Switch to Red Rice

As an Asian, rice is a staple in our diet. I used to remove carbs in my diet when I am trying to lose weight but I did not like its consequences in my body like I am very irritable and I noticed a significant amount of hair. I used to eat brown rice but I still gain weight no matter how intense my workout is. When I discovered red rice, I was amazed that I still lose weight and I gained muscle mass without sacrificing my cravings for rice. It is said that red rice has a higher fiber content compared to other varieties that aids in digestion. It is also said to have a higher protein content. As long as one workouts regularly then I can attest from my own experience that having red rice actually helps in weight loss.

 

Other benefits can be found on this site: http://www.health-benefits.info/2012/01/benefits-of-red-rice-for-health.html

What are you waiting for? Switch to red rice!

 

The Philippine Economy Grew by 5.9% for Q2 2012

I was actually happy to learn that the economy grew by 5.9% for Q2 2012. I am just hoping that the stock market would take this news positively.

 

Shorter Workouts

I decided not to renew for the moment my data plan with my mobile service provider. I really do not need that data plan anyway because all I do is tweet and chat on whatsapp the whole day. I normally workout for three hours in the gym but I noticed that I only did it for two hours today and I completed my routine. I realized that the extra one hour I spent on the gym was due to my tweeting and chatting on whatsapp. Ok, I really need my phone since I am on-call at work and I store all my music files on my phone so I can’t really not be without it for a long time. Now, I have an extra hour to either sleep or do additional cardio.

 

Never lend someone money so that they could pay their bills

Someone I just met twice in my entire life tried to borrow 125 USD/ 5000 PhP from me because she needs to pay her bills. I actually did not reply to her when she sent me the message but I was actually bothered that she came to me instead of her friends. It turned out that she was already has several loans from her friends and she was not actually paying them that her friends are already mad at her for not paying. She does not even havea job or is even trying to find one It’s a good thing I really don’t know her so I am not really going to lend her money.But there are times that even our closest and trusted friends might borrow money from us and not actually pay us back.

You just need to lend someone money if you know them very well and trust that they’ll pay you back. Also, never lend someone money so that they could pay their utility/credit card bills, I can assure you there is less than 1% probability that they’ll pay you back.

 

Yummy Dinner!

I was supposed to eat the vegetables leftover from last night’s dinner but someone ate it. I also could not find the frozen vegetables I left in the freezer (I might have eaten this one but I could not remember), so I ate whatever was available in the house. I ate Galunggong or whatever the name of the fish. Anyway, I had a cup of red rice, apple juice, green tea and a piece of banana with the fish.

I have been a committed pescetarian for the past five months. I really make it a point to eat mostly vegetables but if I have no choice like tonight, then I will eat anything that came from the sea or river as long as it has no legs.

 

Spinning European Art Film

I was actually looking through some spinning videos on YouTube because I failed to go to the gym today and I opted to workout at home. When I found something that seems nice, I rode my bike and played it. It turned out to be some sort of European Art Film created by a belgian user that calls himself Spinridder. I actually finished the one-hour video because the music selection is great since I am a big fan of Techno/House music. Not sure though if it was Tiesto’s work. The video plus the music is quite relaxing while spinning, of course it would be better to workout using more powerful music but I already did a one hour bodycombat workout before spinning. By the way the video title is Spinning – Journey of Souls. Here’s the link:

Ok time for me to do my crunches.

 

No interest in the theory of interest

I have a mathematical and IT background but I was already interested in Finance even when I was younger. I was already watching the Business Channels back when I was 9 years old (particularly Bloomberg and Asia Business News-now a part of CNBC). I just love watching the stock market indices and the currencies going up or down. I know that it is about people making money if they do the right trade but I never really knew anything more about it. I even read the business section first of online news portals. I wanted to major in Mathematical Finance back then but I lost interest after taking up a Theory of Interest class. I just decided to major in the abstract world of Pure Mathematics and functional analysis.

I actually lost interest in the financial world after college since I entered the academe. After obtaining my Master’s degree in Pure Mathematics, I decided to get a breather and join the Corporate world first to be sure if the academic life is for me. I was accepted in an IT Company and worked there from 2008-2011. I transferred to a Financial Institution’s IT company in 2011 and I was assigned at the Securities Group. I learned a lot about trading and understood a lot of things because of the less bookish and formal approach to concepts though I quit that job after 11 months since I really do not like the IT stuff that I am doing there. I transferred to another IT firm and enrolled at the PhD Mathematics program of my University. I still watch CNBC and Bloomberg everyday and I now have a better understanding of how the financial world works.

I now have the tools and knowledge on how to play the finance game for my money grow. I don’t think I would pursue Financial Math even if I were given the choice to go back in time. I would still prefer Pure Mathematics.  There are some things that you can learn even outside the classroom if you really are interested.

 

I workout at home

I workout everyday between 2-3 hours or even more during weekends. I know it’s not advisable but I eat around 5,000-6,000 calories on a daily basis and I just don’t want to gain weight. Well, if I don’t eat that much I would have been underweight a long time ago. Anyway, I do my cardio and weight training on an alternating basis. Most of the time I just do my cardio at home if I woke up late or if I just don’t feel to go to the gym but I really make it a habit to go to the gym to do some weight training. Yesterday was supposed to be my weight training day but I got a call from the office to work on something (Yes on a weekend! But I love my work so it doesn’t matter even if I worked on a weekend and my gym membership is free because it is one of the perks at work!) . I was working the whole day and finished at around 9PM (the time the gym closes on weekends) so I had no choice but just did an hour of spinning, an hour of bodycombat (thanks to youtube), push-ups and crunches on my room. I just did that so that I can tell myself that I worked out. But of course, I have already planned before that I wanted to do some weight training yesterday and my rhythm got mixed up so I did some weight training today at the gym.

