Search for a Suitable Fitness Equipment

After my check-up with an endocrinologist yesterday, I am now in search for a fitness equipment suitable for my needs. The talk with the doctor set my direction on striving to keep myself healthy. 

When I had my first check-up with my OB-Gyne, she asked me to see an endocrinologist to work up on some clearances I need for my weight issue which has a great effect on my PCOS condition. I am not diabetic based on the random sugar testing done to me yesterday. But being morbidly obese is such a condition that I need to address if I really want to be free from PCOS and be alive ten years from now.

I asked if any medical procedure is possible to which my endocrinologist replied negatively. He said that there are ways to trim down safely without going under the knife. It is the same reason why there are reality shows like The Biggest Loser and Heavy because they want to tell the public that eating the right food, exercising with or without any fitness equipment, and having a healthy and active lifestyle are big steps to achieve a weightloss goal. 

With a BMI equivalent to 45 for an Asian, I am beyond Obese II classification. I am now weighing 267 lbs standing 5'3, I only need to take 1,600 calories daily. Now I am working on ways to divide this intake in six smalls meals from breakfast to midnight snacks. 

Now, aside from brisk walking, I better get the right fitness equipment I can put at home. Yes, I am not a gym fanatic, but I think having a fitness equipment at home can help me a lot. What do you think? So what are the possible fitness equipment I can get for home?  

Woman loses half her size!

Here's a very inspiring video of a woman who lost half her size in three years. Check the video to find out how she lost more than 280 pounds. Click the link to watch the video from Yahoo.com

Sassy Water

It may have been around for sometime now but I just stumble upon it when I watched an NBC News broadcast earlier. It is part of the Flat Belly Diet program developed by Prevention Magazine's nutrition director Cynthia Sass. It is an anti-bloating drink alternative to soda, coffee and others.


Sassy Water

2 liters water (about 8 ½ cups)
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
12 small spearmint leaves.

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and let flavors blend overnight.

Drink the entire pitcher by the end of each day.

(from www.prevention.com)

Cassava Recipes

My mother bought a kilo of rootcrops for twenty pesos ($.50). I have been thinking of making a cassava cake for a while now, or anything made from cassava. My first attempt was to make pichi-pichi. I checked on several recipes online but it was a disaster. What did I do? I grated the cassava then boil it in two cups of water, put some sugar and drops of pandan essence. The results? It is better not shown in picture!
It is close to pichi-pichi but it is not something chewable. I think that is how the lye water works in pichi-pichi. It makes the delicacy chewable. I just put some grated cheese and imagine it is pichi-pichi.

I will try again to make pichi-pichi or cassava cake next time.

Stairs for Small Spaces

We recently transfered to a small space. It measures only 36 square meters. So we needed to exhaust all efforts to maximize the space. Since I put a mezzanine as a storage area and possible sleeping area for my small nephews and niece when they visit us, I thought of putting a few flights of stairs.

Since my concern is space, I took inspiration from the images below. I was not sure what is most suitable unless the house was finished. So when it was completed, my big concern was the stairs.


I like the stairs above. But given the space left to maximize with a few flights of stairs, I settled with some of  inspirations below. But mine is four-flight stair that doubles up as shelves, similar to the last image. :-) I asked the carpenter to use scrap woods. I still need to paint the shelf. But it is now useful whenever we need to get something from the mezzanine area.

Homedecorgallery.net

WebUrbanist

TreeHugger

YurtInfo

Plates on the Wall

In a few days, we will be transferring to a new place. On its third week, the renovation of the new place will soon be completed. It is not that big so the works to be done were easy. As of this date, the kitchen and bathroom are 90% complete. I just asked the men to add another layer of wall tiles in the bathroom and to the counter top and cooking area. They are also working now in the middle part of the house which will be divided in three sections - bedroom, living room and dining room.

Since I am thinking to have all walls painted in white, I am also thinking how to safely mix colors. The bathroom is in mild blue shade. The kitchen is in white and terra cotta shade. For the main part of the house, I have the lightest blue and white for the floor tiles.

