The Pitstop

Food vs Exercise — The 80/20 Rule

Sat, 15 Oct 2016 20:09:18 +0000

The moment we see a friend or a relative who seems to have put on weight, this is what we tend to very promptly tell the person (or perhaps imagine ourselves telling the person):

You need to move your ass. Stop being lazy!
You need to hit the gym or do some yoga.

We assume that the person “getting fat” is just plain lazy, keeps sitting around the whole day, and does not exercise at all. “Probably he/she should at least go for a walk!” is what we think. Or if the person has been engaging in physical activities, we think “Umm, maybe he/she needs to push harder.”

The end result is the same if we flip the above situation on ourselves; the moment we realize we’ve put on a few extra pounds, we get that gym membership we had been for so long putting off or we head out on frantic morning runs.

How Ketogenic Diet Impacts Women

Sun, 03 Jul 2016 01:26:27 +0000

I started my experimentation with the Ketogenic Diet (or “keto” for short) a month back [that would be the June of 2016]. It involves eating less than 20g carbohydrates per day. There has been loads of researching, learning, tracking, shopping, and cooking. Hopefully I will come back to report my results and share my learning here shortly.

Magnesium supplement

For now, I want to make a note of this experience.

Lunch Treat at Prolific Oven

Fri, 28 Mar 2014 12:44:38 +0000

I treated myself to lunch today. After all, it was Friday…

Cafe Inch

But not before a quick bike ride on the Guadalupe Trail to Gold Street and back.

28 March Collage

Long Run at Baylands Park

Tue, 25 Mar 2014 07:06:33 +0000

Finally ran on the Baylands Park trail in Sunnyvale this Sunday, our first time here. We were a bit skeptic about the $6 car parking fee, as suggested by the City of Sunnyvale website. However, when we arrived, the ticketing window was closed, though the off- season lasts only until February. We parked close to where we thought the trail began, but it did takes us a while, a run of about a kilometer, to figure out the trail and where it extended. We ran in the evening, a couple of hours before the sunset. I did my first long, slow run of the season.

I Am Loving It!

Fri, 21 Mar 2014 13:01:33 +0000

I wrote earlier about attending the Zumba session at The Rhythm Attic.

The following week, I went for Zumba Toning(zumba with dumbbells) at the same place. This happens every Friday at 7:00 pm.

Cracking the Code of Plain Parathas

Sun, 16 Mar 2014 23:49:50 +0000

I had always sucked at making plain parathas. They invariably turned out with some uncooked spots or were stiff and hard to eat. I was also made fun of because of the plain parathas I doled out, and this was when I had only about started cooking by myself (read, after getting married). Ask me to cook stuffed parathas any day, and I did well. But I didn’t make any progress over the years with churning out soft plain parathas. I kept recalling how mom would roll out perfect, soft ones each time and tried hard to remember the way she performed each step, but to no avail; the magic was not happening with my hands. With some fluke, some turned okay and some were round as well. But there was no systematic procedure to get consistent shape and softness and edibility. This time I decided enough was enough.

Pindi Chole/Chana - The Missing Ingredient

Sun, 16 Mar 2014 22:56:59 +0000

I have been making rase ke chole (chana in gravy) for a number of years now. I recently tried to make pindi chana, which is spicy chana masala with much less gravy; in fact, the gravy has a thick saucy consistency. It goes best with bhature or poori.

I had invited some guests over for lunch a while back, and I made Pindi Chole following Nita Mehta’s recipe from her book “Learn to Cook with Nita Mehta”. I had not tried this recipe before (a big mistake, especially when you’re calling people over; Lesson Learned - always make tried and tested dishes). For this lunch party, I was making twice the quantity of chana from what was listed in Nita’s recipe, so I doubled all the ingredients. The result was not so good; it ended up being too spicy, which I tried to curb by adding a bit of sugar….blah, I was not happy with the outcome.

anardana powder

This weekend I tried the same recipe again, to see if I could make it right by following the recipe to the T.

Zumba @The Rhythm Attic

Fri, 14 Mar 2014 23:17:13 +0000

Rhythm Attic

Trip distance : 4.6 mi (cycle), 3.6 mi (car)

Time to reach : 49 min (walk / Bus 58 / walk), 25 min (cycle), 8 min (car)

Round trip cost : $4 (Note: The last bus to Scott and Space Park is at 6:30 PM)

Elite Ballroom

Wed, 12 Mar 2014 10:23:49 +0000

Trip distance : 8.4 mi (cycle), 6.9 mi (car)

Time to reach : 1 hr 5 min (walk / LRT (VTA train) / walk), 44 min (cycle), 12 min (car)

Round trip cost : $4

About the Class and Studio

Website : https://joev.zumba.com/

Address : 1042, Park Avenue, San Jose, CA 95126 (SJ Downtown)

Bike parking availability : None

Class schedule : Mon/Tues/Thurs: 7:00-8:00 PM, Sat: 9:00-10:00 AM

Fee : $10 for dropping in(first class is free); $50 for 5 classes (1 class is free); $100 for 10 classes (3 classes are free)

Studio : Large wooden floor hall. Mirror on the long wall. Well ventilated. Single restroom (separate for men and women) that doubles up as changing room as well.

