In my mind...

SALMON RECIPES (For all salmon lovers out there, this ones for u)

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 12:15:00 GMT

Well those who know me better know that I absolutely love salmon. These 2 dishes I only made out of myself (I love to experiment foods). Anyway for all salmon lovers out there, this ones for you :)

SPICY SALMON OMELET (TORTILLA DE SALMON)

Ingredients:

Main filling:

- 2 whole eggs beated (you can use 4 egg whites OR 1 whole + 1 egg white if you want)
- 100g (1/2 cup) wild salmon, chopped
- 50 g cheese

Seasoning:

- 4 red/green chili peppers (if you don't like it spicy, lessen the contents or just use red/green bell peppers)

- 2 cloves garlic, chopped

- 1/2 cup onions, chopped

- 10g spring onions (half for marinate and half for garnishing)

- 1 tsp salt and pepper, celery powder or any seasonings you like

- 2 tsp lemon juice (optional)

Instructions:

1. Season the salmon and let it stay for 15 mins.

2. Then on the baking pan, put a tsp of olive oil or few sprays of cooking oil spray and then put the fish mixture and bake the fish for 20 mins.

3. On the pan, place the beaten egg on low heat until 90% cooked. Then put the baked salmon on the center part of the cooked egg then topped it the cheese and the remaining spring onion before wrapping the mixture with the egg. Cook for 5 more minutes or until the egg is fully cooked

Serve with either fried rice, steamed veggies or toasted bread.

Calories (per serving): 575
Fat: 4
Carbs: 28

Protein: 30

SALMON TACOS

Ingredients:

100g (1/2 cup) Wild Salmon, chopped
200 g (1 cup) Cabbage, shredded
3-4 cloves Garlic, chopped
100g Onion, finely chopped (1/2 for cooking, 1/2 for garnishing)
75g Grated Cheese (or Guacamole)
15g (1 T) Salsa (may not be needed if using Guacamole)
1 chili pepper, chopped (optional)
3 Tortilla Wraps or Hard Shells (whichever you prefer)

Instructions:

1. In a pan, saute garlic and 1/2 the onion in olive oil then add the salmon. Cook for 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked.

2. Then on the tortilla or hard shell, place the cooked fish followed by the remaining onions, shredded cabbage, chili pepper. Top it off with salsa and sprinkle with grated cheese (or simply guacamole). Serves 3 people. Enjoy!

Calories (per serving): 195
Fat: 1
Carbs: 32

Protein: 8

MESSAGE TO OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE: DON'T JUDGE A SLIM PERSON BY HIS/HER BODY

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 02:53:34 GMT

OK so we are all here in this site for the purpose of getting fitter & support. I know that the vast majority of people here are geared towards weight loss & while I understand their frustrations especially whenever there's hardly any progress at all but what I find especially sad is that they seem to question those seemingly 'fit' looking people (e.g. people with abs or those in bikinis) being here on this site as well. It also hurts to see some forum posts by some people judging us as show-offs or "know-it-all" (the latter applies to those fitness professionals who are here in MFP).

First of all MFP is not a weight loss site, this is a fitness site & therefore people of all shapes & sizes should be welcomed here whether you want to lose/gain weight, maintain or to tone up to get ripped. Whatever our goals are as long as we have the same aim of getting in shape then there should be no question.

Second is that some of these people, myself included, have also been overweight (obese in my case) for some time & we just reached our goals a bit ahead of you and the reason that we still stick around here is to maintain weight or to gain muscle. Like in my case, people who don't know me well or those who have just met me recently thought that I never became fat in my whole life. They don't know the struggle that I had to go thru just to get here where I am now. Truth is that just 4 years ago, I was +75 kg (170+ pounds) & 43% body fat which are considered obese for my 5'2 frame plus I have PCOS & type 2 diabetes, not to mention that I was very sickly then. Because of my weight, I could hardly walk short distance & there wasn't a day when I wouldn't complain of aching knees & hips, let alone my sleep apnea & other health problems. Since I have those illnesses, it took me 3 looong years to get me where I am now. Remember that reaching your goal weight is only half the battle won, the other half (and the more difficult one) is weight maintenance.

