My Sexy Revolution Starts Now

Flipping though old photo albums not only takes me on a nostalgic trip, it also reminds me of the past hurts from all the bullying I had to endure as I grew up. Sure I looked thin in the picture above, but for a 13 year old tween who's about to finish her first year in high school, having a 30-inch waistline was something that made me feel abnormal as most of my classmates were confident enough to flaunt their weight and measurements.

I take the blame for all the hatred I felt. I was coward enough not to fight against the bullying by making myself better; instead I let people throw mud pies on my face and I let myself eat and sloth my way to more self hatred and dissatisfaction.

I grew up with a loving family and friends who accepted me the way I am. While I have learned to embrace my life as is with a few reminders that I had to lose weight, I admit I never really exerted an effort to make myself better...

...until my dad died. He was a man who lived healthy. He exercised everyday and ate vegetables most days of the week. Bad genes got him, though - a few months after we found out one of his arteries was clogged, he had a heart attack that caused his death. One of my aunts (his sister) said our family has a very bad medical history (as diabetes also runs in our family) and told me with my size and the way I eat and the way I  live as a couch potato, it wouldn't surprise her if I'd have the disease before my 40th birthday.

A few months after my dad died, I had a bad night (thought I'd have a heart attack, but didn't thankfully). At that time I knew I had to do something, but after a few weeks, I went back to my old habits. Between 2007 and 2011, I have tried entering a journey to weight loss and called it off a few weeks after. While I lost 4lbs in one month, I'd gain back more than I lost, which made it more difficult for me to lose weight. Thankfully, I still am disease-free, though my cholesterol is a bit high.


July 2011 was my biggest wake up call. Seeing this picture of me made me cry and asked myself what I did to myself. I knew then I have to do something or else I might not enjoy life the way I wanted it to be.

August that year, I started walking every morning and lessened my food intake. A trip to Cebu and Bohol put my diet and exercise on hold and made me lose track of my progress until my mom bought me a weighing scale mid-September which revealed I went back to my old weight of 226lbs. I told myself then I won't allow myself to go heavier than that, so at the start of October 2011, I motivated myself to wake up early every morning to walk and do video workouts (Hip Hop Abs mainly). As for the food intake, I started with 1 cup of rice per meal down to 2/3 cups... 1/3 cup... until I was able to satisfy my tummy with just 1/2 cup of rice and about 75g of fish and seafood or 50g of meat per meal. I upped my water intake, said no-no to juices, iced tea and fizzy drinks.

The combination of exercise and lessened food intake did give me stunning results, with 13lbs lost in one of the months. Of course, it wasn't all bright and shiny, as I learned that I couldn't eat a lot of fibrous food as it made me constipated, which meant I couldn't include oatmeal in my diet, though I did eat whole wheat cereal every now and then.


Me in August 2011 (220lbs).

Seeing the weight go down made me happy as I could then wear old clothes, which I planned to dispose before because I couldn't fit in them anymore. I was also able to shop for clothes with ease (I now wear L - XL, whereas before XXXL blouses won't even fit me good), and riding the jeep, bus, and tricycle wasn't so humiliating anymore. Biggest reward I received was the compliment given by friends and neighbors - others (whom I don't know personally) would even talk to me to ask for my secrets. Recalling these moments in my life made me feel part of the world - that I am now normal and some people would even call me an inspiration.


Me today (200lbs).

I did slip off track - life got in the way and I ate more than the usual and I didn't get to exercise that much anymore, but I am still holding on to my promise not to be above 200lbs. That's my current weight, 26lbs lighter than I used to be.

I may be a little lighter, but now I realize, there is more than just losing the weight. With my size, I find it more difficult to wear smaller clothes because my skin became saggy - especially on my arms, tummy, and inner thighs. Stretch marks and cellulite also became more visible. Now I think, the weight isn't really the problem, but how the body looks. Just recently, Vogue Italia came up with their first plus size cover model, and learning she's wearing size 14 clothes just made me green with envy. I am currently wearing size 16, sometimes size 14 clothes, and yet I don't have the body to flaunt.

