Lipitor & Cholesterol

Following my blood test, I went to see the doctor today and he has prescribed me a 20mg dose of Lipitor for 4 months after which I'll do another test to check my cholesterol level. Lipitor is a brand of atorvastatin by Pfizer. You can read more about statins by clicking on the active links in this paragraph. I would recommend that you read about it as I read that 1 out of 5 people in the USA have high cholesterol... and quite frankly I think Malaysians are not far behind. The next thing you should do if you are reading this is to get yourself a blood test.

If you didn't know, the foods that are high in cholesterol are offal (liver, etc), egg yolk, butter, prawns, ice cream, red meat, cheese, fast-food (deep-fried), processed meats (sausages, etc), shellfish and desserts. Of the 11 that I just listed, I indulge in 9 of them... hmmm... no wonder!

Starting tonight it will be a tablet a day for me for the next 4 months and also oats in the morning to further assist in lowering my cholesterol level. I just hope I don't develop any side effects from taking Lipitor.

Rakyat Discrimination...

Whenever I come back to KL there are 3 things that I MUST do:-

1. Visit my mom,

2. Visit mt in-laws,

3. Visit my wife's niece... technically mine too but for the purpose of specific family tree relationship  

The poor girl was sick. She is always bubbly but this time she was just very grouchy and passive. She had a fever, running nose and a cough with nasty phlegm. We decided to take her to the clinic.

At the private clinic the doctor recommended that we took her to the Pediatric Wad at the General Hospital as he said she may have to be admitted as he feels she probably has a lung infection. He wrote us a referral letter. So, off we went. 

I dropped them off at the entrance and went off looking for a parking spot which took me a good 30 minutes... and that too parking outside the hospital compound some 500 meters away. When I got back,  my wife told me that we were charged more as we were referred by a private clinic. WTF? Why the discrimination? Are we not rakyats as well? Are you assuming that we are more affluent because we went to a private clinic first? Couldn't that visit to the private clinic be something due to logistics and emergency?

Okay, you charge me more... do I get priority? NO... I still have to wait out a whole 80 minutes... and that is WITH a referral letter stating 'KIV for Admission' on the envelope. SO WHY CHARGE MORE? See the charges chart below.

Anyway, the good doctor confirmed that she had some germs on her lungs after an x-ray. Gave her some medication and told us to bring her back there if her fever has not cleared within 48 hours.

I am greatly offended with this RM30 fiasco. It is a mere RM30 but it is the principal that matters. I pay my taxes. A LOT in fact. A damn fucking lot!! So why the discrimination? Can someone explain to me? I just fail to see the justification for this blatant discrimination.

Dhiya was up and about like usual after the first dose of medication and a nap. In fact she was more hyper after the medication probably due to the sugar in the medication.

Here's baby Dhiya up and about again... showing off that she can now stand...

Blood Test Results

As the saying goes... what you don't know, won't hurt you...  how true it is... but when you do find out, it is normally catastrophic.

It's been two weeks since I had my chest pains and I just received my blood test results. Unfortunately, it is bad news. It has been confirmed that I have HIGH CHOLESTEROL.

Total Cholesterol: 7.7 mmol/L or 300.3 mg/dL (240 mg/dL and above is high)

LDL Cholesterol: 5.8 mmol/L = 226.2 mg/dL (190 mg/dL and above is very high)

HDL Cholesterol: 1.55 mmol/L = 60.45 mg/dL (60 mg/dL and above is good)

Triglerides: 0.8 mmol/L = 71.2 mg/dL (100 mg/dL and below is optimal)

Blood glucose: 6.2 mmol/L = 138.6 mg/dL (ideal is 3.9 mmol - 5.6 mmol)

This is where I got my information from... Cholesterol here and blood sugar here.

Here's one of the pages from my results... the bad page where all the bad news are.

Let's start with my blood sugar level. My test was done after 8 hours of fasting. So my results suggest that I have Impaired Fasting Glucose which basically means bordering on being diabetic. Hmmm... that probably explains why my wounds take time to heal these days. If you do further searching you will probably find that one of the causes for IFG is high cholesterol.

That brings us to my cholesterol levels. I have always suspected that my cholesterol levels were high as the signs are there around my eyes... called Xanthelasma.

Ok... I have high cholesterol and bordering on being diabetic... life goes on... I will need to deal with it just like everything else in life. Am I scared? Of course I am but like life... you never know what happens... life goes on. We cannot think about the what ifs all the time. I met my doctor before I left for KL and when I get back we will start with my medication to reduce my cholesterol levels. My doctor didn't spend too much time explaining my need to change my lifestyle and eating habits as he knows I have already done so.

Here is the scariest part... I started the change in my lifestyle and eating habits on my own during Ramadan. It was not motivated by any illness... just the desire to lose fat and be healthier and even after exercising and cutting down on all my sugar I am still high on blood glucose and cholesterol. 

So, here's my golden question... what would my levels have been if I didn't change? Would I still be blogging here?

