of work, of headache, of dieting

it has been a toxic week for me.

there were meetings as in daily meetings of different concerns. some are relevant to my KRAs and some are not but still my presence was needed.

i have never done the 700 calories daily intake. it was better planned than done. but still i never exceeded my original plan of 2000 daily calories.

what did was, i packed my sandwiches for lunch and early dinner, my cans of juices, and fruits. mind you, no coffee... but on the third day, there went my migraine. ^$&%^%

i am a coffee addict. it perks up my blood to send signal to my neurons to make my brain functional.

what should i try this week?


who want to go on walking on sunday?

after digging in my piles of DVD, i found my copy of certain DVDs on exercises. but lazy lazy me....

let me listen to you

Sorry but I can't. I am having difficulty hearing since last Tuesday and it got worse. I asked my doctor to refer me to an EENT in the hospital where she's connected. I hope things will be better by tomorrow. This is getting painful. I took a pain reliever and an antibiotic to subside everything.

Depression as a Motivation

Strange? Perhaps. But it is happening to me now.

My youngest sister starts with her new hobby, scrapbooking. So she got all the picture albums ans started to dig to all those pictures. Then she showed to me my past pictures. If I am not mistaken, those pictures were taken four or three years ago. I was not that big. And depression started to sink in.

I got depressed because I pity myself for getting this big. I can't wear clothes I like. I can;t find the perfect fit shoes. I am embarrass to ride in jeepneys because the usual for for 6 people become good for 5 because I occupy to much space. Some kids are teasing me when I pass by in front of them and calling me names.

But I realized, why I should be sad about it. I should take it as a challenge. I want to go back to that body size. So I dug the meal plan my girl friend asked her girl friend dietitian to do for me. I would complement that to my walking every day.

I have been walking but rarely I reach my target 10,000 steps a day. And I have been good lately in drinking milk. I am trying to drink milk not only to help me with my diet also to help my aging bones.

The meal plan illustrates the food I have to consume in a day. And following that as a guide, I am making my meal plan for a week. Logging food I consume is another way to help me in my weight loss. I am consulting a nutritionist at the of February.

To help me with my blogging, I am looking for a web tool to show my progress in everything I do to lose weight. - my daily steps, calories intake and others.

So if you know any tool, please let me know.

Yes to Pasta!

I love pasta! But I have been worried about too much carbohydrates. But this news from Yahoo made my day!

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/healthieryou/15578/eat-pasta-drop-pounds/

No more excuses in eating pasta!

I love pasta! But I have been worried about too much carbohydrates. But this news from Yahoo made my day! 

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/healthieryou/15578/eat-pasta-drop-pounds/

Is South Beach Diet Good for Me?

South Beach Diet, or SBD as others call it, has been in the papers as many Filipino socialites and celebrities tried it and really amazed with the results.

So I tried to search for it. Last time I read about it, the dishes in the menu are really Westernized. Though the dishes are American-based, resourceful Filipino chefs made various South Beach recipes that are really Pinoy. There are several catering establishments that are preparing set meals and delivered to the houses of their customers. There are restaurants too serving South Beach Diet dishes.

So now that these establishments are around, dishes are no longer an issue. But now I am bothered with the price. Can I handle it? A meal set meaning per day costs something like over a thousand bucks. And i cannot really afford that. How I wish I can get a copy of the localized South Beach diet and prepare my own set of meals.

If it can be imagined, then it can be done!

Nope not that three two-digit numbers that everybody is waiting for!

I weighed in early this morning. I cannot believe what I saw in the scale. Last week, I weighed in and my scale tipped to 240 lbs. This morning, I weighed in again to check on my progress, I saw 232 lbs. WHOA! That is 8 lbs!

I couldn't believe it so I ask my friend to weigh in and check if our weighing scale is malfunctioning. He said it's just fine. So it means I really lost 8 lbs this week. Is it healthy?

Anyway, the following are the number of steps I made for the dates indicated:
February 2 - 11073 steps
February 1 - 7339 steps
January 31 - 8018 steps
January 30 - 8710 steps
January 29 - 7640 steps
January 28 - 7272 steps
January 27 - 0 (this is a Sunday, and I forgot to bring my Pedo Dido with me)

I am happy! I am happy! I am happy!

