My Little Log Book

 Obama Selfie - Cant a President Have a Bit of Fun? Well apparently not. Not at a funeral, not with a pretty lady Prime Minister of another country, definitely NOT with a selfie and apparently NOT with the first lady Michelle looking disapprovingly away! The list of DONTS for Presidents have increased. You DONT take a smiling selfie at a funeral. As the Memorial proceedings of Madiba were going on, The Prez Obama interacted with World leaders as one is supposed to do. At some point during those  interactions, the President whipped out his phone and took a "selfie" with the pretty Prime Minister of Denmark Helle Thorning Schmidt with Britain's Mr Cameron looking on. And the world (or the cyber world) erupted! What followed was miles and miles of tweets, retweets, opinions. And more opinions on why is Michelle Obama looking so glum! However what I feel is that - come on, the Prez is a person too - let him have his selfie! Madiba wouldnt have objected. And more ...

Well not exactly... '"The ocean is very big and a skiff is small and hard to see," the old man said. He noticed how pleasant it was to have someone to talk to instead of speaking only to himself and to the sea.' I had an amazing experience recently, watching the "Old Man and The Sea" performed on stage by Tom Alter and supported by Sufi dancer Zia Nath. Tom Alter did all the talking himself as he spent nearly 1.5 hours on stage enacting the famous role of the old man adrift on the sea. Alter' performance was of such intensity that one felt really adrift with Santiago on a skiff checking baits, tackling a marlin, fighting shark attacks, thinking about the day's baseball, DiMaggio and the boy. You knew the old man wouldn't give up especially when he reminisced about an arm wrestling match with a much stronger opponent that went on and on till the pectators almost left for work on the next day. Santiago' fight with the fish was beautiful...

This is the speech with which Sachin Tendulkar ended his last Test Match. All my friends. Settle down let me talk, I will get more and more emotional. My life, between 22 yards for 24 years, it is hard to believe that that wonderful journey has come to an end, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank people who have played an important role in my life. Also, for the first time in my life I am carrying this list, to remember all the names in case I forget someone. I hope you understand. It's getting a little bit difficult to talk but I will manage. The most important person in my life, and I have missed him a lot since 1999 when he passed away, my father. Without his guidance, I don't think I would have been standing here in front of you. He gave me freedom at the age of 11, and told me that chase my dreams, but make sure you do not find shortcuts. The path might be difficult but don't give up, and I have simply followed his instructions. Above...

40s just the beginning and our awesome celebs prove it! Here's a listing of celebs in 40s by their oomph - iness Obviously the oomphiest of them all - Rahul Dravid scores a perfect 10 with his clean cut classic features, the glint of steel and sometimes mischief his eyes, his dedication and overall charm. Bharat Ratna or not - Rahul is the best his fans agree. And the sexiest ;) If there was one sports star who could take over Daniel Craig, my vote is on Rahul Dravid.   (image courtesy - johnabraham.com) Dimple, figure, maturity, biceps and bulges at all the right places. John's got it all. And at forty, he looks perfectly naughty!                                                     (Image Courtesy - madhuridixit-nene.com) 40 - who cares? At 45, the Diva has made an amazing comeback with Jhalak Dikhla Ja, item songs, plum movie roles. ...

Look at Amanda X as she loses weight! Amanda (last name unknown) started taking a pic of herself tobetter moderate  her weight loss efforts and in one year she lost an incredible 88 lbs going from fat to svelte! A Reddit user condensed the pics to a 5 sec gif of Amanda losing 88 lb and the clip is truly amazing and inspiring. In fact inspiring enough for me to take a shot of self (though not enough to share!) Woman's Time-Lapse Weight Loss Video Goes Viral | ABC News Blogs - Yahoo

A BMI calculator is just one way to keep a track of a healthy body weight. Though there have been many criticisms of the BMI - for example it doesnt take into account muscle weight vs fat weight - its a good way to keep a check on whether one remains in the healthy zone by normal people. Powered by BMI Calculator

I have heard this refrain hundreds of times - "I have only got to breathe air to gain weight" or "I go to the gym but havent lost any weight" or just simply "Why dont I lose weight?" Let me tell you why. No this is not going to be a brutal dissemination of your terrible eating habits. Just some plain fact about calories and how we gain them and lose them. How much calorie to lose/gain 1 kg It takes approximately 7700 calories to lose 1 kg of fat. Suppose one goes about one's normal work eating normal everyday food. A 65-68 kgs person would need approximately 1800 calories in a day. The regular food we consume will total upto more or less that. By regular food I mean a bowl of cereal for breakfast with juice, some carbohydrates, protein and vegetables for lunch, some snacks and a regular supper. Nothing  high carbohydrate or junk included. How we consume extra food without knowing Suppose one consumes a pastry or a bag of chips extra - that would easily...

