Lately, I've been hooked on the programme The Biggest Loser - the determination of the participants to lose weight and how they look after the weight loss is really interesting to see. It's also given me tips on how to trim some kilos from my own body weight.
I'm not overweight though I've put on at least 13kg since high school! That's close to 30 pounds, not much if you consider that I'm in my late 30s - to console myself, I've done some calculations and have determined that I've only gained an average of 1.7 pounds per year... not too much when broken down like this. :P
However, I have a tendency to gain around the waistline and in the cheekbones. So, I look fat every time I look in the mirror or take a picture. And my metabolic rate is close to zero, which is no help at all.
So to lose weight, I've resorted to eating more vegetables and fruit and less carbohydrates and getting some exercises done. So far, I've seen a drop of some 3kg but I don't feel any different.
But slow and steady wins the race - that's my strategy in my weight loss programme. I've realised that if I were to do it too quickly, it won't be healthy and probably won't stay off for too long. I just hope that I can stick out the programme and hit my target of 13kg by end of June.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The higher you climb, the harder you fall
This old adage is certainly true for Liverpool FC. We started the season on a high after losing out on the EPL trophy last season by a miserable 4 points. The vibes were good pre-season but the loss to Tottenham at the season opener brought us back down to earth with a loud thump! From then on, it's been downhill all the way with little climbs along the way, in a one-step-forward-three-steps-back kind of way.
Consider this - we achieved 86 points and only had 2 losses last year but with only 7 games to go this year, we've amassed only 51 points but have already had 10 losses this year! The worst kind of statistics anyone could ever hope to see.
It's taken me this long to get over the loss to Man Utd on Sunday last. Not that long because my mood hasn't been very cheerful this season. And the latest news that Riera will be leaving for CSKA Moscow has brought me even lower.
Can someone please explain to me why we're releasing good players when we're already down to the very bare minimum? Just what is Benitez trying to do? Force the owners to fire him because he can't afford to pay off his remaining term by just walking? Well, if that's his plan, then I think he'll fail because the owners don't have the money to pay his sacking fees.
So, at the end of the day, the only ones to lose big-time will be the club and its fans. With promises of silverware and the possibility of finally landing the EPL trophy at the beginning of the season, now the only highlight is to win the Europa League...
Latest I've heard is that Benitez has lashed out at Torres, asking him to "focus a little bit more".... Excuse me, did I read this right? Torres has been the ONLY player, it seems, to be focused on playing well. The other players were mostly napping on Sunday and he was the only one who seemed determined to win. And if I were to start a rant on Benitez, this post will be at least 10 pages long.
At the rate we're going, I certainly won't be surprised if Torres leaves at the end of this season. It would absolutely break my heart if that happens, but nothing surprises me any more...
Consider this - we achieved 86 points and only had 2 losses last year but with only 7 games to go this year, we've amassed only 51 points but have already had 10 losses this year! The worst kind of statistics anyone could ever hope to see.
It's taken me this long to get over the loss to Man Utd on Sunday last. Not that long because my mood hasn't been very cheerful this season. And the latest news that Riera will be leaving for CSKA Moscow has brought me even lower.
Can someone please explain to me why we're releasing good players when we're already down to the very bare minimum? Just what is Benitez trying to do? Force the owners to fire him because he can't afford to pay off his remaining term by just walking? Well, if that's his plan, then I think he'll fail because the owners don't have the money to pay his sacking fees.
So, at the end of the day, the only ones to lose big-time will be the club and its fans. With promises of silverware and the possibility of finally landing the EPL trophy at the beginning of the season, now the only highlight is to win the Europa League...
Latest I've heard is that Benitez has lashed out at Torres, asking him to "focus a little bit more".... Excuse me, did I read this right? Torres has been the ONLY player, it seems, to be focused on playing well. The other players were mostly napping on Sunday and he was the only one who seemed determined to win. And if I were to start a rant on Benitez, this post will be at least 10 pages long.
At the rate we're going, I certainly won't be surprised if Torres leaves at the end of this season. It would absolutely break my heart if that happens, but nothing surprises me any more...
Monday, March 15, 2010
F1 is back! Yay! Not...
The highly anticipated return of Michael Schumacher (for this blogger it was) to the F1 circuit has finally arrived!! It was with much excitement and glee that I sat down in front of my tv last night just to catch a glimpse of my all-time favourite F1 driver make his long-awaited comeback.
