Why I Have Not Been Doing My Ramadhan Log

Hello there,

Perhaps you have noticed that I am no longer doing a Ramadhan log since a few days ago. This is because I have not been able to fast due to health reasons. I came down with gastritis starting from Day 6 when I did not manage to have Sahur before fasting. I started to feel discomfort but managed to push for 2 more days of fasting before I had to stop because the pain got worse with each passing day. Then since yesterday I started having a bit of a sore throat. Ada2 saja ni. Sigh...

Believe me, I am not taking a free pass. Far from it, I am anxious because one, I am not able to take advantage of gaining Pahala. Two, I am worried about not being able to 'ganti' my fast in the future. Tau la, ajal ni bila2 boleh datang. Thirdly, tidak best la puasa bukan di bulan Ramadhan. Orang lain makan, kita menahan air liur. Bagus lagi puasa ramai2. Senang sikit. Yes, superficial I know but undeniable.

So, yeah, just wanted to put it out there in case anyone is wondering. See you in the next post. Cheers!

Love,
Phy

Ramadhan Food And Workout Log Day 7 & Day 8

Hello there,

I am a bit late on my log for Ramadhan day 7. Since now it is already after Iftar of day 8, I have decided to combine my log for day 7 & day 8. Check it out below.

DAY 7:

Sahur
2 Dates
3 deep-fried homemade Chicken Dumpling
1 portion 'Kecipir' vegetable
1 portion Potato Salad
1/2 portion Roasted Chicken thigh

Iftar
1 short bamboo of Lemang
1 portion Chicken Rendang
1 cup of clear Coconut Jelly
2 Strawberry Love Letters

Supper
1 mug Milo with Cinnamon


Workout
-None-


Water Intake
2.5 Litres





DAY 8:

Sahur
1 packet Mamee Instant Noodles
1 mug Hazelnut Coffee
4 Strawberry Love Letters

Iftar
2 Dates
1 portion Fried Noodles with Chicken slices
1 small bowl Chicken Soup with 3 small cuts of Chicken
1 mug homemade Hazelnut Mocha Ice-blended
1 small packet of Cadbury Chocettes

Supper
1 mug of Milk


Workout
-None-


Water Intake
2.5 Litres


Thank you for reading this post. See you in the next one. Cheers!


Love,
Phy

Wordless Wednesdays: Product Empties For June 2013

Ramadhan Food And Workout Log Day 6

Hello hello..

I haven't had much sleep the last few days. The total exhaustion caught up with me this morning and I overslept. Having no Sahur really took a toll on me. I was on the verge of tears by Iftar. Terbayang orang2 di luar sana yang starving, yang tiada Sahur and tiada Iftar. Kesiannya kan?

Also, I know I said previously that I don't want to eat for supper but tonight I had to because I was starting to feel light-headed. Ini la yang dikatakan kita hanya mampu merancang tapi Tuhan yang menentukan. Terima jak la keadaan kan? Don't sweat the small stuff.

Here is my log for day 6:

Sahur
None

Iftar
2 Dates
2 Glasses of water
3 Deep-fried homemade chicken dumplings
1/2 Roast chicken thigh
1/2 Home-pickled Bombay onion
2 Toasted white bread
1 Slice butter cake
1 Chocolate fudge cookie

Supper
1 Blackbean bun


Workout
None


Water Intake
2.2 Litres



Thank you for your time. See you in the next post.


Love,
Phy

Ramadhan Food And Workout Log Day 5

Hello there...

In my log for day 3, I mentioned that I thought doing 3 sets of 8 repetitions for each resistance training move is a bit too much fo me right? I considered doing only 2 sets of 8 reps so that it would not be too taxing on me.

However, I have this one trait in me when it comes to exercise. If I've already done a certain amount of reps, I have to make it my bechmark. I need to reach it even if it 'kills' me. If I can do it once, surely I can do it again right? Right!

I decided to push on with 3 sets today and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was much easier to do compared to day 3. Perhaps it's because I am getting stronger? Hehe.. Well, I should hope so! I also managed to increase the time I did the Plank Pose. Yay!

