GPS Watch

I'm looking for a GPS-enabled watch but I'm not sure whether I'm going to buy any, WHY? Maybe I delaying my gratification, who does not like new things? latest gadgets? sexy stuff? But when it needs some financial support, I'll think more than twice, unless it is a very impulsive purchase.

Have been reading some comments, feedback from GPS watch owners. Going through the specifications at Garmin, Polar, Timex, etc. I need to know which model is the best watch? the most 'dai' watch to buy. 'dai' means 'value for money' in mandarin, I think.

I came across this blog article and I think serious runners that want to buy a GPS watch must read this:

Life of A Runner - The Great GPS Test

New York Times - GPS Watch Can Be An Unreliable Training Partner

There are many more, but I think this 2 articles can really help you to know the drawbacks of a GPS watch and the comparison among the contenders.

Feel free to add more...

Added Garmin Forerunner 310XT in my wish list :P

Race Report - Valdor Run 2011

Event: Valdor Run 2011
Date: 18 December 2011
Location: Valdor, Penang
Distance: 11km (10.6km)
Gears: Adidas Adizero, Puma Digital Watch
Starting Time: 7.00am
Running Time: 00:52:20
Pace: 04:56

It was the last race for 2011 and I want to finish the season or the year in high note. I got into bed quite early and preset my old Nokia 6233 alarm to 5.30am so that I can get up early, get the blood flowing, if you know what I mean. Yes, I did got up, but I dozed back because I was tired, I woke up intermittently because I heard some 'noise', that's a sign of not sleeping well. About the noise, it is not what you think!!!

I planned to get to the starting line by 6.30am but as soon as I woke up for real, it was 6.05am, I know that I cannot get there on time and I could be late, too. I skipped breakfast, very important breakfast. I boiled water for a cup of Milo, but I did not get to even prepare it. I sped off in my car, taking the longer way, instead of the shortcut that my wife knows. She is still very proud of herself for taking that route to and back from work. I'm quite proud of her too, because I still cannot recognize the route. I could take it, but I'll be late, the second worst thing for a race day after not showing up, is reaching late. I had that in my maiden full marathon in Singapore - Sundown Marathon 2011, terrible experience.

I managed to get there on time, I think 6.45am, imagine how many traffic lights I have beaten, bad role model. I parked my car at the place that I parked in 2010, nice place, not so muddy. I walked like 100 to 200m to the starting place where they gather the runners. The washroom is full, I saw people queuing up, so I dumped my idea of getting a poopoo.

Then, I saw a group of people taking photo, then I saw Dan. He was surprise to see me, but I'm not. He got a new Garmin Forerunner 405 (wow... a personal trainer). There were a lot of good runners, veteran and seasonal runners there, I guess everyone also want to end the year in a high note. We were ordered to gather at the starting line, it was crowded, with many students. Dan was calling me as pacer, as he thinks I'm fast enough, but at the bottom of my heart, I know I'm not fast enough.

Wooh...woooh.... the laoyiah gun started the race. There was so many traffic that I could not run properly, and I kept telling myself to start slow (that's not going to get me into the top 10 positions) but what to do? I'm a slow starter. That's why I want to get up early.

There is no distance marker, I guess because we do not really need one as it is only a 11km race. My target is again, beat the one in front of me, that is what keep me going, motivates me. Dan was running behind me, he was serious about the pacing thing, so I must not let him down and let myself sia sui. So, I tried to adjust to my pace as soon as possible but it was quite difficult without knowing the actual pace. I told myself not to look at my watch because that will impede me from going forward (running away from reality :P).

The route is not easy, with some mild elevation, which I like it because I prefer running on those than the flat route like aeroplane landing lane. Up and down, up and down, and finally don't know at how many km, there's a water station. That was like a life saving pit stop, I took one cup and shower another cup on my head. It was refreshing, it gave me a kick.

The time when I asked Dan how long we have gone, he said 9km, I know we are almost there, so I tried to increase the pace again, but actual pace is still unknown. Since I know some of the landmark there, I knew I have to get faster, then I saw the big silo in front of me, it is very familiar. We were at the end of Kampung Valdor, which only a few hundred meters to go. We got into the kampung route and heading to the school, the finishing line. I tried as hard as I could and went past one runner from the same category but I did not manage to maintain the pace and lost my position back to the Malay runner. According to Dan, he was the runner that overtook him in the final 50 or 100m in the race that he got No.5.

I'm OK with it because I know that I am not fast enough from the beginning and I was playing safe. I knew I'm not going to get in the top 10, so I did not push hard enough. Anyway, my timing is 00:52:20 and the distance covered is 10.6km. That's a marginal sub 5.00 pace. Haiya...

Anyway, let me share some of the data that Dan has collected on his Garmin Forerunner. Our run should be quite the same, except the last 400m. Congrats to Dan and myself. Hopefully we can come stronger next year.

My finishing line dash.

 I look funny and fat.

Leading is tough

Being a leader requires you to:

• Be a good communicator
• Have a clear vision
• Be a meticulous planner
• Make the right decisions
• Be self-assured
• Be a good people manager
• Instill belief
• Be inspiring
• See the big picture
• Be intellectually astute
• Show passion
• Be a mentor
• Have a high tolerance for stress and pressure
• Be a good listener
• Know the relevant detail
• Problem solve
• Remain calm in the face of adversity
• Be optimistic
• Know your people’s names
• Have a high level of emotional intelligence
• Be a team player
• Learn from your mistakes
• Care about your people
• Be innovative
• Show empathy
• Be visible
• Let people make mistakes
• Balance the short and long term
• Address underperformance
• Command loyalty from your people
• Empower people
• Handle conflict
• Deliver the strategy
• Recognize good performance
• Delegate
• Recruit good people around you
• Be a good negotiator
• Ensure change
• Tell it like it is
• Be determined
• Have integrity
• Take risks
• Trust people
• Have charisma
• Be a good influencer
• Involve people in decisions
• Coach
• Be your own person
• Seek feedback
• Be able to give bad news
• Set goals
• Build team spirit
• Know what drives your people
• Make people accountable
• Role model the organization’s values
• Set high expectations
• Deliver the results

The list goes on, can you believe it?

2012 Resolution Proposal by Runners World

I have yet to conclude a report for 2011 but I have stumble upon a beautiful and motivating article in Runners World 2012 January issue. I'm getting excited after having a good meal, with 2 portion of vegetable, tofu, fried anchovy, and barley. I feel so healthy :P

LOL... Anyway, I would like to share the 12 resolutions propoased that could reignite the passion for running and have more fun. (Level of difficulty is included to give you a heads up what you are getting into)

1. Run Farther (7/10) - If you are at 5k, move to 10k; if you are at 10k, move to half marathon; if you are at 21k, move to full marathon. I'm thinking I'm a 3 time full marathon finisher, shall I attempt the ultramarathon? Probably 50k?
2. Try Yoga (4/10)- Practising yoga gives you whole-body strength, especially hips, core and upper body. Ei... I just signed up yoga class with my wife last week, we paid the fees for one quarter, so I guess it would make a little difference :D
3. Lose 10 Pounds For Your Good (10/10)- Some good suggestion including have protein in every meal, eat a meal within one hour after running, don't skip meals, stay hydrated before, during and after running, eat food, don't drink it,
   run from fast food, and lastly, eat only when you're hungry.
   I've shed ~2kg, equivalent to 4.4pound in 3 months. Now, I'm 65.5kg +/- 1kg. I want to cut more and gain more lean muscles.
4. Be More Consistent (6/10)- Start with reasonable goal, develop a plan, record the workouts and make it happen. I'm in the middle of setting my resolution in 2012, must try to be more ambitious, rather than too conservative.
5. Try A Triathlon (8/10)- You know what? I actually think about this. I want to join one, but the plan is not concrete yet. I need support from multiple aspects, from wife, family, work, finance, etc... I need a road bike, I need time to learn how to swim properly. How could I do it if I do not sacrifice some of the routine that I'm doing?
6. Win A Medal (9/10)- Is that really so difficult?
   
