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Weight loss can be a very tedious process. And for those of you who have been harbouring such agonising thoughts or even been through it, you will agree with me that it's often a case of watching the figures on the weighing scale.

For most people, it is always when you start to lose that first kilogram that gets you excited as you know your efforts have paid off.

To lose weight is very realistic for almost everyone, and is achievable though some small changes in diet and incorporating more exercise. The vast majority of people, with their busy schedules, get little or no exercise, so even a small bit of regular exercise should be able to achieve noticeable results. If we don't have time to exercise a great deal, though, we're going to want to maximize the effectiveness of the exercise we do get, and a great way to do that is by exercising in the morning. 

There are three main reasons why you can more weight by exercising in the morning. Firstly, exercising first thing in the morning is much easier to build into your daily routine. One of the keys to losing weight by exercise is to do it regularly, which many people find difficult. Their most common excuse is almost always "it's hard to find time". Yet ask these same people and they actually have time to sit in front of the TV or idle their time away with gossip. As far as I'm concerned, I advise my clients to exercise in the morning so as to get it over and done with. Then you will be free for the rest of the day to do what you want to do!

Secondly, when you exercise in the morning, you'll have very little distraction. In many ways, you are literally "making time" for the exercise by starting your day earlier. What's getting up 30 minutes earlier each day if it makes you healthier in the long run? And trust me, you actually feel fresher and more alert throughout the day. How's that for raising productivity? Two thumbs up!

Thirdly, exercising in the morning is more effective because you will be burning calories from fat already stored in your system. This principle is based, of course, on the premise that you don't eat before you exercise. The way you're going to lose weight is by burning fat, and when you exercise your body normally burns both fat and carbohydrates. Now it gets a little more complicated: your body's main and preferred energy source is carbohydrates, so when you exercise you will (more or less) burn carbohydrates first, and then your body will dip into its fat reserves.

This is interesting but true. As carbohydrates come from your meals, when you exercise at a normal time of the day, your body will have plenty of carbohydrates to burn. So in order to lose weight fast, you have to burn fat instead. This can only be achieved by exercising in the morning on an empty stomach. Simply by making this switch, you're burning energy at a time when your body's carbohydrate levels are the lowest, and therefore more fat will be burned with the same amount of exercise. Research studies have suggested that over 250% more fat is burned when you exercise in this state.

Give it a try & update me on your weight loss journey. I'll be more than happy to hear from you!

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Do you sometimes feel why nothing seems to change even after you have had the best workout or expended the most calories after that run? Many a times, if not always, it boils down to what you eat. Yes, that's the truth.

And for this reason itself, I always teach my clients to create healthy associations with our food. Thus is both my very own Food Awareness Training. It's ironic how I've come up with an acronym like that as if you shorten it to just the alphabets, it spells FAT! Haha...

Many of us eat not because we have to, but because we choose to. It is surprising that we all yield so much power in our hands (or more in our minds I think) when it comes to food. A sensible eating plan needs to suit your taste and lifestyle. It's not about going bland and tasteless all the time.

The tenets of my Food Awareness Training are simple. Firstly, it aims to teach you to be mindful of what you put into your mouth. Before you embark on a feast or eat like a mouse, ask yourself if that heavenly delicacy or morsel of food is friend or foe. There are many body enemies out there (think preserved food, sugary drinks etc).

Secondly, Food Awareness Training allows you to choose, not cheat. It's not about food deprivation. Rather, it's more about food substitution. What can I eat that will give me the equal amount of calories? Should I eat that cupcake or something else? One tip I can offer readers is to go for foods that can be used to substitute high-calorie foods while getting the same satisfying taste.

In a nutshell, Food Awareness Training is flexible, not boring. You do not have to give up the food you love or change your lifestyle. You will never feel hungry. You will never change your entire relationship with food so you need never be on the same up and down weight cycle again. Best of all, you will be in control...cruise control :)

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One of my clients texted me this morning. After reading the message, a wide smile appeared on my face. His sms read: "Did my run yesterday. Low: 9.0; High: 12.0 for 20 mins excl warmup n cooldown. Total distance around 4.7km"

This is definitely cause for celebration. I'm happy for him and I'm sure he's happy for himself too. Like what I said, it's always difficult starting something new. But once you get into the groove of things, it becomes second nature. I'm positive he's only going to love his runs even more if he continues to presevere. And of course, watch him lose his kilos effectively. Way to go!

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