Nutrition: Carbo loading at La Tegola

I've been joining some fun runs lately and I read in some medical books that a high carb diet is a big factor in performance. Carbohydrates are the best source of glycogen. Glycogen acts as the fuel of our body. Because of the importance of glycogen, many athletes carbo load before an intense competition.

I am not yet a super athlete but nevertheless, I need the energy to finish strong in the fun run and not get too drained the days after. For this week, I discovered a very nice place to load up on carbs. It's not cheap but the quality is way up there. La Tegola is an Italian restaurant at the Ayala Terraces. The restaurant specializes in pasta and pizza which is perfect for carbo loading. When I went there, I was with my friend Hamilton and his friend Xhai. Since they asked me what to order, I decided to choose the Caruso. The Caruso is made up of 5 different pastas with 5 different sauces. With the Caruso, you can practically taste many of the pasta specialties of La Tegola. Another good thing about the dish is that it could be either for 3 or 5 people.

When our order arrived, I was quite happy. By just looking at it, I know that I'm going to have a filling lunch. And I was right. One, the food is so delicious. Two, it does not contain so much fat because the dishes uses the best ingredients and it does not have fatty meat. Three, it's a perfect carbohydrates feast because the carb to protein to fat ratio is quite high around 5-2-.5 in my estimate. Four, the bill was not that high. Five, the ambiance was amazing, you know place is special based on the attention to detail  of the owners, staff and management.

All in all, my experience at La Tegola Ayala was memorable. I will surely go back there to carbo load or to have a romantic dinner with my wife. For someone who is trying to be fit, I would rate the place 5 spoons.

Links:

My Intense Fitness Weekend

Food Trip in Pizzarea Michelangelo

Shakey's Delivery Cebu

Eating at Dong Juan with officemates

Xperia Z1 photos ate ARCH Con

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Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake hit our area

A week ago, a strong earthquake struck the Bohol-Cebu area.  The 7.2 magnitude shock caused severe damage in many towns of Bohol destroying several houses, roads, bridges, buildings, and churches.  Intensity VII was felt in Cebu City where I am currently based. 

I was supposed to be in the gym when the earthquake happened.  The night before I was intending to go to the gym at 6 am but since it was a holiday I figured that Fitness First Cebu will open at 8 am, so I change my plans. I was still at home lying in bed when I heard a loud noise and then everything was shaking.  It took me a few seconds before realizing it was an earthquake.  We slowly made our way to exit our house and the tremor lasted a couple more seconds. Most of neighbors are also out of their houses.  Power was cut off and cellphone signals were erratic. It took almost an hour for the power to come back and things to somewhat normalize. 

By the time I was able to be online, I found out that it was a 7.2 magnitude quake.  It was the strongest that I've ever experienced.  News of damage and death was all over the internet. It was quiet tough.  So for a week, I am setting aside fitness goals and exercise.  I have felt several strong aftershocks in the past few days.  When I went back to the gym, I noticed fewer people attending classes or doing weights.  Many are afraid to go out of their houses and some were also busy in helping the relief operations.  

On my end, I bought some relief goods like water, and canned goods and delivered it to relief centers.  I also give out some old clothes.  For the past week, I only went twice to the gym.  I joined the Pink October Run and some of its proceeds will be used to help relief efforts in Bohol.  

Hopefully this week, things will be beck to normal.  I intend to go to the gym regularly and probably join another run this weekend to help the victims of the massive quake.

Links:

Massive Quake in Bohol: Intensity VII in Cebu

Earthquake Readiness Tips

Where was I during the Earthquake

My last visit : Chocolate Hills, Bohol

Fitness First Cebu Successfully Launch the New Releases of Les Mills Programs

Last week was a hyper week for the gym regulars in Fitness First Cebu as the group exercise routines were updated for the new quarter.  Although the Philippines are like one month late compared to other Les Mills gyms worldwide, the new releases was the definitely the wait. The new programs are making me more interested in joining more group exercise classes in the future.  I joined every launch last week.  Here are some of the pictures taken the different classes last week.

