July 31 - The pounding headache

Weight: 163 lbs.
Height: 5'5

Cigarettes: 0
Alcohol: 0
Vitamins: 1,000mg Vitamin C
Other Medications: 1 Imigran 50mg

Woohoo! I had so much fun challenging myself for the 5k today at the gym! At first I wanted to give up at 3k but I just took it easy and just went for it! I covered the timer with a towel and just concentrated on just breathing and my form. I was able to jog for 2k without stopping and another accomplishment for me! Yey!

Although, I got sooo hungry fast (like literally every 2 hours!) and when I wasn't able to eat my afternoon snack right away, I got a migraine :( So, I was at a reunion with my ex-office mates and I had to ask Raul to bring me home because of the pounding headache I got, and I was starting to feel dizzy and faint because of the humidity. DAMN!

I guess the only downfall with waking up early to do these jogs and runs is that I am already beat at 9PM.. Hehehe... It's a small trade-off for a healthier life... I'LL TAKE IT! :)


My activities at the gym:

- Treadmill
Distance: 5k
Time: 48:17
Speed: 5.5 - 6.7

My menu for the day:

BREAKFAST
1 cup Springfield Oats & More Sweetened Multi-grain cereal
1/2 cup skim milk

SNACK
1 cup assorted fresh fruit cup

LUNCH

Grilled Peppered Lean Pork Chop (Recipe at the bottom)
3 pcs. Mini corn cobs

SNACK
1/2 cup Grilled Salmon Pieces
1/2 cup Togue
1/2 corn kernels

Snack 2
1 Banana
1 1/2 Tbsp Cottage Cheese

DINNER (at Kai)

3 pcs. Salmon Sashimi
1 pc. Uni Sushi
Grilled Hamachi Head (shared with my boyfriend :))


Grilled Peppered Lean Pork Chop Recipe

2 pcs. Lean Pork Chops w/ visible fat (so you can easily remove it later on)
4 Tbsps black peppercorns, lightly cracked
2 Tbsps kosher salt
3 Tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp chili flakes
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon (Red cooking wine)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsps brown sugar

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together well. Then with a spoon, scoop spoon fulls to each chop and rub together well with the palms of your hands.

Grill about 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve with sweet corn to counter with the saltiness and spiciness of the chop!

July 30 - Battle of the CRAVINGS!!

Weight: 163 lbs.
Height: 5'5

Cigarettes: 0
Alcohol: 0
Vitamins: 1,000mg Vitamin C
Other Medication: 0

I was in an extremely bad mood this morning that I had the strongest urge to smoke!! I fought the urge by drinking lots of water and just waited for 5 minutes. It usually takes that long for the craving to go away. Good thing my workout started soon after that episode so it kept my mind of it! Phew! I'm glad I didn't smoke that nasty cig!!

My activities for today:

- Circuit training with my personal trainer
Time: 40 minutes

- Treadmill, Jogging uphill
Time: 3 minutes
Elevation: 5%
Speed: 5.5

- Elliptical Machine
Time: 7 minutes
Level: 5

Right after lunch, my sister and I were so full that I had that stupid craving again! I would tell myself "Ok... 2 minutes, 2 minutes" then... "Ok... 5 minutes, 5 minutes..." I reached 15 minutes before the craving crossed my mind! Phew! I know that it won't be bad tomorrow because this was not the best of days! Hehehe...

I'm so bad... I didn't eat my 6-7 meals today :( Booo! I hate not eating at home because I forget to eat my meals! Sigh... But that's ok, I can make it up tomorrow...

BREAKFAST
1 cup Nestle Honey Gold Cereal
1/2 cup skim milk

LUNCH
Shabu Shabu Veggie Platter and Chicken Yakiniku

SNACK
1 cup Frozen Yogurt

DINNER

1 pc. Baked Spicy Cajun Chicken Fillet (Recipe at the bottom)
1/2 cup Mexican Golden Rice (Recipe at the bottom)
Large serving of Steamed Chili Asparagus (Recipe at the bottom)

My boyfriend had dinner with me and my dad. Dinner was a success! They told me how much they liked everything and couldn't believe that it was very healthy! I didn't use lots of salt nor oil, msg or flavor enhancers!