About Me

Sun, 02 Mar 2014 15:07:28 +0000

Hello there, and thanks for visiting! I have worked as an instructional designer/technical writer (2000-2013). I am currently on a sabbatical. A few tidbits about me: Delhiite. Moved from Delhi to Bangalore to California. Runner. Biker. Hiker. Cancerian. Creative. Dreamer. Curious. Indecisive. Listener. Emotional. Romantic. Organized. Obsessive planner. In this blog, I touch upon a variety of topics, ranging from things I like to do, places I like to explore, and random ramblings.

eLocker by VTA and BikeLink

Fri, 07 Feb 2014 00:35:13 +0000

As part of my trip to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, I took the VTA (Valley Transportation Authority) LRT (Light Rail Transit) from the River Oaks station. The River Oaks center at North First street also houses the VTA administrative office. This place is a 20 minutes walk from home and 10 minutes on a bike. VTA provides for bikers to carry their cycles on buses and trains; I haven’t used either yet.

Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

Thu, 06 Feb 2014 08:57:08 +0000

Funerary mask of Pharoah Tutankhamun

Trip distance : 7.0 - 7.5 miles

Time to reach : 1 hr 9 min (walk | LRT | bus | walk), 40 min (cycle), 11 min (car)

Round trip cost : $8

About the Museum

Website : https://www.egyptianmuseum.org/

Address : 1660 Park Avenue, San Jose, CA 95191

Car parking availability and fee : Behind the museum (on Chapman Street). Parking is free.

Bike parking availability : None

Museum hours : Mon/Tues: Closed, Wed/Thurs/Fri: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Sat/Sun: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Admission fee at the museum : $9

Context : One fine day, I decided to visit this museum. One, because I had been watching some documentaries on Netflix about the history of the Mesopotamian region (East to West). Second, because the museum came up in the nearby places I could explore. And finally, because I really needed to get out of the house.

Project 365 - Day 10

Sun, 26 Aug 2012 07:05:13 +0000

Day 10 - Aug 25: 65.9 kg, Cycling: 38 min, 9.55 km Sandip left early morning. I tried to nap for an hour, but was up by 8 am. Though I was sleep deprived, I wanted to go cycling. The weather was favorable…it wasn’t sunny. So I thought I’ll think no more and will just head out after the maid leaves. Started from home at 9:10 am. I knew I would encounter the Saturday office- hour traffic.

There's Something About Nigella!

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 21:53:40 +0000

Source: Nigella’s twitter profile

We’re hooked to the famous British Nigella Lawson’s cookery show, Nigella Bites on Food Network (aired on Travel & Living in India). Different people are hooked for different reasons.

I Adore Pretty Women...

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 04:52:31 +0000

…who are not just pretty but also well-dressed and who radiate a strong sense of dressing and ooze a subtle attitude of being in touch with style and fashion. I am sure you admire them too. C’mon, if you are a woman and reading this, admit it and you’ll feel liberated. The secret’s long been out anyways. The quicker you accept this fact, the better for you. “WOMEN DRESS TO BE NOTICED BY OTHER WOMEN.

First Ride to Bellandur Lake

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:28:51 +0000

Went on a 26 km ride on a self-charted route this Sunday. We could not manage to participate in the GGI CM the previous day, so we decided to make up for it. ![28022010119](/images/2010-03-02-first- ride-via-bellandur- lake-2/4393868487_ca7bfcc813.jpg) You can see the complete description of Sunday’s ride to Bellandur Lake on dailymile.com here. Before Sandip and I started riding cycles this Feb and before we even got our cycles, we had started dreaming and marking out all the roads and areas where we wanted to come on our bikes.

Maggi: Thy Name Savior

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:17:50 +0000

Who would not have, at one point or the other, not relied on maggi, in the absence of a.b.s.o.l.u.t.e.l.y any other options to quench ‘paapi pate’s bhook’. Stuck at home on a night, suddenly you realize there’s nothing at home to cook and its too late to step out to grab a bite, you turn to Maggi. Feeling sick, tired, or lazy to cook, Maggi’s your quick and tasty answer to these ‘unplanned situations’ in life.

Mah Life ROCKS!!!

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 10:19:26 +0000

I have come to believe that saying that aloud to myself (My Life Rocks) and declaring it publicly will eventually make me feel that way - good about myself and my life. ![Human Complexes](/images/2010-02-07-mah-life- rocks/liferocks.jpg) Every day you happen to ask as well as answer the question innumerable times “How are you doing?”. I found more people answering with a “Good”, “Great”, quite unlike to mine rather sad “Fine” and “Ok’.

I am HAPPY Today!

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 08:49:04 +0000

Today’s been one of the happiest days for me. Full of a feeling of contentment, completeness, satisfaction, and in some sense, of a victory in a long-fought battle. The plight is that I cannot share my happiness with anybody :(. I’d like to keep it a secret from even myself, so I remain grounded and lest my little, delicate bubble of dream bursts. Why blog about it then if I cannot share it?

Are You a Somebody?

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 07:32:13 +0000

Every body around me (at least 7 out of 10 people) is a somebody, excelling in something they can boast about. I am not talking about the skills they have acquired in their career/profession. I am talking about the passions they have pursued outside their profession. So, a doctor may be an outstanding cook and may have published a couple of books, or a restaurateur may be seriously pursuing painting on the side, or an IT engineer may be a photography buff.