Hapa Fitness & Us

I'm sure some of you will have seen what Hapa Fitness (as mentioned in my previous post too) is all about on our instagram feeds. We are official now and very excited to reveal what we have to offer for all of you out there! We will be sharing about health tips, workout tips and tutorials, fashion receipes, beauty (girls will still be girls righttt?), yummy healthy food, and events in time to come! Stay tuned and follow us @hapa_fitness if you haven't done so! <3

This is our very first diet challenge for all of you! For everyone who is as excited as us that Christmas is coming and all the feasting and log cakes will be part of the holiday season, try this diet on your own and give it 30 days to let your body feel the change and transform!

It may seem difficult for some of you so we are going to share some of what we eat. Today, till now, this is how my meals look like.

Breakfast:

1/2 avocado (Fats)

1 tablespoon of Golden flaxseed meal (Fats)

150 ml of milk (Protein)

1 scoop of vanilla whey protein (Protein)

Everyday smoothie!

I headed to the gym to hit my shoulders and back after my smoothie, had 1 1/2 scoop of whey protein post workout and headed back for lunch.

Lunch:

Approx. 1/2 serving of pasta (Carbs)

Approx. 1/4 of red and yellow peppers each (Veggie, Carbs)

Approx. 100g of chicken breast (Protein)

Pinch of Olive oil (Fats)

Snacks:

1 cup coffee, unsweetened (Fats, Protein, Carbs - coffee addict, here I confess and am guilty)

Handful of nuts (Fats)

Feel free to post your meals on Instagram if you have and #hapa_fitness and #santarinadiet so we can learn and from one another! My meal plan may not be the best so do let us know if you have a more effective and efficient way of preparing your meals and creative way to spread your meals out during the Santarina Diet challenge! Good luck!

Last week had been an eventful week and here is a summary of last week in photos!

Tuesday: Trained with Jasmine at GYMM BOXX (XS) at Punggol CC and met the courtesy lion!

Wednesday: Those who know me well enough, THIS is one of my weaknesses. I just had to have this since it was one week off any diet! Teehee. I always order without butter though. 

Friday: Went for my haircut with @johnthamyuehan at Salon Vim, looking like sadako because it was a day after Halloweeen. HURHUR

Outfit of my haircut day, dress from Allyfashion and clutch from Epicurations.

It was Nic's actual birthday so we had dinner before adjourning for Nic's place, followed by Karaoke (phew that was a super long day!)

Say 'Hi' to Dazzle! Such a beauty!

Smiley Dazzle

Me looking tired, with super hyper Dazzle!

Saturday: Met Jasmine before our training to get some work done 

Super yummy bread HOMEMADE by Jasmine! So loved!

Ended our workout with a good stretch

Our FITFAM!

Sunday: outfit to church

Accessories from Tod's, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Forever21

I will be writing about some health tips next so stay tuned and have a great week ahead everyone! Be safe wherever you are! <3<3<3

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Health & Fitness - My progress so far

It's been a long journey from week 0 since I started IF (Intermittent Fasting). Here's a quick recap, basically IF (also commonly known as Intermittent feeding) is a pattern of eating that alternates fasting and non-fasting. So basically, you eat for 6-8 hours (8-9 hours in my case), and then you fast for the remaining 15-16 hours, which includes sleeping time. Some of the IF practitioners will do a complete fasting, drinking just water; some just water, black coffee and black tea. As for me, I take in anything liquid; in other words, I fast from solid foods during my fasting hours, simply because I want to avoid putting my body into catabolic state (muscle breakdown state) and I HATE the feeling of starvation. I will tremble and feel faint when starvation kicks in, which is so frustrating and unhealthy.

During the first few weeks, I made my body go through stricter fasting. By the 8th hour sharply, I stopped all solid food. I only drink juices and water, avoided coffee and tea. Honestly, by about 9pm every night I would start to tremble and feel faint. I endured for about 5-6 weeks, I worked out harder, increased my training frequency and rested very little as I was training 7 days a week, some days twice a day. I was literally pushing my body to its limits. VERY BAD!

