A fun way of losing weight & being healthy

My friend’s daughter (name withheld upon request) is forever thankful to Jim Saret and his wife Toni who helped her trim down from 294 pounds to 167 when she joined The Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition Doubles on ABS-CBN that ended several weeks ago. The Saret couple, who got married two years ago after going steady for 10 years, were the trainers of the prospective losers, the same hosting/training task assigned to Jim during the show’s previous edition. Toni joined him as host when Jim’s previous co-host, Chinggay Andrada, begged off.

Jim, 38, doesn’t look his age and neither does Toni (age not disclosed). As to be expected, they look fit and fabulous, and if you have a body like his and hers, you would be proud to show it off. When Toni, in denim short-shorts and sleeveless T-shirt, walked into Cafe Ilang-Ilang of the Manila Hotel, heads turned and I was sure that everybody wished he/she looked like her. And like Jim.

The couple has been conducting what they call “camps,” supported by companies like Nestlé and SM (in whose malls around the country the “camps” are usually conducted). The camps are set up outdoor designed to encourage Biggest Loser “graduates” to sustain the health regimen that they have learned during the on-cam events. Now, more and more people are joining the “camps” (with a minimal membership fee of P1,500, no age limit).

“The participants find it fun because they become friends with the rest of the members,” said Toni. “It’s more fun if you’re doing it with several people. You lose weight and gain friends in the process.”

The number of participants has been increasing, with more than 300 during the recent Milo camp, some of which are held in Mall Of Asia (MOA) and Alabang Town Center.

Added Jim, “So far, we have around 10 camps around the country, with more than 100 participants in each. We have three satellite camps in Cebu where we started.”

Aside from working out, the camps also train participants in other sports such as running (the couple runs the biggest running school in the country) which they have been doing even before their stint on Biggest Loser. 

Jim, who was the subject of Funfare’s “Body Talk” three years ago, is a US-educated sports-medicine expert and athletic-training specialist.

“My philosophy is that everybody has an athlete inside him or her,” said Jim. “We just have to make it come out. My experience with a lot of people who are overweight before is that once you’re able to find out what gets them motivated, and you’re able to make them believe that they can actually do things, they end up changing.”

A former national team player for tennis, Jim took a pre-medicine course at UP before taking his masters in the US. Instead of pursuing a career abroad, Jim decided to come home to share his knowledge with his kababayan. He’s regarded as “the trainer of trainers,” once appointed trainer of the whole Philippine National Team by the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Asked during the “Body Talk” what’s the best time to work out, Jim said, “Scientifically, our body follows a pre-set ‘circadian rhythm.’ This ‘internal clock’ can often dictate whether we are a ‘morning’ person or an ‘evening’ person. However, time availability, work and family schedules and other factors often come into play.”

According to Jim’s research the following facts are worth considering:

a). The optimal time for the body to exercise is when the body temperature is at its highest, usually at around 4 or 5 p.m. when you are more alert and your muscles are warm and flexible.

b). Our body’s strength output is five percent higher around mid-day. An aerobic performance is also stronger in the late afternoon.

c). Aerobic endurance is also greater in the afternoon by four percent.

d). Studies have shown that people who exercise in the morning are more consistent with their workouts as compared to those that work out in the afternoon or evening.

“As a fitness scientist,” said Jim, “I know how valuable sleep is not just health-wise but even in weight loss. Research has shown that getting five hours of sleep or less not only triggers your appetite but also slows down your metabolism by five to 15 percent.”

(For inquiries about the camp, call 0919-3261814.)

What’s up?

? Part of the lyrics of Pare, Mahal Mo Raw Ako, Joven Tan’s entry in this year’s Himig Handog (set for Sept. 28 at the Araneta Coliseum), published in yesterday’s column, was missing, the refrain no less, which goes: Wala namang mababago/Sa pagtingin ko sa iyo/Pero kaibigan lang ang pwede kong iaalay sa iyo/At kung higit pa r’on pasensya na di ko makakaya/Pare, kaibigan lang kita. The song, with Michael Pangilinan as interpreter, is about a secret gay opening up to his unsuspecting male friend during a drinking session.

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