Bliss

It's raining outside. Inside, I'm curled up in bed reading a book :)

Weight Issues

About six and a half months ago, I was getting a tab tubby at 123 lbs (56 kgs). Then, I started running, not only to lose weight but also to be healthy. I thought that it would be nice to lose 10 lbs. Frankly, I didn't think that I could lose the weight as it had proven to be almost impossible to shed even a pound previously, let alone 5 or 10!

I started running while making healthier food choices. Amazingly the weight started to drop bit by bit. I started losing the weight and some of my clothes were getting loose and felt no longer comfortable to wear.

About three weeks ago, my weight dropped to 108 lbs (49 kgs) which is waaayyy too light. So, I've since been trying to regain some of the weight that I lost. Worried that I would lose more weight if I kept on running 5 to 6 days in a week and have since cut back my running to every other day and concentrated more on eating more (but at the same time also making sure that whatever I eat is a healthy choice).

I'm happy to say that I've since put on some of the weight that I lost and I'm currently weigh 112 lbs (51 kgs) but let me tell you, it is HARD work to keep my weight there as I have to make sure that I take in more calories than I spend working out!

I'm Free From Corruption Run 2014

I woke up super early this morning to have breakfast so that the food would be digested by the time I started my run at 7:30 am. Yes, I ran with the masses in the I'm Free From Corruption Run today. And in case you're wondering, no, I didn't participate in the run because I really believe that the run was going to change the state of affairs in the country. Well.... when you think about it, it is a public acknowledgement that corruption exists in the country, which to me, is a start. The first step to overcoming any problem (of any scale) is admitting that a problem exists.

My motivation to participate in the run this morning was purely personal --- to get myself better acquainted with mass run events since I seem to enjoy running now :) The distance of the run (3 km) fit nicely into my strategy of getting myself acclimatized to mass run events. This being the second time that I've participated in a run event, I just wanted to experience the route and the terrain. Besides, this run was free and located in Padang Merbok, KL (and it was my first time there despite having passed by it a zillion times before).

To be quite honest, I found the emcees for the event annoying and I didn't really care for the aerobics workout that they had before the start of the run as I found the instructor's voice screaming over the speakers highly annoying.

The run was scheduled to begin at 7:30 am but started at 8:10 am instead as the PM only made an appearance at 7:40 am (hmmm.... perhaps this is in keeping with the well known Malaysian sense of "punctuality"?) and once there, he had to participate in some of the aerobics routines before the lighting of the symbolic torch and then firing the starter pistol.

The roads were closed for the run and manned by the traffic police which was nice as it made it possible for the runners to safely run on the road. High Five buns and Spritzer mineral water were provided after the run. There was also free coffee being given out but I'm not a coffee drinker.

After the run, I ran once around the KLCC park since I felt that I still had energy to burn and after that it was off to Suria KLCC for breakfast (again but hey, I earned it and besides, did I mention that this new interest in running is making me lose more weight than I initially planned to? I'm currently underweight and need to work on gaining weight!!!)  :)

KLCC Park

I went running in the KLCC park today. I woke up kinda late and it was 9 am by the time I got there (the plan was to get there by 8 am but I went to bed extra late last night and overslept). There were plenty of tourists killing time by being busy taking pictures while waiting for the shopping mall to open, I guess.

It has been eons since I last was in KLCC, let alone the park. Anyway, it was a nice change than running on the threadmill and there were enough trees around the park for it to be partially shaded most of the time. There were many other runners out there on the track too. I had a great time.

I had breakfast in the shopping mall after my change of clothes after the run. I also had a walk around the mall after that just to see what's new. I ended up browsing the sports shops just looking at the gear :) 

Normal Readings

I happened to be in Mid Valley earlier today and while I was there, I saw a sign that the Star's Health Fair was going on in the exhibition centre. So up I went to the exhibition centre scrapping my any prior plans I had of having breakfast as I didn't want to scew the results in case there were any freebie blood tests.

I love taking advantage of such events for freebie checks and while I was there, I got my weight, height, blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood glucose checked. The reading for my height wasn't so accurate as the girl taking my height measurement reading was a lot shorter than me! I was kinda nervous about having my blood pressure levels checked as there have been occasions when my numbers came out being within the pre-hypertension range. Thankfully, this time around, it was within the normal range :)

I have come to a stage in life where seeing normal health numbers makes me grateful. Alhamdullillah :)

Health is something that should never be taken for granted.

happy :)

Running takes me to a happy place :) It takes away the blues.