   I do not want to pick a low publicised, inaugural, low turn-out races to win a medal. Although it is quite difficult, but it is challenging.
7. Try Real Trail Running (4/10)- This one is also in my mind. I want to do more trail running, but this means I need to buy extra shoes, could have more injuries, etc. But, that's the way people run in ancient time, there is no asphalt a few centuries back.
8. Stop Giving Up (6/10)- It is coherent with my motto "Sign up, train up and show up". I shall expect myself to be mentally stronger in 2012, despite all the obstacles and challenges ahead. Don't miss the training.
9. Figure Out My Watch (2/10)- Fully utilize your watch. Use the split function for interval training. Did it meantion that getting a new GPS-enabled watch? I want to get one!!!
10. Give Back to The Sports (3/10)- Volunteer in sports events, handing out waters, cheering for the participants, raising funds for trail maintenance, etc. In my mind, I was thinking like, be a pacer? LOL... I'm so ambitious. Or, at least, 'sell' running to people around me, which I'm doing. My wife has pick up running recently, I hope she will get benefits from it.
11. Find More Partners (3/10)- First, there was a stranger I met in dailymile.com, his name is Dan. We had just completed a Valdor Run 2011 together, I finished slightly in front of him. It is fun to have a partner. Secondly, my wife. I'm going to accompy her to do some leisure run for her good.
12. Beat my PR (9/10)- Setting a new personal record seems like a good resolution but it is not easy without diligence, patience, determination, training, and luck. This caught my eyes, develop leg strength by hill running, core strength with core exercise, speed with intervals, training consistency and good nutrition are all important.

2012 is coming ... be prepared.

Health Check

No matter how many miles you run every week, how many types of sports you play, or how healthy the way you eat, a regular health check is a MUST. You cannot change many risk factors such as your genes, your family history, your age, your race, your lifestyle, etc. It is always good to catch the troublesome issues early.

Always check (What? How much is okay? When?):

1. Blood pressure. Below 120/80 mmHg.  Start at 18, then every year.
2. Cholesterol. LDL <100 mg/DL, HDL >60 mg/DL, total <200 mg/DL. Start at 20, then get doctor's advice.
3. Thyroid-stimulating hormone. 0.5 < TSH Level < 5.0 mIU/L. Start at 35, then every 3 - 5 years.
4. Iron (Serum Ferritin). >25 ng/mL. When you feel increase fatigue, muscle soreness, achy joints, etc.
5. Blood sugar. <100 mg/dL. Start at 45, then every year. (Depending on family history)

I guess these are the basic one. Of course, we shall not neglect all those test results that does not meet the recommended parameter. See your doctor now to find out more.

Health is precious.

Say 'No' To Shark Fins Soup

I suggested to my wife before our wedding dinner that we shall not eat shark fins anymore, many sharks are being killed every day, in inhumanity ways. That is a big different between the 'killing' of other species of fish from the ocean, we eat the fish. In shark fin industry, they capture the sharks, extract the fins and dump it back to the ocean. It is breaking one's hands or legs and dump them in the water.

Enough with the human inhumanity.

We talked to the floor manager of Sunway Hotel that we do not wish to have shark fins, and she told us that they will serve gelatin shark fins only, or simple we call it, artificial shark fins. We are OK with that and I'm glad that we made that decision.

Now, I'm going to spend RM25 or RM50 to get a couple of 'Say No to Shark Fins Soup' T-shirts from Hazel Oakley. Like it or not, I'm trying to contrbute a little with the hope that everyone else also do a little to make this world a better place.

Let our future generation see the sharks. They are beautiful.

Chi Running - Must Watch

Wow... you can notice that the way Danny Dreyer run, is like the ancient steamed powered automotive, so natural. The videos below are very useful for runners, he teaches a runner how to run naturally (with shoes),

How to avoid heel strike!

Running Pronation

Running Posture (Fundamental and very important)

Cadence (Number of strikes per minute)

I sincerely hope everyone is benefited from this sharing. Have a healthy life, do sports, walking or running.



Barefoot Running

Hmm... I actually changed my running style to forefoot strike after the Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur half marathon 2010 because I was having a bad pain after the race, and not be able to walk properly after the race. My knee hurted like hell.

Everything happened so naturally without myself realizing it, maybe it was to avoid the injury that keep coming back after each mid to long distance race.

There is physic behind it, not simply anything plucked from the air. Watch the video and hopefully it will help you. You don't have to be a barefoot runner immediately, because our legs are pampered for quite some time already, try the forefoot strike, change to minimalist shoes, etc.

Take progressive steps. Good luck!



Sushi Addiction

Recently I'm addicted to Japanese food, especially sushi. I was not fond of sushi long time ago, but don't know since when I started to like sushi and Japanese food, no.... LOVE sushi and Japanese food.

I think I just had 3 times sushi @ Sushi King in this fortnight. First time was with the Seagators at QBM. The last time was with my wifey at Sushi King, Autocity. Today, I just took another sushi meal at QBM again, but this time I went alone, but I totally enjoyed the time I had there. Normally I will just have sushi, rather than sashimi because it is cheaper and more filling to have sushi.

I took some time to made the lunch choice today, either McDonald value meal or Sushi King. McD is much much cheaper than sushi because the portion is larger, but not so healthy. In other hand, sushi, one of the healthy food around is more expensive. I was struggling until I convinced myself that I need more healthy and nutritious food rather than rubbish food.

So, I had 6 piece of salmon sushi and 2 piece of crab sticks sushi, not to forget the 'must-drink' hot green tea. I had three and a half cups. I love it, although Sushi King does not serve the best sushi around. It cost me RM15, almost double the price of the McD value meal and half the portion.

Can I have sushi every Monday? There's 20% discount if pay using the Sushi King credit card with Diners Club. Nudge me if there is any RM2 sushi promotion again :P

I'm A Sport Shoes Lover

I enjoy playing sports and I like wearing sport shoes, it is very casual, it is very comfortable. Most importantly, there are bargains out there.

 

Adidas Lascelle DB - David Beckham @ RM120 only!!!!

Philips Micro Hi-Fi MC147 [Wanted]

I always want a Micro Hi Fi in my living room. Why? I enjoy listening to music, great songs, oldies while lazying myself on the couch. Now, the opportunity is here.

I need to be among the first 10,000 to spend RM4,000 to get a guaranteed gift of a Philips Micro Hi-Fi. I got to know that on the 3rd or 4th of December and I have completed the task on Sunday 11-12-2011. Someone must be saying that I'm too desperate, or doing too much just for one Micro Hi-Fi.

Maybe you don't know. The Micro Hi-Fi would come in almost free, with the condition that some adjustments to be made.

1.  First, consolidate the list of due payments that you have. If the amount is not enough,  ask from your family members whether they have any unsettled bills.
2. Second, add the sum up. If it is more than RM4,000, register your SC card immediately according to the preset format.
3. Proceed to swipe the cards at selected outlets or make online payments.
4. Finally, collect the money and settle the credit card bill.

It is easy, isn't it? Although I'm not so convinced that I will be among the 10,000 who charged RM4,000 to the Standard Chartered credit card, but there is hope.

I mentioned that it would incur some cost including the extra traveling you made to settle some payment for others, some advance payment that you need to make in order to make up the amount, call and time cost of making arrangements, etc. However, I hope actually by getting the Hi Fi, I can forget about the hassle that I have caused.


Let's hope I can get this Micro Hi-Fi at the beginning of March 2012. Although it is a bit long, but I can wait :P because they will only announce the winner by 29-Feb-2012. Maybe I can win myself an extra LED TV too.... LOL...

