Tag Archives: Sihat Itu Saya

The simple math of walking for weight loss

Posted in Everyday Life, Good Things by

To drop 1 kg of fat, you would need to burn 7700kcal. That is 150,000 steps.

Supposedly, if I choose to be ONLY on a caloric maintenance, I will be able to lose 1 kg of fat, IF I WALK;

  • 6K steps/day – I would get there in 30 days
  • 8K steps/day – 19 days
  • 10K steps/day – 15 days
  • 15K steps/day – 10 days

Of course, I would experience faster weight loss if my MEALS are in a calorie deficit and I pick up strength training. Since I have just started to be more consistent with my brisk walking schedule, I think I should stick to that first before I swing my kettlebell. Or maybe I could get going with it over the weekends. I tried doing that before, but it got so tiring that I stopped. Furthermore, I needed the weekend to relax, do my household chores, and spend time with my family. Household chores, such as buying groceries, folding laundry, and the occasional floor-mopping, take up a big chunk of the weekend. Thankfully, I have my Roborock to help with the vacuuming.

Regarding the steps, I am not quite sure whether a focused 10K on the treadmill would be more or as effective as the 10K that includes our NEAT activities. I suppose I should go for the focused session. So far, I am able to get that in spending 100 minutes on my walking pad at a pace of 4.5 to 5. This pace keeps my heart rate at Zone 2. I try not to go too fast, as that will turn my walking into a HIT instead. Thus, burning my carbs instead of my adipose tissue for fuel.

The results are showing tremendously in my husband. To be fair, he is walking far more than myself. He walks in the morning before going to work and after work. On weekend mornings, he would spend more time doing that. He could easily get more than 20K steps with that schedule. I have yet to see a dramatic difference in myself, but I have unwavering faith in this new strategy. Let’s do this.

S.i.s – getting the 10K steps daily

Posted in Good Things, Medicine/Health by

We are now at Day 34 of the challenge. Often, I find myself on a working day, choosing between spending my residual energy levels on a brisk walk or sacrificing other daily activities. The activities include cooking dinner, lying on the bed, scrolling social media, having a quick shut-eye with full consciousness after 5 pm, or getting groceries. Making dinner can be a tough choice as it requires considerable effort to prepare a meal for myself and the family. Hence, sometimes if I choose to walk, that usually means I will order GrabFood.

Juggling responsibilities and personal goals is tricky. Some things just have to give in. And you’d definitely have to do it TIRED. The mind must be ready to commit. Which explains why I would sometimes just hop on the walking pad with my work baju kurung and tawaf socks. This is to keep the momentum going because I know that once I lie on the bed, my energy levels would dwindle to the ‘not motivated’ category. If I wear my tawaf socks, I don’t have to wear my indoor shoes. They are thick and comfy enough to walk in.

The more energetic members of the team have been sharing tips to get the 10K steps. Such as walking around the car park upon arriving at the clinic in the morning. Or getting some steps in during lunch break at the gym (physiotherapy unit). Although, to be honest, I’d rather sleep. It’s pretty cool to see the different strategies. There were also fewer unethical tips that I’ve seen being done in malls, during courses or in the car. Which is shaking your hands that wears the smart watch? Of course, it works, but it does not align with my values.

If I feel that for that given day, I wouldn’t be able to contribute a star to my group for reasons such as excessive lethargy due to the first day of my menstrual cycle, busy with mothering activities at home or simply LOW MOOD, then I would just not do it. But once I’ve got a hang of 5K steps for the day, I would try my best to top it up to 10 K. Usually, making up the differences by using my walking pad. If my members prefer to shake their hands, they may do so. Just do not include me in the act.

This challenge is due to be completed in 2 months. I am thinking of getting new shoes for outdoor walks because my current footwear is sneakers for casual use. I could feel my feet burning from the friction when walking long distances outdoors. If I have additional budget, I might get one of those smart watches. Perhaps then, even after the challenge, I would still be motivated to exercise.

I get a small commission from Shopee if you purchase these anti-slip socks using my link: https://s.shopee.com.my/AAEOlTBavK

10K steps a day – walking the talk

Posted in All in a days work, Everyday Life by

It has been 14 days since the Sihat Itu Saya challenge started. I am in a group made up of 20 participants. On most days, I can contribute one star for the team with a minimum of 10K steps a day. Since my job is sedentary, my phone could only pick up fewer than 1K steps for the whole day. Sometimes it is as few as 500 steps. This means that I’ll need to do my own walking at home till I complete my target.

While on the walking pad, it had me thinking. Would 10K steps from physical activity be as beneficial as putting 10K on a focused brisk walking session?

Since my side quest of losing weight is ongoing, obviously, I’d want to indulge in activities that would keep my heart rate up. The plan was to ensure that I get a complete 10K on my walking pad regardless of how much I got while working. However, I realised that time is an important factor to consider. Will explain more on that later. So the plan now is just to top up my steps till 10K. The most I managed so far is up to 11K.

The top performers in my team were getting more than 20K per day. They jog, play badminton and are known to be very active physically. They are the biggest contributors to our ranks. Any steps above 10K are rewarded one star. However, it is the average step of each team that determines the ranking. Thus, getting ‘gold’ is possible, but for the top ranks, all team members need to be active. At the moment, we are still in the ranks of 130 to 150.

S.i.S

Posted in All in a days work by

The brisk walking challenge has started. I joined for two reasons.

  • To support my colleague. The ‘champion’ of this programme.
  • I thought it would be a great opportunity to start getting active again. I have been on a very long hiatus since my umrah last year. Prior to umrah, I was on a roll, walking a few thousand steps per day. After umrah, I got a bit lazy. So this would hopefully be a great adjunct to my meal plan in the hopes of (again) losing weight. minciBMI25 is still a goal.

I did not manage to get even 5K steps today. I had less than 3K, but it is OK. I will build the momentum daily and see how it ends in 3 months. On the other hand, my husband has been very enthusiastic about this challenge that he is hoarding the treadmill in the early hours of the morning and night. It’s a good excuse for me to get a walking pad and put it in my study. At least I can watch Netflix or enjoy a YouTube video on my PC while walking. I am still waiting for it to arrive. After that, I can create another piggy bank to save up for one of those fancy watches that count steps.