Weighing-In Wednesday & Way Beyond Weight

Time to log in the weight! 

It's 69kg! Yes! sudah turun dr angka 70....

Dari segi berat not much tapi saya rasa seluar dan baju sudah sedikit longgar. And today I'm wearing blouse lama (x la lama nau but the blouse was very tight few months back selepas D&C).

I took a selfie photo of myself...I am very concious about doing selfie 

tapi letak kat blog ok sikit kot rasanya compare ngan letak kat FB....hehehe. 

I think muka saya sudah kurang tembam sikit kot!

Oh, by the way, nak share a video from Youtube about weight issues.

It's called "Way Beyond Weight"

It's a documentary about how kids nowadays are being overweight or obese and having various adult diseases like diabetes Type 2, hypertension, high-cholesterol etc. 

Bayangkan la semuda 3 thn dah dpt diabetes Type 2!

And it's all because eating too much of processed foods, fast-foods, consumed a lot sugar, carbohydrate, imbalanced diet, and not being active.

The case study mostly done in Brazil, where about 30% children are obese. 

30%!!!!

Mostly like McDonald's, Coca-cola, potato chips, candies.....

Don't even know the name of vegetables, don't like taste of vegetables and fruits....

I have to admit, it is very difficult to eat healthily. In our modern world today, processed food is much cheaper and convenient compares to fresh food. You really have to make efforts if you want you and your family to eat healthily.

I'm glad we have now boycott McDonald's. Thanks to Israel-Palestine issue. If it just because of health issues, it would be difficult to convince the twins that we are no longer eating McDonald's.

Occasionally we still go to KFC and Pizza Hut but not as frequent as we used to eat McDonald's last time. Because McDonald's is the closest fast-food restaurant to our home, they have drive-thru and they offer more choices compares to KFC and Pizza Hut, so we used to frequent McDonald's. At least once a week.

And I'm also glad now KFC and Pizza Hut have the option to upgrade your drink from soda to non-soda drink if you buy their set meals. So that is what I'll do everytime buying KFC or Pizza Hut meals. At least less one unhealthy items.

And I'm trying to make the kids eat more fiber - vege and fruits. Except for Nabilah, who loves fruits and vegetables of all kinds, Nabihah and Insyirah are very picky about vege and fruits. Walaupun dari baby lagi saya dah introduced mcm2 sayur, still they become picky eater. I once tried buat fish and chips but the chips I used sweet potatoes, dipotong2 mcm fries. Tapi diorg sentuh sikit je. Cuba bagi the store-bought fries tu, laju je makan!

Same goes with process foods: the store-bought cookies, candies, ice-creams, sausages, nuggets...all kinds. I try to reduce where possible. I would try to do groceries shopping without the kids so I can choose wisely what to buy.

And if I have to take them along, I would limit the requests. Only one chocolate is allowed, and no chips, no jelly, no candies. And another thing I allow, is yogurt drink - Yakult ke or Vitagen ke....

Cookies pon just 1 small pack of Oreo or Chipsmore. And if they finish it off quickly...that's it...no more cookies for that week. Until the next groceries shopping la...itu pun kalau dapat ikut!

To totally omit these processed foods, I think it's too much for them. Takut nanti diorg akan beli senyap2. So I decided bagi la juga tapi dikawal la kadar pemakanannya. 

And while they are eating the overdose sugary cookies, I would keep telling them that these foods are not good for your health, makan sikit2 boleh tapi tak boleh makan selalu.

Dan selalu juga tanya what they do with duit belanja. I forbid them to buy junk foods. Kat sekolah mmg tak jual tapi kat luar sekolah ramai je tukang jual. Tapi pesan berkali2 pon, ada masanya kantoi jugak makan junk foods. Sama la juga bila dapat birthday goodie packs - selalunya mmg dipenuhi dgn unhealthy junk foods yg byk bahan pewarna dan pengawet tah hapa2.

It's a long, continuous process to educate kids with healthy foods. Even I, am still educating myself to eat healthily. There are times, you feel like you want to indulge into those unhealthy and most of the times you just do it, but you know the consequences to it. So ada rasa bersalah la jugak. 

So berusaha la! Utk masa depan yg sihat, Insyaallah.

From Germany with Love :)

Kekasih hati sudah pulang semalam :)

Anak2 pon happy, dari pagi sampai ke ptg dok tanya bila Abah nak balik. Cik HB was expected to arrive in Melaka pukul 7mlm, dari KLIA ada driver uni yg dtg jemput, so saya cuma perlu jemput dia kat uni.

So smlm lepas dah amik kembar dr sekolah agama, terus hantar mengaji. Lepas dah ngaji dalam 6.45 camtu, Insyirah boleh pulak berak. Saya nak balik rumah dulu sbb Insyirah berak kan, tapi kakak2 insisted pegi amik Abah dulu. Mmg la x jauh antara rumah dan uni, dalam 10 minit aje tapi kakak2 sangat la x sabar nak jumpa Abah. Maka ummi pon mengalahlah dan pegi amik Abah dulu. In the meantime, semua org tahan je la bau busuk...hahaha.

Ini bukan apa, cik HB sgt la dah lama x outstation...jadi bila lama dia takde kat rumah, memang la kerinduaan sgt2. 