Many don't understand me and wrongly label me. Running is the only thing that can make me forget that others greatly misunderstand me.

When most others love me not, running is the only place where I can go to where I can show myself that I am loved.

Sigh...

Will you ever love me? Why do you always, and I mean ALWAYS, remind me things that happened 25 years ago that I had no control over? Can't you be happy for me now that things in my life has changed tremendously? Can't we leave the past where it belongs --- in the past??? Can't you be happy for me in the present?

Would it be remotely possible for you to be supportive of what I am doing now? Can't you be happy with my milestones? I have been very happy with myself and what I have achieved through hard work, the kind that money can't buy. Won't you be happy for me? Does my quest for leading a healthier life make you uncomfortable? Is that why you always have to burst my happy bubble when I tell you what I have done?

You always tell me about what the others have achieved (mostly financially) when we do meet. Is that your way of telling me that I have failed next to them? It is just so painful to speak to you sometimes because I always end up getting majorly hurt. I don't think you even have any idea of how much you hurt me... or maybe you do know what you are doing. If that is so, why do you do it?

I don't like to discuss my finances/ assets with others. Why should I? Aren't such things personal? While I do have financial goals for obvious practical reasons, the goals that I love to pursue are mostly non-financial in nature, the kinds that money just can't buy. Is that so wrong?

Just know that I love you and I hope for that one day when you might show me that you love me in return. I hope that one day you might be happy for me.

My First 5k Event!

I completed my first 5k run event today :) Granted, I couldn't run the entire way but I finished waaayyyy ahead of loads (and I mean LOADS) of other people. It's a milestone achievement for me.

My participation in this 5k run wasn't planned. I just won the entry ticket from my fav sandwich store 5 days before the event and thought that it would be a good way to get myself introduced to what a 5k run might be like (something that I've been contemplating on for the last 3 months). I must admit that I was pretty nervous during the days leading up to the event as I wasn't sure what to expect. All in all, it felt good to be able to complete the run. Yes, my regular workouts in the gym helped :)

I plan to train to run 5k --- that's my next goal.

The Value of Books

I think that a book pays for itself if I have learnt just one thing in it that I didn't know before I read it.

Useless

An example of me being useless: After half an hour of cardio in the gym, I came home and had a slice of Raspberry Cheesecake :)  

Prayers

Praying for everyone on board flight MH370 that was bound for Beijing but went missing after two hours of leaving Kuala Lumpur.

2014

2014 is the year of respecting my body.

the untruth

It amazes me how some people are so full of BS.

Simply Pretty

Common sense?

I'd like to think that sense is common but that, sadly, isn't the case... It's important to learn to THINK.

Blessed

I was presented the opportunity to feed three stray dogs tonight. I don't normally see them when I go out for dinner but they were there tonight and they looked hungry. I bought them some food.

They were well behaved dogs. One of them came to me when he saw that I had food with me. The other two were more wary of me. When I put the food on the ground, he looked at me and waited for me to give him a sign of assurance that the food was indeed for him before he ate it.

I feel blessed to be able to share with them :)

Anniversary

Missing you Ayah :(

A Wish

I am the overlooked middle child. I travel below the radar. Things that I do aren't noteworthy. However, the exact same things done by the more favored children are deemed to be important. There were points in my childhood when I felt overlooked... I still do. I am used as a complaints board BUT my mother wouldn't dream of airing her thoughts to my siblings.

No matter what I do,  I keep being told that I am disliked. I guess I can do nothing right.

I wish for nothing else but love... 

The Importance of being Informed

The three year old YouTube video of the dog trainer walking her dogs in the morning of Eid, cleaning the dogs' feet when they get home before cleaning her own feet and later having cookies with the dogs has made many Muslims in Malaysia angry. They say that the video is insulting to Islam but is it really?

Everything put on this planet by Allah prostrates to His will (animals included) and are therefore Islam. Being kind to animals, dogs included, is a part of being a good Muslim. Dogs are loving creatures. They are not the problem... our lack of understanding is.