SUCCESS! I think I deserve another pat on the back :D


Mexican Golden Rice Recipe

1 cup uncooked brown rice (washed and soaked overnight)
1 cup water
1 cup fresh chicken stock
2 red bell peppers
5 cloves garlic
1/4 cup green peas
3/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
fresh ground pepper mill
chopped walnuts (for garnishing)
raisins (for garnishing)

Chop the bell peppers, garlic and green peas in an electric chopper and set aside. In a rice cooker, add the rice and all the ingredients and cook. After the light has turned off, let sit for 10 minutes and fluff with a fork. Just before serving, garnish with walnuts and raisins.

Baked Spicy Cajun Chicken Fillets Recipe

Preheat your oven to 383F or 195C

5-7 pcs Chicken Breast Fillets
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper (or more, heehee!)
fresh ground pepper mill
1/2 tsp Rosemary
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
1/4 tsp Oregano Powder
Pinch of Salt

1 pack crunchy tempura breading
1 pack McCormick Cajun Seasoning Mix

This is actually better deep fried, but... Baking it is healthier! Anyway, in a large mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients together except the tempura breading and the Cajun mix. Let it marinate for about 30 minutes. The milk will tenderize the meat too!

On a plate, for every 1 cup of tempura breading, mix 1 Tbsp of Cajun Seasoning mix. Cover the chicken with the breading and arrange on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with a non-stick oil spray. Bake for 10 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is no longer transparent. Remember, don't wait for the batter to turn golden brown, this won't happen as this is baked, not fried! :)

Steamed Chili Asparagus Recipe

2 bundles fresh asparagus (not canned!)
5 pcs. large green "sigang sili" -sliced
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Kikkoman 43% Low Salt Soy Sauce
Fresh Ground Pepper Mill

After the asparagus have been washed and drained, arrange them on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle with Olive Oil and Soy Sauce. Top with the sili and season with fresh ground pepper mill. Wrap and secure, then steam for about 10 minutes. Do not over steam. You want your veggies to be crispy, not soggy!

July 29 - 5k in 54:35!

Weight: 163 lbs!

Height: 5'5

Cigarettes: 0

Alcohol: 0
Vitamins: 1,000mg Vitamin C
Other Medication: 0

I woke up this morning with a little bit of a headache. I was up at 5AM and I couldn't go back to sleep no matter how hard I tried. So I decided to just do my internet and email stuff, brush my teeth and cook Raul's packed lunch for work today, before he picks me up for the gym at 8AM.

Ok... At the gym, this is what happened. My allergies still didn't go away and I was coughing away like crazy until my lungs literally hurt a little bit. I thought it was some follow-thru thing from the colds I just recovered from so I only got to workout for a short while. "Light workout only!" my trainer said... So that I did... Sigh, I was looking forward in running 4k today at the treadmill...

BUT!! I lost 1 pound in 5 days! Last time I weighed was 5 days ago, and there you have it!! I lost 1 lb!! Yey!!

My activities for today:

- Elliptical Machine

Time: 15 minutes

Level: 5

- Abdominal workouts

- Late Afternoon Outdoor Jogging/Brisk Walking

Time: 54:35:7

I got so bored just as when the sun was starting to set so I went out for a little jog.. So I tried to take my time and just try to finish 5k once and for all! So... anyhoo, I called a friend of mine and asked about Bikram Yoga. I have been practicing Ashtanga Yoga for years but the studio has moved somewhere far!! So anyway, I will be trying Bikram Yoga this Friday with my friend.

