Question:Hi Kev,
I had a hernia repaired operation on my groin in August 2002. Yeah, occasionally i do feel uncomfortable in my groin area but it's normal as what people said- due to the operation. Is it safe to do sit up or crunch training?

Another question... as I am in the process of building up a good figure, how do I keep myself away from oily and deep-fried food- our food? I rarely eat red meats since I join yoga but I can't avoid from Ikan Goreng and other deep-fried dishes. Does it make sense if I do physical training but at the same time i still eat those foods? Thanks

Answer:

Sorry to hear about your groin. Well, I’m not a doctor (no Personal Trainer is) but would my advice is to consult your physician/doctor. In my experience most, if not all, doctors will advise you to enroll in physical activities to strengthen the injured area with light activity initially. But obviously, you need to let the area heal first before exerting stress and strain. In any case, do consult your doctor beforehand.

Fried foods eh?! 😉 Yeah same goes for me as well…I’m a big sucker for fried chicken… it’s just something I really like….but ok…how do you watch your diet and still be able to enjoy the things you like? It has a lot to do with a compromise…just like in relationships hahaha. Here is what I mean:

Dieting is not about perfection but about balancing the good and bad choices and ensuring that you do more good than bad. For example: when you have dinner…you not only choose the meat (fried of not) but also the rice, veggies and your drinks. Now, if you really wanna go for fried chicken/fish, that’s fine but:

1. offset the bad choice (fried food) with better rice, veggies, and drinks. So here you def need to go for white rice (no biryani, nasi goreng, etc), go easy on the Kuah, and choose a low-calorie drink (say water or diet drinks)…

2. if you wanna go for fried chicken, go for the breast part as its meat it leaner compared to wings and/or drumsticks, and if you can avoid the skin, if you can lah! 😉

3. if you are the kind that eats more than a piece of chicken/meat, than be sensible….choose 1 fried chicken and perhaps another that’s grilled, steamed, or boiled.

4. Perlu ke? Sometimes we pick foods that…well yeah sure taste good but we don’t really need em nor do we need to eat that much of it….like cookies….try eating them to satisfy your taste buds but eating 1 or 2 will do the trick…tak perlu to belasah 10-20 😉 so ask yourself “perlu ke?”..kalau tak perlu…than get rid of it.

5. Last but not least..its about controlling your cravings and lust…hahaha. Eat more often! 5-6 times a day with small/balanced meals. As long as you keep your cravings in check…you’ll be able to make better decisions when it comes to food. Macam during puasa when you hit the pasar Ramadhan…you beli macam2 yang merepek jugak 😉 coz you’re cravings food.

This way you still get to enjoy your fried chicken without doing too much damage to your calorie intake. It’s about balance n not about perfection.

It’s about sustaining a practical eating lifestyle and not about a 12-week crash diet that’s just causing your weight to a roller-coaster.

Hope this helps.