Sunday, August 3, 2014

How I Lost Weight With No Intense Exercise


BEFORE

The pictures below were taken on April 2014. You may have seen my before/after instagram picture and thought that I just stretched the photo. I didn't. I admit that I am not thin or anything near that. For the most of my teenage to young adult life, I have always been overweight except maybe for a brief moment of time I lost so much weight. I was already overweight but I gained much more pounds because of our trip to Hong Kong and Japan. There can be no dieting there because of the delicious food that tastes even more delicious paired with steamed rice. The result of that very sinful combination was the Jam you see below. 


You may not notice how fat I've become because I don't normally post full-body pictures of myself. In the few times that I do, I'd be covered up or be behind somebody. It also came to a point wherein I'd crop my pictures so that my body will not be included. In short, I was so insecure and uncomfortable with my body.

That reason, along with some others, pushed me to change my habits. And alas, a miracle, I've stuck to my weight loss plan and it works. I diet but I don't do any intense exercise. I've lost 16 pounds already. Although I'm just halfway through my goal, I'm proud of myself and I want to share with you what I've been doing.


As of now, I don't have many "After Pictures" because I'm not yet finished but I hope you can see the difference. Pictures are way way way down the article :)

CAUTION:


I am not recommending that you follow my exact diet-exercise because I am not an expert. I am simply sharing with you my weight history, the 4 general factors that helped me lose weight and my diet-exercise routine. If you want to lose weight the right way, please consult a doctor or a fitness expert. I am not liable for anything that may happen to you if you follow my diet-exercise.
It is always important to keep in mind how much calories our bodies need. A healthy and balanced diet is always recommended.
·         If you want to try my diet-exercise, keep in mind that you revise it based on your health concerns & lifestyle—how much food your body needs, your activities, etc. (And again, ask a professional.)
·        Take note of any health concerns you may have when dieting.


BACKGROUND

A few things about my weight issues, lifestyle and eating habits so that you may understand my body and why my diet-exercise worked for me

·         When I was younger, I was really thin. That didn't really last long because in my teenage years I gained weight. I was always self-conscious. Well, I still am today but not as much as before. I do not wear shorts, sleeveless anything, skirts, tight-fitting clothes because I am not comfortable with my body and the way it looks to me.

·         I was never the sporty-type. I barely passed all our PE classes in grade school and high school. I did not ever learn how to ride the bike. I never liked moving too much. I never liked the idea of exercising (because it’s very exhausting). If I had to choose an exercise, it would be running on the treadmill. I tried that but I only last a few minutes before I’d quit.

·         Eating was my hobby. I only eat a few types of food. I would list the things I don’t eat (e.g. vegetables, pizza, lasagna, salad, noodles) but I think it will be a shorter list if I mentioned the food I allow to actually enter my mouth. I eat any kind of meat that is not swimming in sauce/broth/soup. I like my meat dry (except for some sauces: teriyaki, sweet n sour, bbq, etc). I also like bacon, hotdog, spam, tocino. In short, I am a meat-eater. I like processed or deep-fried food. And when the food is really tasty, I like pairing it with rice. I also enjoy desserts very much. I have a sweet tooth especially for chocolates. I also like junk food. Sometimes when I would get hungry, I would ask someone to buy me a bunch of snacks amounting to 200php and I would eat 2 or 3 in a day (all by myself).

·         I think there was only one time when I lost a lot of weight. Maybe a month and a half before my debut, we arrived from a summer trip. I gained a lot of weight because of all the amazing and tempting food. I wanted to lose a lot of weight because I was heartbroken and I wanted to look good for myself (and for revenge). Aside from the dieting and the tiring dance rehearsals for my debut, I tried taking Xenical, a pill that helps you lose weight. The combination was proven to be successful as I slimmed down; but as soon as I met Duane I let myself go again. He already liked me so I saw no point in dieting already. We enjoyed eating and eventually we became fat (or in my case, fat-ter). I was alright with that because even if I got fat, he would still like me BECAUSE THERE ARE NO TAKE BACKS HAHAHA.