So ole2 dari Jerman, mesti la coklat2 yg banyak - Milka, Ritter Sports, Raffaelo, Hanuta. Sini pon ada jual Milka dan Ritter Sports tu tapi tak tersanggup nak membelinya sbb mahal sgt.

Semua terus kerumun beg Abah yg penuh dgn coklat!

And utk ummi, it's something even special! He bought me a watch :)

It's not Tissot ke or  Tag Heuer, Fossil sahaja. Tapi Fossil pon for me dah cukup mahal dah. Alhamdulilah, thank you love atas hadiah ole2 ini (senyum sampai telinga....hehehe)

Camni gi outstation selalu pon xpe bang ^_^

Honest Confession: Whole-meal Pasta

This is what I have today....scramble eggs with white button mushroom  for breakfast, whole-meal pasta with walnut pesto and salad for lunch and jus blend sendiri of buah anggur + honey dew.

Well, I have to be honest about this whole-meal pasta. 

Tak sedap ye!

Whole-meal pasta tastes like kertas kadbod. It took me 1/2 hour to finish it off with slow chewing...hahaha. Tapi kena abiskan jugak sbb tak baik membazir. Dah la walnut pesto tu bahan2nya mahal - walnut, sweet basil, broccoli, extra virgin olive oil, grated cheese. Mujur la dah batch yg terakhir....lepas ni mmg x buat la pesto2 ni.....hahaha.

Nak cuba sgt kan.....Org kata tak kenal maka tak cinta....tapi dah kenal tetap juga tak cinta ^_^.

Temporary Schedule

Cik HB is off to Cologne, Jermany for work since Monday. Seminggu je dia kat sana, Insya Allah Isnin depan balik la.

So my daily routine yg dirasakan dah hectic bertambah hectic la sbb kena cover his tasks. His tasks yg major adalah hantar kembar gi sekolah waktu pagi, jemput balik dari sekolah agama sebelah ptg then hantar mengaji pulak. Yg lain buang sampah, siram pokok, jaga Insyirah while I'm doing my tasks dan few more lah. 

So agak terkejar2 la jugak mokcik ni bila cik HB is not around. Alhamdulilah so far boleh manage but I have to stick to the schedule betul2, otherwise mmg tak tersempat nak buat semua. And minggu ni I have to forget my attempts nak achieve doing exercise 5 times a week.

So the schedule is:

5:00 am: Alarm bunyi, snooze kejap with mental note "Lagi 5 minit". Selalunya 5.15 baru betul2 bangun....hahaha. Kalau Insyirah terjaga, dia minta bf, mmg lari la jadual for 20 mins or so. Tapi kalau dia x jaga, it's good...then proceed to toilet and buat amalan sunnah sikit.

5.30 am: Selalunya I do pilates at this time....tapi kadang2 x buat juga...hehehe. But this week mmg x dapat la regardless rajin ke tak sbb saya mengejar masa. Kena siapkan urusan utk ke sekolah sbb nak kena hantar kembar ke sekolah. So terus masuk dapur and masak utk breakfast/bekal.

6.00 am: Naik atas balik utk mandi dan solat Subuh. 

6.30 am: Kejutkan kembar dan turun bawah balik utk sambung whatever yg belum siap like tapaukan makanan, serve breakfast. This is chaotic time sbb masa tu la Insyirah akan bangun and demand attention and masa tu jugak sikembar nak macam2. Sarung kepala misplaced la, x jumpa singlet la....adoiii, rasa mcm kena ada extra tangan n kaki masa ni. 

7.15 am: Must make sure everyone is in the car. Kena deal ngan Insyirah punya tantrum lagi sbb kalau ada kakak2 dia, dia x nak duduk atas car seat. Dia rasa dia dah besar sgt boleh duduk atas seat biasa. Kalau just me and her, she's fine. Somehow manage jugak la make her sit on the car seat. Sekolah kembar dekat aje, lebih kurang 2.5km ada kot. Tapi perjalanannya agak jem sbb nak kena menempuh pekan Durian Tunggal dan ada sekolah Cina tgh jalan so makin jem la pagi2. So hantar dan balik semula ke rumah akan makan masa paling cepat 20 min, paling lama 30 min kot.

7.45 am: Balik rumah balik, sebelum masuk rumah, siram pokok2 dulu. Sbb skrg ni musim panas, harus siram 2 kali. Insyirah pon kena siram sekali sbb dia suka menyebok masa kita menyiram tu. Tak pon dia kutip batu2 campak masuk longkang....huhuhu. Masuk rumah, tukar baju Insyirah dan baju keje...mujur bukan keje corporate jadi apa2 baju yg decent pon ok dah. Make-up? Ala, tepek sikit compact powder dan lipstick secalit...SIAP!

Pack barang2 nak diangkut yg belum ready. In between masak or the night before pon saya pack mana yg sempat. Capai itu ini secepat mungkin. Kalau ada baju kena basuh, time ni jugak campak masuk mesin dan on. Kalau ada dibasuh the night before, time ni jugak nak dijemur. Tengok apa yg sempat. Kalau x sempat, just hold it. 