Good luck~!

Dilemma

I'm wondering what I should get for myself in the very last month of 2011. I have always wanted a few things, but I never really want to buy it because it is not the 'perfect' one for me yet. However, I still tend to spend time, another valuable asset to check the latest trend, technology, price and review. This is what I have done for the whole morning when my boss is away :P

I guess there is no way to miss the items in my wish list. Smartphone, DSLR and GPS-enabled Heart Rate Monitor watch are all in the list for quite some time. I do not want to spend because I need to spend, hence, I keep looking for justification to acquire something that 'expensive', I term something expensive in 2 ways, one is being the market value or monetary value of the item, secondly is the need of getting the item. More often, I will divert myself from buying those things, because they are really expensive.

Since I'm quite free, let me go through one by one. First, smartphone.I'm still using the Nokia 6233 that I have bought for myself in 1997 when I was still in university. During that time, the iPhone still a rumour, and my coursemate, Fook Wai told me that my Nokia phone looks like the iPhone, yet I still do not know anything about it, because I do not want to know it. Besides, I don't really know Steve Jobs that time. Now, probably venturing into different business other than routine 9to5 work, I had acquired myself a new phone number, a couple number with my wife. I would foresee there is going to be much conversation and meeting being held with the partners and probably communication with customers or vendors, so I guess need one phone that is smart that allow me to go on-line anytime, anywhere. Now the sim card is temporary hiding inside the phone that I have 'confiscated' from my mom. I want a windows phone.

Justification for smartphone:

1. I got a new number that needs a smart home to work.
2. I am going to have much communication or interaction with wife and business partners.
3. I would like to have a new phone. (lousy justification!!!)

Secondly is the DSLR, I have held several DSLR that was released months before and I felt that my DSLR is way behind them, in term of technology, megapixels, function, etc. I can name a lot. I am tempted to buy a second hand camera body, selling my baby (but I don't really want to sell it). I used the Canon D550, I saw the D60, I held the D90 and D3100. Each and everyone of them is awesome. I wanted a new one, but a better second hand camera body will do. I need a portrait lens and an external flash too.

Justification for DSLR:

1. My camera is old enough and many many generations away from its successors.
2. I can shoot good photo if I have a 'good' camera, just like any amateurs holding Canon MK-II can shoot an award-winning photo.
3. I'm not poisoned or addicted like some other photobugs.

Lastly is the hybrid of HRM and GPS watch. I have been checking the brand of Timex, Garmin and some other so so brands. I would like to buy something that I can use anytime, any sports, anywhere. I have locked my target although it is a quite 'old' model, just because it has been released some time ago, the function is still the best among all, just not so fancy.

Justification for GPS enabled HRM watch:

1. It is a good training partner/coach. It can help me to make progress in my training as well as in the competition.
2. It is a good 'life-saver'. Sometimes, accident happens because of our negligence. We do sports and we apply stress to our heart, it is good to something always there to tell you to 'slow down'.
3. It is also a fancy watch. Maybe I can influence others to run more too.

LOL... I feel funny also writing all these because I keep justifying myself for each purchase, but I am yet to make up my mind. Is this procrastination? or delay gratification? I just list out all the pulling factors but not the pushing factors, is it not fair?

How? Buy all?

1. Windows smartphones. Phone cost RM1800. Usage/maintenance cost RM80/month.
2. New SLT-A55V, RM2300. New flash RM800. Second hand SLT-A55 RM1650 + second hand flash RM400.
3. Garmin Forerunner 310XT. RM1200.

Who wants to pay my bill? Probably RM5000 - 6000. Siao.....

NTCRC Across-3-States Half Marathon

I was not feeling well, or I was feeling lazy after spending whole Saturday joining and helping out in Hooi Kheng and Kuan Meng's wedding. My legs were not excited at all, not like the time during the PBIM 2011 which I stayed up until 2am to make sure myself was good for the race. Anyway, I slept around 1am, and I had to wake up at 4.45am, I can't believe it.

The alarm woke me up, I went down to prepare everything, woke up my wife who was very enthusiastic to help me taking the photo of crossing the finishing line, later I will show you the masterpiece of my wife. I do appreciate it because I did ask her to skip this race as she was so sleep-deprived due to the wedding as well, although not as intense as me, because I had to run here and there to capture some photos. Where are the photos? I need to ask from ChunChew.

I took 2 sips of Milo that I prepared for my wife and half hand full of macadamia nuts because I did not have anything for breakfast. Haih... in PBIM, I had classic Chicken McDeluxe value meal. Then, we drove to Nibong Tebal through the creepy Bukit Teh, Tasek, Valdor and reached the starting line just in-time.

Wife was trying very hard to capture a photo of me in the dark dawn at 6am, but the built-in flash did not perform well enough, all black and without me. I guess it is time to justify to get an external flash. :P

Met up with Dan, a friend that added me in Dailymile, we greeted each other and the race started in minutes. I'm not sure how to run a half marathon since I have not running any since the last PBIM 2010 which I have clocked 2.09, due to muscle cramps and blisters in the unforgettable rainy days. I started the race without any doubt, telling myself to finish it in 2 hours, because I did not foresee how well I can do it.

I started in intermediate pace, but I don't know how fast or how slow, it is a biological HRM. I did not see any distance marker until the first water station which people told me that that's the 5km. After a 2 glasses of 100 Plus, I picked up my speed and I told myself to catch up with whoever that I see in front of me. So, I tried as hard as I could, but I still try to suppress myself not to exceed the 'no-way-return' pace. It worked quite well.

Ran passed the 'highway' in front of USM Engineering Campus and towards Clock Tower at Parit Buntar town, and towards Bandar Baharu, then I was lost, I just followed the runner in front of me. I felt good when I went past a few runners and be able to maintain my pace until I see the side entrance of USM Engineering Campus again, I did not know how far to go and how far I have gone. It is torturing.

Then, we were directed to Bukit Panchor by the marshall but by that time, I was so weak, the pace dropped dramatically, I felt the heat underneath my feet due to the friction, I don't like blisters. The last few km were very bad, I could not hold the pace, but when I turned into the Nibong Tebal town again, I know that it is close, the most 2-3 km to go, so I had to keep running.

3 veterans ran passed me which I have overtook one hour ago, I guess. They must be laughing at me because I cannot hold up :P I saw the banner, the finishing line, I saw my wife, I ran in normal pace because I know that I cannot go faster than that already. I checked my watch at the finishing line at 1:52:14. A good result, but I asked my wife to wait there at 1:20. LOL... I told her after the race that I want to be the champion.

I'm a bit disappointed because I though I can go lower than 1:40. I got the ranking the 35 in the open category. Not bad, but can it be 3 only or 5 only? Never mind, I try again next time to come back stronger and faster.

 

Bangkok Standard Chartered Marathon 2012... Yes? No? Yes?

I'm still checking the event calendar for 2012 regularly, afraid that I might miss the early bird offer, although it could be just RM10 or 10 dollar in particular currency. I saw the Bangkok Standard Chartered Marathon 2012 has been rescheduled to 12 February 2012 due to flood. I saw the post before, I clicked on it once...then I found that the registration fee is quite expensive, even more expensive than the Sundown Marathon 2011, how could that be? Does the official want to collect more money to help Bangkok city?

2000 Bhat for non-Thai. I'm a non-Thai, so if I want to register RM200 is a gone case. Never mind, I try to justify myself from the package stand point, so I take a look at the flight and accommodation. Ngam ngam I received an sms from AirAsia for priority booking and I looking for a bargain of the year. Sadly, only the air ticket from AirAsia will make me fork out RM500, just to fly... how can that be?

I'm so sad. I still need a place to sleep. I still need to eat a lot. Most probably I will shop a little bit too. Most most probably I have to pay for my wife to fly together, too. It is too expensive, I have to call it off. Hopefully I can make it next time.

