Ade's activities include being a speaker for corporate health talk shows, motivational seminars, various nonprofit health projects such as for the World Health Organization and the United Nations Development Programme, spokesman for various products and chairman of his fitness ventures Klub Ade Rai, RAI Fitness and RAI Institute.

Hi Ade,
If you could give three good, practical dieting tips, what would they be? I ask this because I need you to get straight to the point. Thank you for your time.

Robbie
Jakarta

Hi Robbie,
Thank you for your short question. I must address your question thoroughly with solid reasoning behind each tip.

* Always remember to eat breakfast:

Breakfast is a very important meal. It kick starts your metabolism and provides you with the nutrients and energy needed to face the day.

Research has shown that not eating breakfast contributes to an uncontrollable appetite, caused by inconsistent blood sugar levels.

The main consequence of neglecting breakfast, despite consuming one less meal, is consuming a significantly higher number of calories per day. A bowl of oatmeal with low-fat milk and fruit goes a long way. So does a sandwich with omelet, tomato, salad and sprinkle of ground-roasted peanuts.

I cannot emphasize the importance of breakfast enough. If you don't have it, I implore you and other readers to make breakfast a priority.

* Combine fiber with protein:

Make sure your three meals a day include plenty of vegetables and protein such as fish, chicken, egg whites, tempeh, tofu or lean red meat.

If you are trying to lose fat, you may want to limit the amount of carbohydrates (such as potato, rice and bread) you consume to a size less than your fist each meal. If you have your fiber and protein without, or with little, calories (flour, sugar, cream, cooking oil, butter or margarine) you can fill your stomach with a good-sized portion at each meal. It helps you to feel full without consuming excess calories.

Another reason for diligently consuming fiber and protein during each meal is most natural foods contain these nutrients. One hundred and fifty to 200 grams of lean protein with a bowl of salad lightly tossed with extra virgin olive oil and vinegar is a wholesome meal that packs plenty of health-boosting vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fibers, amino-acids and countless beneficial phytonutrients such as carotenoids, chlorophyll, and flavonoids.

* Snack healthily:

The aim is to prevent you from eating out of hunger. Always eat before you are hungry because it helps you to make rational food choices. Another benefit is that by eating more often, you are likely covering your nutritional bases. Eating more often is also a great way to keep a high metabolism as your body constantly burns energy.

A glass of juice, fruit, a protein shake, a glass of milk or soy milk, a plate of gado-gado (mixed vegetables) with a light peanut dressing on the side, or even a handful of roasted peanuts are examples of healthy snacks available. You can even add muesli, wholegrain cereal or a protein bar to your diet.

There you have it! Three of the best practical dieting tips. I have many other tips but the three outlined are a great start. Please inform your physician about your diet habits.

And for any dietary changes to positively impact your health, be consistent as we gain more benefits the longer we do them. The key to consistency is having the right mindset, preparation and patience.

Hi Ade Rai, Your chest is very toned and I would like to know what you do to achieve such outstanding results. I have tried high repetitions (lighter weights) and low repetitions (heavier weights) with both more sets and less sets, but nothing seems to work. Is there any specific workout program or repetition scheme that you recommend? Thank you for your time.

Yudi H
Jakarta

Hi Yudi,
Thank you for your positive comments. Before we talk about amounts of loads, repetitions, and sets, you must exercise properly to produce the results you want. It does not matter how many weights you move, if you do not feel your muscles working, you are not allowing them to grow.

Feeling your muscles working is important when performing chest exercises. The better your technique, the more likely your chest muscle fibers handle weight loads.

When you achieve this objective, the optimum stimulation of your muscles along with ample recovery periods and quality nutrition, enable your chest muscles to grow.

Here are some tips to ensure you have the right posture and technique for chest-pressing exercises. Make sure you roll your shoulders back, push your chest upwards so your lower back arches slightly and lock yourself in that position.

Keep a good breathing pattern. Exhale during the pushing phase and inhale during the lowering phase when pushing weights. Lower the weights until your upper arms are parallel to the floor before you repeat.

Looks like am out of space for this edition again. I hope my answers help you attain your fitness goals.

I sincerely thank you for your comments and questions. Please keep them coming in my inbox at ask_aderai@yahoo.com or be a fan of my new fitness venture, RAI Fitness, on Facebook.

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