My menu for the day:

BREAKFAST

1 cup Nestle Honey Gold Cereal

1/2 cup skim milk

SNACK

1 cup assorted fresh fruit cup

LUNCH

3 sticks grilled shrimp kabobs (6 shrimps)

2 sticks grilled eggplant & onion kabobs

1/2 cup cumin and basil chicken brown rice

SNACK

Turkey Sandwich in Wheat Bread

DINNER

Healthy Shabu Shabu -Vegetable Set

Grilled Shrimp with Garlic and Pineapple Kabobs Recipe

6 medium prawns (peeled)

1/4 cup Bragg's All Natural Ginger and Sesame Salad Dressing

1 Tbsp Kikkoman 43% less salt soy sauce

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/2 tsp Ground Turmeric Powder

Fresh ground pepper mill

Pinch of Salt

Fresh Pineapple cubes

6pcs large garlic cloves

In a medium bowl, put in the washed shrimps in and pour all the ingredients except the ground pepper, pineapples and garlic cloves. Mix well and marinate for 30 minutes. I marinated mine overnight in the refrigerator. Arrange them in the skewer (or BBQ stick) alternating with the pineapple and garlic.

Put them on the griller, and add your fresh ground pepper (so that you can really taste it and taste the crunchiness of the pepper corns). Grill for 3 minutes on each side. If your electric griller has a cover, cover it so that the steam can cook the sides of the shrimp and veggies. Keep the shrimps wet by brushing it with the marinate mix.

Grilled Eggplant & Onion Kabobs Recipe

4 slices eggplant

6 slices onions

Olive oil

Pinch of Salt

Fresh ground pepper mill

Build your ingredients in a skewer or BBQ stick and set aside on a plate. Drizzle with oilive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until veggies are soft but not overdone, you still want your veggies to have that crunch!

Cumin and Basil Chicken Brown Rice Recipe

1 cup brown rice (soaked overnight)

3 cups fresh chicken stock (recipe at bottom)

3 celery sticks

1/4 green peas

5 pcs. garlic cloves

1 Tbsp Kikkoman 43% less salt soy sauce

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp basil

Fresh ground pepper mill

If you have an electric chopper, finely chop the celery sticks, green pees, and garlic cloves. Set aside. In a pot or rice cooker, put your brown rice (drained) and chicken stock. Add all the rest of the ingredients and cook like regular rice. After cooked, leave covered for 15 minutes and fluff with a fork.

July 28 - Recovery...

Weight: 164 lbs.

Height: 5'5

Cigarettes: 0

Alcohol: 0
Vitamins: 1,000mg Vitamin C
Other Medication: 0

Sigh... Recovering from a cold sucks. I am running out of tissue and my bed is already so hot and sticky from too much of my presence in it! Haha!

Ever since my boyfriend Raul and I did some grocery shopping last Sunday, I have been cooking for him for his "baon" to work. I made him some of my special blanched broccoli with thick garlic and soy sauce. Yum!! I also made him some Cajun Chicken Breast Fillet like what I ate yesterday. I included the broccoli recipe at the bottom :)

My activity for today:

- Ashtanga Yoga

30 minutes

I really wanted to just rest today but I couldn't stay put! My body was like it was looking for sweat and a good workout! I wanted to go out and jog but I also didn't want to overdo it. So instead, I did some Ashtanga Yoga at home and the sweat and workout that my body was looking for was fulfilled.

I am actually looking forward to working out tomorrow at the gym... I am so excited to train for the urbanite run!

My menu for today:

BREAKFAST

1 cup Nestle Honey Gold Flakes

1/2 cup skim milk

SNACK

1 cup assorted fresh fruit cup

LUNCH

Sole Fish Fillet Baked En Papillote (my recipe!! recipe at the bottom)

3/4 cup blanched assorted veggies (corn kernels, green peas, carrots)

1/4 cup brown rice

SNACK

1/2 serving of Goolai prepared salad with Poppy-seed Vinaigrette (lettuce, pomelo, almonds, mangoes, dragon fruit)

SNACK 2

1 cup assorted fresh fruit cup

1 banana

DINNER

1/2 serving of Goolai prepared salad with Poppy-seed Vinaigrette (lettuce, pomelo, almonds, mangoes, dragon fruit)