I had some dumbells and a bar a couple of years ago but I am not sure where I placed it when we moved to a new place. I have been contemplating for some time now if I should get the Bowflex Dumbbells. I think it’s around 350 US Dollars(14,000 Pesos). I am sure that I will use it if I buy it as my spinning bike could attest.I tried the one that my friend has and I enjoyed the fact of just turning the knob changes the weight of the dumbbells. Actually, I can do some weight training using my body weight but I really am having difficulties with my biceps and triceps which I would like to increase in size.

                                                               (Photo Courtesy of Bowflex)

I would also like to buy a TRX kit but I would like to hire a trainer first to check on my form.

(Photo Courtesy of TRX)

 

One of the reasons that I bought the spinning bike besides loving spinning classes is that I took a gym membership that I am only allowed 10 visits per month at 30USD (my former employer ha no gym benefits and now my gym membership is free thanks again to our Work-Life Balance benefits of my current employer). I’ll just buy it when I already have to pay again for my gym membership and if it seems more economical to have them at home instead of getting a full gym membership.

 

 

Oh a Frog!

I am currently trying to transition to a Vegetarian diet and I have ruled out the possibility of becoming a Vegan in the near future (since I am still in love with dairy products!). I actually love eating Tofu and I could live the rest of my life just eating tofu as a source of protein but the problem is I have a family history of Arthritis and tofu has a high uric acid content so I need to control my soya/tofu intake. I am still a pescetarian and I am fine with that but I just love this fish so much that I have to find alternative protein sources:

(photo courtesy of Disney)

Anyway, earlier during family dinner my parents cooked Chicken. I really love eating chicken before and I was really tempted to eat chicken as well. It’s a good thing that chicken wings resembled something that might haunt me for the rest of my life. Back in June, my friends and I went to Shanghai to visit a friend celebrating her birthday. We ate our dinner at a particular restaurant (Chinese of Course!). Some of my friends know how to speak Mandarin but none of us could read the Chinese Characters. It was a good thing (or maybe not )that this restaurant has English translations available in their menu. I had to order something that is pescetarian friendly so I ordered their seafood soup. I was actually enjoying the soup when I noticed something different. I actually found this:

(not the actual photo. photo courtesy of forums.egullet.org)

I was shocked and stopped eating at that point. I actually eat snails (escargot as the french call them) and egg embryos (balut as we Filipinos call them) since I grew up eating them before I turned pescetarian. I am not actually that adventurous with food. So I guess, I should have asked first what was inside the soup or at least my friends who spoke Mandarin. I love Shanghai and I plan to visit again soon but I should ask next time what is inside their seafood soup.

So now every time I see any chicken dish, it just reminds me of the frog legs in the soup.

(photo courtesy of Sesame Street)

 

Spinning Workout

I was never really into group exercises but last year while working out at Gold’s Gym Intercontinental Hotel, a trainer approached me and asked me if I could join the new spinning class with a new Instructor. I just said yes since I was just using the elliptical machine that time since all the treadmill were occupied. I always thought that spinning was not that challenging but I was proven wrong! I was already sweating after five minutes and I almost gave up after ten minutes. Only four people attended the class so it will really be embarrassing if I quit. I just tried hard to pull through and thankfully the music selection was great. My lower body felt sore for a couple of days and it was then I realized that I had a great workout. I attended the classes when I had the time. When my treadmill was broken last year, I opted to buy the spinning/cycling machine since it occupies less space. I still have no Idea how it is called or may just call it a stationary bike but the stationary bike looks more fancy. Now every time I could not go to the gym for any particular reason, I just make it a point to at least do a 30-45 minute spinning workout if I am pressed for time or do a 1.5 hour workout if it is my Cardio day. I just make sure that my spinning track list contains the songs that I love and just follow the beat and increase the intensity for slower beats.

Here is my Current Track List:

1.Level-Avicii

2. Get Outta My Way- Kylie Minogue

3. Take Over Control – Afrojack featuring Eva Simons

4. Kickstarts- Example

5. Lights- Ellie Goulding

6. Starships- Nicki Minaj

7. Fire – Avicii

8. Scream -Usher

9. How Far We’ve Come- Matchbox Twenty

10. Walking in Memphis – Master Blaster

11. Only the Horses – Scissor Sisters

12. Loud- Technoposse

13. How We Do- Rita Ora

14. Hello – Martin Solveig

15. Hit and Run – Breathe Carolina

16. Turn Up the Love- Far East Movement

17. Good time- Owl City

18. Pound the Alarm – Nicki Minaj

19. Hot Couture – Manila Luzon

20. The Boy Who Murdered Love – Diana Vickers

Since Spinning concentrates on the lower body and core muscles,  I usually follow it up with a couple of sets of push-ups, back exercises and crunches just to exercise the other parts of my body.

Here is my spinning bike (it cost me 300 US Dollars/ 12000 Pesos):

I would really recommend anyone who would like to buy a cardio machine to buy a spinning bike and attend a couple of classes just to learn the basics and to have the proper form.