Where I am today

Back to Square One.  I tried to be good by bringing my own lunch and pack salads but I have yet loose any poundage.  May be it's the middle age thing where formation of belly fat starts to get out of control.
I am very proud that I have not had any coffee for over 1 week now.  I thought I would drop at least a couple of pounds from not drinking coffee.  I drank green tea every morning instead of coffee.  I was reminded how caffeine isn't all that favorable to middle age women in so many ways.  Green tea was suppose to help me stay calm but I was having caffeine withdrawal headaches and people were getting on my nerves.
The only thing I can do is to start clean eating on Monday.   I really need to either get another polar watch or get an app that is able to read my heart rate and tell me how many calories I am burning.  I want to start posting calories burned to make my self accountable.
Next week's plan:

1. Drink 8 glasses of water/day minimum
2. Bring lunch 4 out of 5 days. (Salad with protein: fish or chicken)
3. Eat 6 small meals/ day
4. Workout 3 times/week minimum
5. Meditate 5 min/day am or pm

I read that I'm suppose to respect the body that I have today.  Thank you body for keeping me going for all these years.  I will do my best to listen to you and not ignore the pain signals you are sending me.  I love my body no matter what the scale says???

Happy 4th of July

This morning I was annoyed that my polar was not reading my heart rate at the beginning of Cardio core and more.  By the middle of the class, it flew off my wrist so I just stuffed in my bra.
It stayed put with all the star jacks and air jacks that I was doing.
I was dripping with sweat and by the end of class polar showed 250 cal.  I took kickboxing after and hit 618 total for 1: 45 min workout.

I was super hungry after the workout so had a bowl of non-paleo Korean instant  spicy noodle with eggs for breakfast.  I promised to drink extra water to flush out all the MSG I consumed.

Time to hang out with the family and chill in this hot weather.

Cardio/Weights: 618 cal.

Back to basic: H2O

As I've been straying away from healthy eating and drinking, I am slowly finding my way back to healthy life style and found this lovely article from Web MD on benefits of water.

It is amazing how this simple yet powerful molecule H2O is responsible for so many great things for our mind and body.  I've yet reached my goal of drinking 64oz per day but slowly inching my way to the goal.

6-reasons-to-drink-water

Key excerpt from the article

Here are six reasons to make sure you're drinking enough water or other fluids every day:

1.  Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids. Your body is composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature.  "Through the posterior pituitary gland, your brain communicates with your kidneys and tells it how much water to excrete as urine or hold onto for reserves," says Guest, who is also an adjunct professor of medicine at Stanford University. When you're low on fluids, the brain triggers the body's thirst mechanism. And unless you are taking medications that make you thirsty, Guest says, you should listen to those cues and get yourself a drink of water, juice, milk, coffee -- anything but alcohol.  "Alcohol interferes with the brain and kidney communication and causes excess excretion of fluids which can then lead to dehydration," he says. 
2. Water Can Help Control Calories. For years, dieters have been drinking lots of water as a weight loss strategy. While water doesn't have any magical effect on weight loss, substituting it for higher calorie beverages can certainly help.  "What works with weight loss is if you choose water or a non-caloric beverage over a caloric beverage and/or eat a diet higher in water-rich foods that are healthier, more filling, and help you trim calorie intake," says Penn State researcher Barbara Rolls, PhD, author of The Volumetrics Weight Control Plan.  Food with high water content tends to look larger, its higher volume requires more chewing, and it is absorbed more slowly by the body, which helps you feel full. Water-rich foods include fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups, oatmeal, and beans. 
3. Water Helps Energize Muscles. Cells that don't maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel, which can result in muscle fatigue. "When muscle cells don't have adequate fluids, they don't work as well and performance can suffer," says Guest. Drinking enough fluids is important when exercising. Follow the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for fluid intake before and during physical activity. These guidelines recommend that people drink about 17 ounces of fluid about two hours before exercise. During exercise, they recommend that people start drinking fluids early, and drink them at regular intervals to replace fluids lost by sweating.
4.  Water Helps Keep Skin Looking Good. Your skin contains plenty of water, and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss. But don't expect over-hydration to erase wrinkles or fine lines, says Atlanta dermatologist Kenneth Ellner, MD. "Dehydration makes your skin look more dry and wrinkled, which can be improved with proper hydration," he says. "But once you are adequately hydrated, the kidneys take over and excrete excess fluids."You can also help "lock" moisture into your skin by using moisturizer, which creates a physical barrier to keep moisture in. 
5. Water Helps Your Kidneys. Body fluids transport waste products in and out of cells. The main toxin in the body is blood urea nitrogen, a water-soluble waste that is able to pass through the kidneys to be excreted in the urine, explains Guest. "Your kidneys do an amazing job of cleansing and ridding your body of toxins as long as your intake of fluids is adequate," he says. When you're getting enough fluids, urine flows freely, is light in color and free of odor. When your body is not getting enough fluids, urine concentration, color, and odor increases because the kidneys trap extra fluid for bodily functions. If you chronically drink too little, you may be at higher risk for kidney stones, especially in warm climates, Guest warns.
6. Water Helps Maintain Normal Bowel Function. Adequate hydration keeps things flowing along your gastrointestinal tract and prevents constipation. When you don't get enough fluid, the colon pulls water from stools to maintain hydration -- and the result is constipation. "Adequate fluid and fiber is the perfect combination, because the fluid pumps up the fiber and acts like a broom to keep your bowel functioning properly," says Koelemay.

