Fat Girl No More

saying bye-bye to obesity, one day at a time

Browsing Posts published by Fat Girl No More

Just recently I got to thinking, what if I could do my college life all over again? Would I be in a better off place than I am now? Would I be facing the same struggles or totally different ones?

While I do not regret my choices (at least for the most part), sometimes I wish I could do it over. Maybe if I did, I would have ended up donning a medical uniform as I worked towards my MD as I had originally planned. Maybe if I did, I would be a “real” writer now because I completed journalism. Maybe if I did…I guess you get the point.

One thing I also can’t help but think about is what if I went to college looking the way I do now? Well, I do know I still am overweight but I definitely look much better than I did back then. I was my biggest when I was studying in the university. I weighed over 200 pounds then. 225 to be exact. I can’t help but think that maybe if I was a student now, starting off my life, I might have forged different types of relationships.

Sigh…random thoughts. Yep, graduation is looming and I can’t help but wish things were a wee bit different for me. Gotta sleep this off before I emo eat myself to craziness. Gnyty.

 

Oh I miss the sun.

Today at work my colleague casually commented, “Oo, mukha ngang hindi ka na nakaka-beach…maputi ka na uli eh!” (Hmm…you look like you haven’t been to the beach in a while, you’re pale skinned again!). The beach has always been a haven for me, and not being able to be there is slowly letting my soul wither. I’m glad, however, I find my dose of sunshine in the yoga studio for now. But seriously, there is no way I would survive in a place where I’d have to wear ski jackets instead of swimsuits.

I so can’t wait for the summer. One thing I’m looking forward to, I must admit, is that for once, I’m not so self-conscious of my body anymore. Thank you yoga :)

 

 

I have always maintained that I’m an emotional eater. For a while, I was able to keep that at bay, but since mid-September, it has been a struggle. Luckily my love for yoga has allowed the weight management to be somewhat stable, but still, with this emo eater in me, it’s gotten to be such a struggle. And yeah, because I haven’t really been happy the way I used to be, I have allowed myself to bury myself in all sorts of food.

Last night, however, just as I was about to sleep, I got some sense knocked into me by a blog reader who left a comment in one of my old posts. She said that she stumbled into my blog and was inspired by my determination to fight obesity. That really made me remember why I started this blog in the first place. And why now I return. I also realized that I haven’t been writing here very often and that I have stopped using his site as a means of coping with my difficulties, thus the turning back to food. However, after last night, I decided to take stock of things and try again.

Hopefully this time I stay on track. Wish me luck.

 

As many of you may know, my most favorite form of exercise nowadays is yoga. Most of the time I practice in a quiet room, with only my breath and the voice of my teacher as the music that guides me. However, sometime ago I attended several classes wherein the teachers played music for us to groove with. I must say, it was quite a nice flow :)

Lately, however, I have been practicing on my own at home. It’s not the same. I miss the energy of being in a class and among other practitioners. But because I can’t be in the studio much, I guess I have to make do. In my quest to recreate a nice flow, I decided to try creating a playlist to go along with the groove. One thing led to another and I discovered Garage Band in my Mac and though I have no idea what I’m doing,it seems like a fun thing to explore. And so I did what any techie wannabe does: I asked Google (even though I should be working on my thesis instead) how it works and what music software would be good to try and explore. One of those that came up was called the Mackie tracktion 3 . I’m still trying to read through the write ups (well, we know I’m no musician, right???) and if I figure it out, lets see if I can record something for me to use when I do my asanas.
Yeah, yeah, I know I have better things to do but I can’t help but do other things to keep me sane. Haha.

