Carnival for tea,breakfast and dinner

Pirates of the Caribbean

2007-01-09T11:59:00.000-08:00

The development of intellectual property awareness is in its infancy in Trinidad. It should help science and arts grow, but can do the opposite if the system is abused. It was a common sight to see the young and unemployed selling pirated CDs on the roadside with local music. These were custom-made CDs of the best songs, sold for a quarter of the original price.

These young street vendors complain that they have no other way of earning a living and that they are taking the bread out of there families mouth. The prices of original Cds with compilations, which include the best songs of the year, are expensive because of the copyright dues that must be paid to many artists and others. In addition to that a couple days after the song is released these music pirates already have them burnt and ready to sell, most songs only comes out on Cds after the Carnival season. Store owners who sell Original CDs had to resort to closing down their stores or joining the list of pirates because of wide scale piracy.

Artistes also feel like they are never fully compensated for their work and they relay the message that piracy is taking food out of their children’s mouths. I also agree with this but then there is another side to it these “pirates” blast and sell the songs of these local artistes throughout the streets of the major towns of Trinidad and Tobago acting as a form of promotion for these artiste. In turn these songs become more and more popular causing the artiste to be in high demand in the feting arena. When COTT started, they implemented a fee that would be paid by taxi drivers if they played their car radios. The same fee would apply for radio broadcasts in malls. The public outcry against this was tremendous. Some local artists boycotted COTT because they felt this would stifle their music, not help it. COTT claimed taxis were public places and broadcasts without permission were unauthorized. Wouldn’t anti piracy stifle their music as well?

Higher costs are a hard pill to swallow, is it better to be on the right side of the law and in good conscience. I cannot unknowingly steal from others. What is your stance?

FAY ANN & BUNJI GARLIN CHRISTMAS CHARITY

2007-01-07T11:32:00.000-08:00

I was writting a post for today about Fay Ann and Bunji and I came across this article Kudos to these soca stars!!!

Soca Mega Stars Bunji Garlin, Fay Ann Lyons and Jadee, took time out from their over hectic schedule, finding time to share the spirit of Christmas with less privileged residents of Point Fortin...

The project which was part of a wider exercise involving other entertainers in areas such as The Beetham Gardens where poverty still exists. The Point Fortin project initiated by Fay Ann Lyons, liaising with the Point Fortin Corporation, distributed over sixty (60) hampers to individuals and families within the community.

During a particular delivery, tears flowed as the living conditions of a relatively young woman living with cancer appalled everyone. With none to really make her enjoy a comfortable living, both Fay Ann and Bunji contributed towards her medication for the next two (2) months. Fay Ann went on to assure her that she will do whatever she can to assist her condition. Lyons said that she cannot hang her hat where she can’t reach, but she will do whatever she can.

Fay Ann Talking to Residents
Upon exiting the house, Bunji said that he was in shock to know that in a country which boast of having so much money in circulation, people are still living in such poverty.

Fay Ann said that the exercise was the beginning of what will be programs to assist the society’s underprivileged organized by herself and other entertainers.

Local Gospel superstar Jadee added a biblical twist to the event by saying, he is bumming around for some blessing. He said that God blesses those who bless others.

Hampers were distributed throughout the community to pre-selected residents.

Due to requests received and sensitivity issues, we will not be featuring the recipients of hampers received.

Pointalive.com extends sincere appreciation to all who contributed towards the project.

Found on : http://www.southtrini.com/

Good Song, Bad Lyrics

2007-01-05T05:59:00.000-08:00

Are you the kind of person who listens to lyrics or not? I'm the type of person who listens to mostly rhythms and beats. Some soca artist put words in there for a reason, to be heard, to spread a message, idea or thought. Others however just look for lyrics that make a good melody. Recently I noticed that there are songs I like but once I know the message I can no longer enjoy them since the message is not something that makes me happy to hear.

This happened to me a couple of days ago with Crazy's chune: Cold sweat. While driving with my mum the song started to play on 96.1,I pumped up the volume and started to sing the chorus. My mum frowned her face and said "crazy like to sing ah set ah rudeness eh". I stayed quiet and really took in the lyrics for the first time, I was a little upset over some of the lyrics in verses. For example she keep it cumin and cumin, cuming and cumin. After that every time I heard the song I bobbed my head and sang the chorus but the joy of hearing it just wasn't there any more.

During this week here I actually began listening to the lyrics of some of my favorite soca chunes. For example one of my old time favorites really shocked me, I don't know who sang it , here are some inserts:
"Here comes the lollipop man, ah wah yuh put up allyuh hand"

"Here comes the lollipop man, ah wah yuh understand"

"Sucking on the lollipop, suck it till yuh dribble drop"

"All de rude boys.. Stick it.. stick it stick it"
"All meh girl dem ..lick it lick it lick"

Do I need say more? Moving on!Some other ones that struck me as negative were Sherwyn and Bunji’s-water, Crazy’s Cock cah stand up ( hilarious) and save ah soul and many more, too much to mention.
A couple good examples did arise from my recent soca lyric research KMC's Three mile and first experience had some good lyrical content ,yet fun and relevant.

"We coming from Oxford street, Chip! Chip! Chip! Chip!"
"Last year for Carnival first time ah play mas."

"Last year for Carnival frist time ah play mas"
"Me and meh Woman on de trailer truck taken in the brass"

This years contribution from Zan arised as one of the winners the song title The Heart of a man – "Every creed and race find an equal place".Most of Destra's songs that I listened to over the period passed my lyrical test and I actually realized that some if her lyrics were brilliant. Remember the song celebrate? There are some inserts from the song listed below, do you know, I believe the girl was actually talking about losing her rag???lol

"Keep jumping Celebrate!"
"Keep waving Celebrate!"

"Last February when I lost u in the fete..nah nah nah nah"

"I soak yuh with burrybery cologne..nah nah nah nah"

Benji's new song for this year is also a winner, I jus love it, if you got jah in your life. Some other artistes worthy of mention was Patrice Roberts and Maxismus Dan.

Well since we have discussed some of the good and some of the bad.. let's discuss some of the ugly. The Ugly being some of the lyrics that just don't make creative sense no matter how u look at it. Let's start with Iwer George, who could possibly forget the song Hand!, Hand!, Hand!..some article that I read on the newspaper a while back stated that he mentioned the word hand more than one hundred and seventeen times (117). The man could have used another word to say hand, Maybe palm or arm or something, a classic case of writers block..lol.

Another example is Mr. Vibes and his song titled Thing…I guess I don't need to say anyTHING more on the THING song..lol. The strangest thing though ( no pun intended) is that I love them both, dem chune is real vibes in a fete!.

I also wonder if soca chunes influence people's thinking even if they aren't really listening. I know that many people believe in subliminal influence even going so far as to listening to tapes with subliminal affirmations. The lyrics are not even really subliminal since all you have to do is pay attention to understand them. So does lyrics matter to you??

Job Specification and Description for The perfect Carnival Male companion

2007-01-03T09:38:00.000-08:00

I never played mas with a male I always play with my group of girlfriends and last night I was wondering exactly how it would be to play mas with a man. I began laying out some characteristics for a male mas companion and these are my specs..lol. Add some more to the list..lol

Reports to: To me and only me.

Qualifications

No armpit and chest hairs.
More than Five O levels would be an asset including woodwork.
Matching clean sneakers for his costume.
Muscles and well toned body is always an added attraction.
Excess sweat will also be used a criteria to judge ones suitability for the job position.
Must be skilled at massage
Applicants under 5feet will not be considered.

Skills and Abilities

A Flexible approach to Wining positions.
The ability to wine on own initiative.
Extraordinary wining ability is definitely an asset.
He must be able to hide his jealousy and therefore must not have a problem with me wining with another man or even gaping at anotherman.
Personal work planning and organisational skills is a definite asset.
The Ability to work under pressure is mandatory.
Must posses the skill of carrying around all my essentials and being happy simultaneously.
The ability to know when it is time for us to go our separate ways .
Must know when to give yuh space!
He must realize that one song is enough and that he must not go further unless asked.
Must be able to hold his liquor this function is mandatory as he has to be able to protect and serve if needed.
Must have good interpersonal skills even under the influence of alcohol.
Must have the foresight to know, in advance, when you need a drink, & hand an icy cold one to you.
Must posses the art of complimenting i.e he must compliment me on the way i'm winning, winning skills how much I turn him "ON" and how I look all throughout the day.

Work Experience: At least 20 years wining experience.. having played mas before is also an asset.

Working Conditions:
Exposed to some danger of injury and to disagreeable job conditions.

I real shame..

2006-12-27T06:01:00.000-08:00

Season greeting to all, all the blogs have been really slow these days but don't worry carnival is around the corner and soon they will all pick up again. This Christmas Day I real eat and I real shame. This is what I ate:

Breakfast
Two beef Pastelles
Peardrax

Snack
Two sweet biscuits .. 170 kcals
Fruit cake

Lunch
Baked chicken
Fried rice
Mince meat stuffing
Fresh salad
Two glasses of pear drax
One pastille
Callalloo with crab

Dessert
Punche de cream
Three sweet biscuits

Dinner
Half of pastelle
One chocolate cup of bailey’s
Small slice of fruit cake

Middle of the night
Two sweet biscuits…170 kcals

Don’t believe that there could possibly be anyone worst than me.. what did u guys have..lol.

Mas boots in Toronto

2006-12-19T11:49:00.000-08:00

I love mas boots but this year I have opted to go with the sneaker option, however these are some boots available for those of you living in Toronto. The supplier visits Trinidad every Easter for 2-3 weeks, he can take measurements then and Fedex or deliver later.They are beautiful. They are priced at 100 to $150 CAD. The contact number for the supplier is 416 524 1782 ask for Anton. OMG!! I am loving them, they are so neatly made.

The theory of the carnival baby

2006-12-19T06:33:00.000-08:00

The phenomenon of the “Carnival baby,” a child conceived at Carnival time, is supposed to put a significant bump in Trinidad’s birth-rate in November, nine months after Carnival. Is this true?? Does sexual activity increase during the carnival season?. I agree that street dancing is hard to distinguish from sexual intercourse (aside from the lack of penetration) but does that lead people to actually commit the act?

Now I personally have never been driven to have extra sexual activity during carnival, actually I think I have less. When I get home from carnival days or when I attend a fete, the only thing I think about is getting into my bed and sleeping. Do you think that your sexual activity is heightened during the carnival period? Do you think that there could be another factor affecting this increase in births around this time, Valentines Day maybe?

