Unwanted Visitors

I'm guessing after all the exams last week, the much awaited concert that we've watched and the constant caffeine boost I've been taking after dinner really made my sleep hours go from 6-7 hours a day to 3-5 hours. The stress that accompanies the events that have transpired last week led me to visit my medicine cabinet again to use my trusty acne treatment cream. Grrr! I have two huge zits on my face. One is at my chin and while the other rests peacefully on my nose. Arrgh!

I'm just glad that next week will be a less stressful week for me. I can concentrate more on my blogging and can catch up on my reading. I just hope by next week that these two unwanted visitors on my face would be gone.

VEV and EDD's Weight Loss Program

When I was a kid up until I graduated from college, I have always been on the slim side of the spectrum. I ALWAYS fit in free sized tops and dresses. Medium and large is not part of my wardrobe vocabulary. The only problem that I usual have was buying pants because my hips are normally big so it's hard to find the perfect pair of pants.

I started working for the embassy in 2001. Slowly, I noticed that my body was changing. I've been gaining a few pounds here and there but whenever that happens, I see to it that I go on a crash diet and go crazy doing crunches and yoga. After being employed there for six years, I have gained a total of 15 lbs. But that's just half the story. When I resigned and started going back to school, I noticed (yet again!) that I've been gaining weight. My clothes don't fit anymore and even my favorite ring that I've had since high school seems to feel a bit tighter on my finger. WAA!! And it dawned on me. Having no exercise and control on what I eat, plus reaching the big 3-0 all contributed to my "condition" right now. I am getting somewhat depressed and a bit frustrated because I can't seem to shed off these excess "baggage" that I have in a couple of weeks time. Before, it was easy. I just eat cereals for breakfast; salad and chicken or fish for lunch and soup or salad for dinner for a week or two and it's bye-bye 5 lbs. *sigh*

That's why my friend Em and I came up with a challenge. That is to regain our Pre-embassy weight before September. So that means, I would have to lose a total of 15-20 lbs. Pressure!! LOL! This is how I should look come September.

This is me and Em when we were still in our "slim days". I'm the one in yellow. The dog's name is Sugar (FYI, she's raft3r's dog).


This is me in 2006. This time I have long hair and I'm the one in the sky blue top. Ick! My top matches the color of the bench. LOL!

So for me to look like myself in the above photos, I would have to strictly follow ...
The Weight Loss Program that Em and I share:

I. EXERCISE: A minimum of 30 minutes/day (only during busy days) and a maximum of 1.5 hours/day. This would include cardio and muscle toning targeting problem areas. My problem areas include: my thighs, tummy and arms. Sheesh!

II.MEALS

BREAKFAST: (6:00-8:00am)
OPTION 1: oatmeal (plain, with milk or sliced fruits), a cup of coffee, tea or orange juice.
OPTION 2: 2 slices of toast with light butter, jam or cheese, a cup of coffee, tea or orange juice.
OPTION 3: --->can only be eaten 2-3 times a week: egg (unsalted but can use spices/garnish), 2 slices of plain toast, a cup of coffee, tea or orange juice.

LUNCH: (11:30-12:30 nn)
1/3 cup of rice and 1 viand (preferably not fried)
soup or stew with a slice of bread
pasta (non-creme based sauce pls!)
WATER WATER WATER!

DINNER: (7:00-8:00 pm)
Salad (oil and vinegar-based dressing ONLY!)
soup or stew
sandwich: turkey, grilled tuna or chicken with veggies (light mayo)
WATER or Red Wine

IN BETWEEN MEAL SNACKS: (3 hours after a meal)
a piece of fruit
crackers
'dry' cereal
water, fruit juice, cup of tea

NO SNACKS AFTER 9PM

III. OFF DAY: Only 1 day in the week is off day. It is preferable to choose either Saturday or Sunday as it is usually family day which connotes "feast" day. :-)

I've stacked up on healthy snacks like raisins, crackers and cereals plus I bought my one week supply of veggies for my salad. Well, wish us luck everyone! I'll keep you posted on my progress.

I'm out of ideas

Things were a lot simpler back then. Pounds on the scale and inches on my waist are not a major concern. These days, eating just a slice (more of a sliver) of cake or a small bag of chips would really make a difference in my “measurements”. Before, I could eat a half gallon ice cream and I’d still be able to walk around without looking like a five-month pregnant lady. I guess it’s because I am turning the big 3-0 this year and my metabolism hasn’t been that “cooperative” as it used to be.

I’ve tried different ways on how to lose weight. At first, I wanted the easiest way to do it -- I’ve taken diet pills. This is the one thing that I regret doing as it compromised my immune system. And for the record, they are not the infamous Bangkok pills. While taking these over the counter diet pills, I easily got sick. So I promised myself I would never take diet pills again. I then turned to the gym. Working out in the gym didn’t really work for me because I got bored doing cardio and toning exercises. Lastly, I tried yoga. I enjoyed the effects of yoga both on my mind and body (naks!). Unfortunately, it was a bit pricey and sometimes the classes didn't fit in my “busy” schedule.

All of these would be useless if it is not accompanied by the proper diet (so they say...). I’ve tried a couple of them. Some of these were the No Rice Diet, Veggie Salad Diet, After 7 Diet (this is not a typo. I modified it to After 7. LOL!) and the Apple Cider Vinegar Diet.

The No Rice Diet and the Veggie Salad Diet is self-explanatory. Now the After 7 Diet, was inspired by the After 6 Diet. This, as promising as it sounded,didn’t work for me because even if I didn’t eat anything after 7:00 p.m., I’d eat a whole lot (i.e. rice meal) at breakfast.

Lastly, the Apple Cider Vinegar diet was suggested by my friend Emillie. She said that her brother shed off a lot of poundsss when he started taking Apple Cider Vinegar. It was simple actually, all I have to do is get 1-2 tablespoons of the Apple Cider Vinegar and mix it with one glass of water. I would drink this after eating dinner and before going to bed. The sour taste accompanied by its vinegary aroma (more of stench) is a bit overwhelming at first but you’ll get used to it after a couple of sips. The next morning, well, let’s just say, you’d be “withdrawing” everything that you’ve “deposited” the night before. The problem with this one was that my tummy couldn’t handle the acidity of the vinegar. I had to take antacids after a couple of days and eventually stopped.

What about you guys… Care to share your workout and diet tips coz I’m running out of ideas here. HELP!!!