Mortimer's battle logs.

[Mortimer]

This is probably going to be a little random, since my exercise consists of both group gym classes and solo training and it tends to be all over the place. And some days I may not have time to post. I try to get some weight training done every alternate day, some weeks I'm more successful then others. And yoga/stretching equivalent once per week. 

 

Might be posting small victories and culinary experiments as well down here. 

 

So, about last night. I got rid of the ice creams in the office fridge. They've been sitting there for several months, now they won't be tempting me any longer. Fried myself a batch of green beans and stashed it in the freezer, so if I need a late night snack, it'll be there. 

 

Ingredients:

230g of green beans

0.5 a teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon of light soya sauce

0.5 teaspoon of sesame oil 

Chopped garlic. 

Black pepper

 

1. Slice the green beans diagonally. 

2. Sautee the garlic until it is about to turn brown.

3. Add in the sliced green beans, salt, sesame oil and black pepper then stir fry it until its cooked. 

 

I'll likely edit this post to get a picture of those green beans tonight. Pics below shared with chicken zucchini boat. I fried quite a bit more, but also told my family to help themselves. And help themselves they definitely did! 

 

Culinary experiments to perform: Do research on baked egg muffins for breakfast. But I need to get a large enough bowl, or muffin tray. 

 

Culinary experiments already performed this week:Varied the zucchini boat for black pepper chicken thigh. Pics below, shared with green beans. 

 

Ingredients:

 

400g chicken thigh (with skin on) 

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 teaspoon salt

Loads of black pepper

200g red pepper cubed(you can use yellow or orange peppers as well) 

 4 zucchinis

150g mozarella cheese

200g sliced white button mushrooms

 

1. Preseason a day before the 400g of chicken thigh with 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon of salt and loads of black pepper. 

 

2. Slice the zucchinis into 2 and scrape out the centre with a teaspoon to form a boat. 

 

3. Toast the zucchinis at 170 degrees Celsius, 15 min on skin side, 30 min on flesh side and remove from oven.

 

4. While the zucchinis are toasting, line another oven with sliced white button mushrooms and stack the chicken thigh on it. Bake for 15 min on each side. 

 

5. While the zucchinis are toasting, fry the red pepper with garlic and salt. 

 

6. Once everything is cooked, slice the chicken thigh thinly, let it soak in the gravy then line the zucchini boats with the sliced button mushrooms, add the sliced chicken thigh and put it on zucchini boats, top up with the red peppers, add on the cheese then toast in the oven at 170 degrees for another 3 min. They're done! 

 

Oyster sauce:

https://images.app.goo.gl/ScSHkUJRiPK4bgGLA

 

Note to self: I will not buy yellow zucchinis, they ended up bitter on toasting. 

 

I may possibly create a canned tuna version of the zucchini boat this weekend. 

[Mortimer]

Weights:

 

50 lb shoulder press x5 (only completed 4 on last set) 

30 kg squat on Smith machine  x5 (increased to 35 kg squat on Smith machine for last 3 sets) 

90 lb deadlift (3x)

Jumping up then catching bar and holding for 10 secs before resting for another 10 secs and repeat

9 push ups

50 lb chest press with barbell (x5) 

10 single arm dumbell rows at 12 lbs (x10) 

1 min plan

 

Repeated for 6 sets. 

[Mortimer]

Did one les Mills body combat session in the gym, unfortunately I fail my will save at least once per day. Today was a bit of chocolate cake. I have this bad habit of trying every snack in the pantry once. Granted once I've tried something, I don't go back for second helpings. 

[aramis]

Nice workout, and fabulous cooking

And about cake - I ate two cookies at my kid's academy in preschool, but I burned them doing longer warmup before workout. You CAN outrun your fork, given the fork is small enough

[Mortimer]

Today's breakfast was fried red pepper with garlic, then mixed with what was left of the beans. 