Awal Muharram

Today is the first day of Muharram... and in conjunction with that, I am resting today... no gym. And tomorrow, I start with my new workout and meal/nutrition plan... taking my current plan to a new level.  A new year, a new goal... the picture below is the goal... wish me luck... at my 'ripe' age, I'm really going to need it... hahaha... Ada Berani? 

Losing The Barrel...

Today is 10.11.12... I just had to post something today...

On 1st January 2012, I quit smoking... yes, again. 

In February, I started work here on the island and on 21.02.2102, I tied the knot with my wife. 

These 3 events played a major role in my weight gain and I transformed from a 86kg dude with a 35-inch waist to a whopping 96kg dude with a 39-inch waist. It was alarming... but I was not so bothered about my size actually, coz my wife wasn’t complaining... YET. What bothered me more was the fact that all my clothes no longer fit me and this really bothered me. As it meant spending $$$ on new clothes... something I don’t want to do. Not for the reason of weight change, anyway.

By the time I realized my weight gain, it was close to Ramadan. I thought it would be a good opportunity to start the weight loss regime in Ramadan. So, first things first... setting the goal. I reckoned that 85kgs would be a good weight to target... I didn’t just pluck the number. I wanted to be on the higher range of my acceptable BMI (18-25). 85kgs would put me just below a BMI of 24. The second just as important goal was to bring the inches down to 34.

During Ramadan, I would hit the gym a few hours after breaking fast... normally around 11pm. Ramadan started around the 21st and in the picture below you will see that I dropped by 4kgs within the first week. I had actually dropped a kg or two before that as I had stopped with my aerated drinks and ice cream for over two weeks. So, in actual fact I probably lost 2kgs in that week...

The second picture on the right is the result after almost 3 months of gym. Actually, my weight plateaued after 30 days but I kept at it as I knew the plateau was due to my body composition changing. This was evident with the inches still dropping while the weight was stagnant. This is the stumbling block for the average Joe/Jill who would have quit when the needle on the weighing machine stopped progressing.

Just look at that super, super, sexy barrel of 37 inches back in early October. Hopefully that barrel will disappear by year's end.

This is now... 85.6kgs and my waist is at 35.5 inches. I’m quite happy with my progress and I think by the end of this year I would have achieved my objective. The only challenge I face is the irregular meal and gym times due to business levels. I started off with dinner first then gym a couple of hours later but now I have changed it to gym first, followed by dinner. Only breakfast is regular at 10:30am daily.

Last Monday, I suffered some chest pains in the night. I had difficulty breathing and some tightness in my chest. I consulted the doctor in the morning and we collectively ruled out my heart as being the problem as I probably would have fainted attempting my 5km jog at 8.5km per hour or when I burnt 500 calories earlier this evening running and walking for 57 minutes. But to be safe, he took me for an ECG which came out fine as well. Then, he had me do a blood test on Thursday to check my cholesterol levels. We’ll have the results next week.

Life is short... we shouldn’t make it shorter by leading an unhealthy life. Ever since I hit the gym again, I don’t have headaches anymore. I sleep better. I wake up before my alarm goes off. And I just feel so much better. And the nocturnal activities are also *ahem*... 

It’s not that hard... I still have my ice creams and cheesecakes and lattes and donuts... ooh... yummy donuts... and cakes... and my Cokes and what nots... just not as often as I used to. 

So, what about you?

Hunger Pangs...

My wife and I had an early dinner tonight. When I got back from work, she had already cooked some rice and was about to have rice with fried eggs. I was feeling hungry too so I decided to skip gym and we headed straight to dinner. I decided not to have any starch tonight and she had a simple noodle soup as her throat was slightly sore. 

We were back in our room before 9:00pm. When we got back, we watched Man vs Food Nation on TV... pretty soon we were feeling hungry again after watching all the delicious food on TV. I remembered the rice my wife had cooked earlier and we decided to have some fried rice.

I raided the pantry and refrigerator to determine what I could use for our fried rice. There was no meat in the freezer. We only had ikan bilis (dried anchovies), eggs, onions and garlic. If I had some cili padi it would be perfect but these ingredients will have to do.

These are the three essentials for fried rice.

This is how I cook my fried rice...

1. Chop the garlic and dice the onions. Set aside.

2. Wash the ikan bilis and drain water. Set aside.

3. Heat some oil and deep-fry the ikan bilis till garing (crispy). Drain oil and set aside. I set mine onto a paper kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil.

4. Heat some oil in the frying pan and when hot stir-fry the eggs briskly till it looks shredded/super scrambled. Drain the oil and set aside.

5. Add some oil to the frying pan and sweat the diced onions. The amount of oil you add here is entirely up to you based on your preference. Some people like an oily fried rice. My wife doesn't, so I use very little oil. Sweat the onions over a low heat till it gets fragrant then add the chopped garlic and continue till fragrant. The key here is not to allow the onions and garlic to brown unless you like your fried rice bitter.