8.15 am: Masa utk bergerak. Tapi kadang2 terlajak sampai 8.30am jugak baru gerak. Depends pada situasi at work. Kalau xde apa2 yg urgent in the morning, lambat sikit pon takpe. Tapi seboleh2nya saya nak sampai kat opis 8.30am. Singgah taska tempat transit kembar utk drop brg2 diorg. Mujur transit in the same taman...then hantar Insyirah ke rumah babysitter yg dekat ngan sekolah kembar. Sembang sikit2 ngan makcik, then off to opis. Selalunya ngam2 8.30am sampai. Baru tarik nafas lega dan boleh la menikmati proper breakfast :)

12.00: Lunch on the desk with tapau-from-home food.

12.35pm- 1pm: Jemput kembar dr sekolah kebangsaan then hantar ke transit. Minggu ni diorg ada test, so diorg request sy sendiri hantar ke sekolah agama sbb diaorg pakcik van selalu lambat. Fine, saya pon x busy sgt this week so boleh la. Kalau diorg naik van, lepas hantar ke transit, saya balik opis. Tapi sbb nak kena hantar diorg sekolah agama, saya drop diorg ke transit dan balik rumah. Kenapa x bawak diorg balik rumah? Sbb saya malas nak mencari lunch utk diorg. So biar la diorg makan dan siap2 kat transit. Tadi saya balik rumah sempat jugak la jemur kain dan lipat kain separuh jalan.....

2pm: Pegi transit dan hantar kembar ke sekolah agama then masuk keje balik.

6.00pm: Minggu ni saya balik keje lambat sikit sbb saya kena jemput kembar dr sekolah agama. Kalau x, selalunya 5.30pm saya dah balik dan terus jemput Insyirah. Tapi disebabkan opis saya terletak diantara rumah dan rumah babysitter, sekolah agama pon dekat ngan rumah babysitter, saya minta jasa baik makcik babysitter utk amik Insyirah lambat sikit. Sbb kalau saya amik Insyirah @ 5.30pm, pastu balik rumah, 6.15 nak kena keluar amik kembar pulak, alang2 la kan? So baik jemput semua sekali harung. 

6.15: Tunggu depan sekolah agama yg dah sesak dgn kereta/van parents. Jarang jemput kembar dr sekolah agama, so terasa la stressnya. Sekolah kebangsaan ada proper parkings so xde la stress sgt. So dah jemput kembar, hantar gi mengaji pulak. Mujur satu taman ngan babysitter. Diorg dah turun, pegi amik Insyirah pulak. Pastu patah balik tempat mengaji.

6.45pm. Selalunya time ni kembar dah abis ngaji kalau x ramai org. So terus balik rumah. Sebelum masuk rumah, siram pokok2 dulu. Again, Insyirah menyebuk, so basah lencun la...huhuhu. Dah selesai, masuk dapur, tgk apa yg boleh dimasak dgn segera. Like malam tadi, just buat sup sayur dan goreng ikan sardin. Cukup la tu. 

8.00 pm: Maghrib dgn anak2...Insyirah pon sekali tau! Tapi tahan hati je la masa kita sujud tu kang dia kudakan kita la, kakak2 dia la....

8.00pm-10.00pm: Sambung buat keje2 rumah yg perlu....selagi Insyirah x merengek nak susu atau nak perhatian. I will give priority to her sbb kesian kan satu hari dia dok ngan org lain, balik rumah kita lak sibuk buat keje lain. 

10.00pm: Bedtime for everyone...walau kadang2 ada je lagi yg x boleh tido but light is off.

So that's the routine la for this week. Penat but I would try not to complain :). I imagine macam ni la hidup ibu tunggal or wife yg suaminya keje jauh. Semuanya kena buat sendiri. 

So why would I complain kan? Syukur diberi nikmat kesihatan, kasih-sayang, masa dan keselesaan untuk melakukan semua ini :)

Weighing-In Wednesday

70kg....

Bosan juga nak update WW bila berat x turun byk. Tapi teruskan juga la. But I noticed seluar longgar sikit la...betul kot somehow berat sahaja tak boleh jadi pengukur, kena tgk jugak loss inches.

This is what I have for today's bekal. Not much because this week jadual harian sgt hectic sbb cik HB is outstation. So saya berkejaran dgn masa nak meet up all the daily tasks.

I have walnut-broccoli-basil pesto whole-meal  pasta for lunch. I'm making that sbb teringin nak tau apa rasa walnut yg dikisar dgn sweet basil, raw broccoli, garlic, cheese and extra virgin oil. Well, xde la sedap sgt...rasanya typical tekak Melayu x leh terima kot. But out of curiosity, kena la try. Ada lagi 2 batch utk dimakan. So hadap la sampai habis....hahaha. 

Then muesli dgn susu HL for breakfast. Pagi tadi baru tgk kotak pembungkus dan perasan carb for 100g of this muesli aje dah 63.4g and sugar is 19.2g. Ni kalau ikut Atkins mmg fail la sbb Atkins allows 35g carb saja utk 1 hari meal. 

1 hari tau, bukan 1 meal!

But at least lebih baik than typical Malaysian breakfast kan? It's full of fibre and not empty carb. Cuma I guess x boleh la makan setiap hari. Kena alternate dgn pilihan lain jugak.

