Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2013

Hi all! We just came back from Dataran Merdeka and both of us are very excited over the fact that we have just completed our first marathon ever. Both Hubby and I managed to finish the 10km run in probably less than one hour and we are really happy about it. The exact net time will be updated on the website within 24 hours after the run. We started from Lake Garden near the national monument, then passed by various landmarks such as KL Sentral, Little India and even ran on car-less highway before running back to Dataran Merdeka, where the finishing line is located. We started strong but eventually I had to slow down to catch my breath after running for 5km continuously. My abs started getting cramps halfway through the run as well. It was harder than I've imagined. Obviously outdoor running is a whole different thing compared to running on treadmill. Speed control is something I find really important if you are running for a long distance because you have to preserve your energy till the end.

The celebratory shot.

At the end of race, each of us was given one banana (athlete's best friend to prevent muscle cramp), one can of 100 plus and one finisher medal.

My body was on fire under the hot sun and the run had definitely drained all my energy out but the excitement was high. Never knew that running a marathon could be so fun until I finally joined one. I'm definitely in for another marathon next year. =) 

Hubby looking proud with his medal. Haha.

 The finishing line at Dataran Merdeka.

Taking a picture at the junction where it was supposed to be clogged with cars and motorbikes. 

 Hubby lying in the middle of the road as if he owns it. Haha.

Me posing for the camera happily at the zebra crossing.

 Funny and lovely motivational messages by some random people before the finishing line.

Was so happy and relieved to see the 9km distance marker but then the remaining 1km felt like forever. However once we crossed the finishing line together, the tremendous sense of accomplishment that we had was something that made this event memorable.

Update: Us crossing the finishing line together. Haha.

Subway for our post-marathon meal. Cheers!

That's all! My burning legs now deserve a long good rest. =)

by

CYK & CSY

One Month Abs Challenge

Getting strong and good-looking abs is probably one of the most discussed fitness topics right now. In Korea, the ideal abs is often named the '11-shaped' abs which refers to the two vertical lines on each side of the abs resembling '11'. In Taiwan, they refer such corset-like abs as '馬甲線' which is translated as 'corset lines'. 

張婷媗, a 43 year old mother from Taiwan who is famous for her sexy and prominent corset lines. Just about a month ago, I was hoping that one day I can have beautiful abs like hers too. Then I started doing my abs exercise more regularly and also focusing on more cardio and this is the results after one month of hard work.

Almost there, but not quite yet. I still need to work harder towards my goal of achieving the 'corset lines' that I desire.

However, it's not difficult to achieve that killer abs which has been portrayed as the standard of fitness beauty right now. Try these abs exercise below and you will see amazing results in one month. I have been doing the exercises regularly (almost daily) and I'm seeing the results already! Of course, don't forget your cardio workout to get rid of the extra fat over your tummy or else your abs wouldn't show.

Circuit Abs Exercise

1. Abdominal crunches 20 reps

2. Side plank lifts 10 reps for each side

3. Oblique twist with weight or medicine ball 20 reps

4. Standing side flexion 20 reps for each side

5. Elbow planking for 35sec

6. Straight leg raises 20 reps

Repeat for 3-5 sets. Thanks to hubby who taught me this killer abs exercise routine!

In addition, do these amazing abs exercise videos by blogilates.

The 'Abs on fire' workout video is a tough one but do not give up. You might not be able to finish the entire routine during your first try but trust me, your abs will get stronger as long you keep doing the exercises regularly.

And also be sure to eat clean as there's a saying that abs are made in the kitchen!

That's all!

by

CSY

Dr. Cafe @ One Utama and Amazing Abs

I used to love drinking Cappucino until I realised I have some degree of lactose intolerance which causes me to have bloated stomach and diarrhea after consuming dairy products =(. I've never experienced any problem drinking milk in the past so it could have developed when I'm growing older. Haha. I still drink Cappucino these days but only once in a while. Usually I will try to avoid it as much as I can. If possible, I would make a request to substitute the fresh milk with soy milk instead. Coffee Societe at Publika is one of the coffee shops that offer soy milk as an alternative, which means I can still enjoy my Cappucino without having to worry about the unpleasant aftermath!

Even so, I still enjoy drinking Cappucino and I've found out that Dr.Cafe serves one of my favourite Cappucino in town. It's because the texture of the milk foam is so so so fine and fluffy that I felt like I was sipping espresso with clouds floating over it. I'm wondering if the same cloud effect can be done on soy milk.

Sigh, I'm currently having my 6 weeks of clinical placement at a private physiotherapy centre in Subang which explains my lack of update and inspiration in blogging. 1 week down and 5 more weeks to go. I'm so so so looking forward to the day that the clinical placement ends.

Even with the busy schedule, I still try my best to go to the gym whenever I can. At the same time I will also keep doing my home exercises. I'm trying to be a more efficient person by spending my time more productively because I realise time goes by so fast and my life is moving on a faster pace than before. 1 more year before graduating and the reality is starting to sink in.

*Inserts my current motivation*

Let's guess the age of the girl standing on the left.

20? Nope.

30? Nope.

She's a 43 years old mother with two kids. Zhang Ting Xuan (張婷媗)from Taiwan. Taiwanese version of Korea's Jung Da Yeon. Her tight abs is amazing!! I want to have abs like hers in 3 months! And I know it's possible because I'm already halfway there as a result of daily abs exercises!

Her before and after picture.

More pictures of her.

 *Nose bleeds*

A picture of her sister and herself. Both have amazing abs too.

She looks like a teenage girl here. I want to look like that when I'm hitting 40 too.