RM200+RM500+eat+sleep, I rather make a few trips to KL for some runs that I never participated.

PB After 3 Marathons

I thought marathon is a piece of cake, and it is NOT. I'm not overestimating myself or underestimating the 42.195km, but I think that certain things are achievable given enough effort, discipline and determination. That's why I simply wrote that I wanted to be a sub-4.5 marathon runner, which is quite a distance away from me. I actually modified the goal to complete 3 marathons within 6 hours and get the finisher T's.

My maiden run at Sundown Singapore was 05:43:40 and I did improved a little bit one month later in Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2011, completed the race in 05:22:43. FYI, I was ill-prepared for both the races. What the hell of runs I had... Anyway, I tried to train more for the last marathon in 2011 which is the Penang Bridge International Marathon, but somehow my wife and I need to fly to New Zealand for our honeymoon, so the training was interrupted again

No matter what I beat the odds, I achieved the sub-5 that I had been dreaming of. I got my Personal Best in full marathon with official timing 04:43:40. Wow.... unbelievable, even myself hardly believe it.

Well done and good job. Hopefully I can recover soon enough to run in the next event in 10days time. Half marathon :P.

Goal Setting

I like this phrase so much....

Goals must be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound (SMART)

It was plucked from an article from Malaysian Insider - Kids, make money work for you — Koh Noi Keng.

7 Days post-NZ Trip

I came back from my honeymoon on the 8th November and straight got back to work on the 9th. How great was I? Who knows? I was sick one day after reporting back to work, and then I have to see doctor and got myself the first medical certificate in this company. I was not totally sick, but I was sick.

It was not a REST day for me as well, I took the initiative to do some laundry, 2 rounds (come and see my proud face), dried them and folded some of my own clothes. I was happy and it did crossed my mind that whether I should settle down as a house-husband? However, I was very reluctant to sweep and clean up the floor and it is still full with some of the stuff that we have not tidy up after one week (I mean until now).

On the special 11.11.11, we had a dinner @ Derek's Passion for Food. It is in Kulim. We had the sweet and sour chicken chop and black-pepper chicken chop. The taste is good, quite different from other places, but it would be much better with more gravy on the chicken. The place is inside an neighbourhood, in a residential house,  no luxury nor romantic decoration, like a Malay house and simple furniture. At least, we brought our own deco, the Gerberra (a special bouquet of 11 different colour Gerberra for my wife).

On 13.11.11, we had a great lunch at Mizi's Bistro with parents, brother and little sister and Shanon. We visited there once during KinHoe's birthday celebration. The food was nice and what I like the most is the free flow ice-cream, I had 4 big scoops, of mint, choc, vanilla and corn. Woosh... delicious. After that I went back home and slept on the couch immediately, I guess the ice-crams must have settling well inside my stomach and become part of the fat :p Besides, I love the Aglio Olio spaghetti over there, it was the best that I had in recent years.

I cannot accept the fact that the calories that I have taken in, so I pushed myself for a run. Initially, I wanted a LSD (long slow distance) run, but some how it is almost like the race pace, 6 min/km. Ideally it should be 7.30 min/km or slower, what to do? I'm so freaking nervous that I'm ill-prepared for my last marathon in 2011, and it is happening in 4-5 days time. Help me....

Anyway, I knew all this, the good thing is I'm still bother to do more, to put in more effort. That's the spirit of an athlete, never give up.

Hopefully today I can do some light and easy run.

KWYP City Run 2011

Awesome... but not so awesome... I thought I did 10k in 39m06sec but apparently the distance is only 8.5km, but that is the best run that I had in 2011. Starting with good speed, almost gave up after a few km's, I kept motivating myself and I'm rewarded.

8.5km in 39m06s is a good result for me.04.35 pace. Woot...

I roughly plot out the route of City Run 2011, hehe not sure whether it is accurate, but that's the best that I have at the moment.

Feel good having someone to take my stupid posing near the finishing line. Thanks to my wifey..

Keep it up....

Working Marathon Men

FYI, I finished my Penang Bridge 21k in 2 hour and 9 minutes back in 2010, but you can see that people did the full marathon which is 42km in 2 hour and 18 minutes. They also have full time job, how can they do it?

It is driving me crazy.... I need more mileage, I need more training? How about other things in life?

I'm in doubt.

Dailymile Training (2011'17-2011'42)

 

The running has not been consistent for 6 months, from week 17 to week 42 in 2011. That is because I had my wedding, the preparation had taken a lot of time, so there is not surprise that there is a a few week 'gaps' from week 32 to 37.

The mileage logged is not so encouraging as well. Total only 166.2km from 6 months. Average only 2xkm per month. That's unbelievably LOW!!!! Need more consistent run.

Maybe I'll do 2 km today? My body is not recovering so well lately, maybe due to sleep deprive.

King of The Road 2011

The race isn't easy after not running for quite a while. Finishing the race in 5m48s is a great achievement. At least, I think so. Had been struggling to find some time to run, to train properly, maybe I was finding more and more excuses.

Good thing is I did not stop for walking, except for the water stations. I need to keep it up. My NZ trip is just round the corner, then when I'm back, I will not have sufficient time for training and my PB dream in Penang Bridge International Marathon in 'colder than the water' liao...

Come one. If you see me, ask me to run, ask me how is the progress, ask me my weight, etc. All that would remind me of this:

I'm fat. I need to get fitter. I need to break finish the full marathon below 5 hours. Come on...

O.o

I'm the 99% too

We are the 99 percent. We are getting kicked out of our homes. We are forced to choose between groceries and rent. We are denied quality medical care. We are suffering from environmental pollution. We are working long hours for little pay and no rights, if we're working at all. We are getting nothing while the other 1 percent is getting everything. We are the 99 percent.

This is the header that I came across one website. Please visit We Are the 99 Percent. Many people is US is suffering from job loss, unemployment, high debt, long working hours, etc. That's kinda change my perspective on US, I thought the states are a wealthy country, people with high earning power, there are a lot high wage vacancies waiting to be filled every day. Well... I was wrong. Maybe that is true in the 90's, but not in this decade.

I do not want to elaborate how is the situation in Malaysia, which everyone else except some Mr.and Mrs.Ma, has to work their asses off to survive. I'm glad that I still have a job, not a job that lands me a fortune, but there is always some balance after paying off the bills.

Of course I'm still in debt, the study loan, the car loan, the parents loan. I guess I can default the later one but not all stated before that. I'm glad that I can still have a comfortable home, still can 'give', 'help' and 'donate'. It makes me feel better. I hope the government knows what they are doing, the policy makers know what to be done, to not to get the stage that the states is.

I guess everyone can declare himself as the 99% entity, but there should be more to be done to rectify the problem. There is still people without clean water, electricity, sufficient food in all part of the world. Wish everyone all the best.

Help others if you can. Make this world a better place to live.

iPhone 5? No... you can have iPhone 4S

 

The much anticipated iPhone 4 did not materialize, instead Apple is launching is improved version of iPhone 4, named iPhone 4S, with better A5 processor, 8MP camera and better antenna. I was correct, iPhone 5 would not be born in 2011 :P but somehow I had to pay extra RM240 in 2 years time for getting an iPhone 4 a few weeks before the launching date of 4S. Visit Apple.

What to do? My wife had always wanted to have one, now she gets it as birthday present. I comfort myself that damage is done and no point for drilling further down to no ends. I can cut down the 'future' loss to RM120 by getting another iPhone 4, but how much MORE I need to pay for another iPhone?

For those that had held their horses, since Apple made an official launching of the 4S, iPhone price will definitely drop, how much? Who knows? but Digi has lead the Telco pack by offering cheaper package, as low as RM43 per month (that's where the RM240 'loss' comes from). Erm... I'm neother a fans or Digi, nor Maxis, but Maxis does provide better network coverage and connectivity quality. If you want to have the cheapest iPhone 4 package, this is the one. You're not charged extra after the quota of 1Gb is used up, but the speed will be throttled down.

