Mga Pahina

Thursday, March 12, 2015

THE DESSERT GIRL INSIDE OF ME


I love sugary packaged snacks, drinks and pastries. This was the reason why my friends call me the ‘Dessert Girl’. I must say that my love for sugar and poor diet took a toll in my body that I gained as much as 198 lbs. at 5’ feet and 2” inches tall. I could vividly remember how every day was a constant battle to look at the mirror because all I could see is the width of my hips, bloated face and chunky arms. 




It was in November 2007 that I decided to make a 360 degrees turn to become healthy and lose weight for good. There are two events in my life that motivated me: One, the realization that I was forced to buy my clothes in the “Plus” size and “maternity” section of department stores, and two, the death of my father, of which become my ultimate wake-up call. 


Standing 5’ feet and 2” inches tall and probably a size 12, I am often mistaken as pregnant, I can recall how I was asked if I was pregnant when I wasn’t.  Don’t get me wrong being pregnant is beautiful but false pregnancy identification is the lowest form of female torture. Every time I would be mistaken as pregnant, I would laugh it off and try very hard not to be offended because I want to get the message across that I am comfortable with my body.  To make matters worse, there would always be weird set of reactions like “I’m sorry Ma’am, I thought you were” and a suggestion that is equally offending “Ma’am you could try in the plus-size section”. Though I am used to it, the fat girl inside of me wasn’t. My self-esteem was so low that I wanted to lose weight immediately so I starved myself and tried every fad diet. Well, it actually paid off. I was able to shed few pounds but also gained it exponentially. 




Perhaps, the turning point of my life was the death of my father. It became my wake-up call to take a look on my overall well-being and start switching to healthy lifestyle. He was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus type 2. It was an acquired disease due to obesity, sedentary lifestyle and poor diet that include too much consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks, sugary packed snacks, saturated fats and trans-fatty acids. My father’s death was my ‘ultimate’ wake-up call. I was thinking that my father could have lived longer if his diabetes was prevented. 

Because I have large amount of weight to lose, my journey to being healthy was not easy. I have this love and hate relationship with fitness and to being healthy. Every now and then the fat girl inside me whispers in my ear to just give up; that it is easier to slacked off, be lazy and eat.  It takes large amount of patience, determination and discipline to be able to loose and keep the weight off. Really!



There are numerous advices and tips about fitness and losing weight. I have to admit that it is quite confusing to have many guidelines. It is like hearing a lot of voices in your head and at the end of the day it wears you out. So I decided to trim down into six points that are easy, sensible and manageable. Here are my six golden rules that help me to lose weight and maintained that loss for years. 

1.     CHANGE OF MIND AND OF HEART- This is not something I can easily put into words but the most important factors that influence weight loss are your mind and heart. You should put your mind and heart into it. There would be lots of changes and challenges in losing weight and to be able to do and survive those you need the right attitude and motivation in order to make it effective and lasting. Bottom-line; to change your weight there should also be a change of mindset and of heart. 



2.       TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME- I took it slow and steady. I realize that the slower I lose weight the better I am in keeping it off.  I tried to get used to the changes and major lifestyle adjustment such as cutting sugar consumption because I wanted to switch to healthy lifestyle.  The key here is it doesn’t matter how slow you go as long as you keep on going. The major changes will soon be your lifestyle and chances are you will be able to keep the weight off in a long-term. So don’t rush. Take one day at a time. 



3.       KEEP A JOURNAL- this is very helpful to me because I was able to figure out what food I am taking on a daily basis and the calories that each item I ate is worth. The act of writing it down helps to raise awareness about the food I am eating and my lifestyle. For instance, when I am skipping breakfast, I tend to eat a lot and crave for sugar packed snacks. But when I have good breakfast, I keep the hunger pangs at bay. Also, when I am stress, I tend to eat a lot of junk food.  Writing down helps me to figure out solutions to these problems and how to cope up with stress eating. Keeping a journal also help me to understand portion sizes that encourage me to eat mindfully and to stay on track.   



4.       EAT HEALTHY- When I decided to lose weight, I knew changing my eating habits was the most important at the start of my journey. I cut the sugar packed cookies, pastries and sodas. I started eating a healthy and balanced diet. I put color in my plate by adding greens, oranges and reds. I learn to love eating fruits and vegetables. 



5.       TRAIN DIRTY- My mantra is to train dirty! Sometimes I envision myself like I’ve been picked for the hunger games! Seriously, find the exercise that you love and you will never have to drag yourself to commit on it. Every Thursday and Friday night, I slipped on my running shoes and run few kilometers and on weekends I do swimming and hip-hop dancing. I do these things because I love ‘desserts’- I’m kind of sweating it out.  And also, if you still look cute and pretty after exercising then you are not getting the benefits of exercise. As an old saying goes, ‘You should look like a pig to be able to look like a fox’. 