A few months ago, Raymond Gutierrez revealed his new body. He looked better than before and I also wished I go through the same process as he did - via Sexy Solutions.

I am in for the natural way of losing weight - through diet and exercise, but that doesn't mean I go against the people who seek medical help to lose weight and tone their bodies. Every person who has had weight problems, what is seen by the eyes doesn't tell the whole story. There is something deeper that gives one satisfaction, and if I could have it my way, I'd surely seek medical help to tone my saggy arms, tummy, and inner thighs.

Sharing something I read about Sexy Solutions:

Sexy Solutions (www.sexysolutions.com.ph) is a non-invasive fat reduction clinic that has machines that can (1) melt fat in stubborn places, (2) tighten loose skin and (3) tone muscle.  Sexy Solutions also has in-house consultants that can help you with your nutrition and fitness regimen. A concern that you might have after your diet is: “The diet worked but I was weak the whole day so I don’t think it was healthy for me to do and it was certainly not sustainable. Perhaps, Sexy Solution’s nutritionist can point me towards a healthy way of losing weight.”

My target weight is 150lbs. More than the health benefits I could earn from losing weight, I am now also listing being confident in my own skin as part of my goals. As long as I keep motivating and pushing myself, I know I will reach my goals.

Trying Out Gym for the First Time

Losing weight caused me to have saggy skin, especially on my arms, tummy, and thighs. I realized, while walking and doing video workouts help in losing weight, I also needed to address the saggy issue. :) I hoped to enroll in a gym so I can access different machines for strength training, and thankfully, one opened near our place, which was basically walking distance from our house.


Brother was the one who enrolled me at this gym because at that time they had the 2-for-1 promo. Membership fee wasn't really expensive, but it was like having 50% discount so he signed my name as well. With so many things to do and the fears of doing things for the first time, it actually took some time before I went to the gym with my brother.

My hesitations? Being the only woman in the gym and that people might make fun of me as I am very heavy and big, but since brother was with me, it made me feel okay.


It took us 15 minutes to walk from home to the gym, but since I just wanted to try things out, I started with the Elliptical Machine. I sure hoped to use the treadmill as I haven't used one (that is electric-powered), but someone's using it, so I used the Elliptical Machine instead.

It certainly is lighter and easier to use than the one we had at home. I went for 2 resistance and used it for 20 minutes nonstop at 80 - 100 rpm. It was quite addicting, but because I am not used to using the machine and I was out of my fitness routine for quite sometime, so of course I did feel some tension on my legs.


My brother tried out the Bicycle Machine, and for a person who's not really into exercising, he did well by pedaling for 15 minutes non-stop.


I was sweating real hard that time. Sure it was quite easy, but I guess it was really different from the morning walks I do.


My brother tried using the other machines, but I felt the machines were too heavy to use. One trainer asked me if it was my first time and when I said yes, he asked me to join him and one female gym-goer for some dumbbells workout.

At home I started with a pair of dumbbells weighing 2lbs each. Before I went on a fitness holiday, I started using a pair of 4lb dumbbells. The trainer gave me a pair of 6lb dumbbells. I didn't know why, but he did one routine and asked me to do it for 2 sets of 12 counts, with one minute rest in between sets.

It was tough. My legs were quite wobbly because of the nonstop spinning on the Elliptical Machine, and doing squats added more pressure on my legs. One thing I was thankful for though, I learned the proper way to do squats that didn't strain my weak knees. He then asked me to do lunges, but I only was able to do one set because my legs were really tired and I felt I couldn't take one more step.

Anyway, fees at the gym is very affordable. Membership fee is at p100, and usage fee is divided into four schemes: Daily (p35), Weekly (p120), Bi-Weekly (p220), and Monthly (p400). Currently, brother and I are using the daily scheme as we didn't visit the gym everyday, but of course paying for the monthly scheme will sure be the most practical of all.

The gym is near, but they only have one piece of every machine. Also, I didn't get to ask if they have a shower or a changing room, so that one I don't know yet. The place doesn't have air conditioning system, but they do have water dispenser on standby to help hydrate the gym goers.

I am not sure if I will be that religious when it comes to gym, but hopefully, I can learn how to use each of the machines to my advantage.

