Core Exercise

So how has it been, my diet and my workout. I have to admit they are not as I have planned. I go to the gym but not as often as I do since I have to attend to a lot of things at home and outside the home. Mid-December up to today, I've been to the gym thrice only. I also cannot seem to manage my food intake. I am making the merry month of December an excuse to eat. I still don't eat much rice, a few times I do, but I have to admit I eat so much sweets and carbohydrates.

Having said all these, I am still bent on achieving the elusive 112 lbs. I will never surrender, haha. All I need is DISCIPLINE which I was able to do two years ago which I intend to do again at the start of 2012. I will forgive myself this last week of December from having cakes and loads of pasta but 2012, I will be strict again with my diet.

Yesterday I was the gym and did my own core exercises. It was intense! I am actually having sore muscles today. I incorporated new core exercises which proved to be effective. I did the first exercise featured in this video. It was not easy, it took some effort but I can feel my ab muscles contract.


I can't wait to go back to my normal gym schedule which is like four to five times a week. In the mean time, let me do my best in my workouts even at home.

Prologue: The 28 Day Challenge

What exactly is this about?

It's my 28-Day Challenge of no rice, no sweets (cake, chocolates, for example), no chips. I will do a low-carb diet again. Why? The obvious answer is I gained a few pounds. I am now 124.4 lbs, still in my ideal weight but I am focused on maintaining 112 lbs to 115 lbs. My fat mass is 1.2% over my ideal fat mass of 27%. I am focused on going back to my 23% - 24% level. These are non-negotiable now.

Am I crazy and unrealistic that I will do this challenge on the month of December? Maybe. But portion control and balanced diet do not need to be month-specific. I CAN DO THIS. It's not like I will not eat nor will I starve myself. I never did that when I was still losing weight, how much more now that I am in maintenance mode.

And so starting tomorrow I will plan what I eat and will chronicle my progress both in my diet and in my exercises. I have been loyal to my exercises but it's the diet again that I oftentimes slip. Again, DISCIPLINE.

This is one of the major things I will focus on the last month of 2011. I CAN DO THIS. WILL POWER. DISCIPLINE. EYE ON THE GOAL. So help me, God.

Zumba

I heard of Zumba months ago (but reading about it, it actually started early 2000). It was (and I guess still is) popular among people who love to exercise through dancing. I was not to keen on this one. I don't know. I did join retro dancing group in my gym when I was just starting with my workout at the gym. I was heavy then at 165 pounds thereabouts. I cannot do much exercises back then. Or maybe more like I do not want to. I was a gym newbie.

So anyway when I finally decided that I need and want to lose weight I am going to be strict with my diet and will try different workouts my body just need to lose fat and develop muscles. It worked for me. I explored weights and high intensity cardiovascular exercises like body pump an body combat. I enjoyed them immensely.

When I got leaner and leaner I became more daring with my exercises. I had the courage to do increase weights. I checked the internet for more workouts which can steadily tone my muscles.

In other words I forgot all about dancing. That's not anymore what my body needs. I may sound mean but when I take a look at Latin dancing group exercise now as well as retro, I see heavier women as well as older people. Wait, I do not discriminate. I was just thinking I have passed that stage in my gym life. I need more resistance training, more toning exercises.

As in any other new "in" thing, a lot of people were talking about Zumba when the world discovered it. As I have said, I was not interested. I need muscles. And I don't think I can get it from dancing.

BUT I have to admit though that I was curious to try it when my gym finally (as in after 48 years) launched it two weeks ago. I want to try and see how it will fit me.

I had a chance to try Zumba yesterday afternoon. The room was full to the brim! At the start I was telling myself "oh no, this is not for me". It started slow plus I was thinking the instructor was not that good.

