I’m still in one piece. I went back to the gym today, a month late after a lot of planning. Since the baby has started eating solid food, I thought I’d start not to go home during my lunch break and instead go to the gym. I’ll start three times a week.

I missed the adrenaline rush, the healthy glow of my skin after exercise and how light I felt. And most of all, honestly? I miss having a lighter frame, flatter tummy. It’s almost unbelievable how hard work gave me great progress before I got pregnant.

Now I can’t even look at my mid-section without sighing in disbelief. But of course, no one’s fault but mine alone. I’ve used pregnancy, child birth and breast feeding extra calorie allowance as my excuses. Shame on me.

So I am back to where I was in 2010. I am doing this for myself, most especially for the bulk of clothes that do not fit me anymore and for my wallet that scream: “Oh no, don’t shell out money for those bigger sizes!”

After my first body weight routine (my favorite type of workout) today, I realized that I lost the strength I had when I was physically active. My knees trembled and I could only manage a few pushups. And tomorrow, it’s going to hurt.

So all was well, no one had to call and ambulance or something but of course, being a magnet of bad customer service, I was greeted by the gym staff with “Whoa, you really got fat, madame!”

Ah, whatever.

* Hapari International—a leading provider in swimwear and swimsuit accessories provided this guest post.*

Let’s face it: most of us hate crunches. But, in a desire that conflicts sharply with our crunch-phobia, most of us do want to rock the beach this summer looking great in a great looking swimsuit.

If this accurately describes your situation, have no fear. There are a number of effective, core-strengthening, crunch-free exercises that you can engage in three or four times a week that will tame your tummy and help you get in shape just in time to pull on your new tankini.

The Plank

You may already be familiar with this exercise from your Pilates class, but did you know that the plank is one of the most effective ways to target your abdominal muscles?

To do this exercise, use an exercise mat or other area that gives you enough space to allow you to stretch out without your shoes sliding around. Also make sure that the surface will be comfortable enough for you to support your weight on your hands and forearms.

• Lie flat on your stomach with your legs outstretched.
• Bring your hands together in front on you to form a triangle shape, and rest your weight on your forearms with your elbows bent at a 90? angle.
• Raise yourself onto your toes, keeping your back flat.
• Try to keep your shoulders and hips lined up. You don’t want your hips to be too high in the air or too close to the ground.
• Hold the position for 30-120 seconds.
• Come down and rest for around a minute. Repeat the move 3 or 4 times.

For added variety and difficulty, once you are in position, try slowly a leg off the floor and holding same the position with only one leg.

Wood Chop

Twisting moves challenge multiple core muscles by moving your body through a range of motion that you just don’t get with regular crunches. The wood chop exercise can be done with or without weights.

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart or sit on an exercise ball.
• If you are using weights, grasp a five or ten pound dumbbell with both hands, one hand at each end. If not, clasp your hands together.
• Raise your arms above your head to the left side, keeping your feet in front of you and twisting your torso from the middle so that you create a diagonal line across your body.
• Moving your arms across your body and down so that your hands end by reaching toward the outside of right foot, with your torso twisting in the opposite direction. Keep good form by keeping your chest up and your shoulders back.
• Slowly return to the original position. Repeat this move 8-12 times and then switch to the right side.
• Do 2-3 sets for each side.

The Matrix

The matrix exercise targets the same core muscles as regular crunches and is much more enjoyable for most people.

• Stand or kneel with your legs at shoulder-width.
• Hold a 5-10 pound dumbbell or medicine ball in front of you between your chest and abs.
• Slowly lean back as far as you can go, being sure to engage your abs to hold your weight.
• Hold the position for a few seconds before returning to the original position.
• Do about 15 reps and 2-3 sets.

As with other exercises, be sure to check your form for each exercise to maximize your results. Consult with your doctor, especially if your experience any unusual pain.

Be sure to have fun with these three effective crunch-less core exercises. Keep at it, and you will be ready to hit the beach in no time.

Photo credit

It’s been two weeks since my father’s accident. I am happy to report that he is back on his feet, living normally and not showing any signs of physical trauma except for a big black bruise on his left thigh. No pain anywhere, just as good as new. Except for the occasional mental downturn that happens to trauma patients, it’s like nothing happened at all that fateful Saturday night in February 26.

While my father had been lucky it was NOT a major accident as we feared it to be, we still believe his injuries could have been worse if he was sedentary, overweight and having hypertension.

Studies have shown that people who are physically active and exercise regularly prior to say, a stroke or an accident recover more quickly. They are likely to have milder impairments too.