1 pc. Grilled Cajun Chicken Breast Fillet

*****

Blanched Broccoli with thick Garlic and Soy Sauce

1 1/2 cup Washed and strained broccoli flowers (set aside in a mixing bowl)

2 Tbsps chopped garlic

1 cup water

1 1/2 Tbsps Kikkoman 43% reduced sodium soy sauce

3 Tbsps. Cornstarch

Ground pepper

Pinch of salt

In a small pot boil about a pint of water. When boiling, pour over your broccoli flowers and cover with a plate for 1 minute only. Strain and cover again with a plate. Set aside.

In a sauce pan, saute garlic in olive oil and continue stirring until slightly browned only. Add 1 cup of water and stir until it comes to simmer. Immediately add soy sauce and stir in cornstarch a little at a time completely dissolving the powder. Add ground pepper and salt to taste and boil until sauce is nice and thick. Set aside.

When you are going to serve the broccoli, all you need to do is heat the sauce and pour over your flowers! Your veggies will still have that nice crunch!

Sole Fish Fillet En Papillote Recipe

*Cooking en papillote is a method in which you seal the food in a pouch and bake. The food essentially steams in the oven in its own juices.

Pre-heat your oven to 180C or 356F

1 Fish Fillet (I used Sole but you can choose any fish you like)

1/2 slice of lemon

1 whole onion sliced in rings

3 large pcs of garlic thinly sliced (makes about 2 Tbsps)

2 Tbsps Onion Leeks

1 tsp sliced ginger

2 Tbsps Sesame Oil

2 Tbsps Kikkoman 43% Less Sodium Soy Sauce

Fresh ground pepper

1 sheet of Aluminum Foil

Marinate your fillet with the lemon and let sit for about 15 minutes. On a sheet of aluminum oil, arrange your onion slices as a "bed" for your fish. Put the onion leeks, garlic and ginger on top of your fish. Drizzle with the sesame oil and then the soy sauce. Season with pepper and wrap the fish, sealing it well making sure the juices don't spill. Bake the fish for about 20 minutes and check until the fish is no longer transparent. Make sure you don't over bake because it might dry out.

Blanched Assorted Vegetable Siding Recipe

1/4 cup diced carrots

1/4 cup green peas (frozen or fresh)

1/4 cup corn kernels (canned)

In a small pot of boiling water with a pinch of salt, drop the carrots and peas first to blanch until they are nice and tender. As soon as they are done, drop the corn kernels and blanch for 1 minute and strain.

July 27 - Aaacchooooooo!

Weight: 164 lbs.

Height: 5'5

Cigarettes: 0

Alcohol: 0
Vitamins: 1,000mg Vitamin C
Other Medication: 0

I KNEW IT!! I woke up today with a cold!! Sigh... But I didn't feel run down in any way like I used to before I stopped smoking. Getting a cold used to be crippling, but now - I felt great! Well, apart from the stuffy nose and scratchy throat, I was hoping that I would be able to workout with my personal trainer but she sent me home to rest! Darn!! But I was able to do my cardio workout and a few mat exercises for the abs.

My activities today:

- Elliptical Machine

Time: 20:00

Distance: 1.20k

Calories burned: 167

- Mat Exercises for Abs & stretching

Time: 15 minutes

BREAKFAST

1 cup Nestle honey almond wheat cereal

1/2 cup Skim milk

1 cup assorted fresh fruits (oooh! I made this one this time! Recipe at the bottom of the page later)

SNACK

1/2 serving of Goolai prepared salad with Mango Vinaigrette

SNACK 2

1 pc. Banana

LUNCH

1 pc. Gilled Cajun Chicken Breast Fillet

1/2 cup brown rice

1/2 cup summer pasta salad with garlic vinaigrette (this is my recipe too! The recipe is at the bottom)

SNACK

Turkey Sandwich on Wheat Bread with Yellow Mustard

DINNER

1 cup summer pasta salad with garlic vinaigrette

1 cup assorted fresh fruit cup

Ugh! I was bed ridden the whole day... Well, I did go to Landmark and bought a new griller!! Hehehe... But after I cooked and had lunch, I was in bed the whole day watching 11th hour... I did still manage to eat my snacks so I won't be too weak!