And this is what I had yesterday:

Typical salad mix dgn grilled dory fillet. Dory la pulak, jauh lagi murah dari salmon. Muesli jugak for breakfast dan honey dew for snack. 

It's About Hard Work & Determination, Not Just Luck!

Hari Sabtu lepas, we joined a BBQ picnic that was arranged by cik HB's male friends at work. 

Some of the friends' wives, I've already met them few times.

And one of them, let just call her Mrs. N, just one year younger than me, a working mum with 3 kids. I think I knew her since 2007 tapi sbb kami jarang sgt berjumpa, maka saya pon tak la rapat sgt dgn dia.

Saya sebenarnya akan jadi self-concious whenever  I meet her because she's so pretty and slim despite having 3 kids and busy lifestyle. She looks like she is in 20s instead of 30s. Apart from being a teacher, she is also an excellent baker who takes orders for cakes and breads and kerepek2 when requested.

So I thought how lucky she is, even with 3 kids, hectic schedule and yet she's so pretty and slim! It must be the luck!

But that Saturday, I braved myself, and asked her anyway, how come she get so lucky and be so slim and has skin so flawless? 

Mmg x malu langsung la I when I asked her....hehehehe

Lucky I asked, because she shared a lot of things!

And the first thing she said "I dah lama x makan nasi!"

So our conversation flowed....ckp la apa saja jenis diet, I guess she had tried most of them - Atkins, South Beach Diet, Low Carb.....

And ckp la apa saja the current trends of weight loss supplements, collagens - Bi-Young, Herbalife, Ephyra pon dia dah cuba!

And when it comes to skincare - rupanya2 dia pengguna SKII selama ini and just recently guna Tabitha sbb katanya SKII dah x do wonder to her skin. 

Bab ni I slow sikit la...I don't think I could ever afford SKII.....

Takpe la bab skincare tu, yg saya kagum adalah bab diet tu.

Tukang buat kek sedap2 and yet she omits carbs and sugar from her diet....kuatnya semangat!

She also wakes up at 5 am and does exercise tau! And she cooks food packs for her kids and her own food pack. 

Dinner, she cooks normal food i.e nasi and lauk pauk melayu, but she would eat her own food first (low carb), then only she would serve her family. So katanya, bila dia dah makan, dia dah x teringin la nak makan nasi and lauk-pauk.

This is the tips I like most, because dinner is when I would fall apart.

So Mrs. N is my current weight loss idol now....hehehe. She may never be an overweight person, let alone obese but her hard work and determination to keep her weight ideal is the best part.

I realize one thing, maybe all the pretty ladies I've seen around me and be jealous at, and think they are naturally, (without efforts) slim and pretty, actually make efforts to look how they look.

So, this what I say - it's about hard work and determination, and not just luck baby!

Bekal Hari Ini

These what I have for today's food pack.

There is cheese sandwich with whole-meal bread for breakfast. I'm still having grilled breast chicken salad coz that's what left in the fridge. The salad is a combination of romaine, sweet basil, tomato, red cabbage and grated cheese. Then the mix of raw almond and raisins for snacks.

Hari Ahad pagi, waktu saya ke Tesco nak beli sedikit groceries, saya noticed ada byk barangan yg dijual at reduced price. Saya agak jarang ke Tesco for groceries shopping sbb saya lebih suka ke Mydin. mydin pon takde la murah sgt, malahan semakin mahal tapi pilihan barang basah lebih byk di Mydin dibandingkan hypermarket lain. Maklum la saya tak banyak masa nak groceries shopping selalu so I have to go to one place where I can buy everything under one roof. 

Jadi saya borong semua romaine salad, sweet basil, fresh white button mushroom, and the Tuscany brown mushroom yg available on the racks. Takde la banyak, but I got 2 packs of romaine, 2 packs of sweet basil, 1 pack white mushroom dan 1 pek Tuscany mushroom. 

The fresh white mushroom and the Tuscany mushroom kalau dijual pada harga asal mmg x sanggup saya nak membelinya. Sgt mahal and not worth it. But yesterday, it was reduced more that 50% I believed. And even at reduced price, they still look reasonably good. So did the romaine and sweet basil. Takde la layu2 dan kering2 baru nak diturunkan harganya. In this case, saya salute sama Tesco. Maybe saya akan cuba jenguk Tesco selalu lepas ini utk dapatkan benda2 mcm ni at reduced price. 

Actually last weekend I planned to do a lot of things for my food plan. Ingatkan nak chop all the veges and keep in the fridge, marinate all the proteins stuff, pre-cook the quinoa and beans. So my mornings would be much easier with prepared ingredients. But weekend pulak banyak sgt hal, so x dpt la prepare apa2 sgt.

Takpe la, just usaha setakat yg mampu :)

Husband Yg Tak Romantik

Tadi saya baca Saiful Nang punya status in FB. Tentang dia terlupa tarikh ulangtahun perkahwinannya dan baru teringat selepas 5 hari and now is making justification why he has forgotten that important date.

Sweet dalam kelakar!

I'm sure isterinya tak jadi nak marah...hehehehe.

Baca la sendiri....

