So you wanna cut carbs? Lose weight? Here's how!

I've finally broken the Bloggers block! Cuz if you've been paying close attention, I certainly havent been having writer's block!

Okay, so I know you're probably thinking, "lawd Alwayne, yuh done skinny aredi, wah yuh waa cut carbs fah?" But hear me out, trust me, its worth it. AND MI NUH SKINNY!!! >:S

PLUS, you think *snaps* alla dis jus came naturally?! It's hard work! Plus, due to how I NEVER intend to have a beer belly, I'm learning the right thing from now, as I notice my body fat percentage seems to be going up. I gotta keep sexified! Lemme get a small halleluyer over here!

On Thursday (April 11, 2013--wow, a LONG TIME mi start da post ya enuh!) I went for lunch, and I decided, "you know what? Dem people yah eva pack up mi box wid one bag a rice. Mek mi eat some food (ground provisions) today yaa man." Ended up with a dumpling, 3 pieces of yam and 1 piece of sweet potato. After finishing my food, (I had chicken chow mein with it btw, and you know that has noodles in it--curses!) I wondered, is this really healthier than rice? So with the remaining 20mins of my lunch time, I proceeded to consult my best friend when I don't know or I'm not sure of something, Mr. G. Oogle! He knows everything! Here's what he told me:

There are "Good Carbs" vs "Bad Carbs"
As I was already aware, there are some carbs that are good for you, and some that really aren't. When you check it out, you find that the bad carbs tend to be in what we eat most. I can't live knowing that!


And THIS is how they end up looking :/




This is how our plates SHOULD look

VS









This is how we want to look (for the guys);
Eye candy (for the girls)

And this is what ends up happening
because we don't eat right and exercise
(For both sides) 

VS

Don't you just hate that when that little spare tire starts to develop? It grieveth I! That's why I shan't let it occur!

If you're serious about this and you really wanna get into the down and dirty of this subject, here's --> an article <-- that kinda glosses over the whole carb debate. However, I beg of you--do NOT be the diabetic man who thought fried rice was Brown Rice. You just does not does that.

For you lazier peeps who I know won't read the article because, well, probably because you just don't wanna, because I love y'all I'll tell you the important points.

"Good carbs are plant foods that are eaten as close to their natural state as possible, with little or no processing. These nutritional angels, which include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, contain more fiber, vitamins and other nutrients than plant foods that have been altered from their natural state.

What are bad carbs?

Bad carbs are formerly good carbohydrates that have been refined and processed, resulting in food that has significantly less fiber and fewer nutrients than good carbs. These dietary devils include such processed foods as cookies, white bread and "fruit" punch, foods that contain the white flour and refined sugar that remain when grains and other plant products are stripped of their fiber and nutrients to make them taste better or have superior "mouth feel.""

Translation? Raw plant stuff? Good. Processed stuff bad. Alwayne like. Alwayne agree :)

It even has this funny (ish) comment too:

"While they may not have the literary value of a Charles Dickens novel, nutrition labels on food packages can reveal the difference between good carbs and bad carbs and help you spot fictitious good carbs that are really bad carbs in disguise."

I've actually found myself reading the labels of everything when I go to the supermarket now, so you must know I'm pretty serious about doing this.

Now if you wanna delve EVEN DEEPER and get rid of the "wagga wagga" as Keneice loves to say, here's the link to an awesome carb cutting article/blog (Beware, it's lengthy, but oh! so! good!)
http://www.amazingbodynow.com/nlindex/bad_carbs.html

And again, for those of you too lazy to open the link and read for yourself *glares* because I like you and you're reading MY blog, I have selected some excerpts for you:

Best carbs to eat --

1. Oatmeal - "Oatmeal is a great carb because it gives you a burst of energy (like all carbs do), but it's also full of fiber. Which means that all that fiber is undigestible and it pushes through your system quickly."
2. Whole Grain Bread - "The author of this blog says she's amused by breads that claim they are "100% Whole Wheat" and "Healthy", but when you turn it over to the back and look at the ingredient list, it has the bad processed ingredients and chemicals you want to AVOID.

Such as:

- Enriched flour
- High-fructose corn syrup
- Sugar
- Natural and/or Artificial Flavors

If your bread has ANY of these in the ingredient list, DON'T EAT IT."
3. Brown Rice - "Brown rice is another "whole grain" and it is a complex carb that digests slowly.  Slow digestion is good because the calories enter the blood stream gradually - meaning you have more ENERGY and less hunger for a longer period of time."