Alas, his return was the ONLY highlight of the entire race. With the banning of refuelling during a race, pit-stops were BORING!!! In fact, the entire race was boring as there were little, if any, overtaking except when someone's engine stalled or some other thingamabob burst. Yes, I know, the refuelling was done to cut costs but hey, then what's with the additional racing teams??? Why cut here when you're gonna add it somewhere else? If it was done to make the race more exciting, then all I can say is that it failed, to me it did anyway.
So, all I do know is this, I'll not waste another minute watching another race. I'll just read the news for more glimpses of Schumacher.
Alas, his return was the ONLY highlight of the entire race. With the banning of refuelling during a race, pit-stops were BORING!!! In fact, the entire race was boring as there were little, if any, overtaking except when someone's engine stalled or some other thingamabob burst. Yes, I know, the refuelling was done to cut costs but hey, then what's with the additional racing teams??? Why cut here when you're gonna add it somewhere else? If it was done to make the race more exciting, then all I can say is that it failed, to me it did anyway.
So, all I do know is this, I'll not waste another minute watching another race. I'll just read the news for more glimpses of Schumacher.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Pray without ceasing
Sounds dramatic, doesn't it? Who can possibly pray without ceasing in a literal sense?
Well, a sister once shared that praying without ceasing actually means that we have to consciously maintain a bond with our God at all times whether it be listening to Him, talking to Him, shedding tears with Him, having communion with Him, reading and meditating on His word or just sitting in His presence. This in essence means that we should have a relationship with God. And I have to agree with her on this.
She also further stated that God will answer our prayers if we are earnest in presenting our requests to Him and in accordance to His will. I have to add that I believe that God ALWAYS answers our prayers. Often times, I've heard people grouching that God has not answered their prayers but I believe that this is because God's answer may not have been the one they expected/sought, so they did not realise that He has answered.
I have only one child and many a person has asked me when I will have another child. It's a funny question - why? Well, having a child isn't something that I can control. I can put in a lot of effort by eating the right stuff, or tracking my ovulation calendar and ensuring that I'm living a healthy life. But, at the end of the day, only God can give me another child, and even then, it will only be done if it is His will for me.
Well, let me just say this - I have prayed daily and I've prayed hard but I do believe that God has heard my cries and HAS answered me. For now, I've accepted that His answer may be No or Wait (not too sure which one it is exactly but I do know He has answered)...and the only things that I can continue doing are to pray for His will to be done, that I will be able to overcome my disappointment and grief (and that my child can do the same too) should He continue to reply in the negative and that I can take comfort in the reminder that God ALWAYS works for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Praise be to His great and awesome name!
Well, a sister once shared that praying without ceasing actually means that we have to consciously maintain a bond with our God at all times whether it be listening to Him, talking to Him, shedding tears with Him, having communion with Him, reading and meditating on His word or just sitting in His presence. This in essence means that we should have a relationship with God. And I have to agree with her on this.
She also further stated that God will answer our prayers if we are earnest in presenting our requests to Him and in accordance to His will. I have to add that I believe that God ALWAYS answers our prayers. Often times, I've heard people grouching that God has not answered their prayers but I believe that this is because God's answer may not have been the one they expected/sought, so they did not realise that He has answered.
I have only one child and many a person has asked me when I will have another child. It's a funny question - why? Well, having a child isn't something that I can control. I can put in a lot of effort by eating the right stuff, or tracking my ovulation calendar and ensuring that I'm living a healthy life. But, at the end of the day, only God can give me another child, and even then, it will only be done if it is His will for me.
Yes, it grieves me that I've not been successful. At last count, I personally know seven other women who are pregnant at this time and I have to acknowledge that the longer it takes for me to get pregnant, the harder it becomes. But what grieves me more are:
1) my child grieves too because she's so lonely and longs for someone to play with and to share her experiences; and
2) the fact that most people have commented that I've not prayed hard enough or put in enough effort, hence God has not answered.
Well, let me just say this - I have prayed daily and I've prayed hard but I do believe that God has heard my cries and HAS answered me. For now, I've accepted that His answer may be No or Wait (not too sure which one it is exactly but I do know He has answered)...and the only things that I can continue doing are to pray for His will to be done, that I will be able to overcome my disappointment and grief (and that my child can do the same too) should He continue to reply in the negative and that I can take comfort in the reminder that God ALWAYS works for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Praise be to His great and awesome name!
