It was a lively session for the participants of “Eating and Exercising to Stay Fit” webinar, organised by Centre for Foundation Studies (CFS) of Kampar Campus on 18 July 2020, via Microsoft Teams. The webinar was moderated by CFS Kampar lecturer Kow Li Fen.

With the invited speakers Yvonne Cheah and Axel Koh, who were also certified personal trainers, sharing insights and experiences on staying fit and healthy, participants gained much knowledge on eating habits, relationships with food, the effect of hormones on fat loss, and simple home workouts. More importantly, the aim of the webinar was to educate participants on the effective and safe methods of losing fats, while staying fit and healthy.

Sharing about the popular diets used by many, Cheah particularly selected three popular diets to explain further. “By now many would have heard about the ketogenic diet, in short, the keto diet. It is suitable for people suffering from metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance or diabetes, hypertension, high blood cholesterol, epilepsy, and Rett Syndrome. However, there are risk factors that you should know before you pursue the keto diet. These risks include overconsumption of calories, fatigue, worsening of metabolic syndrome, muscle loss, and even causing eating disorders. Therefore, always consult a certified trainer before you start any fat loss or diet programme,” advised Cheah.

Speaking of intermittent fasting diet, Cheah explained that this method involves eating at a certain window of time. “Some of the ways for doing intermittent fasting are either the 16/8, 20/4, or 5:2. The most common one is the 16/8 method, which means the person eats in the 16-hour window, and fasts for eight hours. The benefits of intermittent fasting include easing digestion, providing a stress-free lifestyle, controlling hunger and stabilising blood sugar. However, there is also the possibility of overeating and it may cause low energy level if not done properly. So again, always seek advice from the professionals first,” said Cheah.

She also further explained about low carbohydrate diet, also known as the low carb diet. She mentioned that this diet involves the person cutting out certain types of carbs, including rice and bread. “This diet is very much suitable for women, especially before and during their menstruation. This is because the low carb intake stabilises your hormones and blood sugar and also allows the person to focus on eating more protein and healthy fats,” explained Cheah.

“When constructing a healthy lifestyle, one should also remember that this is a long-term goal, and results are not shown overnight. Staying committed is important to achieve that healthy lifestyle, thus you must take into consideration the time invested, setting your mindset to be prepared in making changes and achieving that goal, understanding the importance of eating healthy with the right amount of protein intake, fats and calories, and using safe methods for fat loss,” advised Cheah. She also taught participants a formula to count their basal metabolic rate (BMR). Other topics spoken by Cheah include the thermic effect of food (TEF), thermic effect of physical activity (TEPA), and resting metabolic rate.

The speakers also shared recommendations of food intake for weight loss, which sees a person eating 20-35% of fat, 25-45% of carbs and 35-50% of protein. For maintenance of weight, the speakers recommended that one should eat 25-40% of fat, 25-40% of protein and 35-55% of carb. Those wishing to gain muscle are recommended to consume 20% of fat, 35% of protein, and 45% of carb.

Koh went on to explain about the Non-exercise Activity Thermogenic (NEAT). “It is important to understand that in NEAT, the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is an enzyme that plays a critical role in converting fat into energy. So standing does make a difference, including walking daily or even cycling. Doing house chores and playing with your children are also the many ways to achieve that. Take for instance, regular walking, which is a good way to reduce blood cholesterol, lower blood pressure, reduce cardiovascular diseases, boost bone strength, burn calories and keep the weight down,” explained Koh.

He added, “So, to achieve that desired weight or healthy lifestyle, you must be prepared and set your goals. Create an action plan to achieve those goals, and don’t forget to celebrate the small wins you achieved with rewards. At the end of the day, the main key to staying fit is by being consistent in your workout and eating plans.”
Towards the end of the webinar, the speakers also debunked a few popular myths. The first is correcting the idea that detox alone does not contribute to weight loss. “Even though detoxing targets the liver, but if you are eating badly, eventually your liver is not able to function properly in detoxifying your body. If you eat right, your liver actually gets the nutrients it needs to properly function and hence detox your body effectively on its own. So the idea here is to eat right, then the detox is able to work effectively,” explained Cheah.

There is also the belief that eating fat makes one fat, which Cheah corrected, saying “Fat actually stabilises your hormone, so you do need to eat some fat. However, eating excess fat will surely make you fat. Others also believe that abdominal exercises eliminate abdominal fat, and that is not true, because it is impossible to target a certain fat area. The most effective way to lose fat is by eating a healthy diet, do workouts, and drink lots of water.”

Later, the speaker demonstrated some workouts that were commonly done wrong to educate participants on the right ways to do those workouts. The webinar ended with an interactive Q&A session.