5 Tips to Help You Drink More

If you think you need to be drinking more, here are some tips to increase your fluid intake and reap the benefits of water:

1. Have a beverage with every snack and meal.
2. Choose beverages you enjoy; you're likely to drink more liquids if you like the way they taste.
3. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Their high water content will add to your hydration. About 20% of our fluid intake comes from foods.
4. Keep a bottle of water with you in your car, at your desk, or in your bag.
5. Choose beverages that meet your individual needs. If you're watching calories, go for non-caloric beverages or water.

Tuesday workout

I start to use my polar watch again as my personal trainer and to make sure I burn 500 calories minimum per workout.  At the end of kickboxing class, I only burned 400 cal.  I jumped on the stair climber for 10 min or so and hit my goal.
Total cal burned: 572 but it took me 1:40 min to do it.
Post workout meal: roasted chicken with stir fry veggie and some watermelon for dessert.
As far as eating at work: I ate my home made lunch 2 days in a row and did not drink any coffee.
Baby steps one day at a time.

Creature of Habits

We all are creatures of habits and I am working towards to create some good ones that helps me with my goal weight.
Weight management is 80% diet and 20% exercise, I need to focus on changing my eating habits to reach my goal.  One gal posted on the internet that she lost 10 lbs following the Paleo diet.

Eat:

• Grass-produced meats
• Fish/seafood
• Fresh fruits and veggies
• Eggs
• Nuts and seeds
• Healthful oils (Olive, walnut, flaxseed, macadamia, avocado, coconut)

Don’t eat:

• Cereal grains
• Legumes (including peanuts)
• Dairy
• Refined sugar
• Potatoes
• Processed foods
• Salt
• Refined vegetable oils

I will need to look into it further but cutting out sugar and starch is typical.  Allowing fruits is good and veggies has always been the common theme for healthy eating.

Time for change: Continuous improvement for the mind and body

My polar watch strap broke a month ago so I have not been tracking how many calories I burn and just went by how I feel.  Today, I decided to use my heart rate monitor since I could place it on the bike when I cycle.  I learned that in Ron's class, my heart rate doesn't go any higher than 156 bpm and I burnt only 370 cal in that class.  Back in the days when I took Dave's class, I burned in the range of 550 to 600/ class. This could be because I did not have enough resistance on my bike or my heart rate is lower now that I am older.
During body pump class, I was really bothered by my belly hanging out when I was doing deep swats.  There's no hiding of the muffin top effect when the weigh gain occurs in the mid section of the body. I was able to hide it with workout clothes but when my belly is hanging out as much as the pregnant lady behind me, I need to change the way I eat.
I lost 15 lbs back in July 2010 and  I've been slowly gain the weight back since.  As of today, 3 years later,  I gained back almost 12 lbs of those 15 lbs.
I tried joining the biggest looser at work as motivator for weight lost in February but I only lost 4 lbs in 3 months.
It's amazing to see the transformation of one girl in the gym lost 25 lbs in 6 months.  She inspired me to get back on track.
Today is the beginning of my eating healthy/getting back to my goal weight.

Strategy for week one 6/30/13.