4. Sweet Potatoes or Yams (Food!!!) Big up JA for having nuff a dis! - "Sweet potatoes are a high-fiber complex carb which means they are very good for you and give you energy without making your body store fat.'
5. Fruits and Vegetables (DUUUUHH!!) - Fruits and vegetables are the MOST important part of a healthy diet. They give you the vitamins and minerals you need to support your immune system, fight cancer, prevent aging... and all those other reasons you want to get healthy other than just losing weight.

Finally! Carbs you should avoid:

1.  Chips
2.  Sugary deserts (donuts, [NO! Not donuts!!!] pastries, cookies, cakes, pies, candies)
3.  Cola and carbonated beverages
4.  Sugar, honey, syrup, jam, (Grape and guava jam are necessary, mi sorry!) jelly, molasses (thought molasses was good for you)
5.  White bread - Everybody knows this

Special note from the writer (her name is Andrea btw) "Now, you may notice that pasta is not on this
"avoid" list.  That's because I know that pasta is one of the hardest foods to stop eating (I've only recently been able to stop after years of trying). So, if you're going to eat pasta...

ONLY EAT ONE SERVING!"
You heard the lady!

You can find even more useful info and success stories on this site and an amazing video of Andrea's transformation: http://www.amazingbodynow.com/ (and no, this is not spam!)


Its time for our meals to look like this

And we oughta stop being like the folks depicted by
<-------this lol

This last pic, I thought it was funny.

Lol. You don't have to change who you are and how you look it you don't want to, because despite what this picture says, we're all beautiful creatures of God.

But, in order to live a happier, healthier life, I suggest we all start eating that way, and start by cutting the carbs!

If you're a Proscratinator (you probably are :P) this is for you!

Howdy y'all! Imma gonna talk about something that I know aaaaaaall a wi have a problem with! Procrastination! Cyaa bodda...Lemme write this later yaaa...
..................
..................

(clearly you can see below I didn't listen to myself. See? I'm improving :D)

This is a letter I wrote to the editor, it was published in the Jamaica Observer... Seems like Gleaner a fight mi ought cuz from wah day dem naa publish mi tings, but is awrite!!!
You can see the letter here ----> MY LETTER <---- (and the glaring error the editor made changing around mi tingz! Mi grieve enuh! Chuh!)

"Being a master procrastinator myself (and I’m not proud of it), I know a problem when I see it. It’s probably a culture thing, but it’s something that really needs to be addressed.

Procrastination.

It’s an ugly problem that seems to rare it’s ugly head in all facets of Jamaican society. Something needs to be done to help coerce Jamaicans, and for this particular instance, mostly men, to fix this problem.

Why in God’s name, do these people wait until right before the deadline, when serious penalties will occur to do very necessary transactions, especially when it comes on to paying motor vehicle related fees?

The massive throng at the TA's door and underneath the tent
Photo courtesy of Alwayne's Blackberry :D

I was at the Transport Authority during the last week of the period earmarked for the renewal of road licences. Fate would so have it, that the Easter Holiday came during this time and cut the period by a day. Imagine my disgust at the huge throng of angry men (and women), acting like the very hard-working cashiers weren’t doing anything and just sitting looking pretty instead of attending to them. Almost everyone acted as if only their business was important, and people had all sorts of stories of why they thought they needed to be seen before the persons with earlier ticket numbers than theirs. It was madness!
None of these persons seemed to find it convenient however to remember that the renewal period had been open since February 18, 2013 and not during the week of March 24-31, 2013 (Road licences expired on March 31, 2013). I think that this is just downright irresponsible, and the cashiers should not be blamed. Seeing them [the cashiers] personally, they are doing their best to move as quickly as possible.



Hundreds of persons at the Tax Office
Photo Courtesy of Jamaica Observer

I can also clearly remember the everlasting lines at tax offices at the end of the period for the (fairly) recently concluded ticket amnesty. I suspect there will be something similar, albeit on a smaller scale, as there is an amnesty currently on for illegal public passenger vehicle operators to get legal by June 30, 2013. For those interested in hackey carriage licences, there are only 100 of that type being offered, on a first come, first serve basis, and these must be done through a taxi association. This however does not mean persons can operate illegally in the meantime, so if your plan is to make this your livelihood, the sooner you act, the better. I hope these persons will act speedily and responsibly in this regard, and for anything that may come up in the future.

Procrastinators! Please procrastinate…tomorrow."