Mr. Machel Montano

2006-12-18T07:05:00.000-08:00

Well everyone who has been reading this blog knows that I am a Montano fan. I even skip to the beat of Machel. Well On Friday I decided to go on a girl’s night to check out the living room, the new club in Arima. I was in the VIP and I left there to go into the general section just to get in front to see Mr. .Montano perform his two new chunes.

Patrice and Zan performed first, even thought I respect Patrice’s talent I just wanted to get to see my sugar boy..sugar boy. Anyways eventually Machel made his way unto the stage. I was there in front wining in all my glory as he sang one more time.. one last wine..

Machel stopped singing and started to insult this triniscene photographer a kind of “ strapped” built person,. The guy was there minding his own business doing his job and Machel stopped and said “U, yuh see U... u too big to be in front here.. yuh like ah bear”. I stoped wining immediately. The whole crowd laughed at him, I felt it for him and didn’t laugh,I was just very disgusted. That was just strike one.

The singer continued and by this time I was no longer enjoying his performance, he raised his shirt showing off his nipple ring and behaving real vulgar. Then some girl in the crowd shouted big up to the $ 70 patrons (general ) and then Machel said “big up to all the $70 dollar patrons , Trinidad have money and if anybody say they poor in this time , allyuh playing de arse” This one was where I drew the line and stopped enjoying myself totally, Is almost like this man is not living in Trinidad’s reality . The truth is that a lot of people’s skies have fallen due to the increase in food prices and prices in general . I myself have seen the effect of inflation.. I was so appauled I felt like leaving the club one time. Pronto!!.

Anyways needless to say I stayed for the third strike, the stage was only one step off the floor where the patrons were. Machel started to wining in front of this girl and motioned his crutch toward her mouth area.. WTF!!. The girl was a decent respectable soul and moved away.. Another girl jumped up and started to wine with her face to his crutch. Even though Machel had part to blame the second girl just had no respect for herself!

After Friday night Machel’s image was tainted in my book and I respect him for his ability associated with his music and also his ability to carry a crowd. I now like Machel alot less than I did before Friday night.

Back on Track!

2006-12-18T07:03:00.000-08:00

Well the last couple weeks were rough, besides the tragic death of two of my family members, my mum also had an emergency surgery at the St. Clair medical. I took some leave to deal with my grieving and ended up having to take more to deal with my mother’s illness. It has been hard but I am back on track now, I want to say thanks for the enquires about my safety. I love you guys!!!. Anyways on with the carnival shit talk!!!.

Wine for Mammy

2006-11-24T08:18:00.000-08:00

What are your views on the picture above? If it is one thing I hate to see is a child dancing in a vulgar manner. Alot of children just jump to the soca music on carnival day, but then we have the ones that dance in a manner which reminds me of bedroom activity. At this age I does feel shame to brook out in front meh mother..lol and some ah dem doing worst dan me.

One of my friends had this cousin who I met as a child, for her birthday party she was all on the floor crawling like a cat, jiggling her little butt and the like. The immediate family was making a big joke out of it and praising her saying “ Sachelle could real wine’’.. or “ Sachelle do the thing where yuh does stick yuh waistline”. I told myself (I was not trying to be pessimist) I just knew that if she continued down that path she would end up in a couple negative situations. Now many years later at age 17 she had her first child for a boy age 17 as well. Young children like to do the things they see their parents doing. Through imitation, children learn many things. Parents know from experience that children will copy what their parents do and say. As a parent, you can help your children develop healthy habits by setting a good example.

Carnival diet update.

2006-11-24T06:32:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have been following this blog from the beginning you would have been sure to notice that the theme changed over days. I just got bored of only writing about my whole diet thing, so I decided to widen the scoop a little. Well this is an update on what has been going on with my diet. One Tuesday I went to the drug store to get my weight, I stepped on the scale in fear of disappointment. I looked down and I saw 145.6 lbs.. For those of you that don’t know that means that I lost approximately 5.2 lbs I am so glad, my target weight is 137 lbs I wanted to achieve this by Christmas.. do you think I can do it?

Does Classism exist in Trinidad Carnival?

2006-11-22T12:50:00.000-08:00

If you turn around in TRIBE and see your Janitor from work enjoying himself in a costume, what will be your first though? If you are at a stush all inclusive and turn around see your housekeeper dancing the night away, what will be your first thought?

Individual classism is a matter of the prejudices held and discrimination practiced by individual people (such as making jokes or stereotypes at the expense of the poor, or treating workers in menial jobs as stupid or unworthy of respect).Structural or institutional classism is a passive form of classism that occurs when institutions or common practices are structured in such a way as to effectively exclude or marginalize people from lower classes.

Well after I went to legacy's band launch and Iwer George came on to the stage and said "this is the black middle class band, so allyuh come out and support them". I was struck by some serious reality. In my opinion classism does exist in Trinidad and hence it lends it powers to Trinidad's carnival however it is a double edged sword.

A Individual classism situation would involve people who avoid other people, places or things because it would associate them with a group of people opposite of the social class which they are comfortable. ".

Do you do this???, be honest to yourself, think deep within. I must admit that at times this is case with myself, I would never step foot in some parties just because in my mind I see them as 'ghetto' and I wouldnot be caught dead saying that I went there. but individual classism is also a double edged sword.You see, I have no issue in openly showing my disdain fetes such as WASA, or brass asI have a problem with these, not only because they represent a class of people that make me uncomfortable, but rather for the fact that these fetes either to huge for me to feel safe or usually characterized by violence.

I also see Institutional classism in several aspects of Trinidad carnival where promoters jack up prices to keep that "premium" on the band and hence keep out the "undesirables". Sizing Discrimination in my opinion can also be seen as a form of classism.

I know this is a Taboo, shh!! topic and some people may not agree with my views but i thought that this was a post worth writting. Do you think that classism exist in trinidad carnival and if so in what form??

Doh ask meh to wuk for carnival

2006-11-21T06:07:00.000-08:00

If yuh boss asked you to wuk on carnival day wah yuh go do?

Kevian
I will immediately get a bout of Diarrhoea, cold, flu, headache, fever, vomiting, hallucination, red eye, belly ache..

icahwait*
Say ok and never turn up.
Roll of some expletives that = "HELL NO!"
hand in resignation.
Take it unpaid "

Saucydiva
If they ever ask me to work they getting a sick leave one time !

Annon9:31 AM
..tell them sure...and just not turn up!!been there....done that!!!

For the love of Bum Bum.

2006-11-19T17:14:00.000-08:00

The Buttom otherwise known as the bumsie ,bum bum or bam bam is usually in the spotlight during Trinidad’s Carnival celebration.I always ask myself why is a woman’s posterior so important to so many soca artiste or to Trinidadian men in general.??

Soca artiste especially the men have always sung about women’s bottoms, which points to the high premium associated with this particular part of female anatomy.Lots of carnival songs proclaim the love for rotating bumsies and wining on women’s big bottoms and therefore it is seen as a desirable sexual target in fetes.

Most of the female artiste also get up on stage and draw attention to their buttoms and use them as an instrument, giving instructions to shake it, roll it, tremble it and de like.

Let’s brain storm and see exactly how many soca songs we could think of that made mention to a woman’s bumsee.. add to list and also see if you can give me a rationale... for this Buttom affection during carnival and in general. These are the songs I remembered off hand:

Iwer George aka the bum bum master

If you see the shape on the sister

Bottom in the road!

Bum Bum big
Bum Bum small
Me aint fraid dem at all!

Turn Around leh meh wine de bumper!!
Turn Around leh meh wine de bumper!!

The late lord Kitchener- Sugar Bum Bum

You torture me the way you wine
I love to see your fat behind
Sugar Bum Sugar Bum Bum

Denise Belfon’s- Kaka lay lay

Lay Lay yuh Bam Bam,
Lay Lay yuh Bam Bam..
Kaka..laylay.

ah cah remember who sung this one
Tiny Winey,Wine yuh Bum Bum
Tiny Winey ,Wine yuh Bum Bum

Russell Cadogan- Sweettrini

Big Bottom Gyal

"I want a big bottom gyal for me to wine up on, I want a big bottom gyal"

Burning Flames-Hottie hottie

Swinging Engine

Bagogyul-Destra

Pay dem d' "Boodie"

Cock back and Roll- Macheal

Karabana

Roll it GyalAllison Hinds

r o l l, roll it gyrl, roll it gyrl, r o l l, control it gyrl, control it gyrl...

bubblenut- Macheal

wine that bubblenut for me, shake that bubblenut for me...

Sherwayne Winchester

i Wining in Front

Yes I know yuh bumper could roll

Demonstrate yuh have full control

Since yuh bottom know all dem stunt...

Don't Stop

Waistline is alive

She could be my wifeRoll it now,

show them de motionBrighten my sky with your love and devotion

First gyal, roll that bumper round

Yes gyal to you it all belong..Roll it oh...

Steamroller - Rupee

Shake your bonita,Bonita applebum,

From left to right

Like a pendulumGirl steamroll it,

On the train trackSpin your waistline

And let me see you Steamroll your bumper round and round

Steamroll it when you hear de sound

Maaaake everybody go ..

Tremble it - Precious

Trinigee

"Jack up de back bumper, jack up de back bumper..." Macheal

TTfootball- Candy hoyte

wuk up yuh waistbaby

bend back and go dong low..

Dr.Kevi De Carnival WINE Connoisseur

2006-11-17T17:40:00.000-08:00

Well this post might seem inappropriate coming after the last one, but I was on my way home thinking about a new post and then I realized that there is nothing more joyful in the carnival sense of the word than talking about wining. So I decided to categorize wines. Let me know which categories u fit into and if you have any to add.

The somebody please buy she a watch wine.
This wine is better known as dancing off beat. The best way to identify this wine is when yuh looking at the person winning and yuh wondering if they are hearing the same song as you. Is like u listening to Sherwayne's don’t stop and they listening to Mad by Macheal.

The traditional gyration
This involves the person standing in an up right position and gyrating the pelvic area. Popular with Trinidadian women when they are tired on the road on carnival day and this is the mother of all wines.

The dollar Wine
If you are a trini, this wine is self explanatory, (no is not de one where u wine for a dollar).. just think colin lucas and cent..five cent… ten cent.. dollar.

The Chutney Jook
This one can be described as a dollar wine to the side using the hips instead...usually done on and off the beat depending on de individual.... Traditionally seen in East Indian dancers and should be used to dance chutney ONLY.

The side to side wine
This wine involves the movement of the hip from left to right repeatedly, usually popular with the older masqueraders and social dancers.

The Dutty Wine
DISCLAIMER: Could be hazardous to health
This is a fairly new type of wine that originated in Jamaica, this wine involves the rapid rotation of the neck and posterior simultaneously..This dance has been yet to rear it's head in Trinidad's carnival but it is expected to be seen for carnival 2007.