I was wrong! Totally. The mood picked up a few minutes, maybe 10 minutes, after it started. I love it! I love Zumba not just because it's a good cardiovascular exercise but because I FEEL SEXY DOING THE DANCE MOVES. What can beat that? Know what? This particular dance is great to do with friends along. It's fun! I had fun. I know I will join Zumba class again, and again. My gym shirt was soaking with sweat like I dipped it in a bucket of water. It was great that I thought of taking with me another shirt.

Oh well, my curiosity paid off. Joining Zumba is one good experience in my gym life. :)

I'm excited to note that there are several kinds of Zumba offered to cater to a participant's needs and wants. I explored their website and learned that there are Zumba Gold, Zumba Toning, Aqua Zumba, Zumba in the Cirtuit, etc. There's even Zumba for kids - Zumbatomic. I wish Zumba Toning and Zumba in the Circuit will be offered in my gym. I have to ask that.

In the meantime I will be enjoying Zumba at least twice a week.

Here's one example of Zumba dance steps. I love the energy!

Do Not Overdo It

I forgot exactly when but it was sometime a week ago when I did join three intensive group exercises, one resistance training and two high-powered cardiovascular workouts. One back to back and the other one I had to wait for a few hours before the class started.

I did body pump back to back with body combat. After an hour and a half I joined RPM. I was exhilarated. I loved it!

The next few days I also stretched myself to doing two group exercises. I did body balance on one of those days to stretch my sore muscles.

But I got sick. Well not sick as in I had fever or I needed to just stay on bed. But I developed a terrible cold. It was not like how it was a week ago but I still have cold up to now.

I HAVE LEARNED THE OBVIOUS.
1. Do not overdo your exercises.
2. Change shirt and undergarment for every workout to keep the sweat off your back. My mom told me about this when I was little and even up to now. Why don't I listen.
3. Do rest if your body tells you so and even if it doesn't tell you so. There is such a thing as recovery time.
4. Do not push yourself hard in just one day. Manage your workouts such that in a week all your muscle groups have their fair share of exercises.

I did weights, RPM and core exercises yesterday. I started changing top before going to my next workout. Of course, I feel fresher and more ready to kick, box, jump. Sanitary too. Haha.

I am still not 100% free from cold, in fact I'm coughing a little today, but with enough rest, right food and drink, I'll be good before this short holiday ends.

Strengthening My Core

"Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken." That was by Warren Buffet.

I have to relate that to how I eat the past weeks. I have not been eating mindfully. Let me rephrase that. I have been eating mindfully but always telling myself I will start the no-chips, less-carbo diet tomorrow. That is not good. Let me put discipline before I get startled with my weight. So far I'm still good. BMI is within range. Fat mass had gone down to almost 2 lbs. But lapses in eating junk foods are not good. Once in a while, sure, but it's getting more frequent.

I was asked by one of the trainers at my gym to try their core exercises. I think it's one of the requirements there to ask a client to try their exercise for the day. I obliged since this is for free and I can very well use this. It didn't take long.

I now have new exercises to do to strengthen my core. There's one exercise I found really hard to do and that is the side plank with leg lift. Boy, it was hard for me.


I have also checked youtube.com for more core exercises.


This should be easier for me.



It's a rainy Saturday morning. We will just staying home today. I'll discipline myself with so much eating the bad foods. I will do some of these core exercises for an hour.

Happy weekend!

DISCIPLINE

This will be short and sweet.

DISCIPLINE.

That was the foundation of my success story in managing my weight. I maintained my 117 lb weight for a year now. But I have to say I need 'DISCIPLINE' again to reach my 112 lb goal which I adjusted from end of September to middle of October 2011.

DISCIPLINE.

One way is to plan our meals. And that's what I'm going to do now. So help me, God, plan a healthy menu for me and my family and stick to it.

Spinning

Finally, I had my first try at spinning yesterday. It came off like a sudden decision. I have been meaning to - in fact, I often check the RPM schedule and see if my time at the gym can accommodate it. But I always postpone.

