My Weightloss Journey: A Year In

Alhamdulillah syukurnya dah a year dah since i started on this journey.. =')

It had been a tough one, however! I persevered, i persisted and disciplined myself!

So far i have lost 13kg, but i have not reached my weight goal yet. I didn't set on when i should reach it. Just taking it one change at a time.

Masa raya haritu... i knew i was going overboard with the food, and i tried to compensate with more exercising.. it became too hard for me that i actually gained a bit in the last 2 weeks.

Openhouses, home made foods, i mean, how can one say "no" to that?! Especially when we know the effort poured into making a dish, we tend to want to appreciate it. By 'appreciate', of course that meant eating with gratitude. And by 'eating with gratitude', of course that meant eating a lot. Fufufu..

You know kan? Kalau you dah penat penat masak, you pun nak tengok orang enjoy your food kan? I'm like that nyehehe

A month before ramadhan, i started intermittent fasting because i wanted to get used to not eating in a long period of time and to adjust my workout times to find out which works better sebab tanak body terkejut bila masuk bulan ramadhan. 

And then... raya came~~

Because of raya, i realised that i've been restricting myself from a lot of stuff subconsciously. Like eating nasi lemak in the morning, eating kuih muih, kopok lekor, pisang goreng, all that good malaysian yummies. In a way, it's good, although.. i don't want to maintain that restrictive diet. I worry i may just go on a revenge eating spree or give up on this lifestyle i've been trying to sustain.

That said, i had been rebelling with myself by eating whatever the heck i wanted but still taking into consideration on its nutritional values and quantities. Also, instead of doing more exercises, lately i'm trying out a new regimen where i put on more effort in the early morning and take it chill in the evening.

Just an experimental thing. Frankly, I've actually grown bored of my old ways & routine. Fufufu.. Anyway, for anyone who is trying to on to your weightloss journey, i have some stuff i can share with you.

I have shared some tips on my blogpost before: here, but here are some more.

1. Cut down something you won't miss, or something easy first. For example, you could replace your drinks with plain water. You might need your morning coffee/tea fixes, but i think you could manage drinking plain water throughout the day kan? No need for that ice lemon tea, or latte at 2pm kan? Paling paling la, drink teh o and kopi o. It might taste disgusting at first, but after a while, you'll develop your taste palate and that teh o or kopi o will taste delicious over time.

2. Don't cut your staple food. Makanan ruji kita nasi kan, and you can still be in caloric deficit even when eating nasi. Just kurangkan sedikit demi sedikit. Thing is, carb is carb. Makan nasi, makan mee atau roti atau wheatmeal bread ke, in the end, carb is good for the body. Lebih baik choose which carb yang boleh memuaskan kelaparan you at the moment, and watch out on the portion you eat.

3. Wastage is one of the most sensitive part of dieting.. I paling tak suka bila ada lauk lebih atau nasi lebih.. kalau boleh bungkus, bungkus la lebihan makanan tu. Kalau tak boleh, habiskan je la. I always have some extra food. I'll eat it the next time, or when it's appropriate, i bagi kat sesape la, macam pak gad ke, and when it's not, i try to segregate what i can give to animals (monyet & ikan kat park) and so forth and so forth.

4. I see a lot of tiktok videos that talks about weightloss in such a complicated way and it could overwhelm you.. So my advice on what type of exercises to do, what kind of food to eat.. first things first, exercise 10minutes and above daily pun dah a good start. Always start with something you can do, that fits your life. Walking is the best start. Once you are used to working out 10mins a day, then you'll start to realise that you can do 15mins. Then 20mins, then 30mins~ Don't put a limit to yourself, like saying "i sakit badan", "i takde time", coz seriously, we can make time for something if we really want to do it. Plus, there're sooooo many types of workout you can do. Tak suka jalan kat park? There's walking workout video on youtube for you to follow along. Takde duit nak join gym? You can do bodyweight training kat rumah je. Youtube tu belambak je video. Tanak peluh macam gila, ada je low impact exercises. 