Wuking up
This wine came from Barbados, similar to the traditional gyration but in a more stiff necked rapid way.

The cock back n roll
This wine involves the dancer going into a position similar to that done while squatting.( no it is not good for firming your butt muscles) . This wine bears a resemblance to the goutie-look-back or doggy style position. Most females also look back while doing this dance it is unexplainable phenomena.

The jump and wine
This wine is similar to that of the cock back and roll but in a less bent position, another difference between the two wines is that this one is done in mid air. This wine is a good way to burn calories.

The belly wine
This dance is fairly new on the Trinidad wine market and involves the movement of the stomach area in an erotic manner, The people doing this one look like those belly dancers jus minus the coins and de outfit unless u playing in Ip's Arbians.

The professional wine
Whatever you do don’t do this unless you have been properly trained or executed it several times in front yuh mirror. This can be described as a combination of the all the wines discussed above in addition to several aerobic and gymnastic moves :splits, head stands, hands stands and the list goes on. This category leaves a lot of room for creativity.

Where exactly do we draw the line as women?

2006-11-16T04:51:00.000-08:00

There has been many concerns expressed about the increasing vulgarity in Trinidad’s Carnival .Women venturing out to party and play mas in the skimpiest of clothing are a common sight during the recent Carnival celebrations. The music and dances are considered to be sexually explicit. The question is where do we draw the line as women?.

This is where I draw de line. For me I always keep in the back of my mind that life continues after Monday and Tuesday.

I never allow any guy to touch me while dancing, don’t hold my waist or even touch my stomach.
I always walk around with a tag with my name on it. ( jus kidding).
Don’t lift me up unless I know you and I know you very well.. and I approve.
I don’t whine on my girlfriends, we hug and jump like crazy… but we don’t whine on each other..That’s a No No.
Don't offer me to get me a drink at the bar.. is ok, no really is ok.
I don’t like men to sandwich me, yuck!!!
When ever I am getting to intoxicated I stop drinking alco for a while , then start again when i think I could handle it.

Where do you draw the line?

Terrible, Terrible..Dream

2006-11-13T03:43:00.000-08:00

Well last night I had this terrible dream, I dreamt I decided to switch bands to play with island people mas...oasis to be exact. On carnival Monday I still didn’t receive my costume. I received a text carnival Sunday morning stating that we should come down to the mas camp at 8 clock carnival Monday morning to pick up the costume. U could imagine that? Picking up your costume on carnival Monday.???? No time for adjustments? No time for several trial runs??. Ah tell yuh ah almost cry in meh sleep.

Is not like if I hitting island people for six, but because of all the rumors surrounding IP in my subconscious .. this dream occurred. I am sorry IP..lol.

Carnival childhood memories

2006-11-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

This post was Inspired but Hottie's post on giving your children memories, these are my carnival memories as a child growing up.

Playing ole mas in school, Well my surname is Ragbir and I remember one year.. everyone was portraying their surnames… and that year I had to play a vagrant in rags..lol

I remember taking part in the school’s calypso competition.. remember the song that went tick, tock, tick, tock..slow, slow!??. Well I performed that song with a group of back up singers… everyone doing the dance.

I remember the year that I won the calypso competition….with a song that I “composed”. remember that song whoa donkey, whoa donkey, whoa donkey..well I converted it into hop frog, hop froggy , hop froggy.. I put my froggy in ah bottle and if it stay for the day… is hop hop hop hop hop , meh froggy hop till he nearly drop..

I remember going down tunapuna to watch mas on carnival Tuesday and making friends with the snow cone man who continued to replenish my ice with syrup every time it ran low… when I got home, I vomited like crazy.

I remember cornrowing my hair every carnival together with colourfull plastic beads and foil paper at the end..lol

I remember being afraid of blue devils.. running and screaming when I saw them.

I remember wanting to be a traditional indian masquerader.

I remember going into town on carnival Monday one year…and I was wondering….this is what mas is like??, these people are so rude (be minded that I am one of them.. now). I jus felt dirty looking at them.

I remember buying a hood and acidwash jeans to wear to carnival.

I remember when I was around 13 years old, there use to be this last lap jam session in front of royal castle in tunapuna..is there I whine on my frist guy..lol.

Baby sitting uncle Johnnie

2006-11-10T05:21:00.000-08:00

I have seen some funny shit on carnival day but this pic take de cake.

Who chupid idea it was for Carnival to come after Christmas??

2006-11-08T09:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas is a very important time in Trinidad &Tobago. It is the fusion of the end of year excitement while ushering the imminent carnival season. When I look at it in retrospect, I wondered exactly who chupid idea it was to put carnival after Christmas. I know Christmas is about the birth of Christ and therefore I shouldn’t even be writing this post but I just think that these two festivals should be held far apart.

Here are some of the reasons why I think carnival should be held before Christmas

The high calorie Pastelle, Ponche de crème, Ham, fruitcake, black cake, wine, sweet bread, sorrel, ginger beer and the works assosicated with xmas just makes you gain more weight .

Trying to not eat traditional Christmas foods takes some serious will power.( yuh have to watch them and cry)

Yuh trying to Sing Yvonne, Anita, Noel and Jump wave all in the same breath.

The fact that yuh hardly get time to go to the gym because yuh busy shopping up a storm or cleaning up yuh house.

The fact that yuh does spend out most of yuh money trying to do all kinda thing during the Christmas season. (paint de house, change de carpet, tile the floor.)

Yuh does be invited to all these Christmas wing-dings all over the place that loaded with food and drinks.

Yuh fussing with both yuh carnival itinerary and christmas itinerary at the same time.

After going through both Christmas and carnival yuh bank book and credit card does have a negative balance.

Which band yuh supporting?

2006-11-08T07:38:00.000-08:00

Irregardless of if people listen to pan at panorama or not most people have bands who they support..I am an exodus pan player so I am biased, I am also a phase2 and despers fan. In general exodus is one of the more organized bands that I have ever played in. I always loved Boogsie Sharpe so you will find me tending towards phase2. I used to like despers more until they got rid of clive bradly who had to prove himself for them to take him back to them by arranging for Nutones who won panorama that year, (that chune was sweet .. one of the best panorama composition that I ever played).

Leh meh hear yuh opinion on the steelbands

How yuh know when yuh ketching de carnival fever?

2006-11-07T04:31:00.000-08:00

This is how I know I ketching de fever!!

Yuh willing to pay anything close to $3000.00 for a costume for two days.
When yuh contemplating selling corn soup to pay off fuh yuh costume ( a real life story).
When yuh working out and all yuh thinking about is how yuh go look in yuh costume.
When every time yuh pass ah shoe store yuh looking for a new pair of shoes to match yuh costume.
When u walking or driving through port of Spain and u having flashes of bussing a sweet whine in town.
During Christmas all yuh studying to do is collect gift money to pay off for your costume. (yuh know I funny…doh stress yuhself.. jus send me a card with the money.. is ok doh feel bad)
When yuh planning everything around carnival….( I will do my surgery in march instead of feburary Dr..thanks even though yuh bawling in pain)
When yuh put on yuh old costumes ever so often.
When yuh put on yuh costume more than ten times between the time u receive it and carnival day.
When anytime someone ask u how much more days to carnival yuh know the amount of days, hours, minutes and seconds.
When you are a walking fete calendar ( well Friday de tenth is brass , the 11th is WASA and de following Wednesday custom boys)
When u writing an entire blog dedicated to carnival.
When all yuh like to do is exercise to soca.
When yuh visiting carnival websites all day instead of doing the people wuk.
Yuh cah wait for Christmas to pass …
When yuh know every costume by name.
When everybody yuh meet, :yuh asking them yuh playing mas? Wah band? Wah section?
When yuh done start to shop for coordinating outfits for all yuh fetes.
When yuh luggage done pack and yuh ticket done book.
When yuh have yuh costume as yuh desktop real often.

How do you know you ketching de fever!! leh meh hear

Carnival gender double standards

2006-11-06T01:34:00.000-08:00

A double standard, according to the World Book Dictionary, is a standard applied more leniently to one group than to another. In other words when a situation is desireable for one group but deplorable for another. On carnival Monday and Tuesday a lot of Gender double standard exist.

1 a) A group of females see a male walking through the band. They think he is attractive, and make comments about his butt, abbs, or crotch. They also jump on him and give him a sexual whine or even touch his chest -ACCEPTABLE

1 b) A group of males see a female walking through the band. They think she is attractive, and make comments about her butt, abs, or breasts.. They jump on her and decided to give her a hard whine or even touch a body part- LABLED AS PIGS WHO ARE ACTING INAPPROPRIATE, TREATING THE GIRL LIKE AN OBJECT.- Unacceptable

2 a)If a girl walks through the band in a t-shirt over her costume- UNACCEPTABLE ( she must be crazy!!, carnival is about women showing off there body .. why is she hiding it up?)

2 b)If a guy even though he has his costume decides to wear a t-shirt instead because of his big pot belly –ACCEPTABLE

3 a)If a girl with a big belly with stretch marks pass by a group of guys they turn their noses up and look the other way because girls are suppose to have a Flawless body- ACCEPTABLE

3b)If a guy pass by a bunch of girl with a big pot belly they still turn there noses and decide to act like if he does exist. UN ACCEPTABLE because they pumpus... they feel they better than everybody!

4a)If a man has sex with a woman on carnival day who he meet on carnival day is considered a "stud" or "player" (which are often considered compliments). ACCEPTABLE

4b)If a woman has sex with a man on carnival day who she meet on carnival day considered a “badthing” or “slack”. UNACCEPTABLE

5a)If a woman becomes drunk on carnival day it is seen disgusting, embarrassing and slutty- UNACCEPTABLE because she got her makeup smeared all over her face and is falling over and can't walk properly .

5b)If a man becomes drunk on carnival day ACCEPTABLE -While drunk men are merely amusing or "a joke",

6a and b)Mostly women are seen In Media photos wheather it be papers or websites, if men are featured they are hardly featured alone…most time they with a big male crew, with females, a celebrity or something special about them.

7a)If a woman doesn’t wear makeup on carnival day hercustume if not complete-ACCEPTABLE

7b)If man decides to wear make up with his costume, he is most likely gay- UNACCEPTABLE.

8a)Girls could whine on girls ACCEPTABLE

9b)Guys could whine on guys UNACCEPTABLE

Let me play devil's advocate - plenty of these double standards have legitimate reasons behind them. Let me hear your comments.