Yesterday was a different story. I just thought about it while doing my pre-work out stretching. Just do it now. And I did! And I am so glad I finally joined the RPM class. Like what I have said in my Facebook status, after three years at the gym, I finally tried cycling. A little pathetic, don't you think? Haha.

Yes, it was not as hard as I thought it would be. I just had a minor blooper when I suddenly sat down without slowing down from biking on a standing position. It hurt a bit on the butt.

Overall I enjoyed spinning. Maybe it's new to me and maybe because it felt really good sweating it all out. It was my second day this morning joining the class. I can say that I put more effort this day and I already used the knob which controls the resistance.

I searched the web for more spinning tips. I am interested if I'm doing it right, the way I sit and stand and the way I set the cycling equipment.

Let me share a few things which will be helpful for beginners like me. From Indoor Cycling, Wikipedia:

The seat position must be right for the participant's height. The height of the seat should be in level with the hip when the participant is standing next to the cycle.

Horizontally the seat should be set in order for the front of the knee to be directly in vertical line with the ball of the foot when the pedal is pointing forward.[6] This results in a position where the knee is slightly bent at an angle between 25% and 35% when the leg is extended with the foot resting flat at the bottom of the pedal stroke.

Handlebar height can be adjusted for comfort; less experienced riders may want to set them higher to ease lower back discomfort. A reasonable reference point is to set it in level with the seat.

Warm up before spinning is very important too. And don't forget to bring your bottle of water and a good sweat absorbing towel. I look forward to my spinning classes. :)

Effort!

The title of this post was supposed to be Effort and Discipline but thinking about it, it takes real effort to be disciplined. I stayed with Effort with an exclamation point as it really takes great effort on my part to maintain my physical fitness activities.

One of my team members asked me one time how do I manage to maintain my weight. I said it's actually a combination of moderate eating the right foods and regular exercise. I mentioned I go to the gym several times a week either before work or after office hours. She blurted, "wow, ma'am, effort!"

Yes, it is!

I have to wake prepare everything at night - my gym bag which contain my towel, toiletries, and shoes. I prepare what I will wear for the gym as well as what I will wear at the office. I also prepare what I will be eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I also need to master how to manage my time at the gym without sacrificing the quality of my workout. I need to leave at a certain time so I will be at the office on time.

I also take time to research and read different kinds of workouts which I can apply to my set exercises. This is to improve further my workouts as well as avoid boredom in my routine exercises.

In terms of my food intake, I need to be constantly disciplined in eating properly. I do slip from time to time but I bounce back immediately. I also research about how I can make my food more exciting such that my family will also share them with me. :)

I am happy to note that from my last weigh a week ago, my fat mass is decreasing and my BMI is at the lower end of the ideal range. I really thought I gained fat since I have been loading a lot of bad carbohydrates the past weeks. I want to believe the regular exercise makes my metabolism faster and that I burn calories even after my workout.

Exercising and eating in moderation are really a part of my lifestyle. I am very happy with that. I am moving to Project Daddy Fitness. I need a lot of effort on this. But we can make it. :)

A Token of Appreciation

I received a letter/notification from my gym, Fitness First, a month or so ago I think. It's actually informing its valued members such as moi that "there will be an approximate 5% annual increase in the monthly dues of those who have completed the minimum contract period."

And to cushion the impact of this increase to members, they mentioned ongoing improvement in equipment and renovations for some of the clubs. Also there is a token of appreciation presenting three choices but only one of the services can be availed.


I have been wanting to try this since I received their note but it slipped my mind and I thought the due date has passed. Lucky me, I checked the date this afternoon as I was organizing my files. The services are valid until the end of this month.

I'm torn between trying the one-time TRX (suspension) session for free or the free nutrition assessment. I am letting go of the free 30-minutes spa treatment.

I'll be honest here. Since this is free, I am not sure how the assessment will go. It may not be as thorough as I want it to be. And I really want to try the TRX. If I get to like it, I just might enroll in it.