5. So no excuses la kan. You nak bagi excuse kat orang lain, go ahead! But why are you giving YOURSELF excuses? Why are you trying to convince yourself not to do something you know you should be doing kan? 

6. When you've taken that step, try to stay consistent. Make it into a habit so that you don't have to think pun about it because your autopilot mode moves you. Tak sempat you nak "mala-", your body dah gerakkan you towards your exercise mat atau your workout area. Gitu!

It actually sounds difficult than it actually is. Am i saying losing weight is easy? Theoretically, yes. But practically... not really. It requires a lot of self-discipline. If you don't 'show up', then forever you're gonna be stuck in your current situation.

Telling my son to stop taking pics of me. You know, the burst kind. 

Just a random pic...

I hope i can continuously live a healthy life. And i hope i can somehow encourage others to also embark on their journey to getting better, whether it be physical, mental and spiritual.

Take care, drink lots (sekarang tengah panas ni!!), and be consistent.

All the best kita semua!

My 10 month-ish weightloss journey

 I've mentioned before about how i was working hard to lose weight in the blogpost, but in case you're too lazy to go back and read the whole thing (it was kinda filled when random stuff too..), in summary:

I hit my all time heaviest and it wasn't that the weight that bothered me. It was how unfit i felt during that time. I was just eating a lot, and i'm talking like the usual 3 meals a day, plus tea time and supper, and i was moving minimally. Mathematically, what goes in does not equals what goes out. That was how i gained so much weight.   

So that blogpost was in October 2021. I actually started my weightloss journey in May-ish 2021, but i started gitu gitu je sebab i didn't know if i could really do it. The motivation was there but the time and place was a bit woozy to me since we were in lockdown and all.

But i did it. I started.

Let's start with this.

Dec 2020, on my birthday.

If one could ignore that face, one would be able to see the bambam-ness in my cheeks.

August 2020

And when one could ignore this face too, one would notice how my arms and thighs looked bambam here. 

Before the pandemic, i was quite active. I would walk the kids to school and back, i would take them to the playground almost on a daily basis. Kalau tak playground, we would go swimming. It was an overall very active lifestyle la. But because of the pandemic and being quarantined from the world, i was more focused on adapting to the situation; ie the kids with their online classes, ummm.. stay at home.. and i did this. Basically keeping them occupied and doing what needs to be done 😅

I don't have any pictures, unfortunately fortunately. I was also not so active on social media... So i'm sorry for the lack of 'proof' photos, to show the progress and the 'before and after' 😔

I'll just continue this post with what i have la k?

So in May 2021, i started with doing zumba for 30 minutes. I pushed myself to do it everyday, on weekends if i can too. 

It wasn't easy. I was so unfit that after 10 minutes of the workout, i was dyingggg. I wanted to throw the towel in, but i persisted and then 1 day becomes 1 week, 1 week becomes 2 weeks, and then i've successfully committed to doing zumba for 1 month.

I did this type of workout from May sampai September for 30 - 35 minutes daily (weekends if can). Due to lack of equipments, zumba was my way of gaining back my lost stamina and strength. 

I wasn't even thinking about how many calories i was trying to lose or whatever. It was just "I MUST FINISH THIS WORKOUTTTTT!!!!💪💪".

When i'm done, FUH!

It was rewarding in itself!

I actually hurt my metatarsal because of the exercises i've been doing, but i didn't want to quit. I started using slippers in the house, and indoor sportshoes. Alhamdulillah after a while, my metatarsal doesn't hurt anymore. But i still do wear my indoor shoes and house slippers now.

In terms of diet, i just ate my usual 3 meals a day but i cut off tea time & supper snackings. I also was more aware of what i ate & drank. 

I took measurements of my body and blurred this photo sebab i feel malu, but basically i also took measurements of my body parts once a month. Only from May till November 2021 though. I stopped taking them sebab macam unreliable.

Sept 2021

Squishy cheeks!