Diet and Workout News Flash

2006-11-04T16:31:00.000-08:00

Well Ihave been excerising just as hard as before, I am still keeping on track. Even though last night at zen I had two brown cows… and a corn soup from st James. I don’t know what that lady puts in her corn soup ( across the road from Smokey and Bunty's)… but whatever it is.. it hook meh!!. People are already telling me that they are seeing results reflecting on my body… I still don’t feel it though. I am weighing every two weeks, my next due date is next Wednesday. I will give you all and update on my weight loss or gain… who knows.

BINGO!!....I think

2006-11-03T15:13:00.000-08:00

Tell me what you guys think about this pair of sneakers that I found at Raymond’s on high street San Fernando. I love them to match with my costume ( actually I already bought them..lol).. give me your reviews please. I posted more close up pictures of the costume so that u guys can see the colours better.

Skipping to the songs of Macheal and Xtatik

2006-11-02T02:38:00.000-08:00

Last afternoon I missed the gym because I had to go car hunting, when I got home I felt guilty so I decided to pull out my skipping rope and slap on a macheal play list on my media player. I skipped to the beat of Macheal in the hall way outside my bedroom. When I was done after a half hour I was drenched with sweat, I felt so accomplished.
This was what my play list looked like:

1.Madder than that ( I had this like three time within the playlist- I jus love it!)
2.Tay Lay lay
3.Toro Toro
4.Break
5.Delirious
6.Craziness
7.Band of the year
8.We not giving up (cool down)

Try it you might like it!!

Panorama is about Pan or Party?

2006-11-01T10:19:00.000-08:00

Being a pan player for more than a decade of my life, there is one thing that I never understood was the relationship between the crowd at the North stands and the actually steel pan playing on the stage. Having been a panorama participant since I was 13 years old I have only been up to the North stand during a panorama semifinals once in my life. This happened because I was doing examinations and my parents denied me panorama that year.

After sitting in the stand for a short while it was abundantly clear that the majority of the people in the North stand during the competition have little or zero interest in the musical event happening on stage. I had my time dodging people who were just their for lime.. because I was really trying to hear the bands.

The panorama competition becomes nothing but a back drop to the party/picnic/ Drink up that happens on the day. There is absolutely nothing wrong with large crowds of people coming together to enjoy themselves.. but why not appreciate your national instrument at the same time?

This is also raises the question to if the north stand’s behavior is a reflection of the Trinidad and Tobago in general. Trinidad is the birth place of the most unique instrument created in the twentieth century and people seem not to appriceate it.

The 2006 proceeding included the house Dj threatening the North stand to stop their music making activities so that the competition could continue and the judges would make a justified decision.

While I am typing this post I am wondering exactly what is going to happen to the competition next year seeing that the demolition of the queen’s park savannah stage is now on the books…. Will no one attend??

South Beach Under the Spotlight

2006-10-31T07:47:00.000-08:00

I found this articile on the internet for those of you who are interested in trying the south beach diet. In my opinion, the South Beach Diet only requires serious willpower for the first two weeks during Phase One. Nevertheless, this phase is extremely restrictive and the recommended weight loss of up to 13lb worries me. While most of us would love to lose almost a stone in a fortnight, it's not a healthy way to lose weight and unfortunately, it's likely to go straight back on once you return to less restricted eating habits. And that's not just bad for your waistline - but also for your moral!Once you get past the initial phase, however, there are fewer dietary restrictions than some other diet plans. No major food groups are eliminated, plenty of fruit and veg are recommended and generally the diet follows the basic principles of healthy eating, with the result that it should provide plenty of the nutrients you need to stay healthy.

I like diets based on the principles of the Glycaemic Index and South Beach certainly fits in with this (although I'm less keen on Phase One, which eliminates all carbs). Meanwhile, there's no starving or fasting involved and it takes heart health into consideration.In the long term, this is one of the better diets - especially if you avoid Phase One and start on Phase Two. Nevertheless, it's guaranteed to be a hit this Carnival.

By WLR Dietitian
Juliette Kellow BSc RD

South Beach is the latest diet craze to come out of the States, this time from the sun-kissed bays of Florida rather than the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. So far, more than five million copies of the book have been sold and, with a place in the New York Times bestseller list for more than a year, it's popularity seems set to stay.

So just what is all the buzz about?
Quite simply, this diet is top of the popularity stakes because it promises great things. As well as claiming you can lose up to a staggering 13lb in just two weeks, it suggests you can also expect to lose most of that weight from your tummy. And who could resist a promise like that?

What sort of diet is it?
Dr Agatston, a leading American cardiologist, originally created the South Beach diet for his heart patients. While his main aim was to improve their heart health, he discovered that as a side effect of the diet they also lost significant amounts of weight. He claims this isn't a low-carb or low-fat diet - instead it focuses on eating the 'right' carbs and the 'right' fats. In fact, the South Beach Diet is based on the GI Diet. In practice, the diet severely restricts carbohydrates in the first two weeks, before gradually re-introducing those with a low glycaemic index. Plus it recommends swapping saturates for unsaturates.

What's the theory?
The South Beach Diet follows the same principles of other diets based on the Glycaemic Index. When we've eaten, the carbohydrates in food get broken down into sugars, which are then absorbed into the blood causing a rise in blood sugar. In response, the hormone insulin is released from the pancreas to remove the sugar from the blood.

Carbohydrate-rich foods with a high glycaemic index, like bagels, cornflakes, white bread and jacket potatoes cause a rapid rise in blood sugar, resulting in the release of a large amount of insulin to deal with this. This causes blood sugar levels to drop rapidly, leaving you lacking in energy, craving more carbs and quickly feeling hungry so that you eat again. If this pattern is frequently repeated, you're likely to gain weight as a result a constantly overeating. But on top of this, over time the body becomes resistant to the action of insulin and when this happens, the body becomes more effective at storing fat - especially around our middle! No surprises then that to lose weight, foods with a high GI are out!

In contrast, carbs with low glycaemic index such as pasta, pulses and porridge slowly release sugar into the blood, providing a steady supply of energy and leaving you feeling satisfied for longer. This means you get fewer carb cravings, don't constantly feel hungry and so are less likely to overeat. Plus there's less chance that your body will become resistant to the effects of insulin with the result that it continues to burn fat efficiently. Foods with a low GI are therefore recommended if you want to lose weight.

What's the story with fat?
As you might expect from a cardiologist, the South Beach Diet certainly includes mention of fat. In fact, it recommends avoiding foods rich in saturates and and instead replacing them with heart-healthy monounsaturates like olive oil and nuts.

So how do I follow it?
Like many diets, the South Beach is divided into three phases. In Phase One, most carbohydrates are banned to give your body a complete rest from fluctuating blood sugar and insulin levels. The theory is this will help to resolve insulin resistance.

During Phase One, the banned foods list includes bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, fruit, milk, sweets, cake, biscuits, ice cream, sugar and alcohol. A few low GI veg such as broccoli and cabbage are allowed, but the focus is on eating lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs, low-fat cheese, some nuts and olive oil. You follow this phase for 14 days.

In Phase Two, low GI carbs including most fruits, Granary bread, wholegrain cereals and pasta and low-fat milk are reintroduced. The idea is to stay with this phase until you've reached your target weight.

Finally, in Phase Three you introduce an even wider variety of foods. This phase is aimed at keeping your weight steady and the diet recommends you stay on this for life.

For each phase, there are no limits on portion sizes - you simply eat enough to satisfy your appetite - and you're encouraged to eat three meals and snacks each day.

Remind me how much weight I can expect to lose...
The South Beach Diet claims you can lose 8-13lb in the first two weeks. Once you enter Phase Two, you can expect a more reasonable loss of 1-2lb a week.

The Food Pyramid

2006-10-28T15:03:00.000-07:00

Bread, Grain, Cereal and Pasta

At the base of the food pyramid, you will see the group that contains breads, grains, cereals and pastas. These foods provide complex carbohydrates, which are an important source of energy, especially for a low-fat meal plan. You can make many low-fat choices from foods in this group. You will need 6 to 11 servings of these foods in a day. One serving of this group can be:
1 slice of bread
1/2 cup of rice, cooked cereal or pasta
1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal
1 flat tortilla
Try to eat whole-grain breads, cereal and pasta for most of your servings from this group. Whole-grain foods (which are made with whole wheat flour) are less processed and retain more valuable vitamins, minerals and fiber than foods made with white flour. When you purchase whole-grain foods, look for breads and pastas with "stoneground whole wheat flour" as the first ingredient, because some "wheat" breads may be white breads with only caramel coloring added.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients. Many are excellent sources of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate or potassium. They are low in fat and sodium and high in fiber. The Food Pyramid suggests 3 to 5 servings of vegetables each day. One serving of vegetables can be:
1 cup of raw leafy vegetables
1/2 cup of other vegetables, cooked or raw
3/4 cup of vegetable juice

The Food Pyramid suggests 2 to 4 servings of fruit each day. One serving of fruit can be:
One medium apple, orange or banana
1/2 cup of chopped, cooked or canned fruit
3/4 cup of fruit juice
Count only 100% fruit juice as a fruit, and limit juice consumption. Many commercial bottled juices come in containers that hold more than 2 servings which can add lots of sugar and calories to your daily diet. Punches, ades and most fruit "drinks" have only a bit of juice and lots of sugar. Fruit sodas are sugary drinks, and they donot count as fruit, either.

Beans, Eggs, Lean Meat and FishMeat, poultry and fish supply protein, iron and zinc. Non-meat foods such as dried peas and beans also provide many of these nutrients. The Food Pyramid suggests 2 to 3 servings of cooked meat, fish or poultry. Each serving should be between 2 and 3 ounces. The following foods count as one ounce of meat:
One egg
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
1/2 cup cooked dry beans
1/3 cup of nuts
Choose lean meat, fish and dry beans and peas often because these are the lowest in fat. Remove skin from poultry and trim away visible fat on meat. Avoid frying these foods. Moderation is the watchword when it comes to nuts because they are high in fat.

Dairy ProductsProducts

made with milk provide protein and vitamins and minerals, especially calcium. The Food Pyramid suggests 2 to 3 servings each day. If you are breastfeeding, pregnant, a teenager or a young adult age 24 or under, try to have 3 servings. Most other people should have 2 servings daily. Interestingly, cottage cheese is lower in calcium that most other cheeses - one cup counts as only 1/2 serving of milk. Go easy on high-fat cheese and ice cream. Choose non-fat milk and yogurt and cheeses made from skim milk because they are lowest in fat.

Fats and Sweets

A food pyramid's tip is the smallest part, so the fats and sweets in the top of the Food Pyramid should comprise the smallest percentage of your daily diet. The foods at the top of the food pyramid should be eaten sparingly because they provide calories but not much in the way of nutrition. These foods include salad dressings, oils, cream, butter, margarine, sugars, soft drinks, candies and sweet desserts.