I just might try the TRX. I can't wait to get back to the gym next week. I have been to the gym this week for 3 days only I think. Blame the weather and nature's cycle, lol.

Last time I weighed in within this week, I have retained my weight, below 120 lbs and my fat mass decreased by 1% versus a week or so ago. Can't wait to do weights this coming week.

Oh by the way, one thing Fitness First can do, at least the club where I go to most of the time is bring back the hair dryers they pulled out. There are only two left which at least 8 women share at any given time as I have observed. This is quite annoying especially in the early morning when most of us using the gym are rushing to work after our workout and after we freshen up and we need the hair dryer for obvious reasons. The 5% increase in the monthly dues can cover for the extra hair dryers. No, this is not a shallow demand. It's part of the service the gym should provide.

112 lbs

That would be my magic number.

That's the weight I am willing to maintain.

And that would be by the middle of August 2011, countdown to 112 lbs starts tomorrow, June 13, 2011.

And so I need to continue my low carb, more protein diet. No cheating.

Less 1 lb a week, maximum of 2 lbs if I want to make it faster to my goal.

I've the ideal weight now but my new goal is to look more lean and more toned - arms are on the way and so are the thighs, my midsection needs maintenance.

Focus, visualize, work on it, be disciplined, achieve it.

Basic Abdominal Crunch

I weighed in a week or so ago and I was really happy about the results. I have maintained my statistics in the healthy range for my body type and weight but I have my personal goal that I want to maintain and sustain.

It was great to know I'm holding ground - body fat at 24%, body mass index at 22.4. This is great news for me. :) The more I am motivated to work out regularly and properly in spite of the busy work load - both at the office and at home.

The past weeks I have been browsing again on toning muscles and keeping belly fat off. I've watched a YouTube video showing basic abdominal crunches which really prove effective. I see a lot of men at the gym do this but I was thinking it might not be as effective as the reverse crunch I have been doing time and again.

But I did try the basic abdominal crunch. Weird, huh. I've been going to the gym and doing exercises for nearly three years now but I have not really tried nor paid attention to crunches. What I can tell you now is that I love it! My abdominals feel so tight and strong after every session of mat exercises especially after about 40 repetitions in 3 sets of abdominal crunches. My mid-section feels sore actually after.

I will do variations of crunches in the coming days. Now I'm doing it with feet flat on the floor, legs bent. I will try doing legs up, about 45 degree angle and about 5 to six inches from the floor.

Here's to more productive workouts!

*Picture from Getty Images.

I Have Maintained the Ideal Weight for My Body Type But...

...I don't think I have been eating properly the past days. It's actually a roller coaster ride, my diet. One day I eat everything healthy, the next I eat a lot of junk.

Why is my weight steady at 117 lbs? It's because I burn what I eat. I do weights, cardio and mat exercises. I still manage to go to the gym regularly, thanks to the flexible working hours I have now at the office. But it's not all about keeping myself trim and slim. I also want to stay fit and healthy.

So tonight I resolve to eat more healthy foods. NO CHIPS AT ALL. CAKE WILL ONLY BE A SLICE A MONTH. I can't do away with cakes. MORE PROTEIN AGAIN, FRUITS, VEGETABLES. I will stick to whole wheat no matter what.

My goal now is to eat healthy foods and look ripped. Not the ripped-competition-look but just the right amount of muscles at the right places. I am happy to note that my arms has no flabs anymore. :) I have been receiving commendations about how firm my arms look. I actually want them to have more muscles, more toned in other words. I am working on it. I just love that look. My husband doesn't but I do.

I have a 62-year-old client in one of my projects at the office and she is just so fabulously fit. She goes to her health club six times a week and is very disciplined with what she eats. Half a cup of brown rice, lean meat, fish, vegetables and fruits. That's what she always eat. At 62, she's got a perfect body, she's so young looking, she's so active and that is because she conscientiously takes care of her body.

I like that. Make that, I LOVE THAT!

