Healed!

"Andun na yung kaluluwa ko, kailangan na lang simulan at gawin."
- Romi Garduce

Day 88
27 December 2011


The night before, Mr. Pipoy asked me to put some liniment on my swollen ankle and wrap it with bandage. We didn't have liniment, but I do have the Oryspa Meditation Balm, which I often use whenever I have body aches. In the many times I have used it, it delivered great results, so I tried to use it on my ankle before wrapping it with a cloth.

I am not sure if you'd call it a miracle or not, but when I woke up this morning, my ankle was no longer hurting! It was still swelling a bit, but no more pain whatsover... just a little discomfort (because of course, all is still not well).


Of course, I didn't walk to Colinas Verdes today, but I did go out and walk to the market late in the afternoon. All was okay, although stepping up and/or down gives me a little pain. Nevertheless, I was so impressed and happy that I am now healed... sort of.

Before dinner, my ankle swelled a bit more, which worried me a bit. No pain, but the fact that my ankle became a little "fatter" troubled me. Mr. Pipoy just asked me to continue with the ice pack followed by the liniment, to help heal the ankle.


Today's food -

• 6:43am - 1 piece sliced White Bread (toasted) + thin spread of Magnolia Lite Margarine
• 9:01am - 1/2 cup Pansit Bihon
• 11:21am - 1/2 cup rice, 1/2 cup leftover Vegetable Kare-Kare, 1 Chicken Wing (fried)
• 5:00pm - 1 pack Shing-a-Ling
• 6:56pm - 1/2 cup rice, Sinigang na Bangus (90g fish - weighed as a whole, kamote tops cooked in sour broth)
• 8:06pm - 1 Yakult

Total Cups of Water: 12
Weather's quite cooler now, difficult to drink 15 cups of water, but I guess 12 is okay. :) I ate quite a lot today... I guess doing nothing at home makes me hear more of my tummy thoughts. Hahaha.
I am questioning myself if I will go out and walk tomorrow, but I will just have to listen to my body and make the decision from there.

The Day I Had an Accident

Spell "committed," I'm it.
- Mr. Pipoy

Day 87
26 December 2011


Since Christmas is now over, it's time for me to go out and walk. Lately, the sun rises quite late, so instead of going out at 6am, I tend to go out at 6:30am, just so it's not dark outside. Along our street, I saw some cute puppies, which are so cute and friendly; when I came near them, they quickly came to me, but taking pictures of them was so difficult because they were so playful!


I have been walking to and around Colinas Verdes for quite sometime now, so the trail seemed to be easy for me to handle already. Today I decided to add a few more meters to my trail... instead of making a U-Turn near the Clubhouse, I walked past the Clubhouse and turned around after a few meters. This picture above was taken on my way back to the main gate, the building with the red-orange roof is the back part of the clubhouse.

I walked for one and a half hours around Colinas Verdes, and the only stops I had were the very few times I took pictures of things that caught my interest. The day seemed alright, until I met a minor accident.

I normally take the jeepney from Colinas Verdes to the market place. When I asked the driver to stop, he pulled over near the sidewalk (so the traffic would run smoothly and the passengers getting off would be safe). As soon as I made my first step going to the sidewalk, a motorcycle hit me. It was running slowly - maybe it was still getting momentum because it was on the sidewalk - but because it was running and the vehicle was a bit heavy, my leg (I had my right leg forward) wasn't sturdy enough to keep my balance. As the driver and I tried to minimize the harm, I twisted my ankle before I fell on the ground softly, and her motorcycle hit another motorcycle parked on the sidewalk. I instantly felt guilty and scared because the driver was with her daughter (around 7 or 8 years old) and she nearly got sandwiched between her mom's motorcycle and the parked one. Fortunately, the child was unharmed, but I instantly felt pain on my right leg, and because the parked motorcycle fell, it caused people around to gather and watch how things were going.

The driver of the parked motorcycle quickly came and angrily scolded the lady driver. She was quick to say sorry, but the man was so proud and so angry that he started berating the woman. His motorcycle was unharmed (the way I saw it) - side mirrors were intact and I didn't see any scratches. The woman was so scared and disoriented that she didn't even say sorry to me, but she did ask if I was okay. I told her I am fine, just in pain.

