Running up the hill and the green eyed monster

I really care about my body.I may not be drop-dead gorgeous and I may not have Angelina Jolie's body but I'm very contented with what I have. So, that is why I really love to stay healthy and get fit. Many people said that I'm too vain, maybe...but I have my reasons.

When I stayed fit and healthy, I feel more energetic throughout the day and I'm always in a good mood. My body type retains water and fat easily so I have to work out constantly. Besides, working out has become like a drug to me because if I don't work out, I feel uncomfortable and heavy.

Back then, when I work out, I aimed to be thin. But now I have healthier goals. I aim to be slim by building more lean muscles which can be achieved through Pilates and dumbells. Before this, I diet by eating less and concentrate on Cardiovascular exercises such as running and jogging. Yup, I lost the weight, but I also became quite skinny and flat.

I believe women should have some meat on, so after doing some research and taking tips from health magazine, I found out certain exercise can help you to have a nice booty like Beyonce even if your booty is flat and can even firm up boobs and make it to appear 'nicer'. For example Nicole Scherzinger. The tip to this is to do some strength-training with a dumbells, resistance band, fitness ball etc concentrating on certain muscles on the body. I suggest reading the link I provided below because I find it to be really useful. I tried it and I can already feel the results.

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/gabbyguide/12379/tone-all-over-with-dumbbell-circuit-training/;_ylt=ApcWB7k8.OKC4EhGqbJ23PVLvs8F

So, to really have the body you want. There are 3 main steps involves.

1) Cardiovascular exercise like running, swimming, aerobics classes(to shed that extra fat)

2) Strength/Weight training to sculpt your body and build muscles ( muscles burn more fat)

3) Healthier diet. Don't diet by not eating. That's more dangerous because your metabolism will

slow-down. Eat healthy snacks every two-hours, like apples, yogurt....(oreo is a no-no) to

increase your metabolism and do not eat anything after 7-8pm( this is quite difficult for me because I love to grab at bite late at night, but I'm trying my best to do this). Don't forget to drink lots of water.

So, since I 'menganggur' a very long time at home with nothing to do, I have all the time in world to 'jaga badan'. I experimented with many kinds of exercise so that I am not bored. Sometimes when it's raining and I can't jog, I replace jogging/running with skipping or sometimes I even borrowed my sister's roller-blades. If I'm bored with all the exercises, I just turned the music really loud(on the mp3 player) and started dancing and jumping like crazy alone in the bedroom in front of the mirror while holding the dumbells. I think it's a good work out for me and it's fun. I also tried all the Pussycat Dolls and Shakira dance routine.

I may not be very successful at it but I have lots of fun and I sweat!!

Right now, my favourite exercise is to run up a very, very steep hill. If drive manual car pun kena tukar ke gear 1. It is very difficult, I feel like my chest will explode and I am out of breath. My stamina is quite good, so I force myself to do as many as I can. When I'm at the top, I will go down, and run up again. I love it because I can feel the muscles at my thighs and butt working really hard, even the muscles at my abs.

Don't expect me to have a Beyonce's body yet, yeah. Because I also lapsed sometimes. I still like my bread and creamy butter, I still eat junk food like super ring, I like burgers and nasi lemak. I haven't give up on that yet. But I tried to eat in moderation.....but sometimes fail because that day I ate 2 nasi lemak kukus bought at the pasar malam. There goes my running. sia-sia je. Hehe.

We all have our weak points right? But I'm trying my best to curb my hearty appetite.

Warning: For those who just started exercise, beware, you will become really hungry and

feel like can swallow a cow whole at the beginning

When I first started my strength training, I give in to my appetite and I end up gaining more weight and become quite bloated. I thought if I do lots of exercise, then I'm free to eat as much as I can, Guess what, I am so dead wrong. I end up heavier than before I started the weight/strength training.

But now I understand my body better. I eat in moderation now. Instead of eating 6-8 pieces of bread, I reduced it to 2-3 pieces. When I'm hungry late at night, I munch in apples, sengkuang(good for the skin), raisins and drink warm milk. Usually I do not eat rice, in a week, makan sekali seminggu pun susah, but since I started exercising seriously and almost every day. (6-7 times a week), I eat rice everyday, at least once daily because I need the energy to run, If I don't fuel my body, how can I run right? But just remember to eat moderately.

Honestly, I can feel and see the difference of my body. I feel stronger, happier, and I can still fit my old pants 8-10 years ago. I am not stick thin, don't get me wrong. But I'm slimmer with body fats and meat at all the right places ( almost!) Yea girls, I do the butt workout exercise, some shoulder press and arms workout. But nobody's perfect right? I still have some problematic area on my body and I'm working on it.

Anyway, I'm quite scared right now, because I will start working by 1st feb and I'm scared I have no time to exercise and I will gain fat/weight. So, one of my new year resolution is to always find time to exercise. Even if there's no time, make time. I hope I can keep to this.

Besides, there's some alterations in my future plans, I don't think I will get married this year, and I'm not getting any younger, so I have to maintain my body. I want to be a beautiful bride you see...hehe. Still, even if I'm married with children, I hope I can maintain my body.Besides it's for my husband, dapat pahala kan? I hope I can be like Heidi, even pregnant 4 times, post-pregnancy body mmg wow!! lucky Seal. We can dream big right? But I believe when there's will, there's a way. I just want to be fit and healthy so that maybe in the future I can even go jogging with my teenage sons and daughters. Yea, yea.... dreams...

The reasons I write this post is I want to share my exercise journey. I envy the naturally slim, skinny, thin girls but not anymore. I used to envy those who eats a lot but does not gain weight. I am a horrible green eyed monster. But I found out and I want to prove to everyone that even though I gain weight easily, with the right exercise and nutrition, I can still be slim and slightly voluptuous. People comment on my weight all the time because it fluctuates, and it became really painful when the "oh, you gain weight, " came from thin, skinny girls, who claimed they can't put on weight even though they tried everything. Not to mention the skinny girls are now happily married, or just gave birth a month ago and they're still thinner than you....... I have the right to be jealous right? But honestly, I don't blame them( there are a few girls in this group that I met that gave the exactly same comment) because I think maybe they all meant well or they are just trying to joke around. I just have to work on my insecurities. At least good things came from all of that, because it motivates me to take exercise seriously and look at me now... I may not be the next Victoria's Secret Model but I am fit and healthier than ever.

So that's it. Maybe some of you will roll your eyes reading my post but this is me and this is a part of myself, whether you like it or not.

Before I end, I would like to thank Dima Marlina because she gives me lots of advice on strength/weight training and tell me the importance of it to tone the body.