Drink yourself sexy

I’m suffering from diet fatigue, tired of hearing about liquid cleanses and diets so restrictive your hair starts to fall out. As someone who’s tried countless diets that work temporarily, only to have the pounds inevitably creep back once I start eating normally, I tend to tune out the quick-fix fads and listen more to common sense backed up by real science.

So I was interested in what the weight-loss experts had to say at the launch of the new and improved Fit ‘n Right at One Rockwell. They seemed to agree that fitness was more a matter of burning fat than losing weight (after all, muscle weighs more than fat), and that the basic formula to fight fat storage is “fat = calories consumed – calories burned.” This means that to lose weight healthily and reduce fat mass, we need to increase our physical activity to burn more fat, and eat fewer calories. Makes sense so far, but where does Fit ‘n Right come in?

The Del Monte Fit ‘n Right team: (from left) Hosts Jinno Rufino and Tricia Chiongbian, Del Monte category manager Clars Guerrero, Sexy Chef Barni Alejandro, plyometrics pioneer Raul Banzon and fashion designer Rajo Laurel

Hosts Jinno Rufino and Tricia Chiongbian introduced the product’s new and patented formula. The original Fit ‘n Right juice drink contained L-Carnitine, which helps us burn fat by converting fatty acids into energy. Fit ‘n Right’s enhanced formula combines L-Carnitine with Green Coffee Extract (GCE), a relatively new ingredient on the weight-loss scene. Naturally derived from un-roasted green coffee beans (roasting supposedly kills the weight-loss benefits), GCE reduces our caloric intake by partially blocking our body’s absorption of sugar, which means that the less sugar our body absorbs, the less excess calories that our bodies can turn into fat. A clinical study on green coffee extract’s effectiveness shows that daily consumption of GCE significantly reduced fat versus L-Carnitine alone and versus diet and exercise alone.

“The new formula with green coffee extract magnifies the fat-burning benefits of L-Carnitine,” says Del Monte category manager Clars Guerrero, who lost eight pounds in a month on Fit ‘n Right. At less than 50 calories a bottle, she advises drinking one bottle a day and following a sensible plan of diet and exercise.

The media launch was attended by personalities — most of whom were already at the peak of fitness — like Ornusa Cadness, the STAR’s Stephanie Zubiri, Rovilson Fernandez, Amazing Race’s Rich Hardin and Biggest Loser winner Art Mendoza. Guest speakers who shared tips on getting healthy and fit included plyometrics pioneer Raul Banzon, Sexy Chef Barni Alejandro and fashion designer Rajo Laurel.

Diet right: Sensible food choices like brown rice with vegetables and lean meat, or a controlled portion of whole-wheat spaghetti, make a huge difference when counting calories.Photos by ERNIE PEñAREDONDO

“The fashion industry is not kind,” Rajo admitted. “I see models and brides on crazy diets like the Epsom — which is just water and salt! — and the Juju Cleanse.” Frustrated because he wanted to join The Biggest Loser but didn’t weigh enough to qualify, Rajo exercises every day in a routine designed to prevent boredom, mixing dance one day with plyometrics another; he also does cardio kinesis and runs.

Barni advocated eating foods rich in The Fat-Fighting Four: fiber, calcium, vitamin D and omega-3s. “Avoid anything fried, even in olive oil,” she advised. “Go for grilled, steamed, and baked.” The Sexy Chef delivers healthily prepared, nutritionally sound meals to clients daily based on their caloric requirements. Using herself as an example, Barni said that at her height and weight, any calories she consumes over 1,200 she has to burn off through exercise.

Raul, who brought plyometrics to the Philippines, says it’s the quality of exercise that counts more than quantity. “Anaerobic exercise burns five times as much fat as aerobic and measuring your heart rate is very important,” he said, revealing that he had a brother who died after overexerting himself in a marathon. “The formula for doing that is 220 minus your age.”

All three recommended losing only one to two pounds per week, eating small, frequent meals five times a day to increase your metabolism, and working in at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day if you don’t have time to go to a gym.

Added Guerrero, “Del Monte Fit ‘n Right harnesses the science of sexy and captures it in a bottle, helping you amplify your weight-loss efforts. You can now choose to use Fit ‘n Right with diet, exercise, both or even just maintain your current lifestyle, depending on your desired results.”

She urged those of us who weren’t happy with our physiques to take the Fit ‘n Right weight-loss challenge for 30 days and, with Christmas’ gluttonous feasting right around the corner, I plan to do just that.