Edcel Seniedo leading the warm-up for BodyJam

BodyJammers before the start of the class

Specially printed BodyCombat 67 launch shirts

Sh'Bam afterclass

BodyPumpers posing after an excellent work out

Wacky time after an amazing BodyBalance class

Challenging but doable poses

RPM 60 Launch participants

Jump Kicks at BodyCombat

The amazing lunge track of BodyPump

Links:

Fitness First Launch schedules
Dancing to lose weight
Junmar Fajardo enters first ever PBA finals
Les Mills website

Fitness First Cebu to launch the New Release of Les Mills Programs

It is a new quarter and Fitness First Cebu will once again launch the new release of the different Les Mills Group Exercise Programs.  The Les Mills programs has helped me a lot in making my gym experience more enjoyable. The different group exercise programs has its own fun and difficulty factors.

Here is the schedule for those interested to join any of the program launches:

That programs that will be launched tomorrow will be Zumba, Body Balance, Body Pump, and Sh'Bam. Zumba is not a Les Mills program but it is one of the most popular dance workouts.  Body Balance combines Taichi, Pilates, and Yoga into a challenging workout. Body Pump is a 1 hour total body workout using weights aided by the latest pop hits. Sh'Bam is a dance workout similar to Zumba with a hippier vibe.
On Friday, three additional programs will have its launch.  BodyJam 66 will be launched in the morning. BodyJam is a challenging dance workout that will help someone to lose weight and rule the dance floor. BodyCombat is mixed-martial arts inspired workout that has moves taken from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Boxing and other forms of martial arts. RPM is a spinning class designed by Les Mills.
I will be joining all the launches and will write a review on the things I love and not love with the new releases. The Les Mills programs is standard in countless of gyms worldwide and it is updated quarterly. Normally when the programs are launched, our gym will have an open house of sorts. For those interested in joining these Les Mills programs in Cebu, check out Fitness First Cebu in Ayala Center.

Links:
The Night I Danced
Dancing to lose weight
Zumba fever in Cebu
International Fitness Week
Run with Venus Fun Run

Tracking my Progress: Body Composition Analyzer (10-02-2013)

Fitness First Cebu has a body composition analyzer that helps those trying to lose weight monitor progress and track  the changes in their body. I was quiet hesitant to check myself in the past few months because when I first tested it, the machine gave me a metabolic age of 62.  I knew I had a long way to go to a healthier body and I did not want to be discouraged so I did not test often.

I found the weighing scale in the men's locker to be unreliable so I decided today to have a go on the Body Composition machine (Tanita) just to check how much do I actually weight.  Last year, I weighed around 107 kilos. I have diligently going to the gym for 10 months now.  Here are my latest figures:

Body Type: STANDARD

Age: 37

Gender: MALE

Height: 170 cm

Weight: 89.2 kg

Fat %: 28.8%

Fat Mass: 25.7 Kg

Fat-Free Mass: 63.5 Kg

Muscle Mass: 60.2 Kg

Total Body Water: 46.6 Kg

TBW%: 52.2%

Bone Mass: 3.3 Kg

Basal Metabolic Rate: 7594 kJ / 1815 cal

Metabolic Age: 52

Visceral Fat Rating: 15

BMI: 30.9

Ideal Body Weight: 63.6 Kg

Degree of Obesity: 40.3%

Target Body Fat% for the Quarter: 22%

Fat to lose: 7.8 Kg

I am a long way to go to my desired fat % level but at least I have improved since I last checked.   I have to continue my exercise program and improve my diet.  It's still a big challenge but I will go on and keep on improving. 

Links: 

Breaking the 210 lbs. barrier

Dance to lose weight

How I look a year ago

Fitness and Lifestyles goals for Year 37

I turned 37 a few days ago.  As I get closer to 40, I think I have to adjust and customize my fitness goals and activities. I cannot become a super athlete anymore.  It probably be so hard to achieve 6 pack at my age. It is now time to set some goals and make some plans on achieving it.

