Mission accomplished, part two.

Well folks, losing all those weight means nothing unless my bloodwork improves. I was prescribed Lipitor a year ago but I refused to take it, clinging to the hope that I could lose weight......thus lowering my cholesterol and improving other vital functions of the internal organs. I took a bloodtest on 12/30 just before I began my weight loss program, and the numbers were scary. I was not surprised because I had similar disastrous numbers from my family doctor in Victoria for the past two years. I was told to go on medication but I was on denial. I was damn lucky that I did not suffer a heart attack or stroke during all that time, I could have.
So, after losing 40 lbs, how much effect will it have on my bloodwork?

I got my report today and here are the numbers:
Triglyceride - 47 now, 133 before, normal is 30-150.
Total cholesterol - 183 now, 264 before, normal is 0-200.
Blood sugar - 78 now, 96 before, normal is 60-100.
Uric acid - 5.9 now, 7.1 before, normal is 3.0-7.0.

An amazing and very drastic improvement, with all numbers now well within a safe normal range. I am a happy guy.
Six months ago, this was just a dream.......but dreams do come true sometimes.

Mission impossible? - mission accomplished!

What I thought was mission impossible four months ago is now mission accomplished. My dream goal of losing 40 lbs before summer is now reality. Today I weighed in at 159.5 lbs, a total loss of 41.5 lbs since Jan this year.

Here I am, accepting my gift for the weight loss challenge program from Mr Chau. Now the real work begins to maintain my weight at current level, which is a tougher task than the weight loss itself. I know. Been there, done that myself.

For anyone out there who also needs to shed a few pounds, my only advice is: keep it simple and stay disciplined. Don't try to re-invent the wheel. Just follow those who are successful at losing weight before you, and do what they do, and you too, will realize your dream in a few short months. Good luck.

Almost there.....

The days are getting warmer as we head into summer soon. Morning temperature is in the mid to high 20s, and by afternoon, in the low 30s. Evenings are very balmy with temp in the high 20s again. This summer, we will be back in Victoria enjoying the cool northwest breeze and skip the searing heat of Hualien.

I am ounces away from reaching my goal of 40 lb weight loss, as I continue my program and not let it slip away. Almost there folks..........

Frankie's 9th birthday

This is Frankie's first BD outside of Canada, and she has two different parties with two different groups of friends.

First party was on Saturday with our friends from Herbalife, and what a bunch of great people. These are friends first, business second.

Second party was on Sunday with her friends at a KTV. She calls them KTV divas.......Then we finished the day off at a local arcade, her preferred place to play.

Faces of Herbalife

On the left of the picture is Joe Loang, a 42 year old retired army officer. He retired early due to health reasons. He could hardly walk because his knees were so painful, from excess build up of uric acid. Since using Herbalife two months ago, his condition has steadily improved, now walking freely.
Fellow in glasses is Mr Chau.
He has been using Herablife for two years. He is now 78, but age analysis is 52. His bloodwork is now all normal, but not so two years ago when his cholesterol was sky high, matching his blood pressure, body fat, blood sugar, etc etc.....

At 78, Mr Chau has more hair than I do, and mostly black. He goes dancing every morning, and travels often when he is not at his eatery which is one of the oldest "xiao loang bow" shops in Hualien. This guy is only two years younger than my mom!!

And here is Frankie. I also started feeding Frankie the same nutritious breakfast on top of what she normally eats to ensure she has the proper nutrition everyday. Hopefully this will help rid her of her allergies and skin irritations.

And here is a sweaty guy after his daily morning hike and run. Currently my weight is down to 165 lbs, a loss of 36 lbs so far since Christmas. Four more pounds to go and my goal is achieved. I was hoping to do that before going to Victoria for the summer, and looks very promising right now. Next week, I will have my bloodwork, and that will be the moment of truth.

about Herbalife

Herbalife products are not the only health products and may not even be the best out there, but since I started using them five months ago, the results are obvious. Of course, no products alone can help us lose weight and maintain health, and Herbalife preaches that. For my friends and family who are interested in achieving their own goals of a healthy lifestyle, I will not re-invent the wheel, but share with you what works for me, and many others before me.
#1 - a balanced nutrition.
#2 - maintaining an acceptable level of body fat.
#3 - adequate intake of water daily. (actually, hourly)
#4 - plenty of rest (try to be asleep before 10pm)
#5 - adequate daily exercises.
That is it folks.
Simple, but not easy.
Herbalife helps me with a balanced nutrition everyday, and encourages me to drink between 5000 to 6000CC of water daily. I'm doing that, non stop since Jan 2010.
My body fat has come down dramatically, but can still go lower. I have six more lbs to lose to reach my goal of losing 40 lbs, and that should help.
I can sleep better and more, but I do fall asleep before 10pm everyday, almost.
I get three to four hours of exercise everyday, and sweating every minute of those three to four hours. Its a great way to rid of toxins in our bodies.

