Hi loves! Gosh, the past seven days has been such a busy week for me.

I just realized that it's been exactly a week since I've last blogged. Sorry for the absence!

Anyway, I've just got home from a long weekend of work and holiday in Ipoh.

Yeah it's a public holiday again, one of the best things about living in Malaysia, eh? Public holidays come in abundance haha! This time, it's Nuzul Al-Quran, a religious occasion commemorated by Muslims.

Yes, babyChivas, mommy's home.

Have you been a good boy while I was gone? 

So… let's get on with what made my week this time round. 

Was requested to record a video for someone special for her birthday.

I hope you're not reading this because it'll spoil the surprise, I suppose LOL 

Did my charity work for the week. This time, it's for Pathway 2 Society.

A non-profit effort to reintegrate ex-offenders/ex-convicts/ex-juveniles

into society by giving them a second chance at life. Check them out! 

Had a pretty refreshing dip by the poolside.

Random photo on the way for my training at gym!

Those guns are ready to cry!

Another thing that made my week were smoothies.

Ahhhh yes, fruit and veggie smoothies! Can't live without them 

This week's post-workout meals:

Seven nut muesli with green apples, milk and cinnamon

Organic cellentani with brocolli, garbanzo beans, egg white scramble and flax.

Wholewheat bread with peanut butter, almonds and garbanzo beans!

Organic wholewheat fusili tossed with zucchini, olive oil,carrots and flax.

Oven-baked salmon with diced potatoes, capsicums, egg-white scramble and garden peas

Stir-fried carrots, spinach, aubergine and chicken chunks

Peruvie Peruvian Grilled Chicken @ TTDI

★★★★★

Loved it. It gave me a good bang for my buck. Delicious and cheap!

Full blog feature soon.

My furkid Chivas always steals my cushion. Perhaps I should get him an actual pet bed of his own?

But then again, he sleeps and lounges about practically EVERYWHERE. 

Aku rasa, usahlah membelikannya tempat istirahat sendiri dah.

Oh since my cat seems to be very popular now, I figured you might wanna watch his antics for yourself

Weekends are best for your trusty ol' kicks, no? 

I love my worn-down sneakers, the Chuck Taylor Converse All Star high tops.

Weekend outfit of the day with granny. 

I wish I was a stoic as she is. Her pokerface sends me chills down my spine.

Restoran Fai Kee @ Ipoh

★★★★☆

We had brunch here. A very popular place among the locals for noodles of pork, fish and drunken prawn.

I was overjoyed when I found my favorite Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) machine

tucked away in an arcade in Ipoh Parade called 'Molly Fantasy'.

12 rounds back-to-back came as no surprise. I was sweating buckets and panting rather audibly

up till a point where the people around me probably thought I was down with an incurable disease. Erk. 

The Limestone's Fine Dining Restaurant @ Regal Lodge Hotel

★★☆☆☆

Saturday lunchdate. The place was nothing to shout about. And… really? Fine Dining? Not to me.

Full blog feature soon!

Random video after returning home from a long day.

Jul 25, 2013 | Nighty night!! ❤ by imthejessicat on Keek.com

Packed my gear and dressed professionally the next day for a heavy responsibility of shooting a wedding.

While the thought of holy matrimony has always been the last thing on my mind for the longest time, undertaking this task of shooting a wedding and making sure every memorable moment is recorded made me realize a few things that I've probably never thought of.

Prior to this, I've never really seen weddings in this light nor have I envisioned how beautiful a wedding can be.

Biar benar, begitu indah menyaksikan akad nikah mereka sehingga hampir menitis air mata! 

Stole a quick selfie in the bridal chamber before I began the shoot

at Kinta Riverfront Hotel & Suites, Ipoh

With the stunning couple. Congratulations, Soon and Shirly! 

The very look on the bride and groom's faces, the merriment that filled the wedding reception, the congregration of old friends and long-lost family members coming together to celebrate a wonderful union, the expressions of both young and old, the nostalgia rising from speeches and presentations, the picture-perfect wedding photographs, the grand ballroom, the decorations, the wedding cake… and the whole celebratory shebang. 

Wow. Guess I've never looked at it this way before.

One day, just.. maybe someday, I'll be a beautiful, blushing bride walking down the aisle in my gorgeous white gown, complete with a delicate veil and bridal train cascading behind me.

But it all seems so far away as we speak.

I've not even found my Mr. Right yet (No, I'm not looking for the time being!). Who will I end up spending the rest of my life with? Who will I end up growing old with? Could it be you? I'll never know.  

Walaupun aku tidak mencari pasangan buat masa ini, tidak salah jikalau aku bicara bahawa aku masih menunggu jodoh, kan? 

On another serious note, I've been busy with very important and legal papers this week.

Many were quick to assume when I posted it on my Facebook and Instagram but no, it's not a marriage registration.

Some of you have already accurately guessed but I'll only officially reveal and blog all about it when the time is right.

