If you have any queries or suggestions, please feel free to reach out via email to info@harisonfitness.com. We will do everything in our capacity to ensure that you love your experience with us.

As office workers, we rely on takeout for all three meals every day. By the time we get home after work, we’re usually too exhausted to even think about cooking—it just seems like too much trouble. On top of that, with our sedentary office jobs, we only manage to stick to our exercise routines sporadically. Yet, the layers of fat around our waists and the swelling in our legs from sitting too long continue to bother us. Here’s a meal plan for your fat-loss phase—be sure to save it right away!~

01 Weekly Meal Plan for People Who Bring Their Own Lunch

Losing fat isn’t something that happens overnight, and pushing too hard will only backfire. For those who bring lunch to work, you can prepare ingredients for the entire workweek over the weekend.

For example, we recommend a stomach-friendly, low-calorie multigrain rice mix as a staple. Combine white rice, red beans, red rice, and purple rice in a 2:1:1:1 ratio, soak for 2–4 hours beforehand, then cook in a rice cooker. Shape the cooked rice into fist-sized portions and store them in the refrigerator. Additionally, sweet potatoes, corn, and pumpkin are all essential sources of high-quality carbohydrates during fat loss.

For vegetables and meats, plan your meals for the week and buy the ingredients accordingly. Of course, be sure to choose options suitable for fat loss that provide protein, dietary fiber, and healthy fats. For example, after chopping vegetables and draining them thoroughly, you can store them in bulk in vacuum-sealed bags in the refrigerator. The same applies to seafood and meats—as long as the vacuum bags are kept dry, the ingredients will stay fresh.

Now that you’ve finished prepping your ingredients, here’s a meal plan formula for efficient fat loss over the course of a week. Choosing ingredients you enjoy and simple, quick cooking methods is what will keep working professionals motivated to stick with it long-term!

 

(1) Breakfast: Starch (100g–150g) + hard-boiled egg (1) + dairy product / black coffee / unsweetened soy milk

(2) Lunch: Starch (100g–150g) + seafood or meat + vegetables (Recommended eating order: vegetables, meat, starch)

(3) Snack: You can have a small packet of nuts or low-sugar fruit (pears, apples, bananas, pomelos, oranges, etc.)

(4) Dinner: Starch (100g–150g) + vegetables (it’s actually okay to include a moderate amount of high-quality protein as well)

02: One-Week Meal Plan for Weight Loss (Takeout)

In the long run, a bland diet is likely to make people give up. So even if you’re too busy at work to cook and have to rely on takeout, the key to losing fat is simply choosing what tastes good and controlling your portion sizes! Open up any of the many takeout apps available—just be sure to avoid dishes that are high in oil and salt, and pay close attention to the ratio of carbs to fat. Don’t worry—here’s a one-week takeout meal plan for office workers looking to lose fat!

 

(1) Western-Style Fast Food: Burgers

McDonald’s

Double Cheeseburger, Bacon & Egg Burger, Teriyaki Chicken Burger, Double Cod Burger

Burger King

Fruitwood-Smoked Chicken Burger, Double Cheese Beef Burger, Spicy Chicken Burger, Little King Burger

KFC

New Orleans-Style Grilled Chicken Burger, Juicy Beef Burger, Hong Kong-Style Large Chicken Thigh (skinless), Sichuan-Style Tender Beef Five-Spice

Subway

Sliced Chicken, Roasted Beef, Classic Tuna, Teriyaki Chicken, Seafood & Crab Meat

For drinks, choose American-style coffee + a corn cup or vegetable cup (during fat-loss periods, skipping the sauce on burgers will also reduce calories)

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(2) Chinese Fast Food

Shaxian Snacks (Best Value)

Various Business Set Meals: Chicken/Duck Thigh Rice Set (recommended to remove skin; eat one-third of the rice), Beef Brisket Rice + Vegetables/Braised Egg

Spicy Hot Pot, Oden, Maocai (do not drink the broth)

Limit refined carbohydrates; substitute with Chinese yam, potatoes, or corn; Avoid processed meats and starchy meatballs; do not consume sesame paste or chili oil

Rice Bowls (High-Quality Protein + Vegetables + One-Third White Rice)

Tomato Beef Rice, Shiitake Mushroom and Tender Chicken Rice, Tomato and Egg Rice Bowl, Braised Dishes (beef, chicken thighs, duck legs), Pickled Cabbage Fish, Braised Chicken Rice, Stone Pot Bibimbap

Soup-Based Rice Dishes (Control rice portion; do not drink the broth)

Pork Tripe and Chicken, Coconut Chicken, Spare Rib Soup with Rice, Sour Soup with Beef Brisket

Noodle Dishes

Clam Rice Noodles, Cold Noodles, Tomato Rice Vermicelli, Stir-Fried Rice Noodles, Wontons, Liangpi

 

In addition to the meal recommendations above, you can use the meal pairing formula provided to supplement your choices. When ordering takeout, you can also note to the restaurant to avoid “pouring extra oil” or to reduce the rice portion. Slow down your eating pace and consciously control your portion sizes. By combining these principles with fat-loss meal planning—and prioritizing foods you enjoy—you’ll gradually learn to work with food in a way that helps you stick with your weight-loss journey over the long term.