Speaking of colors, I put out all our colorful plates. I intend to hang on the kitchen and dining area walls. I also want to put a shelf above the counter top where I can put some of the plates. I am thinking of white exterior and colored interior or background for the shelf. This will also be applied to the kitchen cabinets. (I hope by Saturday I can show them here when I visit the place to check on the progress.)

I looked for some inspiration on how I can put the plates on the wall. Gladly i stumbled upon these sites and pictures.

Dealing with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

I have been depressed for a few months now. I feel that things are not falling into places. This is not me. I am the last person to get depressed. I am a person who do not give a damn to anything that comes on my way since I believe there is a reason for everything.

But, lately, I noticed that my mood changes in a snap. I easily get irritated and I am trying my best not to get affected by what is happening around me so I will not feel the stress.

This has a reason. And it is hormonal.

I started bleeding two months ago. But that was only spot bleeding that a daily panty shields can hold. But on the second month, the flow got heavy. So right after the bleeding stopped, I visited my doctor who asked me to have a transvaginal ultrasound. (TVU). The ultrasound results showed that I have polyps in my two ovaries - more than ten but not more than 1cm big. She referred me to an OB-Gyne. So the verdict? Visit an endocrinologist for a possible thyroid concern since I gained almost 90 lbs for a few months only. Then take Metformin and low-dosage birth pills.

I am not used to taking pills or medicines... But since I am getting old, do I have a choice?

I need to stick with Metformin for two weeks and start with the pills once my period starts soon. 

Just for the sake to have a baby, To be healthy, I will do it all.

Tiles for Bathroom and Kitchen

Since a house needs to be a home to make it a better dwelling place. I am searching online for different design inspirations. One part of the house I want to focus on is the kitchen. I am thinking to use tiles for floor and walls in the kitchen. But until now I am not sure about the colors and the size. These are some of the design inspiration for the kitchen.

Starting Weight: 251lbs

I am trying to revive this space for another and another round of attempt of losing weight. Since I have not feeling well for the past weeks due to abnormal bleeding that I have been experiencing, I went to see my doctor earlier. I was supposed to drop by her clinic last Friday but I felt too dizzy to move. In fact, I just stayed on bed the whole morning then tried to go to Manila Book Fair early in the afternoon. But I was not able to enjoy the exhibit because I just sat in one place while waiting for my sister to pick me up because I felt too dizzy. 

Come Saturday, my head was too heavy. I was teary-eyed and had a terrible headache. I again popped two advil caplets after every six hours. I had my enzyme water. That at least made me to sleep. My migraine attacks lately are unexplainable. As unexplainable as the bleeding that has been happening to me. 



Anyway, I was trying to work from home whenever I feel I can but had to go back to bed when I feel uneasy again. Thank you to Internet and this is made possible. 

Going back to the clinic, I went there at aroung 3pm when I felt a little better. I had to wait until almost 7pm to talk with my doctor. She had to perform two surgeries so I had to wait. After sharing with her what has been happening to me, she asked me to come back for transvaginal ultrasound and bone screening on Thursday. Tomorrow, I have to submit myself to blood testing. I asked for an emergency leave from work to have a full rest.


This is so untimely since we have so much to do at work. But I cannot compromise my health now. I did it in te past and it almost cost my life and I will not do it again this  time. 


When I started this blog, I was clueless on my weight. Well, I had the chance to weigh myself earlier. My weight? 251lbs. OMG!!!! This is my biggest weight ever!!! 

10-minute Cardio Exercise at Home

Fact. Exercise really helps to shake up those sleeping fats in all sections of our body. But not all individuals have the luxury of time every day to go to the gym to dedicate to workouts. So there are different tips to keep the body active such as walking, swimming, jogging, and the likes. Another thins is a few-minute cardio exercise right inside the comfort of your room or home. I stumbled upon this good video of ten-minute cardio exercise from Youtube but YouTips4U. 

There is no bad in trying. I will start doing this every night before sleeping to tire me out and have a better sleep. I will keep you updated. 

Ciao! 

Reasons of Losing Weight

There are a thousand reasons why people gain weight and want to lose weight. And I can say I can relate to every reason one has to say. People turn to food for comfort and not noticed that all what they ate have loved all parts of their body. 
I know this. I am familiar with every bit of this. I am this. I can relate because I am what I am talking about. 


