AI Advice for Middle Age Women

 I have been putting on weigh very slowly like 1 kg every 2 years. This is bad if it is not controlled. I can be very curvy by mid 60s. All my nice dresses will not fit :)

I've tried many things. I watch what I eat, go for a walk, do stretches with dumb bell. My mid section (and my face) is getting bigger no matter what I do. So one fine day, I ask ChatGPT. According to the AI, it is middle age problem, something on menopause, hormones change, cortisol blah blah blah.

The key takeaways from my chat which I think worth trying are:

1. drink 2L of water a day. I'll probably drink 1L or less a day.

2. drink less alcohol like 1 glass a week. I drink 4 to 6 glasses a week.

3. Count my protein. I should  have at least 1g of protein for 1kg of my weight. I read labels but counting protein is another level. I try my best to have balance diet but I don't count.

4. Take my weight, waist and hip measurements every 4 weeks for 12 weeks. I will give this a try for 12 weeks!

Wishing myself good luck.

Becoming a German - Going for a Walk

Another habit I have acquired since coming to Germany is enjoying a walk. I suppose it makes sense. Walking is healthy, getting the clean fresh air and it is free. Berlin is actually a very nice city. Despite being the capital city, it has a lot of greens and lakes. All these are public spaces and can be enjoyed by anyone.  We always joke that if it was Malaysia, greedy developers would have bought the prime spaces and build buildings only those who can afford the hefty price tags can enjoy. This is one of the beauty of Germany.

Near my house which is within walking distance, there is a UNESCO park and lakes. Dominic and I had our usual routine walk which we passed the views in the pictures shown below.  Walking along the lake always feels calm.  The scenery is different in different seasons. You will not be bored. The loop is about 4500 steps and takes 40 mins to complete. We tried to walk this loop everyday. On days when we have more time and nice weather we walk further to the UNESCO park and it easily takes 2 hours.

So when I don't know what to do and the weather is nice, I go for a walk. Even in winter when it is cold, I go for a walk as long as it dry and sunny.

Blurberry

 There is this shop called Apom in Bangsar Village. Not sure if it is still around. It sells T-shirts, bags, small items with funny and catchy phrases. We bought a few things. The most funny and caught most attention is my bag. It says 'Blurberry.....tiap tiap hari'

I carry this bag to my classes. It is big enough to store my tools for my pottery and calligraphy classes. Once my pottery teacher walked to me and said 'Is the Burberry your bag? Your phone is ringing'. I smiled. 

Chloe's friends were over and I had my bag on the chair. One said to Chloe, 'Did your mother know there is a spelling mistake?'. Chloe smiled.

Another of her friend commented 'This is a very bad fake.' Chloe smiled and said you will never understand the joke.

Ha ha ha...

Second Hand Clothes Shopping

 Chloe is a queen in second hand clothes shopping. She buys from a platform called Vinted very often. I must say the price is really good. She never pays more than 5€ for a top. She also sells her unwanted clothes on Vinted. One of her best friend, N, makes a good side hustle selling on Vinted. N visits flea market often, picks up sellable stuff, repackage or re-market with much higher prices. That's how N earns her extra pocket money. 

Recently Chloe bought a long sleeve shirt UK size 20! When I was washing it, I wondered how did this giant shirt get into the basket. She said she bought it. There I go again nagging why she bought something that is so off. She said she will altered it. 2 days later, she wore that shirt and asked if it is nice. It is nice. She somehow altered long sleeve to short sleeve, side 20 to size 2!! I don't know how she works her magic. 

Also recently we were in Mango. I tried on a skirt which was the right size and was a nice color. But the seam near the zip has came off a bit.  That was the last piece and the sales lady refused to give further discount on the damage. I didn't buy it but Chloe said I should just buy it cause it is very easy to sew the burst seam.

I don't understand why she buys clothes that don't fit and had to do extra work of altering them. She doesn't understand why I made a fuss when I could easily fix it. Must be a generation different mentality thing....

Football Withdrawal Syndrome

 The last few weeks were kind of exciting. There were World Cup matches and usually after our dinner time. So, I just sat down and watched the games. Sometimes I watched with Chloe and sometimes with Dominic or both. Lucas watched with his friends in public viewing. I have never watched so many matches in a World Cup. It was kind of interesting and I looked forward to it after dinner. It is all over and I am back to Netflix. 

Now I know who are Haaland, Bellingham, Cucurella, Yamal, Nico Williams, Saka, Olise, Dembele..