Friday, February 5, 2010
The road less travelled
Around the World in 80 days was a special favourite book of mine simply because I love to travel and Jules Verne was able to describe the sights and sounds so intricately that I was caught up in it. It's one of the reasons why I love to travel.
The world has so much to offer but I've seen so little of it. Yet, I have been privileged enough to see the beauty of Europe in Germany and Denmark, Asia in Malaysia (since this is where I reside :P), Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand and the Oceanic in New Zealand. Many will wonder why I visited Germany and Denmark instead of the more famous countries like France, Italy, Holland and England. Well, I like to take the road less travelled where I can. Denmark and Germany boasts beautiful old buildings and structures and a history so steep that it fascinates me. And Denmark has the best hot chocolate with marshmallows, in my opinion.
It will probably surprise many who know me when I mention the word History. It was a well known fact that History was not my favourite subject back in school but that was simply because we were only taught the history of our own country year in year out (every year is a repetition of the previous year with slightly more details thrown in) and the teachers taught by reading from the teaching materials. So, how interesting can that get?
In this age of technology, the world has opened its doors for me. Google has made it easy for me to learn history through images, write ups and best of all, from the comfort of my own time and leisure. Now, I study history for the simple reason of wanting to learn, not just to pass an exam. And I realise just how interesting it becomes.
Now, if only I can apply this same thought when I hit my Law books tonight. Corporate Law is so dry. Yawn...
The world has so much to offer but I've seen so little of it. Yet, I have been privileged enough to see the beauty of Europe in Germany and Denmark, Asia in Malaysia (since this is where I reside :P), Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand and the Oceanic in New Zealand. Many will wonder why I visited Germany and Denmark instead of the more famous countries like France, Italy, Holland and England. Well, I like to take the road less travelled where I can. Denmark and Germany boasts beautiful old buildings and structures and a history so steep that it fascinates me. And Denmark has the best hot chocolate with marshmallows, in my opinion.
It will probably surprise many who know me when I mention the word History. It was a well known fact that History was not my favourite subject back in school but that was simply because we were only taught the history of our own country year in year out (every year is a repetition of the previous year with slightly more details thrown in) and the teachers taught by reading from the teaching materials. So, how interesting can that get?
In this age of technology, the world has opened its doors for me. Google has made it easy for me to learn history through images, write ups and best of all, from the comfort of my own time and leisure. Now, I study history for the simple reason of wanting to learn, not just to pass an exam. And I realise just how interesting it becomes.
Now, if only I can apply this same thought when I hit my Law books tonight. Corporate Law is so dry. Yawn...
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Patience, patience
Patience is a virtue. It is also one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). And it's something that I really need to work on. As I grow older, I find that my patience level is diminishing and that's not a good sign. The King James version states patience as long suffering and that has caused me to ponder anew the extent of being patient. Patience means that we have to suffer and suffer long too! Wow!
I lost my patience with my daughter twice in just 2 weeks. She's at a stage where she likes to dilly dally when getting things done. Morning is not my best time of the day (and I think it's not hers too!) and it is when my patience level is close to zero. So any dilly dallying at this time of day really gets on my nerves. And the counting to ten before shouting really doesn't work when said daughter doesn't get moving after ten. So now, I'm learning to resort to prayer and getting up earlier so that the dilly dallying can be factored in. One small step at a time as I learn to be patient.
It's also just struck me that of the nine fruits of the Spirit, love is the underlying factor if we want to be able to exercise these fruits. If we love, then we can be kind, gentle, faithful, patient, good and self-controlled and we can attain joy and peace! Well, in my opinion that is what it means. So, then I must first learn to really love. Not just the superficial kind of love but to love with an everlasting love, as Jesus loved, because it will see us through the obstacles life throws at us.
I lost my patience with my daughter twice in just 2 weeks. She's at a stage where she likes to dilly dally when getting things done. Morning is not my best time of the day (and I think it's not hers too!) and it is when my patience level is close to zero. So any dilly dallying at this time of day really gets on my nerves. And the counting to ten before shouting really doesn't work when said daughter doesn't get moving after ten. So now, I'm learning to resort to prayer and getting up earlier so that the dilly dallying can be factored in. One small step at a time as I learn to be patient.
