weight loss

#21dayFIX Day 1

21-Day-Fix

Hellooooooo fabulous ladies!

It has been almost a year since I last update – and I am back with a new program the 21 day FIX with Autumn Calabrese. Just like other BeachBody program it comes with a meal plan and a series of workout. Claimed to help you lose 15lbs in 21 days – my aim this time is just to regain my fitness level – the last time I worked out was in May, imagine! 7lbs is good enough for a start for me.

Why 21 day FIX?

  1. I love the coloured container concept. Makes meal planning fun.
  2. I’m a sucker when it comes to workout that lasts for less than 30 minutes.
  3. 21 days is a reasonable time-frame for me just to get back on the wagon.

The Meal Plan

21-day-fix-containers

 

Since this program is not available in Malaysia I had to download the workout videos and meal plan (I know this sounds terrible but Beachbody does not ship outside the States and Canada), I do not have these containers. I bought myself some measuring cups and substitute according to these measurements and also for some food, Autumn has already mentioned the portion size to each container.

I also made myself this tally sheets, printable version in upcoming update .

tally sheet complete

After my first day I realized that I am not eating enough protein and veggies in my regular diet and definitely too much sugar and fat.

I had an egg for breakfast, grapes for my morning snack. For lunch and dinner I made a batch of chicken soup with onions, celery and carrots. Yumz! I still did not achieve the total 4 red containers I’m supposed to consume though.

Also downed few kuih raya (festive cookies) along the way (temptationsss!!!). I reduced my sugary drinks intake and gobbled 1.5L of plain water with lemon slices.

As for the workout, I did Total Body Cardio Fix which was okay… I am familiar with all the moves – since I’ve tried almost ALL Jillian Michael’s workout videos. I love Jillian, I adore her but Autumn… Is just different. She’s not as loud and ‘noisy’ as Jillian yet she still made me work but not as hard as Jillian did.

I’m looking forward to this program yet I doubt if I can stick to the portion control. *sigh*.

I am currently using #fabulouscurvesMY on instagram and twitter to make it easy to track my posts on the social media.

p.s. If you need the program you can contact me and we’ll figure something out.

easy healthy eating (part 1)

When you’re hungry, EAT!

When you want to eat, you eat what you WANT.

When you eat, you eat CONSCIOUSLY.

When you think you’re full, STOP!

Take this as your mantra for two weeks, I bet you’ll be seeing the result in no time. Once in a while you might fall off the wagon, that’s okay. You expect that to happen. You just have to hop on back and stay on track.

Let us start with the first one, seems quite fishy. Like, no starvation? Really? I don’t really do dieting because I don’t believe in starving. Which is also why the Mc Kenna system appeals to my preference. You know what camels store in their hump? Water? Guess again. FAT. Freaking three letter words we all hate mutually F-A-T. The same story goes when you starve yourself. You go into starvation mode and your body start to store fat. Big NO-NO in losing weight – starving.

But here’s the catch. Are you really hungry? So, you’ll need to know if you’re

  • Physiologically hungry, or
  • Emotionally hungry, or
  • Thirsty.

Physical hunger vs. emotional hunger

Emotional hunger leads to emotional eating. When you’re hungry your stomach starts making that gurgling sound, and it doesn’t come abruptly. You’re slightly hungry and if you don’t eat, you start to get cranky , can’t focus in class. You might as well feel lightheaded and faint from physiological hunger. Emotional hunger however, comes abruptly. You notice that this kind of hunger is usually preceded by an incident or anything that upsets you. Dealing with emotional hunger, you’ll need to have a positive image of yourself and go for a walk. Do other activities that makes you happy. But not food. Food is not the solution to your emotional hunger. You will never be satisfied because you’re not even hungry in the first place.

Hunger vs. Thirst

Your brain, can’t really differentiate between being thirsty and hungry. Sometimes, you’re just thirsty but your brain misinterpret it as hunger. So, if you’re not sure, drink a glass of water and see if the hunger goes away.

TRUST YOUR BODY

We are aware of how God has created human as the best creation of all. You have to learn to start trusting your body. If you ‘listen’ carefully, you will catch it when your body is telling you that it’s hungry or full.

So, till next time

When you’re hungry, EAT!

When you want to eat, you eat what you WANT.