Crop over Reminisce pt 2 -Kadoment day

2006-10-27T03:42:00.000-07:00

Well the pics speak for themselves, those were taken on kadoment day in barbados crop over 2k6, as stated in the other post we stormed the people band!!, offical drinks cup and all!!. If you look carefully in some of the pics you will realise that we are inside of the ropes .We used our band from some of the other fetes to merge into baje even though we were in plain clothes.

Why do the bajan girls wear slippers while play mas? A flip flop and a custume? Very unappealing!!. I must say the men were a site to see, it seems like the gym is a popular thing with them, most of them have real cuts…psst...pssst darkie!!. but the face on the other hand is another story. But ah doh watch face only waist,I love to see them wuk up.

The drinks on the road also sucked ..up to now I didn't see a premium drink.. no baileys! or no Johnny! how can u play mas with out johnny?.. trust me .. me and johnny we had alot of ‘walks” in the past few years. Is a good thing we walked with our vital supply.

For the frist time i saw a christian mas band…they were walking about in some thing looking like a minshell custume. they were jumping to the sounds of gospel throught out the streets, they weren’t wuking up though.lol.

Lots of trinis where there it was almost like an invasion, this included me and my crew of twelve .. it was a great experience..cah wait til next year!!. I need a woman by myside.. down the road..

Judgment Day!

2006-10-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

Well October 10th was the last time I weighed and took my BMI(150.6lbs), this morning after aerobics I went to Bhagan’s drugs to get on that awful scale. These are my new stats.

Weight: 147.8 lbs
Height: 5 ft 4.5 ‘’ (so the scale say but I know I am 5ft 5- denial)
BMI: 25.2 – I am .2 over the ideal weight range.
My Ideal weight: 137 lbs (according to the BMI scale) - 10.8lbs to go!!

Well today is October 26th so that means that in 16days I lost 2.8 lbs, I wish I had lost more but according to all these health books around a weight lost of1-2 pounds a week is a healthy weight lost. So that is right with in the region. Lawd if I keep on this way I might reach my ideal weight a day before carnival...

I have to keep on reminding myself that this is suppose to be more about improving my eating behaviors by making small changes that last a lifetime, rather than sticking to a strict eating and exercise plan.

Daily Intake update

2006-10-26T05:46:00.000-07:00

Saturday 21st October- Happy Divali and Happy Birthday Gerron!

Breakfast
Raisin bran and skimmed milk

Snack
One Piece of boiled corn

Lunch
Bake and corned beef

Snack
One Piece of boiled corn

Dinner
Raisin bran and skimmed milk

In Gerron's birthday bash!
About seven Pringles with a ketchup based dip
One Smirnoff Ice
Physical activity
None

Comments: Not a bad day, the only reason that I had that Smirnoff Ice is because daz all it had that I was interested in plus I just drank it to pass the time. Lawd Gerron’s girlfriend could make a good dip.. geezan. I had about seven Pringles in that dip and I felt a little guilty. No physical activity, I know I planned to work on the weekend but I just didn’t get the vibes.

Sunday 22nd October- Hallelujah!! Church was great!

Breakfast
One packet of parasad
Raisin Bran and skimmed Milk
Water

Lunch
Rice, bake beans and chicken
Water

Snack
Two whole-wheat crix with Jam

Dinner
One slice of Bread

Comments: Well I got that parasad from my neighbor the day before I left it in the refrigerator over night and as soon as I jumped off my bed in the morning I ran into the kitchen and ate it…lol.( that’s very sad). The food intake in my opinion minus the parasad was good. I slept a lot today after church so my generally physical activity was low, I am wondering now if my intake was more than my output.

Monday 23rd October- A sweet free day!

Breakfast

Rasin Bran and skimmed milk

One green apple

Lunch
Hops Bread and Ham sausage

One red apple

Dinner
One piece of stewed chicken ( no additional fat)

Physical activity

one hour aerobics

1/2 hour weight training

Comments: not bad not bad at all for both physical activity and food intake. My mum prepared that sandwich for me Ididn't even know that it contained Ham sausage, when i was doing the diary during the day at work i decided to call her to find out what type of sausage was it and she said HAM!!!!!, I WAS LIKE STUEPS!!.

Crop Over Reminisce pt1-Caution 10 to 10 pics

2006-10-25T17:04:00.000-07:00

For those of you who missed it this year these are some of my pics, Enjoy.. Let me hear your comments. The fetes I went to was the Baje International wet fete, Muddadah, Caution 10 to 10, Booze Cruize and the kadoment day jump up. The pics above all except the last one was taken at Caution 10 to 10.

Baje International wet fete was real shit!!, they spray yuh down with mist.. i repeat mist not water. The "hose" that they used was like an insecticide spray can..haha, it know it sounds rediculus but it's true!.

Muddadah- We went to this fete after the wet fete this was like there jouvert morning, this fete was good. Crossfire was great.

Caution 10 to 10- this fete was great but the VIP ran out of drinks, after a while all dey had was banks and water. The food was also kinda strange but I guess thats the Bajan flavour.

Kadoment day -was sweet, I didn't play mas because my crew didn't like the custumes but we stormed Baje band never the less. Free Drinks and the works!!..I don't know if you are firmilar with the laws of barbados but it is illegal to do this ( but we did alot of illegal things- but that another story ..lol). The fine being 500 bajans which is about 1500 tt.

Comparing gyms around Trinidad

2006-10-24T11:30:00.000-07:00

Well I know a lot of you are probably now looking to join a gym seeing that carnival is coming fast and furious.( 117 days I believe it is). I did some research on some gyms in Trinidad for you guys. If you have any others to add to the list let me know and I will add them. Let me know of your experiences there as well.(I have had some really bad gym experiences trust me) .

If you have never been to a gym you have to select a gym that best suits your needs. I love a gym with a great aerobic schedule and spin classes.

Bio-Fitness Club
Location: West Mall
Contact number:632-5872
Services available: Aerobics and Taebo, cardio machines, weight training
Opening hours: Mondays- Fridays- 4:30am-10:00pm
Saturdays- 8am-5pm
Sundays and Public holidays- 9:00am-1:00pm
Cost- $499 per month

Review: I have been to this gym before, personally I donÂt think that it is worth the $499. They offer a clean surroundings, state of the art equipment and great Instructors. Nice location- the Mall. But after paying 2750 for my custume, there is no way on earth I paying 500 per month for a gym!.

Long circular club St. James
Location: Long Circular Mall
Contact number: 622-3516
Services available: Aerobics, cardio machines, weight training and Spin
Opening hours: Monday- Friday- 24 hours with instructors on the floor until 1 am
Saturdays- 6:30am-9pm
Sundays and Public holidays- 9:00am-2:00pm
Cost-$354 per month

Review: I have never been to this gym but the 24 hour service is a great idea for people who are extremely busy and can only afford to go to the gym late at night or early in the morning. I also heard that Macheal and Destra work out at this gym as well. this gym is still a little to expensive for me but I might jus be willing to pay a little extra to look aross and see macheal's nice ass doing some squats!.

Flex Appeal Fitness Center
Location: Independence Square ( Opp. Nicolas Towers)
Contact number: Not too sure
Services available: Aerobics, cardio machines, weight training
Opening hours: Mondays- Fridays- 5:00am-10:00pm
Saturdays- 9am-2pm
Sundays and Public holidays- 9:00am-1:00pm

Cost-$ 130 per month

Review: The gym has a great aerobics schedule (four classes per day on average)with a spacious carpeted open air aerobics room and helpful friendly instructors and staff. A great price and great location.

On another note : The bathrooms are untidy and the gym looks rundown. No parking facilities, you have to park on independence square. The cardio equipments are virtually non-existent because half of them don't work. AND NO WATER COOLER- can u belive thatt!! u have to buy water!!. I guess you can tell that I have been to this gym.

Star lite fitness center
Location: Starlight shopping Plaza Diego Martin
Contact number: 637-7765
Services available: Aerobics, spin, cardio machines, weight training,bottcamp
Opening hours: Mondays- Fridays- 4:30am-9:00pm
Saturdays- 9am-4pm
Sundays and Public holidays- 9:00am-1:00pm
Cost-$450

Review: Well this is the one more popular gyms I was very surprised to hear that it was so damn expensive. I don't know much about this gym so I can't tell you. Let me know people!

Fitness 2000 Ltd
Location: Railway Road, San Juan
Contact number: 638-7782
Services available: Good parking, Aerobics, Diet assessment, cardio machines, weight training, Yoga.
Opening hours: Mondays- Fridays- 5:00am-10:00pm
Saturdays- 9am-5pm
Sundays and Public holidays- 9:00am-2:00pm
Cost-$175

Review: Never been there, but the price seems good.

Millennium Fitness Center
Location; Macoya Road , Tunapuna ( center of Excellence)
Contact number: 645-0012
Services available: Aerobics, Spin, cardio machines, weight training, Steam room
Opening hours: Mondays- Thursdays- 4:30am-10:00pm
Fridays-- 4:30am-9:00pm
Saturdays- 9am-5pm
Sundays and Public holidays- 9:00am-2:00pm
Cost-$275 per month

Review: I have been to this gym in the past, they offer a nice clean environment and uptodate equipment and great customer service. They suffer from mediocre instructors though. For the service and nice environment the cost of their service is relatively good.

Fitness Focus
Location: EMR Tunapuna
Contact number: 662-2128
Services available: Aerobics, cardio machines, weight training
Opening hours: Mondays- Fridays- 5:00am-10:00pm
Saturdays- 9am-1pm
Sundays and Non religious Public holidays- 10:00am-1:00pm
Cost-$150 per month

Review: Well my hairdresser goes to this gym and she seems to be in love with it, the price and location is great. I been up there before and I found that they gym seemed cramped.

Fitness Range
Location: 5HA Woodford Square, Arima
Contact number: 667-7461
Services available: Aerobics, cardio machines, weight training, spin
Opening hours: Monday- Friday- 5:00am-10:00pm
Saturdays- 8am-2pm
Sundays and Public holidays- 8:00am-12:00pm
Cost-125 per month

Review: Good gym with a family atmosphere, great weight equipment and price. Undependable aerobics and spin class schedules. Great aerobics Instructors. Limited parking. Fairly clean environment. Limited showers.