Oh yes, I made a new dish for Iftar yesterday and I really like it. It's inspired by Sunny's(from Cooking For Real) potato hash recipe. I have yet to find an uber healthy way of making it but I think I will share the recipe anyway in an upcoming post.

Okay, so here is my log for day 5:

Sahur
2 dates
2 servings of potato hash
1 sunny-side up egg

Iftar
2 dates
2 glasses of water
Stir-fried egg noodles with chicken mince and mushrooms
150ml Tropicana Twister orange juice
1 chocolate cookie
1/2 cup sago dessert

Supper
1 mug Milo with a pinch of Cinammon powder


Workout
-30 minutes walk, low to medium intensity.

-25 minutes resistance training, medium intensity. Plank pose: 30, 25, 25 seconds.


Water Intake
2 Litres




Thank you for taking time out of your day to read this post. I look forward to seeing you in the next one. Cheers!


Love,
Phy

Ramadhan Food And Workout Log Day 4

Hello there,

Here is my log for Ramadhan day 4:

Sahur
3 dates
3 glasses of water
2 slices of white bread with peanut butter spread

Iftar
2 dates
1 glass of water

Dinner
1 apple
1 roasted chicken drumstick
2 servings of potato hash
1 egg sunny side up
1 glass off pineapple + orange juice

Supper
1 slice butter cake
1 slice light fruit cake


Workout
None


Water Intake
1.5 Litres


I need to make better choices for my food la. Huhu... Need to scrap that supper thingy. Just drink Milo or something if I am hungry. Willpower Phy! You can do this!

I intended to do stretching exercises today but since it was pretty much just Sophie and me the whole day, it would have been impossible to concentrate making fluid, unhurried movements and breathing evenly while keeping an eye on her. She is so energetic and loves to climb so I can't take my eyes off her for long. Whatever it is, we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Thank you for reading this post. Cheers!


Love,
Phy

Ramadhan Food And Workout Log Day 3

Hello there...

This morning I experienced what us locals would call 'perut masuk angin', meaning I felt gassy. I think it is because I haven't been eating a lot since Ramadhan started. I also had tummy ache, kinda like the one I experience each time I get food-induced gastric.

I increased my food intake for both Sahur and Iftar as you will see in my food log. I also did a cardio and resistance training this morning and I swear my abs died an agonizing death when I did the Plank pose.

Anyways, here is my 3rd log for the month:

Sahur
1 mug Red Guara
3 dates
4 glasses of water
Fried noodles with chicken slices
1 small slice of chicken pie.
*All eaten well spread out within an hour

Iftar
1 large slice of chicken pie
150ml Tropicana Twister Orange Juice (watered down)
2.5 slices of home-grown pineapple
150ml homemade pineapple juice
1 slice chocolate cake

Supper
1 slice chocolate cake


Workout
30 minutes cardio, walking at low to medium intensity.

30 minutes resistance training, high intensity including Plank pose if 10, 25 and 25 seconds.


Water
3 Litres



One thing I will say though, I regret following a magazine's instructions of doing 3 sets of 8 repetitions for every resistance move. I followed it because it says that it is an appropriate starting point for beginners. To be honest, I still feel that it was too much. I fear that I might have overworked my muscles and will probably not be able to do resistance training again for the next few days. We'll see.

This is all for now. I wish you a great weekend and thank you so much for taking time out of your day to read this post. I hope to see you in the next one. Cheers!


Love,
Phy

Ramadhan Food And Workout Log Day 2

Hello there,

Here is my log for day 2 of Ramadhan.

Sahur
3 kurma
2 glasses of water
1 medium slice of chicken pie

Breaking of Fast
3 kurma
2 glasses of water

Dinner
1 portion of fried noodles with slices of chicken
1 bowl of ABC

Supper
200ml Milo with a pinch of cinammon powder


Workout
None


Water Intake
2.5 Litres


Thanks for reading this post. Any suggestions for a healthy, simple Sahur/Sungkai meal or effective exercise moves are welcome. See you in the next post. Cheers!