Actually, i have my Apple Watch to keep track of my fitness, but i didn't wear it when i started my workouts. I didn't feel comfortable wearing it. But i started using it in September 2021, and looking at my records, i was really slow huhu..

After the zumba cardios, i thought i should step it up a notch and started jogging around the playground. At this time, PKP or whatever was lifted so we were able to go out, and i just only took the kids to the playground & swimming pool. 

I also started skipping rope and controlling my portions. I ate as usual but i lessen my portion of rice a little bit. The rest is as normal. 

After 4 months of successfully istiqamah in exercising regularly, i also started challenging myself by going to the park with the kids (& husband kalau dia ada), and jog or run around. When the kids are at the playground, i would try to do whatever fitness workout there too, like push & pull-ups at the wall, jumping jacks, kicks, whatever i can think of. Main point was to not stop. I kept moving for as long as i can and i set my max at 30 minutes. If i could go beyond, i go on and do it.

Oct 2021

I was actually taking this photo because i thought i heard someone behind me, but not wanting to look so obvious, i took this photo as 'evidence' in case anything happen. Turns out, it was just my imagination~ hehehe! Stay safe people!

Came November, i stepped it up more.

I started tracking my food intake, stick to a workout routine and i bought a new fitness watch. 

I bought a Mi Smart Band 6, which cost less than RM200 and it was just the best size for me! What i love about this watch compared to Apple one was that i didn't feel pressured to 'close the ring', and to take a breather la and stand. I rimas! 

I like to do things at my own time and sometimes i don't want to wear my watch when i'm standing or breathing or walking, so don't tell me to do those things la kan just because you don't know! Hehehe..

I also bought a weight scale of the same brand, Xiaomi, so the watch and the scale connects to their app. It's convenient to be able to see and track my progress there. FYI, Apple also can do the same thing. My husband uses his Apple watch for fitness etc.

When i say 'lesser rice', does not mean only 5 spoons of nasi. I'm a carb-lover, so i made sure i ate just enough. How to calculate enough? Since i'm the one cooking anyway, i just kurangkan the rice servings untuk masak than the usual, and then cedokkan nasi for myself last. I cedok for my husband and kids first so that i only have whatever's left, which is less than before. Gitu la strategy nya. Calorie deficit gitu~

Scribbles~

Oct 2021

Went to Trampoline Park & jumped around like cray craaay~

It was fun, but note to self (and others as well), makanan kat sana takde la sedap sgt, and takde la murah sgt. So with that in mind, consider how & when you want to eat. Water cooler diorang pun lemah, so maybe prepare a big water bottle.

Nov 2021

Went to KL Tower. Ingatkan nak pergi the park there, but it was closed, so we went around there je la. 

It was actually fun!

So many things to do with the kids 💜

Dec 2021

We went to Zoo Negara and it was a lot of walking.

Guess what though! I was not as tired as i would've been! I felt okay walking around and my sweat didn't bother me!

Honestly, i was just happy going to the zoo because i was happy to feel my own progress at the time. Hehe! My husband pun said "You sebenarnya nak datang sebab you nak get your steps kan?", to which i answered "Tak lah! I just want the kids to have some activity & quality time". 😋

March 2022

I ate that and a cake too.

I have lost a lot during the first few months, but then hit plateau for 3 months, tried reverse dieting, working out more, and counting calories, but to no avail. I was tempted to try whatever "diet supplements" or "weightloss coffee/tea", but i know those things will not be effective in the long run. 

Instead, i just go back to how i ate before which is regular plate sized food, 3 meals a day, 30 minutes HIIT workout + 10 minutes jump rope, and most importantly, i stopped measuring myself & weighing myself.

Tetibe one day tu, i just decided to go and weigh myself, and i finally dropped my weight again! Weehoo!

So i teruskan la routine camtu.

Now, we are in April, and tengah puasa~

Alhamdulillah sangat i have lost about 10kg so far, and i still have a few more to shed to reach my body weight goal.

