1) HUSTON, WE HAVE A FAT PROBLEM.....

I was a chubby baby and had many cousins, aunties and uncles who loved to carry me around.  


My mom once told me that they would fight over whose turn it was to carry me! You see, I was the first grandchild and first niece to be born to the clan. Who could blame them? I had a mop of black hair, round cheeks and a button nose. Well have a look at my baby photo and you be the judge. 

My childhood years were memories of chocolates, sweets, cakes -all yummy stuff.  My aunties and uncles were constantly feeding me.  Maybe in their mind, a chubby toddler equals cute healthy baby.  Go figure! 

Luckily, the baby fat melted away when I was a preteen. It could be that my cousins and I chase each other a lot, jump rope and play 'Champion'. 



In primary school, I played second shooter in Netball.  In lower secondary, I tried Basketball.  I did not have the aptitude for running or jumping with the ball.  Alas, the ball runs away from me instead.  So I dropped the game.  Volleyball on the other hand does not need much running except that my wrists swelled up. That was a painful experience.  I moved on to Ping Pong thinking that it was a simple enough sport to master.  Wrong! It was deceptively simple and tricky.  Finally, in secondary school, I settled for Badminton. Maybe my dad's enthusiasm for the game rubbed off on me. He was an avid player and fan.  I borrowed his Carlton Racquet and played with my friends every Saturday.  He did not allowed me to use the Yonex Racquet which was as light as a feather because it was more expensive.  When I graduated, I was a slim young girl.

Shortly after graduation, I found a clerical job.  Still in my teens,  I ended up moving up the corporate ladder in the same company for the next 28 years.  What can I say? I was a loyal employee.   

In my twenties, I found love, married and had three babies.  Fast forward 23 years.  When I looked in the mirror I see an all rounded body and an even rounder face staring back. I've turned into an overweight forty something young woman. Where did the slim young girl go?  

Young, you say? In my book, reaching forties with no facial wrinkles is still young. I may not be a spring chicken but my skin still has some spring left in it.  Being overweight does stretch the facial skin so the wrinkles are kept at bay.  The downside is unsightly stretch marks in the thighs, buttocks and tummy. Well, you can't have everything.

I stopped exercising after giving birth to my third child.  The weight gained seemed impossible to shed and I also injured my knee from a bad fall. I became demotivated.  In other words, lazy. The irony is that the exercise center was just a stone throw away from my office.  Well, it was downhill from then on.  Climbing the corporate ladder became my main focus.  I was diagnosed to have borderline hypertension in my early forties. Coupled with weight gain and work related stress, it did not come as a surprise to me.  A normal healthy blood pressure is 120/80.  I was hovering at 140/90 which in medical terms is, borderline high blood pressure. Please click on the link if you wish to find out more.

Then in my late forties, the result of my Lipid Profile blood test showed that my LDL level was high. My doctor put me on cholesterol pills.  By now, I had constipation, water retention and  stomach bloating which is common in overweight individuals.

These symptoms are mainly caused by stress, no exercise and 

poor diet.

If you are still actively exercising, eat a healthy diet and managing 

stress well, I congratulate you.  What about the rest of us?

Exercise is good for our bodies.  We all know that because our 

doctors say so.  The advertisers of fitness products say so.  The

health magazines say so.  The fitness gurus write books to say so.  

It does not necessary cost money.  Just by walking 20 to 30 minutes 

daily, one can lose weight. Why is it then not everyone is doing so? 

Obesity is rising in Malaysia. Hawker fare, fast food, soft drinks, 

junk food, high sugar content food such as cakes and pastries are 

accessible, delicious and addictive.  

Besides,  another factor why we do not exercise is how we spend 

our time. 







The Surfer (Not the Silver Surfer but I thought it looked cool)

Surfers spend time browsing the websites that interest them or 

typing keywords to see what they can find. The information they 

seek can be of use to them or trivial or just for curiosity sake. 


Likely response: 

Exercise is too much work and  it tires me.





(I don't need to comb my hair when I go online.  No one can see me.)


The S.N.U-Social Network User 

Facebook, Twitter, Friendster and of courser Blogger to name a 

few are websites that provide a platform for the S.N.U. to connect 

with their friends, family and the rest of the world. Their time is 

spent posting pictures, videos, stories, comments or sharing links 

they find on the internet. 


Likely response: 

I do exercise.... that is, my fingers by typing a lot and my brain  
burns energy from thinking what to type.






The Gadget Geek (Do u think Steve Jobs was the Gadget King?)

Smartphones, Iphones, Ipad, Galaxie Tablets to name a few are 

mobile units that fascinates a gadget geek.


Gadget geeks spend most of the time texting, sending sms, emails, 

playing/sharing/downloading pictures, videos, music, games and 

store apps.  They will be the first to own the latest gadget in the 

market.


Likely response (in text message): 

wgtte! Imr2qu4tlAppIp.

Translation: Where got time to exercise! I am rushing to queue 
up for the latest Apple I-pod.






The Gamester (The gamepad  never leaves their side)


Online video games are now very well designed. The graphics are 

so realistically created that a gamester cannot resist playing.  Once 

they are hooked, they will never let go and become addicted. I 

liken them to endurance drivers.  Day and night they play.  Their 

pit stops are only for toilet breaks and sustenance. The goal is to 

win the race. Sometimes they play alone or with other online 

gamesters.



Likely response

Sunlight hurts my eyes or I am allergic to sunlight and sweat.







The U-Tubers (Video cameras ever ready to shoot)

I think U-Tubers are creative people as they spend time looking for 

interesting or funny things to upload to YouTube. Time is spent 

editing, adding music, scripts.  Their goal is to get as many viewers 

or subscribers.


Likely response: 

I get enough exercise from carrying my video camera around to capture interesting people and events.






The Shopper  (Don't be shocked. Men shop too)



Once in a while I would buy things online and always with a budget 

in mind.  The shopper however, will spend time buying stuff on 

impulse and their credit statement can be a mile long. It satisfies 

their need to own new things all the time. Online shopping is easy, 

hassle free and the prices are very attractive and competitive.


Likely response: 

Don't disturb me.  I am waiting for the sale to start!

What I have described are extreme cases.  I admit that to a certain degree, I am a surfer, a S.N.U. and a shopper. The key is not to go overboard in activities that we enjoy doing. The bottom line is, for whatever reasons we may have for not being healthy, the only person who can make a change is you and me.  

Now,  "HOW DO WE MOTIVATE YOURSELVES TO BE HEALTHY?" 

That is the title for my next topic for discussion.

You may also like to read: 
4) DO YOU HAVE HIGH CHOLESTEROL?
5) HOW TO PREPARE PURE NATURAL JUICES.
6) HONEY, FACTS AND MYTHS.
66) DOES COLLAGEN CREAM WORK?

My Art Corner

Yawn

This pencil drawing was redone six times!  With helpful insights from my caring critics, my sister and a friend, this was the final version approved by them for your viewing.  Hope that you like it.


Thanks for looking and taking the time to read my blog. I welcome feedback and please feel free to share your experiences in relation to today's topic.

Until my next post, "Here's to your health!"