Gels

less than 2 weeks to my next event. time to be out there to train with some nutrition like gels and isotonic drinks and why not.

was out searching to buy POWERGELS which works well for me . the cheapest place to get is online i think, from Trifam forum threads i read so far. but i'm not so into internet purchasing due to security loopholes. anyway the cheapest i ever got from local bike shop for POWERGEL was S$2.30 a pop. I tried GU GEL before and found it too viscous and thick when compared with POWERGEL and found it difficult to consume. Also i find the packging material used by GU GEL seems to be a tad thicker and diffcult to tear open which poses as a practical issue when hands gets sweaty and oily and this is quite frustrating when you are on the fly.

But as a smart consumer (despite the slight negatives) i found that its a good time to buy GU GELS from our local chain GNC. they are having buy 1 get 1 free promotions for GNC members which i think is a decent deal.

GU GEL = normal price about S$4 bucks. promotional rate S$2 (this is almost same as GU GEL online pricing on their own web)

POWERGEL = normal price about S$3.20. no promotion currently.

I couldn't resist the offer so i bought 2 packets to try it again for my run last weekend and found it acceptable. So if you are a GU GEL fan don't miss it. If you are not its a good time to try since its cheaper now.

How to Loose 4KG in 8 Weeks Healthily?

Before i begin to shed some pounds i need to know a few thing. I hope this will be useful for those who like to maintain a healthy BMI by reducing some weight in a healthy way.

1) My Calorie Needs (BMR) or Basal Metabolic Rate. You daily calorie burned by just being alive and go about doing your daily work. I used this link to calculate my BMR http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Just keyed in my height, weight, age & gender i get my BMR = 1,685.92.

2) My Output or Calorie Burnt. Since i'm embarking on my marathon this december, run training will be primarily workouts for the next 2 months. I can simply calculate my calorie burned easily with this formula.

Calorie Burnt = M x Time x Weight. its a very simple forumla, where by M = the coefficient for run at certain pace; Time = workout duration; Weight = my weight in KG during time of workout. e.g Carlorie Burnt for a 10km run at 6min/km pace = 0.183 x 60min x 71 = 779.58 calories

For triathlete, you can also see the different coefficients (M) for Bike & Swim or even Run at different pace/intensities. Here are the 3 coefficients i can use based on my current fitness.

Swim = 0.133 (Freestyle at moderate pace)

Run = 0.183 (5.35min/km pace)

Bike = 0.200 (25.6 km/h to 30.4 km/h speed)

You can see more details from this link http://fitnesslogs.com/calories2.htm

3) Know How Much Weight i Want to Loose. Many website will tell you that for a duration of 7 days, when you reduce about 500 calories per day you can loose about 1 pound (0.45kg)[preferably 250 cal from less food intake & 250 cal from increased workout] But the guidelines says the calorie reduction should be no more than 15-20% of your total daily calorie consumption, with or without workouts. This is the link http://www.hpathy.com/healthtools/calories-need.asp

Total Calorie Need (for a normal day with 10km run) = 1,685.92. + 779.58 = 2,465.5 calorie

If i do this for 7days with 20% less calorie intake = 2,465.5 x (1-20%) = 1,972.4 calorie. I should be able to loose 1 pound per week. Meaning, i should be at 67kg in 8 weeks time by doing 10km run daily with a intake no more than 1,9724 calorie.

4) How Calories Look Like. Probably it would be useful to know what i can eat on a daily basis. This is one of the many links you can find online http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-200-calories-look-like.htm. So give it a try and see how calories look like for you.

I'm Unhealthy According to BMI

Based on my current weight & height i have moderate risk of contracting heart disease & diabetes. Try to calculate your level of risk at this link http://www.hpb.gov.sg/hpb/default.asp?pg_id=997

Weight = 71kg
Height = 1.71m
BMI = 24.3

So its time i do some weight reduction program. And to be in the healthy range again i need to have a BMI of 22.9 (healthy range BMI is within 18.5-22.9).

Since i am unlikely to grow in height anymore in order to change the index (i'm already 28 this year), i reckoned the only choice is to reduce my weight. Duh!

I threw in the numbers again and in order to achieve the bare minimum BMI of 22.9, i need to weigh 67kg on the scale. So that's 4kg for me to loose. Next i will discuss about BMR and my plan.