Don't think that I am going over board with my diet, the reason for the light dinner is because I didn't have an appetite to eat anything! But according to my trainer (and the countless health/diet websites I have read) skipping meals is NEVER a good way to lose weight or be healthy!

Assorted Fresh Fruits Recipe

Choose 4-6 kinds of fruits you would want to include in your fruit cup. I chose these fruits:

Honey Dew

Watermelon

Mango

Papaya

Pomelo

Pineapple

Rustan's FRESH sell fruits that are pre-peeled and that's what I buy. I just slice them up into cubes and distribute them in individual snack size cups that are reusable. I keep them chilled so I just grab a cup when I get hungry.

Grilled Cajun Chicken Breast Fillet Recipe

Chicken Breast Fillets

1 packet of McCormick's Grill Mates Cajun Mix

1/2 cup flour

I didn't follow what the packet said because it involved a lot of oil. So what I did is dilute the seasoning in flour so that the salt and taste won't be too strong. Mix 1 packet of Cajun Seasoning Mix and the Flour and coat the chicken breasts. Heat your griller and grill away! Serve with either corn kernels or yummy brown rice!

Summer Pasta Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette

Yield: 4 servings

2 cups uncooked wheat spiral pasta noodles

6 pcs. crab sticks

1/2 cucumber sliced into strips

For Garlic Vinaigrette:

2 Tbsps chopped garlic

2 Tbsps Apple Cider Vinegar

Fresh Ground Pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

Cook the pasta noodles and set aside to completely cool. Shred the crab sticks and add to the noodles with the cucumber. Set Aside. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine garlic and vinegar and mix well until the vinegar tastes like garlic. Continue mixing and add olive oil in small portions. Add ground pepper and mix.

Add the dressing to the salad and mix well until everything is well coated. Chill before serving.

July 26 - Change of scenery

Weight: 164 lbs.

Height: 5'5

Cigarettes: 0

Alcohol: 0
Vitamins: 1,000mg Vitamin C
Other Medication: 0

I woke up today with the urge to jog. I was too lazy to walk to Fitness First RCBC and wanted to take the car. While I was on the road, I was starting to feel a bit lazy to go to the gym, but I really wanted to run! That's when I decided to go to another Fitness First for a change of scenery.

It was my first time at the Fort branch and it was a good experience. I was able to park just across the street, and there weren't a lot of people there too!

My activities at the gym:

- Treadmill

Distance: 3.02K

Time: 29:30 minutes

Speed: 6.5

- Stretching

Time: 10 minutes

I was so inspired to "train" for Kenny Roger's Urbanite run that I was able to beat my 3k time the other day, just by a minute but still :) I was able to run for 10 minutes straight too! I wasn't able to do that the other day when I first tried for the 3K. So, I'm happy :D

BREAKFAST

1 cup Nestle honey almond wheat cereal

1/2 cup skim milk

4 slices fresh red apples

SNACK

1/2 serving Goolai prepared salad with Grape Vinaigrette Dressing

LUNCH

My creation of Grilled Spicy Cumin & Garlic Fish Fillet with Veggie Rice (see bottom of page for recipe!)

SNACK

Grilled Almond Cajun Chicken Breast Sandwich from Oliver's

SNACK 2

1/2 serving of pre-packed Goolai Salad with Mango Vinaigrette (Lettuce, Mangoes, Squid Balls, Pakwan Seeds, Crab Sticks, Corn)

DINNER

1 cup pasta salad with garlic vinaigrette

AAARRGGH!! I am praying right now that I am not sick!! I still have a runny nose inspite of the antihistamine I took this afternoon! So maybe this is a cold? I am hoping it isn't withdrawal from smoking because being sick means staying home in bed, and I will have to go back to square one with training :( BOOOOO!!! Well, I hope that God is on my side on this one... I don't want to be sick!!