Cyborys Gym
Location: 38 London Street San Fernando
Contact number: 652-9463
Services available: cardio machines, weight training. Pool, Pool table, Sports bar, Trainers
Opening hours: Mondays- Thursdays- 5:00am-9:00pm
Saturdays- 5am-7pm
Sundays and Public holidays-Closed
Cost-$1800 yearly

Review: Now! Why de hell would I want a sports bar in a gym?? , No aerobics?? I think this gym is just for men to be honest. The yearly payment thing is a rip off!!

St. Micheal's Gym
Location: Carib Street, San Fernando
Contact number:657-0442
Services available: Aerobics, sauna, cardio machines, weight training, pool
Opening hours: Mondays- Fridays- 5am-9:00pm
Saturdays- 9am-3pm
Sundays and Public holidays- Closed
Cost-$ 200 per month

Review: I spoke to someone who is a member of this gym and he told me that he loves it and that the instructors are great. I don't like gyms that don't open on Sundays and public holidays but the price seems good for the services offered.

Out of the gyms listed i would say that Millennuim fitness center (center of the excellence) is my favourite, I also like flex appeal because if it ridge aerobic schedule, location and price. Ihave been to all the gyms listed so give me your reviews.

Carnival weight loss success stories anyone?

2006-10-23T03:50:00.000-07:00

I know many of us may have a story or a strategy to share on carnival weight loss, hence the reason for this post. My usually strategy is to hit the gym almost everyday, sometimes twice a day until the week before carnival. The week before carnival I usually increase my caloric intake and decrease my exercise. I also start taking multivitamins and vitamin C.

The first year I played mas and I started the gym in late December and carnival was in February I believe. I exercised consistently until the day before carnival and I lost more than 10 lbs. But I was also terribly sick on the road because I hadn't given my body time to rest, even though exercise is suppose to strength your immune system, I still don't know why I got sick. I actually I think it had to do with getting my entire hair wet at cooler fete… BUT that's another post...lol

The first year I played mas and I started the gym in late December and carnival was in February I believe. I exercised consistently until the day before carnival and I lost more than 10 lbs. But I was also terribly sick on the road because I hadn't given my body time to rest, even though exercise is suppose to strength your immune system, I still don't know why I got sick. I actually I think it had to do with getting my entire hair wet at cooler fete… BUT that's another post!!

Even though I am interested in changing my eating habits all year round I am really interested in what u guys do or did as the case may be. Who knows I might still need it if this attempt doesn't work.

Friday 20th October

2006-10-23T03:37:00.000-07:00

Breakfast

Smoke herring and whole wheat with vegetables in the mix
One cup of Orange juice

A 2 inches piece of chocolate cake

Lunch
One orchard

Dinner
One jerk chicken sandwich from fresh express- 540 kcals

Physical activity

One hour 15minds aerobics
½ hour weight training

Comments: I went to mangoes... where I met Celia.. ( I wonder what she had), The reason I didn't have lunch is because mangoes servings are huge!! . I had some of Mark's chocolate cake..yeah the ones that are in the glass case as soon as you walk in. Well i was a little hungry, and I went to buy grill chicken fresh Express.. but then i saw the jerk chicken sandwich and I bought that instead. After eating the sandwich i realised it had 540 kcals!!!!, STUEPS.. never again the grill chicken has like about 300 kcals I believe. Great physical activity!!!

Thursday 19th October- Thank you Mala - *sigh

2006-10-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

Breakfast
Two dumplins and one piece of stewed chicken with no additional fat. ( left overs)

Snack
One orange

Lunch
One tuna ( in water )with tomatoes and

Snack
2 cubes of barfi

Dinner
One packet of roasted peanuts

Physical activity
One hour and half aerobics

Comments: Great day I am proud of everything except the barfi- ( thank u mala)..lol, Well i gave away all the other divali sweets, but me and barfi we have a special thing going. A great work out today.

Wednesday 18th October - A real Hungry Day

2006-10-22T19:08:00.000-07:00

Breakfast
1 toffee
One hops bread with Tuna (in water not oil) with green peppers, tomatoes and onion

Snack
Water
Fruit salad- One grape and one small slice of pear and apple
One salted prunes

Lunch
One hops bread with cheese and pepper
One hops bread with Tuna (in water not oil) with green peppers, tomatoes and onion
Water

Snack
One California plum
One handful of cornflakes

Dinner
One dumpling and two small pieces of stewed chicken (no additional fat added to the stew)
One packet of oval tine biscuits
Water

Physical activity
None

Comments: Today I was jus hungry !!! hungry, my stomach was like a never ending well.. I Didn’t go to the gym because I was sick. I am shamed of this day. I think since you all told me that I am looking good you have me feeling not to diet any more..lol. But when u look in debt at what I ate u will realise that i ate faily healthy minus the ovaltine biscuits, i am getting there!

Opinions on these sneaks please

2006-10-20T18:34:00.000-07:00

Z

Well for all of you who know me , you know that I am playing in Jab Jab yellow in TRIBE (the custume above), tell me what sneak you prefer to match it. I am starting the search early as I have to wear my sneaks to the gym to " break them in".

Are you victim weight cycling?

2006-10-19T06:40:00.000-07:00

Many people who try to lose weight become trapped in weight cycling. I can say for sure that I am a victim. Weight cycling is defined as a repeated cycle of weight loss and gain. When people repeatedly lose weight only to regain it, their bodies become efficient at making and storing fat. This increased efficiency shows itself in dieters who have lost and gained and lost and gained. With each attempt, it becomes harder and takes longer to lose weight and easier and quicker to gain it back.

When I started UWI in 2002 I was 132 lbs, the summer before I went into my finial year I went to the US on vacation and I came back a huge 147lbs ( remember that I am 5 ft 5). That very same Christmas I exercised and dieted like crazy and I came down to 137lbs for carnival. I quickly regained that weight. After I had graduated I began to exercise excessively once more, but I could never get my weight below 140 lbs. When I started post graduate studies I stopped exercising, I regained that weight before my graduation which was in October. January 2k6 I weight 148 lbs once more .I exercised hard and dieted once more and I could not get my weight below 142lbs in the space of time before carnival. Last week when I eventually weight mustered up the courage to get on the scale I was 150.6…………What’s next??

Such fluctuations in body weight do not appear to produce permanent changes in body composition, but they do increase the risk for several chronic diseases and even death. Some research indicates that maintaining a stable weight, even if it is overweight, maybe less harmful than to weight cycle.

Before.. Stay tuned for after....

2006-10-19T02:56:00.000-07:00

Weight- 150.6 lbs
Height-5 feet 5 inches ( ah short)
BMI-25.6

Measurements

Waist-29 1/2''
Hip- 42 1/2''
Leg- 25 1/2'' ( is also most as big as my waistline!!)
Arm-11 1/4''

These are my present measurements coming closer to carnival I will do the after segment.

Tuesday 16th October - Yeah!!

2006-10-18T06:04:00.000-07:00

Breakfast
Stewed Peas, chicken and one hops bread
Diet coke

Snack
Half orange
One apple

Lunch
Lamb sensations fresh express wrap -330 kcals ( YUCK!!)
Water

Snack
Five ole chips
Water

Dinner
One packet of roasted peanuts

Physical activity
1 ½ hour Aerobics
½ hour weight training

Comments: FINALLY a day free from high sugar foods I feel so accomplished!!!!, I also had some vegetables in the fresh express. Celia bought me a pack of ole because she wanted company to eat hers.I didn’t have the entire packet ate those five and took the rest home and stored it. Physical activity was great as well… today was a proud day.

Monday 16th October- The questionable Chicken

2006-10-17T09:58:00.000-07:00

Breakfast
1 1/2 pot spoon of rice chicken and pigeon peas (the bad thing about this blog is that everyone know when u have left overs)

Snack
1/2 packet of parasad

Lunch
1 cup “ chicken” vegetable Chinese soup (no added fat)
One orange Orchard Drink

Snack
1/2 packet of parasad

Dinner
One cup of skimmed milk and milo no added sugar
Four Whole wheat crix

One packet of oval tine biscuits- like 11:30 pm in the night

Physical activity
2 hours of aerobics

Comments: Well as we are approaching the religious holiday divali, my neighbor decided to hold a prayers by her home and she sent across some parasad and traditional east Indian food ( bussup shot and de works). I didn’t have the food (i resisted the roti urge), I just had the parasad-my weakness for sweetness over powered me once more!!!. I am not having any more parasad for the season.

For lunch I decided to buy a low calorie Chicken vegetable soup from a Chinese restaurant in sando. Now when I began eating the soup I realized that the “ chicken” was tough and it contained large gobules of hard fat, like beef-- from what I know these are not the characteristics of chicken. If chicken is boiled it is usually tender. After the rumours I heard: I am now wondering if it was really chicken (I actually only ate half because the thought of eating someone’s pet came across my mind). The one good thing is that I had vegetables today for the 1st time in a while, in that same questionable soup.

My physical activity was good today, Lawrence is the best instructor!!!!

I was sleep eating when I had that packet of ovaltine biscuits (I am not kidding)……………………

What is the fastest way to lose weight?

2006-10-17T04:05:00.000-07:00

The fastest way to lose weight is to starve yourself. Of course, this can set you up for a lifetime of health issues and weight problems. And once you start eating more again, you may even gain more weight back than you lost.

When it comes to weight loss, the slower, the better. It’s natural to want a quick fix. And if you follow a drastic diet, cutting large amounts of calories, it appears that fat melts off because you can lose five pounds or more in a week. While this could give you the psychological boost you need, it may send your body plummeting physiologically. Not only is this weight not the kind you want to lose—fat—the weight loss isn’t permanent or healthy. Plus, people who lose weight fast tend to gain it back quickly, too.

Fast weight loss is deceptive because the quicker you lose, the less likely it is that you’re losing much body fat. One classic study by the National Academy of Sciences showed that when dramatic amounts of weight are lost quickly, weight loss is more likely to be mostly water, not fat.

Subjects were put on a 1,000-calorie per day diet and they exercised 2.5 hours a day for 24 days. In the first three days of this extreme regimen, 70 percent of the weight loss was water. Over time, the body adjusted, however. As the caloric restriction continued, the water loss was reduced and the percentage of fat loss increased. From days 21 to 24, 85 percent of the weight lost was fat.

A diet that is dramatically different than your normal routine is hard to stick to, so you’re almost guaranteed to return to your same old bad eating habits. Because it’s unlikely you lasted on the strict diet for longer than a couple of weeks, the water-weight you lost is usually piled right back on the minute normal eating resumes. Drastic dieting can also affect your energy levels, mood and nutrient status, leaving you at higher risk of injury or illness.