After three weeks of searching, I finally found one of the most elusive vegetables ever…RED BEETS!!! Okay, exag, I’m sure, but for some reason, I’ve been having a hard time finding them. Sometimes when I ask in the grocery they have no idea what I’m talking about. Yesterday, however, on a random grocery run, I found it!!! Wootness. I bought 4 small pieces and made a Russian salad :) At least that’s what I think it’s called :) Yey. Not really the best diet food, I know, but super good :)

A few weeks ago, after a yoga workshop, my friends and I swung by the organic market at Legaspi village and though I am not (or at least I was not!) a big fan of green smoothies, I went along and ordered a big bottle of green juice from RAWlicious. Since it was my first real go at green juices, I let my companions pick the flavor and we ended up with the one called Joe’s Green Mind. It was made of organic greens, cucumber, mint, apple, banana and pure coconut water. I took my bottle, looked at it dubiously, and gave it a go.

The verdict: I wanted more :)

Several times following that Sunday I found myself craving for green juice. Once I even surprised myself by turning down a couple margaritas. Prior to that you would have had to lock up my favorite pink fuzzy drinks in a mesa safe to keep me away from it! I guess my body was signaling me to make more positive changes, and it wasn’t just to lose weight, but more to get my body healthier.

HOWEVER, since that Sunday, I hadn’t had the chance to get more shakes. For one, the Sunday market is out of my way. Plus the delivery service of RAWlicious doesn’t cover my area. Plus even though a friend of mine was willing to make my shakes for me, I was tamad (lazy) to pick it up. And to make it myself…FORGET IT!!! For one, I thought I needed a super special blender to make it (although as I have learned there are some limitations to a regular blender and errr…something about enzymes and megablasting and what not that I haven’t understood haha). Secondly, it’s soooo hassle! Third….IM LAZY!

But for some reason, I woke up today with an intense craving for a green smoothie. I tried to settle with just buko juice but I still wanted green juice. And so I gave in and experimented. I threw in an apple, a banana, some spinach, some malunggay, and a couple lettuce leaves into my blender with coconut water and viola…

green smoothie

green juice :) It’s not as yummy as RAWlicious’s, and I’m sure there are better ways of making it, but this is a great start, if I may say so myself :)

Cheers :)

A week or so ago, a friend of mine from yoga sent me a message about Juju cleanse. I gave the Juju cleanse site a look and I must admit, I am curious about going on a little juice detox.  However, the cheapskate in me strikes again. Let me put it in context: while I do spend A LOT on things I like, I am VERY hesitant to experiment in something that I don’t know I will like or appreciate. Especially if it is a huge chunk of money. Hehe. My friends always tease me about that, in fact. They say even in restaurants we eat in, I always order the same thing because I know I’m sure it’s good  but very rarely will I try something new on the menu. Why, ayoko kasi manghinayang sa ginastos ko! Hehe. But if I know it’s good, even if it’s super expensive, I splurge :)   I guess that’s why I used to enjoy food blogging, because through that, I would get to try things with minimal investment on my part.

Anyway…I digress as always haha :) Like I said, I heard about Juju Cleanse and I really wanted to try but the cheapskate got the better of me. AND SO when I saw a link on FB for a little Valentine contest by Trip or Treats that has a cleanse up for grabs, I took it as a sign that maybe this is my chance to try it!

Check out the giveaway here. In the meantime, I have my fingers crossed that I win it!!!

If you recall, last December I posted about my experience with AntiGravity Yoga. I really cannot wait until the AGY studio of Beyond Yoga opens in February! I know Tomas Morato is super far from me, but it’s soooo well worth the trip! Seriously :) Sometimes I kinda wish I had one of those AGY hammocks in my house. I have the perfect tree for it, in fact. I think, however, you can’t just get one of the hammocks of the rack at any store. I do hope they offer it up for sale for individuals and not just yoga teachers/studios. Of course I do understand the concerns regarding safety and ensuring quality control with the product, but I still wish I can have one of my own :) I think the tree is strong enough to hold it and I don’t think I’d need to have any industrial bearings or heavy duty carabiner rings installed to be able to use it (or at least I don’t think so! haha), after all, I do have two regular beach hammocks hanging in it already and we’ve been sitting in it for years! It would be soooo grand to have my own AGY hammock, right? Hehe. In the meantime since I don’t have that, I will eagerly await the opening of the Beyond Yoga AGY studio :)