Love,
Phy

Ramadhan Food And Workout Log Day 1

Hello there..

Ramadhan is a great time to lose weight and I am not about to let this opportunity to lose a few kilos pass me by just like that. Hence, I decided that it would be good for me to record my food consumption as well as the exercises that I do. This is so that I can pinpoint areas where I can improve.

I also personally find that keeping track of both kind of helps me to be more concious of what I eat and motivates me to move. There is just something satisfying about seeing good choices being put down in writing.

Without further ado, here is my log for the first day of Ramadhan.

Sahur
2 slices of white bread
Tuna mayo spread
3 dates
2 glasses of water

Breaking Of Fast
3 dates
1 glass of water
1 mug punk Dragon Fruit protein drink

Dinner
1 serving if long beans sauteed with slices if sausage
1 small slice of homemade chicken pie

Supper
175ml Milo with a pinch of cinnamon


Workout
Plank pose 20, 25 and 25 seconds.


Water Intake
2 Litres

Thank you for reading this post. See you in the next one. Cheers!

Love,
Phy

Lifestyle Change: How To Cook Convenience Foods In A Healthier Way

Hello there,

I am a firm believer that foods prepared from scratch are almost always more healthier than frozen, ready-made foods. However, I understand that with today's hectic life schedule we always tend to prioritize convenience over anything else. For example, it is easier to just throw store bought chicken nuggets into the fryer rather than washing and dicing fresh ingredients to cook a meal.

So are we doomed to be unhealthy by eating these foods? Not necessarily. Today, I will be sharing with you my way of cooking not-so-healthy convenience foods such as chicken drummets, nuggets, etc. in a healthier way which is by baking it. Among the benefits are:

1. You use much less oil compared to frying.

2. Drummets/nuggets cook evenly right through the center. *When frying, if the oil temperature is not right, your nuggets/drummets would either become soggy from absorbing too much oil or they burn on the outside but under cook on the inside*

3. No need to wait and keep an eagle eye on the frying food item while trying (unsuccessfully) to avoid lethal oil spatters. During the baking process, you can use the waiting time to do other things such as take a shower, load the laundry, etc.

4. No scars from unavoidable oil splatters.


Okay, okay. I could go on and on about the advantages of baking because I love this method so much. So, are you ready? Let's jump right into it!


Items needed
Oven *Duh*
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
Baking tray
Kitchen brush
Chicken drummets/nuggets

 The best chicken drummets I've tried so far.

Items needed.

Method
Step 1: Pre-heat the oven at 250 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes.

Step 2: While oven is pre-heating, brush some oil all over the base of the baking tray. Arrange the drummets/nuggets on the oiled tray and brush some oil on them.

A health freak's nightmare. Lol.

Step 3:  Set the timer at 5 minutes at the same pre-heating temperature and put the tray into the oven. After the 5 minutes is over, reduce the temperature to 170 degrees Celsius and set the timer at 20 minutes.

Viola! Ready to serve.

So there you have it. Easy peasy right? Keep in mind though that freshly prepared food is always best for your health (as long as you don't douse your food in butter and salt that is) so try to minimize your consumption of convenience foods okay? 

Thanks for reading this post. Until the next one, cheers!

Love,

Phy

What's In My Travel Toiletry Bag

Hello there..

I have been traveling a lot for the past 2 years and as every woman can relate, my toiletry bag used to be big enough to rival my traveling clothes bag. No joke. The thing with us ladies is that we always think that it is better to bring more than less. We say, "Mana lah tau..." ("Just in case..") to justify what we bring when it is really just... Pure excess..

I am proud to say that I have managed to to downsize my toiletry bag considerably although I must admit that this change stemmed more from necessity than anything else. My tight travelling schedule required me to bring only the bare essentials so that I would save room in my carryall and not kill myself from lugging around 10kgs of things I do not need.

Come and take a peek into my travel toiletry bag...

My itsy bisty teeny weeny pinky toiletry bag...

All spread out..