4 FACTORS 

IN WEIGHT LOSS 


1.                 Motivation

I have tried a few diet techniques already but I always end up losing hope and quitting altogether. I think one of the most important factors in pushing through with your diet is your motivation. Why do you need to diet and exercise? Why do you need to lose weight? Your reasons may vary because we have different goals but they are all valid.

I started dieting because my friend will be getting married in a few months; and that meant I needed to wear a sleeveless dress. I can’t go there with my usual get-up: jeans, sleeveless top paired with a jacket to cover my arms and fatness. I have no choice but to show my huge arms and my large silhouette with bulging love handles. I will need to stare at pictures of myself, uncomfortable and very insecure.
(People of different shapes and sizes— may it be thin, sexy or fat can be confident in what they see in the mirror. More power to them for being happy with their body. I have nothing against people who are overweight. I am just speaking for myself when I say that I do not think I look good overweight because I am not comfortable in my image. I do not like what I see.)

Another motivation that helped me was the bunch of clothes in my closet that used to fit me. Many of the pants I had did not fit me anymore. It was really frustrating to try it on and find that they cannot go any higher than my thighs.

And one more, you can go watch YouTube videos of people who have already lost a lot of weight. I’ll admit that one video got to me.

2.                 Goal

Once you have your motivations, set a goal that is more or less set in stone. I always had a goal of fitting into a certain item of clothing but I did not find that to be motivating enough. Clothes will always be there to fit you when you lose weight. They don’t require you to get moving as much as an event does.

An event, in my case, is much more motivating because it has a date. You can’t easily move it. As an example, my friend’s wedding is in October. I can’t just stop my diet because my goal is to look good (and reach a certain amount of weight) by the time of her wedding. I can’t slack off because that event is immovable.

In your case, you can set an event a few months after you start dieting. That certain event should have a dress code which will force you to have a leaner body. I think the perfect event that will truly motivate you is a swimming outing/party just because you will need to wear a swimsuit (just a suggestion)

Perseverance

You really have to want it. The reason most of my attempts failed is because I didn't have any clear motivation and goal.

I really wanted to lose weight and look better. It’s as simple as that.

     Self-control

This might be the hardest factor in dieting. My mom always brings home so many food and sweets. And at times my family eats out I have the tendency to eat everything that I want. Self-control really boils down to the other three factors I’ve mentioned. If you have a strong motivation, a clear goal and if you really are set on losing weight, you can control your urges to overeat.

The key to self-control is portion control. Control, puro na lang control. You can cheat or treat yourself a little but learn when to stop. Just yesterday, an unscheduled cheat day once again, I ate this delicious ice cream from Baskin Robbins. I thought of my diet and how I did not want to gain all the pounds I already lost. I did not finish the whole serving. Instead, I stopped myself when I was quite satisfied and I shared it with someone else.

THE DIET-EXERCISE
Aka Lazy Starving Diet =))

  1. NO-NO’s
  • Soft drinks, artificial drinks (iced tea, mixes, bottled drinks), milk
  • Rice, bread, pasta (or anything similar to that: I’m sorry I don’t know because I don’t eat that)
  • Fried food
  • Junk food
  • Candies
  1. AVOID
  • Eating out (just because you’ll be tempted to finish the whole meal)
  • Meat (you can eat this once in a while but in very small portions only)
  • Sweets (my weakness)
  • Processed  food
  1. DRINK 1 TO 2 GLASSES OF WATER 5-10 MINUTES BEFORE YOUR MEAL
This is very important. I do this so that before I eat my meal, I would feel less hungry and therefore eat less.

  1. EAT VERY LITTLE
Because I drink a lot of water beforehand, it’s easy for me to not eat so much. And when I do eat, I do it slowly. I have heard of the saying that it takes about 20 minutes after you start eating before your brain to tell you that you are already full. I have not researched the validity of this statement but I can speak from my own experience. I’m sure you have also experienced eating so much in so little time that you feel really bloated only a few minutes after. So eat slowly and enjoy your food because you won’t be eating much anyway.