I remembered what my professor said today: "If it can be imagined, then it can be done!" She said she read the sentence from a billboard in HongKong a long time ago when she went there as a visiting professor.


So I imagine myself to be fit and healthy. Then it can be done!

Pedometers Promote Weight Loss without Dieting

Yes, you read it right. As stated in an article published in this link: http://walking.about.com/od/pedometer1/a/pedometer1-08.htm, pedometer promotes weight loss. I guess because of the consistent walking to target 10,000 steps a day to burn 1,000 calories. So imagine the number of calories burned because of walking. Read the rest of the feature:

Pedometers Promote Weight Loss without Dieting

Can wearing a pedometer really help you lose weight without dieting? A review of previous pedometer research studies in the January/February 2008 issue of Annals of Family Medicine says yes. People who used a pedometer logged between one to two miles of extra steps per day and lost weight, even without dieting.

Pedometers Lead to Slow But Consistent Weight Loss

The weight loss seen in the nine studies was small but consistent. At only a tenth of a pound a week, on average, it may seem insignificant. But over a year, it can add up to five pounds lost without dieting. The longer the study, the more weight the participants lost.

While this study compiled several very small studies, this is not the first study to show this effect. It builds the body of evidence that pedometers are an excellent tool to increase activity and lose weight, even without dieting.

Pedometers Work to Improve Health

Researcher Dr. Caroline R. Richardson of the University of Michigan Health System said in a press release, "The increase in physical activity can be expected to result in health benefits that are independent of weight loss. Increasing physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems, lowers blood pressure and helps dieters maintain lean muscle tissue when they are dieting."

on calorie counting

when i tried to lose weight last 2000 or 2001, i was successful to lose 30 lbs in three months. No diet pills or herbal tea. What did i do?

I walked and counted my calories intake. Every day, I walk on my way home. I did care about the number of steps or how short or how long I walked.

So i am trying it again.










my pedo dido reads 8,508 steps within 15:17 hours. This is equal to 3,992 aerobic steps done in 42 minutes. I burned 507 calories or 29.6 grams

Prayer to Padre Pio

each us too, we Pray you,
Humility so that we may
BE among the humble to whom the Father
In the Gospel Promised
To reveal the mysteries of His Kingdom
Teach us the Look of faith that will help us recognize
The face of Jesus Himself in the poor and suffering
Support us in our hours of trouble
And trial and, should we fall,
Let us feel the joy of the sacrament of forgiveness
Teach us tender devotion
Towards Mary, Mother of Christ and our Mother
Accompany us on our earthly pilgrimage
Towards the blessed Homeland
Where we too hope to arrive
To contemplate eternally
The Glory of the Father,
The Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Recalling the days before the operation