The end of the long weekend is over and so are the parties.

The long weekend was a perfect respite from the city. But for now, work beckons once again.

WIll be back in office tomorrow!  Have a great seven days ahead, you. 

Much love,

Jessicat

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The Sunday Times is a weekly series; published every Sunday night to recap the highlights of my week, capture what piques my interest, share my personal thoughts, and to briefly highlight my recommendations for to-go and to-eat places!

Some photos were posted instantly on my Instagram, Twitter, Facebook & my LIVE Blog. 

Do follow to get instant updates and pretty photos of the sights & sounds all around me!

Keeping fit and staying healthy whilst always on the move has always been my way of life.

I'm so glad that many of you have told me how you were influenced by my daily routines. Being able to positively influence my readers towards my goals of staying fit & healthy is yet another achievement altogether!

My recent stint at Fitology in Bangsar!

As a health junkie & a fitness advocate, I'm always sharing my healthy bites from my very own kitchen or wherever I dine at as well as sharing my gym activities & progress on my Facebook feeds & Twitter

Today, imma share my complete 360° fitness programme at Fitology, which is located in Bangsar.

Fitology. Designed to give us a 360° fitness experience

Take my hand, and let me bring you on a visual tour of Fitology through my eyes!

I arrived the vicinity at 4pm and guess what's the 1st thing I did? 😛

Check-in on Foursquare! 😛 😛

I checked out the place before I began my session.

Fitology boasts a very spacious, brightly lit and most importantly, well-equipped training zones.

The first wealth is health!

Always remember that, dearies 

Just some of the machines you will need for your 30 minute cross-fit training!

I shall introduce you to them later and how they will help you work your body 😀

This is another zone where the training is conducted.

As you can see from the mats and wall mirrors, floor exercises, core muscle workout,

free weights, flexibility & stretching are conducted here!

Prior to the session, I was given a short Q&A form to fill in.

This is important so your trainer can gauge your fitness level and target certain areas 

1. FITNESS

Roaring with enthusiasm, I couldn't wait to begin right away! Let it roll! 

I was given a short briefing & overview of my training before I began. 

This is my trainer for today. 

Meet Jason. He's sucha nice and patient dude!

Jason pointed to the iPod on the counter and asked me if I wanted music to accompany my workout.

But of course! Music gets me going; especially in a fitness routine 

I turned the volume up and selected Laidback Luke's tracks.

I'm ready for this! Hey ho.. let's go! 

Let's get our body pumping more oxygen to our muscles & heart rate up first, shall we? 😀

WARM UP SESSION!

Warm ups are very important to make sure our bodies are gradually coordinated and ready for increased demands of exercise and it reduces the risk of pain & injuries too. 

So never, EVER skip out on your warm up session for it helps you to prepare your body physically & mentally for workouts!

First up! Jason instructed me to the…

Rope Machine

This machine targets the biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest and back muscles!

It requires a certain amount of constant strength.

But nothing you can't do, I'm sure of it 

Once you pick up the momentum, it's pretty easy

Imagine you're falling off a cliff, okay? So just keep pulling the never-ending rope! 

Jason very patiently guided me to straighten my back & keep my head up whilst working out

He kept me going at a regular pace, not forgetting to inhale & exhale too!

Once that's done, I drained the waterbottle provided at the counter and proceeded with the next workout.

The JACOB'S LADDER

Jason showing me the correct way of fastening the belt on to your waist

You will need to strap & buckle yourself up to ensure the ladder keeps coming at a certain rate (depending on how fast you climb or how high you climb till) and for reading on the machine to stay correct.

I'm all strapped up!

Climb! Climb! Climb the ladder with never-ending steps! 

Just keep going. Don't look back.

If you start to feel tired, imagine you're trying to climb away from a vicious monster behind you LOL

This machine wore me out pretty quickly. 

Phew! I felt like a hamster on a hamster wheel

Throughout the workout, Jason was right by my side to keep me going!

Throughout all my years of working out at the gym, I never believed in having a Personal Trainer

I've picked up some skills along the way & have always worked out efficiently myself.

But at Fitology, it isn't like the usual gym routines of 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 nor sets and reps.

This is where you actually NEED a personal trainer by your side to ensure your workout is tailor-made for you and your body's needs. Your trainer is there to give each and every individual different workouts according to their fitness level or their goals.

On to the Water Rower

I've seen these equipments in the gym but never bothered to use it. 

Probably 'cos I don't know the correct way. But now I do 😀

The rowing strokes uses a vast majority of muscles!  Here, let me show you :

We're putting all these muscles to good use! 😀

Row row row away!

Bumped into buddy Joanne while she was on the Water Rower too

Keep it up, hun! 

I took a good gulp of water and continued taking Jason's lead.

We proceeded to the Ab Coaster!

Why hello there, Ab Coaster. You and I shall be fast friends.

Jason showed me how I should 

pull my lower torso up using my abdominal muscles slowly but steadily

With every pull, I feel the burn. 