Sigh... So anyway, we'll know tomorrow right? :)

Grilled Spicy Cumin & Garlic Fish Fillet Recipe

1 Sole Fish Fillet (or fish of your choice)

1/2 slice lemon

1 Tbsp Kikkoman 43% less sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp thinly sliced garic

Cumin Powder (to taste)

Cayenne Powder (to taste)

Fresh Ground Pepper (to taste)

Marinate your fish with the ingredients in order from the list above. Set your griller in high heat and grill the fillet for 3 minutes on both sides or until the fish is no longer transparent. Serve hot with veggie rice!

Veggie Rice Recipe

1/4 cup cooked brown rice

1/4 cup corn kernels

1/4 cup cucumber cubes

1/4 cup quartered button mushrooms

Dried basil leaves

Rosemary leaves

In a pot of boiling water, blanch all the veggies for about 2 minutes, strain well and add brown rice. Mix well and add dried basil and rosemary leaves. Serve hot! Mmmm! This rice goes very well with the fillet with the strong cumin and cayenne taste!

July 25 - Rest day with aching mucles!

Weight: 164 lbs.

Height: 5'5

Cigarettes: 0

Alcohol: 0
Vitamins: 1,000mg Vitamin C
Other Medication: 0

I woke up this morning with aching muscles on my shoulders and neck. Maybe over trained a little bit yesterday? I had to work this morning so I took a capsule of Alaxan FR 200mg so that I have the strength to go to work.

It was my rest day from workout today but I stuck to my diet. Whenever I have work, I used to just rely on fast food. Thinking "how harmful can 2 pc. KFC chicken be?" or "so what if it's pizza? It's vegetarian anyway?".. Well, about months of fast food and 2 visits to specialists later, I learned that fast food is not the way to go. I was feeling sluggish and so heavy even with the regular exercise and hard training with a personal trainer!

I prepared my packed lunch for the first time ever since I started my healthy diet. I bought 1/4 roast chicken from Rustan's FRESH and a pack of Goolai packed salad. I paired it with 1/4 cup brown rice and 1/2 cup of corn kernels.

BREAKFAST

1 cup Nestle honey almond wheat cereal

1/2 cup skim milk

SNACK

1 cup assorted fresh fruits

SNACK 2

1 pc. Banana

LUNCH

1/4 Roasted chicken breast and wing (no skin)

1/4 cup brown rice

1/2 cup corn kernels

SNACK

1 pack Goolai packed salad and garlic dressing (lettuce, butong pakwan, mangoes, crab sticks, onion rings, cherry tomatoes)

SNACK 2

Turkey Sandwich on Wheat Bread

DINNER (@ KAI)

3 pcs Salmon Sashimi

2 pc soft-shell crab sushi

1 pc Uni Sushi

1/2 serving of the Grilled Hamachi Fish Head (this dish is AMAZING!!)

Gosh, when I was at work a while ago, everyone got to eat 2 pcs. of juicy KFC original chicken with steaming hot rice. I was sooo tempted to have myself some too but I knew that I would only regret it afterwards. Besides, I had a lot of packed lunch and snacks so why the extra calories right? I suddenly remembered Joey from FRIENDS saying "A moment on the lips, forever on the hips!" Hahaha! Anyway, at least I got to eat something healthier at dinner... YUM YUM!

I think I deserve another pat on the back for just saying NO! ;P So anyway, for lasting 5 days without smoking, I finally got that well deserved massage from SPAHOLICS!! I can't wait for next weekend to treat myself with something if I last another week without smoking and sticking to my diet and exercise!

July 24 - The 3k Run

Weight: 164 lbs!