 

It’s officially halfway through the first month of 2012 and I, for one, am still trying to lose the holiday weight. I’m sure many can resonate with my present dilemma (right, right??? haha!). To be fair, I really did not put on THAT much weight, perhaps about 5-7 pounds only, mainly because even throughout the holidays I made sure to keep up with my yoga practice. It was interesting, in fact, that right after the holidays, when I went back to my regular class with the teacher I work with most often (I hadn’t seen her for about three weeks at that point) she said she didn’t recognize me because I looked like I had lost weight (yahoo!). The scale, however, did not agree with her.

Anyway, now that I am in the midst of the busy-ness of things and as we quickly approach the summer season, I want to make sure I not only drop the holiday fat, but also get in better shape. AND SO….

Although I have not yet blogged about any specific slimming supplement in this blog since it began, mainly because I never really tried any, I have decided to check out one of these products. Last December 1, I was invited to the relaunch of a dietary supplement by ATC Healthcare Corp. called RedoxFat. This dietary supplement is said to be 100% natural and has passed the quality control standards as set by the local Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD). It is made up of L-Carnitine and green tea extract. Compared to similar brands in the market. RedoxFat Slimming Capsules contain seven times more L-Carnitine, which aids in the breakdown of fat and in muscle development. Further, the green tea extract contains high levels of polyphenols and is a rich source of EGCG, an antioxidant, that fights free radicals and pro-oxidants, as well as helps lower cholesterol, boosts immune system, and assists in weight loss.

I do know, however, that this is not THE solution to losing weight, but that it is a SUPPLEMENT. As I recall from the press launch and conference that I attended, it was noted by one of the speakers, Coach Callanta, that “It is always best to create long-term health goals and programs composed of exercise routines, a menu of healthier food selection, the right mindset, and quality natural healthcare supplements to complement the three. One should have clear objectives and the commitment to be healthy. It is a lifestyle and taking RedoxFat can help jumpstart that.”

RedoxFat retails for about Php 12.95 per capsule and is available in all leading drugstores nationwide. Recommended usage is 2-3 capsules daily after meals.

In addition to RedoxFat Slimming Capsules, ATC has a comprehensive line of healthcare supplements in softgel form:  Aloe Vera, Calcium with Vitamin D, Coenzyme Q10, Fish oil, Evening Primrose, Garlic Oil, Ginkgo Biloba, Ginseng, Grape Seed, Lecithin, LiverMarin, Lycopene, Glutathione, Royal Jelly, and Spirulina. All of these can supplement one’s health needs if taken regularly. For more information about ATC Healthcare products, call 749-4542 or 743-5183, or visit www.atchealthcare.com.ph.

RedoxFat Slimming Capsule Relaunch and Contract Signing with the unveiling of its newest brand ambassador Iya Villania. In photo (L-R): ALV Talent Circuit Inc. Talent Manager Arnold Vegafria, RedoxFat Endorser Iya Villania, ATC Healthcare President Albert Chua, ATC Operations Manager Carmelo Espiritu, and ATC Marketing Manager Kathleen De los Santos.

According to their latest endorser,  Iya Villana, who was introduced to the press during the event I mentioned earlier, it has helped her lose weight and maintain her figure :)

As for me…let’s see what happens :)

I officially hate all these group buying sites. Seriously.

At first I was hooked on all the super cheap vacations. Then the little services soon followed. Today, I keep finding myself drawn to all the restaurant deals. SAVE ME!!! Just last night I claimed three boxes of donuts from Cello’s, even though I don’t particularly like donuts, all because it was sooooo cheap. OH MY GOLLY NOT A GOOD SIGN! I swear. It all started with that one deal of a box of Beggin’ Strips for Bubba. I decided to avail of the deal because it was one of my christmas gifts for him and Joe. But soon I started clicking on deals for donuts, drinks, and all sorts of restaurants.

So…before this kills my diet, anyone want my other donut coupon???