Take it slow. Sustained, sensible calorie reduction is the way to lose. The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Dietetic Association recommend losing no more than 1-2 pounds a week by combining exercise with calorie reduction of anywhere from 100 to 500 calories per day. This is really more about improving your eating behaviors by making small changes that last a lifetime, rather than sticking to a strict eating plan.

Today, more and more nutritionists advise a modest reduction in calories to allow the body to adjust gradually. Over time, the majority of weight loss will be fat, which is what's going to be the most permanent and have the most impressive effects on how you look.

Sunday 15th October- AMEN

2006-10-17T03:52:00.000-07:00

Before breakfast about 3:30- 4: 00 am
Corn soup from St James

Breakfast
Cheese and pepper with pot bake
Mott’s unsweetened apple juice

Snack
10 plum chow ( I know I over doing it now – my mum soaked some in a container in the refridgerator)

Lunch
Rice, Stew chicken and pigeon peas (home cooked with no added fat) – 1 and ½ spoon rice
Diet coke

Snack
One chocolate wafer ( similar to a bongo but half de size!!)
Water

Dinner
Mott’s unsweetened apple juice
6 whole wheat crix.

Physical Activity
Walk to the church

Comments: Why am I drinking so much damn apple juice?, when I open the refrigerator to get some water I just take apple juice instead… bad idea!! For two reasons the Kcals content and the fact that I am drinking less water. I almost had a sweet free day beside that stupid chocolate wafer!! The corn soup should have just never happened because I had that like around 3:30 in the morning.
Physical activity was virtually non- existent I think I need to do more on a weekend, I don’t even wash clothes for Christ sake.

Legacy's band Launching review

2006-10-15T18:09:00.000-07:00

Well I got there close to 12 o’clock, the launch was held at the Anchorage. They built a medium size stage to the left of the normal small wooden stage found at there. The venue looked a lot bigger than it had ever looked before to me. There was a projector (a large TV screen thing) showing a video the costumes even before the launch had began. That meant that they were prepared long before the day of the launch, but they decided to launch late. I found that it was great idea to do that as it gave people the opportunity to look at the costumes they liked and then focus on them better when the models came on stage.

During my wait for the launch to begin, I realized that a lot of people actually don’t know how to dress for band launchings; half the females were dressed like they were heading to WASA fete, shorts, tight, sneakers and the works… Just remember that I didn’t say ghetto. Anyway that’s another post. ( i.e check saucy site for dressing tips ).

The launch finally began at around 1 o’clock, the models and some strange looking old men walked through the crowd. The men were dressed in traditional Indian mas costumes and the models were dressed in Mike’s creations. They headed for the stage and then I noticed the stage props they were horrendous, there was a teepee (the home of an Indian) on the stage that looked like a cheap piece for spray painted white polyester, wrapped around a triangular piece of cardboard. ROFL!!

ANYWAYS the launch began with traditional masqueraders going around and around the stage singing something that no one under stood , I was actually wondering if they themselves understood what the where saying..lol. there was this one crazy looking old man, but that's another post..After they were done the models came on ( Just the thing I was waiting for).

One quarter of the costumes were nice, among my favorites were the rainbow costume ( think it was named rainbow warrior.. it was the only one that looked like a rainbow u can’t miss it check out saucy’s site , Chutney ( an orange – colour scheme something like Sahara sunset and another blue and orange one that had the same colour combinations as tonogele from poison’s presentation 2k5. There was also a costume called soca warriors similar to that of the popular warrior sprit from tribe. (I actually predicted this one) We can't say that they followed tribe because alot of the traditional indian mas costumes that we see around are actually in the red, black and white combinations.

I had one problem with several of the costumes. There was a flower feather kind of thing on the butt of some of the frontline custumes..( the majority of them had it ). The first thing that I thought when I saw it was …This thing is a wine blocker!!. I mean some of them were huge and others looked like a cute little powder puff. P.s: People who can’t afford person security could probably choose those costumes. The feather flower thing also reminded me of the frilly panties little girls use to wear back in the day..hahaha.

Their was this one blue costume with a backpack similar to ricco soldato - I felt sorry for the poor girl wearing that ugly ensemble, she pulled it off because she had confidence. There was this one orange section with the same kinda of brown feather thing seen from ricco soldato (poison last year- literally) in her head piece, this costumes bra was a short corset with laces to the front and back , I found that rather seksi.Most of the names of the sections were of Native American origin so I didn’t even try to remember the names.

Sherwin’s performance came after the costumes were revealed it was great, I left right after though. Before I left the launched I walked around asking if they had a book with the costumes, a calendar or even a book mark, a black and white flyer or something, to no avail. (Not like if I expected anything more).

On my way home from the launch I had corn soup from St James............

Saturday 14th October-Legacy’s band launching

2006-10-15T15:47:00.000-07:00

Breakfast
Bake and cheese with pepper
Milo with evaporated low fat milk

Snack
One packet of ovaltine biscuits
One pack of popcorn
1 coke

Lunch
Rice, curry chicken and channa (minimum oil- homemade – Thanks mummy)
Diet Coke

Dinner
Four plums
Diet coke
½ cup unsweetened apple juice (Mott’s)

At the launch
One cup of bailey’s
Water

Physical activity
Wining at legacy’s band launching

Comments: Cocaine!, Cocaine!, Cocaine!, Well I usually have diet coke because of it’s low caloric content and it also meets my need for a sweet taste in my mouth. Some studies have shown that too much of artificial sweeteners which is contained in diet soft drinks can be of a carcinogenic (cancer causing nature).I need to lay back on the diet soft drinks. I shouldn’t have had that packet of oval tine biscuits. I think I need to increase my vegetable intake but living life on the run is a bitch!!, usually I jus grab a sandwich and go or buy lunch. I couldn’t help but have that bailey's at the launch I am addicted , I have to resist that urge, but mind u it cost $30 which is like that average cost in clubs around but the cup was a “stingy” little teacup, so they not are increasing the price but they are decreasing the size. I really love my prime minister. STUEPS!!

Friday13th October- A Very, Very Black Friday

2006-10-14T03:53:00.000-07:00

Breakfast
Bran flakes and Skimmed milk
One power mint

Snacks
¼ cup of Celia's pineapple and coconut fruita
One apple
½ cup of sorrel soft drink
One blueberry yogurt- 170 kcals
One sausage roll

Lunch
Bake and salt fish- I regretted eating this because it was full of oil.

Snacks
1 kiss orange cake-85 kcals
1 handful of fried nuts
Water
3 lays potato chips
one oatmeal cookie

Dinner
Club social with Jam
Diet soft drink
10 green plum chow

Physical activity
40 mins aerobics

Comments: Today was chanelle's going away party. I real shame…. dies all I have to say … I real shame. There is no justification for this one.

Factors affecting food intake

2006-10-13T19:33:00.000-07:00

Eating is a complex behavior controlled by a variety of psychosocial, metabolic and physiological factors.

Psychosocial factors (a learned response to food)

Like hunger, appetite initiates eating, but it differs in that hunger is physiological, whereas appetite is psychological. The two do not always coincide. A person may experience appetite without hunger, for example me when presented with the cake from Arjoon and the cake from the meeting. ( I love cake !!).

Physiological factors (an inborn instinct)

People roughly eat meals at four hour intervals the stomach is ideally designed to handle periodic batched of food. When the stomach is empty the hunger message is delivered to initiate eating. Hunger is also triggered by gastric contraction and the absence of nutrient in the small intestines.

The body seems to be able to adapt its hunger response to accommodate changes in energy intake. People who restrict their energy intakes may feel pangs of hunger for the first few days, but these sensations diminish with time. After the body has adapted to a lower energy intake, eating a large, energy-rich meal makes the person uncomfortable. People can adapt to eating excessive amounts of food as well. Consequently the person may experience less satiety after a normal meal.

Satiety is defined as the feeling of satisfaction and fullness that food brings. Most normal people stop eating when they feel full or satisfied. Satiety occurs in response to gastric distention, nutrients in the small intestine and Gastro intestinal hormones. Over riding the signals of satiety could contribute to over eating.

Emotional factors
Eating can be triggered by signals other than hunger or appetite > Some people experience food cravings when they are bored or anxious. In fact they may eat in response to any kind of stress, negative or positive. Some people respond to external stimuli such as the time of day ‘’ it’s time to eat’’ or the availability, sight and taste of food. I am a victim to all off the above emotional factors. While some people eat in response to stress other just cannot eat during these times, not me I just love to eat. What factors affect u?

What is the Body Mass Index ( BMI)

2006-10-13T06:33:00.000-07:00

Body mass index (BMI) or Quetelet Index is a statistical measure of the weight of a person scaled according to height.In Trinidad you can have your BMI taken at drugstores around the country. In Port of Spain you can get your BMI taken at the drugstore on broadway a building away from KFC ( Bhagan's Drugs) or if you are in Arima you can have it done at the drug store next door to Big Scoop opposite the velodrome.

A BMI of 18.5 to 25 may indicate optimal weight; a BMI lower than 18.5 suggests the person is underweight while a number above 25 may indicate the person is overweight; a BMI below 15 may indicate the person has an eating disorder; a number above 30 suggests the person is obese (over 40, morbidly obese).
The BMI is meant to broadly categorise populations for purely statistical purposes. As noted, its accuracy in relation to actual levels of body fat is easily distorted by such factors as fitness level, muscle mass, bone structure, gender, and ethnicity. .

Thursday 12th October- Happy Chinese Holiday people!!!

2006-10-13T06:19:00.000-07:00

Breakfast
One hot dog with onion
Milo with evaporated skimmed milk

Snack
Two slices of pineapple chow
12 green plums with pepper and salt
Water

Lunch
One Richard’s bake and shark
Three quarter bottle of Apple jay- 108 kcals per bottle

Dinner
One toffee
1 diet soft drink

Physical activity

1 hour spin
20 mins weight training

Comments: Well it is a holiday in Trini so yuh know what we trini’s do best when it is a holiday, head to the beach for a lime!!!. Well I went to the gym first and did one hour of spin and 20 mins weight training. Then I got home had a shower and headed to the beach. As soon as I got to the beach I had a bake and shark, I know I shouldn’t have but I couldn’t help it. Fry bake and Fry shark!!!!, frying is a cooking method no, no when trying to lose weight. But after driving all the way to maracas I had to have that $18 dollar AND I repeat $18 dollar bake and shark. I found that the price was ridiculous but that’s another post. Today wasn’t such a bad day from both the food intake and physical activity sides of things. I should have had water instead of that Apple Jay it was a waste of kcals and it tasted bad plus we have the toffee poping back into the diet once more.