Travel-sized skincare. I am currently using Hada Labo's Whitening range for the purposes of doing a review.

 A disposable razor for any emergency shaving.

Mascara remover. Great for removing the most stubborn and resilient of mascaras. I also use a little to remove my eye liner. *I use baby wipes (which I keep in my handbag) to remove the rest of my makeup*

My sample-sized eye cream.

A dental cleaning product made from rock salt and herbs. This is a sample size.

A feminine wash sample.

Sample shampoo and conditioner.

My hand cream which I use in any other dry areas as well.

I also bring a mini comb and mirror, compact toothbrush and face cloth as you could see from the 2nd photo. All of them are included in the travelling toiletry bag as a set when I bought it. Cool huh? The mirror is a decent one too, not the el-cheapo kind that distort your image worse than a circus mirror. 

Oh, I almost forgot! I have 2 other products that are not shown which are my travel-sized sun protection cream (Cyber Cells by Estee Lauder) and my Hada Labo whitening face wash. They missed the flight to the photo shoot I'm afraid. Hehe..

What is in your toiletry bag? Do you bring more toiletries than you need? Do share.

Thanks for reading this post. See you in the next one. Cheers!

Love,

Phy

Lifestyle Change: Good Intentions

Hello hello..

Last night before bed I had intended to start jogging again starting today. Then I woke up to find that my mum was already gone to her weekly 'Ladies Day' with her friends. Sophie pula sudah bagun. Jadi niat suci lagi murni beta untuk berlusir pun tuntas. Haha..

I guess I could jog in the evening but living here in the middle of the forest, I'd be a moving Happy Meal for the resident mozzies in the area. Pagi2 tiada nyamuk, best kalo mo workout. Last2 menari Poco2 dalam bilik jak la begini. Huahuahua.. Kedapatan..

By the way, in case any mums are reading this (or even doctors for that matter), I am hoping that I could get some insight into Sophie's latest habit. She used to be able to finish 9 ounces of milk everytime she feeds (even an hour after a meal). For the past 2 weeks however, she hasn't been finishing her milk. Mesti about 2 ounces or so tinggal and she would just chew on the teat. I know she is currently teething so could this be the cause? Any insight is highly appreciated.

Thanks for reading this post. Until the next one. Cheers!

Love,
Phy

Lifestyle Change: Gebu Gebu Taipau

Hellooo,

I haven't done a Lifestyle Change post in weeks. I must say, I have been slacking off with the workouts, fruits-and-veges-everyday thingy. The weird thing is, I managed to maintain the weight that I lost and even lost a little bit more! Pelik kan?

Of course, I know that weight is not everything. How you fit into your clothes matters too. Well, my jeans fit just fine with a little room to spare. Cuma my upper body la rasa macam mengembang and my cheeks are definitely gebu gebu taipau (Pau is a Chinese steamed bun. Taipau is a large sized pau, about double the average one).

Is it possible that my fat cells have all done a 'Great Migration' like the animals on Animal Planet channel from my lower body to my upper body? Heran betul sy.

Anyways, there are still good habits that I retained. I eat less rice, whenever there are vegetables I would eat lots of it. I also would stop eating when I am full (Tapi menapau untuk makan kalau lapar tengah2 malam.. Huahuahua). My water intake is still between 1.5 litres - 3 litres a day. Breakfast tidak pernah miss.

Snacking la yg sy mo control balik sekarang ni especially the junk food. Need to dig deep again to look for my willpower.

Have you established any good eating habits lately? Until the next post. Cheers!


Love,
Phy

Lifestyle Change Day 37: Running Again

Hello there...

I started jogging again today and as expected, my fitness level seem to have lowered a little bit since my last session. I maintained my last routine although I was tempted to increase my walking time in between runs. Pat on the shoulder for that.

Anyways, here is my log for today:


Food

Breakfast: 1 white bread toast, 1/2 slice Cheddar cheese, 1 mug protein and hazelnut coffee (1/2 sachet).

Brunch: 1 kurma.

Lunch: 1 1/2 Japanese inspired chicken wings (oven-baked), 1 piece Cadbury chocolate.