Height: 5'5

Cigarettes: 0

Alcohol: 0
Vitamins: 1,000mg Vitamin C
Other Medication: 0

My trainer weighed me today and I lost 2 lbs! Yey! Ok, so the challenge for today was to try to run 5k in the treadmill, I only got to 3k. I didn't feel bad considering that I never used to jog (or brisk walk) that long. Although, I ran in intervals between brisk walking at 5.5 and jogging at 6.5. I am still quite please with myself. It gave me the motivation to reach 5k in time for the Kenny Rogers run on the 24th of August (so I heard...).

My activities for today:

- Treadmill

Distance: 3k

Time: 30:21

Speed: 5.5-6.5

- Circuit training with my personal trainer

Time: 40 minutes

- Walking (the walk home from the gym)

Time: 10 minutes

During my walk home, I ate my turkey sandwich (ok, I have to think of a new sandwich...) and a bottle of 12 oz. water. I rested for a while as soon as I got home, showered, and had a client at 1pm.

My Menu for today:

BREAKFAST

1 cup Nestle honey almond wheat cereal

1/2 cup skim milk

SNACK

1 cup assorted fresh fruits

SNACK 2

Turkey Sandwich in whole wheat bread

LUNCH

Grilled Sole Fillet Fish

1/2 cup corn kernels

1/4 cup brown rice

SNACK

1/2 Serving Green Salad with Grape Vinaigrette (Lettuce, Tuna Chunks, Grapes, Strawberries, Mangoes)

SNACK 2

1/2 Serving Green Salad with Grape Vinaigrette (Lettuce, Tuna Chunks, Grapes, Strawberries, Mangoes)

DINNER

Sukiyaki (no rice)

I had the yummiest lunch ever! I just whipped up some grilled fish for lunch because I didn't want to eat the chicken tocino that our helper served for lunch. So, I came up with this yummy filling meal! The tons of freshly ground pepper that I put made really added that smoked flavor taste!

Recipe for my Grilled Sole Fish Fillet

1 Sole Fillet Fish

1/2 slice lemon

1 Tbsp Kikkoman 43% Less Sodium

1 tsp Olive Oil

Fresh Ground Pepper (to your liking)

Marinate the fillet in lemon for about 5 minutes, then drizzle soy sauce and olive oil over fish. Coat with ground pepper on both sides and grill! Don't throw away the marinate so you can use this to grease the fish while it's cookin'! Remember, this is not deep fried so the fish may stick! so be patient!

July 23 - The one with the best sandwich ever!

Weight: 166 lbs.

Height: 5'5

Cigarettes: 0

Alcohol: 0
Vitamins: 1,000mg Vitamin C
Other Medication: 0

Ok, when I woke up this morning, I had a little bit of a dilemma. I had a client at 9AM so I didn't know whether I would just do a quick jog around the village or wait until my appointment was done so I can go to the gym and do my cardio workout.

It took me so long to decide that it was already 7:30am! I decided to do a quick yoga session just so I can warm up by body, and do my cardio workout after my client. The fresh assorted fruits I had for breakfast was good too. I discovered a pre-packed assorted fresh fruits at Rustan's fresh for only PhP 45.00. It comes in a little styrofoam plate, and the portion is about 2 1/4 cups of assorted fruits. I just split them in little containers so that I can carry bring one with me to the gym or when I leave the house.

Before leaving for the gym, I prepared for myself a turkey sandwich to bring with me. I was getting a little bit hungry because I was able to finish work at noon. The sandwich I prepared was superb!! Better than the ones at Oliver's I must say - haha!

My activities today:

- Yoga (Morning)

40 minutes Ashtanga Yoga

- Elliptical Machine

Level: 4

Time: 22 minutes

- Treadmill

Elevation: 11

Speed: 4.0

Time: 10 minutes

- Core workout

I would love to share with you the recipe of the sandwich I made today for lunch... It was amazing!

