Of "culture of the table" and Vegemite...

I'm reading an interesting journal article on contemplative education by Anderson Byron. He likens contemplation in learning to Albert Borgmann's explanation of the culture of the table where the latter "developed a paradigm on focal things and practices.

Thus a table is not only a place for a meal, but also a place of hospitality and gathering of family... In some families it is a workspace as well- children doing homework, parents sorting through bills, younger children with coloring books... helps center and orient our attention, our relationships, and our lives."

Most people who come to our home hardly spend time in our living room, but inevitably hang out in our open plan kitchen where the dining table is. And very often you'll find 4 adults huddled around the kitchen counter drinking coffee and laughing while the children cause a royal ruckus running around our legs (yes, we're THAT type of household!)

And that's kind of how we spent a very pleasant afternoon with a dear friend's father who visited us on the way to the airport to return overseas after a business trip. He brought a food hamper for the children- with Vegemite!

I was never fond of this quintessential Australian 'delicacy'. I used to find the taste too pungent (strange since I love durian!). But when in Rome.....



So I read the label and remembered joyfully how rich it is in B vitamins (see http://www.vegemite.com.au/), so easy to miss in a vegetarian diet.

Since I refuse to starve as long as God blesses me with food, I wondered about what healthy snacks I could have with Vegemite. So I spread some of it on thinly sliced pears and voila, a superb combination of flavours. Sweet, succulent, juicy, salty- almost hits the spot like chips!

And I sat at the dining table to enjoy it leisurely with the family doing their own thing in the kitchen. Ahhhh...

Mindful Yogini Wannabe & Chia seeds

OK, so this is me, one half of lose5kgs. Vegetarian, mild yoga practitioner, mother of 2, building life in a new country and oh yes- an educator.

A sharing of pain with C after a strenuous (at least for me!) yoga session, with the aches in the lower back and knees, resulted in the birth of this blog. I must say C had remarkably short gestation period!

It dawns on me that being healthy is not only what you consume, but what you don't. So my approach to this weight loss for increased well-being is to add on healthy food to my repertoire and to increase my yoga practice, both in a more mindful way.

Plus I'm getting a little bored of my normal meals.

So, today, what did I have different? The current super-food attributed to the Aztecs: Chia Seeds! It's full of fibre, has complete proteins, is a blood sugar stabiliser, rich in minerals and most importantly for a vegetarian- it is rich in omega fatty acids... yay!



Source: http://www.ohhappybelly.com/chia-seed-pudding/

So I made a banana, orange, yoghurt, protein powder & water smoothie for whole family for breakfast this morning. I added a teaspoon each of these seeds for hubby and myself- absolutely loved it! Ok, the children tolerated it but finished most of the smoothie sans seeds.

A good start :)

First Things First

Ok, so you stumbled onto this blog or a friend may have recommended you to have a look at this. And you wonder, this is way too basic, anyone on a weight loss mission can do this on their own. And you need something bigger to challenge you. Something that would get your friends talking three weeks later when they catch up with you.


Perhaps, all you need to do then is just sign yourself up with a personal trainer or get onto one of those 12 week transformation plan. But remember, intensive killer body transformation programs will only work if you do not get disillusioned along the way and throw in the towel. And if you have the drive and persistence to heck it, you go girl (and guys)!

In reality though, these programs are harder for beginners to stay with. Having been there myself, I can assure you, it's hard to keep the motivation levels up when there's so much going on. Your body and mind is at odds with each other every time you change your routine. It is seriously a battle. Where intensity is key, everyone is hoping on and off the weighing scales every 2 hours, hoping to see if anything has since changed after missing a meal. That is not sustainable.

So, first things first. Let's start out with a simple thought...make a conscious decision and commitment if you want to see a healthy difference in yourself finally. Don't let past failures of an unsuccessful well intented diet plans hinder you from taking that first step. You owe it to yourself to feel good about yourself and be fit and healthy.

A little about me and my journey

After 15 years of gradual weight increase, I finally felt enough is enough...gotta stop making up excuses of why i needed to keep buying new clothes one size bigger because I couldn't fit into my older clothes. And this happened almost 12 months ago. Talk about delayed realization, as if the mirror was not telling the truth!

I went from being an absolute couch potato at a whopping 65 kgs (with a dormant gym membership - zero attendence so it counts as a donation really!) to a health and fitness conscious person 6 months later at 59kgs. I was surprised I could be that committed, and so was hubby!

But that was definitely not without some serious thought and planning and commitment. Anything is possible, I'd say....with focus, discipline and commitment.

To The New You

A picture of health...that is what we're all about.

We're not about offering a crash or rapid weight loss solution.

We're here to share with you our weight loss journey and favorite workable food and health plans with the view of helping you attain a longer, satisfying weight loss achievement!

To the new, healthier, fitter, energy-charged us....and YOU!