Business wise, that's normal. I'm not in any position to make any recommendation but as far as I know. Below is the cheapest package at the moment.

Weight Loss Secrets

Seriously, I reviewed my 2011 resolution and the first thing came into my eyes is 'Walk the talk'. I want to get on diet, but I keep overeating recently. Come on, I might start slowly but I need to practice it consistently. So I'm browsing through some websites to really 'inject' or 'plant' the idea into my head.

Let me share some weight loss secrets with you, with a rating of very easy to very difficult to practice (1 to 5):

1. Spice it up. (3) I would love to do it but the weather in Malaysia is making thing a little bit complicated. I do not want to go out for lunch dry and comfortable, but come back wet and smelly.
   
2. Downsize the supersize. (2) I know that it is tempting. RM1 to supersize to large Coke and fries in McD. Skip the evil thought, stick with the regular one, or small one, even better.
   
3. Serve rice with beans. (4) Erm... I guess you need to prepare you own bean in Malaysia, that's very uncommon here,  but you can always halve the rice portion, take more greens and beans, higher fibre and protein.
4. Try fasting (5). No way, I tend to overeat the subsequent meal for not eating regularly. Why not try to cut the total calories intake into half?
   
   
5. Eat at home more often than out. (3) This is a neutral because I have to eat outside during working days lunch time. Wife is not cooking. However, it is strongly recommended to dine at home, to save money and pounds.
   
6. Eat your breakfast (1). This is too easy to be done. However, what to take in breakfast is more critical. I see people take roti canai, nasi lemak, teh tarik. All this will not do you good, but I'm doing it. More grains and fruits, please.
   
7. Swap gas pedal for bike pedal. (5) It is a brilliant idea. I would do it if I just live near my workplace and Penang is a bicycle-friendly state. Too bad, none in Malaysia is.
   
8. Muesli (Click here) (4). I think I'm gonna find an excuse for not eating this. It is timing consuming for preparing a plate of oats + nuts + fruits, and they're expensive.
   
9. Grow your own vege. (3) I will spend some time doing it, but now? it is not so feasible due to the working hours and commitment, but if not now, when? There is nothing that you grow in garden that make you fat.
   
10. Turn up the turmeric (Click here). (3) It is a common spice in Malaysia but having it in every dish is crazy. Good news is turmeric is added into the delicious curry. Bad news is they add a lot of santan too.
    
11. Sit long, talk lots (3) The chinese does not encourage talking on the dining table, because you would choked or overeat. Is that true? Most of the time, I had dinner alone :(
    
12. Crunch more pickles (2). Lovely, but most of the pickles in Malaysia are either high sugar content, or high sodium content or high preservative content. Not so good. Preserving with vinegar?
    
13. Sip some tea. (2) Not teh tarik, OK? Try green tea or other chinese tea. No milk. No sugar. Just tea.
    
14. Take a Sunday family tour. (2) It can be arranged. I guess there is no better activities than having an outing, rather than sitting in front of TV or laptop.A mengkuang or tokun trip will do.
    
15. Get yourself all twisted up. (3) Yoga!!! Pilate!!! I like the idea of the beauty and strength. Let me think about it again. I gotta choose between high adrenaline sports and twisting myself.
    
16. Perfect the power nap. (5) I would love to have this. Can I do this in my office? Just a 20-30 minutes nap? Actually sleep deprive will cause overeating due to some hormone imbalance, but in fact, it is just a wrong signal of sleepy.
    
17. Make the midday meal the biggest (2). It is easy to do, but choosing the right food is very important too. I can have 2 nasi lemak and one char koay teow for lunch, and it is not helping at all.
    
18. Take up nordic waling (Click here) (4). It is also called ski walking. People would think I'm crazy if doing this in the neighbourhood. Can try it at tokun. It burns 20% extra calories.
    
19. Eat more herring or sardines. (4) Expensive and not fresh, although the Omega 3 fatty acid will do you much good.

I'm going to drink some green tea now. Trying to 5, 13, 14 and 15, because I'm doing some of them already, but could be in the wrong way :P

6% on Prepaid

Wow... there is a lot of huu haa after the news to pass the 6% service tax to prepaid phone user has been surfaced. There is 28 million subscriber in Malaysia alone and according to some source from internet, the cost has been borne by the telco company such as Maxis, Digi, Celcom, etc... 6% is just a single digit but the sum in enormous when you take a look at the whole picture.

It is the government that introduced the 6% tax. I'm still angry with it. The service of the telco is reasonably good, but that tax was actually implemented by the government, what have they done to benefit the whole community? by censoring more internet content? by xxxx the mainstream media? Actually, there is a lot of things to be done for Malaysia, but it is too bad that the be end is corrupted and being too mediocre.

Lets go back the total sum of money that is bugging me.... 28 million x RM10/month x 6% = RM16.8 million per MONTH... what the hell... what is the government doing with the sum of money??? 

Be end... sucks.

I'm BACK!!!!

Yes, I'm back in action again after missing so many futsal, running, badminton sessions. Last night, I was invited to a play a futsal match in Batu Maung futsal court. The fact that I only know one of the guys, who is Seagate colleague when I was in Seagate a few months back. I'm keen to sweat it out, so I went back to parents house to take my gears and it was fun.

I bumped in PLLC employees playing on the other court. Oops, people would think that I'm 'hanging up high to sell', but that not the case, hope that people will not misunderstand that.I have not move a lot since I was preparing for my wedding 2 to 3 months back. Miss the action so much. I can feel that my movement is slow, body is lazy, I need some time to get back in shape and speed.

My body seems still adjusting itself to the work out that I'm going to throw at him. Body is aching all over and hardly can get up from the bed. Thinking to play badminton tonight, but 45 minutes play without any stop really hard to take for a long-idling body. In the last few minutes, not sure whether it is the hamstring or what, seems like there is a problem with it and I gonna check with the sienseh what's going on, else it is going to be a long set back again.

I want to play futsal. I want to play badminton. I want to run. I want to hike. Of course, I need quality sleep as well.

*.*

Barclays Premier League Transfers

I'm not in the mood of writing about my wedding because it was such a big thing, or at least the biggest event that I had in my life. I took some time to browse thru the football players transfer market and it does give me few surprise.

Although I'm not talking a about Manchester United, it does not mean that ManU is less attractive or play less interesting football that the rest. ManU form has been amazing after finishing off Spurs 3-0 and demolishing Arsenal 8-2. Lets hope that the trend continues.








Arsenal
Yossi Benayoun loaned from Chelsea to Arsenal? Wow, this is a new thing for Arsene Wenger, taking a player with experience that had been featuring for Liverpool and Chelsea, but is he is already 31. Arsenal offloaded Niclas Bendtnar to Sunderland? Yeah, you only need Van Persie. Andre Santas, Mikel Arteta, Park Chu-Young and Per Mertesacker. Wow... look at the line up, Arteta could revive the midfield line with the young England prospect - Jack Wilshere.

Liverpool
What the fxxx? Sold Raul Meireles to Chelsea? I hope Liverpool did think twice before this. They re-sign Craig Bellamy again, this would give some 'life' to Liverpool's wing play, they need it. I don't know about the other players, I hope I can know them thru their play in this season long matches. Sold Ngog and Christian Poulson.

Chelsea
Juan Mata is a very good winger.  Chelsea squad is aging, Lampard, Drogba, Malouda, Terry are getting old, so it is going to be Kalou and Torres turn.