Turkey Sandwich Recipe

2 Slices of whole wheat bread

3 Leaves of lettuce

2 slices of tomatoes

2 round slices of onions

4 thinly sliced cucumber

2 flat slices of green apples

1 slice of reduced fat cheese

1 slice of lean turkey meat

1/2 tsp yellow mustard

Build the ingredients in between the whole wheat bread slices and keep it chilled until you eat it. I love love love this recipe!

This is what I had to eat for today:

BREAKFAST

1 cup Nestle wheat and Almond Clusters cereal

1/2 cup skim milk

1 cup of assorted fresh fruits (persimons, cherries, grapes, red and green apples, papaya)

LUNCH

Turkey Sandwich in whole wheat bread

SNACK

1/2 Serving of Salad w/ Rasberry Vinaigrette (Lettuce, Suha, Mango, Shrimp, Walnuts)

1 Banana

SNACK 2

1/2 Serving of Salad w/ Rasberry Vinaigrette

DINNER

1/4 Serving of Salad w/ Rasberry Vinaigrette

1 small bowl of Bola-bola Miswa Soup

1/2 cup brown rice

1 cup Broccoli Veggies

I felt a bit weird that I was hungry every 2-3 hours... At first I though that I must be compensating for lack of nicotine, but I remembered what my trainer said. That the more I workout, the more frequent I will eat because my metabolism is faster. But I should have small meals. She advises that I eat 7 times/day.

It was so sweet of my sister to have some broccoli prepared for me, and served lots of salad when I came to visit her today. I was able to stay full the whole day so there was no room to crave for anything junkie!

Gosh, I'm already so full from dinner and I am still thinking about that great turkey sandwich I had for lunch! DROOL...

July 22 - Cardio without the Cigs!

Weight: 166 lbs.

Height: 5'5

Cigarettes: 0

Alcohol: 0

Vitamins: 1,000mg Vitamin C
Other Medication: 0

Hello! Well, this is it! I am finally starting this blog of mine to keep me inspired. I read somewhere that keeping a diary may help one keep their goals so... Here I go.

I have recently visited a cardiologist and according to him, I am borderline to Hyper Tension -hmm.. not always the news one wants to hear but still, I got it from him. That is when I decided to take on a healthier lifestyle, and try to achieve my ideal weight of 125 before I turn 30. Ok.. That is 5 months away, but I can at least try.

Today was the first day that I was going to workout at the gym being smoke-free for almost 2 days. I used to smoke about 6-7 cigs a day but decided to one day quit cold turkey. I have been feeling sluggish every time it was gym-time.

I got up at 6AM, and actually got dressed for the gym. I beat the alarm clock this time and I was raring to go to the gym.

My activities for today:

- Elliptical Machine

Level: 4

Time: 20 minutes

- Circuit Training with my Personal Trainer: 40 minutes

- Treadmill

Incline: 10

Speed: 4.0

Time: 10 minutes

- Swimming (Late afternoon)

Swam with my nephew and my niece. Raced and did a lot of pool games!

This was the first time in months that I still felt energetic after such a hard workout! I guess the smoking really did pull me down! I must admit, I still get strong cravings for cigs but so far, I have been strong to say NO! In the afternoon, I went swimming with my sister's kids. And people who know my nephew and my niece, taking care of them is a real workout! Had fun and at least it was a bit of a workout.

I took the time to go to the supermarket today to do some serious shopping for healthy food. I was able to buy ingredients for turkey sandwiches, fruits for snacks, and some cereals and yogurt for breakfast!

Breakfast

1 cup Nestle Honey Almond Wheat Cereal

1/2 cup Milk

3 slices of Apple

Morning Snack (After Workout)

1 Red apple (6 slices)

1 serving salad (lettuce, corn kernels, crabsticks) with Wasabi Vinaigrette

Lunch

Sole Fillet with Amatriciana sauce

1 cup brown rice

Afternoon Snack

1/2 cup frozen yogurt

Afternoon Snack #2

Smoked Turkey Sandwich on Wheat (Lettuce, Tomatoes, Cheese Slice, Yellow Mustard)

Dinner

Monggo Soup