The World is my Playground

If there is one thing that has helped me lose weight, it's actually paying attention to the calories that I eat. A sure fire way of losing weight is to eat less than what your body needs to burn. So, first thing you need to do is to check how much your body needs. It depends on your height, weight and the activities that you do in a day. An average female needs about 2,000 calories daily. According to this calculator, I need about 1,600 calories to maintain my current weight. Now, to lose weight, I'd need to consume less than that and burn more by exercising. (To lose one pound, a person must burn 3,500 calories more than are consumed - 500 calories per day over the course of a week).



Here's just a few tips of what I've done to slim down: ( I actually got a few things on the list from a magazine)



1. Stop drinking calories - Do you know how much calories there are on softdrinks and juices? A can of coke has 143 calories, a 12 oz Iced tea has about 105 calories, and a Mocha Frappe Venti w/o whipped cream has 380 calories! Since I needed to save those calories for food, I just drank water or if Im really craving for something sweet, I'd drink Coke Light. My friends do enjoy hanging out in Starbucks and it's not as if I want to kill my social life and deprive myself of coffee entirely so I'd compromise and allow myself a tall cup of Mocha Frappe Light which only has 105 calories or better yet, I just get a grande sized hot green tea with honey.



2. Cut back elsewhere when you overeat - Once in a while when I eat out in a fastfood and had a big lunch, or just when I know I've eaten something that is very high in calorie, I'd make up for it by having a small dinner or exercising for some extra minutes to make up for the calories.

3. Make exercise work for you - At home, our threadmill is in front of the tv so that we can exercise while watching and not think about how long we've been walking on it. I also have my rubber mat, dumbbells, and stability ball in front of the tv so I can exercise while watching Gossip girl or the latest Korean drama. Haha. I don't sit in our sofa anymore, I'd usually sit in my stability ball and do crunches during commerical breaks or do hip circles while watching.

4. Find a diet buddy - I was able to motivate one of my friends to lose weight and together we'd talk about diet tips. I also found out one friend of mine who is into marathons. I asked if I can go with her and she had me join their organization. We had planned to join a marathon this coming weekend and I also asked her if I can join her when she jogs aroung the UP Oval. I can't wait for the marathon! One thing more, my brothers have also lost weight through diet and exercise and now, both of them are into muay thai, I plan to try it one of these weekends as well. :) It should be really cool!

5. Eat anything - but in moderation - I do indulge myself with my favorite foods once in a while - I can't possible give up on dark chocolates, blueberry cheesecake, vanilla ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, and other junk foods! Having three bites of cheesecake won't hurt but eating a whole cake will! So what I do is portion control. I allow myself to enjoy but I do set limits as to how much I eat. As they say..Everthing in moderation!

6. Look at the serving size - The Nutrition Facts panel has the serving size and the number of servings per package. Make sure that you are comparing what you eat to what the serving size is. A large bag of chips usually has about 3 servings or a cup per serving. So if you eat a whole bag, then you'd need to multiply the calories to 3. What I do to prevent overeating is to get the smallest size bag that they have available or share the whole bag to all my friends.

7. Never starve yourself - I don't let myself go hungry. This just puts the body in starvation mode and lowers the metabolism therefore making it harder to lose weight. I usually just have 2 - 3 meals and a light snack in between, at 2-3 hour intervals. Snacking on a small pack of happy nuts or other 100 calorie packs help me stave off hunger in between meals.

8. Write down what you eat - My nutritionist before asked me to write down everything that I ate in a day and then at the end of the week, she'd check it to see if I was able to stay on my needed calorie intake. This is a great way of seeing exactly what, where, and when I've eaten and helps me to balance my food intake.

I found some sites which has calorie information and nutrition data of everyday foods as well as popular fast food menus.

Check out this out!
http://www.calorieking.com/
http://www.thecaloriecounter.com/

You probably have seen KC Concepcion in her Metro Cover, Enervon ads, and Bayo billboards scattered around the Metro by now. Notice how trim she is now? She's actually one of my inspirations in really focusing on my goal to lose weight just in time for summer. Haha, it's my dream to pose like that in the beach. (which I did do by the way! When my friends were not looking, I asked one friend to go with me and dragged her towards the farthest end of the beach to take some shots. Lol)

How did KC do it? Through the proven and effective way of eating the right foods and working out :)

Here's an article from the Inquirer about her fab new bod:

MABUHAY!
KC, sexy, cool
By Jenni Epperson
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:56:00 03/06/2008
Most Read
MANILA, Philippines—Fans have been abuzz about KC Concepcion’s new rock-hard body that is all set for the skin-baring summer.

Gone are the last layers of baby fat, now replaced by cuts, abs and muscles that would give Cameron Diaz a run for her money.

The secret behind her fab new bod? A lot of discipline and focus.