Third is slim body =/= fit. We may think that slim people don't need to be at this site because they are already thin but we never know if these people are suffering from "skinny-fat" or sarcopenic obesity in medical terms. You know, those people who appear slim but have belly pot, cellulite or flabby arms & legs. Being skinny-fat is not good, not only in how we look in a bikini but more so in health. We all know that being skinny-fat means having low muscle mass but with a high body fat percentage & therefore have twice the health risks as the fat-fat people because of it. The top reasons that some people end up like this are poor diet & sedentary lifestyle. Or if they may exercise, they only concentrate on aerobic workout & skipping weight training. Also trying to lose weight by dieting alone will make you one as well. In other words, they are slim but out of shape.

So next time you see a slim, athletic looking or a ripped person here in MFP, be more open-minded to things & don't just assume that s/he need not be here or that s/he is just trying to show off & making you feel more intimidated. You never know what this particular person had been or is going through in his/her life.

My Personal 10 Commandments on Dieting

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 02:02:30 GMT

1. Thou shall treat food as thy body's fuel so eat only what thy body needs

2. Thou shall eat only what is necessary for thy body. Thy body doesn't need junk foods, sodas, sugary drinks & stuff, in fact it is just outright bad for thee

3. However if thou feel like having a slice of cake or a scoop of ice cream, go for it but make sure that it fits thy daily calorie budget otherwise just save it for tomorrow. (sorry I don't believe in cheat days, I used to have that but I'm just not disciplined enough that it just made me binge on those days so I would rather have a small piece or bite of those whenever I have cravings)

4. Thou shall not eat below thy BMR

5. Thou shall not think about thy need to diet, what thy need is to change thy lifestyle

6. Honor thy muscles, feed it with adequate protein

7. Thou shall not covet your neighbor's food, even left over ones

8. Thou shall not raid the fridge come midnight

9. Thou shall eat only when thy hungry. Most of the time, thy body is only craving for water.

10. Thou shall not give up after a slip up

CONFESSIONS OF A FORMER VICTIM

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 13:04:00 GMT

Yes you read it right, I was a victim of several circumstances both weight loss related and not. People in real life thought that I live a life of a millionaire or that I must be very good but little did they know the other side of me. I'm a very secretive person that not even those who know me personally knows everything about me including my past experiences. Anyway like what I said, my life is far from perfect. In reality I have been through a lot of dark moments in my life although I admit that part of the reason of my being secretive is because those people that I know personally are very judgmental & that they would take it like I'm a demon. I was raised in a strict Roman Catholic family & that both my parents, most of my relatives are very active in the church & are a bit crooked when it comes to issues that they think are immoral. But here I am writing about this as I think this is the right place where everyone knows that we aren't perfect, unlike in real world.

1. There was a time wherein I took a diet pill with some illegal drugs that resulted in my only eating as low as 150 calories a day! The only positive thing was that I never went into anorexic stage but I almost got there. Yes believe it or not but I had an ED when I was 19, only that I never went stick thin because of my naturally muscular build. The main reason was that I keep hearing hurtful comments about my weight from my nosey Filipino relatives on Mom's side (my Mom is a Filipina) that I got all fed up. It happened that I got most of my genes including my body from my Hispanic Dad's side who mostly are pear-shaped & have bigger frame while my sister, mom & the rest of her family were all small framed skinny, the classic Asian built.

2. I was hypnotized, robbed & sexually molested by one freaking pedophile that resulted in me having lost my graduation ring. I really didn't know what made me trust that old man, I guess its the hypnotism or my young age then. Again this happened when I was 19.

