Honesty is the Best Policy

Someone from work whom I have not seen for a long time commented on my weight.

"Kurus ye you sekarang." 

I smiled.

"You pakai H******** eh?"

You guys have NO IDEA how many times someone asked me that question. Most people think there MUST be something special that I use to lose weight, i.e. slimming programs, shakes, fad diets, corsets etc etc.

I said nonchalantly -- "No lah, mana ada pakai apa-apa. I takde duit nak beli."

"So apa you buat? You jaga makan dengan exercise je?"

"Ha'ah."

There you have it ladies and gents. That is my honesty to you who are reading this.

Delicious Digestives

I found this at Marks & Spencer.

The M&S digestives are sold at RM12.50 for two, probably because it was nearing its expiry date but hey, I didn't mind. I was sure that I could finish it before the deadline.

The dark chocolate is about 38% cocoa, which is lesser than what I usually take, I usually choose at least 50% of cocoa for dark chocolates, but man, this digestives really wins.

One biscuit is about 85 calories (I checked online) so I would still suggest  to control your portion. Takkan la makan sampai lapan keping in one sitting pulak kan, baik makan nasi.

Water for Weight Loss

Drink 8 glasses of water every day. 

I am not the first to tell you that nor will I be the last. But this is one advice that everyone should listen to.

Water does aid weight loss. Water itself is like a miracle to mankind. I have consciously incorporated drinking water into my lifestyle that I can't bear going through a day without water! But somehow, fasting during Ramadhan is a different story altogether - I suppose when you fast, you have niat, and niat is drilled into your mindset so not drinking water only during Ramadhan is tolerable by me. 

So anyways, back to water. The star of my show, the highlight of this story. I know someone who tries to lose weight but isn't losing much and I notice that she doesn't like drinking water. I suspect her lack of hydration is a hindrance in her weight-loss mission. I tried telling her though, that water is super important if you want to maintain good overall health.

From my reading, water helps oil your machine, that is your body. When your machine, or body, is properly oiled, it should be functioning well, right? It helps flush out the toxins from your system and in my experience, drinking lemon water helps with regular bowel movement. 

Some don't like the taste of plain water. I can understand that, I mean, we just drink boiled tap water, not the pristine spring water from the French Alps. 

So how can you make your water a bit more sexy?

I jazz it up with these!

I freeze raspberries and mint. I use small slices of lemons for this too.

You just save these ice cubes in your freezer and pop them in your glass of water whenever you feel like it. My personal favourite has got to be the raspberry ice cubes. The tinge is just delicious.

Banana Chocolate

I had a RM10 Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf voucher to use.

I don't like crumpled papers (or vouchers) so I brilliantly kept it somewhere where it will remain un-crumpled and crisp and pretty.

Until I forgot where I placed the voucher.

I've been searching for it since last week because I remember well that it will expire some time in September. Just as I thought I lost the voucher, I found it this morning! It was safely tucked in between the pages of a book I'm reading.

And it was about to expire today.

Here at CBTL, I opted for coffee-free ice blended drink (because I don't drink coffee).

I asked the girl at the counter to recommend me a drink - she recommended Banana Chocolate. 

"Do you want whipped cream on top?"

"NO." 

Remember to always say no to whipped cream, okay guys?

She asked me for the beverage size and I chose regular. 

They have small, regular and large. 

I had a sip and it was delicious. I wouldn't have this every day, definitely. Don't drink your calories, eat them. 

Now that I had some time to think, I realised I made some mistakes with this order. 

I did not....

Ask whether it was dairy-based. 

If the answer was dairy, I could have asked for a dairy substitute, like soy. 

I should have....

Asked for a small size rather than regular (lesser calories due to smaller portion and cheaper by about a buck or two)

So the next time I order my drink, I will try not to forget my own rules! 

Post Syawal Mission

Syawal has ended.

That also means the end of the two consecutive months in a year where I cut myself some slack and enjoy food however way I want it.

I stopped running entirely during Ramadhan and only picked up running probably three times at most during Syawal. I especially love lemang and rendang (how can it be raya if you don't have these two?!) so I did not make any restrictions in enjoying them.

But alas, all good things must come to an end. Too much of good food, and now I have some flab around my waist.

While my weight remains more or less the same, I feel bloated and I noticed my tummy isn't as flat as before. Only solution to this problem, as I have tried and tested, is less carb, more fibre, more water and portion control.

I've started my post Syawal mission - to get my flat tummy back. Wish me luck!

How I Beat Sleepiness While Driving

Sometimes when I drive and get stuck in a traffic jam, I get really sleepy. And that's very bad since you can't simply take a nap in the middle of the road, right, so I figured out some ways to beat sleepiness. 