 

Keep it up, ladies! Fat loss is really about pursuing health and happiness. Eating less doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll lose weight, but eating the right foods definitely will.

If you have any queries or suggestions, please feel free to reach out via email to info@harisonfitness.com. We will do everything in our capacity to ensure that you love your experience with us.

Many middle-aged and elderly people who are very health-conscious make it a point to exercise every day. That’s why you can see groups of older men and women exercising in parks both in the morning and at night. However, as people age, their physical abilities decline, and they may find themselves wanting to exercise but lacking the stamina to do so. If you push yourself to exercise despite your physical limitations, be careful—what’s meant to be good for your health could end up hurting you.

01 Some sports can be harmful to your health

Many middle-aged and elderly people enjoy hiking in groups, but many find that those who hike frequently often experience knee pain and difficulty walking. After medical examination, most are diagnosed with meniscus tears or muscle strains, as the damage hiking causes to the knees is nearly irreversible. During ascents, the knee joint bears three times the body weight, and during descents, it bears four times the body weight. It’s not just knee injuries—many people’s kidneys are also affected. Therefore, middle-aged and older adults must avoid strenuous exercise and choose scientifically sound exercise methods to protect their joints and kidneys.

02 These Exercises Are Not Suitable for Middle-Aged and Older Adults

1. Avoid Contact Sports

For middle-aged and older adults over the age of 50, various bodily functions gradually decline. Calcium is continuously lost from the body, skeletal muscle mass gradually decreases, and the resilience and strength of bones and joints drop significantly; bones are far less stable and much more fragile than in youth. Therefore, daily exercise routines should completely avoid highly contact-intensive sports such as basketball and soccer. These sports involve a great deal of rapid running, jumping, physical collisions, and body-to-body contact. Not only do they significantly increase the risk of fractures and joint sprains, but they also make it easy to sustain impact injuries to the lower back; in severe cases, this can affect the kidneys and lead to related physical damage. To ensure exercise safety, middle-aged and older adults should avoid such high-intensity, contact sports as much as possible.

2. Avoid “Power Walking”

Walking is a gentle form of exercise suitable for all age groups and is the most common choice for middle-aged and older adults. However, high-intensity power walking is not suitable for this demographic. As the cartilage in the knee joints of middle-aged and older adults gradually wears down and degenerates, power walking subjects the joints to continuous high-intensity weight-bearing and impact forces. This can easily lead to knee joint wear and strain, triggering problems such as joint pain and fluid accumulation; long-term power walking can severely damage knee health. If you choose walking as a form of exercise, it is recommended to wear knee braces and soft, comfortable athletic shoes, and to adopt a regular exercise routine that alternates between brisk and slow walking. By exercising gradually and progressively, you can not only improve your overall health but also effectively protect your joints.

3. Avoid High-Intensity Exercise

Intense anaerobic exercises, such as weightlifting and various weight-bearing machine workouts, place extremely high demands on muscular explosiveness and the body’s ability to withstand pressure, requiring limbs to bear significant loads during the activity. As middle-aged and older adults experience a decline in muscle strength, physical coordination, and recovery capacity, engaging in such exercises can easily lead to muscle strains, ligament injuries, and even skeletal stress-related damage. Therefore, fitness for middle-aged and older adults should focus primarily on gentle aerobic exercises. Jogging, brisk walking, tai chi, and swimming are all excellent choices. These activities are of moderate intensity and highly safe; they effectively enhance cardiopulmonary function, slow the loss of skeletal muscle mass, and improve overall physical fitness, making them well-suited to the physical condition of middle-aged and older adults.

 

In summary, middle-aged and older adults should avoid blindly following trends when exercising. They must steer clear of common fitness misconceptions, reject exercise methods that are harmful to the body, and select gentle exercises suited to their individual physical conditions. Only then can they truly achieve the goals of scientific fitness and maintaining good health.

If you have any queries or suggestions, please feel free to reach out via email to info@harisonfitness.com. We will do everything in our capacity to ensure that you love your experience with us.

Many people who decide to start running to lose weight soon discover that sticking with it is really hard! But if you persevere, you’ll see the progress long-distance running brings. So how can we keep running long distances? Here are a few tips to help you stick with it—so you’ll lose weight as you run!

01 Tips for Sticking with Long-Distance Running
1. You must jog, jog, jog! The ideal pace is one where you’re not breathing too heavily and can still carry on a conversation with someone next to you. If that’s still too hard, start with brisk walking and build up gradually! When you first start running, don’t push yourself too hard—just do whatever feels comfortable, or you’ll give up easily!