Manchester City
Offloaded Roque Santa Cruz. It should be done long time ago. Bought Sergio Aguerro (best buy) and Nasri (Ohh... I hate this...). Seriously, City is going to cause some trouble in this new season.Sold Shaun Wright-Philips to QPR (Tony Fernandes :P)

Others

• Scott Parker from West Ham to Spurs
• Peter Crouch and Wilson Palacios from Spurs to Stoke City
• David Bentley from Spurs to West Ham (loan)
• Jermaine Jenas from Spurs to Aston Villa (loan)
• Joe Cole from Liverpool to Lille (loan)

Why all good players choose to go to Chelsea or Manchester City, but not Manchester United?

林冠英的部落格

多谢辉业在面子书里分享了这篇文章，让我发现原来我们槟州首长也有一个部落格。

也许我是一个喜欢听故事的人，也是一个和我们槟州首长有一些共同理念的人，读了一篇文章就爱上它了。

林冠英

《星洲日报.槟城在望》专栏文集

希望有缘人可以读一读这篇文章 - 给精英的公开信

Online Shopping

Is it relatively cheaper buying from an e-shop? I'm not sure. My wife asked whether I'm obsessed to online shopping recently because I have bought some thing that is useless. By using the word 'useless' mean that a person can still survive without owning or having that thing. Somehow, I bought because I 'think' they're cheap.

I've bought many accessories for her, cheap but look nice ones, but she told me that she does not have enough fingers to wear them on. I guess that's the answer because they are not diamond solitaire or Swarovski crystal? Just kidding. Ring is annoying, I'm not used to it too, so I can totally understand the feeling. What made me to buy those is because I saw a pair or earrings that matches a pendant that I gave her previously, so I just have to do it, and they're cheap.

Besides, I am like addicted to 'lighting' or 'lamps' recently, not because I'm working in Pxxxxps, but rather what they can do and make me feel. A good lighting effect can create a good atmosphere and environment, especially those dimmer lighting can help us to relax, just like those in spa or facial center. Again, I bought a few 'cheap' lamp because I cannot afford to buy 'designer' lamp, and I will be hearing a lot of mumbling if I did. Try to see www.hokare.com. I'm still waiting for the items to be sent to my house.

Still have one list of items that have to being sent, those are creative items. They're relatively more expensive although they are made in China, it has to be shipped from China too, that's not cheap. Waiting and waiting.

If I have more opportunity, I will grab oil painting and designer clocks if there price is right. The buddha painting in Batu Ferringhi is RM220 without frame, I think I would be crazy to pay for that. I was tempted but I told myself NO WAY.

Let me see whether got any kang tao... then I can buy a few items that I really like to have to decorate my home.

-O.o-

Surprise... surprise

Surprise, surprise comes with price to pay.

- ChoonShih (2011)

Lay Off

Since the US economy is not doing well, after multiple injection of capital into the market, the global economic sentiment does not help either. Companies are freezing the hiring, trimming down the operating cost in a more extensive way, cost being cut from everywhere, worst case is that someone has to be laid off.. Be grateful for what you're doing, at least you have a job, you get paid, you still have something to look forward. Somehow in another half of the world, some unfortunate thing such as business continuity decision has to be made to ensure corporation or organization survival in the difficult time.

I have copied a few laid off from this link, people are being laid off. I feel sorry for them, yet I wish that they can get a fresh start as soon as possible. So, please be grateful for the job that you still possessing.

1. Borders Store closed, 10,700 jobs lost.
2. Golden Sachs axes 1,000 jobs.
3. Cisco cuts 6,500 jobs.
4. Lockheed Martin: 3,300 ..... and counting.
5. Merck slashes 13,000 jobs.
6. Blackberry maker slashes 2,000 jobs.
7. HSBC ousts 25,000 jobs.
8. Boston Scientific cuts 1,400.
9. Credit Suisse boots 2,000 workers.
10. Pfizer downsizes by 5,530 jobs.

Please sum up the jobs being cut, and I believe that is going to happen in Asia, sooner or later, unless there is a big turnaround. Let us hope for the best.

Good luck.

Kitchen Cabinet (Draft)

Sometimes, you really cannot depend on those people doing things for you just for the money, they provide lousy service, and worse yet, lack of creativity and innovation.

You might complain that my own design is average or below average, or 'so-so' only, but I can tell you that the original proposal is 10 times lousier. I'm not sure whether this cabinet can be turned into the real thing inside my new kitchen, but I'll try my best to make it happen.

You can see the real one when it is done :P

Looks very simple, yeah... no fancy things, I want practical things for my kitchen, with sufficient storage and minimum maintenance. I'll put on glossy glass finish for the cabinet doors, expensive stuff, need to be supported by other expensive stuff too... the soft closing things.

Money money...  I need money.

:D

Weak week

I feel weak, or the tiredness very much since the blood donation. I think it was like 2 or 3 weeks ago? I have taken one blood test one week after the donation, and the report a week after that. It was not an awesome report, but it does reveal something that I need to pay attention.

My cholesterol level is over the upper spec (seems like very engineering talk), the bad cholesterol is contributing to the hike from my previous test. I guess all those LDL is contributed from:

1. too much fast food during the 'Coke; glass promotion. I have collected 7-8 pieces of them, so guess how much they have contributed?
2. too much curry mee and char koay teow? I eat the cockles like nobody's business, they must be trying to find the way out from my stomach, but somehow stuck somewhere else.
3. Less exercise. The passion is there, but... but... (too many excuses?) I'm actually very busy with the house and wedding, and ended up very tired, any jog will not be refreshing, but appears to be torturing..

I need exercise. I'm weak, or at least relatively very weak compared to myself a few weeks ago. Maybe I have donated blood, maybe I did not have enough sleep, maybe I'm stressed? The red blood cell story is another thing that cause this?

I'm not sure. I just hope that I can wake up everyday like I did, and can straightaway kill a few tigers for breakfast. Come on... nose... stop running.

Help me....

Money Tricks

Everyone knows that money is never enough, no matter you make a few thousand, or five figure a month. The standard of living keep increasing, but the wage in Malaysia is not tracking the trend. I'm not going to moan on the failure of government to transform Malaysia into a high income country, but they should have done it. Inflation is at all time high, cost of food almost hike 30% since 3 years ago, blah blah blah.... we need to save for the rainy days and for your retirement ages (too early to think about it? Think again).

I just read an article of published in money.cnn.com, "Secret of extreme savers". I'm not an extremist, but as soon as I flip out my burnt pocket, I know that I need to do something, sooner rather than later. I want to share the points that being highlighted, hope the lucky reader could be benefited.

1. Avoid debt (50%)
   Save for the big ticket items such as new cars, house, and so. Pay in cash. Imagine an auto loan amount of RM50,000 with interest 3% and 5 years repayment plan. If you pay in cash, you could save up to RM7,500. (That's the magic of mathematics)
   
2. Delay gratification (35%)
   Hold yourself for 3 - 6 months for anything than cost you more than certain amount, which make some financial sense to you. I did it for the smartphones and DSLR. I'm cut off my wishlist, but still happy with my ancient Nokia phone and Alpha 200. FYI, one HTC phone is around RM1,500 and Sony A55 or Canon D60 is around RM4,000. (I tell myself to wait and wait)
   
   
3. Create multiple stream of income (20-25%)
   Have taken up tuition classes, added some income and hopefully I can stabilize everything by next year, optimize the schedule, and make more time for myself for other things. I realize that I have been spending money like nobody business in 2011, for the new house, wedding, honeymoon, etc. Maybe I should conduct one-to-one, or one-to-two tuition?
   
   
4. Live below your means (60%)
   That is not happening to me. Our appetite is big enough to swallow an elephant. The semi-D, the renovation, furniture, electrical appliances, etc, I guess most of them are top brands. Sometimes, it is difficult to balance the brand, price and quality. I have to sit with my wife to have a discussion about this one, because most of the time is me that request to pay more for the 'quality'.
   