Every time I have the chance to watch Heavy on TV, I often find myself crying for small success of those in the show. I also cry for failures they go through. I also cry when they cry while sharing what they have gone through. Some of them embarrass to walk in the streets because people look at them and call them names. But they need to go out and get life because there are lives depending on them. 
To this date, I am not aware how much I have weighed. But I know I have gone bigger because I can no longer wear my last season's clothes and that is terribly bad. 
I have to stop now. I am starting to cry. 

Coconut Juice and Weight Loss

I found myself few days ago complaining about lower back ache. This I can contribute to less chances of going to the CR to pee. My workstation is a few-minute walk to the comfort room in the next building within the compound. And when I am too focused with work, I tend to forget about going to the loo and do my thing. 

So on my third day now, I asked my mother to get me fresh coconut juice in the morning. During my first day,I had no choice but to go to the loo to pee. Or else, my body will retain all the water. When I checked online on other advantages of drinking coconut juice, I was surprised to find out other benefits.
Since it is low in carbs and sugar, it promotes weight loss. 

Coconut contains organic compounds that promote healthy body. It is a summer's favorite because it keeps the body cool at the proper temperature. It is a natural isotonic drink that rehydrates the body.  It naturally replenishes the  body's fluids after exercising.  It promotes weight loss while boosting the immune system.

Coconut juice is the fluid of life as it detoxifies and fights viruses.It fights colon diseases as it cleanses the  digestive tract. I need this since it controls diabetes. It balances body PH and reduce risk of cancer. 

There are many reasons to drink coconut juice. If you know any, you may add it in the comment box below. 

Exercises for the Terminally Busy

Here's a good read based on the article written by Leo Babuta. from ZenHabits.net, written by Leo Babauta. Like the writer, I lack time to exercise. I spend more hours seated the whole day. The same reason why I opted to do the LRT1-2 Challenge. I think the walking time I will spend from LRT 1 to LRT 2 will be a good help for me to exercise my legs and shake up my whole body.

Here's the rest of this article.

1. Bodyweight squats. These are some of my favorites. Sit back, then squat down like you’re sitting on a toilet seat, until your thighbones are about parallel to the ground. Stand up and flex your glutes, repeat as many times as you can. Rest 20-30 seconds, do a second set, then another. If that’s too easy …


2. Jump squats. Same as above, but explode into a jump as high as you can from the squat position. Land lightly on the balls of your feet and go straight back into the squat. Do as many as you can — aim for 20-30 reps, 3-5 sets.


3. 300 lunges. You can do walking lunges if you have space, or just alternate legs and stay in the same spot. Try to rest as little as possible. If this is too easy, do 400 meters of lunges. If this is still too easy …


4. Jump lunges. Same as lunges, but jump up and switch legs in the air, land lightly on the balls of your feet, go right into the lunge. 200 reps, in as little time as you can. If you’re not in good shape, start with 50 or 100 reps.


5. Pushups. If you’re in decent shape, see how fast you can do 100 pushups. Last time I tried I barely did it in under 5 minutes. You might be much faster. If pushups are too hard, do some of them on your knees. You can also just do sets of 10-20, and repeat this througout the day as you can find time.


6. Stairs. Walk up the stairs as often as you can. If this is too easy, run up them 2-3 stairs at a time. Go up and down and do several sets if you can.


7. Burpees. Squat, put your hands on the ground, thrust your feet out behind you so that you’re in pushup position, do a pushup, jump your feet so that you’re back in squat position, jump up in the air as high as you can. Repeat. See if you can do 20 or 30, or at least 10 if you’re not in great shape. Do 3-5 sets.


8. Pullups. Set up a pullup bar in your house, or find a tree branch outside you can reach. Do as many as you can, do 3-5 sets. Or just do as many as you can every time you walk by the bar. If you can’t do pullups, try jump pullups. Or do negatives — use a chair to get yourself at the top of the pullup position (chin above bar), then lower yourself to the bottom position (arms fully extended) as slowly as you can, and repeat as many times as you can.