My Workout Regime for the day Feeling positively awash with goodwill today. Had another great workout yesterday. Here's how it went Stretching Round 1   5 mins on the elliptical (read - 65 cal) A set of legs and arms workout on the home gym (Leg press, Leg Extension, Shoulder press), 100 twists on the spinner Round 2  11 mins on the treadmill (read - 100 cal) 2nd set of muscles workout Round 3   54 Mins on the treadmill (Read - 612 cal) Maximum intensity - Incline 12, Speed - 6.7 km/hr Check out the stats here Finally did some post exercise lounging around, watching TV, listening to songs loud and cooling down :)

Today's Workout Log 7 Rounds around the campus Time - 50 mins: Distance - 4 kms approx. I have to set my pedometer properly. It gets disconnected with too much movement of my arms! Intensity - Not too high. Considerably hampered by gossiping Feeling - Great Gym - 3 rounds of leg press, leg extension, twister, arms crunch followed by a 5 mins on the vibration plate Today's Food Log Breakfast - 4 pooris and alu sabzi from Ganguram :-) Lunch - Normal with saag, karela, mixed veg, daal and a little rice Bsicuits - 4 Maries Sweets - 1 Nalen gurer sandesh 1 bowl Papaya Dinner - 1 plate homemade mattar chat (with farsan/chips on top) Now how do I sum up these calories????

An Icon Retires - Not In Shtyle??? One can't help wondering about this conversation...BCCI - "Retire before South Africa - your 200th test will be in Mumbai" The build up is like its the final test before apocalypse!!! Some private thoughts...How credible will that final Test be? How far will cricket's premier body and its confederates go to boost its viewership, rating, TRP, earnings? -------------------------------- (Meme by mylittlelogbook.blogspot.com)

Finally got around to doing some real kicka.. workout yesterday. In fact two days in a row. 14th October - 6 rounds around the campus (I estimate a distance of 650 or so mts per round) after my last workout on 5th October. It was a relief to get out of the house with a friend and move around after awating a major Hurricane (Phailin), antcipating, preparing and then tiding over it - over the weekend. Not much damage around the campus except a few broken limbs (from trees, silly) and lots of leaves and twigs. 15th Oct - 8 rounds including some slow jogging  (again with above friend) which felt truly satisfying. Continued onto the gym. Did 3 rounds of weights for legs and arms and then the blessed relief of the vibration plates. I know these variety of exercise will help better eventually - but there is nothing more adrenaline busting than watching the calorie count going up up on a treadmill! Here's to more exercise! Did I spoil it all with a beer tonight? Cannot be helped - sigh. i ...

It is a well known fact that papaya has a huge cache of benefits asociated with it. Together with green tea - papaya is the most revered of food that nutritionists and dieticians recommend. And with good reason. The 10 Benefits of Papaya  Reason # 1 to eat papaya Unlike many other healthy food - a rich ripe papaya tastes like heaven . Its sweet and slightly sour taste provides just the required kickstart to a glorious feeling throughout the day. For a sustained diet of any food - it has to taste good - papaya has that going for it in loads! # 2 - The fruit is available throughout the year. So it can form a part of any dietary plan in any season . Click Here for the Perfect Weight Loss Ebook!  # 3 - Its health benefits are myriad. It contains an enzyme Papain that helps in natural digestion . # 4 - A bowl of Papaya can provide about 10% of our daily requirement of natural dietary fibre and helps in clear bowel movement. # 5 - It is a rich natural source of Vitamins A, C, E a...