It's also just struck me that of the nine fruits of the Spirit, love is the underlying factor if we want to be able to exercise these fruits. If we love, then we can be kind, gentle, faithful, patient, good and self-controlled and we can attain joy and peace! Well, in my opinion that is what it means. So, then I must first learn to really love. Not just the superficial kind of love but to love with an everlasting love, as Jesus loved, because it will see us through the obstacles life throws at us.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Live it up, Liverpool!
This is a sad, sad season for any die-hard Liverpool FC fan. From the start of the season, it's been downhill with little to be happy about. We're no longer in contention for the Premier League Cup, Champion's League and the FA Cup and the only thing left to fight for is the fourth place in the Premier League - and even that looks like Everest at this point in time.
But the heartache for me, as a Liverpool FC fan, is not the losses we've had but the way we've played. There seems to be a lack of passion and energy in many of the games. Everyone seems to be talking about Benitez and his folly and mistakes but hey, he's just the manager! Just one man in the team... what about the players? Yes, Benitez may be making mistakes with some of his choices (Lucas for me is not what we need in midfield) but at the end of the day, there are 11 players on the field, each with his own specific job to do. But so far, it's been one lacklustre performance after another. For a team to succeed, it should not be about one or two players, it's the whole team! Last year's squad is only 4/5 players different from this year's. So, what does that say about the team?
And to make things worse, everyone is putting the entire blame on Benitez, including the likes of Jason McAteer and Ronnie Whelan. There have been numerous calls for the sacking of Benitez which has done more harm than good. I've learnt from my own working experience that it's always easier to make mistakes when under pressure or when there is a lack of faith shown by the boss. It has not helped that the American owners know nearly zilch about the game and has not had the financial means to turn the club around and have shown lack of support for Benitez. To have ex-players condemning the manager at this time will only make it worse.
Liverpool FC is not the first club to hit a slump. Just take a look at Arsenal, or Arsene Wenger in particular. Arsenal's last trophy was the FA Cup in the 2004/05 season and they've only managed 3rd or 4th placing in the last 4 seasons of the Premier League. Yet, there is no mention of terminating the manager! No ex-player moaning about Wenger playing a young team and selling off his experienced players. Well, at least, none that I heard of anyway.
It's easy for us to give critical comments but at this time, there is a need for the whole club to be united. It's time to talk less and do more. Show the others just what Liverpool FC is really made of. Let's show them what You'll Never Walk Alone really means!
But the heartache for me, as a Liverpool FC fan, is not the losses we've had but the way we've played. There seems to be a lack of passion and energy in many of the games. Everyone seems to be talking about Benitez and his folly and mistakes but hey, he's just the manager! Just one man in the team... what about the players? Yes, Benitez may be making mistakes with some of his choices (Lucas for me is not what we need in midfield) but at the end of the day, there are 11 players on the field, each with his own specific job to do. But so far, it's been one lacklustre performance after another. For a team to succeed, it should not be about one or two players, it's the whole team! Last year's squad is only 4/5 players different from this year's. So, what does that say about the team?
And to make things worse, everyone is putting the entire blame on Benitez, including the likes of Jason McAteer and Ronnie Whelan. There have been numerous calls for the sacking of Benitez which has done more harm than good. I've learnt from my own working experience that it's always easier to make mistakes when under pressure or when there is a lack of faith shown by the boss. It has not helped that the American owners know nearly zilch about the game and has not had the financial means to turn the club around and have shown lack of support for Benitez. To have ex-players condemning the manager at this time will only make it worse.
Liverpool FC is not the first club to hit a slump. Just take a look at Arsenal, or Arsene Wenger in particular. Arsenal's last trophy was the FA Cup in the 2004/05 season and they've only managed 3rd or 4th placing in the last 4 seasons of the Premier League. Yet, there is no mention of terminating the manager! No ex-player moaning about Wenger playing a young team and selling off his experienced players. Well, at least, none that I heard of anyway.
It's easy for us to give critical comments but at this time, there is a need for the whole club to be united. It's time to talk less and do more. Show the others just what Liverpool FC is really made of. Let's show them what You'll Never Walk Alone really means!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)