3. When I was a kid, I was badly discriminated at school. I would always come home crying with bruises on my body because of what my male classmates did. When I was in high school, some male classmantes also molested me although in the end, I gave them a punch in their penises that made them cry, hahaha.

4. I actually tried commiting suicide before when my first boyfriend left me but ultimately my attempts failed. There was no other woman involved of our break-up. The reason was my family & since I was still studying and very young at that time so I was totally financially dependent on my parents & so I had no other choice but that experience hurted me a lot. I realized that I was very weak emotionally.

5. I learned drinking alcohol early in my life but I only started to drink much of it and be drunk when I reached 21 years old. My first taste of cigarette was way back when I was 12 years old. Little anyone know that these two were my best friends and the ones that I succumbed to whenever I feel bad.

6. Out of my immaturity & my rebel attitude I met my ex (I admit we made it out during our first meeting) and then I secretly married him, all happened in less than a year. We never lived together and we got separated after 4 years. I deeply regretted it but couldn't tell it to anyone but my boyfriend and worse is that there is no divorce law in the country where I live (weird but its true) and add to that the ultra conservative attitude of the locals here that no guy would be able to accept me if they found out my past. So right now I'm saving money so I can get outta here and marry my current boyfriend in his country of origin (he knows about this by the way)

7. I slept with one of my bestfriend's close friend after our drinking session. The reason: drunkeness.

8. I slept with a co-worker five times even if we weren't officially as he had a girlfriend. The reason: for a job transaction. Ya I know its bad & I totally regretted it.

9. I once had this guy that I only spoked to via SMS and when we finally met, it turned out to be a one night stand. Reason: same with #6.

To make my long blog short, I was a victim of discrimination, ED, body issues, alcohol, sexual abuse, nicotine and distorted mindset.

As weird as this may sound but I feel grateful that I experienced these things now that I changed a lot. Although I had to learn everything the hard way but at the same time, its the very same thing that makes me stronger and more open-minded. Judge me if you want but I don't think I would be like this now if hadn't for these dark moments in my life.

Jackie's "Diet" & Workout Routine

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 07:35:19 GMT

So I don't know if this post is something special but I just want to share with you the things that I do on a daily basis. (I'm open to all constructive suggestions by the way)

DIET:

I actually don't diet & I eat all I want however I make sure to eat in moderation. You can still see some McDonald's, cakes, ice creams etc. on my diary although not on a daily basis. My food diary mainly consists of Spanish, Latin American or Filipino foods (I'm in Philippines so that explains it)

BREAKFAST: I hate skipping breakfast & I always make it a point to eat breakfast even if I get up around 10-11am. I'm a heavy breakfast eater & I consider it as my main meal. My typical breakfast consists of the following:

Rice, coffee, red meat (corned beef, burger or loin) or fish & fried egg. On weekends when I have no work, I make my own tuna/salmon omelette with fried rice.

LUNCH: On weekdays at work, I eat lunch 12 noon but on weekends at home, we typically eat lunch at 2pm. I actually don't get hungry at lunch but I still make sure to eat some so this is my typical lunch:

Chunky chicken wrap in whole wheat pita bread with mayo & cucumber (I hate cucumbers but I'm trying to incorporate veggies) or one beef shawarma wrap. Sometimes if I really feel full, I would just drink a fruit smoothie mixed with whey protein powder

DINNER: This is my typical dinner

200 grams of salmon/tuna/cream dory fish plus 1/2 cup of rice. Sometimes I eat a veggie salad with vinaigrette dressing on the side.