  1. GREEN TEA AFTER EVERY MEAL
I usually drink green tea right after I eat or at maximum one and a half hours after. I was quite unsure of its effectiveness in my diet but when we had a party and I drank green tea after eating a lot, I pooped right away. I did not notice its effect on me even though I was peeing a lot because I thought the water I’ve been chugging was the culprit. Maybe since I didn’t eat a lot, it did not have to release it through my bowels? I’m really not sure.

  1. WALK 6,000 STEPS UP (or increase your movement if you already have a relatively active lifestyle)
If you read the background on my lifestyle, you know that I do not like exercising. Walking was the perfect solution for me. It did not feel like exercise. I just walk ‘round and ‘round our hose. Tip #1 download a pedometer. I use the Breeze app on my iphone 5s. I’m not sure if this app is available to androids or if this app just works on the 5s. I’d recommend this over setting a time for your daily walks because minutes are just too damn long. It’s more fun to look at the number of steps skyrocketing to a few thousands than to glance at your watch and see that you’ve only been walking for 3 minutes. Tip#2 play music to motivate yourself. I use Spotify and I enjoy streaming playlists with party music.

  1. DON’T BE TO OBSESSIVE
Don’t count your calories. Don’t weigh yourself one day after you start your diet. Give it time. If you’ve already been dieting for quite some time, weight every other day. Do not weigh yourself after your cheat days. Only weigh yourself after your “recovery” days.


A CLEARER LOOK AT MY 
DIET-EXERCISE WEIGHT LOSS SCHEDULE:
Wednesday pm-Friday          lose approx 0.5 kilo a day or 1 kilo for the two days
Saturday-Sunday                     cheatday
Monday-Wed am                    lose cheatday weight
*loop =))


SAMPLE DIET-EXERCISE LOG
*in every after meal, drink green tea

Thursday
        Breakfast             3 turkey bacon, 1 sunny side-up egg
        Lunch                    1 bowl Koko Krunch
        Dinner                  2 small apples blended
        Steps                     7947
        Kg Loss                 0.3

Friday
        Breakfast             1 bowl Koko Krunch
        Lunch                    1 Banana
Dinner                  1 Saging na Saba with Honey, 1 one-inch cube of beef (I really wasn’t going to       eat meat but my mom asked me to taste it. I don’t eat meat in that size LOL)
Steps                     5241
Kg Loss                 0.6

CHEATDAY
I did not list the food I ate, but on cheat days I make it a point that if I eat rice, I only eat one cup of rice for that day. I also don’t eat too much. Always eat in moderation even if it’s cheat day.

        Monday
                Breakfast             1 pack Greek Yogurt with Raspberry Pomegranate
                Lunch                    1 Banana, 1 pack Skyflakes
                Dinner                  1 Chocolate Croissant
                Steps                     8433

        Tuesday
              Breakfast             2 thin slices of Spam
        Lunch                    1 toast bread, assorted meat
        Snack                    1/3 cookie, 3 mini cookie cups
        Dinner                  1 bowl Banana & Mango, 1 cookie shotglass with milk
        Steps                     9406

Wednesday
        Breakfast             1 pack Greek Yogurt with Blueberry
        Lunch                    1 bowl Banana & Mango
        Dinner                  1/3 bowl Fish, matchbox size Chicken, 1 mini cookie cup
        Steps                     11036
        Kg Loss                 0.2 (weight loss from last weigh-in on Friday)

*I only weigh the day after, e.g. Thursday’s weight loss is determined by weighing on Friday morning. I do not weigh myself on cheat days to recovery days. My weight on Wednesdays should be equal or less than that of my Friday weight. So I really only lose weight on mid-Wednesdays to Fridays.

If you think my diet for every day is too extreme, here is yesterday’s meal log which is a bit more than what I usually eat.

        Thursday
                Breakfast             1 pack Greek Yogurt with Honey
                Lunch                    ¾ large French Fries, 3/5 of 1 scoop Baskin Robbins Chocolate ice cream
                Dinner                  ½ bowl Mango, Assorted Meat (2 chicken drumsticks, 1 thin slice of beef, etc)
                Steps                     7341
                Kg Loss                 0.2

AFTER



I actually started cutting down rice a few months before I started this diet-exercise routine. I only pushed myself to really get moving on June 20, 2014. My weight tally started May 15, 2014.