Tea time: 1 mug mocha hazelnut with cinnamon, 1 kurma, 1/2 slice Cheddar cheese, 1 white bread toast.

Dinner: 1 pkt instant noodles, 2 chicken drummet (1 fried, 1 baked), 1/3 serving of French Beans sauteed with mushroom chicken sausage, 1 piece Cadbury chocolate.


Water intake: 3 litres.


Exercise

- Strength training (Jorge Cruise programme)
- 20 minute jog.


See you tomorrow. Cheers!

Love,
Phy

Lifestyle Change Day 36: Grazing.

Hello...

I have been grazing all day. It's so weird how being sick makes grazing seem like it's my 'right'. Sudah la 4 days sudah tidak jogging. Huwaaa... It rained heavily last night and the road was soft anyways (excuses, excuses). It would be hard to concentrate on running while trying not to slip and slide on the slippery road.

To be honest, I think I was a bit tired of running. I was starting to dread it and it was becoming a struggle for me. My legs hurt really badly as well. However, the good news is I am feeling so much better now after a few days off and I am actually raring to go running tomorrow. I really hope that the weather would hold up tonight until after my jogging session. I would be very disappointed if I can't go running tomorrow.

Let us have a look at my log for today:


Food

Breakfast: 1 mug protein and black soyabean drink, 2 slice of white bread toast, 1 slice Cheddar cheese.

Brunch: 1 choc chip cookie.

Lunch: 1/3 portion of fried rice, 2 handfulls of fries with mayo and BBQ sauce.

Tea time: 1 mug hazelnut coffee, 2 portion of fried rice.

Pre-dinner: 2 mini black bean pau.

Dinner: 1 portion of rice, 1/4 serving abalone mushroom sauteed with onions and shoyu sauce, 1 cut stewed chicken, 1 1/2 mushroom sausage, 4 teaspoon thick Milo with cinnamon.


Water intake: 2 litres.


Exercise

Nil! Huhu...


See you tomorrow. Cheers!

Love,
Phoebe

Lifestyle Change Day 35: The 1 Kg Game

Hello there...

I lost 1kg again. Somehow that 1kg loas has lost it's charm because I have been gaining and losing the same 1kg the past few weeks. Kinda like tug of war. I haven't been watching my diet too closely but of course I did portion control.

I was inspired to experiment today by making a Japanese inspired fried chicken. Delish! Again, will share the recipe once I have made improvements to it, insyaAllah.

Without further ado, here is my log for today:


Food

Breakfast: 1 1/2 serving of protein and black soyabean drink blended with 1 apple.

Lunch: 1/2 portion white rice, 1 1/2 fried chicken wings (Japanese inspired), 1 cut of chicken (stew).

Tea time: 1 mug hazelnut coffee.

Dinner: 1 portion potato salad, 2 cuts of stewed chicken, 1/3 serving of sauteed kecipir.


Water intake: 3 litres


Exercise

10 minutes walk. Low intensity.


This is all for today. Cheers!


Love,
Phoebe.

Lifestyle Change Day 34: Not Feeling Well

Hello..

I have been feeling under the weather these past few days. I have a throat infection a wound that can't seem to get better amd another health issue that I won't mention. I skipped my jog session today because I didn't feel up to it and I am quite worried on how that would impact my fitness level.

I have also been worried about financial matters. It's always there at the back of my mind. I am feeling stressed out, sad, always tired, always irritable and what not. Sigh...

Okay, enough. I won't rain on your parade more than I've already done (sorry about that). So let's have a look at my log for today:


Food

Breakfast: 1 mug protein and black soyabean drink, 2 slices of toast, 1 slice Cheddar cheese.

Brunch: 1 mug mocha hazelnut with cinnamon.

Lunch: Chicken rice (1 small serving bowl of yellow rice and steamed chicken breast), 1 tall glass of cincau susu drink.

Brunch: 1 mug mocha hazelnut with cinnamon.