6.       REWARD YOURSELF- A piece of cake will do after all we are perishable item and we should enjoy life’s simple pleasure.




Wednesday, March 4, 2015

THROWBACK THURSDAY: WHAT I WOULD TELL MY 20 YEAR OLD SELF



I am fond of sharing and posting old photos of myself via social networking sites and image-sharing communities such as Instagram. This activity known as “Throwback Thursday” or hashtag “tbt” allows me to relive the events in my life that were worth living over several times.  

Synonymous with the Throwback Thursday originator Matt Halfhill of NiceKicks explaining what Throwback Thursday means; “It is allowing yourself to take a break from the news and have a moment to celebrate what happened in the past. We human beings become products of our past experiences — just the same as shoes.” I have to say I share the same opinion.

My Throwback Thursday photos consist of my 20 year old self. Looking at it makes me realize that I am fortunate enough that I don’t have many regrets in my life. I appreciate that who I am today is the product of the mistakes and lessons learned over the past years. But, if I were to have a frank tête-à-tête with my 20 year old self, there are few key pieces of advice I would drive home. In fact, there are many pearls of wisdom that I continue to tell myself up to this day! 



1. Don’t let anyone walk through your mind with their dirty feet.
People will not always understand or agree with the choices you make in your life. People will criticize you. People will tear you down. People will laugh at you. People will undermine you. Don’t let them! Believe in yourself and prove them wrong. Be that brave soul and never allow a life of many regrets.



2. Don’t Stop Learning
Once you stop learning, you start dying says Albert Einstein. I think that we should not stop learning because life goes on and on; teaching us different things and different perspective. Writing and reading daily, taking up activities that mentally push you will widen your horizon. Sharpening your mind gets harder as you get older and have less time due to other commitments.


3. Don’t Be Driven by Currency Signs
Money should not define you. It should not determine your value or self-worth, and it should not define success. Through the years, I have reminded myself that money is a tool. It is a means to an end. It is a way of sustaining life and obtaining goods. Nothing more. What I learned about life, you let your passions lead you because it will be your drive to work every day and live life to the fullest. Letting financial gain dictate your career and life decisions will lead you astray from what you really love resulting to frustration. If you have your heart as your compass, you will feel more invested in everything you do. You will have the drive to thrive which often results in lucrative outcome. So figure out a way to make a career out of your passions, interests, hobbies, and/or talents, and do it in a way that you can provide your services/goods to others while financially securing your future. Bottomline: Discover what you love. Do what you love and love what you do.


4. Don’t settle for less.
Don’t settle for lesser versions of your dreams. Don’t settle for anything less than exactly what you want. Anything less than spectacular is a waste of time. Strive for that ‘spectacular’ because it’s worth it.
5. Stay Grounded
Never forget that you have so much to absorb and to learn from the world. Stay humble and be thankful to God for every opportunity you’ve been given – because it may not come around a second time. Ditch any sense of entitlement and be eager to learn. Don’t let success get to your head or get caught up in your dreams. Keep your feet on the ground while looking to the sky. 


6.  Don’t lose yourself in love.
Don’t let any man be a validation of your self-worth and don’t make men your first priority. Instead, try to get to know yourself before you get in a serious relationship and be with someone who will hold your hand, and have your back, every step of the way and who puts God in the center of your relationship.  You deserve to be with someone who would love you for all you have been, for all that you are and for all that you are yet to be.


7. Make time to people you love
Tell your mom and dad, sisters as well as your brothers that you love them. They will be gone one day soon. Cherish each time you have with them.
All of the lessons and growth I have experienced over the years have led me to believe that I might have something of value to share with other 20 year olds out there. Hope you learn something from my 20 year old self.





Sunday, February 22, 2015

ANNE AND KATHRYN GET INTO THE WILD WITH SM ACCESSORIES














Whether you go with African inspired clothing and accessories, tribal style with ethnic influences, or military attire, the safari trend goes from the savannah to the city streets this summer. That’s because this perennial favorite is beach friendly, city slick, and works at any age.  

Join the fashion pack of Anne Curtis and Kathryn Bernardo as they get fab and fierce with SM Accessories’ Into the Wild Collection. These are jungle elegant accessories that interpret exotic materials with a refined finish.

The key is not looking like you’re on a safari, but to always add an element of surprise.  Try mixing different animal prints for a worldly traveler look, add a pop of color to classic khaki, add chunky tribal jewelry for a feminine touch, and look for luxe leopard pieces and metallics to dress up the look for night.

Get Into the Wild with SM Accessories. The collection is available at all SM Stores nationwide.