My BMI is finally NORMAL!

As I've promised from my earlier post (end August, just before the Fasting month), so here's my latest BMI results!

From being at BMI of 40++ (off the doctor charts - see my earlier post), 

this is what I had said:

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***my goals are to be within the normal BMI (18.5-24.9), I'm close to it, but not yet. When I started, I used to be at BMI rating of 40++ (when the Doctor tries to calculate my BMI, she turns her little 'BMI wheel' (just like when the doctor checks for women ovulation cycle), and mine is off the wheels totally. The doctor tried to act cool, and just assumed 40++. I was totally devastated!).

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Today, my BMI is at 24.6 (about 1 plus year later).. 

I am on top of the world!!! (click on the link, I just had to have that song played!)

If I can do it, you can do too!!!

here's the BMI result!

Here's my updated weight lost chart, from ever since I started.

yes, it has been extremely slow since I past the 80kg mark, and took me almost 5 months to shed an extra 10kg.. tough, sloww.. but most importantly.. there's progress. 

Actually, I'm not worried at all.. because I know, my exercise routine has increased tremendously for the past months.. now my interval training burst at 9+kmph on average (sometimes it burst up to 10+kmph). I'm able to bench press at 30kg with 8-12reps! and just recently, able to do chin-ups for 5 reps for 3 sets!! 

So, who said that we can't gain muscles while losing the fat?

I'm way overdue for my medical check-up with the wellness doctor - made an appointment, and shall update you all the progress I've made thus far.

btw, I've never ever ever ever thought a normal weight BMI is something I could ever achieved..ever. But I did!!!! whooaaa... that's an accomplishment. I should treat myself with some nice choc almond fudge ice-cream or deep dish double cheese pizza or warm mud pie chocolate cake or even a nice daun pisang nasi lemak??!!!

should I?

I think you know the answer.

have a great weekend.

Sher Khan.

To Lose Weight, You Don't Have To Starve..!

Today I visited my ex-colleagues (have not seen them for at least 5 months), and all of them are pretty much shocked to see me - most of them said they won't recognise me in the 1st look, and said I've lost too much weight***... infact some of them were really concern on my health!.. saying that I should eat more! (they keep reminded me that.. 'sher, please eat ok..')

I guess people still have this believe that to loose weight, you have to starve. You have to restrict your food intake as much as possible, to skips meals, etc. Well, if you read the books I recommended earlier, they called this 'a starvation diet' - it's one of the biggest myth or misperception ever in your quest of losing weight.

If you think skipping meals makes you lose weight, I tell you this - stop thinking. The fact says, if you do that, you'll teach the body to keep all the weights with you!!!

You see, our body has been designed for survival, it's designed to ensure that you will survive in the worst condition. If you're not eating, the body tells itself that it needs to survive (coz it doesn't know when would your next meal would be), so it conserve energy by slowing down your metabolism and the rest of bodily functions - less calories burned, metabolic rate slows down - and it tends to stores everything you eat as.. you guess.. fat.

...then you wonder why you always skip breakfast, or lunch, but still ended up... fat.

The trick is... to work with your body, not against it.

Always feed the body with good food to nourish the cells, and let your metabolism runs at it's peak... all the time. (read this article - Fire Up Your Metabolism) - that's one of the key incredient of losing the fat!

You need to eat to lose the weight..... How?

Never ever skip your meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner). Infact, you should add 2 more mini-meals in between - so total of 5 meals per day! - breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner - always have something 3-4 hours ensuring your blood sugar level and metabolism at it's optimum level.

I've always have good meals... see this picture of my typical lunch at work. Tell me if I'd still feel hungry by eating this!


That's a LOT of food.

Since there's no brown rice at the eatery (read my other post on this point), I replaced it with another veggie dish. The fish is my dose of protein and good omega-3 fats, and the rest is my carbs (for carbs, always aim for high PI, low GL)**.