 

Ingredients:

 

4 eggs

140g of sweet red peppers

50g of already fried green beans

1 teaspoon of light soya sauce

Pinch of salt

 

1. Sautee the red peppers with garlic, add a bit of salt. (If you were using raw green beans, you would add them with the red peppers to cook them first as well) 

 

2. Once they are cooked, add the egg and beans and continue scrambling up the egg until the egg is cooked. Enjoy! 

 

Going to park run. And I'm running late because I nearly boarded the wrong train ><

 

Not going to be able to break any PBs today since I will need to run(carrying a bag) to even hope to get there on time, which will use up stamina. 

 

Anyway update on Park run - 5 km - >29 min 11 secs. Not the best ever but that's what happens you run to park run and continue running.  On the bright side I finally managed to get my quota on 30 min of 70% and above heart rate for AIA Vitality 100 points. At least I figured out what makes me tick. Getting moderate to vigorous physical activity clocked for me has always been a challenge. 

 

Lunch was urm... A hash brown, a kaya butter puff and an ice cream sandwich. Yeah I know, I'm bad on weekends. 

 

Dinner - wanton soup and beef brisket, kailan with oyster sauce. I consider it pretty decent since I'm eating outside. 

 

Tomorrow will be a crappy lunch day since I'm going to a vegetarian food fair and I don't see the point of practicing restraint since it's a once/year thing. Breakfast and dinner should be OK, though. 

 

[Mortimer]

OK today didn't go very well. Breakfast was a zucchini boat and a cup of milk, but at the vegetarian fair I sort of released my restraints and let myself go. I was suffering from bloatedness in the afternoon after eating one vegetarian dumpling, one serving of abacus yam, several tapioca cakes with coconut shavings, a tofu puff

 

Vegetarian dumpling: https://www.vegeangel.com/2012/06/11/vegetarian-recipe-vegetarian-chinese-rice-dumplings-zong-zi/

 

Abacus yam: http://smallsmallbaker.blogspot.com/2013/03/hakka-yam-abacus-seeds-vegetarian.html?m=1

 

Tapioca cake: https://www.copymethat.com/r/5ZbcHTQ/steamed-tapioca-cake-zheng-mu-shu-gao-ku/

 

Tofu puff:

https://kitchentigress.blogspot.com/2011/03/stuffed-tau-pok-with-rojak-sauce.html?m=1

 

Rojak sauce was altered for vegetarian type so prawn paste wouldn't feature. 

 

And the mock char siew pork. 

 

Anyway I think my body can't really handle all that carbs causing me to feel bloated.

 

I felt somewhat more normal after doing a bodyweight circuit consisting off, per set:

 

Push-ups (x10) 

Single leg squats (x5), while holding the wall

20 Body weight squats 

20 Walking lunges 

5 dips (improvised using two tables forming a 90 degree angle) 

Jumping up and hanging on the clothes rack for 10 secs, resting 10 secs before doing it again

Single arm (laundry detergent bag weighing 5 kg row) x10

30 sec plank. 

 

3 sets total. Don't have time to go to the gym today... Have to make do. It's sort of a mix of the NF beginners body weight work out and the advanced NF body weight routine minus the pull ups and chin ups(I don't dare to do inverted rows on the dining table) and scaled down. 

 

[Mortimer]

Officially come down with the flu(and pissed about it) , so I'll just take it easy for the next few days. Today I was planning to go for gym class, then run to a location that I've never been before to collect travel brochures, but I think I'll just stick to skipping gym class and walking there. Had plans to run in the evening but I don't think that's a good idea now =(

[Mortimer]

Having flu sucks. I did a morning body combat class, my stamina levels seem normal but I'm just dripping mucus around despite taking runny nose meds. I'll complete my weights then see if I can catch some shut-eye. It might help with sniffles. 

[Mortimer]

Weights:

 

 

 

50 lb shoulder press x5

 

30 kg squat on Smith machine  for 2 sets

20kg + bar on squat rack

25kg +bar on squat rack 

 

90 lb deadlift (3x) - first set I did 100lbs to see if I could. Still rather heavy. 

 

Jumping up then catching bar and holding for 10 secs before resting for another 10 secs and repeat

 

9 push ups

 

50 lb chest press with barbell (x5) - 3 sets

Chest press with the bar - 1 set up 

 

10 single arm dumbell rows at 12 lbs (x10) 

 

1 min plank

 

Did 4 sets total. Kinda odd having to breathe through your mouth but that's what you do when your nose is blocked. 