Maa Durga has her task cut out for her on this Ashtami 2013. As the devotees gear up for the much anticipated Durga Ashtami Puja - there is apprehension, fear, belief, resignation in the air. The demon is around the corner. In the shape of a whirling, swirling juggernaut of a tornado that looks ready to uproot everything in its way. This omnipresent Goddess,  the embodiment of power, peace and motherhood - the killer of Mahisashura and all the evils that the demon personified - will she be able to vanquish this massive demon? I can feel the people still hoping that the Goddess will somehow sway the demon. Together with our belief in Lord Jagannath we believe in this Mother Durga towards whose worship we plan and look forward to throughout the year. Cyclone Phailin is a tangible monster with wind speed currently at 160 mph and around 400 kms away from landfall. It is showing all indications of a Supercyclone. But I still hear questions like - is it truly coming? Why is there n...

How 12 Rounds of Surya Namaskar is all your Body Needs Surya Namaskar or the salutation to the Sun God has long been accepted by Indian culture to provide a deep aligning of the mind, body and spirit. these asanas passed down from ascetics and refined by yoga Gurus has been practised for centuries early in the morning as a form of salutation to the Sun God Surya. The modern day or current popularity of Surya Namaskar can be directly attributed to Sr sri Ravi Shankar and his Art of Living good living cell - as the popularity and following of Pranayama by millions can be attributed directly to Baba Ramdev. How to Do Surya Namaskar The Surya Namaskar yoga consists of 12 asanas in an inviolable sequence # 1. Stand with your palms together ( Namaskar pose ) and your feet together in Pranamasan # 2 Ardha Chandrasan-  Lift the arms up and back in a slow fluid movement so as to stretch the entire body. Keep the arms close to the head and push the pelvis slightly forward to stretch better. ...

I worked out 600 calories on treadmill today. This is by far my BEST EVER effort on a treadmill. I had done 600 calories one roughly 10 months back when I was preparing for the marathon. However then since my concentration was on jogging - I couldnt log much calories even though I worked out longer. Today's workout log Calories Burnt - 600 cal Workout - walking on incline on treadmill Distance covered - 5 kms Time - 50 mins Maximum incline - 13 Maximum intensity - jogging for 1 min at 7 km per hour speed on 13 incline. Followed this workout with some crunches, leg press and 6 minutes on the Vibration Plate Feeling - good! This workout came about after losing around 1.5 kgs this week because of an upset stomach which compelled me to a minimal diet. I feel positively lightweight and timble toed ;-)

I just read the review of Gravity in which Sandra Bullock plays a lost in space astronaut. At 50, Bullock is getting rave reviews for her yummy appearance. Bullock was always one my favorite people on screen. With this performance (which I will be sure to watch) my admiration for her has gone up a notch or two. Just one generation back - 50 was considered to be irretrievably old. Male actors have transcended the 50 years barrier with meaty roles for sometime. Women havent been so lucky. Good roles yes - but "gravity" defining roles at 50 - cant remember any! Bullock's role which must have demanded a load of stamina is a tribute to her fitness. Sandra trained specifically for her "weightlessness" in the movie. She admits she pushed her body to the extreme during training. Read about how Sandra trained for Gravity here. Bullock's fitness regime is apparently a combination of dance routines for cardio, yoga and pilates. She revealed on Today Show to Jay Leno...

You can love Lalu, you can hate him - but you cannot ignore him. For those who don't or cant delve deep into the murky world of Bihar politics, Lalu was a fascinating figure. The ultimate kingmaker. Many in the nation held an aversion to Lalu during the scam days, his belligerent ways, his "I am above all laws in Bihar" attitude - and similarly many more had more or less replaced those images of him with those of a "successful minister", a kindly outspoken avuncular person, someone who understood the grassroots, family values. Especially when it became known he was not becoming the PM in the near future. Lalu playing holi in dhoti, Lalu cooking for his family, Lalu in HBR and Lalu spouting truly secular values somehow managed to outweigh in the public's mind the very audacity and volume of the fodder scam. Of course in recent times the audacity of the multi thousand crore mining and 2G scams have somehow dwarfed the few crores Lalu apparently pocketed....