2. Set a reasonable exercise time for yourself: Don’t focus on speed or distance—just make sure to exercise for the time you’ve set each day (for example, 30 or 40 minutes)! Important note: Don’t compare your speed or distance with others. Improve gradually based on your own physical condition. Every runner around you, no matter how skilled they are, started as a beginner too—they’ve just been running longer than you.

3. Stay consistent: Start with 2–3 times a week. No matter how much you don’t feel like working out, just putting on your running shoes and heading out is a victory.

4. Make sure to get plenty of rest: When you first start running, your body won’t be used to it. You need to rest well; otherwise, you’re more likely to get injured and won’t be able to stick with it.

02 Weight Loss Tips

Finally, here are a few tips I used when I first started losing weight—I’m sure they’ll work for you, too.

1. Write down your running plan

The night before you plan to run, write down your running plan before going to bed. That’s right—write it down! The more detailed, the better. It can include: where you’ll run, the approximate time frame, whether it’s before or after a meal, and how long you’ll run. Don’t underestimate this step—it adds a sense of ritual to your run and makes you less likely to give up on your plan, since you’ve already put in the effort.

Psychological research also shows that writing down a plan allows your brain to process the task subconsciously, giving you more time to think through your goals in detail and reducing resistance and fear when facing the task. It also gives you time to prepare the necessary gear, such as workout clothes and running shoes, leaving you with no excuse to cancel. For beginner runners, I recommend starting with a 2–3-kilometer jog—or even a walk—and gradually increasing the duration and pace. This ensures your body can handle it and minimizes mental resistance.

2. Learn to Motivate Yourself

During the weight-loss process, we need a sense of fulfillment! The sense of fulfillment from exercise doesn’t come immediately, so we need to find satisfaction through other means. For example, in the early stages of weight loss, you can set a small reward for yourself: if you manage to run six days a week, treat yourself to a meal you really enjoy. This will give you an instant boost of happiness, and these so-called “cheat meals” can actually help you stick to your fat-loss goals. Just make sure not to overindulge!

These are some tips to help you stick with long-distance running—be sure to bookmark them!

If you have any queries or suggestions, please feel free to reach out via email to info@harisonfitness.com. We will do everything in our capacity to ensure that you love your experience with us.

Fitness has become a new healthy lifestyle, and more and more people are joining the fitness movement. To meet this growing demand, companies have introduced a wide range of nutritional supplements. Among the earliest and most common options are muscle-building powder and protein powder, which are excellent choices for beginners looking to boost their nutrition and energy levels. Below, I’ll explain how to choose the right muscle-building powder and protein powder, as different people have different needs.

01 What Is Muscle-Building Powder?

What are commonly referred to on the market as “muscle-building powder,” “muscle-toning powder,” and “weight-gain powder” actually all refer to the same type of product—they just have different names. They are all composed of a mixture of protein and carbohydrates. Scientifically speaking, muscle-building powder is a product that combines isolated and concentrated whey protein with other ingredients that enhance protein absorption. Its primary function is to help lean individuals gain weight. People trying to lose weight should absolutely avoid muscle-building powder, as it may cause them to gain weight—resulting in the simultaneous growth of both muscle and body fat. Not only will they fail to lose weight, but they may actually gain weight, which runs counter to their fitness goals, significantly reduces the efficiency of their workouts, and increases costs.

02 What Is Protein Powder?
Scientifically speaking, protein powder is typically a powdered supplement made from purified soy protein, casein, whey protein (which lacks isoleucine), or a combination of these proteins. Its primary function is to supplement protein for people with protein deficiencies or to help fitness enthusiasts build muscle. It is an excellent choice for those who want to gain muscle without gaining weight. Protein powder is mainly divided into three types: regular whey protein, whey protein isolate, and sustained-release protein. Each of these three types has distinct functions and target audiences.

 

Whey protein isolate is primarily intended for people with lactose intolerance. It is specifically designed for those who want to build muscle and lose weight. Whey protein isolate contains no lactose, thereby preventing symptoms of lactose intolerance at the source. Other than that, it is no different from regular whey protein and helps the body absorb protein and other nutrients normally.

 

Slow-release protein is generally suitable for professional fitness enthusiasts engaged in high-intensity strength training. Slow-release protein contains casein, a protein whose structure prolongs the body’s digestion and absorption time, providing muscles with a sustained and adequate supply of nutrients. Casein is typically taken before bed.

If you do a lot of strength training, protein powder can indeed make a noticeable difference. But if you’re just hoping to gain muscle quickly by drinking some protein powder, you’re better off not wasting your money. Protein powder has no direct effect on fat loss. However, if you incorporate some strength training into your fat-loss routine, consuming protein powder while you’re losing fat can help you gain muscle mass and achieve a more defined, streamlined physique—one that looks better and is healthier than your previous lean build.