KC says she is a disciple of the South Beach Diet, which she has adhered to for months. She’s been snacking on Florabel’s dried mushroom chips, she tanks up on green tea and even malunggay juice! KC is also a pesco-vegetarian, so even her diet is tailor-made for her.

Of course, a good diet works best with exercise, and KC has been doing regular dance workouts with Douglas Nierras. But before you think she’s gone totally cornflake bohemian on us, she does indulge once in a while on Veuve Cliquot. In fact, she popped a bottle after this shoot to share with everyone on the beach.

KC’s love affair with the Bayo label can only get hotter in the coming months. She continues to be the perfect poster girl for Bayo, reflecting its clean, classic, laid-back image yet with lots of style and substance.

“KC is such a joy to work with. We love her just as much as she loves Bayo. And as we’ve said over and over again, we feel so lucky to have her on board. We thank the heavens for such a blessing,” says Bayo owners Cor Bitong and Lyn Agustin.

Bayo’s summer collection is all about explosive colors. Look for a lot of tomato-reds, daffodil-yellows, denim-blues, lilacs, blush-pinks and wild-greens. Add to that nautical details like stripes and color blocks as an anchor element.

Other trends to watch out for are chiffon florals for cover-ups, either in long flowing beach gowns or short kaftans and tunics. Colored jeans and shorts are usually topped with Bayo’s signature graphic tees.

Summer dressing in the city, meanwhile, involves cropped colored cardigans paired with colorful jeans or long cotton dresses.

The Megastar’s daughter is the perfect summer muse to show off Bayo’s bikinis, which come in green, yellow and gray with metal ring details. KC spells sexy.

E-mail the author at jfashion@inquirer.com.ph

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/...0/KC-sexy-cool

I'm also into South Beach, green tea, and dancing (uhmm mine's just in front of the mirror) and have yet to try the malunggay juice. I wonder how that would taste! Should I go to our backyard tomorrow, gather some leaves and dump it in the blender? Hehehe let's see..

I've been drinking green tea everyday for several months now. I'm not talking about the powdered tea you can buy in groceries (that's so loaded with sugar!) or the bottled ones. I'm talking about the loose tea leaves and tea bags that you actually steep in hot water.


Studies show that green tea burns fat faster as it has a thermogenic effect. It produces heat in the body that results in fat burning. It also initiates faster metabolism causing the body to burn fat at a faster rate. It also has anti-oxidants that can prevent cancer, plus so much more benefits. You can google it and read more about the health benefits of drinking tea :)


At home, I use the loose leaf tea. It actually tastes better than tea bags. I drink it without sugar, or sometimes I put in a teaspoon of honey to make it a bit sweeter. I also drink it at work, teabags are better because it is handy plus I usually use 1 tea bag twice. Just don't let it steep for more than three minutes as it will taste bitter.


I think drinking green tea takes some time getting used to. Specially if you don't put sugar in it. Hehe. What I usually do is buy teas with added flavor in it. Lipton has peppermint and lemon green tea. A bit pricier is Twinings. It comes in a box of 20 tea bags and 5 different flavors. You can also try the ones you can buy in Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. It tastes great as well plus it's really smells good. I love their strawberry flavored and japanese cherries green tea. :)

I usually drink it hot and sugarless, but sometimes I steep it in just a little bit of hot water then pour in ice and cold water plus some sugar substitute or honey to spice it up. In a day, I drink about 4-6 cups of green tea (2-3 tea bags in a day)





On another note, I just want to share what I found online. I've always loved the Iced Tea in Wendy's. It's a recipe for their tea:



1 big glass of water (1/4 hot)
1 Lipton tea bag normal flavor
1 Lipton Green tea bag
1 lemon
Sugar (or sugar substitute)
Ice cubes

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Perhaps you've heard about drinking 8 glasses of water a day. It not only is the best beauty treatment but it also helps in weight loss. This is one of the first few things I did when I went on a diet. I would drink a glassful of warm water before eating any meal. This really helps decrease appetite as your stomach will feel full.

The first few days of drinking more water than what you normally drink can be quite a hassle. When I did it, I was going to the restroom constantly. This can get discouraging and can interfere with your normal activities but it is normal. What happens is your body gets rid of the "excess" water that it is storing in your body. Often times people drink less than what they need to and this warns the body to go on "survival mode" and store up on water. But once your body realizes that you are drinking enough, it gets rid of its stores and thinks that there is more coming so it doesn't need to hold water anymore. It just flushes every excess water out of your body! So don't worry about drinking a lot of water and getting bloated on the process.

Wondering whether to drink warm or cold water?

A lot of experts are debating about how cold water helps in weight loss as it requires more energy to burn, but it should also be noted that warm or room temperature water is easier to digest, therefore allowing you to drink more. So I'd say drink either! It doesn't really matter as long as you're drinking enough.

If water looks boring to you, spice it up by adding lemon or pandan! If you're going to UCC, ask for their lemon water and if you want to eat lugaw in Lugawan Republic, ask for their water! It takes like pandan.