Agreed? I hope so! This particular situation probably doesn't apply to you, but I'm sure you're smart enough to make it applicable to other areas of your life without me having to spell it out. Afterall, only smart people read this blog *straightest face in life* and for the billions of people who haven't (due to me having only a smidge over 1300 views at this point)... well... uhh, hi! *waves* lol

(hope you got that last line... "proscrastinate tomorrow', as in you're procrastinating to procrastin--nevermind, I think you got it ('_')

Later peeps!

Give Us an "Iron Lady"

Margaret Thatcher - The Iron Lady

By now I'm sure you're aware of the passing of arguably the best Prime Minister Britain has seen, in Margaret Thatcher, also known as the "Iron Lady". She died peacefully yesterday (Monday April 8, 2013) at age 87, after suffering from a recent stroke.

Boy, from the stories Daddy tells me, she was tough as nails! She would always make tough decisions, no matter what anyone said. These tough choices saw her elected thrice as Britain's Prime Minister, until ultimately she resigned after having waning support from her own party; a blow so deep, she said she would never forgive those persons. (I can still hear this clip playing in my head; thanks BBC) Daddy was so impressed by her he made me download the movie "The Iron Lady" for him to watch a year or two ago.

Funny enough, my dad used to be a police (surprise surprise for those who didn't know), and actually worked with her once when she visited Jamaica as part of her security detail. They did such a good job, she sent a letter (which I think he still has to this day) thanking the police high command for the good service he and the other police gave that day.

Now I only have one question...  well... a request really.

Does she have any Iron granddaughters to spare?

Big and serious!
If so, just like how we've borrowed British policemen to help with our efforts in Jamaica, can we borrow one of Thatcher's next generation? Please?

Somebody needs to lead Jamaica. Because clearly our government lacks leadership. Give us the offspring off the iron lady! *draws for pitchfork* who's with me?!!

*WAR CRY*

(lol... please take the time out to watch some of her memorable remarks, and if you have and opinion of her leadership, share it in the comments below)

 

 

Btw, mi serious!!! I want one of the Iron Grandchildren out here pronto!

This Government JUST. DOESN'T. GET. IT.

This government just does not get it!!!

Photo from Jamaica Observer

More and more the Portia Simpson-Miller led administration keeps on proving time and time again that they JUST. DON’T. GET. IT. Or you know what? Maybe I’M the one who is like many other Jamaicans who doesn’t get it. Maybe the government does get it, but they don’t care, so now we need to get it that they don’t (care), and probably will never, because it seems to me that they’re only about themselves.

Take for example something that reeeeeally irked me this morning (Friday, April 05, 2013)

I was listening to Emily Crooks on Nationwide interview Dr. Dane Miller, President of Jamaica Medical Doctors Association regarding (according to the Jamaica Observer) the 60 per cent of the 2,500 Government-paid doctors who stayed off the job in protest against the impending reclassification exercise to be undertaken during the 2013-2014 financial year. Due to this, several patients were turned back from medical treatment yesterday, as only emergencies were treated. I heard Dr. Miller speak of one person who traveled from SAV-LA-MAR!!! who said Kingston was the only place she could get her treatment and she was still turned back.

Wah kinda life dis?!

The Health ministry made a release later saying that contingency measures were in place, but how do you allow this to even happen in the first instance? I’m sure the contingency measures did not help everyone.

Further on in the interview Dr. Miller expressed that usually countries spend 9 percent of GDP on Health Services, while Jamaica, the island in the sun, was spending about 4.5 percent. CLEARLY the government doesn’t get it! And you would think that Health Minister DOCTOR Fenton Ferguson of all people would, but apparently politics and personal professional practice do not mix.

My heart sank when I heard Dr. Miller speak about Doctors not having routine equipment like injection needles, and having to improvise to treat patients! This is unacceptable! And of course the government doesn’t feel this because most likely they pay their private doctors from their healthy salaries, which unlike the government paid doctors come on time every month! You could hear the pain in Dr. Miller’s voice as he spoke to Emily. This government’s priorities are all wrong. They rather focus on things that are “frivolous” and “optics”. I know we have to be cutting costs all ends up, but health? If we're all dead, how does any other sector help us?

SPEAKING OF CUTTING COSTS!

I was fortunate enough, or perhaps UNfortunate, to hear Portia’s comments on taking a paycut on Nationwide News network. The Most. Honourable. IDIOT Prime Minister, when asked by Abka Fitz Henly about the situation in America with the President taking a pay cut said something like “That is good but I’m not going to comment on that”.

