Changing diets to get lean
Besides training, Get Lean, Get Strong Challenge contestants change their diets
Food was never something he thought twice about.
Breakfast could be anything from nasi lemak to prata for Mr Justin David. He also loved briyani, and ate it at least twice a week for dinner.
But after he joined the Get Lean, Get Strong Challenge 2016 in early April and started watching what he ate, the 33-year-old warehouse assistant has managed to shed 4kg.
The challenge is jointly presented by The New Paper and fitness equipment specialist AIBI. Last month, Mr David and nine other contestants were selected from a pool of more than 80 applicants for the Challenge.
He tells The New Paper on Sunday: "Last time, I would whack any kind of food I wanted. But those days are over, I monitor what I eat closely now."
His diet now mainly consists of lean meats, such as chicken breast, and vegetables. He also eats less rice and noodles because he was told to cut down on them by the Get Lean, Get Strong Challenge trainer David Devito.
As part of the challenge, Mr Devito is strictly monitoring what the 10 contestants eat every day. The contestants have to consume mainly protein and vegetables, with only a small amount of carbohydrates.
Says Mr Devito: "Protein is the main building block for people, and 90 per cent of people out there are not getting enough protein."
He adds it is also important to reduce their intake of carbohydrates and processed foods as they are a main cause for weight gain.
To make sure the contestants adhere to their diets, Mr Devito makes his contestants upload photos of their meals to a Facebook group, where he and his team post comments to advise them.
IMPORTANT
According to Singapore Nutrition and Dietetics Association accredited dietitian Jaclyn Reutens, food intake is an important consideration for weight management.
"Weight is 80 per cent diet and 20 per cent exercise. Many times people say they exercise five times a week but still don't lose weight, and it's because they don't change their diet," she says.
Breakfast for Mr David now is just two half-boiled eggs.
Making changes to his meals is a "big sacrifice," he says, but he feels that all the effort will be worth it when the competition ends in September.
He adds: "I am already seeing the results, so I will keep going till the end."
About the competition
The Get Lean, Get Strong Challenge 2016 is a fitness competition that challenges 10 participants to lose as much weight as they can.
Under the supervision of noted local trainer David Devito, contestants will undergo an intensive six-month training regime worth $5,000. This consists of one-hour classes at least twice a week at Mr Devito's gym, The Fitness Protocol.
Rather than focus solely on cardiovascular exercises like running, Mr Devito's methods have a strong emphasis on technique. They feature the use of a kettlebell.
Participants also have to watch what they eat and adhere to a strict diet that Mr Devito and his team will plan and monitor.
The winner will get prizes worth more than $6,000. There are also prizes for the second- and third-placed contestants and consolation prizes for the other seven contestants.
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