1. I SING. 

I sing like I am on American Idol, One in a Million, Akademi Fantasia, The Voice, or whatever singing show you have on TV these days. Surprisingly, singing high notes of Agnes Monica songs keeps me awake. 

I butcher the songs too, of course. I wouldn't even be called for the next round of audition. I would be eliminated right there and then in the middle of Federal Highway. 

But takpelah, at least I'm awake. 

2. I SNACK.

This is awesome. Sometimes when I do Option #1, my voice cracks and my throat becomes sore, so on days when I don't feel like massacring Agnes's songs, I choose to munch instead. I have a balang of roasted almonds sitting in my car right now. But you need to make good choices when it comes to snacking!

Which brings me to the actual point of this post ---- 

This is my snack of the day! 

almonds, dried organic goji berries, dried apricots

It's my first time trying goji berries after reading its benefits. Some call it a superfruit because of that. I have to admit, I don't particularly like how it tastes when I first tried it, but I believe I can train my tastebud for anything, especially if it's for the good stuff. It tastes better when I eat it with plain yogurt. 

It's slowly growing on me though. 

The Fellowship of the Travelling Dumbbells

When you have a fitness freak as a friend, this is what he sends you after he checks into his hotel.

(He's away in Alor Setar for the elections by the way)

So I sent him this...

TAK NAK KALAH. 

FOOD: Avocado and tomato sandwich.

I saw this snack suggestion online and thought it looks so easy to make.

Three main ingredients are:

Avocado
Tomato 
Wholemeal bread

I use butter and pan grilled the bread. Butter makes a whole lot of difference! And pan grilling it is definitely better than toasting it.

Just sliced the avocado and tomato, and stack them between the two bread slices.

This is my new favourite snack and I eat it for breakfast or whenever I feel hungry. Avocado can cost up to RM5 so it's quite an expensive snack - but I rather have this for breakfast than a RM3 plate of mee goreng. Plus, I found a shop that sells three avocados for RM12!

This snack truly does not disappoint.

Ashley

Ashley Greene after a work out session. 

Even celebrities work out. If you want to look good and feel good you work out. You don't give me crap like 'but I want to lose weight' and still sit on the couch, okay? It pisses me off.

Cycle

This is what you get when you put an Englishman in Australia. 

Despite the entire country experiencing heatwave right now, our Brit boy who grew up in the dreary-weathered London city went on a bicycle and started cycling around Adelaide! 

Still a good form of exercise though.

The Wannabe Healthy Guide For Ordering at Starbucks

Most of my friends probably know my deep attachment with Starbucks by now.

I do think it is my third place especially when I didn't have a car back then. Taking the public transportation would mean I'd have to sit somewhere and do my work and more often than not, I'd end up at Starbucks.

Back then when I wasn't concerned about health much, I'd order my favourite green tea frappe every single time.

Once I went into the health/fitness mode, I learned that sugar intake shouldn't be taken lightly and it is the easiest cause for one to gain weight, apart from portion size.

And these designer drinks at Starbucks, oh boy do they pack the calories.

So how do I manage when I go to Starbucks, after being enlightened on health and fitness?

I play by these rules now.


RULE #1 : It's okay to have a frappuccino every now and then 

Starbucks has done away with its 10% discount using Jusco card and introduced the Starbucks loyalty programme where they give you a free drink (grande size) with every 10 hand crafted beverages purchased. Since I can't really take dairy because of PCOS (gynae's advice!) I would order hot/iced tea - Starbucks has an awesome range of teas that you can choose from - 10 times, and for my 11th drink I would gladly choose a frappuccino. I go to Starbucks often so that 10 mugs of tea pass by rather quickly. I usually take my tea with absolutely no sugar but there are days that I want it sweet, so I'll just use pour the sugar syrup myself.

RULE #2 Change your milk

So when I do order a frappucino, what do I ask for?

Always ask for low-fat milk, or skinny milk. If you prefer soy milk, by all means, go ahead. Just don't take full fat milk.

RULE #3 Whipped cream, no!

Stay away from it! My sister was hooked on whipped cream before but she managed to train her tastebuds to NOT have whipped cream. One day while she was ordering at Starbucks, she saw two really overweight men licking on whipped cream. That sight alone was enough to put her off whipped cream for life.

RULE #4 You CAN say no to sugar

Nowadays when I order iced shaken lemon tea, I would request for zero syrup. If I want some sweetness in my drink, I can go add syrup on my own at that little corner where they store straws and sugar packets. The key is YOU control your sugar intake.

