Week 7th and what next?

Hmmm.... Is already week 7th and I feel happy counting the number but this also mean that the assignment is coming to the end. I scared that I don't have the determination to continue after this and I am only going for blood check on July. If I'm not continuing this, all seven weeks effort will be gone to waste. I hope with this statement, I can tell myself not to give up and stop half way because is about my own health and for my own good.

Week 7: Keep Swimming, Swim at least 60 mins per day

Week 6th

Okay... Now I take video of me swimming again. Quite embarrassing to post it up. Supposed have to lift up the head but I still can't do so. This is how weird I looks like on Sunday afternoon and swam for about 50 minutes.

It is still quite hazy today and long time we have no rain. Don't know is it going to be worst and not so good to come for swim again.

Weird way of swimming, Newbie style

Whoa...

Whoa... I can't believe and this is the first time for me continuously swam for 5 weeks. I hope I didn't waste these 5 weeks effort and there's changes in my cholesterol count.

After the swim on Saturday, my friend commented that I still looks weird while swimming and I should take more video to see how myself swim to improve instead of just struggling to swim better every week but I just took pictures for that day.

Anyway, because I able to continue swimming every week, I treated myself with my favorite yogurt ice cream.

Week 5: Myself taking the pool picture

Burn Burn Burn... Exercise Exercise & Exercise



Wao.... Swimming is one of the top calorie burning exercise. I feel happy seeing this picture. It seems like swimming really can do many good things to my body and health.

Calculations are based on 60 minutes per activity

4th Week

Went to swim again on Sunday and this week did not take picture or video of myself swimming. I was late to meet my friend and we have dinner to go later. So, I was like um... swim in rush, keep swimming and swimming for 45 minutes like I'm trying to fulfill the requirement more than enjoying the activity.

Anyhow, I did burn some calories, did some exercise. So, I wasn't feel so guilty for the dinner as most of the dishes are meat and fried food like deep fried fish and sweet and sour pork. @~@

Updates...

While below this picture was on 15th Feb, my third week of swim. It's a sunny day. I went there in the afternoon. It's super hot and can't wait to jump into the pool as soon as possible but...... it's much easy to get tanned. :( So, I swam for about 45 minutes. I can swim longer if the weather is windy and not so sunny. XP

Week 3: Sunny Day

Updates

It has been more than 2 weeks I didn't upload my progress. Here's my second swimming time on 7th Feb and swam for about 60 minutes. Still around the time of Chinese New Year. Aaahh.. After enjoy eating so much snack and nice dinner, I don't know this can burn the calories taken or not.

This was showing me doing stretching to warm up before jump into the pool. I usually forget and jump straight into it. XP It's so dangerous if you skip this step and got cramp in the middle of your swim. There's once I got cramp but luckily just my toes cramp and I was just standing in the pool to grab some air.

2nd Week: Doing Stretching

 

Contemplation

Found this picture is funny. XD I think it relate to most of us before start doing this assignment or something else similar in our life. 

1st Week Action

Okay.. I went to my friend's condo to get a swim on last Sunday (26/01/2014). Em.. I'm not really good in swimming. LOL.. Therefore, this activity is like one stone hit two birds. I can learn to swim better while I'm doing exercise to hit my goal (but I can't guarantee I can swim better at the end of the course because I don't hire a qualified coach).

Swimming can burns calories, boosts metabolism, reducing blood pressure, improve heart health and firms every muscle in our body. Wao.. it sounds like it's better than other aerobics excercise.

The upcoming pictures and videos were taken from the help of my friend. Em.. I do not swim in specific stroke because I'm still in the learning process (still a beginner XP) and I'm more comfortable in "my own way". You also can see from the other video where I swim much slower in breaststroke (ahh... and I just can't lift my head up to grasp for breath).

P.S: Freestyle is the easiest stroke and recommended for beginner but I still have coordination problem for the movement between my hands and legs. -_-

 

Personal Health Behavior Contract

So, the contract explained it all for what will be update next...

Planning

Since I have to focus on one issue, I have to choose to lower down my bad cholesterol level. As mentioned by my lecturer during our discussion, the report didn't say which mineral I'm lacking of. It's just a general, overall result for mineral while there are actually many types of mineral.
(It can't be I'm deficient with all kinds of mineral right?)

Therefore, as I updated earlier, I will at least swim once a week to decrease my bad cholesterol level. I heard from my sister that too high or over the ideal range of good cholesterol is not good either. So, I will not focus or purposely eat food that can boost up good cholesterol level but maintain not taking 'poisonous' (tasty food which is high cholesterol and oily) food.

What's The Matter?

I started to do blood and urine test since 2 years ago. The reason I started to do it because of my friends freak me out with the result they share with me like physically they look healthy but wouldn't know they are actually at the risk of diabetic or high in uric acid or cholesterol level at the dangerous state. I mean many people or just minority like me sure will think "Oh, we're still young anyway. These only happen to old people right?" In fact, in this modern day with so many fast food restaurants, change of diets, and lifestyle, disease can strike us as young as a child.

The shocking part to me was I'm underweight but I get the result of slightly off the recommended range for BAD CHOLESTEROL (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL). It supposed to be less than 2.6 mmol/L and I got 2.9 mmol/L (I was like WHAT???). My first test report showed I had higher total cholesterol (ideal <5.2, I had 5.4) and 1 year later total cholesterol is normal but turned to get high LDL Cholesterol (???). I already cut down eating fries and beef and fried food as much as I can.

So, this time really have to do extra with the motivation from this assignment. Through Google search, besides a healthy diet, exercise is essential too (link). I can have more reason to go for swimming besides learning to swim better (Jogging is not a good option due to appropriateness and safety around my housing area). Other than that, consuming more good cholesterol like omega-3 from fish said can lower LDL Cholesterol (link). Source of Omega-3 can be found from fish, salmon, sardine, mackerel, chia seed, walnuts, cereal and etc (link).

Another problem I had from the report I wish to improve is the mineral level in my body. It's like forever at deficient level. The easiest way to solve this problem of course is taking supplement but what I found for food to improve mineral level can be seaweed and yogurt (Yogurt?) and etc (link). This is not a problem. They are my favourite food. 

To Begin With...

If someone else other than my lecturer and classmates happened to came upon my blog, let me explain that I am actually doing a blog to record the journal of my plan, process, activities, and failure or success to change my behavior to become healthier. 

Why must it be a resolution of become healthier? Besides due to I'm taking Health Psychology Class, it is because Health is Wealth and the most important also last thing u want in your life IS and SHOULD BE health. Without a healthy body you can't enjoy your life as much as you like, many things you can't do or need to sacrifice and might need to spend your life lying on bed, and you will only make your love ones feel sad.