Honestly, no one in my family see the difference in me in terms of bambam-ness, except for my husband & mom kot. Tu pun i talked to them a lot about it. Basically, me losing 10kg was not a visible change but for me, a lot has changed.

I am more mindful of what i eat, my portions, i was more active than before and i don't give myself excuses not to be active even when at home, i can feel my body getting stronger and my pain endurance is probably better la. 

Key is:

1. To be active. Move around even if it's just walking on the spot for 30 minutes. It makes a difference.

2. To be in caloric deficit, but not starving yourself.

3. Eat your usual. Nasi, mee goreng, teh tarik, whatever. Just be aware of what you're eating. If you ate more, then workout a little bit more. Or maybe, in one week, have a protein only day or sugar free day. Camtu la. 

4. Be flexible & realistic. 

5. Slow progress is progress after all. So be patient, continue and if can, improve on something like the weights you're using, or having better form & posture, increase reps etc.

So for anyone on a weightloss journey, i feel ya!

Be strong and be positive!

Don't think about it too much. Just Do It!

Masa puasa ni, moga ibadah kita dapat improve, moga kesihatan kita pun improve, moga segalanya dipermudahkan.

Amiiin~

Physical training

 So last weekend was really the most active i've ever been with my family.

Usually, the most active thing we would do together is go to the park, where the kids would ride on their scooter and me & hubs go jog along. 

To be honest, we're not the most active people around. We still very much enjoy our time staying in our home and laze around. But considering the kids being cooped up for so long, and both hubs and i had such an active lifestyle during our childhood years, we want them to enjoy being outdoors too.

That was why we went on a "hike" (because it's basically a road-paved track up the hill) on Saturday and yesterday we went to a trampoline park. Nadrah Az-dramaqueen was so cranky when we went walking up the hills while Isaac was telling us that he "don't like this" but still power through it all.

It was rather hot though.. but when we went to have our lunch after that, it was raining so super hard! Nasib sempat la kan balik huhu.. I think that even though the kids didn't really like it, i will have to do this more often, just so that they can appreciate it someday.. 💁 

The kids need more physical training la nampaknya.

Yesterday, we went to a trampoline park because isaac has been wanting to. Once upon a day, he asked his father when we're going to the trampoline place, padahal takde plan pun. But because of his insistence, and we also wanted to do something before they both start going back to school, kita pun pergi laaaa~

It was fun! We were all sweating buckets because it was so humid and all the jumping around.

I thought 2 hours would be too long, rupanya it was just enough. 

It was such a good workout that i slept early last night and woke up feeling well rested!

And so, it is monday already.

Since it will be a long weekend this coming week, i hope we'll be able to find something to do & somewhere to go that won't be crowded.

=)

5 October in 2021

 How could it have been over a year since my last blogpost?

Ohmaigeorge.

It has been a long time since the kids have physically been to school or even meet their friends. Kesian diorang..

Eventhough now more and more people are getting vaccinated, it still didn't rule out the infections on the kids. I'm worried for them, but the way things are, the kids are ok je sebenarnya. At home, i mean.

Maybe, no, not maybe, it is because whenever i recall my childhood memories, i always ended up pitying my children for their lack of.. experiences, and adventures.

I kept comparing to the time when i was their age. I was able to cycle around, meet my friends at school and after school, i was living an active and social lifestyle and hardly at home before maghrib.

Tapi diorang pulak, kat rumah je. Duduk depan tv je. Nak keluar, kena pakai mask and etc etc.

But then, when i think about it, this is their time. This is their childhood experience and it might not be as bad as i thought. They're going through it, and i should just let them be and help their growth and grow on to being tech savvier than me. Huahuahua =p

Alhamdulillah la kita ada the means to buy games for them, so they've been playing minecraft, little big planet, and also they've been playing with their toys which had been forsaken for some time! That part is joyous to me but also some kind of nightmare because cleaning up was not easy. Just when i thought i had cleaned up the house, suddenly they're flipping the living room upside down before i could mop the house. Or like stepping on phantom lego, or finding so many treasures under the sofa bantals. And me being the person who likes to lay down on the sofa, it was super duper annoying to be bitten by ants or feeling some hard stuff at my back. Yes, those treasures were crumbs of some snacks they had had, and/or toys they pushed in between the bantals sebab i don't know, malas kot nak letak dalam toy box.