MENGAPA LELAKI SELALU LUPA TARIKH ULANGTAHUN PERKAHWINAN

Sudah 9 tahun rupanya. 10 Tahun dahulu ataupun 10kg yang lalu, saya bertemu dengan isteri saya ini di Cambridge University United Kingdom. Pengalaman mendayung (punting) di Sungai Cam sebagai seorang pelancong (saya) dan pemandu pelancong sukarelawan (isteri) selama 27 minit rupanya menjadi pemula kepada perjalanan kami yang menarik yang dah masuk 9 tahun. 

Saya selalu lupa tarikh anniversary. Kerana saya masih rasa seperti baru minggu lepas sahaja kami bernikah. Tarikh lahirnya juga sering saya lupa kerana saya rasa dia sentiasa kelihatan muda dan sama seperti semasa kami berjumpa kali pertama. Membelek foto-foto lama, barulah nampak perbezaannya. Barulah perasan, saya juga semakin tua bersama isteri saya. Kerana kami bersama-sama beriringan seharian, tak pula saya perasan saya dan dia sudah semakin tua. 

Minggu lepas seingat saya pada 9hb, isteri saya seperti berubah airmukanya dan kurang gembira. Lalu saya tanya "ada apa-apa masalah ke?" tapi dia gelengkan kepala dan terus menukar topik. 

Hari ini, baru saya sedar, itu berlaku kemungkinan kerana saya lupa ualngtahun perkahwinan kami yang ke 9. Setiap tahun, kami hanya beri ucapan sahaja tanpa ada hadiah ataupun keraian. Sekadar ingatan sahaja. Pada saya, 3 orang anak yang ada ini adalah hadiah terbesar dari isteri saya dan juga dari saya. 

Ramai lelaki yang terlepas pandang tarikh ulangtahun perkahwinan. Bukan kerana kita lupa cuma kita tak perasan dan ia terlepas setiap tahun. 

Saya selalu ceritakan kepada isteri saya semasa saya di Asrama Semai Bakti Felda Johor Bahru dahulu. Penggal pertama di sana, kalendar saya berpangkah-pangkah untuk menantikan hari balik kampung. 3 bulan sebelum balik kampung dah mengira hari. Itu tanda tak sabar-sabar nak balik. Saya tidak mengira-ngira berapa tahun saya kahwin kerana saya rasa saya tak mahu jadi orang yang tak menyabar untuk "balik" tetapi tidak pula saya kira berapa lama saya berada di asrama itu. Tapi perkahwinan ini satu perjalanan yang menarik dan saya tak tahu penghujungnya bagaimana. Saya tak mampu kira dan saya tak boleh kitanya sekadar hanya menikmati perjalanan itu dan kekal dalam perjalanan itu selama yang mungkin. 

Mungkin anda pun begitu. Bolehlah anda gunakan jawapan ini sebagai template kepada isteri anda . Saya juga sebenarnya selalu lupa hari jadi saya kerana saya rasa itu tak penting sangat berbanding bersedia untuk hari mati saya yang tak tahu lagi bila. 

Perjalanan saya dengan isteri ialah satu perjalanan yang jauh. Rasa taknak sangat tengok "remaining distance" yang tertulis di GPS. Perjalanan dengan pengalaman yang sangat menarik bersama isteri saya sangat bernilai dan saya tidak mahu dia berakhir dengan cepat. Sebab itu saya tidak mahu mengira tentang ulangtahun. 

Saya tidak tahu mengapa, apabila hari ulangtahun perkahwinan, kebanyakan pasangan meraikan nombor yang melambangkan tahun yang mereka telah BERTAHAN sebagai suami dan isteri. Saya pula sedih dengan pertambahan nombor itu bermakna pengurangan lagi jumlah hari dan tahun yang berbaki. Mungkin saya ni sewel, seorang disleksia mungkin berfikir menggunakan otak sebelah yang satu lagi. Itu sebab dia pelik.

Seperti masuk ke Disneyland dengan tiket 1 hari. Kalau boleh saya tak mahu tengok jam kerana nak main sepanjang masa. Tapi bila dalam mesyuarat dengan menteri, saya pula selalu tengok jam. Tak sabar nak habiskan meeting tu. 

It has been 9 wonderful years. To be exact 9 years+5 days we are married and I still feel like in honeymoon with 3 flower girls. 

Wife….I LOVE EWE!

SAIFUL NANG
Husband tak Romantik.

Bekal Hari Ini

I'm having grilled breast chicken salad for lunch, muesli ngan susu HL for breakfast dan mcm biasa Oat Crunch for snack.  

Breakfast with muesli mmg a bit boring tapi it's the healthy choice I made this morning walaupun saya ada goreng bihun putih utk breakfast dan bekal anak2.

The salad : ayam tu saya perap ngan sos Nando's Hot Peri2 dan simpan dalam fridge. Pagi ni saya grill kan aje dgn extra virgin olive oil. Then in the salad, ada romaine salad, nenas, tomato, timun dan kacang walnuts yg dipotong2. Ayam dipotong2, lepas tu letak je la atas salad2 tadi. Ada sikit grated cheese yg belum abis, tuang je semua on top of the chicken. 

Senang kan? Sapa pon boleh buat :)

Oat cruch with chia seeds tu pon saya dah bosan....ada lagi 2-3 pek lagi nak diabiskan. Pas ni kita tukar dan tambah pulak snacking choices. 