Both are free so don't hesitate to ask for more :)

Some articles you might want to read:

Why Drinking Water Really is the Key to Weight Loss

Water: How much should you drink every day?

The amount of water you should drink depends on your weight, try the calculator here: Are You Drinking Enough Water?

I resigned from work last November 2007 and studied Nursing for a semester (ok, don't ask me why! That's gonna be a long story. Hehe). One day while doing a group project, I ran and turned around hastily when I remembered something I left outside. I then felt an excruciating pain in my lower back and was unable to move or walk without me screaming in agony. I thought the pain will go away but it did not. I was still unable to walk, move and bend by the next day so I decided to see a doctor to know what's going on. They had my back x-rayed. The doctor explained to me the results. He said the pain was only caused by muscle spasms and a good heat massage and a couple of muscle relaxers in the next few days should help me. I was glad I didn't slip a disc! Then he said that although I'm okay, the space in front and on the back of my 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae are not equal. The back has less space between the bones. He said that this could be caused by undue pressure on my back and that I should try to lose some weight and avoid sit-ups and lifting heavy objects for some time.

What he told me finally made me realize that I REALLY need to lose weight and it firmed up my resolve to do it seriously and religiously this time around.

I first set out a goal for myself. I weighed 128lbs that time and I wanted to be at 100lbs. Now, this is not a random number I picked up. I based it on what is going to be healthy and normal for my height as what this site suggests. I also wanted to be realistic with my goal and that I want to be on that weight in 3 months.

I started a weight journal and this is what my original measurements are:

21-Feb-08
Weight: 128lbs
Bust: 38in
Waist:31in
Hips: 37in
Arms: 13.5in
Thighs:21.5

11-Mar-08
Weight: 120lbs
Bust: 38in
Waist:30in
Hips: 36in
Arms: 12in
Thighs:20in

May 2008
Weight: 104lbs
Bust:35in
Waist:27in
Hips:35
Arms:10.5in
Thighs:19in

You can only imagine my delight that I'm seeing results! I was glad I wrote down my numbers otherwise I really wouldn't have any idea whether Im losing or not. This motivated me more to continue pursuing my goal.

I also found out a good site to see how you'd look like at certain weights. The Virtual Model was originally designed as a way to help people shop for clothes. Stores such as Sears, H&M, Adidas and Land’s End have My Virtual Model-equipped sites where both men and women can enter information about their body type and see clothes as they will look on their body.

If you sign up and try it, you can change the virtual model’s body shape, bust size, waist definition, height, weight, age, shape of the eyes, nose, lips, and face, skin tone, hairstyle and hair color. Then when you pick a piece of clothing you can see it on your virtual model, giving you a good idea of how it will look on you. Now it can also be used for diet inspiration by letting you enter in your current weight and your goal weight and actually get two different models to show you how you look now compared to how you will look after you lose the weight.

That's exactly what I did! Here is my virtual model with my starting weight and my goal weight:



I'm proud to say that as of this day, I currently weigh 104 lbs, my clothes look better and I feel so much more healthier and happier. :-)

In the next posts, I'll share with you what I've done to finally lose weight!

I was not really overweight. I was more of what you'd say a "chubby" girl or someone with a "healthy" body. I'm 5'0 tall and on my heaviest, I weighed 128lbs and my BMI is 25. Technically that still is within the healthy range for my height. BMI (Body Mass Index) or the amount of body fat based on height and weight should be between 19-25 to be considered within the normal range. If I just add 2 more pounds, my BMI would be 25.4 and I'd be considered overweight! (If you want to know what's the healthy weight for you, you can check out this site)

I lost weight when I was in college, back then I was around 110 lbs. I started dieting and going to the gym. Sad to say my weight ballooned when I started working. I worked for a callcenter and I was in technical support. So you know the scenario: graveyard shift, stressful work, overtimes, irate customers, guy teammates, and money to spend! In my first team, I was the only girl and I was in a company of guys who love to eat all day! After a few months, I was barely able to wear anything that I have in my closet.

I decided to start going to the gym again. I used to go to Red Corner in Intercon Hotel and then became a member of Fitness First for almost 3 years . Those times, I'd lose and gain a few pounds but never really anything that I was able to keep off for long. I also did the South Beach diet, I lost 10 lbs on my first week in Phase1 of the diet. Then I went on vacation with my friends and for 7 days, we were in Bacolod pigging out and trying out the different restaurants! It was such a fun experience but caused me to gain 6 pounds.

I've always tried to eat healthy and cut out bad fats and carbs from my diet and exercise regularly but I wasn't getting the body I wanted nor seeing the results I want to see. I've worked with personal trainers and a nutritionist so you can say I've learned a lot about what to eat right and what to do to lose the weight. I was just very impatient because Im not seeing the results so I'd stop for awhile then start the cycle all over again.