After School Kahi's tight abs looks amazing too! 

I'm soo obsessed with abs right now. Haha.

That's all for today's quickie update!

by

CSY

Benefits of Breakfast

What are you having for your breakfast or brunch? I love being up early just to make my own healthy breakfast because it keeps me happy and energized throughout the day. If I have to eat out, I will choose the healthier options from the menu.

Not skipping breakfast also benefits you in many ways.

1. Weight control. 

A 2003 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that people who skip breakfast are 4.5 times more likely to be obese than those who take a morning meal.

2. Boost short-term memory.

Eating high-energy foods for breakfast could help to boost short-term memory, according to a study of 319 teens (between ages 13 and 20) in theJournal of Adolescent Health. 

3. Keeps you energized.

Eating a breakfast that's high in fiber and carbohydrates could help you feel less tired throughout the day, according to a 1999 study inthe International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition.

So do not skip breakfast thinking that you will be cutting some calories and become leaner! Breakfast is a good opportunity to eat a whole big plate of nutritious food which will then make you eat less during lunch and dinner.

Fruits granola with yogurt at L.Table, Lavenders at One Utama. I was very happy when my granola was served! Not only that it looks good, it's nutritious and tastes good too! What a lovely meal to start my day =).

Hubby's Iced Chocolate. Do I look good in my new sweater? Love the colour combination.

Hot Matcha for me. ^^

 Hubby! Wish I can spend more time with him <3. 

 Hubby's beef burger.  

That's all for today's short update!

by

CSY

Healthy Food of the Month

It's time to keep track of the food I have been eating in July! I wanted to share some of frequently cooked meals during my long semester break. Usually the meals are simple to make using only basic ingredients you can get in any market. The rest of my daily meals that are not shared are just normal grilled chicken breast/salmon block or sometimes I would just bake them in my oven.

Flourless Green Onion Pancake. I love green onion pancakes so I decided to make a healthier version of it without the flour! The batter consists of 1 cup of quick oats (blended into fine powder and flour-like),  1 egg and some milk to for the consistency. Chop the green onion and put them on a heated round pan with some oil. Pour the batter all over the green onion. Flip the pancake when the edge becomes brown and there you have it!

 Flourless Pizza recipe by blogilates. The crust is made of cauliflower, egg and mild Mozarella cheese.

Lots of green bell pepper and button mushroom for the pizza toppings! This is totally a legit pizza!

 Sandwiches using flourless wholegrain bread. You can find the flourless bread at Opika Organic Market, One Utama Shopping Mall. The price is around RM6. 

It tastes just like ordinary whole grain bread, if not, more delicious!

 I toasted the bread in the oven with the cheese to make the bread crunchier.

 Fruit and Veggie Salad with lemon and orange juice dressing. My current healthy food obsession.

 Same but this time I added some protein with the extra hard boiled egg.

 Sometimes I would make English Breakfast set when I crave for it. Bacon and sausages aren't exactly healthy but it's okay to eat with moderation.

So satisfying! I love bright yellow scrambled eggs! I have been using this partition plate since I was a kid! 

That's all!

by

CSY

Sunrider Healthy Sandwiches & Why You Shouldn't Be Eating Any Fast Food Including Subway

I love Subway sandwiches especially Subway Melt which is my comfort food especially after a tiring workout session. To be honest I'm one of those people who used to think that Subway is a much healthier fast food option compared to McDonald's or any other fast food chain. Then I came across a tweet posted by Brenda from leansecrets.com about the ingredients used in Subway eggs and it changes everything. Just take a look at this.

Notice that there are so many ingredients here that you can't even read or pronounce properly? Those are the chemical agents or preservatives used by Subway to enhance the flavour of the omelette. So if you are thinking that Subway sandwich is healthy, think twice. Propylene glycol are chemical agents found in anti-freeze and deodorant sticks and it's also found in Subway eggs. I believe Subway's roasted beef, chicken breast, ham, bacon and condiments also consist of various chemical agents that you shouldn't be eating. They are highly processed, consists tons of chemicals and are certainly not in the healthy food list. 

In the end, the fact tells us that Subway is not where you should go if you want to "eat fresh". This is rather sad isn't it? Our food is so heavily polluted and manipulated nowadays (talk about genetically modified food). However, the good thing is Hubby and I recently found a new place selling fresh sandwiches to replace Subway and we are surprised by the freshness of the ingredients they use in their salad and sandwiches.

This new place that we found is Sunrider @ Sunway Pyramid. Sunrider is a franchise selling wellness product similar to GNC but they also have this healthy food cafe which serves fresh sandwiches for people who enjoy healthy and nutritious meals. We ordered this combo set including a healthy drink, salad and a beef sandwich.

A huge bowl of salad with hard-boiled egg, fresh fruits and vegetables. I absolutely love the vinegar-like dressing which I felt has very natural taste.

Beef Sandwich! Omg, this is seriously the best beef sandwich I ever had! Super fresh and natural!

What you are looking at right now are thick slices of genuine fresh beef (almost like a steak itself) done in medium which taste really delicious. Love eating clean food that tastes delicious at the same time. It's like killing two birds with one stone.

A variety of wellness products which they sell in their shop.

Hubby who was very pleased with the beef sandwich as his favourite food is none other than steak!

The combo set costs us RM26 without any service charge but both of us felt that the food definitely worth the price. We are certainly coming back next Saturday after our Korean class to try their chicken sandwich and egg sandwich!

Sunrider is located in Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall opposite to Cold Storage.

by

CSY