Crocs Mega Sale 2012

It was in 2008 when I first bought my Crocs footwear. I have loved it the moment I started using it. I loved it a lot that I bought three more pairs and hoped to have a little collection of Crocs footwear.


These were the four Crocs footwear I got to own sometime 2008 - 2009. I love each of my footwear, but the blue one (being the oldest) died sometime in 2010, the pink one I lost during my travels (ouch) and the other two were sort of neglected and were thrown away when someone cleaned the house. Since I bought my last pair in 2009, I wasn't able to buy any pair of Crocs because prices went high and some models didn't suit my taste and some didn't look good on me.

Last year, I heard of a Crocs Mega Sale, but didn't have the money for it. Just a few days ago, I saw this:

As fast as my jaw dropped, my heart sank.

I sure want to have new pairs of Crocs footwear - even just flip flops and flat shoes, but checking the pricelist for the 2011 Crocs Mega Sale, I still can't afford the footwear. I am thinking of going there just to check the chaos, but that would make me feel more bad.

Anyway, if you're available on June 1 -3 and is in the mood for some shoe shopping, head to the NBC Tent and take part of this awesome sale.

Goals for the Week: 21 - 27 May 2012

I wasn't able to blog last week, but I have started training myself to go back on track. It wasn't easy, but I am sure my body thanked me for it. My brother and I signed up for a gym membership and my first day was a tough one as my legs ached for two days, but as a poster on the gym says, "The beginning is always the toughest." Now that I have shocked my body, I guess this coming week will be a bit tolerable for me.

I will share to you the full gym experience tomorrow, for now, here are my goals for this week.



1. Go through all of Lyn's Habit-a-Week challenge (those I have shared already)

• Fix your water intake - At least 15 cups of water per day.
• Move! - Back to the usual fitness routines: walk/jog, video workouts, gym 3x a week.
• Eat a veggie - 2 kinds of veggies per day.
• Increase your fiber - A slice of papaya a day; eat Fitnesse cereals for dinner.
• Eat healthy fats - We don't have olive oil anymore, so this week, it's lessening the oil intake.
• Watch your portions - Back to the old food routine: 70g for meat, 100g for fish/seafood, 1/2 cup of rice.
• Love yourself - Give the feet some pampering, after all, the feet bears all my weight as I go through the fitness routines.
• Curb nighttime eating - No more food after dinner. If I am hungry, water will do.
• Find alternatives to eating - Get back to the habit of taking pictures.

2. Fitness Schedule

• Everyday -  Morning walk / jog
• MWF - 8 Minute Arms, Hip Hop Abs (Cardio), Hip Hop Abs (Ab Sculpt)
• TThS - 8 Minute Legs, Hip Hop Abs (Cardio), Hip Hop Abs (Hips, Buns, Thighs)

3. Other Goals

• Maximum two food trips for the week.
• Seek more inspirations.
• Continue with the Beck Diet Solution
• Lights off at 11pm, start the day at 5am.
• Set aside a time for personal prayers and contemplation.
• Food / Exercise journal
• Give Mr. Pipoy less stress. :)

Such a big week waiting for me... so I need to sleep now and prepare for it. Wish me luck... Day 1 starts again tomorrow.

Back to Square One

Since February of this year, I have been on/off with my fitness plans and I admit that my diet has been really bad. Before, I could be satisfied with 1/2 cup of rice per meal, now I am eating more than a cup per meal. I was able to lose a lot of weight - even getting to 196lbs., but now I am back to 200lbs.

With my current weight, I still am 26lbs lighter than the day I started this journey, but I can now feel the things I used to feel: lower back pains, leg cramps, headaches, dizziness. I get tired way too easily, and I am lazy. I feel it's because I don't eat a balanced meal anymore, and I tend to neglect eating my vegetables most days of the week. With the way things are going, I won't be surprised if I will go back to where I started, so now I decide to throw away the reasons, alibis, and excuses. I need to go back to my fitness routines.

Today is 13 May 2012.
Today I turned 32 years old.