 

Funny incident:

 

I found the squat rack too high for me to use so I asked for help adjusting it. One of the personal trainers came up to help me and asked me if I could even lift the bar.(It's required to adjust the squat rack). I cleaned and pressed the bar, sure, not in the best form, but it did the job. Well, I'm stronger then my itty bitty frame would have me look... 

 

 

[Mortimer]

Did 1.5h of Tae bo ultimate edition workout which felt good. Also the usual 40 bodyweight squats, leg raises, 30 sec bridge, 60 sec plank. Took a 1h 30 min nap and baked date bread. 

[Mortimer]

Going out with my fiancé today, so decided to have my vegs and go to the gym before that. Unfortunately I started hoovering half my vegs before I decided to take photos. 

 

Ingredients:

230g green beans

40g sliced carrots 

0.5 teaspoon salt

Chopped garlic

 

1. Slice the green beans into 1 inch pieces, carrots into pennies. 

2. Fry garlic in oil until slightly brown then add green beans and carrots and salt. Fry till everything is cooked. Enjoy! 

 

Note to self:Recipe could be improved by adding half a teaspoon of spicy teriyaki sauce or light soya sauce and black pepper. 

[Mortimer]

Weights:

 

 

 

50 lb shoulder press x5 (only completed 4 on last set) 

 

50 kg squat on Smith machine, last set on squat rack, 30kg load

 

100 lb deadlift (3x)

 

Jumping up then catching bar and holding for 10 secs before resting for another 10 secs and repeat

 

10 push ups

 

50 lb chest press with barbell (x5) 

 

Clean and press with 50 lb barbell(x3) 

 

10 single arm dumbell rows at 12 kg (x10) 

 

1 min plank

 

Seems like actively trying to get more sleep because of flu has improved my performance... 

 

Also that I may be reaching limits of my grip strength soon since the barbell didn't feel that secure. 

 

[Elastigirl]

Nice workout! Green beans and carrots go so well together. I get you're right, a splash of terriyaki sauce would be really good with them

[Mortimer]

OK lunch went pear shaped because everytime I eat out, the stores tell me they can't switch my fries for coleslaw because it all comes in one set ><

 

And for dinner I fell to the dark side and ordered beef noodles. I suppose all that walk around the whole day made me hungry enough that I would order noodles ><

[Mortimer]

Also here are some pictures from yesterday after we couldn't go to the water theme park yesterday due to lightning warnings and went to the arboretum instead. 

[Mortimer]

Going to the gym for 1h of les Mills body combat then going for a 1h high intensity interval training session after work. I really need atonement, besides my basic food ration, I indulged in some pork dumplings and assorted snacks(cookies!) people brought ><

 

On the bright side tomorrow I'm doing my usual 5k Park run so that should burn some calories off. 

 

Will probably need to bodyweight workout tomorrow as the gym near my house doesn't have heavy enough weights. Their heaviest barbell is 17.5kg, which translates to about 38.5 lbs. My lightest reps involve a 50 lb barbell. 

[Mortimer]

Breakfast was 3 eggs with 26g of frozen Spinach and 375 ml of hazelnut milk, 155g of jackfruit and 30 grapes. 

 

Park run timing: 

28 min 32 secs. 

 

Around 40 secs more before I break my park run PB. 

 

Did the starwars nerd fitness workout after that. 

Skywalker handstands: overestimated my capabilities and started with wall plank. Did got 1 min, took a break. 

 

Then took 3 breaks while doing the rest of the 4 min on normal plank. 

 

Jedi high jumps:

Did 2 sets of 10x jump squats, rested 10 secs then completed the rest. 

 

Jabba the hutt chokes:

Did 2 sets of 10x bodyweight rows, rested 10 secs, completed the rest. 

 

Chewbacca carries:

No sandbag! Dumbells it is! Carried 12 kg in each hand and walked around the gym for 1 min but the dumbells were tilting towards the end. Probably should have started with 10kg on each hand. 