Dinner: 1/2 portion of white rice, 1 small piece of fried yam, 1/3 cup of baby corn, mushrooms and chicken pieces, 5 teaspoon of thick Milo with cinnamon.


Water intake: 2 litres.


Exercise

20 minutes walk. Low intensity.


See you tomorrow. Cheers!


Love,
Phoebe

Lifestyle Change Day 33: Lemon Love

Hello,

Today I was inspired by Cooking For Real on the Food Network Channel to make fried chicken with lemon and lime zest and immediately went to the supermarket to buy the ingredients. I only used lemon zest and let me tell you, the outcome is fantastic! Now I know why Westerners use it in their dishes. Will be sharing the recipe here after I have improved on it, insyaAllah.

Here is my log for day 33:


Food

Breakfast: 1 mug protein and black soyabean drink, 2 slices of white bread toast, 1 slice of Cheddar cheese.

Lunch: 1 portion white rice, 4 chicken meatballs in BBQ sauce, 1 fried chicken wing with lemon zest.

Tea time: 2 peanut cakes, 1 mug hazelnut coffee.

Dinner: 1 portion white rice, 3 chicken balls in BBQ sauce, 1 1/2 fried chicken wing with lemon zest, 5 teaspoon of thick Milo with cinnamon.


Water intake: 2 litres


Exercise: 20 minutes walk. Low intensity.


That's all for this time. Cheers!

Love,
Phoebe

Lifestyle Change Day 32: Challenging Myself Again

Hello hello...

Today is jogging day and I upped the ante by maintaining the distance but decreasing the resting time in between jogging sets. When I 1st started I would walk 3 rounds for every 3 rounds I jogged. Then I reduced it to 2 rounds of walking for every 3 jogging rounds.

Now I am doing 1.5 rounds for every 3 running ones. It's a bit of a challenge but feels great after it's over. I have also been increasing my speed during my runs and I find that it's more energising compared to the slow jog.

By the way it rained yesterday and the road was soft and slippery so it was quite distracting. Not only did I have to be concious of my speed, I also had to keep myself from slipping in certain areas. Believe me, it's extra tiringwhen you can't focus mentally.

Have a look at my log for today:


Food

Breakfast: 1 mug protein and black soyabean drink, 1 apple, 1 blackbean pau.

Lunch: 1 roasted chicken wrap (1 pc of store bought pratha, 1/3 serving of sauteed Kecipir vegetable, homemade pickled red onion, 1 roasted chicken breast), 1 small slice of orange butter cake.

Tea time: 1 pc of Kueh Bulan, 1 mug of Hazelnut coffee.

Dinner: 1 portion fried rice, 2 cuts of roast chicken, 5 teaspoon of thick Milo with Cinammon.


Water intake: 4 litres.


Exercise

-20 minutes jogging. Medium intensity.

-20 minutes walking. Low intensity.


This is all for now. Cheers!

Love,
Phoebe

Lifestyle Change Day 31: Sugar Rush

Hello there,

I overdid it today especially with the sugary stuff. It was awful. Normaly I am able to resist temptation but these past few days, more so today, the sweet things seem to be at the edge of my conciousness at all times. It was really hard to ignore.

I think it's not only lack of willpower per se but also because I have been awfully worried and stressed out about money. The bills are piling up and no one has called me in for an interview yet. Sigh... Oh well, I need to remember that tomorrow is a new day and make every effort to do better than today, insyaAllah.

Anyways, here is my log for today:


Food

Breakfast: 1 mug protein and black soyabean drink, 1 slice of white bread toast, 1/2 slice Cheddar cheese, 1 apple.

Brunch: 2 sweet biscuits, 5 teaspoon of thick Milo.

Lunch: 1 pkt instant noodles, 1/2 serving of steamed French beans, 1 spring roll.

Tea time: 2 donuts, 2 pcs of Kueh Bulan, 1 cup Tau Fu Fah in Gula Melaka.

Dinner: 1 Martabak Indonesia.


Water intake: 3 litres.


Exercise

20 minutes walk. Low intensity.


Until tomirrow. Cheers!


Love,
Phoebe