On week 6, I finally took a day off from training and on one particular day, I took an 11 hours sleep which made me feel so good after. I see gains in my trainings during that week and I never felt so refreshed since I started IF. Unfortunately, ever sine week 6, because I was more lenient with myself, I went a little overboard and let myself have more than what I should.

Enough talking (writing), I'll let the photos prove whether I made any progress.

Week 0

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5 

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Unfortunately, I did not see much progress (LOL)! But you cannot just judge from my abs right? Generally I feel younger (my ability to resist and handle stress improves), I snack less and I feel stronger during training (managed a few new PRs during this 9 weeks). I have evidence to show that I not only feel younger but am really younger now (my body age I meant), and I've gotten people who meet me for the first time saying I look like a 21-22 years old (HURHUR). The most exaggerated comment was from this lady in SK gym, who asked if I'm a JC kid (Jason said it should feel more like an insult. HAHA). I took my body analysis from a scale that Nic bought and my body age is actually 20! WOOOOTS I get to celebrate SWEET 21 again next year!!

Okay, so I have 1.5 weeks more to go on IF and then I'll be practicing IF on alternate days and maybe try some other forms of diet (fret not, I'll definitely share!)

Here's what I've been up to:

We have been gym-hopping the past few weeks! 

Gymm Boxx XL with the Js

Edric is back! Stronger than ever!

Us at The Gym Nation!

OOTD with love bonito's Atherley top and a casual maxi skirt from allyfashion, with my long-forgotten toms!

Another old top from love bonito, really love the back!

I have been preparing for something exciting this weekend so stay tuned and follow me on Instagram, @limaranagustina if you haven't, because I will be updating real-time! Thank you for the support everybody and have a great Thursday ahead! :)

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Health & Fitness: Legs workouts

Sorry for the hiatus everyone! I'm back with a quick introduction to some of my favorite legs workouts. I love legs day I can just do legs all day everyday (I kid, again)! But nevertheless, I like to work on my legs because I feel a lot more pump when I work them legs as compared to the other parts of my body, probably because I started working solely on my legs when I kickstarted my fitness journey. My goal then, was to down my usual bottom size of a small uk 10 to a regular or small uk 8. AND I did it, I can even fit into some uk 6 now (Okay for bottoms with bigger cutting). I did this within (if I'm not wrong, 4-6 months). I whacked my legs hard with my mediocre knowledge of weights training. I could go to the gym every just doing legs but I loved it, that's why I have weak and puny upper body.

Those who know me well enough, I dislike my heavy bottom and curves and really envy those who have a more masculine, mesomorph physique to start working out with. I tried very hard to try to straighten the curves that I have, and I'm still trying. So, how did I manage to downsize my huge bum and hips? I did a particular workout over and over again, everyday to downsize to a uk 8!

The winner is... LUNGES!!! When I had the chance to gym, I'd do lunges, over anything else and it worked! Lunges is a good training for your stabilising muscles too! Start doing lunges if you haven't!

The fundamentals of my legs training always starts with a strength-based back squats or front squats. The back squat targets your entire legs; quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. 

Whereas the front squat targets your quadriceps and requires a lot more core control

Of course, when you are more advanced, adventurous and into cross fit, you can attempt the overhead squats. Overhead squat, similar to front squat, targets your quadriceps and core but with good stabilising muscles and strong triceps, shoulders and back. So basically, entire body. That's the reason why I'm only doing an empty bar. HURHUR.

Then, there is wide-stanced squats, which target your adductor muscles (inner thighs) and glutes. You want a tighter 'upper' butt, this is one good workout you can do to tighten the 'upper' butt. Always remember to keep your knees out though. Also beware, the after-feeling of doing wide-stances squats can be rather uncomfortable. HEH.