The man, still angry, started asking for the woman's license. She said she doesn't have any and that the motorcycle belongs to his husband. The man got more angry and the way I sensed it, he either wanted the woman to settle it financially or he would press charges.

In my own perspective, I was okay. In pain, but okay. If I was in the woman's shoes, I'd be very scared as well, and seeing her daughter crying and worried, I felt pity. I sure didn't want to be in the position she was in, so I went to the woman, told her I am good and she should just face the man's emotions because it can get ugly. She didn't say thank you, but I saw in her eyes the look of relief and sadness. As I limply walked away, the man shouted at me and asked where was I going. I shouted back I am good - that I have forgiven the woman, so they just let me walk away. I am not a martyr, I just don't like confrontations, and I didn't want any more troubles (for her) so I just let it go. I could still walk - I am fine, that was all that mattered.

If there was a regret... I'd say I wasn't able to take a picture of it.


I still was able to walk from the market place to our house (funny, I didn't even take the tricycle - maybe walking was already a habit), but near noon time, my right ankle started to swell a bit and it was quite difficult to get up and make the first few steps. Mid-afternoon, I already had difficulty sitting down (especially using the toilet). I started to fear if my ankle was broken or something, but if you know me, you'd know I don't seek medical attention right away, if I still can endure it. I told myself I will let this day pass; if I get fever, if the swelling gets worse, I'd go to the hospital.

Despite what happened, I was thankful and happy. It was a minor accident and everything could have gone worse, but it didn't. Somehow, the accident wasn't so surprising - I dreamt about my late father the night before and in my dream, my dad was saying something about a "flight," and in my dreams, I saw myself accidentally hitting my head on the sides of the bed and as soon as I hit my head on the floor, there was a pool of blood - kinda like the day my dad had a heart attack which caused his death. I am not sure if the dream was a bad omen, but ever since my dad died, I have had a few dreams signifying he was trying to get me, but in all instances, I wouldn't allow him to take me. Being alive, writing this story makes me happy.

Of course, Mr. Pipoy was concerned about me. He sounded upset about something, but despite that he was still the ever supporting fitness buddy who not only gave me pointers what to do, he also showered me with care, love and compassion. Before he went to work that night, he told me to apply some liniment and wrap it with a bandage, but because we didn't have any bandages, I just used a long cloth to wrap it.

My family was much concerned, too, but them seeing I was okay somehow relieved them. In many ways than one, I am a superwoman. :)

Oh... Mr. Pipoy and I had a minor argument (my fault, I was back to my jealous, insecure self when I told him words I shouldn't tell), but even if I hurt him and he was so disappointed, he still muttered the words "I love you so much" and he spoke about being serious and being committed. We quickly ironed out that argument and in the afternoon we got to talk about something and he mentioned about "you're my boss." Never have I encountered a man who values and loves me the way he does. God really loves me for giving him to me. Mr. Pipoy erased all my past heartaches and yes, he made whole again. I could never thank him enough... and I will love him for as long as I am alive.

*iBlush*


What I ate today -

• 9:36am - 2 teaspoons Ube Halaya
• 12:34pm - 1/2 cup rice, 1/2 cup leftover Vegetable Kare-Kare
• 7:19pm - 1 cup Pansit Bihon, a slice of cake
• 8:01pm - 1 Yakult

Total Cups of Water: 14
I am not the type of person who loses appetite over something (before, I could have a serious flu and still eat like a truck driver), but today I just didn't have the appetite to eat much.

The Beck Diet Solution: Day 7

Let's continue with the Beck Diet Solution.


Like what was written on Day 6, you shouldn't tell people around you that you're dieting if you don't want to. It's true that some people - especially close friends and family members can tease you and try to sabotage your diet by asking you to eat something you're not supposed to when you tell them you're dieting, but looking at the other side of things, it's also great to tell people about your journey because you never know - some of them were just waiting for a companion. When I first traveled this journey in 2007, I told our neighbor Charmy about it and instead of teasing me, she actually supported me and even joined me in my morning walks. My brother sort of teased me at first... but when the family saw (this year) that I was so serious about this and that I am already reaping the success of traveling this journey, my brother is now the first to remind me that I needed to jot down my food intake, he now reminds me that the dish will have pork in it. Overall, telling people about my situation puts me in a much better position, because people are all rooting for my success. I guess it was like that - people will tease you to the point of testing your resistance to certain food... but once you're losing weight, they will be there to back you up.