Above is the table which illustrates different levels of body fat for men and women.

When I began my program, my body fat was 33%, which was the second highest on the chart, and at that level, I was a prime candidate for either a heart attack, or stroke. Now five months later, my body fat is 23%, which is one heck of an improvement. I would like to be under 20%.

Some propaganda from Herbalife........

more propaganda.....but this is a true story. I've met this guy in person, and he is currently down to 90kg, freaking unbelievable!!! He is the poster boy of Taiwan herbalife.

and this could be my poster boy. Raymond is Nancy Hong's uncle in HK. He was shocked when he saw me from my recent trip to HK/China. I was about the same shape as he is now, and he wants to try to do what I have done. So I signed him up with Herbalife in HK, so that he has access to the same products I use, and if it works for him, he has a new business by doing the same for his friends.

Good luck Raymond.

Good to be home

After three glorious weeks in China/Hong Kong, it feels good to be home again. Its strange, having lived in Canada for 37 years and less than one year in Taiwan, when I think of home, I think of Taiwan. What I really missed is the clean air, blue sky, warm sunshine, friendly folks, my early morning hike and run in the mountain, my afternoon tennis, and most of all, the vegetarian food of Hualien.

I used to crave for the Cantonese dim sum, noodles, roast duck, and many other regional dishes of China when I visit HK/southern China, but this time, I was craving for the vegetarian dishes of Hualien. So, upon returning home, I paid my visit to our favorite Veggie restaurant. The two most important factors in deciding whether I like a certain food is flavour, and texture. Amazingly, this veggie restaurant has over 40 dishes of very flavorful plant based concoctions, and all with different texture. Following a strict buddhist guideline, no garlic or onion are used for flavouring, but ginger, hot peppers, basil, and cilantro are generously infused, sometimes as a combination, and sometimes alone, resulting in some very palatable experiences.

Another thing I missed while I was away was watching the take offs and landings of the F16s at the local airport which serves as a military airport also. I love the sound and the sight of the exhilarating acceleration at take offs, which only takes about 3 seconds before airborne. Landing is equally exciting as they flare about 30 feet above my head before touching down. Flying a small single engine plane cannot compare to an F16, but it does bring back beautiful memories. Flying solo for the first time is something I will never forget, the experience is up there with finishing my first and only marathon......and the three hole in ones.

Made in China

Met up with a few boys in China for some R & R these next two weeks....

here are more golfing videos....

The young and beautiful......Chinese women caddies. Very modest, most come from the inland provinces where job opportunties are scarce. Working at the golf courses, they make about $200US a month, room and board, which is very good at current standards.

The 5 star hotel I stay at costs me about $70 a nite, which is expensive from local standard, but well worth it to me, because I use their recreational facilities everyday. I manage to run 10k every morning at under 50 minutes, which is a real surprise since I have not run this kind of distance, and certainly not at this speed, for a very long time........Some of my friends ask how I could lose so much weight so fast. Well, the answer my friends, is all about nutrition and calories. My Herbalife breakfast supplies me with my whole day's nutrition at about 100 calories. And as you can see from the video, running a 10k burns up 550 calories, therefore, I have effectively wiped out 450 calories from existing inventory (fat build up). Add a sensible lunch and a light dinner, and some tennis in between, and my whole day's calorie intake will be less than what it burns, which is the only way to a healthy weight loss. I am truly grateful to Yueling and Herbalife who has been my major support on this life changing journey.

Went to Hong Kong to pick up some Herbalife products for some of my friends, who are very much interested in losing a few pounds like I have.

Then I met Mr Bean at the hotel who wanted to play tennis. Actually, Mike is from SanFrancisco, but a dead ringer for the British comic. Decent tennis player also, had some great single matches with him.