August 20 - The Fat Burning Workout!!

Weight: 160 lbs.
Height: 5'5

Cigarettes: 0
Alcohol: 0
Vitamins: 1,000 mg. Vitamin C, 600 mg. Calcium Caltrate
Other medications: 0

I didn't have enough time to do cardio workout at the gym so I went home and tried my new DVD of MTV Grind's Fat Burning Grooves!! Imagine... 45 minutes of dancing!

O.M.G!! I loved loved loved it!! The workout is amazing!! I mean, I haven't sweated that much in so long (not even when I ran 5k!) and I absolutely loved it!! It was like cheer-leading days all over again when we would learn dances and dance the whole set over and over again... I can't wait to do this workout again!!

My activities for today:

- Circuit Training (3 sets!)
Time: 45 minutes

- MTV Grind Fat Burning Grooves
Time: 45 minutes

- Easy Outdoor Walking (Evening)
Time: 42:46 minutes

I was soooo in the mood to cook today so I cooked both lunch and dinner. I thought of new recipes so I wanted to try them out! Yum!

My menu for today:

BREAKFAST
1/2 cup Nestle Fitnesse Low Fat Whole Grain Cereal
1/4 cup Low fat milk
1 banana

SNACK
1 Banana

LUNCH

Lemon Mustard Sole Fish Fillet
1 cup Chopsuey Veggies
1/2 cup Brown Rice

SNACK
BTIC Yogurt - Pistaccio

SNACK 2
Grilled Fish Hungarian Sausage Sandwich

DINNER

3 sticks Honey Lemon Chicken Breast Barbecue (Recipe at the bottom)
1/2 cup Java Brown Rice (Recipe at the bottom)

*****

Honey Lemon Chicken Breast Barbecue Recipe


4 pcs. Chicken Breast Fillets (No skin!), sliced in cubes
5 pcs. crushed garlic
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsps. Olive Oil
3 Tbsps. Pure Honey
2 Tbsps. Kikkoman 43% Less Salt Soy Sauce
Pinch of Salt
Ground Pepper Mill

In a medium mixing bowl, massage the chicken breast cubes with the crushed garlic. Then, add all the ingredients together and mix well until the meat is very well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for an hour. Then, arrange in a barbecue stick about 4-5 pcs. per stick. Set the remaining marinate aside.

Spray your grill with a non-stick non-fat cooking spray. Grill the chicken about 4 minutes on each side. If your griller has a cover, then do so. It'll preserve it's moisture.

In a sauce pan, bring the remaining marinate to a boil until it is a nice transparent amber color and very thick. Glaze your barbecues before serving.

JAVA Brown Rice Recipe


1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic
2 Tbsps. finely chopped onions
1 1/2 Tbsps. finely chopped red bell pepper
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 Tbsp. Tomato Catsup
1/4 tsp. Turmeric Powder
Pinch of salt
Ground Pepper Mill

In a saute pan, heat the oil and saute the garlic up until just before it is toasted. Add the onions and keep sauteing until they are transparent. Add the red bell pepper and mix very well. Add the rice and keep folding until all ingredients are incorporated well to the rice. Add your tomato catsup, turmeric powder, salt and pepper and keep mixing to avoid the rice sticking to the pan. Remove from the pan and serve hot.

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 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!