When you eat, you eat CONSCIOUSLY.

When you think you’re full, STOP!

p.s Updates on February Shred

Post January 30 Day Shred

Helloooo fabulous ladies 🙂

I am so happy I finished the 30 Day Shred for January, doing Ripped in 30. It was an amazing journey. We’re already on February Shred now, I have 7 ladies altogether in the February shred group. It’s 28 days, and I will be doing 30 Day Slim Down program using Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred videos and No More Trouble Zone + Banish Fat Boost Metabolism videos.

Back to Ripped in 30. I liked the video, but as expected, the results are not as good as 30 day shred. The thing is, with Ripped in 30, you’ll get the optimum result if you follow the eating plan as well. However, it’s not very applicable when you’re living in middle east, especially in Jordan. Most of the food in the meal plan is not available here, and finding a substitute is another story. Plus, by now we have establish how I will not go on any diet, except for healthy eating habit.

I did 5 workout per week, 1 week for each level.. My favorite is level 2 workout. After I finish all 4 levels in 28 days.. I go back to level 3 and level 2 for day 29 and day 30 respectively. And I notice I have better endurance, I have better form for the workout. The same thing with any other jillian’s program, after some time, you will have better form and better endurance. I guess that means… better result?

Overall.. I loss some inches and 2 pounds ad 4.5″ of the measured sites ( mind you I didn’t follow the meal plan) I’m sure that doesn’t sound very impressive.. But I personally am very proud of myself and happy ith the result. Fitting better into some clothes, people telling me I look live I’ve lost some weight.. And yeah I can not emphasize more on how important it is to have a before & after photos. That’s where you really see the results. hehehe…

If you plan to lose weight the healthy way, and still don’t know when and how to start.. I’d tell you Start NOW and just pick a program and stick to it. Get a support group and work your way into it with your group. I chipped (is that even the right word to use?) my running shoes on day 30. LOL. This is me not doing justice to the shoes. It’s recommended to use cross-trainers instead of a running shoes when you do workout DVD exercise.. yup..my bad.. Will go get a cross-trainer this weekend.

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thank you air pegasus+ 27, I will not abuse use you anymore after this. you deserve the treadmill.

For february I’ll keep a workout journal and publish it after we finish february shred. Till next time, stay fabulous!

Diet Cara Rasulullah in Paul McKenna’s I Can Make You Thin book.

assalamualaikum fabulous ladies 🙂

im writing this on my cell phone because I could not tether the internet connection to my pc. so pleaseeeee forgive me for any punctuation or spelling error.

I mentioned before in my previous post about this diet cara Rasulullah s.a.w I discovered in Paul McKenna’s I Can Make You Thin book. Yeah, have your laugh – I bought the book (used) on ebay – it’s totally worth it and I highly recommend buying used books on ebay, btw.

I had to listen to the book in audio format (Because it’s easier than re-reading) to come up with this post. But the book is very easy to finish, it took me like a day or two. Concepts were very clear and simple but of course the mind-training parts require some time and lotsa practice.

To not overwhelm you with the content, today I’ll just blow your mind with the 4 golden rules for this program. I hate calling it a diet, because whenever you set yourself on a diet program – you are setting yourself up. Sabotaging yourself to failure, making you feel bad about yourself. Rinse and Repeat. In my future posts you’ll see lah why I said this. For now, tell me one diet that you have been able to sustain for 6 months or more. Have you ever stick to any program for more than 6 months?

The four Golden Rules were ridiculously easy you’ll think I’m crazy for believing this McKenna guy. But here it goes

1. Eat whenever you’re hungry.
2. Eat what you want and not what you think you should eat.
3. Go slow and Enjoy every mouthful.
4. When you’re full, stop eating.

Yes, seems familiar? To eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. Could it really be that easy? Yes, it can! But was it really that easy? Trust me, we all got to this point because we didn’t follow this advice. STOP eating when you’re full. We starve ourself and end up overloading ourself later.

Get that? In the upcoming posts inshaAllah I will write about how to apply this 4 golden rules in your daily life. Does it work? That you have to see for yourself lah.