During the period of May 15 to July 31 or two and a half months, I’ve already lost 7.3kg or 16 pounds.

I can now fit into my old pants and the jacket we bought last March that was too tight for me is already loose. I still do not have a body I can call “sexy” but I am not overweight anymore (according to my BMI). I am committed to losing more pounds and eventually having a more healthy diet (and maybe start doing intense exercises in the near future). I can only starve myself for so long. What I really aim for is to be able to eat the things I want (but in moderation) and not gain back the pounds I’ve lost. So there you go. 16 pounds gone, 7 to go (but ideally, plus 8 more).


Forgive me for I still don't have any decent pictures because although I am quite happy with the results, I haven't achieved my desired weight and shape yet. I hope you can see the effect though. I didn't measure my waist but I am able to wear some pants that only went up to my thigh. There's less friction in my thighs LOL. My arms fit previously tight-fitting sleeves and my side bulges are less evident. So there's that. I shall have more pictures when I'm 7 pounds lighter so you may see the difference more clearly. 



HERE'S TO LOOKING GOOD AND FEELING BETTER!


*AGAIN, please consult a professional if you want to lose weight the right way. The effects this diet had on me were headaches and dizziness due to low blood sugar levels. I am now trying to resolve that issue. Do not copy my diet-exercise because we have different bodies and your body may react differently to what I did. I am not responsible for anything that may happen to you if you follow my diet. I am not a professional. I am simply sharing the diet that worked for me.





Sunday, June 1, 2014

Happy 1st Birthday to my blog!

Forgive me for not updating as much. I was not in the zone. Anyhoo, I received an e-mail from blogger a few days back telling me that my blog is already one year old, so congrats for that!

And because that is something worth celebrating, I'm uploading a quick video (for my non-existent readers haha). 

A quick background on the video:

1. I have this massive pimple on my cheek. Get over it.
2. You may have noticed that the outline of my lip is quite red. That was the result of trying on a cute lipstick I bought in Japan that unfortunately made my lips swell like crazy a few weeks back. Right now, my lips are still recovering. The outline is really red and dry. So yeah, that sucks.
3. That is my usual make-up routine when going out when I have the time to be glammed up. When I don't have the time, I usually skip the liquid contouring and highlighting. I just use powder for that. 
4. The products used in the video are the ones that are in my make-up bag. The only variation of my looks is the color of the lipstick I'm wearing that day. I'm not much of an eye shadow fan. I usually skip it.
5. No hate please cause my skin really isn't at its best right now. And next time I'll adjust the angle so you won't have to stare at my double chin hahaha. 
6. Everyone is beautiful, flaws included. You are beautiful. I am beautiful. Let's spread love and not hatred okay? :)



Watch in at least 480p please? :D Sorry for the crappy quality. The sun was too bright. Shot & edited using an iPhone5s with apps iMovie & Givit. 


Thursday, January 16, 2014

Makeover: Everyday Makeup (Updated Contouring)


So there I am wearing no make-up with my bestfriend, my Canon 60D.

For this tutorial, I won't be putting any eye shadow at all. I opted to skip this for an easy and quick (ish) everyday look. 


The products
Most of these products are from ELF cosmetics. I recently purchased so much stuff because their US site was on sale!

Steps:

1. Prime  your face
I used ELF's mineral-infused primer. Using primer is really important because it can hide your pores, make the foundation glide smoothly on your skin and make your make-up last longer. You can apply it using your hands.



2. Put on foundation
I used Graftobian's cream foundation. You can actually skip the contouring in your foundation & just do step #5 if you lack the time.

I started my contour & highlight in my foundation using three shades: (pictured L-R) 1) a lighter shade (compared to the color of my face) on the lower part of my forehead, under my eyes, on the bridge of my nose, on the cupid's bow and on the laugh line 2) a darker shade on the outlines of my face, under the cheekbones, on the sides of my nose and under my lower lip (to make the lips look bigger) 3) the right shade (that matches my skin color) to blend the contour & highlight.