It was 1135 am when I woke up in the recovery room. There was a nurse beside me holding my hand and keeping a piece of plastic still in my nostrils. It was an oxygen tube. I saw her rolled a piece of cloth and asked me to hold it firm against my upper right abdomen. I didn't feel any pain. I am alive. I have survived. I closed my eyes and let myself sank into a deep sleep.
I remember to be in front of my immediate supervisor last Friday. I was telling him that I need to be away from work for a month since I have to undergo a major operation. The pain really convinced me to decide this time. I was not sure if the money I have on hand would be enough, but just the same, I have to do it. I also talked to my staff leaving instructions. I knew then during the meeting that I will still report for work for two more days before the operation. But I was wrong. I went ot my doctor in the afternoon of the same day. After the check-up, she advised me to return that same day to be admitted to the hospital. No matter how much I haggle for the dates, she was determined to have me admitted the same day. She explained that I need to be prepared for the procedure. Two days would be needed for that. I complied. I wanted to live. I want to live...
I went home to tell my family about it. I went to the mall to buy things I would be needing. I pack the necessary things I would be needing for the five-day stay in the hospital.
8 PM, June 19, I was back to the hospital. After the usual admission procedure, the nurse showed me to my room. Gladly, though the room was made for two patients, I will be alone tonight. My youngest sister was with me. Different things were going around my mind. I was not really sure what will happen. The doctor explained the procedure in one of my check ups. It sounded so easy but fear was there. The nurse came to give me IV and gave further instructions left by the doctor. I had high fever. I was chilling though the aircon unit was off. The nurses brought a drop light to warm me.
I was glad I decided to be admitted. That Friday night was like a hell to me. The pain was killing me. I cried the whole time and I was begging for pain killer. Glady I had two kinds of pain killer. The one was Novaine and the other I forgot the name. The effect of Novaine in me was good for an hour only. Then there went the pain again. After an hour, the nurse gave me the other pain killer which really calmed me down and let me sleep for more than four hours.
The following day was different. Still no food. I was in IV and pain killers. The doctor came and discussed with me the results of the laboratory test. The operation would be on Monday morning. She said I need to undergo further preparation because the lab test results showed that the infection really set in.
Later that day, I transfered to another room. Then another doctor checked on me for clearance - my heart, my lungs, and other aspects before the operation. Friends from school and office visited me. Later that day, I was sedated again since the pain was bugging me again.
I wonder how could I have managed the pain should I not agree to be admitted to the hospital earlier. I do not know.

the stones that almost killed me

after several days, now I have the courage to see them and to feel them. These are the stones that lived in my gall bladder and almost killed me. They infected my gall bladder. They blocked my common duct which brought too much pain to me for several days. But now they are out from my system, but I no longer have my gall bladder.

Without a gall bladder, I know my lifestyle will be different now.

A Doctor's Secret to a Longer Life

At the age of 97 years and 4 months, Shigeaki Hinohara is one of the world's longest-serving physicians and educators. Hinohara's magic touch is legendary: Since 1941 he has been healing patients at St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo and teaching at St. Luke's College of Nursing. After World War II, he envisioned a world-class hospital and college springing from the ruins of Tokyo; thanks to his pioneering spirit and business savvy, the doctor turned these institutions into the nation's top medical facility and nursing school. Today he serves as chairman of the board of trustees at both organizations. Always willing to try new things, he has published around 150 books since his 75th birthday, including one "Living Long, Living Good" that has sold more than 1.2 million copies. As the founder of the New Elderly Movement, Hinohara encourages others to live a long and happy life, a quest in which no role model is better than the doctor himself.

Click this link for the full article from the original source.

Zambales Beauty

under construction

this space is having a facelift at the moment.

please visit again later...

Bye, Francis M but not to FrancisM!

Yeah, I am a fan!

I love his music. His love songs have different stories or twists to tell. Most of his rap songs are consistent... They speak of nationalism and patriotism. The man behind the songs was consistent too.

I admired him for his cuteness, the child in him. Imagine a man close to half-century of his life dress up like a teener and behave like a kid but with a great windowm behind his ears.

Since I learned of his demise, I have been sad... He's a big loss to the music industry.

Rap in Peace, Kiko!

I got a new job!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090113/od_afp/lifestyleaustraliatourismoffbeat_20090113032028

Happy Christmas and a Healthful New Year!

Happy Christmas and a Healthful New Year!

I know you have so much to thank for for everything that came on your way this 2008. Looking forward to 2009, we all wish to have a better life not only for ourselves but most importantly for those we love.

Let this day, the Christmas day be filled with joy and spirit to inspire us to be better and bolder for the new year.

MIsamis Oriental

2008 Visita Iglesia

I have been observing Visita Iglesia for sometime now. When I started, I was with some of the teens from our former neighborhood. Then later on with my sisters, then with an ex. Then now on my own. The experience is relaxing and gives me time to reflect on different points of my life.

For 2008, I changed my itinerary a bit. But still I completed 14 churches.

First church. San Roque Church in Blumentritt. Aside from our Parish Church, this is one of the nearest churches from home. I only walking from home till I found my way to Church 11. But from Church 11 to 14, I needed to combine walking with taking the jeep. It was really too hot that day which triggered my headache.