Congratulations to my shred ladies because #January30DayShred Challenge is currently on Day 21 – the girls who are doing 30 day shred is on level 3. As for myself, I just finished week 3 for my Ripped in 30. Up to this point I think you get better results with 30 DS – maybe because of the repetition, 10 days… you get better form, better results. I went through week 4 workout just to see what’s coming my way and it’s gonna be tough, but definitely do-able. Kinda creeps me out when Jillian says “It’s week 4, and I have never even done a week 4”. – Her previous workouts usually have 3 levels only, LOL.

Wish me luck, and till next time, stay fabulous!

do unto yourself

If someone calls you lazy… fat.. or ugly… you would have punch ’em in the face. So why would you give such comments to yourself every time you look into the mirror?

Admit it. We have all done it. We stand in front of the mirror, loathing our self-image. All you see is all the wrong fat disposition in your body. Puffy eyes and chappy lips. To have the new body that you dreamed of, you first have to love this body you have now. This is the same YOU who will transform into that dream of yours soon.

The next time you look into the mirror, tell yourself how pretty you are. How fabulous your curves are. How positive and determined person you are. You’re smoking hot and you deserve only the best in your life.

Till next time, embrace yourself. You’re just simply amazing in your very own way.

p.s. It’s day 14 for our january 30 day shred challenge. I finished level 1 & 2 ( 5 workout each week). Level 1 was fun. Level 2 was amazingly tough. Jillian Michaels really kicked ass, ain’t playing around. Looking forward to start level 3 tomorrow.

Why I don’t, won’t use Herbalife.

Gooood morning fabulous curvy ladies 🙂

Sebelum mula baca, if you’re a herbalife dealer, tanggalkan lah dulu title herbalife dealer, dan bacalah dengan berlapang dada, baca in the POV of a friend. Jangan marah-marah. hihi

Few years ago, I noticed a friend of mine lost her weight tremendously. SO I asked her, what was the secret? She told me she used herbalife, and how her life had changed after herbalife. Her determination to see me (after few years of loss contact) seems a lil bit fishy. When a person tells you “Bila boleh jumpa? I will measure you, kira body fat..yadayadayada” kita tahulah kita akan berhadapan dengan seorang direct selling agent. Come on la…I followed my mom to direct selling meetings since I could ever form memory. Meeting/Event direct selling ni memang best tau.Good food, the uplines are very warm (masa you punya sale bagus la). Jangan kan pergi event, we hosted demos in our house for some products! So don’t try to talk me into MLM – I know every trick you have up in your sleeve.

I remember I have seen botol shake herbalife in my kitchen and I asked mama. Rupanya my mom joined herbalife waaaay before before herbalife becomes a phenomenon in Malaysia. But she just buy the product for herself once and did not continue to sell or purchase them after that. Then I asked my friend about the price. BEYOND consideration. I know people claim that Herbalife WORKS. well today I will tell you why it works, and why I still won’t use Herbalife. – Or any other products similar to it. Like Positrim from Amway.

How Herbalife works for weight loss

The only reason you lose weight is due to calorie deficit. Now, how do you achieve calorie deficit ? By not exceeding your recommended daily caloric need. You boleh beli buku Kevin Zhari and learn how to calculate yourself. So, it’s either you become very calorie-conscious with your food – which is very difficult – or you take meal replacement like above mentioned product, or… I will tell you another secret to create calorie deficit. So now you get it, why herbalife works? because when you take herbalife, you feel full, and you don’t eat in excessive, you eat LESS , you create calorie deficit = end result, weight loss. My brother once took meal replacement from Amway and lose great deal of weight. And he tells me it simply because he eats less than he usually does. Dan rasa rugi dah beli shake mahal-mahal, kalau tak jaga pemakanan you will still gain more weight.

Why I won’t use any meal replacement.

It’s not sustainable. Let’s say I’m 24 this year and start taking herbalife. For how many more years do I have to stick to herbalife? How many more money I’ll have to spend to buy shakes? Well, if you use herbalife, take the time to write on a piece of paper – every single time you use money for herbalife – how much does it cost. Put it in a jar. And after a year, see how much money you spend for it.