Garden Update (February 2014)

Dengan cuaca panas skrg ni , I think dah lebih sebulan kot kawasan Durian Tunggal ni tak hujan, sedangkan Durian Tunggal ni la area yg paling kerap hujan kalau dibandingkan dengan kawasan Melaka yg lain. So pokok2 harus la kena siram 2 kali sehari. 

Tapi takpe, I love doing it. Gardening dah become my daily therapy walaupun ditgh2 kesibukan keje dan urusan rumahtangga. Hari2 mesti nak jenguk pokok2, kot2 ada yg dah berbunga ke, dah tiba2 membesar ke...hehehe. 

Remember my previous post in January? Saya semai pokok2 tomato, red lettuce dan bendi. Sebelum balik KB masa CNY, saya sempat alihkan pokok2 semaian ke tanah dan pasu. Malangnya bila balik dr KB, red lettuce mati semuanya, tomato pulak tinggal sepokok aje dari 6 yg dialihkan. Cuma bendi saja yg hidup kebanyakannya. Sebenarnya saya dah minta adik saya yg tinggal dgn saya utk siramkan pokok2 sepanjang ketiadaan kami tapi agaknya dia pon sibuk keje jadi takde la menyiram consistently. Takpe la, anggap je la rezeki nak makan red lettuce tanam sendiri belum kesampaian :(.

Semalam tgk2, pokok labu saya dah berbunga!!! Pokok labu ni saya tanam in November 2013 secara x sengaja. Tapi dr 3 pokok, 1 pokok saja yg survived. Dan berkongsi patch dgn pokok kacang botor. Cik HB kata dia x yakin labu ni akan jadi buah tapi saya tak kisah pon. Dapat tgk bunga ni pon dah cukup happy tau! Cemana pon tetap berdoa moga2 dapat la ianya jadi buah sbb teringin nak rasa labu tanam sendiri. 

Dr blogger rakan2 berkebun, dikatakan musim panas ni pokok2 galak berbunga. So does my pokok sawi ni, x berenti2 berbunga. Dah banyak dah benih sawi saya kutip. Nanti bila ada masa nak buat clearance la kat area pokok sawi ni dan tanam batch baru.

Pokok ulam pegaga semakin galak pertumbuhannya. Dah dapat saya tuai hasilnya i.e makan ulam pegaga dipetik segar dr belakang rumah. Take note my pokok limau nipis yg dah saya cantas sbb asik berperang dgn ulat bulu. Tgk la samada ianya akan naik cantik balik ke tak....

Pokok pudina ni pon nampaknya naik dgn subur. Go, go you mints!!! Nanti kita boleh buat teh daun pudina :)

My second raised bed yg dah saya tanam dgn pokok pandan, sawi pak choy, bendi, tomato dan terung. Tomato hanya ada sepokok yg survived dr 6 yg dialihkan. Terung ada 2 pokok. Baru2 ni saya taburkan pulak benih2 bayam merah di area2 yg masih lompong. 

New treasures: 3 pokok yg saya beli dr nursery Sg. Buloh 3 minggu lepas - Pokok cili api, selasih, dan rosemary. Selasih tu hampir mati masa saya balik KB during CNY tapi mujur dpt diselamatkan. Sempat juga angkut pokok ulam sambung nyawa pemberian abg ipar dr KB. Sedap ulam sambung nyawa ni. Ada masa saya nak semai lagi pokok2 ni utk banyakkan stok. Ntah bila masa....

What would I do with my pokok kunyit ni? Abis daun2nya kena makan belalang. Tapi ubi2nya byk lagi dalam tanah tu. Saya ingat nak abis gunakan ubi2nya lepas tu tukar tanaman lagi dalam pasu ni. Dan cari tips cemana nak halang belalang x makan daun kunyit, baru saya tanam kunyit balik.

If you can peer closely, u can see anak2 pokok bayam merah dah mula bercambah. Saya campak je benih2nya dalam pasu ni sbb malas nak semai2. Anak benih bayam halus2 sgt.

I find this kangkung growth is very amusing. Dulu bekas ni saya isi separuh je tanah organic lepas tu sy semai kangkung. Masa tu bulan October. Pokoknya bercambah tapi x besar2 walaupun dah berbulan2. So potong2 semuanya tapi x buang dr bekas tu. Saya tambahkan tanah sampai penuh dan konon nak buat tempat semai ros jepun. Tup2 keluar pulak cik kangkung. Nampaknya membesar dgn elok. Tapi sikit je la. Takat buat rencah nasi goreng cukup la kot. 

My recent ahli in the garden. Pokok ros jepun...saya beli 2 pokok, satu bunga putih, satu bunga pink. Kerap juga berbunga. Terhibur hati tgk bunga2 dia :)

Weighing-In Wednesday

So, it's time to log in the weight!

It's 71kg....

Ada penurunan la jugak kan?

Never mind, don't give-up. Keep doing it. Sudah 2 pagi berjaya bangun awal dan buat 30-mins pilates. Sakit badan2....hahaha.

Today's bekal :

I have tuna sandwich with whole-meal bread for breakfast. Salad ala2 rojak mamak yg ada romaine salad, sengkuang, timun dan grilled tofu tapi bukan dgn kuah rojak but sos Nando's Hot Peri-peri! Kita pakai apa saja yg ada dirumah...hehehe. Dan oat crunch cookies for snacking.