Wednesday 10th October- Weakness for Sweetness

2006-10-13T05:48:00.000-07:00

Breakfast
Rasin bran and skimmed milk
Water
One power mint

Snack
One piece of coffee cake
Sorrel softdrink

Lunch
Corn soup

Dinner
1 pot spoon of chicken soup
five plums
1 diet soft drink

Physical activity
1 hour and 30 mins aerobics

Comments: Well today was a depressing day as regards to my weight loss regime, I went to officially take my weight and BMI. My weight is 150.4 lbs (this is the largest I have ever been since) and my BMI is 25.6 which outside of the ideal weight range by point 6 (.6). My ideal weight stated by the BMI machine is 137 lbs for my height, so the road is going to be long and rough. Well I guess that confirms that I need to stay on this program for a while and stop having all those high fat foods.

My intake today wasn’t bad at all I wasn’t going to have any of the cake bought for the meeting but we all know about me and my affinity for sweet that needs to be curbed. I am really ashamed of my weight and I need to do something about my horrible eating habits. As soon as I am off this soft food diet I am going to go heavy on the vegetables.
Physical activity today wasn’t too bad

Tuesday 10th October- A semi-solid diet

2006-10-13T05:40:00.000-07:00

Breakfast
Raisin bran and skimmed milk
Three dinner mints (I felt like if my mouth smelled strange since the extraction yesterday)

Lunch
One supligen
Mashed Potatoes
Water

Snack
One table fork of brownie (stueps Celia!!!)
Three dinner mints

Dinner
One peewa
One mashed potato with cheese and butter and condiments
1 diet soft drink

Physical activity
15 mins bike riding
45 mins weight training
1 hour and a half aerobics

Comments: I am really happy with my physical activity with for the day, my eating wasn’t too bad either seeing that I am on a semi-solid diet . I jus fine that I need to limit my fat intake.

Controlling the food composition of energy going in

2006-10-12T04:59:00.000-07:00

Foods and beverages are the “energy in” part of the energy balance equation. How much energy a person eats and the composition of the food the person eats determines how much energy a person receives.

Food composition The energy values can be calculated from the amount of carbohydrates, fat and protein (and alcohol-if present) in foods. Nutrition facts will be thoroughly discussed in another post but for now we will just skim the surface.

Look to the side of the box or pack as the case maybe and you will see a small box called the nutrition facts. This tells u exactly how much grams of Nutrients mentioned above will contribute to that particular item. Using the following information we can calculate the kilocalories found in foods we purchase

1gram of carbohydrate = 4 kals
1 gram of fat=9 kcals
1 grans of protein=4kcals
1 gram of alcohol =7 kcals

For example if a food contains 8 grams of protein , 12 grams of carbohydrates a 5 grams of fat. It would provide 32 protein kcals, 48 carbohydrate kcals and 45 fat kcals and a total of 125 kcals.

The mechanism behind weight loss

2006-10-11T18:14:00.000-07:00

Ideally, food intakes cover energy need without too much excess. Excess energy is stored as fat. The amount of body fat a person deposits in , or withdraws from its fat saving on any given day depends on the energy balance for that day- the amount consumed ( energy in ) versus the amount expended (energy out). When a person is maintaining weight energy in equals energy out.

Most people maintain a steady balance over time. On any given day, they may eat a little more or a little less than usual and their weight may go up or down a pound or two , but for the most part they stay in balance. Therefore the most effective way to lose weight should be to have a less energy input than energy out put so that your : fat saving can be used to fuel the body with the extra kcals that it needs.

A pound of body fat stores about 3500 kcals. It stand to reason that a person who eats and excess of 3500 kcal that their required amount will gain 3500 or vice versa. This is not always the case, most of the excess kcals will be stored as fat but a little will be used to maintain the heavier body.

A reasonable rate of weight loss for overweight people is ½ to 1 pound per week. Such gradual loss is more likely to stay off rather than rapid weight losses. If food is severely restricted, dieters lose lean tissue and that is the last thing that we masqueraders want, we need toned skin for our short tops, seksi shorts and thongs. So what we trinis need to do is start our diet and exercise early and try to incorporate it into our daily lives.

Monday 9th October-Blood and more blood!!!

2006-10-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

Breakfast
Raisin bran flakes and milk
1 toffee

Snack
A small piece of beef pie (I took a piece of Kevin’s pie)
BLOOD

Lunch
1 Supligen with bran flakes

Snack
1 fruit punch orchard
1 roses chocolate

Dinner
One piece of potato and cheese pie pastry (1 ½ inch) (I tried to eat it but it was to rough seeing that I had extracted a tooth)
1 diet soft drink
One mashed potato with cheese and butter

Blood and more blood

Comments: No physical activity but this time I had a good excuse!!!! I took out a tooth and was told by the dentist not too do any heavy physical activity. I regretted taking that piece of pie from Kevin. My diet today was full of fat!!! Cheese, butter, supligen, pastry. I shouldn’t have had that mashed potato so late in the night but I was really hungry. I need to work on reducing my fat intake. I am basically on a semi solid diet for the next couple days let’s see how that works.

Sunday 8th October- My second god child

2006-10-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

Breakfast
Raisin bran and skimmed milk
I toffee

Snack
1 pack of club social with jam

Lunch
Buss up shot and curry chicken with curry potato
½ cup of coke

Snacks
1 diet soft drink
½ cup of original ginseng
Three green plums
Water

Comments: We see that history has repeated itself, I have again no physical activity for the day but this time it was a plan because all day I was basically involved in christening activities.

The Raisin bran and skimmed milk reappeared on my list but that is all there was to eat ok! The toffee keeps on sneaking into my diet, Bad toffee!!!! ( that is because my mum bought it pack and left it in the kitchen- it was the fruity ones though if that is any type of consolation). I had a small proportion of the buss up shot and chicken (it tasted great but notice the effort not have a larger serving). But any kind of commercially made roti besides sada or dostio roti is usually a bad ides if u trying to lose weight, because they are usually ful of FAT!!!.I should have had water instead of the coke and ginseng.

Saturday 7th October-Shopping or Aerobics?

2006-10-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

Breakfast
Bake and cheese with pepper
Water

Snack
2 cups microwave popcorn (heavily buttered)
donut

Lunch
Raisin bran and skimmed milk

Dinner
1pk Club social and jam
1 toffee
1 diet soft drink
Toothache solution

Comments : I am a little ashamed of the donut but say what I had no choice but to get something fast to eat because I wanted to take my pain killer for my horrible toothache.
I think I am really over doing it with the raisin bran and skimmed milk now don’t u think …lol. The popcorn had no purpose. I just ate for eating it sake. I found that there wasn’t enough protein in my diet on an overall. Now the toffee is a case by itself.

If u look closely u will realize that the physical activity is completely null and void!!!, I went shopping for most of the day trying to accessorize my outfit for my god daughter’s christening tomorrow. I had planned to have gone to the gym on Saturday morning but that never happened. I guess i choose to go shopping which one would u have choosen?

Friday 6th October- Sometimes it doesn't pay to be nice too people.

2006-10-11T13:03:00.000-07:00

Breakfast
Rice, bake beans and chicken
One cup of tea with evaporated milk and milo

Snack
2pieces of cake

Lunch
One chicken sausage sandwich

Dinner
Seven green plums with salt and peeper
one slice of bake with cheese
Water
Toothache solution

Physical activity
45 mins of aerobics

Comments: Dat damn marble alcohol cakeeeeeee!( thanks Arjoon but no thanks all in the same breath). My co-worker whose wife makes beautiful cakes bought my three pieces of cake today ,I enjoyed the cake but geez!!. i actually had the will power to give away one piece too my mum. I shouldn’t have had that cake or I should have jus had one piece but it was so inviting. I was hungry in the night and I had that bake and cheese, I should have something a little smaller. The activity was kind of low today but at least I got some in.

Thursday 5th October-MOO MOO!!!

2006-10-11T12:58:00.000-07:00

Breakfast
Two slices of bread with corned beef
Cocoa with skimmed milk and no sugar
1 apple

Lunch
Two slices of bread with corned beef
1 diet fruita

Dinner
10 green plum with salt and pepper
1 pc of stewed chicken
Water

Physical Activity

1 hour and 45 mins of aerobics

Comments: Not too bad of a day for food intake, besides the fact that I ate corned beef twice for the day but that was all that was available (didn’t make our monthly groceries). Corned beef is high in fat. The physical activity was a little on the better side today.

PS: I am proud of the fruits.

Wednesday 4th October

2006-10-11T12:55:00.000-07:00

Breakfast
2pot spoon of Spaghetti and mince meat with carrots
Cocoa with skimmed milk and no sugar

Snack
1 apple cherry orchard drink
One hand full of frosted flakes
Water
8 preserve plums

Lunch
Two slices of homemade bread and cheese with butter
1 handful of frosted flakes
1 packet of roasted peanuts

Physical activity
1. 45 mins of aerobics

Comments: Not a bad day at all for food intake. The 1st set of frosted flakes was not needed, I just ate it because I wanted the taste of sweet in my mouth!!!, the apple cherry drink also served the same purpose ( the next time I get this urge I am going to have something salty). The second set of flakes had a purpose because I was really hungry then, but I should have had some water instead until I was able to get a healthier snack. My diet I believe had a little too much fat but I guess everything else was in proportion. Not too proud of my physical activity today though.

Tuesday 3rd October- The Kanye west workoutplan begins...

2006-10-11T12:42:00.000-07:00

Breakfast
One hops bread with cheese and butter
Cocoa with skimmed milk and no sugar
I thin slice of bread with raisins

Snack
Water
1 snow mint

Lunch
One hops bread with cheese and butter

Snacks
Half of apple
1 pack of DUX salted biscuits
I slice of chocolate cake
Three scoops of ice cream

Dinner
I cup of coca with out sugar and skimmed milk
water

Physical activity

1. 45 mins of aerobics
2. 1 hour and half aerobics
3. ½ hour weight training

Comments: TOO MUCH SNACKS!!! I shouldn’t have eaten that Dux biscuit it didn’t even taste GOOD!! We had a birthday celebration at the office and I should have stuck to my original plan of choosing between cake or ice cream!!. I should have also had less ice cream. I am really proud of the half of apple. THANKS CELIA!! The day’s physical activity was great and I am really proud of that too.

Carnival diet diary

2006-10-11T12:28:00.000-07:00

This blog is an attempt to help me and others to make healthy eating and exercise a part of everyday living. I sometimes find it hard to maintain my weight. Food diaries are a good way to literally watch what u are eating ,u will be surprised just how much u eat when u put it on paper. For those of u who want to join me, no problem. My short term goal at this point is carnival 2k7 however my long term goal is to regulate my general eating behaviour. Along side that I will be giving carnival and general dietary tips.