Today, we will make changes around us. Food is often the biggest reason why people are overweight, so when the need to lose weight arises, dieters first change their eating habits. Dr. Beck shared tips about changing the environment around home:

• Remove your personal temptations. Check the cupboards, fridge and desk drawers. If you keep food items that you think will sabotage your diet, get rid of it - by either trashing it or giving it away. Yes, you used money to buy it and there are so many hungry people around the world... but think about this: would you rather waste the food in the trash can or in your body and health? If you can't bear the idea of trashing good food, then just give it away.
• Rearrange your dishes. As you know by now, small plates mean less food to eat, so replace the plates on your rack with smaller ones, or arrange plates from smallest to biggest, so that the small ones will be easier to reach.
• Consider others. If you share the house with other people - spouse, kids, co-workers, relatives... you might want to ask their help to your advantage: maybe ask them to keep their snack items in places you cannot see (either in their own rooms or maybe in a container at the topmost part of the cupboard). If you don't want to be super imposing, you can ask their help in a very nice way.
  

I do eat a lot during meals (before entering the journey), but I am not a "serial snacker," like my brother is. Here in our house, we have this containers where we put the snack items, and since these containers are on the floor and most have lids, I sometimes forget what was inside it. My brother has his own container inside his room - and when I started getting rid of softdrinks, he would drink his softdrinks inside his room (or when I wasn't around the dining room). Now that my control is much stronger, he drinks his softdrinks in front of me without worrying I'd take a sip.

I guess I am at the point in the journey that I am much stronger, but I still have so much to learn. I agree with the quote "Out of sight, out of mind," but if you're a parent who has kids who would love their fast food and snacks... you can make a compromise by treating them to a small pack of chips or a small bag of candies every weekends, or maybe encourage them to do good at school and if they get at least 5 stars, they can have the bag of chips. Win-win situation, eh?

For those who are working, changing the environment will be much difficult - because it would seem impossible to ask the admin to get rid or move the vendo machine... and it would seem awkward to ask co-workers to keep their snacks in their drawers and not place it on the table, but you can at least try. Worst case scenario - you have to work on your control; but if things go your way, the better. Don't be afraid to ask things... but of course, you have to be nice and not be so assertive and bossy.

Arranging the environment means compromise. There will be certain things you don't have control of, but always remember... you can control your emotions and perspective. Like what I shared with the "star system," you can also apply it to yourself - you can challenge yourself not to eat any cupcake from Mondays-Thursdays, and come Friday, treat yourself with one cupcake. I don't normally use food as a way of rewarding myself, but if that will get you to eat less, then go for it.

I work at home, so I can only make changes here at home. Aside from keeping certain food items in their own containers with lids (most aren't transparent), I arrange certain items by keeping the healthier options at sight and keep the unhealthy ones under.

This is a difficult task, I know... but just remember the key word: compromise.



ps - the paper bag in the picture contain a lot of snack items - mostly flour based (crackers, cupcakes, biscuits), but none tempts me because I am not into crackers and biscuits, and the idea of eating a small cupcake with 170 calories is enough to lose my interest in it, so even if it's open, I don't glance on it, really. These snack items we will give to kids of the Joy Foundation (I forgot the full name), because they always come here during the holidays.

Last Set of Goals for 2011

This will be a very quick post; time for me to sleep, but I still haven't updated my goals since last week, so this week, being the last week of December, here are my goals:

• Walk as much as I can. If I can go out and walk to and around Colinas Verdes, the better, but if not, will resolve by walking to the market or use the Elliptical Machine.
• Make water as the main drink. Since the neighbors often drops by here right after welcoming the new year, we would often have some alcoholic drinks, which is a big no-no. Juices and Iced Tea are somewhat okay, but not more than one glass.
  
• A little taste will do. On the 29th, I will be having a food trip with Asmodeus and some members of the Blue Board, then my Aunt Bing's friend is coming over from Canada on the 30th... my Aunt asked if I can come with them touring her friend around the metro, so I will have "no control" of what food will be served; what I have control of, fortunately is how I treat the food in front of me. Of course, I am a foodie, I have a food blog, I am a friend and a family member. I will treasure the moments, but I will do my best not to sabotage my diet. A taste of each of the dishes will do.
• Get enough sleep. After Mr. Pipoy's call at 9pm, I should start preparing myself for bed, so when he calls around 10pm, I am already lying on the bed. Lights off after his call before entering the company's building.
• Be careful of the impulsive eating in between meals. The holidays often leaves us with lots of left over food, so I have to watch over myself, making sure I won't take a bite of something whenever I pass by the dining room.