The calf raise, is very often neglected and forgotten but ladies especially, should do to strengthen the calf muscles so it prevents injuries wearing heels! 

Lastly, I usually do wallballs after I finish what I planned to do, and add wallballs into a circuit or met con. It requires deltoids (shoulders) and legs, simpler version of a thruster to me, what with the similar hip thrusts and straightening of arms for the deltoids. You can do this for fun and increase the weight of your medicine ball for more challenge.

So, I have shared my secrets with you guys! Now go ahead and make it work! You wanna get perky butt and toned legs, you have to work hard on them legs. Moreover, our legs are the biggest muscle group in our body so by training legs and back (another large muscle group), you are releasing growth hormones and testosterone more than the other body parts, thus burning more fats!

Have fun with your legs training and happy midweek everyone! (=

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Health & Fitness: Myths about Female weight training

I have been explaining about this to my family and friends OVER and OVER again, this topic about females not having to worry about gaining bulky muscles when they start lifting weights. So recently I came across an image that looked something like what I created (couldn't find the exact one that I had seen but yea, the idea is the same).

So, ladies, you only get your body at its peak and most beautiful when you start lifting weights, or at least be doing some exercises. Otherwise, if you are not on a caloric deficit and generally eating more than what you need daily (say 1lb), you will be gaining 365lbs in a year, which will be worse off if you don't even workout to start with. ISN'T that scary?!

The biggest problem of women that boils down to that fear of looking like a she-hulk, to me, is a complicated war of the will and flesh. Very often, you ladies genuinely and sincerely want to get your butts down to working out, but the flesh is reluctant, and so the misconception part comes into place, where excuses of the fear to look like a she-hulk seeps into the minds.

Let me simplify some of the myths that you have heard:

1. Weight-training will make me look like a she-hulk.
There is definitely no way a woman is able to build muscles like men because of the fact that we women do not naturally produce as much testosterone as men and testosterone is one of the main hormones that contributes to muscle-building. The bulky and intimidating images of professional female bodybuilders must have scared you away from the gym and weights, I do understand that. BUT, they do not get to those sizes without using anabolic steroids and other drugs to reach that high degree of masculinity. Even so, without all the drugs and steroids, it is not easy, takes heavy weight training, right diet and many years for men to build big and visible muscles, SO, when is it even our turn?

2. I want to get toned, don't have to necessarily be stronger. Can I just run?
I'm not saying running is not effective here, I still run (though seldom) and do other forms of cardio but that is not my main forms of workout. There are 3 main subjects that comes into this argument of fat-burning all the time:
1. Cardio
2. High Intensity interval Training (HIIT)
3. Weight Training

So which is most effective and why?
First of all, the reason why cardio should not be your main training is because though you burn fats, you not only burn the fats but the muscles (whole theory of muscle-loss=fats storing comes into play again). What's more, you only burn the fats during the cardio, nothing after that. It is still a good and healthy way to work the heart and keep your heart healthy.

HIIT, on the other hand allows you to burn fats during and up to 4 hours after the workout and by having HIIT in your training routine you burn more fats than a person who just does cardio day in day out, while sleeping.

Lastly, weight training allows you to target specific muscle groups and build lean muscles. By doing so, you will be able to gain quality muscles and then improve overall metabolic function. The functional training moves like squats and deadlifts will also improve your mobility in everyday activities, thus preventing injuries. Weight training also improve body composition (more lean muscles, less fats at the same bodyweight) and increases bone density which prevents the onset of osteoporosis. It also improves circulation, coordination, balance and bone and ligament strength.

So what is the verdict?
Add all 3 subjects into your training routine for best results!