1. Increase water intake: I've been drinking coffee instead of water.  Some days I drink may be 12 oz at work and 12 oz at home so must get back on track by drinking more water or tea.  Goal: 72 oz/day
2. Bring my own lunch 4 out of 5 days of the week.  Better portion control when I bring my own food instead of eating out. Kale salad, dinner left overs etc...
3. Target calorie intake to be 1500/ day
4. Eat brown rice instead of white rice: It doesn't taste as good so I eat less of it.
5. Increase activities:  Currently 3 hrs/week so will increase to 4 hrs/week for week one.  Calorie goal: 600 cal/workout so total output goal: 2400 cal/week.
6. Make my self accountable by posting my calorie burn.

Sunday's workout sets the stage for the whole week.  The fact that it's July 4th weekend, I will be able to workout at least 4-5 times.

WOD:

• Cycle & Body pump: 682 cal.

Who wants to join me in this journey to weight loss?

Father's Day weekend written in June 2008

On Friday, hubby and I attended Danielle's singing performance. I attended the same function a year ago when she was a 1st grader and I noticed a big difference in their understanding of music and notes within 1 year.
We stayed home for the 1st time ever during Father's day. Typically we would visit both our dads and take them out to eat. This year, hubby's dad went up to LA to celebrate with my brother inlay and my dad is so concern about gas prices that he said to celebrate next weekend when we plan to celebrate my nephew's birthday. I had menstrual crap after coming home from cycling so all I want to do is lay in bed and rest. It's interesting how I was fine when I was exercising but after showered I started to feel pain. We got free HBO previews for the weekend so the kids watched part of the "Night at the Museum" Once the pain subsided, we went to Costco and bought some Carne Asada and salad for dinner. Secondo liked it but Danielle stuck with her chicken nuggets.
Danielle, at the age of 8 does not wanting to tag along with her parents anymore. She said that she wanted to stay home and play with her friends and that going to Costco was boring and a waste of her time. After laying down the law of that she's not allowed to stay home on her own, we all got in the car and went.
 On Saturday morning, I took Danielle out for a jog. The goal was to go 5 miles but she did 2 miles of jogging and walking. We ended our exercise at the supermarket close to home, eating breakfast and she told me how nice it was not having Secondo around. Secondo tends misbehave or interrupt Danielle just to get attention and I can tell that Danielle is tired of it. I should plan the weekend so I spend some alone time with each of my child and hubby.
Secondo is making good progress with doing her #2 business in the potty. I started to have her sleep in her underwear overnight after she had no accident for the last 2 weeks. Last night @ 1PM, she woke me up and said that she has to go and she DID it in the potty. When we went to Costco yesterday, I didn't bring a diaper bag with me. Good bye diapers and so long diaper bags!

Six Sigma Black Belt March 2009

Here is another old post in 2009 that I found interesting.

One of my accomplishment is March is completing the 19 weeks six sigma black belt refresher course and taking the 4 hours exam on March 7th 2009. I'm asking the Universe to make sure that I passed the exam and don't have to go through it again. I'll find out in a week if the other test takers felt the way I felt not so confident about how I did. I'm regaining my 1 night a week back and life goes back to normal state with the family.

Fast forward to March 2013.
I passed the test back in 2009 and had been officially Lean six sigma black belt holder or in the industry LSSBB.  People think I know martial arts but I just tell them I know mental martial arts to help your company function more efficiently with less problems or variation.
I realized now that it is to my best interest to work for a company that truly appreciate the power of lean six sigma.

Good Friday

One of my reader said that he missed my blog so I decided to get a crack at it again, 5 years later. Thank goodness that my company gives us minions good friday off so that I am able to get some rest and personal time before picking up the kids in 2 hours or so. I did my kick boxing and Zumba workout for the day and will spend precious time with my girls and hubby later. This one was an old post that was in cue for grammar editing but never published so enjoy a glimpse from the pass. December 2009 Christmas Celebration with kids Today, I went to Danielle's reading celebration. She was the 1st one who went on the microphone and she did a great job. Her writing had foreshadowing, climax and adjectives that painted a beautiful picture on the day we went canoeing on a lake . It's great to take the day off and get a glimpse of what a typical stayed at home mom get to participate in their children's daily life. Lots of parents baked cookies and some topics were melancholy and some were funny.

Secondo's Christmas singing was fun too. She was all in to hand gestures and sang her heart out. She was so happy to see me in the audience and sang with more energy and oomph. I wish I was a stayed at home mom but I treasure every special moments with my two girls.