SNACK: I rarely eat snacks but if I do, it is mostly nuts

WORKOUT:

Sunday - 60 mins of vigorous heavy weight lifting (whole body) plus 15 min cardio

Tuesday - 30 min HIIT cardio on stationary bike or 45 min Tae-bo or dancing (hip-hop)

Thursday - circuit training with heavy weights (upper body)

Friday - circuit training with heavy weights (lower body)

Saturday - 30 min HIIT cardio (outdoor running or stationary bike) or 1 hour swimming (freestyle & back stroke) or 45 min Tae-bo

Note that I'm trying to revamp my workout schedule so I can have whole body training 3x a week instead of one day whole body & two day body part split. However I'm having difficult time waking up at 4am even with alarm on & so I do my workouts after work but during that time, I feel too dizzy & tired from commuting (I don't own a car) & so I can only manage to do these things. If you have any suggestions, it will be very much welcome (note that on workdays, I normally wake up 5:30am to prepare for work & by the time I get home, it is past 7pm as I live far from my work)

GENETICS DOESN'T EQUAL BEING DOOMED

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 15:37:21 GMT

OK how many times we all hear a lot of people say things like I bulk-up very easily, I can't lose weight because I'm big-boned or I have a slow metabolism etc. making it their excuse being overweight or not lifting. Well probably they are partially correct in the sense that they may have that genetics which might be responsible to their bodies BUT (as in a big but) genetics only play a very minor role when it comes to transforming our bodies.

Sure you may got your sluggish metabolism from either your mom, dad, siblings, grandparents etc. who are overweight or have the endomorph type of body but it doesn't mean that you are also doomed to be big forever. I for one has a not so perfect body despite of my gym's body assessment that say I'm a mesomorph. My family background is Spanish, Mexican & Filipino and I got most of my genes including big hips, bigger frame & my metabolism from my Spanish-Mexican grandmother. Even her sisters are also pear, are medium framed & can get fat easily. My Dad is also the same. In contrast, my sister & one of my brothers got their slender bodies from my Filipino mom who looks like your stereotypical Filipino/Asian, petite & small frame, let alone her Chinesey eyes & face. That said, I naturally appear bigger than some of my siblings & it seems that no matter what I do, I will never be as thin as my mom or sister. But now I wear smaller clothes sizes than my mom & sister although I still weigh more than my mom because of my naturally bigger bone structure & muscles (my sister is tall so I can't assume that she weighs the same with my mom). Moreover my curves have changed from a merely pear to an hourglass, thanks to weight lifting.

With hard work & determination to change, no amount of genetics can alter it. Sure some will have to make more effort than others to burn the same amount of calories or to lose weight but nevertheless everyone CAN still get there. As for bulking-up too easily, well one fact is that lifting weights alone will not make you bulk-up so don't worry about that. As they say "Abs (or any muscles in particular) are made in the kitchen & not in the gym" so whether you like to lose fat or gain muscle, remember that the majority still come from nutrition & not genetics nor exercise. Those VERY RARE people who only constitute less than 10% of the entire female population worldwide, have the genetics that predisposes them to gain muscle easily still won't get bulk unless they eat on a surplus. The only difference between these people & the average ones is how rapidly they can gain muscle but they will never lift heavy weights then sleep then wake up the next morning with big biceps or a muscly body. Also you can't bulk-up when you're in deficit, that's the fact unless you're a beginner or morbidly obese. Let alone the insufficient testosterone levels that we women have to gain big muscles like a man.

In other words, Nutrition + Training = RESULTS. Those are the main keys & not genetics.

What Those “Incredible” Fitness Claims Really Mean

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 03:13:33 GMT

Diet and fitness products sometimes use marketing phrases similar to ads selling real estate or used cars, according to Glenn Cardwell, nutritionist and author of the book "Diet Addiction".

He says that the phrase "house with an ocean view" can mean "only seen by standing on the roof". "House that is a handyman's dream" can mean the house is a dump and needs many repairs.

When it comes to cars, we all know that the phrase "slightly used" isn't always what it seems. Here is his interpretation of common phrases used in the marketing of weight loss products.