5. Cut down on every day expenses (40%)
   Cut unnecessary spending such as beverages (bring your own tumbler), less dining out (taking meal at home), join reputable and well-organized race only (not all chapalang ones), consolidate travels (cut the back and forth trips). I'm thinking to plant some vege at my new home, sounds interesting.
   
6. Track your spending (30%)
   Yeah, my wife and I are doing this, but we did not make use of the record. Maybe we should spend some time together to review the spending, or to set a target saving amount for every month. I told my wife that we need to start budgeting already. Try to jot down everything, you'll be amazed how much you've spent on food, dining out, snacks, and some unnecessary items. (Does that inlcude Coach bags as well?)
   
7. Live on one salary while bringing in two (38%)
   Yeah, my wife is very much looking forward to stay at home, running the house work and taking care of the children when the time comes. Therefore, I think it is a great time for us to actually live on one's salary while saving the other portion. Spend the small chunk and save the big chunk, how good if we can save RM3,000 per month. That would be RM36,000 a year. Should be able to get a 5-6 year old Japanese car :P
   
8. Automate savings (35%)
   I have a couple of standing orders that keep sucking money from my deposit account. I did not really realize that but I tend to make it so. That's force saving. If I set aside RM200-300 per month for this purpose, I could end up saving RM2,400 - RM3,600 a year. Not much, but still it is money. People do it at RM500 - RM1,000 per month, perhaps I should try that too.

Maybe one or the combination of techniques can help you to save money. It is not an easy task, it takes effort and determination to be a prudent saver and a cautious consumer. Take up the responsibility and ownership of your own money. Multiply it, you be surprised how powerful money is.


Good luck.

--$$$$$$$$--

A few updates

1. Have been missing the running sessions because I was busy with the wedding and house renovation project. Have to push it very hard to get it done in a few weeks time.
2. I'm officially confirmed as Philips Lumileds employees and entitled to get some 'extraordinary' benefits. Need to do some time doing the calculation see which does make sense to me.
3. Kinda no mood to work, and seems like all my attention are diverted to getting the house done. I would say I'm crushed into pieces (means that I'm in a very unorganized stage)
4. Donated 450ml of fresh blood. Get something very useful, which is the 'portable' cutlery, got everything I need such as a small spoon, fork and a pair of chopsticks, less the knife.
5. Kinda addicted to become an interior designer but lack of exposure and training, so it would remain as a dream. I'm an amateur designer.
6. Feel a bit exhausted in the middle of cross junction. I know I need to do more, but I'm lazy. At least I need to rest or sleep, but I don't want to. I'm doing all the rubbish things now.
7. Another thing, I broke down in tears when I see how to police officers treat the people in 709 event. The government is failing the people as well. I'm kinda addicted to the news and youtube clips of 709, which surface at the wrong timing, too.

Just to summarize, it has not been a good habit, attitude or progress so far. I need to change that.

Go, go, go....

Extra Flab Eraser... Let's Work Out

I just think that this is a good article/post, so I have to share it.

Erase extra flab with these super-effective tricks.


IN THE GYM
1. Catch the running bug. You'll continue to burn fat after your jog: People who run for at least four hours a week melt more calories than non-runners, even when they're not running, a Yale University School of Medicine study reports.
2. Crank it up early. Working out harder during the first half of your workout and taking it easier during the second burns up to 23 percent more fat than doing the opposite, according to a study from The College of New Jersey.
3 & 4. Go hard -- and make it quick. Staying at 80 percent of your max heart rate for 40 minutes can amp your metabolism for 19 hours afterward, research published in Obesity notes. And doing a shorter workout at 75 percent of your max aerobic capacity will give you a greater metabolic boost than sweating longer at 50 percent, a Colorado State University reveals.

5 to 7. Lift dumbbells ... slowly. More muscle equals mega metabolism boost. Strength training can help you trim major fat, research reveals -- and doing super-slow (versus normal speed) reps increases strength by 50 percent.
Plus, using dumbbells activates more muscle fibers than using machines, explains Gregory Haff, Ph.D., an associate professor in the exercise physiology department at West Virginia University.
8. Speed up, slow down. Alternating bouts of high-intensity and low-intensity cardio has been shown to torch pounds.
9. Put on weight (literally). Wearing a weighted vest (about 10 percent of your body weight) while walking can boost your calorie burn by 8 percent.
10. Download Rihanna, not Brahms. Listening to up-tempo songs actually makes you run faster and harder than listening to slower-paced music, British scientists say.
11. Let kettlebells ring. Not only does working out with kettlebells build muscle, but doing it for 20 minutes burns as many calories as running at a 6-minute-mile pace for the same amount of time.

12. Keep it up. As few as 80 minutes a week of aerobic or weight training helps keep you from regaining belly fat after losing weight, according to researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
13. Add poles. Use Nordic poles while you walk, and you'll burn 20 percent more calories, says research from The Cooper Institute in Dallas.
14 & 15. Lift first, nix the rest. Doing strength training before cardio can torch more fat than cardio alone. And if you do one move after another without pausing, "you'll see more gains in strength and muscle mass," says Dr. Pierre Manfroy, M.D., consultant for the book "100 Ways to Supercharge Your Metabolism."
16. Add pounds. Lift heavier weights for fewer reps to make your workout more intense -- and burn more fat -- Manfroy says.
17. Try aromatherapy. Exercisers who inhaled strawberry and buttered-popcorn scents torched more calories than those who sniffed neutral odors, according to research from the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago.

18. Box yourself in. Wii boxing knocks out nearly twice as many calories as some other games, like Wii golf.
19. Kick it. Playing soccer not only torches more fat and builds more muscle than jogging, but it feels less tiring, Danish research reveals.
20. Stay in shape. Fit people have more fat-burning metabolites in their blood than couch potatoes do, scientists say.

IN THE KITCHEN
22. Get more protein. Eating a protein-packed breakfast and lunch helps you burn more post-meal fat than if you eat lower-protein meals, according to Australian research.
23 & 24. Guzzle green tea -- or coffee. Downing five 5-ounce cups of green tea a day boosts metabolism, says Lyssie Lakatos, R.D., author of "Fire Up Your Metabolism." Two cups of coffee will also do the trick, one study shows.

25. Have an omelet. Eating two eggs for breakfast while dieting will help you trim more weight and body fat than if you ate the same amount of calories noshing on a bagel, scientists say.
26. Stay above 1,200 calories... "The average person's body goes into starvation mode if she eats fewer than 1,200 calories a day," says Eric Berg, author of "The 7 Principles of Fat Burning." "That's stress, and stress creates more belly fat."
27. ... and cut calories gradually. If you diet, don't trim more than 250 calories a day. Cutting calories too quickly slows your metabolism down, Dr. Manfroy says.
28 to 33. Munch on these. Almonds, cherries, yogurt, grapefruit, whole grains, and spicy foods have all been shown to torch fat.

34. Fuel up right. Eating a low-glycemic-index breakfast (such as muesli and peaches) will help you burn more fat during a subsequent workout than eating a high-glycemic-index meal (like waffles), researchers from the University of Nottingham reveal.
35. Think before you drink. Sipping as few as 90 calories' worth of vodka can slow your metabolism by 73 percent, one study shows.
36. Graze. Women who go without eating for long periods are more likely to have higher body-fat percentages than women who nosh more regularly, one study notes.
37. Dine like a Greek. Eating a diet rich in monounsaturated fat (think olive oil, avocados) can help trim both weight and fat, research published in the British Journal of Nutrition shows.
38. Stop gorging. Your body can only handle so much food at a time, so stick to 600 calories or less per meal to maximize fat-burning, says Leslie Cooper, co-author of "Flip the Switch: Proven Strategies to Fuel Your Metabolism and Burn Fat 24 Hours a Day."
39. Skip juice. Reaching for an apple instead of apple juice is not only better calorie-wise, but it'll also do a better job of boosting your metabolism, Dr. Manfroy explains.