RULE #5 Drink water

It is always good to drink plain water, even when you already have your hand crafted drink. Water aids weight loss!

To me, Starbucks is not all that bad if you are smart with what you order. A woman already claims she lost weight, but I personally think sticking to one restaurant or food chain to lose weight is just as good as a fad diet - it makes you lose weight but can you keep the weight off in the long run?

Listen

I finished reading Edward de Bono's How to Have A Beautiful Mind the other day. 

It's an interesting book I must say. My favourite chapter is easily 'Interruption'. 

de Bono's thoughts on Interruption: 

"When is your turn to speak? Is interruption necessary, or just bad manners? Interruptions are generally rude and break the flow of what is being said. So there needs to be a very good reason for the interruption. If someone is simply going on and on, there may be a need to indicate that a conversation is a two-way affair. 

"Interruptions are often ego-driven. Someone wants to be noticed or feel important. Someone wants to show he or she is smarter than the speaker."

Couldn't agree more. 

When was the last time you interrupt someone's speech? Or when was the last time you fail to listen to your partner?

Failure to be heard is often very frustrating. I remind myself to listen and not interrupt when people talk after reading this chapter. 

The Secret Diet Pill

Adilah sent me this the other day. Hilarious! I honestly wish I could send this to all the women I met who complain about being fat but refuse to do anything about it! I do not (usually) call people names or criticise their weight, but when you complain about being fat and wish a weight loss miracle to happen without wanting to make any effort? PLEASE. Nobody is forcing you to lose weight, you need to WANT to be healthy and fit for it to happen. If you are not willing to go the extra mile for what you want, then shush!

FOOD: Making My Own Snack

Most of the stuff we buy at the stores contain more sugar than it should have. I read that while yoghurt is good, flavoured yoghurt often has more sugar than the plain normal yoghurt. 

So I bought a tub of plain normal yoghurt and put some flavaaaah. 

Ingredients: 

Low fat plain normal yoghurt (Any brand would do, pick one!)

Muesli for crunch and texture

Maple syrup (you get to control the sweetness of your yoghurt, how cool is that!)

I also cheated a bit and used canned peach slices, so happens that they were leftovers in the fridge. Tasted as good as it looked. Feel free to use fresh fruits like strawberries or kiwis for this! Be creative!

FOOD: Oats and papaya.

Had lemon water, papaya cuts, and oats with muesli and a dollop of Waitrose peanut butter. This sort of breakfast usually fills me up until lunch time.

A Monday to myself.

I had earlier asked for a day off today to help Julia with some of the 'technicals' in her wedding. But the plan didn't go through today and I was hesitant to ask my OC to revert back to my initial roster so I went on with having the whole day to myself. 

Went to GSC Pavilion in the morning and got a 2.30pm tix to The Cold Light of Day starring Henry Cavill, the man who was almost.. ALMOST cast as Edward Cullen. 

It would have been a very different fandom if Cavill - once dubbed the unluckiest actor in Hollywood - had won the part of Twilight heartthrob. 

Anyways, Cavill got the plum role of Superman set for release next year, so we can scrap the 'unluckiest' off his portfolio. 

After the movie I did a little shopping at Mercato. Stocked up on green tea and got myself Olive Grove Lite (cholesterol free! 30% less fat!) and Waitrose crunchy peanut butter. 

ANDDD my parking ticket came up to RM21. I didn't even parked inside Pavilion. FML.

Dream

I had a dream last night.

Claudia Schiffer told me that I need to work on my ass because she checked my behind and it was flat. I was too thin.

She told me,

"You need ASS. Because that is the appeal of the Kardashians."

(sic)

Like this???

Not gonna happen! 

.

.

.

.

.

Better photo. Any workout photo is good photo.

KL Lights

I love lights. They fascinate me. And if you take a walk or a drive to the city centre at night, you can see that the lights make the city go ALIVE.

It was the Chinese New Year holidays thus more oriental decorations are available everywhere especially the traditional lanterns.

Below are some photos I took during my walkabout around town.








More pics but I need some shuteye for now. Will update this post! Good night ;)

When Strangers Unite

There's not a day in the hectic city life that bores me. There's always so many things that I can do and I'm blessed enough to have a job that allows me to run everywhere around and across town (i.e journalist).

In a cosmopolitan like Kuala Lumpur, where I was born and bred, we are fortunate enough to experience the rich diversity of different races, religions and cultures.

And is there anything better than diversity?

Oh I think there is. I'd say when the differences actually come together as ONE.

One fine Saturday at work, I was asked to cover an event called Tali Tenang.