1. Lose Weight - I have to be realistic. I do not think I could possibly lose 30 lbs. over the next year.    I have to make a goal that is achievable and something that would allow me to have a "life".  I am currently around 205 lbs. My goal is to lose 10% of weight for the year. I will just round it off to 21 pounds. 205 - 21 = 184 lbs.  I have to lose an average of 1 - 2 lbs a month.  
2. Start Running - The moment I go down below 200 lbs., I intend to start running again.  Running is probably the best work out because it is practically free and you can run anywhere. Run in the rain, run at night, run at the beach, anything is possible. It is also one of the measurable aerobic exercise.  It is just difficult to run if one is too overweight. Running puts too much strain on the knees and joints. To be able to run effectively and healthily, I have to be in a weight that will not put me at risk of a knee injury. I believe at 200 lbs, I can start slowly running.  I expect to start running by next month.
3. Diet - I will try to modify my diet.  I do not believe on cheat days because cheat days will just lead to more cheat days. If cheat days are good, wouldn't be weird if your husband/wife tells you that he/she wants a cheat day on your marriage once a week? I will try to adjust my diet to my activity level.  I will try to make some personals in the coming days for my year 37 diet.
4. Monitor Body Fat % - After losing around 30 lbs. in the past 10 months, I do not subscribe much on BMI. If BMI is the main measurement, I am obese. I don't look obese. My waistline is now down to around 34 from 40. I grew some muscles. I lost a lot of fat.  If I use this Body Fat Calculator, I intend to have a waistline of 32 and a neck size of 16. I will monitor more my measurements.
5. Supplementation -  I will be trying some stuff this year like new weight loss pills, protein, and energy supplements.  I will monitor the results as well as the cost effectiveness of supplements. I need to check if they indeed deliver on the promised results. The food supplement industry is a billion dollar industry and there are countless of products that are just like placebo.
6. Blogging - I was not as active lately in writing but I was pretty much spending at least 2 hours a day at the gym. I will be more present here in the web by giving constant updates on my activities. 

Here some pictures of me in the past couple of months:

Watching the Cobra Ironman 70.3

Celebrating 9 years of marriage

Fitness First Zumba

STC Venus Run

Eating out

Links:

Summer Fitness Review

Compare me a year ago....

Turning 37

Cobra Ironman pictures

June 2013 Goals and Summer Review

It's the middle of the year and I have been going to the gym for around 7 months already.  I could somehow say that I was able to shed a lot of inches and excess poundage.  I am still a long way to go from my ideal body weight but I am still enjoying the quest. 

One of the major breakthroughs that I made in the past couple of months is having a waistline below my age.  I am 36 years old right now and my waistline was about 39 inches when I started going back to the gym. Now, I am wearing size 34 pants with a belt.  I am quiet happy with that achievement.  The only drawback is that I might be shopping again for new pants next month because I could probably drop down to 32 inches.

I am so glad that I am able to sustain my work out routine over the summer. I was not able to write a lot because I was so busy with work and I have been going to places. I was able to go to places like Bantayan, Alcoy, and Argao. My plans of visiting my mom in Sydney did not push though but I have no regrets because I could be going there during Christmas time and I could probably show off my chiseled body then (hehehe). Here are some of my summer escapades:

Posing with my wife in Antig Tingko Beach, Alcoy

Papa Kit's zipline

Showing off my 2013 beach body ;)

Jumping at Sugar Beach, Bantayan

Bantayan with my Rainmakers Barkada

For June, my intention is to maintain my fitness routine.  I have to intensify my workouts this week so that I can be leaner when my nephew and nieces arrive from Australia for a vacation.  I will probably do morning and evening sessions of exercise in some days. I intend to join PM Les Mills RPM classes in the evening to increase my aerobic load. I will also try to regularly join, Body Pump and Hard Core classes. For supplements, I am starting to include Whey Protein (Twin Labs 100% Whey Fuel).  Excellent surprises are in store I guess, so wish me luck!!!

Links:

March 2013 Goals
Starting a new blog on weight loss
Island hopping with Robinsons Homes' Rainmakers Group