Homeward bound

Like Forrest Gump would say: I'm going home to see mama....
I'm leaving on a jet plane, midnite tonite. This message and video is for my mama....

The most rewarding part of a workout is the food after, and here in Hualien, we have some most excellent vegetarian food, which is ideal after exercise.

Leaving Hualien soon...

We are going back to Canada to spend summer, so we have a few days left here and friends are saying goodbye.
We invited two of Frankie's school mates to lunch.....

Then I took Frankie and two other friends to Ocean Park for some R&R....

With the weather so nice here, it is a real pleasure to go downtown on the weekends to rub shoulders with the locals. For such a small town, Hualien really comes alive in the evening as the balmy climate is very inducive to outdoor crowds.....

Frankie was craving for a steak tonite, so I took her to Hualien's best, and also most expensive. Food is very good, and the steaks are North American style, charbroiled to perfection. There is a choice of USDA and Australian beef. I like USDA better, the Aussie steaks are quite gamey and slightly chewy. This is my first steak since my weight loss program. It was nice, but I really do not miss it. In fact, my 10 oz steak dinner with two jumbo Canadian oysters sat in my stomach for two days. How do I know that? I purposely weighed myself before and after dinner, and my weight increased by 3 pounds. That happens too after a vegetarian buffett, but the glaring difference is: by bedtime, those 3 pounds from a vegetarian meal is gone; but with the steak dinner, those 3 pounds stayed with me until three days later....isn't that amazing? Think what the meats will do sitting in our stomach for a few days....yes, toxic waste is right!

Our friends treated us to Brunch today, a farewell gathering so to speak. We have formed a very cordial relationship with our new found friends, and we will miss them for over two months.....They took us to a vegetarian buffet and it was awesome. The variety, texture and taste is beyond what most folks think is possible without meats.

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.