I used Real Techniques brushes


After applying the foundation, blend onto skin and make sure there aren't any visible harsh lines.


3. Set your foundation
I used ELF's translucent HD powder. I used a translucent one so that the shading & the highlighting from my foundation would still show. I just started using this powder. Back then, just recently, I was still using colored powder to set my foundation just because it was the only one I had and also because I would also use it to correct the color of my face if I used a much lighter/darker foundation. So now that I have acquired this translucent foundation, I think I'll be sticking to it (but I will also keep my colored pressed powder inside my bag for retouches).




4. Fill in your eyebrows
If you have perfectly groomed eyebrows, there is no need for you to add this to your quick, everyday make-up routine but if your eyebrows need a little help, go ahead. I used ELF's eyebrow kit: shape with the gel first and then set it with the eyebrow powder. Make sure not to go too dark in filling in the start of your eyebrows (near the tear ducts of the eyes) as that may look very harsh & unnatural.



An optional step, you can put eyebrow tint to match the brown eyebrow powder you used to fill in your brows.



5. Contour/Bronze up
Pick a bronzer or matte brown powder (with ashy tones: grayish not orangey) and apply it to parts of your face you want to push back. I used this to outline my face. I also put it under my cheekbones and on the sides of my nose.

Not all faces are of the same shape so my contour will not suit all faces. All you need to know is that you should apply contour on parts of your face you want to push back. If you have a wide forehead, you can apply contour on the temples and/or on the upper part of the forehead. If you have a wide face, you would want to apply contour on the sides of your face. If you have a very long & sharp chin, apply it on your chin. If you don't have pronounced cheekbones, apply it under your cheekbones So basically everything you want to hide and push back, apply contour.




6. Apply blush
I think anyone can never go wrong with a pink blush. Remember to build up. Do not put too much all at once because it is harder to blend. Put blush on your cheekbones just above your contour: from your hairline up to the end of your eyes. Be careful if you add blush way past the end of your eyes because your face might look too droopy.


I used a blush from The Balm.


7. Lips
If you have naturally moist pink lips, well then I am envious of you but if you don't, do not fret because lipsticks exist. For an everyday look, use pink or nude lipsticks. You can also use lip tints for a more natural look. If you are just a naturally adventurous girl, go for a bold statement lip.

I used ELF's matte lip color in Red. It actually turned into pink because I used a white lip primer underneath. It didn't end up red but I loved the pink color it transformed into.



8. Eye lashes
You wouldn't know the difference curling and putting mascara on your eyelashes make until you do so. You might want to skip this part if you do not have time but doing this makes such a huge difference (not too much but you get my point). You won't be doing your eye shadow anyway so another thing to do to make your eyes pop is to define your lashes.



So that's it! Do you think I need to start making videos or is it better to have picture tutorials? 














Friday, January 10, 2014

Depotting Lipsticks: Z Palette

Recently I bought a Z Palette abroad and had it shipped here in the Philippines because it is more expensive in the Philippines  (and we also bought some other items abroad so they'd just be in one package). I also bought tiny magnetic pans for it. Z Palettes are magnetic cases with a clear cover. They are used to store make-up products. I chose to use Z palette for depotting my lipsticks instead of the Japonesque empty lipstick palette (which can store a bigger volume of the lipstick) because I didn't want to empty out the lipstick. In my Z palette, I can choose how much of the lipsticks I will depot. The magnetic pans, used to store makeup or in this case lipstick, have many sizes you can choose from.


You can search facebook or instagram shops that sell Z Palettes. Pure Beauty stores carry them too (they have branches in serendra, trinoma, alabang).


What you will need:




magnetic pans

spatula

tissue

lipsticks

pen & paper (or stickers)
 Steps:

1. First step is to take note of the name of the lipstick. List down the brand and the color in paper or better yet, write it on a sticker label and place it on the back of the pan.


2. Scoop out a small amount of the lipstick using your spatula. If you do not own one, you can use a butter knife or anything of similar use.


