Fighting Fat

At 164lbs with 25% body fat (March 29. 2010)
Photo courtesy of Marga Baula

I love to eat! Yep! You read it right, and I'll say it again: I love to eat! Eating for me is a celebration. An opportunity to share food and fun. In my twenties, I practically lived a sedentary life and ballooned in the process.

Hey, it's me!
Photo courtesy of Venice Bayongan

Health problems haunted me. Before it got any serious, I had a change of heart and mind, and resolved to get back in shape.

I hit the gym, went on a diet, and was successful. I'm very happy in my journey from FAT to FIT.

In 2009, I was introduced to running, and I loved it! It felt very liberating! I viewed running as another way to celebrate life. Since then, I made running a way of life.

Running complemented my love for eating. My weight when I started running was 175 lbs. And I observed that as I build up my mileage, my weight decreases without reducing food intake. My observation was validated when I read John Bingham's book, Marathoning for Mortals, for he mentioned that going on a diet while preparing for a marathon may not be appropriate for a newbie runner like me.

Reducing food intake does not appeal much to me. I remember in 2008 where I limited food intake while working out in the gym made me a very grouchy monster. I don't want to experience the same, and had to beg off from Rico's invite for me to participate in the 1st edition of the Biggest Loser Contest (BLC) amongst Takbo.ph members.

Did I mention that I love eating?? hehehe
Photo courtesy of Roy Gonzales

Come 2010, Rico re-introduced the BLC. For the 2nd edition, contenders will not only have to shed off weight, but also fat. Objective is to encourage all participants to develop lean mass while losing weight, and hopefully reveal the abdominal muscles.

He's Rico Villanueva, not Jonjon Hernandez hehehe
Photo courtesy of Marga Baula

I was again hesitant to join. In the Takbo.ph forum, I posted "I wanna join, but am afraid a change in diet would affect my Condura/BDM plans... perhaps joining after these races would be the best time to challenge you guys." But Rico was keen to motivate the members, posting "This really means that we should endeavor to lose weight by sensible diet (not crash diet) and regular exercise."

I'm still thinking very hard about it. But a normal shoutbox discussion with fellows Topher, Angel, and Junar became a dare and we all ended up joining the 2nd edition, just for fun hahaha. I'm not a weight loss expert. I'm just another ordinary buddy with some victories in the weight loss arena. Sharing to you the things that guided me in my new journey:

1. Bryan's win in BLC 1st edition was truly remarkable. His journey was a tough act to follow. I was reminded not to sacrifice calorie intake and increase the activities.

2. I remember one time, Marga wished me luck in my BLC journey. In jester, I replied "I'm hungry." She then told me "You're a runner! Don't starve yourself. You'll lose weight in the process."

3. Roselle in one of our training runs, told me "Having enough sleep is a major factor to reduce weight."

4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Most hunger pangs are caused by dehydration.

5. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.

6. Eat only when there's sunlight.

7. To lose fat, don't eat fat!

8. Train in the aerobic zone (aka fat-burning zone).

9. Muscles help burn fat while resting.

10. Reward and eat your heart's desires on weekends.

At 167.6 lbs with 33.4% body fat (1st week of January 2010)
Photo courtesy of Rico Villanueva

After 404.61kms of running, 112.9kms of spin biking, 1.5kms of swimming, enough sleep and a sensible diet, I submitted myself to the final weigh in last Tuesday, March 29, 2010, and yielded a decrease of 3.6lbs in weight and 8.3% of body fat.

My 1st Aquathlon (will blog about it soon)
Photo courtesy of Julie Reyes

How did I fared in the contest? Well, I lose to this guy:

Good friend, Topher Montaos, MD (puede natin pa-drug test? hehehe)
Photo courtesy of Marga Baula

My journey from FAT to FIT continues, until I transition from FIT to FAB. As a parting shot, I only have this to say: