What I Am Working On Now

More on protein, veggies and fruits.

I am enjoying dancing as my cardio exercise the past weeks.  I join Zumba and Body Jam.  I am loving the moves! 

I am also working on my triceps and core - my belly specifically.  I do strength training after my cardio.  

And here's one video I just discovered from the YouTube channel of Steadyhealth.  I have started giving time again on my belly exercises and will start on these tomorrow. 

This I learned/validated after all these years at the gym:

1.  Maximum duration of exercise should be one hour and a half. More than that, muscles are wasted because cortisol are produced which eat away muscles.  - Please just browse Google if you want to know more about this. :) 

2.  It's better to take a bath right after an exercise because pores are open.  Skin are thoroughly cleansed. (I read about this before I know but I still rest a while before freshening up after a workout.)

Anyway, here's the video to flatten your belly. LET'S DO THIS! 

Doing It Right Again

Because of the erratic schedule 2 months ago, I was not able to go to the gym regularly and if I do, it was on a very limited time.

I find myself a little lazy now to attend to my gym sessions. But I know and I really do want to continue my exercise habits at the gym, I need to motivate myself. I am making new goals and sticking to them. I get so motivated whenever I have goals to pursue.

Since I gained a few pounds, I mean to shed them all off. Eating is my number one "enemy" the past months. Cakes, ice cream, white rice, butter, chocolates, cookies, processed foods.

I started today. No rice, nothing fried. Oh yes, I did eat some junk - maybe 500 g of fish crackers but that's just about it. I loaded up my food storage with fruits and that's what I am going to eat. today and onwards till I reach my goals. And then I gotta maintain this again.

Last week I weighed in and I was at 131.6 lb but my fat mass fat % was down 2 lbs, only 28% now. That's some good news. But I need not kid myself. I am slowly gaining weight. I have to go back to a healthier life style if I want to reach and maintain 112 lb through regular exercise and proper eating.

What I had today so far:

2 large bananas
500 g fish cracker
1 cup of coffee with creamer and brown sugar
1 wheat bread with 2 teaspoons of peanut butter
Fit n Rite, 2 bottles

I'm preparing some hard boiled eggs with light mayonnaise for my snack and in-between foods. Plain oats only tonight.

Yes, going cold turkey again. If was able to do this when I was 1t 175 lb, I can very well do it now that I'm 131 lb.

EYE ON THE GOAL: 112 lb, firm muscles, 20% to 22% fat mass percentage, eat the right foods, regular exercise.

In my next post here, it won't be about failed initiatives but improvement towards my goals. :)

Working it Out

So what is happening. Let me get all these out of the way. Forget about the 29-Day Challenge I have posted on December last year. I am still pounds away from my desired 112 lbs. I have been eating cakes, chips, too much carbo, cakes, chips and cakes. I gained weight. I'm still in my ideal range but at the maximum end. I don't like that.

My clothes still fit me well, no worries, and thank you, really. BUT I have developed belly fat. Before it gets obvious and before it becomes a muffin top, I have to do something drastic about it NOW. Oh yes, I have to get rid of them. I want my flat mid-section back.

EAT RIGHT. Going cold turkey again getting rid of foods which my body does not need anyway.
1. No cakes.
2. No chips.
3. No chocolates. (Sorry Magnum, I will pass until I have seen improvements in my weight.)
4. Rice at least 2x a week and that's only brown rice, half a cup at the maximum. Only for lunch.
5. Strictly back to fruits, protein, vegetables, high-fiber foods, low-fat milk - in moderation.

EXERCISE PROPERLY. I have been going to the gym regularly, no question about that. I have not really been absent for a long time. The most is 3 days straight when I have my period. I exercise 5 days a week on the average. This summer I will be spending a little less time at the gym because of a lot of work to attend to - around 3-4x a week and that is with so much effort. I will see to it though that it will not go down to 3x a week. And the exercises will be intense.

But then, yes, I will exercise even at home like I did before when I was losing weight. That was around middle of 2010. Problem solved.

1. I will find time to run, as in run in an open field and not in the treadmill.
2. Challenge myself more in my strength exercises.
3. Exercise at home diligently.
4. Find new exercises every two months that will help me tone my muscles.

I spent less time exercising on my own since the start of the year. For a change I joined group exercises. I attended Mind and Body sessions like Body Balance, Gentle Flow (which is not gentle at all) and Dynamic Flow. These are combinations of yoga, pilates, taichi and what have you. It's great for the core and I'm loving the challenge. I haven't attended these classes for a long time.

I also joined Les Mills exercises. I've been a regular participant of Body Combat and Body Pump. I took a break from my own strength and core exercises. I think this has slowed me down. It's just a theory but I was able to build more muscles and I was leaner when I was doing my own exercises. I guess it's because I am more focused with what I want to work out in my body.

I have gotten tired of doing group exercises that for like two weeks now I am doing more of weights and core exercises on my own. I can feel the real difference in the sense that I feel that the focused exercises I do give me better results. I will continue to do this as part of my effort to reach 112 lbs.

These are the latest exercises I did. Man, I thought they were easy. Not! But I am trying my best. I have to start somewhere. But tell you what, I enjoy the challenges these sets let me experience.

Single Leg Squat Reverse Fly with Ball

I had a hard time balancing my leg on the ball. But I got the trick finally. I have to slowly slide my leg until top of my foot rests on the ball. I still have to manage my balancing act with a 5-lb dumbbells my hands are holding.

Ball push-up

I was laughing at myself as I tried to kneel on the ball. Several times I almost fell. I had to stabilize the ball by letting my feet touch the wall so that I can better balance myself as I settle my thighs on top of the ball. I love this workout! My arms are having a hard time but I love the challenge.

These are just two new workouts I do. I started yesterday. Here's the link for more of the workouts I do - Drop an Entire Dress Size with This Speedy Strength Workout and Workout Moves for a Gorgeous Body.

Lastly, for all these efforts to work...DISCIPLINE. Amen.

Oh, yes, Day 1 of my vow for EATING RIGHT AND PROPER EXERCISE starts tomorrow. I already bought me frutis! I will chronicle here, yes, in my face, I have to see my progress. I want to do this so bad! Hello toned muscles!

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.

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.

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. :)

Balancing Act

It's the great Monday deluge. Traffic is humongous. Many are stranded. I'm thankful I arrived home a lot earlier than I expected.

I thought I'm going to camp out at the office. The view from the office showed bumper to bumper traffic. The cars are not moving on both sides, going north and going south. I checked again after a few minutes and thought traffic eased up. I decided to go down and head home.

My husband cannot pick me up because he was also stranded somewhere. The car was stuck in the middle of EDSA for more than an hour already. It's pointless to wait for him.

The traffic was at a standstill again when I went down. Throngs of people preferred to walk. I did not dilly-dally. I walked without grumbling. I prepared myself to walk all the way from our office to the MRT station. Just a wild guess, maybe that would be about 3.5 kilometers. I can hack that even if I was a bit exhausted already from several meetings. Good that I trusted my instincts.

I walked in my heels for more than 500 meters I believe! But see, my feet did not complain. I walked and walked until there was a lull in traffic. There was a portion where vehicles can freely pass. I boarded a passenger jeep. Luckily the stop was very near the MRT station. It was a breeze going up the stairs.

The MRT was jampacked that I did not have to hold the railing while I was standing amidst fellow passengers. I was able to balance myself! Haha.

Taking off in my station, I thought it best to just board an FX instead of a cab. For sure, the taxi bay is lined up with people wanting to go home. I was pretty sure taxis tonight were rare because they were stranded somewhere.

I was really thankful I was able to ride an FX easily. I was home after almost two hours. Most of the status in Facebook and Twitter talk about being stranded and being stuck in traffic for hours already.

Ha! I was thinking if I was not as physically fit as I am today, I might not have survived the long walk, the balancing act at the MRT, walking some more to get an FX and still having the energy to blog about this.

Thank you for my cardio exercises as well as my strength trainings. Thank you to body balance and yoga as well.

It pays to exercise. It helps build my endurance. This validates the fact that exercising regularly should be a lifestyle.

Emotional and Mental Benefits of Exercise To Me

I headed to the gym right after office. I psyched myself up since last night that I will finish my work on time today so I can leave on time. I also told myself whatever happens I will attend my gym session tonight.

And so I did. I am really happy about it. I am maximizing my time. I don't want to stay long at the gym since I need to balance my work, personal time and my mommy duties. I did the stair stepper. I joined body combat for 30 great minutes and proceeded to do weights. I feel so refreshed after an hour of working out.

There's some new task I needed to do at the office which I do not welcome. But suddenly it came to me that I should instead welcome the challenge and treat this as another great experience which will be beneficial for me. It's an added knowledge after all. Something I can use in my next career plans.

Why am I talking about that? I am just trying to correlate the sudden clarity of thought with working out.

Reaping the Benefits of Exercising and Proper Dieting

I feel so guilty not being able to attend my gym sessions for more than a week. I have been so busy and even if I have a window when I can sneak an hour or so to the gym, I choose to just go straight home, enjoy time with my daughter, rest and then sleep. It's not that I am tired but since it's really been hectic, I want to use whatever time after work with my family rather than going somewhere else.

Today I resolved to work out and I did! I feel so good! Ha! Great feeling. I missed the gym.

But you know what? Even if I have been absent from the gym for a few days, I still feel energetic. I mean I noticed I don't tire easily considering the amount of work I have. I am reaping the benefits of exercising and dieting.

Walk!

I have been really busy at work going around different locations the past days to touch base with teams from different branches. I prefer to go home than go somewhere else, even the gym, so I can rest and spend time with my daughter. I'm still adjusting to the new role I have, the work load and the new organization I am in. I'll be back to my regular gym program. Give me one more week.

I was able to finally go to the gym tonight. It was a pretty good workout. I skipped body combat and did my own exercises instead. I did my mat exercises, the stair stepper and free weights. I feel so recharged!

I was a bit worried I might have increased a pound because I have not been to the gym for three days. Add to that I have dipped into Cheez Curls and Pringles for the past two nights. Maybe you can call me paranoid.

I weighed in tonight before I started my exercise. I am very satisfied with the results! My BMI is still within the healthy range at 22. My fat mass is already at 27.2%! I am now only .2% away from my desired fat mass and 5 pounds away from my desired total weight.

Household Chores and Calories

I am in the last leg of my cooking as I post this. I am cooking our food for tomorrow! Yes, I still have the energy after a very tiring day. I usually do this so that my daughter will have lunch that is prepared from home and not cafeteria food. She can bring it in the morning as she goes to school.

One of the benefits I am experiencing from my regular exercise is the high energy level I have even after a full day. I also dropped by the gym and attended a body pump class plus a few minutes of treadmill. In the same way I do not get lazy anymore doing some household chores.

Honestly, I have never "loved" household chores as I do the past months. Number one, it makes me feel like I am literally running the house the way I like it. It makes me feel more of a mother of the house. No arguments there, that is how I feel if I do some household chores. I make quality time for lost time inside the house. I am a checklist nut too. I love writing off my to-do-list and that includes what I need and want to do inside the house.

Getting More Flexible

I was a bit tired yesterday but I still proceeded to the gym. I had second thoughts of attending Body Balance since the room seemed full already. Also, I wanted a high-impact exercise since I want to burn more calories. But I joined because I was telling myself I need to relax.

I am so glad I did. Number one, it did relax me. I love the stretching really more than anything. I love the flexibility Body Balance teaches me. I also feel good and proud of myself that I was able to do the bow pose.

I cannot do this pose when I was starting to join Dynamic Flow and Body Balance classes. I attribute my flexibility to consistent exercises and the fact that I lose weight considerably hence not much fats anymore which allows me now from moving smoothly.

I Chased the Sun

I have a lot to be thankful for today but the top three would be: 1) I was able to join my very first run - Chase the Sun, Neutrogena Run, 2) I was able to attend my church duties after, 3) Hubby and daughter were able to accompany me in my run. They served as my official photographers. :)

Yes, I did it! I am so happy. I am still waiting for the results of my running time but looking at the watch at the finish line, I guess I did almost 45 minutes for a 3km run. That's slow I know. I walked when I reached 2km, slowed down and run again when I was almost half of the 2km course. I also made two short stops to drink water. But I am so happy I finished it.

I do better in the treadmill. I can make more than 4km in 30 minutes. Maybe not as fast as your average runner but that's an achievement for me at this point when I am only starting to run. Who knew I will be running in the first place?

Curves for Women

Disclaimer: 2.9.10. This post, as obviously stated in the content, relays the author's experience as a first time visitor of Curves located at BGC, Philippines. It does not aim to recommend this business for franchising or for your personal fitness program.

I received an email last week inviting me (along with a number of bloggers majority of which are also my friends) to visit and experience the newly opened Curves, a fitness center exclusively for women. It will be held on a Saturday so I am free. Also, at this point I am very much into physical fitness that was why I immediately replied and confirmed my attendance. I was particularly interested to know if there will be something new and exciting they will offer.

I know Curves is from the U.S. but I am not familiar with the kind of service they give. I did not even know they have a branch here in our country. I was very glad I proceeded to Curves last Saturday.

Jogging

My husband and I have always wanted to jog together with our daughter. There was never a concrete plan so it did not push through. But this year I have included this as one of my goals - a physical fitness activity involving the family.

I got the commitment of my husband and daughter two weeks ago. We were supposed to jog on January 23 but it was my aunt's birthday celebration so we forewent the plan. But last Saturday, all things were set, mindset included.

I was glad to note that hubby and daughter even woke up an hour ahead of me. I was so sleepy but I decided to go for it. Half asleep, I reminded myself of one of my mantras this year - MAKING THINGS HAPPEN. I got up and prepared myself.

We were at the UP Diliman grounds at half past six in the morning. There were so many joggers. The air was so fresh and really cool. I like the smell of grass and trees and green plants in the morning.

The atmosphere was really very ideal for brisk walking, jogging or running. I can't cope with my husband and daughter when they run so they have to wait for me and just do brisk walking so I won't left behind.

Of Leg Warmer and Head Band

We finally had our first day at the fitness center this morning. My husband and I enrolled in a gym a week or so ago. We just have to manage both our schedules so we can have at least the first week to go to the gym together.

My husband goes to the gym but he stopped late last year for various reasons, time being number one. He gained a considerable amount of weight for the last six months that even tying his shoelace proved to be a frustration at times. That belly is one big block. I, on the other hand, was encouraged to go the gym when I lost some weight because of my oral rehabilitation (adult braces in other words). It seems though I am gaining back those unwanted pounds for the last months.

Using the body composition analyzer, our body mass index, fat percentage, fat mass, etcetera were measured. I will not go into details but it's enough to say that we are overweight, especially yours truly. I need to burn a lot of my body fat to attain the desired weight for my age and height.