3. Push the product onto the pan and spread. 



 4. Clean your spatula. And repeat all the steps.


End Product


The List

2nd row of lipsticks not included in the picture above

Alternative:

You can also melt your lipsticks onto the pan but I didn't see the sense of making it pretty because it will look messy if you use it anyway. You can also opt to buy a similar-looking palette from Props Tools and Cosmetics. I think I saw one in their stall during a bazaar. Happy depotting!

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Review & Makeover: H&M Cosmetics

When we went to Hong Kong, I had a make-up haul from H&M. A few years ago, I bought an eye shadow palette from their store and it became my go-to eye shadow because of its handy size and great range of colors. Then, about a year ago I stumbled upon their lipsticks and I bought a few. I fell in love with some of the dark colors. After which, I decided to have this massive haul because I seldom encounter stocks of their make-up line. 

This tutorial makes use of the available make-up products of H&M Hong Kong. I was not able to find foundations & blushes from them so I made use of other brands.

non-H&M products used
                             

1. Prep your skin with primer.
I used Benefit's That Gal brightening face primer. I applied it all over my face using my hands.



2. Contour & Set
I used Graftobian cream foundation in 3 shades. You can opt to just use one foundation that matches your skin tone.

                                      

Applied it using the foundation brush of the double-ended make-up brush by H&M. The foundation end of this brush is okay for personal use but do not drown it in product because the bristles clump together (which will then produce streaks on your face). 


First applied the foundation that matches my color all over the face. Next, I applied the lighter color under my eyes, on the lower part of my forehead, on the bridge of my nose and on my chin. I then applied the darker foundation to the outer parts of my face, under the cheekbone and on the sides of my nose.

(Optional Step)
I intensified my under eye highlight using the Mac Prep & Prime highlighter. After blending it onto my skin, I set it with my Revlon ColorStay pressed powder. Remember when using cream products, you have to set it with powder so that the product will stay put on your face.



3. Bronze & Blush

Using the blush of the double-ended H&M brush. The blush end is average. I think the brush is too big for my cheeks so I sometimes push the bristles together a little bit so that I won't have blush all over my face. I applied H&M's Bronzer in Dark Tan as contour As you can see with the lack of label in the H&M bronzer, I have been using this product a lot. I also applied blush from The Balm.

                       
                       

To blend out any harsh lines, I used H&M's kabuki brush. To be honest, I hate this brush. The bristles fall out very easily so don't buy it.




4. Fill in your brows

I used the brown eye shadow in this palette. 


I used the angled brush in this double-ended brush because it's the brush you need for eyebrows. Do not use the brush included in the palette.


As you can see, I have thick eyebrows so what I do is just fill it in with eye shadow to make it appear more solid.


5. Eye shadow & Liner
I only used 1 eye shadow brush for this. Tee hee. The eye shadows were fine. They were a bit chalky and not very good pigmentation but good enough for personal use.

                                     

Using the first 3 colors in the palette, apply the pink eye shadow all over your upper eyelid. Layer the purple shadow onto the crease.



Apply the white-ish shadow on the lower part of your lid and put purple eye shadow on your lower lash line. Finish it off by outlining your upper eyelid with H&M's gold liner.


I didn't actually like the consistency of the gold liquid eyeliner because it doesn't apply smoothly but it was cheap enough for a product that you wouldn't be using often.


6. Curl & Mascara

I don't actually mind mascaras too much. I think they all do the same thing. What really matters is how much coats you put on. Or maybe I just haven't found a really great mascara that will stand out. I used H&M's Volume Mascara.

                                      

7. Lipstick
H&M have awesome lipsticks. They are very pigmented and they have dark colors...so YAY. One thing I don't like about these lipsticks..when you have dry and chapped lips, they don't look nice. Some lipsticks on the other hand moisturize my chapped lips so that's one thing but don't worry. Scrub your lips first and then put on lip balm, wait for a while and then put on these lippies.


Also available in H&M is this set of lip glosses. I don't think you can actually go wrong with lip glosses because just like mascaras, if it does its job it's okay with me. These make nice presents if you ever have the need to buy one for a friend's birthday for example.


I applied Pink Fool and the pink lip gloss for that extra shine.



That's it...