When I started this journey October 2011, I set my goal to reach 150lbs by May 2013. I didn't indicate which day in May will that be, but now that I am doing this again, I will set the date. I will be 150lbs on 13 May 2013. That will be a great gift I could give myself.

This week will be hard for me because I need to immerse myself in many things. I was able to do this before, I can surely do it again.

Fitness goals for this week is still a bit hazy, though. With a fitness gym opening nearby, I still need to set a schedule to accommodate the things I want to do - gym, walk/jog, video workouts. If you have any idea in mind how to schedule, share it to me please, I'd appreciate it.

As for the other goals, this week I will..

• Go through all of the habit building blocks (Lyn's Habit a Week Challenge) I already tackled in the past.
• Continue with the Beck Diet Solution.
• No junk food - including fizzy drinks and street food of any kind.
• 15 - 20 glasses of water a day (since it's still summer).
• Instant coffee just 3 cups for the week.
• Food and exercise journal.
• Set a prayer time, even for just 15 minutes a day.

In depth writing will be posted tomorrow, gotta get up early for my walk and jog. 

Round 2 is now up, there's no stopping now.

 

What I Ate in Ilocos, Part 2

Finally, a time for me to update this blog. I am sure you'd agree with me that it is difficult to share one computer to four people wanting to use it, but since I have this chance, might as well carry on with the sharing of food I ate during the Ilocos getaway with mom and sis. Some pictures here were taken by my sister, well... she has given me the permission to claim it as mine, hence the different watermark in the images.

Food wasn't part of the amount we paid for this trip, so mealtime was up to us. Luckily, my mom came prepared - she packed some cups of instant noodles and some hard boiled eggs... and she also brought along her little electric pot, which served as our water heater. I am not used to eating breakfast, but since mom also brought some packets of instant 3-in-1 coffee and we were able to borrow cups from the resort the night before, I was able to sip some coffee while my companions ate their cup noodles and hard boiled eggs.


First stop for this day was the Kabigan Falls, and although the trek going there wasn't really tiring, all of us weren't able to resist the temptation of freshly cooked Karioka and other food items near the falls. For 10 pesos, it was actually happiness on a stick because it was delicious, the sweet rice flour balls were so soft, and it was a filling snack. I was able to eat 3 sticks of it (not because I was hungry but mainly because I just loved eating it), and I sipped some buco juice which sister bought.


We visited a few stops... and for lunch we all went to Blue Lagoon. Our tour guide told us that we can opt to buy fresh seafood and just let stores at the Blue Lagoon to cook it for us, but since we were also told that  there were little food shops selling already cooked food, majority decided that we will just consider buying cooked food.

It was Black Saturday and way too many people at the Blue Lagoon. It was difficult to find a place to eat, and in the end we saw ourselves inside this little carinderia, which turned out to be one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had. Just thinking about it makes my tummy churn, so if you wanna know the full story, head on to sister's food blog, Tara, Let's Eat!


The itty bitty amount of food I ate for lunch was somewhat enough to stabilize my hungry tummy, but because all of us didn't have a good lunch (some actually didn't eat at all), we just asked the tour guide if we could just leave the place and take us back to the market so we could eat proper lunch. Well, it wasn't really proper as some of us were back to eating empanada (something we had for dinner last night), while the others - craving for rice - went to eat roadside barbecue as their viand.

Back at the resort, some of us took time to nap, others started tidying their things...and come late afternoon, we took a dip in the beach, which was walking distance from the resort.


My sister, our friend Ria, and I checked different resorts for a place where we could eat, but when we got back at the resort to tell our companions about it, mom and her boss told us they just ordered dinner. Us 5 shared this plate of Bagnet with KBL (Kamatis, Bagoong at Lasona - or tomatoes, fish paste and shallots) and some grilled Maya Maya fish.


After eating dinner, we all went back to the shore because we heard there will be a Bikini Open, but waiting for it to start made us a little tired, so we went to one of the restaurants and had some fruit shakes. It was a refreshing drink after a tiring day.

We still walked along the shore and haggled for some souvenirs to take home before finally calling it a night. It was our last night in Pagudpud, tomorrow another round of joyride before traveling back to Manila.