100 days of action

It’s commonly said that it takes 21 days to form a habit. I feel like I am constantly starting stopping and starting (re-starting, rather!). I went on a five day juice fast, did really well on it and then proceed to fall off the bandwagon. In terms of weight, I’ve gained and lost the same 4kg in the last year. I’m at my wits end, I found myself googling “lap band surgery” but the issue for me, isn’t food as much as it is the lack of activity.

Yes, nutrition is important but when the peddle on the metal, I naturally eat clean. Which brings me to my next challenge. I want to start a “100 days of action” challenge – it involves doing something active everyday. It could be a full workout, a walk in the park as long as I am moving and being consistent at it, it’ll be counted.

I need to get out of the house more. With the job search still in full blast, I have the time I need to do what I want and I shouldn’t spend it lolling about in bed and watching tv. I have a gym membership, I have a park behind my apartment, I have access to a pool. I shouldn’t have an excuse so I won’t.

Anyone else care to join me?

I’ll tag future posts as 100.

 

Food Journal Week #1

22 May /// Tuesday

It’s about to get serious, real serious!

33 is looming close. I’ll be 33 in two days and I do not want to spend another day overweight. I hate how I feel, I hate how my clothes fit, I hate that it’s always an issue that is ping-ponging in my mind. I’d like to be able to say “yes” at a drop of a hat to climbing up the side of a mountain or doing anything active. Right now, it is a “Um, I’d love to but I feel sort of lethargic/sick/sleepy”. I want to weigh less on Thursday than I do today. It is as simple as that.

Enough. I need to do this for me. What better time to start than now. No more staggered goals, it’s cold turkey for me.

Workout A

Deadlifts – 8/8/8/7 – 35kg

- rest 45 secs after each set

Shoulder Push Press – 10/10/10/10 – 5kg x 2

Wide Lat Pulldown – 10/10/10/10 – 30lbs

Lunges – 45secs

- rest for 1 minute

Burpees – 10 /10/10/10

Finisher: I left this out because I was planning on a swim but I’ll run tomorrow instead.

Health & Food Intolerance

For reasons beyond me, my body do not excel on simple carbohydrates – rice, bread, wraps, noodles. It stymises my weight loss and it is not about eating beyond what I burn. This is one great example of how a calorie is not only a calorie e.g 1,500 calories of fast food is not going to help you lose weight though 1,500 of fresh vegetables, fruits and lean meat will.

That said, I live in Asia where it is impossible to run away from a grain of rice. so a simple carb-free life without thought is difficult. After this morning’s meeting, I decided to make quinoa with balsamic chicken but the supermarket ran out of quinoa and I was H-U-N-G-R-Y so the best decision I could make at that time was to get something I felt was relatively healthy i.e. japanese bento

 

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In this case, it’s a sake ikura bento (japanese rice with salmon eggs and slices of raw salmon). I don’t get sick when I have simple carbs, I just don’t lose weight. At all.

 

5-Day Juice Fast Review

After successfully completing a 5 day juice fast, would I do it again? I’ve lost 4lbs in 5 days. It could be water weight but I won’t know till next week because I will be working out all of next week and only doing a weigh-in + measurement on 12 May.

Itchy Scratchy Show

All last night, I felt like my ears were exceptionally itchy but thought nothing of it because I tend to shower with my earstuds on and occasionally, they act up.

In the morning, I woke up to realise that my entire face was covered in skin-toned bumps with some areas of rosacea. I mean, I heard of a juice detoxing one’s skin which I find abit hokey! but this was madness!

example of what it resembled

I thought back on what it could be and it had to be the towel at the gym. When using it, I recall thinking “Whoa, this reeks of bleach!” but shoved that thought aside because, well a clean towel is better than an unclean towel, right?

After googling images and symptoms, I realised that I had contact dermatitis which is trademarked by itchy skin, having red bumps and the rash will feel warm and tender.

For the entire day, I have piled on the anti-histamines in hope that the bumps will go away or at the least subside. Almost 24hours, about 80% of the bumps have subsided. Thankfully! What good is all this fasting, healthy eating and working out if I’m going to look like Quasimodo!

Guess who will be bringing their own towel to the gym from now on!

Day 4 of Juice Fast

Day 4

Breakfast: 1/4 cup of green juice (broccoli, sugar snap pears, celery, cucumber)

Snack: 1 bowl of hot vegetable broth with pumpkin cubes, green peas and white onion

Lunch: 1 avocado, 2 stalks of celery, 1 cup of salsa + 1 glass of carrot-orange juice

Snack: a handful of peanuts

Dinner: – (I was out like a light because I had popped some anti-histamines)

Status: I felt under the weather the entire day because I was! I believe I had contact dermatistis (irritant contact) from using the face towel at the gym