 

Han Solo shuttle runs:

Fitness station had a nice area marked shuttle run, so I used it. Fitbit provided the 20sec count and 10 secs intervals. Never thought that running 20 secs shuttle run would be that long ^^

 

Force push ups:

4 sets of 8 Knee Plyometric Push-ups

 

Jedi force choke holds:

Managed to hang from pull up bar for 60 secs! Was rough but I managed it =D

 

Then hauled arse to the gym for 1h of pilates, 40 leg raises, 40 bodyweight squats and 30 secs bridge. 

 

 

[Mortimer]

OK I varied the zucchini boat for tuna version. No discounts on button mushrooms so raw oyster mushrooms were grabbed instead. 

 

Ingredients:

 

220g drained canned tuna 

Loads of black pepper

200g yellow pepper cubed(you can use orange or red peppers as well) 

 4 zucchinis

75g mozarella cheese

150g oyster mushrooms with stems sliced into strips, rest of mushroom chopped into two

2 onions 

 

1. Slice the zucchinis into 2 and scrape out the centre with a teaspoon to form a boat. Rub a bit of salt and black pepper on each zucchini boat. 

 

3. Toast the zucchinis at 170 degrees Celsius, 30 min on skin side, 10 min on flesh side and remove from oven.(Found out toasting longer on skin side made it better)

 

4. While the zucchinis are toasting, open the can tuna, drain the tuna of its brine and put the brine in another container. Smash the tuna so it is a mash. 

 

4. While the zucchinis are toasting, chop the orange pepper, onions and oyster mushrooms. 

 

5. Fry the yellow pepper with garlic and salt. 

 

6. Fry the onions until turning brown, add the raw oyster mushrooms stems, with a quarter of the tuna brine. Then when the mushroom stems look partially cooked, add the mushrooms and tuna and another quarter of the tuna brine, black pepper and stir fry until mushrooms are cooked. 

 

6. Once mushrooms are cooked, put the mushroom and tuna mix on zucchini boats, top up with the yellow peppers, add on the cheese then toast in the oven at 170 degrees for another 3 min. They're done! 

 

Note: I cut down on cheese because I noticed previously I was trying very hard to squeeze all the ingredients into the boats. Will try minimal to hold in place, besides mozarella cheese is rather high in calories. 

 

Pics below. 

 

Oyster mushrooms:

 

https://images.app.goo.gl/xW3zrkXjRuP3pXJa6

[Mortimer]

Gone rock climbing today in the indoor Wall for a 2h session(it's free!). I've managed to book a month full of sessions! Hopefully I'll conquer a more difficult wall, then there will be pics of me at the top! 

 

One wall conquered, spent the rest of the session trying to conquer the other wall without sucess(got my hand to the first green block after the last triangle only). 

 

Rainbow route. 

[Mortimer]

Anyway yesterday I also did a 30 min jog covering 4.43 km. My faithful spicy teriyaki sauce ran out, I'll have to look for a replacement - it'll be likely light soya sauce and black pepper - I try to work with what I have in the kitchen rather then buying new ingredients. 

 

Breakfast:

4 eggs

26g of spinach

165g of jackfruit

4 grapes 

250 ml of oat milk (I'm having fun trying all the different kinds of plant milks, I've tried almond, hazelnut, coconut) 

Should try quinoa and maybe rice next. Haven't seen cashew yet. 

[Mortimer]

Weights:

 

50 lb shoulder press x5 

 

Squat machine in use, Smith machine down, I did goblet squat with the bar for the first set, then added 2.5 kg weights on each side. I know I can squat more, but I'm not sure I can hold that much. 

 

100 lb deadlift (3x)

 

Jumping up then catching bar and holding for 10 secs before resting for another 10 secs and repeat. (First set, I only managed 8 sec on second try - were my arms tired from yesterday's rock climbing? Or just bad positioning. The rest of the sets were fine) 

 

10 push ups

 

50 lb chest press with barbell (x5) 

 

Clean and press with 50 lb barbell(x4!) 