A brain that generally has good blood and oxygen flow from aerobic exercise will be in a better position to compensate for neurological deficits.

Papa had been a tennis junkie for thirty years. He would play 2-3 times a week for a full day until he retired from his day job and since last July 2010, he had been practically ‘living’ in the tennis court, going just after sunrise, spending time playing tennis with his fellow retirees, coming home at dinner. He comes home with a huge load of wet clothes and mom would often nag him before as to why he can’t get enough of the game but now, my mom is thankful my father did what he did. It might just be one of the factors that saved his life!

At the time of the accident, at 61 papa was agile, had a blood pressure of a healthy 30 year old, alert, flexible and his cells are used with reconstructing damage.

In short, regular exercise pays off. Let’s get moving!

* I chose that illustration photo because my father’s feet look like that.

You know you’ve fallen off the diet and fitness wagon when you come back from a short holiday (where you indulged too much), hug your daughter and she says while touching your belly:

“Mom, are you pregnant?”

Yes, I’ve had too much of the good things in Thailand but I won’t stress about it too much. Everything was too good to pass on – the fresh fruits and vegetables, coconuts, seafood. It’s not like everyday I am on a holiday, right? And besides, even if I did gain weight, at least I only ate natural food, nothing synthetic or processed.

I am of course, just trying to appease myself.

I’m going to Thailand tomorrow and there will be a beach trip. It’s not like I am not excited about it but unfortunately, I am not in the best beach shape. No where near it at all. If you have seen me in person, you will say I am not being vain.

I knew about this trip since December and I tried hard to at least look decent or be a little bit appealing in the pictures. Not appealing to anyone but to myself. I hate looking at myself in the photos because it’s not what I’ve expected with respect to the efforts I am doing. I should have a less rounder face, slimmer waist line, less bloated appearance, looser jeans, less muffin top. But…

I was on medication that invites bloating, weight gain…and then my father came to visit me last week which meant lots of eating out. No, I don’t want to put my father to blame nor the medicines but you get my drift.Right now, I feel like I will never see the day when I can be on a beach outfit and smile because I am genuinely happy.

But the inevitable will come and I will be leaving tomorrow night.

Oh and the pic? Black has magical powers to make people look ‘better’ (aka smaller) than they really are.

It’s the first Saturday of February. January went off like the wind. I hope your New Year’s resolutions (NYR) did not go with it! You know the most popular NYR – to lose weight. I don’t know about you but it is mine (still), an ongoing journey until the next new year comes.

I’ve had my low motivation days but I’m happy to report that I am still watching what I eat and exercise at least 5 times per week. Am I losing weight? I guess I’ve come to terms with my weight and though I would really like to lose some more, I won’t sulk if I don’t.

I am eating well (at least 80%+ of the time), moving my body often and at times intensely enough I can’t even talk for 30 seconds (LOL) so I am still on track. And I’m feeling great and alive! Somehow that is a greater achievement than obsessing about losing weight.

How’s your New Years resolutions?

Photo credit

Who’s running here and there shopping and getting ready for the holidays? Who’s wishing there’d be that magic 25th hour to be spent on me time and exercise? I see you. You and you and you. And me too!

The holidays and the final month of the year is nothing but crazy stuff. Who has time to exercise or go to the gym!?

Very few, maybe.

But who has time to sit and eat calorie-laden, sinful holiday food?

All of us.

The holidays and the lack of movement can only one thing: weight gain. But good news is, holiday weight gain doesn’t have to happen.

Truth is you can lose belly fat at home over the holidays, no matter how busy you are. Craig Ballantyne created the PERFECT SYSTEM of no-equipment bodyweight workouts and powerful fat burning interval training to help youburn belly fat over the holidays. Men’s Health magazine has endorsed Craig’s workouts for over 10 years now, and now it’s time for you to experience the powerful fat burning results from Turbulence Training.

Another good news is, Craig is offering his workouts at 75% off! At only $17.00 you will get:

1. Turbulence Training 31 Intervals Workout – 31 short interval workouts that burns fat like it’s nobody’s business!
2. TT Bodyweight Cardio 3 – NO-equipment bodyweight workouts
3. TT Bodyweight Cardio 1000 – a 1000 rep bodyweight challenge workout
4. 30 Days free in the TT Member’s area – You get to hang around positive people sharing the same journey with you!

1-3 are structured, short burst, less time exercises you can do at home.

