Category Archives: Healthy Bits

  • Never Meant To Exercise!

    I can see my buttocks is no longer able to defy the laws of gravity. My metabolism is probably non-existent as I seem to put on weight just by looking at food. My stamina is the pits. I pant and become out of breath when I have to walk to the bathroom. I need an exercise plan!

    And recently – a new yoga centre opened up where I work. myoga (pronounced my-yoga) at The Gardens, at Midvalley.

    Ooooh… I am excited. And so I go enquire about the classes. They were most patient at identifying my needs, and then introducing me to the type of package that would most suit my budget and time. I was sure about signing-up. But I still wanted to think about it. Maybe I needed to psych myself up more first.

    2 days later – I skipped lunch to go sign up. Then! I am explained the types of restrictions. I could either only go for Option A (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays) or Option B (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays/Sundays). And this is engraved in stone. I am not allowed to go Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays nor am I allowed to change my days once I have confirmed my option. However, if I add RM50 a month and pay via direct debit, then I can enjoy the flexibility of anytime, any day! Hmm… I needed to think about it.

    I continue to psyche myself, psyche myself…

    And I said to myself – I can do it. Heck, I’ll even go 4 times a week! I’ll show you! Conquer gravity! My buttocks will thank me! I shall become, Master Yoga Attendee of the Universe.

    So, today, I skip lunch again. I go to myoga to sign up.

    I left with no yoga classes.

    They have restrictions on types of credit card used for direct debit payment. Sigh… And I was not willing to pay for 16 months in advance. I am a teensy-wee afraid I might not last 16 weeks. Or even 16 days.

    Perhaps my buttocks is meant to sag to the ground. Maybe exercise was not meant to happen to me.

  • Live to Eat, Eat to Live?

    Some of us eat for fuel, only when we are hungry. In some cases, even before we’re hungry, just to shut the stomach up before it starts growling.*

    And some of us are just foodies – wanting to try everything (so many choices so little time and so many more choices!), going out of the way, travelling miles and crossing oceans for ‘said’ good food.

    And some of us commit one of the 7 deadly sins – gluttony, by binge eating.

    Half the world’s population is being killed in record numbers from too much food. The other half is dying from lack of food. What is this fascination with food that we have that we read about it, people write about it endlessly, we watch it on telly, and Pixar made a movie** out of it!

    Does eating to live mean we eat healthfully, become vegetarians, and only eat as much as the energy we require to continue living? This would mean I will only be allowed 3 apples a day since I am sat on my ass at the office all day, and consider I have exercised because I walk to my car. Does this mean I have to forgo all delicious food? By delicious, my definitions include greasy, deep-fried, fattening, unhealthy foods- I love my steaks and lamb chops fatty, I dream of ‘siew-yoke’ (crispy pork), I crave Italian (extra creamy pastas and pizzas with 10 types of EXTRA! cheese), I could eat ‘nasi lemak’ everyday, and I love soups with almost every meal!

    And sometimes, I go the other extreme by starving myself.

    Oops! I got carried away with my perfect-sometimes unhealthy-OCD relationship with food there.

    In conclusion, my conclusion at least, living to eat or eating to live is like the chicken or egg first question.

    * Statement made and copyrighted by Jax.
    ** This Pixar movie is that rat cartoon – Ratatouille. I’ve seen it, and I love it.

  • Not so hungry…

    I have been refraining from snacking for 5 days now. Did I snack less? Yes, I did. The thought of writing down everything I snacked on was somewhat enough to put me off snacking. But I just ended up eating bigger meals. Oh, and I did gain weight in 5 days.

    This will sound like an excuse, but I was eating bigger meals because I was eating out all weekend!

    So, I’d say, the key to healthy eating and weight maintenance would be to have your meals regularly, in non-excessive amounts. To snack if you feel like it, but snack healthily on appetite suppressing snacks, and to keep a food diary. I have actually heard of people who took pictures of everything they ate with their camera phones, and at the end of every day and every week – review the amount that they have eaten. This would be a good enough indication, and quite off putting way of confirming how we sometimes tend to pig out!

  • Oh So Hungry…

    Over the past 1 week, I am constantly feeling hungry. In fact, I am feeling hungry again. I just had lunch 2 hours ago.

    I am just insatiable! I am eating every meal regularly, and I snack. So, how can I possibly want more food? How can I still be hungry? My hunger is turning in to an obsession. All I am thinking about is satisfying my hunger, and cravings. Craving of this very moment – hokkien mee!

    And so I get to thinking – is this REAL hunger I am feeling? Or am I just being greedy? What is hunger suppose to feel like?

    The dictionary describes hunger as the discomfort, pain or weakness caused by need for food. And I’ve been told that hunger makes you depressed, weak, moody, crabby and light headed. Sometimes, the stomach may start to rumble. I have none of these feelings. I just want to eat something!!!

    I know it’s ok to be hungry. But REALLY, I don’t need the extra calories, nor do I think that this constant feeling of hunger is normal or good for me.

    So I am going to try a few appetite suppressing techniques that will include avoiding refined carbohydrates (no more crisps and chocolates!!!), getting plenty of natural sunlight, drinking lots of water and eating more fibre.

    Apparently, the body cannot tell the difference from whether we have eaten 2 bowls of rice or 2 bowls of vegetables. No guessing which is the healthier option!

    So, for the next 1 week, I am going to focus on filling myself up with fibre, and trying out appetite suppressing foods. Not that I expect to totally eliminate my hunger and cravings, but I figured I should start somewhere.

    Appetite suppressing foods that I know of is water, apples, vegetables and protein shake. It doesn’t sound very exciting, and that is what I am going to eat each time I am feeling hungry. Will it work? I don’t know yet – but I’ll start tomorrow and stick to it for one week. I am going to keep a food diary as well so I can astonish myself with what I am actually eating.

    Wish me luck!