Loving it to the maximum! 

Yup, that's right.

Focus. Focus. Focus.

And keep it going. That is key! 

Just a few more crunches! Mad love for the sweat trickling down my forehead

The final equipment on my programme today. The Arc Trainer!

It may look like the usual elliptical machines in the gym but there's a huge difference, if you didn't know.

This is the Cybex Arc Trainer; similar but yet very different from a elliptical machine

Although both the machines work for cardio and the lower body, the Arc Trainer's foot plates move in a very different path compared to the elliptical machine.

Take a look at this :

According to Dr. Paul Juris of Cybex International, which developed the first arc trainer, 

the difference between the machine and an elliptical is that the arc trainer's footplates move in an arc pattern. 

An elliptical machine's foot plates rotate in an ellipse pattern. 

The idea behind the arc pattern is that the movement is comparable with the 

elliptical's but requires less movement.

This allows for less stress in the knees and hips, while increasing cardiovascular endurance.

 

 

Tiring! But so worth the panting and perspiration!

Keep it going at a regular pace. 

This machine works not just your lower body but your upper body as well.

Now that I'm pretty much acquainted with all the machines in the room, it's time for Round #2

Are we ready? What's left of my energy was fueled by the zest I have to keep going. 

So.. let's do it! 

Rope Machine… PULL PULL PULL until Jason says stop!

With the sheer determination and the drive to finish it till the end… this proves no problem.

Ab Coaster! Crunchtime baby! 

My favorite (and also the toughest)… the Jacobs Ladder! 

Climb the highest mountain… and be proud of it, for the steps never stop coming down

After a few rounds of cross-fit fitness training for 30 minutes in total, it was time to proceed to the 2nd part of the Fitology 360° experience.

2. Detox.

This is how you burn calories passively!

I was ushered to my own private room where the Far-Infrared (FIR) Sauna machine was

Me inside the FIR Sauna. I've never sweat this much whilst practically not doing anything!

See the giant bottle of water? I was told to finish every last drop for water replenishment 🙂

The FIR sauna machine doesn't only rid your body of excess toxins and stimulates the body's metabolic process to burn calories!

Apart from that, it strengthens your immune system and rejuvenates your skin 

I sat inside the FIR Sauna machine and read a few fitness magazines that were provided and even had time to surf around on my phone. I was sweating buckets from doing…. nothing. LOL.

What a great way to burn calories, ey? 😀

Third stage!!

3. Nourishment

I was given a choice of smoothies and I chose the fat-burning one!

So delicious! It tasted of strawberries. 

This step is crucial to replenish the lost nutrients & fluids, as well as refuel the body with antioxidants

It aids digestion and gives our immune system a boost too! 

Final stage (and should I say the best part? 😛 )

4. Sports Therapy

One hour full body massage! Just exactly what I need after a good, powerful workout.

I totally live for massages 

I frequent massage parlours pretty often, but hardly any target the right muscles like Fitology's masseuse does

She was just THAT good… and friendly too! 

We befriended each other and I had some good laughter through the funny stories we exchanged whilst having a kick-ass massage that aids in post-exercise recovery. What could be better? 

Kneading all my tired muscles. Thank you so much, it feels great!

I expected to be sluggish after today but nope, I got right back on my feet and felt so refreshed

After less than 3 hours, I was done with my complete 360° Fitology experience!

I'm dead sure I've burnt more calories than I ever did in my regular 3 hour session at the gym each time.

It's a wholesome workout! 

For someone who has been actively working out for the past few years, my advice to you is to NEVER look at your workouts as a chore. 

I want you to enjoy it, feel it and reap the benefits from all that discipline.

How do you get a trim, lean, firm & fit body? 

Simple. It's pure hard work and determination.

And no starving required 

You could join Fitology for an overall fitness experience, while you're at it. 

For non-members (walk in customers), you pay RM200

But if you sign up as a member, you only pay RM110 for the full experience!

I find this concept extremely unique and a one-stop all-in-one fitness center.

30 minutes of professional fitness training + 30 minutes of FIR sauna + health smoothie + sports massage. Is all you need to achieve your health & fitness goals! The calories burnt in one short, compact Fitology 360° session outweighs any others 

Also, one more important thing. I believe wholeheartedly that fitness routines and working out should not be limited to plump, fat, overweight or obese (whichever is the politically/socially correct term LOL).

Why must one wait to grow that big before deciding to turn up their fitness dial?

I for one, definitely advocate maintaining fitness and keeping an active, healthy lifestyle despite being fat or thin.

I can safely say that I'm probably not fat NOW, but I COULD be, if I do not start being fit now, right?

As a fitness junkie, I strongly recommend Fitology to be incorporated in your fitness routines! 

Check them out & contact them to undergo a complete 360° fitness experience at Fitology! 

Website : www.fitology.my

Facebook page : www.facebook.com/Fitology

Twitter : twitter.com/fitology360