6. Add the rice and the eggs. Toss the ingredients in the frying pan if you have the skill, otherwise just stir with a spatula. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I add some sweet soy sauce for some balance and colour. Voila! Simple fried rice done.

Serve with the crispy anchovies...

A simple fried rice in a jiffy... and it disappeared just as fast and in time for us to start our 10-hour fast for our blood test tomorrow morning.

Shoes...

My friends, colleagues and subordinates have always admired my shoes... no, not for my sense in style but because my shoes always lasts me for years. My first pair of Timberland boat shoes that I bought with my first management bonus back in 1995, is still sitting at the back of my car as my spare driving shoes. I had its sole changed once. My second pair of of the same shoe which I bought in 2003, I still wear occasionally... pictured below.

I also bought a pair of Florsheim dress shoes together with the Timberlands back in 2003. Both shoes cost me approximately RM700 each then. I alternated the Florsheims with another pair of dress shoes I had then as my daily footwear at work until 2005. Mind you, back then I worked at least 12 hours a day and walked a lot. I still wear the Florsheims every now and then now, as pictured below.

Then sometime in July 2005, I finally succumbed to peer pressure and also my back aches and bought a pair of MBTs. The MBTs were the most expensive pair of shoes I ever bought at RM888 and were the most comfortable too. I wore the MBTs for work EVERYDAY then right through till April 2010. That's a LONG time. I then stored them away for awhile as I was moving to Langkawi and did not need to wear them yet. When I finally wanted to wear them again in October 2010, the soles had deteriorated.

When I got here in February, I wore my Timberland boat shoes for work but they were killing my feet with all the walking that I was doing so I bought another pair of MBTs online. They arrived in March and was I glad, as it really made a BIG difference. No more back aches and aching feet. However, in end September, one side of the soles gave way. It must be due to the weather... rain, sea sand, sea air, occasional sea water and what not. So that pair had the shortest life span of all my shoes. See the damaged sole below...

So, I needed a new pair of shoes. I still want a pair of MBTs but at USD249 excluding shipping, I am hesitant as I am worried it will only last 6 months again with the outdoor conditions that I am subjected to now. I'm very likely to get another pair but not for everyday wear here... and not yet.

I wore the busted MBTs till last week when I finally got REPLACEMENTS while I was in Ipoh.  Note that it is plural and not singular. These are the replacements that I got pictured below.

I was at Jusco in Ipoh with my wife and they happened to have this crazy SALE. These were going at 50% off and they were at RM199 a pair... now let's see how far this RM199 investment will take me... they're pretty comfortable and light but they have plastic soles so that's not too good for me.

How many of you have and still wear shoes that are more than 5 years old? My record is 17 years (Timberland boat shoes) and still counting...

Tune Hotel...

Tune Hotel Ipoh is my hotel of choice whenever I am in Ipoh, which seems to be about once or twice a month these days. Whenever I am in KL then it would be the Vistana KL. Of course I could stay at my mom's place or even at the in-law's but I chose to stay at the hotel whenever I am back in KL. When I made this decision I knew I would get 'flamed' for choosing to stay at the hotel. I knew what the usual 'statements' would be but to me I didn't make the decision at my whim and fancy. It was a calculated decision. For me, this was making sure that there was balance... this way I cannot be accused of spending more time at one place and not the other. If I stay at my mom's then the in-laws would be slighted and if I stay at my in-law's then my mom would be slighted. Hence, my decision... both are slighted. Hahaha... 

My wife and I had collectively agreed that if I had a break of more than 3 days then we would go back to KL and if it was less than 3 days, it would be Ipoh. It was logistically and financially prudent, for us at least. KL was 3.5 hours drive with toll vs 1.5 hours to Ipoh with no toll.

Anyway, back to Tune Hotel. I first stayed at Tune Hotel in 2008 when I visited Kuching. I found that it matched my needs perfectly. As I was in Kuching for sightseeing, it fit the bill perfectly. CHEAP, clean, comfortable and convenient. Essentially I just needed a place to have a good rest and shower as most of my time would be spent out of the hotel.

This is Tune Hotel Ipoh. Booking online, I normally get the rate of RM53.00 nett for just the basic room and fan. Towels, amenities, TV, A/C and wi-fi all cost extra. I normally pay around RM70 after adding A/C and towels. It's just 5 minutes away from Ipoh Parade. You have The Store, Pizza Hut, KFC, Watsons and 7-E just across the road.

The room in HDR panorama... click on picture for a larger view. 

The other side of the room in HDR panorama...click on picture for a larger view. 

The room is very basic as you can see from the picture but very comfortable and has a safe box. The washroom has a comfortable shower cubicle and a hairdryer. They have an ironing room on the 4th floor and you can get the keys from the reception. Parking is available in the basement.

If you are a regular and respond to their surveys, you get 20% off your next 2 stays. This will be valid for 30 days and your stays have to be at least two weeks in advance. I have never had problems staying with them except for this recent stay where the safe didn't work and the cubicle started to flood which they rectified immediately. TRY IT!!!