IN YOUR LIFE
41 & 42. Get C and D. Vitamin C can help you burn more fat, and D may help you lose fat, research notes. Aim for 400 to 500 mg of C and 800 mg of D a day.
43 & 44. Walk more (in denim). Researchers found that fitness-friendly offices (think treadmill desks, mobile headsets) helped people trim pounds and fat, as did wearing jeans to work, since dressing casual encourages you to move more. Wear comfy clothes when you can, pace while on the phone, and stand while chatting with co-workers.
45. Add fish oil (And work out). Taking 6 grams of fish oil per day and hitting the gym three times a week can help nix body fat, an Australian study reveals.
46. Work the day shift. Keeping nontraditional hours lowers levels of hormones that trigger satiety, increases blood glucose and insulin levels, and raises levels of the stress hormone cortisol (which can drive you to eat more), scientists say.
47. Nix the boob tube. Cut your TV time in half, and you'll burn more calories each day, research from the University of Vermont suggests.
48. Go mental. People who visualized themselves training a specific muscle boosted the strength in that muscle group, researchers found.
49. Eat a smaller dinner. Your body may not digest food -- and burn fat -- as efficiently if you down a huge meal right before bedtime, especially because your metabolism is slower while you sleep, Dr. Manfroy says.
50. Jump-start your morning. Wake up your metabolism -- and get fat-burning started -- by doing some sort of exercise within the first few hours of being awake, Cooper suggests.

51. Get your snooze on. Sleep for a solid 81D 2 hours instead of 51D 2, according to research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, and you'll lose more fat. Sweet dreams!

Green Tea

hmmm... I know that drinking Green Tea has a lot of benefits but I did not really look into it, until I Googled about it. I copy and paste the benefits down here, so that anyone of you that would like to start drinking Green Tea can find some reason to take it up.

Since I need to cut down some weight, and combination of caffeine and Green Tea is good for weight loss (see point no.6). I guess I can pair them up, maybe 2 cup of coffee and more than 4 cups of green tea a day? Sounds good.

The content are taken from : http://www.nutritionalsupplementshq.com/green-tea-benefits/

1. Lowers your risk of cancer. Although the studies of how green tea affects cancerous cells are still in their infancy, there have been human trials which indicate that it does inhibit cells from developing cancer. EGCG in green tea regulates and inhibits cancer growth by killing cells that are growing inappropriately. In Japan, a study of 500 women with Stage I and Stage II breast cancer found that increasing their green tea consumption before and after surgery significantly lowered the risk of recurrence. Another analysis of 22 studies of the correlation between green tea and lung cancer concluded that by increasing your intake of green tea by two cups a day may reduce the risk of developing lung cancer by 18%.
2. Eases the pain of rheumatoid arthritis. Study results reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that polyphenol antioxidants in green tea benefits suffers of arthritis by reducing the incidence and severity of the disease. EGCG protects cartilage destruction and reduces joint swelling and pain. This leads many scientists and health professionals to recommend green tea as a legitimate remedy for treating arthritis.
3. Stabilizes your cholesterol levels. Researchers believe that green tea lowers your cholesterol levels by reducing its absorption in your digestive tract and increasing the rate of which it is excreted. However, your body does need cholesterol to build cell membranes, insulate nerve fibres and create hormones. For this, green tea benefits you by preventing the conversion of LDL cholesterol into it’s more dangerous, oxidized form. Oxidized LDL is one of the main factors in the development of atherosclerosis (the build of plaque that blocks your arteries as LDL gets sticky and clings to your artery walls) and increases your risk of heart attack or stroke. The amazing antioxidant effects of green tea protect this, helping to keep your arteries clean.
4. Prevents cardiovascular disease. A Japanese study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed significant reductions in deaths from cardiovascular disease among green tea drinkers. The study found that over an 11 year test period, individuals who drank more than 5 cups per day had a 16% less chance of mortality and mortality related to cardiovascular disease when compared to individuals who drank less than one cup per day. They also found that green tea was especially beneficially in preventing strokes, due in large part to the antioxidants and how they prevent clogged arteries.
5. Boosts your immune system. Catechins, the antioxidant polyphenol compounds, have been shown to have a major impact in your immune system. Research conducted by the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 2003 revealed that theanine, found in green tea, boosted the activity of the gamma delta T cells that form part of our adaptive and innate immunity. The study followed a group of coffee drinkers and a group of tea drinkers who each drank 600ml of their drink daily. Blood samples taken four weeks later quite clearly showed that production of these anti-bacterial proteins were five times higher in those drinking tea.
6. Promotes weight loss. Both green tea and green tea extract have been shown to fight obesity and lower LDL cholesterol – both of which ultimately lead to a reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes. The polyphenols in green tea are extremely useful for dissolving triglycerides, a substance in the liver and small intestine made up of mostly sugar and fat, and this is thought to be the reason green tea benefits fat loss. EGCG is also known to stimulate your metabolism and accelerate weight loss. When combined with the caffeine in green tea, this causes your central nervous system to release fat into the bloodstream to be used as fuel which burns your body fat off.
7. Reduces tooth decay. Antibacterial properties found in green tea are also used by your body to kill the bacteria that causes plaque on your teeth. Research by the Journal of Periodontology has also shown that for every cup of green tea you drink, there is a decrease in indicators for gum disease. Fluoride is also found in green tea which helps to protect against cavities.
8. Effective in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. In 2007, Dr. Orhan Aktas from the Institute of Neuroimmunology conducted a study of how green tea benefits sufferers of multiple sclerosis. While current patients do not have many options to prevent tissue damage and disability, he found that the flavonoid EGCG found in green tea could have a huge impact on multiple sclerosis. He concluded that EGCG is capable of directly protecting against neuronal injury in living brain tissue and that EGCG constituents may open up a new therapeutic avenue for treating MS by combining anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective capacities.
9. Slows the onset of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. A recent report published in the journal Phytomedicine has found substantial evidence that the enzymes found in green tea protect your brain cells from damage. Another study conducted by the University of South Florida looked at the effects of antioxidant EGCG. It was shown to be a protein blocker which prevented the chemical reactions that can lead to nerve damage that can lead to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
10. Fights the cause of allergies in your body. Methylated epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) has been shown to block a cells receptor involved in producing an allergic response. By blocking the production of histamine and immunoglobulin E (IgE), two compounds in the body that are chiefly involved in triggering and sustaining allergic reactions, EGCG could very well be the compound which prevents you from having watery eyes, sneezing and coughing.
11. Helps to fend off infections. Again, as one of the main benefits of green tea, EGCG has been highlighted by a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology as being able to prevent infections, including the HIV virus. EGCG binds with CD4 immune system T-cell receptors and stops HIV from doing the same to reduce the risk of infection. While it is still way too early to peg green tea as a cure for HIV, an Egyptian study has shown that combining antibiotics with green tea significantly boosts the effectiveness of the antibiotic. In fact, when tested against 28 disease-causing microorganisms, green tea enhanced the bacteria killing power in every single case.
12. Reduces and prevents acne. Green tea benefits acne in a number of different ways. It’s antibacterial properties attack and kill the acne bacteria while the anti-inflammatory benefits of green tea reduce the swelling and redness. Antioxidants fight against free radicals which damage the skin and make it more susceptible to acne also help to balance hormone levels to help prevent future breakouts from happening.
13. Slows the aging process to prevent wrinkles. One of the latest benefits of green tea is the effect it has on your skin and the aging process. It is again down to the antioxidants that prevent cell oxidation and damage that can make you look older than you really are. Studies are mixed on this particular green tea benefit as new research has come to light which suggests the full benefits can only be had by applying green tea topically to your skin. However, many people have found that potent green tea extracts do have a positive effect on their skin, leaving it softer, more supply and younger looking.
    You can judge for yourself.