Nothing good needs to be sold by a MLM company. Apa produk sekali pun, kalau dijual melalui sistem MLM – is usually a crap made up by company to milk profit from consumer. Soal halal-haram MLM ni, boleh rujuk di sini. You know why medication aren’t sold through MLM company? pernah dengar tak metformin or nifedipine dijual oleh MLM company? because people NEED THEM. But supplements, vitamins.. you don’t really need them. And they need better marketing strategy to trick you into believing you need them. Just like whatever is sold as “HEALTHY” or “ORGANIC” is not as healthy or as organic as they claim. the healthiest food : the one you tanam sendiri. haha.

I love my kidney and liver. I belive all processed food is not healthy. Tak kisahlah dia cakap produk dia guna bahan semula jadi atau apa. One thing (of many things) I learn from food preservation class – bahan yang segar, ada shelf-life yang pendek. Makanan yang non-perishable, long shelf-life MESTI dah melalui proses-proses pengawetan. Regardless apa pun proses pengawetannya. Kalau you all perasan, jus dekat kedai ada yang letak dekat peti ais dan akan rosak dalam masa beberapa minggu atau sebulan dari tarikh diproduce. Ada jugak jus yang dalam kotak, diletak dekat luar, dan tarikh luput dia mungkin beberapa tahun dari tarikh dikilangkan. You get my point?

But of course your herbalife dealer will tell you it is safe for your kidney. They might as well tell you orang sakit buah pinggang pun boleh minum herbalife  anything to sell their product, remember? Nak lagi senang, ikan sardin dalam tin vs ikan segar kat pasar. Mana tahan lama? Which one is healthier? Buah peach dalam tin vs buah peach dekat zam zam. which one healthier?

herbalife

Some cases have been reported – you can check pubmed and see how many paper have been published regarding herbalife association with hepatotoxicity. Of course it’s debatable, but when papers are published in journals, it means it was of concern. tak gitu?

So I asked a herbalife dealer, just to see how easily their product could perish. Kalau sihat mestilah cepat perish kan? Too bad her respond was not that helpful. But I googled it, herbalife products have a shelf life of 2 years.

I guess that’s enough to justify why I don’t take weight loss supplement. Am I not aware of being overweight? I do. Which is why I started fabulous curve 30 day shred program on facebook. I’m working on it, in the healthiest possible way. It’s ok if it takes longer than people who take meal replacement. I need to learn to take charge of my health. Not some trainers and a bottle of shake.

How do I create calorie-deficit without supplement, or calorie-counting? easy peasy lemon sneazy. “Makan bila lapar, berhenti sebelum kenyang”. I will write more about it in my next post. Diet cara Rasulullah. I discovered this from reading “Paul Mc Kenna : I can make you thin”.

Till then ladies. Embrace your curves, love yourself and put a big smile on that pretty face.

2013 : New chapter

Hello lovely people.

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This is my first entry for 2013. Guess what, it’s day 1 for my January 30 Day Shred Challenge 🙂 I’m hoping for more participation from the girls, of course. During my last session of 30 Day Shred, which I did for only 21 days – I lost at least 3 inches total. And I keep telling myself imagine how much more I’d lose if I stick through the whole program.

For my Ripped In 30 , my starting weight will be 73.2. Not going to step on the scale again until I finish 30 days. Or at least until after level 2? Because our body weight fluctuates and there’s still possibility of gaining weight when you workout – and I don’t want to get discouraged from my program once I see increment on the scale. 

Honestly I was quite surprised by the respond I received of people wanting to join the shred group. Before this I thought people would laugh at me for being fat and wanting to lose weight. Turns out I was totally wrong. I’m glad I posted about the shred group. I have nothing to be ashamed of, and no one have the right to make fun of me for wanting to be healthy.

As for my nutrition, I’ll stick to McKenna’s I can make you thin program. (I will definitely blog about it in more details, soon). Right now I’m running short on time because my exam is on Sunday & Monday. I’m not taking any supplement. Just some chocolate milk (substituting protein shake) after work out. (Be careful with the sugar content!). And orange juice is good too you know for your DOMS – Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. 

My fitness goal this year :

  1. Reach 60 kg by the end of this year. Hopefully to a size 12?
  2. Run my first 5k.

For the time being I’ll stick to my weight loss program and hopefully I could go to focus on my run in the fall, or summer. I know that’s huge. But, it’s good to have something to look forward to. 

Ok lah until next time,

  1. Eat right
  2. Workout
  3. Drink lots of water

…and don’t forget to love your curves ladies. your fabulous curves. Embrace it!