December wasn't a good month for me, but while I can't exercise much, all I can do is to help myself by watching over my food intake.

Merry Christmas!

Tonight, think about how rich you are:
(1) Your family is priceless,
(2) Your time is gold,
(3) Your health is wealth, and...
(4) Your Savior is the greatest treasure of all!
May you and your family always be rich in things that really count!
- Djoanne's text message

Day 86
25 December 2011


By the time us girls came home from the chapel, we already anticipated the Noche Buena and the annual Christmas family photo shoot. At first I was wondering if we could do the tradition because brother was already asleep, but a little past 11pm, he got up to cook the Pansit Bihon - our Noche Buena meal.

I changed clothes; I decided to wear the summer dress I bought at the tiangge. Since we only have one dish to cook, sis and I just played with the camera while mom took a nap - to ready herself for Christmas Day.


After eating the pansit and the other food given by our neighbors, I set up the camera for the family photo shoot. Again, brother wasn't in the mood - he was busy checking Facebook and waiting for something from his girlfriend - but a little more push, he came out of his cave to pose with us. We took about three pictures before we asked brother to change his shirt because we felt us girls were dressed and well-prepared, while he was wearing the same house clothes he was wearing since he took his shower this morning.

He did change shirts, but he refused to wear something for his feet. Since our camera was programmed to take just one picture after 10 seconds, brother set it up to take 10 pictures after every 3 seconds (first one will be taken 10 seconds after hitting the shutter). It was like having pictures taken in front of the photo booth, but we had to be quick if we want to have nice pictures.

My top 3 pictures for the first batch:


Ten pictures were taken, but only around 5 were okay... simply because the camera was on portrait orientation and there weren't much space for us to move around. The other 5 pictures I plan to delete because it looked as if I was this person trying to fit in the picture and the only part of me visible was my head. Oh gawd!

Second set, I put it back to the landscape orientation, to give us more space, but less head room to work around. My top three favorites:


This batch was much better because mom let down her guard whenever her pictures were taken. It was so great to have pictures taken 3 seconds apart because the scrambling often brings out the crazy side of us... and we even got to let mom do the "rawr!" pose. It became our most favorite picture of the entire shoot.

* Please click any of the pictures, if you want to see the bigger version. *

I slept around 2:30am and woke up around 8am. Brother and I walked to the market to look for Puso ng Saging (the one used in Kare-Kare), but we couldn't find one at the market place outside of the subdivision. Glad brother went with me to Tungko, and happier to have found what I was looking for.

We didn't have guests today, so we had quite a lot of leftovers to eat. One crazy discovery today - I was 12lbs heavier today than I was yesterday. Oh no! Well... no need to worry much, all will be back to normal the next day.

Mr. Pipoy was able to call me today, yey! He wasn't able to subscribe to the UnliCall, so it was late at night when we talked, but hearing his voice made my day. I miss him so, so much! :) Merry Christmas, my love!


What I ate today -

• 12:20am - 2 cups Pansit Bihon (pansit, chicken flakes, carrots, snow peas, cabbage, chicken gizzards), 3 tablespoons Macaroni Salad (macaroni, mayonnaise, chopped apples)
• 8:07am - 1 cup Pansit Bihon
• 12:11pm - 1/2 cup rice, 1/2 cup Vegetable Kare-Kare (puso ng saging, sitaw, pechay, talong, fried tokwa) + 1/8 teaspoon bagoong alamang, thin slice of cake
• 6:44pm - 1/2 cup Aglio Olio spaghetti

Despite the carbs ruling my diet today, I was happy that the Vegetable Kare-Kare turned out good. I guess whenever the cravings for Kare-Kare arise, I can just go for the veggie kind.
No merry-making this Christmas because we didn't attend any party and nobody dropped by to visit us; it basically was like any other weekend, but of course, we didn't forget the reason why we are all celebrating this day. I didn't sabotage my diet and I did get to still walk (even for just 30 minutes), and I am thankful for that.