So tomorrow, healthier foods will take over my diet like how it was when I started getting fit. And so it will be also with my family. It started tonight actually for them. My daughter finally had her brown rice without mixing it with white rice. :) And she ate oatmeal cookies...with chocolate fudge but that's a good start. :)

Morning Gym Session

My dilemma again is whether to work out in the morning before I proceed to work or in the evening after office.

At times I find it hard to wake up at 5AM just so I can leave the house at 5:45 AM and be at the gym at a little past 6 AM. I want to work out for 2 hours actually but if I get to the gym at 7 AM, I just have an hour and a half because I need to be at the office at least by 9:30 AM. I don't want to hurry myself in doing my exercises.

The upside also of going to the gym early in the morning is that it's practically deserted. :)

Now if I don't get to work out in the morning, I have no choice but to go to the evening session. But this has more downside. After a day's work, I want to go home already and be with my daughter. The gym is so full! But it's also a great way to sort of end the day after a stressful day at work. I mean while at work I look forward to de-stress at the gym.

But then, the morning work out at the gym won again. It's great to start the day all pumped up and end the day going home to my family. :)

Weight Training

There's an article featured in Yahoo's front page about working out backwards. I always read interesting write-ups about exercises as I want to be updated about the latest news or research on better way of doing exercises. But this surprised me a bit.

It says an athlete all this time thought it should be cardio first as a warm-up and then weights. Read Warm Up with Cardio, Then Go to Weights, Right? Wrong.

The trainer I had when I was starting my gym exercises have always instructed me to do cooling down with cardiovascular exercises. This is also what I have observed most people in the gym do. And this is also what I have been mostly reading.

There are also articles I have read that it does not matter what one does first or last and mostly, this is up to one's goals. "Should I Do Cardio Before Weight Lifting - Does Exercise Order Matter?", it says here if the goal is increasing muscle size and strength, lifting weights should be first.

Lately I have limited time in the gym because of my work load. I used to be spending like two hours and a half (including stretching and freshening up) in the gym. But now I can do maximum of an hour and a half.

How do I manage now? I choose to do weights if there is a need to cut down on exercise time. And reading the article I noted here, "Warm Up with Cardio...", if there is an issue on time constraint, choose weights...

And if you only have 30 minutes total, go for weights instead of cardio. That sounds counterintuitive, since we feel sweating is "proof" we're losing fat. But you will lose a lot more fat by pushing and pulling weights and then going on a brisk walk in your neighborhood (or even at the mall). The guy or gal who is dripping buckets on the Stairmaster is getting a good workout, but you're likely getting a better one by getting sore and not getting soaked.

This is true for me. Yes, I noticed muscles developed faster in my upper limbs when I started focusing on weight training - both free weights and weights using machines. I looked leaner and muscles are showing on my triceps. I intend to look ripped and lean. I know there should be a special diet for this but I intend to achieve this look. See I said it twice.

I have been challenging myself to increase weight load every three weeks and do different weight training exercises. And now is the time to start on a diet that will help me look lean and ripped. There, I said it for the third time.

I Am Not On A Diet Anymore

Almost always when I join friends and family for an eat-out they tell me to skip my diet and eat to my heart's content. This was the same thing I heard when I was with my clan during our most recent get-together.

I realized "hey I am not anymore on a diet'.

Truth is I cannot consume a cup of rice in one sitting anymore. I cannot eat more than two slices of bread, even if it's wheat. My stomach, and my mind, have adjusted to my regulated food intake which I started last year.

This is already my lifestyle.

Sure I still have cravings. As a matter of fact I let myself eat chips and cakes the past months. The more I deprive myself, the stronger my craving. So I started taking small dips of chips and cake until the cravings naturally faded away. I don't think of chips anymore. Cakes, not as much.

We need additional 3,500 calories to add a pound so I am safe even if I often consumed a lot of cakes the past weeks. But for health reasons, aside from keeping fit, I am into fruits again. I burn what I eat.