The event came about after an unfortunate event that took place in this country that we love - some of us resorted to violent acts that affected places of worship in order to get their message across. It was a sad thing when the church was partially gutted but there is always a silver lining behind every cloud.

Tali Tenang happened when a small group of like-minded people from Random Alphabets decided to show the entire country that they are level-headed citizens when it come to sensitive issues such as the one we are facing currently. They want to say that come what may, they would still keep their cool and be calm.

So they decided to ask people through Facebook and Twitter - and most are complete strangers - to join them in this cause by bringing along any type of string. The strings would then be tied together, resulting in a very, very long rope. It's especially meaningful, I think, as the different strings reflect the differences in its owners but once they are tied up together, the long string signified UNITY.

The meeting point was at Bangsar LRT station. Most participants came wearing white (it was an impromptu assignment so I wasn't wearing white) and prepared with strings, ribbons and also flags. Zain HD, the project manager, gave instructions to the crowd to tie the strings together.



I thought they would just have the super long strings tied as such and perhaps sit in a circle and start doing ice-breaking session but boy, was I wrong. We were told to walk from the LRT station to the Bangsar Sports Complex which was a good 2-km away!

Yours truly. All Tali Tenang pictures sourced from this Facebooker. Do check out his page.

I thought I didn't want to join in, but then since I'm writing about it, I might as well experience what it was all about. It was definitely a long walk and thank God I was wearing flats because I saw a few girls that wore heels. We were encouraged to smile, wave and invite curious onlookers to join us so that was what I exactly did. Passers-by honked at us in support, I hope we made their day when they saw this loooonnngg string going around Bangsar!



I've never participated in group events like this so it was new to me, to be able to come together with this group of strangers for a cause. I spoke to some new people I met at the event and it felt like I've known them ages ago. We clicked. Like-minded.

The long string was cut for us to became smaller in groups so it would be easier for us to cross the roads but it was reconnected again when we finally reached the sports complex. It was a tiring walk but one that I would do all over again to feel that sense of accomplishment.



We were all sweaty and tired but everyone had a smile on their faces. My job only started when the event finished as I had to interview a few participants and the prominent figures that attended.

Tali Tenang was a creative way to bring people to together. Earlier in the morning before Tali Tenang, I had the chance to go see The Most Important Thing In The World, another initiative by a group of young people held at Jalan Bukit Bintang. For this event, participants were asked to communicate WITHOUT saying a word. And in order to do so, they use stethoscopes and listen to heartbeats instead, which I find very interesting. Imagine, a stranger, close to you, without any guard or defense and both of you share the sound of each other's heartbeats. Imagine the amount of blind trust put into that.



It was a late night for me at the office. The next day, my story (which I wrote with another colleague who also covered the event) was published. KL-lites sure know how to come up with extra-curricular activities such as these, don't you think?

I Spent My New Year's Eve With 80,000 Strangers

I had to work on New Year's Eve. But it wasn't so bad since I get to cover Genting!

(covered KLCC last year - definitely hate the crowd)

Each press member gets to have our own rooms at First World Hotel. Basic room with basic facilities, enough to get you through the night.

Not too bad ;)

Genting's NYE celebration is done in a grandiose way - as usual. While waiting for the fireworks to start at the strike of midnight we were brought to witness the launch of Glow In The Dark Bowling.

That's me bowling for the first time ever!

Even your shoes glow in the dark.

It's also amazing to note that a lunar eclipse happened last night. Read about the amazing phenomenon here.

Heavy fog veiled the skyline, hence clouding the fireworks. All you could see was random colours projected on the sky without much sparks that a firework usually has accompanied with the thunderous sound.

The moon, on the other hand, was just perfectly unaffected by the fog. It was shining so bright, it permeated the night.

Just as the 10-min firework made its finale, like a REALLY LOUD sound and supposedly REALLY BRIGHT fireworks, the fog finally lifted its veil over the sky.

No kidding man. I think it was a waste of thousands of ringgit for the blurry performance. Ah well, can't control Mother Nature, can we?





I've a lot that I want to achieve for 2010. Slowly making a list so that I won't forget. I realised it's important to visualise your goals in life, more often than not, it WILL materialise. For instance, I visualised a laptop and I got it (i.e. I wanted a Dell XPS but I got Toshiba Portege M800 instead).

Like they say, shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you'll be among the stars.

Paulo Coelho said, "When you want something, all the Universe conspires to help you." Coelho isn't the only one I know that says that. Deepak Chopra says the same mantra too.

So Happy 2010 everyone! May we all be well, healthy and happy this new year.

Don't forget to keep your resolutions, if you made any ;)