Fitness Blog #3 - Update

So I finally went for the finger prick today to check my blood sugar level....

YEEYYYY!!! I passed with flying colors! My blood sugar level is 5.3mmol/l

I did some research on the net and I found out that Blood Glucose (sugar) Levels should be within these limits:

Before Breakfast (or after overnight fast of 10 hours - water only) : lower than 7mmol/l
2 hours after meals : lower than 11 mmol/l
Randomly, at any time : below 11 mmol/l

Thank God! I was really relieved. Like I said, I was quite confident I'm not diabetic but of course the fear still kicked in while I was waiting at the clinic.

Chocopologie by Knipschildt
Cost: $2,600 per pound

The doctor also said it's good that I started going to the gym and watching my diet. She even shared with me a diet plan she calls "Food Exchange". Whereby you could exchange certain foods for others. For instance, if you'd like a small bar of chocolate, then you can trade it with your starch or carbohydrates. She even said Chocolate (especially, Dark) is relatively healthier than Rice because chocolates have flavonoids (which is good for the heart) while rice is just calories & empty carbs. But of course, it depends. If you have a lot of physical activity, carbs are ok because they give you the energy. But if you eat a lot of carbs and remain sedentary, your sugar level will spike and the excess calories, as we all know, will make you fat.

She also advised me not to get into the diet fad bandwagon. You can always eat anything - the key is moderation.

And there goes another $30.. thank god for medical claims.. the perks of having a job, no matter how much you can hate it. Now where can I get a hold of that chocopologie?? :P Read more on "Fitness Blog #3 - Update"!

Fitness Blog #1

Biggest Loser has got to be one of the most inspiring reality shows on the telly. I remember I loved to watch this show so much while lying on the couch with a bag of chips... hehehe. But kidding aside, if you've seen this show it's just amazing how the horizontally-challenged people transform to almost-model like beings.

So what better way to channel this inspiration but to create my own "biggest loser" challenge. My weight has always been the biggest tribulation in my life. I don't think I ever remember being thin, as in "normal" thin. As far as my memory can recall, I have always been "horizontally-challenged". Or to put it bluntly - Fat, Obese, "Baboy", "Tabachoy" or however you want to call it.

The biggest setback of being fat is being judged by the way you look. People would immediately label you as a "pig" with no self-control, irresponsible, couch-potato, lazy, boring, etc etc etc. I have heard it all. Some (or a lot of) people tend to forget that beneath the layers upon layers of fat is a human being - just like any other person with feelings, intellect & the need to belong. But you can't blame them. The painful fact is that this world is superficial. We are judged by the way we look. Be it in the workplace, school, etc.

I am doing this challenge now more for my health and for myself - not for anyone else. I am pushing into my 30's and sooner or later I know I'll get sick if I continue with this sedentary lifestyle. More so that diabetes, heart disease & cancer runs in our family. Most of my family is fat, being fat is actually in our genes, but this is not an excuse to remain fat your whole life. It only means you have to exert twice or even thrice the effort.

So enough of the melodrama. Let's get down to business :)

For the past week and a half I have tried to avoid eating rice. For breakfast, I have skim or low-fat milk with whole grain bran cereal. For lunch, I bring a whole-grain sandwich to work & buy fruit. For dinner, I just eat at home - maybe another sandwich, yogurt & oatmeal cookies for a snack (the low fat one, c'mon give me a break I need a treat or else I'll end up binging hehe). In this way, I save money AND cut down on the food intake.


Last night was my first gym session. 4o mins of cardio & around 20 mins of weights. As the days progress, I will have to do more cardio and do more weight-training. Every week from here on, I will document my weight. Every month, I will post new mug shots.

So brace yourself coz posted below are my BEFORE pics hehehe. Please be aware that the pictures are graphic and for those with weak stomachs, kindly turn away from the monitor. hehehe

Don't tell me I didn't warn you!! :P

Front View - Full Body

Side View - Full Body

Close-up - Face (I don't seem so happy.. :P)

STARTING WEIGHT: 121 kg

Official Start Date: June 30, 2008

Read more on "Fitness Blog #1"!