3. When I stop weight training, my muscles will turn into fats and make me look flabby!
Muscles CANNOT turn into fats and fats CANNOT turn into muscles, I repeat, Muscles CANNOT turn into fats and fats CANNOT turn into muscles! This is equivalent to "metal CANNOT turn into gold". These are 2 different entities that must be clarified. Simply explained, when you stop exercising one day, your muscle cells will just get smaller and thinner, and your fat cells will not multiply too. If you do not watch your fat intake after you stop exercising, your muscle cells will decrease in sizes and your fat cells will grow bigger and bigger, that's how people get fat and overweight when they stop exercising altogether.

4. I should not be doing heavy weights because it is dangerous.
Well, there 1 main reason why I think women should progressively lift heavier. Here goes, if you have been doing weight training (which is good), you will ultimately reach a plateau where everything seems too light and simple for you, that is when your body is at its comfort zone and is used to doing the usual weights, therefore restricting or slowing down your progress. Generally, our body and muscles respond to resistance and when there is very light or even no resistance, then there is no way your body can change and evolve.

These are the usual questions I get from my family and friends and I hope to be able to clarify the burning questions of yours with these answers. Personally and honestly, one of the main restrictions to people not working out is the 'priority' issue. When health and fitness is your priority after God (if you have a religion) and family, there is no reason for you to not be able to find time to workout and keep fit. At least for Jason and I, we have a common priority after God and family, to eat and workout well, strengthening and protecting the only place we live in.

"You don't workout only when you have the time, you make the time to workout!"

This article is specially done for www.singasports.com and I'll be covering a specific topic every month to add into collection of articles on the page so do check the web out! I'm glad to see many like-minded fitness lovers out there and hoping to see more! Do email me if you have other burning questions and I'll try my best to help, apologies if I may take longer to reply though.

Before I end the post, I need to share my progress on the legs since 2009. Had a good time giggling over the skinny me in the past. I also have evidence of being a snack-junkie then (that bag of ruffles ewwwww! HAHA). Happy to see my progress over the years!

New recipe up next! Stay tuned and hang in there, it's midweek tomororrowwwww!

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Health & Nutrition - Overnight Oats

This was my first jar of overnight oats, and I started packing overnight oats every night following that night, which made me love oats so much more than usual because it is DUPER YUMMY! I'll share more recipes along the way but would like to share my first experience.

The ingredients can be as simple as just oats and banana, or it can be as elaborated as what I did (was trying to be adventurous. HEH.

What I used:

- A jar (I reused the YUMMI honey jar and portion is huge, for 2-3 separate meals)

- 1.5 tblspoon of Hershey's cocoa powder

- 100ml of milk

- 1 tblspoon of greek yogurt

- 1 banana

- 1 scoop (approx. 1.3 cup) rolled oats (uncooked and DO NOT use the instant oats) 

- 2 medium strawberries

- Chia seeds (I would not miss this if I'm at my own home)

1. Prepare a bowl and mix the cocoa powder with milk and greek yogurt. Stir till mixture is almost fully blended and dissolved.

2. Pour about half of the mixture into the empty jar and then top it up with the rolled oats.

3. Now the fruits, cut the banana and strawberries into slices and put the banana slices in first, followed by the strawberries.

4. Last step, pour the remaining cocoa mixture in and cover the jar. Put it in the fridge for AT LEAST 4 hours, if not, overnight (as the name says).

Take the jar out in the morning and you are ready to eat it! I put in another mixture of chocolate protein and water in the morning too. That's your choice. I hope I managed to show how easy it is to make this. It tastes yummy and I usually bring it out in the morning and will keep it in a thermal bag and will be able to last more than 3 hours out of the fridge. Try to keep it as refrigerated if you can though, especially if you like it really really cold!

Go ahead and try it out, post your photos and tag me @limaranagustina!! Have fun! Stay tuned, because I'll be writing about women and bodybuilding next! Meanwhile, enjoy the photos from 'The Piano Guys' concert I went with Jess (@jesslinet). Thanks once again for the tickets babe! Totally enjoyed it, these super talented guys!

Audience of almost 45,000. SO AWESOME!

Have a great weekend everyone, be safe and keep fit! Till the nexttt! :)

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