That brown sauce is my sambal just to add a little bit of spicyness and most importantly that added dose of capsaicin phytonutrient that is high in antioxidant.

**People always thought that carbohydrates are either rice, bread, pasta, potato, cereals - but do you know that besides the known protein and fat in our foods, the rest are just carbohydrates? typically it's the largest component in most of the food we eat, and it's the most important nutrition for our body - you get the energy from the carbs you eat (carbs are converted to glucose that absorbs into our brains and muscles).

Ahhh.. so you're wondering.. Dr. Atkin was right.. low-carbs diet works?
Well kinda...it's the types of carbs that makes the difference, and my rule for carbs is High Phytonutrients Index, and Low Glycemic Load. (check Mr. Google for more - needs lots of reading there)

***my goals are to be within the normal BMI (18.5-24.9), I'm close to it, but not yet. When I started, I used to be at BMI rating of 40++ (when the Doctor tries to calculate my BMI, she turns her little 'BMI wheel' (just like when the doctor checks for women ovulation cycle), and mine is off the wheels totally. The doctor tried to act cool, and just assumed 40++. I was totally devastated!).

My BMI status as of 25-Jul-2008:

Check your BMI using the BMI Calculator

Be Healthy!
Sher Khan.

my other recent post:
What's my typical lunch/dinner?
What's Your Typical Breakfast?
Now I know your secret.. you don't eat rice..!
Stay Good at 90% of the Time

the journey continues..

See my previous update status (16-Oct-2007)

From: Sher Khan
Originally Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2008 4:47 PM
Subject: the journey continues..

Hi all,

Would like to drop some update to you with regards to the health progress that I’ve made so far.

A lot of people has been asking, and I thought I should be sharing it here. My only reason to share these updates is to spread the message that we need to live a healthy and balance life!.. losing weight is just the side effect of it!

Since my last email to some of you (that was in 26-Oct-2007), just after last year Raya. I’ve broken my 100kg mark, and set myself a new target by 30^th March 2008, I should be at 80kg.

Today, it’s already 12^th April, and what’s the outcome? Read below if you’re interested ;)

A lot of events had occurred after that email, one of the biggest was, I’ve made a career move (again!). I missed the long staircase walks up & down Menara TM, going to one meetings to another! Long walks from the parking lot up to my cubicle in level 15^th. Now my office is just 1-storey high, and parking is just a few steps from the door!

Tip: always find little ways to use your body more! Purposely park the car far away from the door, go get your lunch that requires you to walk far, use stairs instead of lift. Target to do around 10,000 steps daily!

Anyway, here’s my latest weight loss chart.

Since I’ve started last 12-Feb-2007, today on 12-Apr-2008, total fat lost is at 51.2kg (within 14months period).

As you can see on the chart, on 30-march-2008, I’ve hit 82.6kg. For the 1^st time, I’ve been struggling with a plateau! (I typically lost 4kg a month, but recently, less than 2kg a month) – at least I thought it was. Oh yes, I’ve missed my set target by 2.6kg!

In spite of that, I’m not worry though, my best guess is – I’ve just started going to a real gym 2 months back (it helps when you keep your exercise log), and has been focusing on a heavy-weight lifting regime (bench press, military press, squat, deadlifts!) – I figured my body is adjusting to the new muscles!

How sure I am? while the weight is on a yo-yo cycle these past weeks, however, I feel my pants is getting looser every other week. Just 2 weeks back, I’ve yet again need to shop for new pair of pants. My last pant size was at 42” (bought for Raya!), the newly bought ones are 36” (when I started, it was at 54”).

Tip: we need to have muscles, it’s a living tissue, and it burns 70x more calories just to maintain them (than without one). The more muscles you have, the higher your metabolic rate - means, it burns calories even during your resting/sleeping time! note that muscles are denser and heavier than fat.