WHAT THE HELL PORTIA?! I thought you "loved" poor people! Does it take a fricking speech script for you to realise we're all POOR?!!!

(And by the way, Wednesday before it came out in our papers, I shared a link where US President Barack Obama plans to take the 5 percent Pay Cut on fb with the caption "the government just doesn't get it" before I knew I'd be writing this blog post :D ) Just ask my blogmate Shari's Husband if you nuh believe me!

Clovis Toon - Courtesy of Jamaica Observer

*Back to my rant* *breathe Alwayne... Breathe*

This government just... bwoy... I don't know. I really don't.

Maybe communism and a fully autocratic government is just really the only way to go. (as per my other blogmate Keneice) 

*Sigh* It might not count for much Dr Dane Miller, but I (and many others I'm sure) feel your pain.

Leave all the comments and the rants you want below. Really wanna hear what you think about this.

3wks -- How That Time Can Make or Break You

By now you must have heard my story (I think I have exhausted it on this blog by now) about how I missed three weeks of gym and lost 6.6lbs of muscle mass. Still hurts me to this day, but I think I'm done moping about it.

Wait! *mopes a little more* 'kay, I'm done now :)

It's not even like I didn't go because I wanted to, I just didn't have the money. When I did get money, I returned, with new vigor and energy and determination that I would regain the poundage I lost!

OH HOW I WAS WRONG!

After about the equivalent of 3 weeks, and a noticeable enough increase in my muscle size, I went and rechecked my weight. Much to my dismay, I only gained 1 (ONE, UNO) pound.

You know who was crestfallen again! ------>

(You're probably thinking--"OH MY GOD! He's telling this story AGAIN!!! *ugggggghhh* When will he get over himself?!") If you thought that...
:( you're mean!

AND! you're also wrong >:P
There is a point to this. Walk with me here.

_________________________________________________________________________________

I thought about my dilemma from a spiritual standpoint. Here's the message:

Much like me and my bible reading effort this year, (see my earlier blog post about this), I started out strong with the gym. I think I was about 179 when I first weighed, and went up to 183.6 after 3 weeks. However, due to circumstances (money in this instance), I fell off track.
(Btw, I'm still tryna figure out what went wrong with my bible reading. I'll get back to you on that.)

After renewing my focus and energy (and substance in my bank account), I went back to the gyym, determined to regain what I had lost. This went all well and good until I found out I didn't quite get there.

Many times in our Christian walk, we fall off track, due to lack of money, lack of friends, of a job--something. Reasons vary for everyone. If we're sincere about our walk with God, at some point we realize, 'Hey, I need to get back on track!" and attempt to get back to where we used to be.

Gym-wise (for me), and life-wise (for all of us), I think this is where we often go wrong. We try to get back to exactly where we were before, when in truth; though that place is most likely better than the rut we've found ourselves in, we ought to be pressing even further forward. Yes it's good that I used to read 3 chapters of the bible daily, but even though going back there would be good, I need to find a way to do that and more to better my relationship with God.

If like me, you return (to gym, to God--to anything) with the focus being getting back to right where you were before, if you don't get to that place, you will feel absolutely deflated and feel like you should just forget about the whole thing and just nuh bodda wid it. I surely felt like that with the gym, so much so, I haven't gone back and I'm currently content with being quintessentially skinny as one of my good friends would say.

It can't be this way with God. There is one supreme outcome that we should seek to gain from our relationship with Him and that is to go to heaven. Fine. (And even this isn't attained on our own accord). But, if you're on a mission to serve Him only to get:
- a job
- a girlfriend if you're a guy or boyfriend if you're a girl
- an answer to some serious issue you may have
- ANYTHING!!!

then it naa guh wuk! Straight up and down.

The Christian walk is a journey, not a destination. We will reach various points of interest on the way, places that bring joy and happiness, and also several potholes, road blocks and traffic.
But, if your aim is to press towards the mark of the high calling in Jesus, nothing can or should stop us, no matter what disappointments we face. You may have been derailed for 3wks, maybe more, maybe less, but the gospel train is comin', so you and I need to get back on board! (video here)

On that note, I guess I oughta return to the gym :/

MAYBE

Definitely need to get back to praying and reading my bible AND quarterly AND other books like Ellen G. White and others. Let's not settle only for where we used to be, but let's return with renewed vigor, focus and an even deeper desire for a better relationship with God than the one we had before. Let the journey resume.