What is the lifestyle I am talking about now when it comes to food? Let me share what I eat 90% of the week - vegetables, fruits, oats, baked cookies, wheat bread, pasta (wheat noodles except when it's eat out), egg, and the like.

Self-portrait

This week's photohunt is all about self-portrait. Thinking about my entry, I am tempted to change the theme to Please Indulge Me for a Moment.

As this blog chronicles my weight and fitness program for myself, I am unabashedly posting my pictures when I was still size 16-18 and now that I am size 6. As recorded in this blog, I started going to the gym on 2008 but it was only at the start of 2010 that I seriously took steps in managing my weight. I did it naturally - through regular exercise and a very disciplined diet.

As I have related in my Fitness Story, I have been slim all my life until the late 90s when motherhood and work took over my whole being. I did not think of anything else for more than a decade but work and family. But I was really motivated to live a healthier lifestyle. I want to see results with the time and money I spend on my gym sessions. There is no point in enrolling in a gym if there will be no significant change in me physically as well as emotionally, psychologically, whatever -ally.

All the people who know me from work, from our neighborhood, from church and from everywhere else are surprised with my transformation that they always ask why I decided to lose weight and how did I do it.

I managed my weight for health reasons as I am not getting any younger. I want to take care of myself. I want to be a good example to my family in healthy living. And yes, vanity. I will not apologize for that as I have mentioned several posts back. I want to look good. I want to wear the clothes I want to wear. I take pride with how I was able to discipline myself for 10 months, from January 2010 to September-October 2010, from 165 to 115-117 pounds.

Now the challenge really is maintaining what I have already achieved. I still continue with my regular exercise. I have leveled up to the weights and number of reps I do. I also read about exercises I can apply the latest of which I posted a few days back, No Pain, No Gain.

Do I still want to be a size 5 or 4? Yes, but that will be a bonus. I am also realistic that at my age and of course, genetics, I am not sure if I can still be at size 4. Size 5 maybe. What I am working on now is to look really lean and ripped.

I am enjoying the results of my weight management for almost a year. This is already a lifestyle for me. I am happy that I have discovered the joys of exercises and eating the right kind of food in moderation.

Please indulge me for a moment.

No Pain, No Gain

This is the first time after a long time that it feels like my limbs are being dismembered after a tough workout. I included a lot of different moves today in my exercise.

*I used medicine ball for a longer time for standing reverse wood chop, also for balancing seated twist. Instead of kettlebell (which my gym does not have), I used medicine ball for some swing moves for my arms.

*I did side plank.

*I followed instructions 2, 4, and 5 (not 7 as I mistakenly posted in my Facebook status), Six Moves to Six-Pack Abs.

All these on top of my usual strength training exercises. It feels good but I fell asleep as soon as I got home. Until now I still feel so stretched, lol.

Here are the exercises I tried to do from the article I mentioned above. The pictures were also lifted from that instructional.


This is the Helicopter Honer". Looking at the weights the model is holding, I think they are only a kilo each. I used 3 kilos for each hand. I might have overdid it? But it was a recharging move. I will definitely include this in my routine for the next couple of weeks.


"The Swimmer", I have been doing this for quite some time now without the ball. I squat and extend my arms back and forth.


So far this I find a little hard because I cannot keep still resting one foot/leg on top of the ball. I know I'll get used to it and I'll be able to find the perfect balance. But compared to the first time I tried this, I did better today. I was able to do full circles for both legs.

Till my next ordeal, haha. :) Will hit the sack now as I have a very important meeting tomorrow. Good night and happy valentine's!

Weight Watching Progress So Far

It's been 3 weeks from my last post when I said I am going back to my diet so I'll go back to my below 120 lb weight, specifically at 117 lbs, with the goal of reaching 112 lbs by the end of February 2011.

What happened?

My weight went down on the last week of January by 1 lb. But my fat mass and BMI went up. Not good. Not good at all.