A 5 km run is just going to be a stroll in the park, right? Wrong. If it has been organised by Apollo Hospital, if the runners are made to wait for an hour after the schedule of the run for the numerous guests, chief guests to stroll in, if there is no line marking the starting area - that the DJ co-ordinating the run has to shout herself hoarse, threaten, cajole, plead to get the runners into a supposed starting line which had already been changed twice, if there is absolutely no water along the way, if... the list goes on. I am talking about the Run for a Healthy heart Run organised by Apollo Hospital Bhubaneswar on 29th September to mark a Healthy Heart day.  If "organised" is a word that can be used for the event. The saddest part was there were many young children and older people who had come with such enthusiasm. It was touted as an everyman run. But apparently they forgot to provide water. I completed the near 5 km distance in 35 minutes, my son in 30 minutes - and if...

Let me be clear. Running one marathon doesnt ensure weight loss (other than temporarily). Weight Loss is a function of just one thing...well two actually. Proper diet Consistent exercise Nothing earthbreaking about it - is it? Proper diet could be a 1600 cal diet per day. If one is above 70 kgs and leads a moderately active life, the body expends near about 1800 - 2000 calories. So following a 1600 calories diet per day regularly should ensure that one loses weight. Another factor that I have discovered that ensures weight loss is consistent exercise . I have discovered (yes it is a discovery because otherwise there wont be so many health fads) that people who regularly walk in the park while chatting are healthy and lose weight eventually. I include chatting because that gives the right impetus to walk. And consistent walking for one hour daily ensures weight loss. The above is versus people who go on sporadic diets, take on gym membership and go may once a week for some hardcore tr...

Weight - 74 kgs BMI - 28.9 Verdict  - Overweight bordering on Obese

Mahi owns 15% stake in a Sports Management Firm. So what? The stake at first glance seems to be just a business investment (which unfortunately has the potential to be a business misadventure.) Let me get this right. The sequence seems thus. Rhiti takes on Dhoni's management for a considerable sum. Meaning it manages Dhoni's career, endorsements, public appearances, off cricket activities, etc. As any successful sports management firm will do - it has also signed on a few other promising cricketers like Suresh Raina, Ojha, R.P. Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, etc. Fine so far. Dhoni - with money to invest - buys a stake in Rhiti. Its a minority stake. Just 15%. It means Dhoni doesnt take decisions. He just shares in the firm's bottomline. The only thing I can see here is Dhoni is backing himself. Make no mistake, any firm which has Dhoni's portfolio is going to be a huge success. So Dhoni backs himself to make the firm successful and buys a stake (I am sure as per the adv...

A few days back I had an amazing dinner of Chello Kebab at perhaps the World's most famous restaurant serving Chelo Kebab - Peter Cat in Park Street at Kolkata. During the course of my post prandial musings, my thoughts flew to another favorite meal with amazingly similar "apparent" ingredients but an entirely different result - the Nasi Lemak from Malaysia. Both are complete meals with chicken, vegetable, egg on the side with rice at the centre. And thats where the similarities end between the two meals! Nasi Lemak has flavoured rice as in Chelo Kebab. In Nasi Lemak , the flavour comes from lime leaves and lemon grass - while in Chello Kebab the flavouring is from butter and the smell of basmati rice. Chicken is the main ingredient of Chello Kebab as the name suggests. It comes in the form of awesomely rich, grilled, minced chicken kebabs - whose ingredients and secrets go back perhaps 300 years or so. You also get barbecued chicken on skewers. The chicken in Nas...

Mumbai Marathon - Date 20.1.2013 Status - Completed Distance - 42.2 Kms Time - 7 hrs  approx The goal at the top of this blog says - I need to complete a marathon. Happily thats done. My revised goal is to do a marathon in under 5 hrs 30 mins nw! Unfortunately due to an extremely busy home life I wasnt able to document much my marathon preparation in this so called "fitness blog" of mine. Thats mostly because my fitness efforts have been sporadic rather than systematic! But I still ran the marathon. And finished it. And am still in one piece. Here is an article detailing my marathon story. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Going to Mumbai for a marathon??? Why??? This was the standard enquiry of incredulity from friends and family alike. I really wanted to go for the half marathon. I shifted to India end of June 2012 from Malaysia. By the time I found out about the marathons in India and discover...