At only less than $20, you can get the proven fat burning system, structured exercises you can do at home, anytime using your own bodyweight. No more excuses like, “I have no dumbbells…” or “It’s snowing, I can’t drive to the gym…”

Burn belly fat at home <<<—- Sale ends on Thursday, 9th December 2010.

The sale runs from today 7th December 2010 to Thursday, 9th December 2010. It won’t last forever but the fat we’ll be accumulating during the holidays will if we don’t do anything about it! Let’s Burn fat at home, now.

I’ll be mostly exercising from home this month since my mom won’t be here so I’ll be with Pristine during my usual gym time at lunch time to feed her! (She’ll be in the care of a friend living near my office) 

We can do this! We don’t have to be fat during the holidays like it’s a normal thing!

My indoor runs using a treadmill has seen some progress. I’ve been clocking less than 24 minutes (23:58 to be precise) for a 3 kilometer run so I thought I really need to try the real track outside to see how it is. I’ve always known that running inside is easier than running outside since there are no factors like the sun, wind and the hard pavement pounding on the knee joints. Alas, I was right.

The weather was perfect last Friday so we went out to run in the new park near our house that has a 1345 meters oval track. It’s a rubberized track so it’s friendlier to the joints. I gave it a go and the hubs waited for me in the start/finish line with a timer in his hand. I gave it my best but it was hard! I ran further to 1500 m to complete half of the 3K and had 14 minutes and 35 seconds. That would mean, running on the same pace, I’ll complete the 3K in about 29 minutes.  I was running and walking alternately though I wish I could run it entirely. See what I mean with running outside is so much harder!

I’ll go again on Friday and beat my previous time.

On the other hand, my husband tried to run the track too. Take note that this is the guy who does not exercise AT ALL, have no food restrictions in his diet and even sleeps waaay later than I do! He was even wearing slippers not running shoes.

He ran 1500m in 9 short minutes.

How did that happen? I can only assume because he is so thin, he didn’t have to really run but was carried by the wind!

I’ve been away for really long – last blog post being 5 days ago! Well, I had three days off from Mon-Wednesday this week but was back to work on Thursday. I attempted to blog but my post-holiday work schedule didn’t allow. 

Today is Saturday so I’ll post something about fitness. I didn’t go to gym for three days but thankfully, my friend Rose came to visit me and introduced me to Zumba, a fusion of Latin and International music that creates a dynamic, exciting and fitness system. I am hooked!

I love the way it makes you forget about the time. In other words, you (almost) won’t know you are exercising. There are several videos in YouTube, those having sexy moves like a typical Latin dance involving hips and belly movement:

as well as like this, one of my favorites, incorporating modern dance. Looks easy? Try it and tell me it’s not a good and fun cardio workout (you can do at home)!

By the way, my running project is still on track and I ran 3K last Thursday and clocked 25:19. I wasn’t happy with it since I aimed for 24 minutes but it was a little bit better than the last run at 26:03 so I guess, I’ll cut myself some slack. Next run will be tomorrow, I hope to at least get 25 minutes (or less).

What are you up to this weekend?

I’m fighting with my thoughts as I write this. It’s either I’m shy to reveal it or that I’m afraid of being jinxed but I’ll tell everyone anyway because it been something I really wanted to do all my life.

I’m planning to participate in the Dubai Marathon 2011 on January 21, 2011*.

There. I feel I just removed a ton of weight on my shoulders. But wait, hold your horses, I will NOT run a full marathon of 42.195 kilometers. I’m not that crazy, YET. In all aspects of life, baby steps right? RIGHT. I’m going to run the 3K fun run.

BIG Laugh.

The thing is, I can do a lot of things, I can even multitask and work better under pressure but one thing I am very incapable to do is RUN. I am slow that if zoombies attack, I swear I’d be the first one to get bitten. Plus, I tire very easily. I like the idea of running, not being out of breath for merely a few meters and man, I envy those running bodies and who wouldn’t want to survive a potential zoombi attack in case it happens?

 This has been something I really wanted to do for the longest time so I am finally doing it so I can remove it from my ‘things to do before I die’  list.

I started recording my run times since the beginning of this month, running 3 kilometers three times a week. I started with 28:30 – I don’t know if that is good or bad but all I know is, I walked more than I ran. And my goodness how my legs hurt at night!

The last run I did clocked 26:03 so time-wise, I am improving. My goal is 3 kilometer for 20 minutes or under until the end of November.  Can I make it?

* Dubai Marathon registration is now open and will close on 31st December 2010. I’d be happy to see you there!