I did not weigh in on the first week of February because I didn't want to be disappointed. I was managing my food intake, yes, but I know I am still eating chips which do not contribute to managing my calorie intake.

But I weighed in mid-week this week so that I know where I am already, how I am doing with my weight management. I was so surprised because I gained weight by 2.6 lbs! I have been managing what I eat and have been going to the gym regularly again. Hmmm.....

But looking at my fat mass, fat % and FFM (Fat Free Mass), they all went down by 1.8 lbs, 2.1% and 4.4 lbs. This clearly means the weight gain I had is not fat but muscles. I am a happier person because of this. :)

Okay, I am not resting on my laurels, lol. I still want to reach 112 lbs but I don't think that is possible now this February. Let me adjust my goal to at least go back to 117 lbs by the end of February 2011. Yes, I have to put in the year. I'm OC like that.

Let me just remind myself that I have to be within the healthy range of my BMI, Fat Percentage/Fat Mass. Right now I am in the mid-range for both but I want them to be in the lower end of the healthy range for my age/height/weight.

I'll be jotting down again my food intake starting tomorrow. I'll be having more of fruits, oats, wheat pasta. I WILL NEVER TOUCH CHIPS AND CHOCOLATE CAKE IN THE MEANTIME.

What is it that I said before 2010 ended? I WILL DO AWAY WITH THINGS THAT DO NOT ADD VALUE TO MY LIFE AND TO MY FAMILY'S AND THAT'S A PACT WITH MYSELF.

I am expecting to be at least 117 lbs again by the end of this month. Discipline, discipline. Eye on the prize. Another thing, I need to tone my mid-section again.

I can do this. :) So help me, God.

Going Back to My Diet

Nope, I did not gain much weight, well 4 lbs. That's a lot, who am I kidding?

From 117 lbs to 121 lbs. But it's good to note my body mass index is still in the ideal range. In fact it's in the lower end of the ideal range. So is my body fat. Maybe that's why no one notices I gained weight and my clothes and jeans are still medium size. My jeans and skirt still fit very well as if I did not earn 4 effin pounds. Only when I weighed in did I realize I gained weight.

But I will not wait for the time that I will be surprised my BMI and body fat are again on the high side.

I have not been too conscious of my food intake since December 31. It's been more than three weeks that I have chips and been eating a lot of carbohydrates and not much fiber or protein.

Yes, tonight I indulged in stir fry beef, a cup of white rice. And not to forget I had creamy tomato pasta from KFC for my lunch.

Yesterday I had half a cup of rice with pork binagoongan. Last Monday I had half of Yoshi's Burger and a 1/4 plate of creamy ebiko pasta.

Last Sunday I had pancakes with lots of butter and maple syrup.

The list goes on. Not to mention I am having chips almost everyday.

This started when I told myself I will let go of my diet on the first week of January when we are consuming left-over foods from New Year's Eve. But the one week dragged to the 3rd week.

There were so many events I needed to attend to since the 1st half of December until last week. There were a lot of meetings and planning and business reviews and malling which involves a lot of eating. And I say this won't stop.

And before I let go of the discipline I already earned for the whole year of 2010, I have to stop myself and watch my food intake again.

I have never starved myself but I will not go back to how it was for nearly a decade when I didn't mind what I eat and what goes inside my body. I was successful in healthy living and managing my weight, I will keep it that way.

So tomorrow, the diet starts again.

I need to put back the discipline to myself.

I will say no even to eat-outs at the office. I will say no to my craving for chips. I will say no to my craving for chocolate cakes. I will take a few bites when I dine out with the family.

Back to how it was in 2010 - more fiber, more vegetables and fruits. Back to rigid workout until I reach 112 lbs. This is my desired weight. I'm 121 lbs now. 9 lbs to lose. Targeting whole of February to shed off the unwanted pounds.

And I'm back on blogging here in my fitness site. I will monitor my progress. :)