Checked In With The BWI

I still don't own a smartwatch or a Garmin tracker. I don't bother to weigh myself either. The husband upgraded his weighing machine to a Hume that also tracks body composition and body-fat percentage. I don't use it. LOL 

What I do use once in a while, is the Evolt 360 body scan at the gym. It's pretty old technology and it hasn't improved much in terms of body fat readings. The readings are heavily influenced by hydration levels, caffeine, food intake and menstrual cycles. In short, it’s not terribly accurate. I'm not concerned though. I'm not paying for it; I’m not an athlete — I don't need it churn out such precise readings. 

The Evolt app kept my last scan in May 2024 and compared it with this recent one taken this week in July 2026. Ahahahah. I obviously ignored it for all of 2025. I already do DEXA scans every three years (since I turned 40) to check on bone density. For that, I need to fast overnight, and I have to stop any calcium supplements for at least 36 hours prior. 

Read through the analysis in detail. I didn't lose any muscle mass between 2024 and now. In fact, there's a 1.5% gain. Yay! I'm not into taking protein. I prefer to eat them, although I’m not eating enough to the recommended ratios. I don't mind taking EAAs and creatine, but not on a daily basis either. 

Anyway, for my age, the Evolt360 scan said that my BWI is 8.7. My total body fat percentage stands at 21%. These are optimal even within their indicated ranges. Sure. I feel fine. I'm not going to have that body fat percentage go down to 19%. I don't feel like training that hard. Hahaha. I don't race, and I'm not that competitive. I still have a healthy relationship with food and I never have issues with my body.

Save for those few years I dropped off the fitness radar and went up to 60kg, over-ate and over-drank, I'm back in shape now. That's not from appearance alone. I know it from what I can lift and squat while doin functional movements at home. The glutes and knees have grown stronger. Because of the sports I did as a child and as a teenager, I've always used body weight to build and maintain muscles. I still do. However, I've embraced weights as part of the exercise regime. I'm lifting the heaviest that I've lifted in my life. 

I'll just continue what I'm doing. It's simply about keeping fit, limber and strong enough to do all that I want to do.

A Cool Breeze This Evening

It was mad blazing hot and humid in the morning. Then it was sort of thundery and rainy all afternoon. When 5pm rolled around, only a slight drizzle blanketed the area. We decided to stop by Grub Pasta Kitchen for easy drinks, and an early dinner. 

The grounds were wet, but the rain had abated. The temperatures went down low to 28.5dC. It was such a gorgeous breezy evening at the bistro. Choya was very happy to be sniffing around Bishan Park. She loves these after-the-rains smells. I just have to clean her paws thoroughly after this. 

Truth be told, each time she goes sniffing and licking, my heart jumps. Giardia eggs! Whipworms! Parasites! Protozoa! Fleas and ticks. Extra clostridium! Our city has too many humans, rats and dogs. I have no idea what is going into her stomach each time she sticks her tongue out, or if she inhales some horrible thing. She might not remember her stomachaches and diarrhea. I do.

All I can do is to wipe her down after as soon as I can, and hope she would be fine. Fortified by the supplements, I hope her gut microbiome returns to an acidity level that's sufficient to overcome the bacteria Such is life right? She gets such limited freedom. Everything she does is dictated by us. She doesn't have agency in that sense. I can't put her in a bigger bubble wrap and deprive of her little joys. 

I'm glad that her poop has stabilized two weeks after Round 3 of The Great Shitsplosion. We're also on Round 3 of a low dose of metronidazole. We'll see how this goes. I can't be complacent when it comes to clostridial diarrhea. It's a long and uphill battle... ... for the rest of the year. I can shelve what little of my travel plans now. 

When her doctor suggested getting her tested for Addison's since her bloodwork returned a low NaK, I hesitated because this was just about 1.5 weeks after her day of shitsplosion. If she has Addison's she would have more symptoms, and more indicators in her bloodwork. As much as this is called 'The Great Pretender', I know enough to recognize the signs, and weigh it against the Pacific Rimism (yes that's a thing) unique to these breeds. And I tend to err on the side of caution.   

A Salmon Fillet

When I was nearer to the supermarket than N was, and I was headed to her home next, I told her I would get the ingredients for dinner. She was at the doctor's for a review for her injured elbow and shoulder; I didn't want her to be going to the supermarket right after, and be carrying heavy things. 

She wanted salmon fillets and a tub of yoghurt. The supermarket only had Tasmanian salmon fillets. Those would do. They were discounted too, but packed today and not even close to sell-by date. I threw in a fillet of threadfin as well. In case they needed more food. N could keep that for her lunch or dinner the next day. 

I'm not the biggest fan of salmon. I would eat them, and I have my favorites. But it's very hard to seek out a proper king (Chinook) or sockeye. It's an easy ingredient to prep for dinner for many people. When the dear girlfriend is so kind as to feed me, I won't quibble with protein in the form of fish. I'll make do with this salmon. But I wouldn't be able to stomach tuna or cod. I have lost all taste for cod and its associated sablefish marketed as 'black cod' or 'ling cod'. I don't mind haddock though. 

Tonight's dinner was great. The salmon was nicely seared in the pan. N prepped loads of vegetables as sides— grilled cabbage and blanched spinach. I ate so much vegetables. Nothing too heavy, and loads of protein, antioxidants and fibre. That was an absolutely perfect plate.