 

10 single arm dumbell rows at 12 kg (x10) 

 

1 min plank

 

I should start moving to 14kg single arm dumbell rows soon. Maybe increase duration hanging from the bar. And the full 5 clean and press. Full 6 sets complete. 

 

Also saw that that @sshole didn't manage to get the squat rack at first(another guy was using) and did some internal snickering, but she got to use it later after that guy was done. 

 

 

[Elastigirl]

Great job on the workouts! Nice climb too. The zucchini boats sound good. Zucchinis are usually on sale this time of year, I'll have to try that

[Mortimer]

Went for 1h piloxing and 30 min body combat during lunch - will head over to join a local running group for evening run later. 

 

What I had for lunch:

250g tau kwa with half a table spoon pesto sauce 

178g of cauliflower

108g of brocolli. 

 

What I'll be having for dinner:

178g of cauliflower

108g of brocolli

A tuna zucchini boat 

200g of steamed jackfruit seeds. 

 

I also plan to work on some black bean stew over the weekend. It will involve tomatoes, red/yellow peppers, carrots and chayote so we get a vegetable rainbow =) 

[Mortimer]

Yesterday's running group did pyramid interval training. Went to the medium speed group, intervals of 220m, 1 min rest, 440m, 1 min rest, then 880m, 2 min rest, 440m, 1 min rest, 220m, 1 min rest. I tend to fall behind on the 440m stretch. Too long to sprint, too short for me to tempo. For 880m, I'm happy to take it at a more moderate pace, since I noticed that a lot of people start fast, run out of steam and slow down. That happens to me if I try to start too fast as well.

 

Yesterday I was very good about food. Only ate 9 grapes past the plan. Which was a nice surprise. I saw the cookies in the pantry but was not tempted(maybe because one cookie =120kcal, and I think I remembered from previous experience that that brand of cookies is too sweet for my taste). 

 

Breakfast this morning:

3 eggs

26g of frozen Spinach(fried with eggs) 

165g of jackfruit

250 ml of oat milk. 

 

Will have an apple as a morning snack later. 

 

1h les Mills body combat class today in the gym, if time permits during lunch I'll go for an hour of hot yoga. 

 

Did the hot yoga. 

 

What I had for lunch:

250g tau kwa. Skipping pesto sauce because I'm running low on it. 

178g of cauliflower

108g of brocolli. 

 

Dinner:

178g of cauliflower

108g of brocolli. 

Herbal chicken soup

One Bolo char siew bun(probably the only questionably healthy item of the lot) 

[Mortimer]

Breakfast this morning:

 

Tuna zucchini boat

375 ml of oat milk

15 grapes

Half an Asian pear

 

Morning snack after weights:

200g tau kwa with 2 tablespoons of pesto sauce

An apple

 

Weights:

 

50 lb shoulder press x5 

 

Goblet squat with bar + 10 kg of weights (x5 for 3 sets), then bar got used and I took 50 lb barbell (x10) for 2 sets. Smith machine and squat rack in use today. I tried to clean the 60 lb barbell but failed to do so. 

 

100 lb deadlift (3x) - tried one underhand one overhand grip. Feels more stable. 

 

Jumping up then catching bar and holding for 12 secs before resting for another 10 secs and repeat

 

10 push ups

 

50 lb chest press with barbell (x5) 3 sets. First 2 sets were done using 60 lb barbell, but it's rough. 

 

Clean and press with 50 lb barbell(x4) 

 

10 single arm dumbell rows at 12 kg (x10) - I tried to increase weight to 14kg but couldn't do it. 

 

1 min plank

 

I did 5 sets today as I felt I was running out of energy. My push up form for the last few reps of the last set was crappy(worm!), so I decided to call it a day. 

 

I managed to dodge the bullet for lunch. Eating out was still fairly healthy - salad with wafu dressing(one of the few salad dressings I don't turn up my nose at), and grilled salmon. I ate the salmon, the raw shredded daikon, squeezed the lemon over the salmon, then ate the lemon slice as well. God, I haven't had salmon for so long and boy was it good! 

 

Yes, I have no standards. Eating up a slice of lemon ><