Wahduh wahduh.

But oh well. 

Husband and i also had rearranged and reorganised our house so that we have more open spaces not only for the kids to play their toys, but also for them to ride their scooter around the house, fighting with each other, and for me to exercise. Oh, i had gained so much weight since i could remember and i hit my all time heavy earlier this year. I won't disclose how heavy i was because i wasn't sure myself (i didn't have a weight scale then), but the biggest telltale was how much my clothes stretched across my body.

I don't know why, but i didn't really mind about that part but what made me determined to start changing myself (physically, because i think my inner self is the same as usual) was how much it had hurt to sujud. The stomach pressed up my lungs? heart? so masa solat tu boleh tercungap-cungap. If that wasn't enough to tell me to how unhealthy i was, not only because of the clothes, but because of my lack of strength too, i don't know what will.

I've just been doing home exercises though. And so far, alhamdulillah, i've made progress but i also have so many confusions.

Since i was trying to live a more sustainably healthy lifestyle, i had been watching youtube videos and reading articles about how to keep healthy.

Unfortunately, the more i learn, the more i get annoyed at how people's "educated opinion" and "experts" and "practitioners" all have clashing stuff they feel the need to share. I don't know which is real anymore.

For example, i have been taking supplements albeit on and off, and usually it's evening primrose, fish oil and vitamin B. Honestly, i don't remember why i'm taking vitamin B. The pharmacist i met years ago recommended that i take it. Is it because of my lack of energy? Entah lah.

Anyway, i have been taking just those once in a while when i feel like 'oh hari ni macam kena buat banyak benda, maka mari amik supplement', or when i feel my skin feels extra dry and my brain sluggish.

AND THEN, i saw videos of people saying fish oil is not gonna help at all, evening primrose can cause fibroid, and whatever else, i can't recall. And how like eating nasi and bread makes you not able to lose belly fat, this thing is 500cals, that thing is 1000cals, blahblahblah.

So i had taken the initiative to stop watching or learning more about weight loss stuff and just take what i already know and focus on that.

It's quite annoying really, and frankly, demotivating. Because just when i thought i found the right stuff for me, turns out it isn't, so i have to find a different solution. You know? The trials and errors of it all.. Finding what method and what lifestyle works for me..

Yes, i am that lazy. But as lazy as i am, i try to stay away from being unrealistic and shortcuts.

Haihs. SO, here i am.

Sitting at our dining table making this blogpost, while telling my kids for the umpteenth time to go mandi eventhough it is 11am already, and they just had their online classes and already in the process of flipping the living room upside down, and me telling them over and over again to clean up because i want to mop the floor. And them fighting with each other about who's going to mandi first, while playing with the toys.

And me just trying to not get my temper hit the roof so early in the morning. Because nadrah has homework she doesn't want to do and isaac keeps taking things out of the toybox.

Oh and me wondering what i should make for lunch and the muffin i bought yesterday. When am i gonna eat it?

So that's the update i have so far with my life. Nothing eventful really.

I do miss going around freely, i miss my in-laws too (lama tak jumpa and tak makan makanan ibu.. air tangan ibu tu ha, masyukk), and i miss seeing my kids off to school huahuahuahua =p

Btw, it has been equally as long kot that i haven't been on instagram. Which made me realise that i am one lonely chick. Cue music!

La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la (Woo)
Lonely (I'm a lonely chic)
La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Lonely (Supalonely)

- Supalonely by Benee

Yes, i am supalonely. *cries with a smile**thumbs up*

Ok dah la. Bye.