Sekian. :)

Working Mum Vs. Stay-At-Home-Mum (SAHM)

I found an interesting article shared in FB.


The title:

A Letter from a Working Mother to a Stay-At-Home Mother, and vice versa

Dear Stay-At-Home Mum

Some people have been questioning what you do at home all day. I know what you do. I know because I’m a mum and for a while I did it too. 

I know you do unpaid work, often thankless work, which starts the moment you wake up, and doesn’t even end when you go to sleep. I know you work weekends and nights, with no discernible end to your day or working week. I know the rewards are joyous but few.

I know that you seldom have a hot cup of coffee or tea. I know that your attention is always divided, often diverted from a moment to moment basis, and you cannot ever count on completing a task in the one go. I know that you probably don’t get any down time when you’re on your own at home, unless you have a single child who still naps in the daytime.

I know the challenges you deal with daily, usually with no peer support or backup. The toddler tantrums, the toilet training accidents, the food battles, the food on the floor, the crayons on the wall, the sibling rivalry, the baby that never seems to stop crying. I know how the work seems incessant, like an endless cycle – you shop for food, prepare it, cook it, attempt to feed it to your children, clean it off the floor, wash the dishes, and repeat in three hours.

I know you fantasise about having an hour to yourself to eat your lunch in peace, or about having an afternoon nap. I know you sometimes wonder if it’s all worth it, and feel envious of your friends who are having coffee breaks at work. I know that sometimes when your partner gets home in the evening after his work is done, he wants to put his feet up exactly when you need a break the most, and this can bring you to tears. 

I know that you are misunderstood by so many who do not appreciate the difficulties of caring for small children on your own, all day, and refer to you as joining the “latte set”. They imagine you spend your day sipping coffee while your children play quietly. I know you miss your financial independence. I know you feel amused and sometimes annoyed when others proclaim “TGIF!” because to you every day is the same – there is no Friday, no break from your job. I know that many people do not understand that you work – you simply work an unpaid job at home.

SAHM, I don’t know how you do it. I admire your infinite patience, your ability to face each day cheerfully and bring joy into your children’s lives even when they wear you down. I admire your dedication to being a constant presence in your children’s lives even if it isn’t always easy. I admire the way you work without expecting any reward – no promotions, no fame, no salary. I know you want your children to feel important and loved, and SAHM, you do this the best.

I just wanted you to know that I understand. We’re both mothers. And I know.

Love from the trenches

Working Mum

Dear Working Mum

I know you sometimes get judged by others for leaving your children in the care of others to work. Some people imply that you don’t love your children as much as us SAHMs do, and that it’s best for children to be at home with their mothers.

How can they say this about you? I know you love your children just as much as any other mother. I know that going back to work was no easy decision. You weighed up the pros and cons, long before you conceived a baby. It has always been one of the most important decisions of your life. You thought about this even while you were in high school and were choosing subjects for Grade 11.

I see you everywhere. You are the doctor I take my children to when they are sick. You’re my child’s allergist, the one who diagnosed her peanut allergy. You’re the physiotherapist who treated my husband’s back. You’re the accountant who does our tax returns. My son’s primary school teacher. The director of our childcare centre. My daughter’s gymnastics teacher. The real estate agent who sold our house. What sort of world would it be if you hadn’t been there for us? If you had succumbed to the pressures of those who insisted a mother’s place had to be in the home?

I know you weigh up every job to see if it will suit your family. I know you wake up an hour before everyone else does, just so you can get some exercise done or some quiet time. I know that you have attended meetings after being up all night with your toddler. I know that when you come home in the evening, your “second shift” begins. The nay-sayers don’t understand that you run a household AND hold a job. You come home, cook dinner, bath your children and read them stories. You tuck them in and kiss them goodnight. You pay the bills, do the grocery shopping, the laundry, the dishes, just like every other mother does.

I know that you often feel guilty about having any more time away from your children so you sacrifice your leisure time. I know you can’t bring yourself to take a “day off” for yourself when your children are at daycare. I know you accept that work is your “time off” for now. I know that when you are at work you don’t waste a single minute. I know you eat your lunch at your desk, you don’t go out for coffee, and you show complete dedication and concentration to your job. You chose to be there after all. You want to be there.

I know how discerning you are about who is looking after your children, and that many long daycare centres offer excellent care. I know you only leave your children in a place where you confident they are loved and well looked after. I know that you spend many days caring for your children at home when they are sick, and sacrifice your pay. I know that you secretly enjoy these days, and revel in being able to be with your children.

I know that sometimes you feel guilty about not being there all the time. But WM, I know this. You are setting a wonderful example to your children. You are showing them that a woman can have a career, contribute in some way outside the home, and still be a loving mother. You are showing your daughters that they can do anything they want to do in life. You are displaying strength, endurance, dedication, tenacity, and you do it with so much joy and love.

I just wanted you to know I understand. Because we’re both mothers.

Love from the trenches

Stay-At-Home Mum

**********************************************************************************************************

I feel connected to this, cause dua2 pon saya pernah rasa. From a working mum, then a SAHM and now working mum again and soon maybe SAHM again as I'm working not on permanent-basis.

Dua2 pon ada cabarannya tersendiri.