9. Hindu squats and Hindu pushups. You’ll have to do a Youtube search to find the method for these, but they’re excellent. I also love dive bomber pushups, Spiderman pushups, and mountain climbers. Again, do as many reps as possible, 3-5 sets.


10. Jumps. Mark a spot on the wall about a foot higher than your highest reach, then jump and touch that spot as many times as you can. Repeat 3-5 sets.


11. Bounds. Run by bounding (leaping as far as you can). Alternate this with jumps and squat jumps.


12. Handstand pushups. Stand with your back to the wall, put your hands on the ground about 6 inches from the wall, then walk your feet up the wall until you’re in a handstand position, but with your feet leaning on the wall. Try to do a pushup so that your head almost touches the ground, and push your arms straight again. See how many reps you can do, repeat for 3-5 sets. If you can’t do a full rep, just do a partial rep — bend your arms a little. You’ll get stronger with practice. If you have the equipment, other good workouts would include kettlebell swings, dumbbell snatches, sandbag throws and sandbag cleans, and fireman’s carries of your spouse.


13. Rounds. If you find the above exercises easy, try combining several exercises in as many combinations as you can — for example, do 15 squats, 10 pushups, 5 pullups. That’s one round. See how many rounds you can do in 5 or 10 minutes. There are tons of ways to combine the above exercises.

Spinach in Oyster Sauce

This is one of my easy-to-cook vegetable recipe. Sometimes if spinach is not available, I use kangkong or water spinach. With two bunches of spinach leaves, I saute few pieces of crushed garlic until they are golden brown. Then I put the spinach leaves. Put oyster sauce to my heart's desire, then simmer a bit. 

That's it! And that it what I am having for dinner tonight. 

Starting from Scratch

I have grown bigger. Yes. Since I went into freelancing last year, I usually spend more than 12 hours in front of the computer with breaks to eat lunch, snacks, and dinner. I usually sleep late too.

Since January of this year, I am back on getting some Manila air by commuting from work to home. Yes, I am back in circulation. Actually for the past six months already. But since I am scared of holduppers and slippery pavements, I prefer to take a cab from work to home and vice versa. Then spend most of the time working in front of the computer. Still a sedentary life ... What did I expect? As predicted, I grew bigger. The Big Lady is still a big one and a bigger one... 

I had to review my activities for the previous months. I need to compare them with the activities that I did few years ago that I lost almost 40 lbs in a matter of three months. There were only two activities that helped me to trim down a lot - walking and calorie counting. 

A Pulpy Deal with Minute Maid

I just drank a bottle of Minute Maid Pulpy Orange. They say it’s got ‘no preservatives added’. Aw, c’mon…It’s bottled juice. Is that even possible? So I thought maybe... they chose the best oranges and squeezed them in each bottle for highly concentrated flavoring. 

Visit: www.facebook.com/MinuteMaid.ph

I didn’t believe it the first time I heard it’s got no preservatives added.  So I read the ingredients (even the fine print) and everything checked out! It really has NO PRESERVATIVES ADDED!  That means it doesn’t have ingredients that may turn out to be allergens, or worse...carcinogens!  Whew! Now that’s healthy goodness that tastes so good, I... am enjoying every pulp that gets into my tongue! i love it!

So okay, it’s got no preservatives added. That’s really good, right?  Not just because it doesn’t have those icky, harmful ingredients, but it also means... you are enjoying real juice with NO PRESERVATIVES for a fair price! Isn't it great? In fact, its small bottle can already supply one of my needed eight glasses daily water intake. Read more>>>>

One-One-One-One

Happy New Year, everyone!

I like the date today, January 1, 2011. If simply written in numbers, it’s 1-1-11! All one. All straight lines!

So as we start with the new year, let us all hope to live a straight life. No curves on our road ahead.  Let us put God first in everything we think, plan, and do!

I am not much into making New Year’s resolutions. But I promise to continue good things that I have been doing not only for myself but also for others – family and friends. And I will take a closer look at others things which I think I need to improve on.

So cheers for another year given to us to be a better person to fulfill our dreams and mission in life.