity)

Breakfast –
2 boiled eggs, 1/2 cup old fashioned oats in 125ml Vetal Milk w/ raisins
1 slice of whole wheat bread w/ 2 slices of non-fat cheese

*Sip on 1 teabag of Organic White Tea 60 minutes after breakfast*

Lunch – (4-5 hours after breakfast)
6 oz of Chicken or Turkey Salad (1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, 2 tbsps vinegar, salt and lemon if needed)
1-cup of non-fat Yogurt

*Sip on 1 teabag of Organic White Tea 60 minutes after lunch*

Pre-Workout – (4-5 Hours after Lunch)
125ml of Vetal Milk + 1 non-heaping tablespoon of Raw Honey (I posted about this, it has a milky texture)
Add in a tablespoon of instant freeze-dried coffee for a further boost in energy

Post-Workout – (Skip your shake and jump straight into dinner, which should be 4 hours after your pre-workout mixture)
1-cup of Indian Basmati white rice (long grain)
1-cup of non-fat curry (no potatoes, only spices and non-starchy veggies)
8 oz. of Chicken or Fish (you may mix these in with your curry)

Notes:
- If you noticed, you’re eating less frequently. I’ve combined the snack with lunch, and your pre-workout sandwich and post-workout shake are too heavy for your cardio workout, since they’re designed to feed your body after a hard weight-lifting workout (which is why I asked you if you lift weights prior to my diet inquiry)

- You’ll feel a lot more satiated when eating your meals, but hunger will strike in after the 3-4 hour mark. This is perfectly fine and serves as a great precursor to fat-burning. Your body will be running on body fat once you feel the hunger, but the food’s actually still in your system for a good 6-8 hours. Embrace the hunger and enjoy the ride

Dieting vs Sugar: Sugar Always Wins.

A delicious calorie-rich cake.

Ever since man created sugar, humanity has been struggling with obesity. As each generation passes by, the war on obesity becomes more bitter as sugar keeps gaining the upper hand. This is despite all the knowledge and research that we have gathered and synthesized over the years. Humanity has conquered every known frontier - why is obesity so difficult to overcome?

I watched a very interesting episode on BBC called "10 things you need to know about weight loss". One of those 10 things focused on why skipping meals (or extreme dieting) is a bad idea. To prove this theory, a volunteer was subjected to a MRI scan on 2 different days. On the first day, the volunteer arrived at the test facility after he had a full breakfast. On the second day, the volunteer arrived at the facility completely hungry. On both days, the volunteer was put insider the MRI chamber and subjected to a series of images of food, and his reaction (as determined by the brain movement) was recorded.

The result? When the volunteer was not hungry (i.e. on the first day), there was no significant difference in brain movement when he was shown low-calorie foods such as salads or calorie-dense foods such as donuts, or cakes. The MRI showed a totally different picture on the second day (when the volunteer was very hungry). The brain did not register much activity when shown low-calorie foods, but it lighted up when shown high-calorie sugary foods.

The researchers determined that when we are hungry, our brain is programmed to seek out high-calorie food. It is something we do unconsciously and no amount of self-control seems to be able to overcome this barrier. I know it happens to me and I am sure it happens to each one of us. It looks like we are genetically predisposed to overcompensate with extra calories when we are hungry. We essentially end up undoing all the hard work we put during our diet and end up worse off than what we were - before the start of the diet.

And that's why we are losing the battle against obesity. It's not our fault. It's our brain that is making us seek out these calorie-dense sugary goodness. It is our brain that is urging us to stuff our face with cakes and donuts and cheesecakes.

If you are obese, now you can at least feel better about yourself - knowing you never had a chance!!

Do we have any hope? The only way to fight obesity and to stay healthy is to look at health as a life long project and not worry about losing weight for the next big event. Most of the time, we obsess about losing a certain amount of weight to fit into a dress for an event or an occasion. Once we cross the milestone, we are lost and return back to our usual habits and end up gaining more weight than we lost.

Once we stop obsessing on short-term gains and and focus on long-term goals, things will start falling into place. Long term goals focus on a balanced diet that includes everything (including calorie dense foods in moderation) and a healthy lifestyle that incorporates at least 30 to 60 minutes of vigorous workouts 3 to 4 times a week.

As of now, everything else is a myth.