Saya ingat dulu masa mula2 berhenti kerja dan duduk rumah jaga anak dan uruskan rumahtangga. It was stressful at first, feeling like I was not cut-out to be a SAHM. Saya pernah cerita kat SINI. Yes, being at home handling the kids and endless housechores can drives you crazy. But then, I started looking at the positive ways, and started enjoying the SAHM status. I could plan my time with housechores, created activities with kids, having sometime to do my morning walking when cik HB was at home, enjoying my cooking hobby. 

That was between 2008 while we were in Germany until we came back to Malaysia in 2011. Lepas tu another setahun being pregnant and delivered another baby in 2012. 

Then dapat job opportunity right after delivery. I am a working mum now hanyalah disebabkan keperluan ekonomi, otherwise I would just love to stay at home. I don't think I am someone who needs to keep a paid job to keep me sane. 

Being a working mum, you have to be good at juggling matters between things at work and at home. Kena fikir bila masa nak beli groceries, bila masa nak settlekan laundry, bila masa nak sit-down with kids and juga memberikan layanan kepada suami.

Well, whatever it is, give it a working mum or SAHM, we mothers would always try to the best for the family kan?

Amalan Pemakanan Sunnah

Overweight, hair loss, cracked heels, dull and dry skin, pimples on the back....

These are my common health issues recently...

Maybe it's part of aging process, maybe it's my non-healthy lifestyle, maybe the pollutions around us....

No doubt, there are a lot of food supplements in the market, promoting it's good for health and beauty but mostly are very costly and some are suspicious whether it's safe or not. Kadang2 saya sendiri pon tempted nak cuba2 the so-called collagens people said very good. Tapi bila ditanya harga....adoiiii....sepeket sehari itu berharga RM6-7 gitu...

Hmmmm....cancel mokcik nak beli!

Somehow, terjumpa video Ustazah Norhafizah Musa kat Youtube tentang amalan pemakanan sunnah yg membantu untuk menjaga kesihatan dan kecantikan. 

Most are using the natural elements...like habbatus sauda atau scientific name nya nigella sativa, is something I'm familiar with sbb dah mula ambil dr start breastfeeding sampai la skrg. Tapi saya ambil dalam bentuk capsule bukan minyak. Minyak kelapa dara pon penah amik dalam form capsule. Dah lama x makan sbb nak kena order online. 

I believe cost of buying all these makanan sunnah in their natural forms is much cheaper dari those yg dijual as MLM products. Takpe, nanti saya survey harga market macamana dan saya cuba dulu dan tengok macamana.

Tak berani la nak ckp besar that I won't try the collagens yg byk sungguh dipasaran skrg ni. If terjebak nanti, beli jugak kot....hahahaha

So yang dapat saya ringkaskan dari ceramah tersebut:

1. Bangun saja dr tidur, minum air suam sebanyak 625ml (lebih kurang 1 botol suku of botol mineral saiz kecil). Ini untuk membuang toksin2 dalam badan setelah badan melalui proses2 tertentu sewaktu kita tidur.

2. Kemudian ambil sesudu minyak zaitun.

3. Lepas minyak zaitun, ambil 2 sudu pati delima

4. Lepas tu campurkan 1 gelas air suam + 1 sudu madu + 1 sudu minyak habbatus sauda + minyak kelapa dara + za'faran beberapa helai. Kacau sebati lepas tu minum sampai habis. Lepas dah minum, tunggu 2 jam baru ambil sarapan. Disarankan ambil campuran di awal pagi.

5. Selepas sarapan, boleh amil sedikit cuka kurma. Sikit aje. Ianya membantu membuang toksin2 dalam makanan yg kita makan. 

6. Kulit kayu manis - buat sebagai snek harian. Pecahkan dalam serpih2an kecil dan buat mcm makan kacang. Ianya membantu menambah tenaga dan mengurangkan pening2. Kalau diambil waktu malam, akan menjadikan tidur yg berkualiti. Tapi cari yg asli. Yang jual kat Malaysia x cukup asli katanya.

7. Kacip fatimah - bagus utk kesihatan wanita. Tapi tidak disarankan ambil secara kerap sbb akan menjadikan kita terlebih aktif. Ambil selang sehari atau few times in a week. Juga dapatkan yg asli. 

Boleh tgk sendiri video ini utk dapatkan lebih pemahaman.

WW - Gaining not Losing!

We were in KB for 5 days CNY breaks. 

There, I lost the battle of food fight.....huhuhu and gained 2 kg.

2 kilosssssssssssssssssss

How easy to gain!

It was because I couldn't say no to Mek's homemade nasi kerabu, the morning breakfast of nasi berlauk, Che Wa's kuzi ayam, the amazing lauk-pauk bekwoh (kenduri kahwin),  the on-going food supply of Kelantan delicacies....

That bekwoh I went on Saturday had amazing buffet spread from ayam percik, gulai daging, kurma kambing, acar, ikan bilis berlada, pulut kuning, rendang, laksam, bubur kacang, wehhh...so much I couldn't remember all of it!

So yeah! I know I am still struggling over food control.

Just came back home last night, x sempat nak buat proper food pack, I ended up makan nasi lemak this morning.

We'll see my WW next week....would I be back on track?