Like I said earlier, loosing fat (or weight) is just the side-effect, the most important focus/mindset that I have is to focus on being healthy. Everything that I do to put into my mouth, I strive on putting only the food that is high in its nutritional value. While the natural food is good, say a lean chicken breast, the moment you deep fried it, suddenly it becomes an unhealthy. Repeat after me – deep fried food is evil! – they are high in saturated fat.

Tip: do you know that cholesterol is manufactured in your body by the liver? the main source are from the saturated fat and the glucose (carbs) from our diet. The liver shall manufacture a lot more cholesterol when a high-saturated fat diet is consumed. Worst thing, it elevate the level of LDL (the bad fats) in the blood, clogging your arteries.

According to the national standard of cholesterol education (US)

Risk Classification	Cholesterol	Triglycerides	HDL	LDL
Desirable	<5.2	<1.71	> 1.42	<2.6
Borderline	5.2 - 6.2	1.71 - 2.28	1.03 - 1.42	2.6 - 4.1
Risk	> 6.2	> 2.28	<>	> 4.1

I’ve had a borderline cholesterol level recorded at 5.80 mmol/L in Feb-2007. I don’t even want to know what’s my LDL or HDL level..scared to know the truth!

Last Dec-2007, it shows some improvement at 4.90 (desirable) of total cholesterol, while LDL is at 2.80 (borderline), while HDL is at 1.13 (borderline).

Yesterday, I had it checked again, and my total cholesterol stays at 4.90 (desirable), while LDL improved at 2.60 (desirable), while HDL also improved at 1.39 (still borderline)!

At the same time, last dec-2007 my uric acid level was at 487 (risk), now it’s 395 (desirable)!!!

Here’s the chart.

What did I do? I change my eating habit, the way of eating that is based on a whole foods diet that’s high in fiber, rich in colorful fruits and vegetables, and low in sugars and flours, with a low glycemic load. No fast-food or processed food (if it’s in a can/box, it’s not fresh/whole - should be avoided). Aim for 5 servings of fruits & veggies a day. Exercise for 30mins everyday, min of 4 times a week, focus on interval training for a rapid fat loss. Strive to meet at least 90% of the above as much as you can. Your body, your call, you’re fully responsible.

So, my journey seeking a healthy lifestyle continues.. my next target? To get my levels to the desirable range, and that killer six-pack-abs doesn’t looks like a myth anymore..! J

(I envied the Spartan’s in the ‘300’ movie). Gimme another 4 months (end August). I’ll update you then..at least the progress ;)

Wants to know more? Email me, glad to share with you.

My BMI status as of 12-April-2008

Check yours at BMI Calculator

Stay Healthy,

Sher Khan.

I Survived Raya!

From: Sher Khan Akbar Khan
Sent: 26 October 2007 11:17

Subject: i survived raya!

Hellooo,

Would like to share with you, early this week, I’ve finally managed to break the 100kg mark.

But, the most significant achievement is that I’ve survived Raya!

I’m actually losing 1kg during the whole week of raya!

As I can remember, so far, I’ve eaten about 8 pieces of raya cookies (homemade only), no lemang, ketupat or that sorts! Pheeeewwww!

So what are my strategies to curb those temptations?

I have bags of fruits stored in a cooler in the car! I make sure I eat them quite a bit before hitting out at people’s buffet table! (so I feel full). Oh, I’ve also keep packets of peanuts and cashew nuts around to keep me away from other useless/empty/high calories snacks. And since I was back in Kota Bharu, no access to dumbbell or treadmill, I make sure I do some bodyweight workout.

So, here’s my current status.. that 100 mark is something I’ve never even thought I could ever achieve.. but as you can see, I still hv a lot to go.. My new target??!! By 30-march-2008. I should be at 80kg!

My BMI status as of 22-Oct-2007

Check yours - BMI Calculator

Please make sure you eat your breakfast! never skips meals, and drink lotsa water!

AND.. don’t be lazy to exercise!

Sher Khan.

See my next status update! (12-April-2008)