· "Amazing new discovery!" means "Old idea repackaged”.
· "Lose 12 pounds in a week!" means "Lose a lot of muscle and water."
· "Inexpensive" means "expensive for what you get".
· "Weight loss made easy" means "If we say it is hard work, you won't buy our product."
· "Feel wonderful!" means "Feel tired, irritable, and constipated."
· "No exercise necessary!" means "We're telling lies."
· "Results guaranteed or your money back" means "Results guaranteed for the first week only. After that, it's your problem!"
· "Keep the weight off!" means "By the time you realize it doesn't work, you'll probably blame yourself for the failure".
· “Scientific breakthrough” means “The only breakthrough is how to pull the wool over your eyes”.

Exaggerated promises.
Fitness authority Liz Neporent has written extensively about the claims made by fitness and weight loss infomercials. She claims consumers are usually hoodwinked by exaggerated promises. Here’s her definition of those catchy phrases (from her article “The Ten Commandments of Buying Fitness Gadgets on TV”):

· “Lose 30 pounds in 30 days”. The fact is, no one can accurately predict how much or how fast you'll drop weight. You should be wary of anything that guarantees quick, permanent results.

· “Melts fat from your hips, thighs or stomach”. There is no way to diet or exercise away fat from a specific part of your body. This so-called "spot reducing" – one of the most oft-mentioned pledges you'll see in ads for fitness equipment – is simply a physiological impossibility. Period.

· “No sweat, no effort”. No dice. If you're not working hard enough to work up a sweat, you're not working hard enough. Exercise doesn't have to be grueling and painful, but if it's effortless, don't expect results.

· “Total-body workout”. On many machines, the arm mechanism is linked to the leg mechanism, so even though your arms are pumping, they're just along for the ride. You aren't getting a better workout, and you aren't necessarily burning more calories.

· “Get fit in minutes a day”. How much fitness can you expect from working out just a few minutes a day? Not much. Most reputable fitness experts maintain that you need to exercise aerobically for at least 20 minutes a session to derive cardiovascular benefits and even longer if your main goal is weight loss.

· "Awarded a US patent." You can patent a nose-hair clipper for mice if you wanted to. To get a patent, you need to have an original idea, not necessarily a good one.

· "Guaranteed or your money back." Read the fine print. The manufacturers may promise that you'll lose four inches in one month – if you stick to a low-fat diet and a far more extensive exercise program.

· "Expert endorsements”. Don't think for a minute that a three-time Mr. Universe built his biceps with some plastic contraption that looks like a model of the Star Ship Enterprise. And never buy anything hawked by an actress who hasn't had a decent gig in more than five years.

Here are more translations of stereotypical marketing phrases in fitness and weight loss ads, according to Page Waehner, website host of Exercise.About.com.

· “Lose weight in just minutes a day!” actually translates to “If you believe this, you're really stupid." Yes, there are some things you can do in just minutes a day and, unfortunately, losing weight isn't one of them.

· "Results may vary," or "Results not typical." Translation: "W e paid this person to say they lost weight with our product." Okay, to be fair, maybe some of these people are real and have seen results, but, like the disclaimer says, those results probably aren't typical.

Be a skeptic.
The United States Federal Trade Commission recommends a "healthy portion of skepticism" when evaluating weight loss claims.

· "Lose 30 Pounds in Just 30 Days." As a rule, the faster you lose weight, the more likely you are to gain it back. Additionally, fast weight loss could harm your health. Unless your doctor advises it, don't look for programs that promise quick weight loss.

· "Lose All the Weight You Can for Just $39.99." Some weight loss programs have hidden costs. For example, some don't advertise the fact that you must buy their prepackaged meals that cost more than the program fees. Before you sign up for any weight loss program, ask for all the costs. Get them in writing.

· "Lose Weight While You Sleep." Claims for diet products and programs that promise weight loss without effort are phony.

· "Lose Weight And Keep It Off For Good." Be suspicious about products promising long-term or permanent weight loss. To lose weight and keep it off, you must change how you eat and how much you exercise.

· "John Doe Lost 84 Pounds in Six Weeks." Don't be misled by someone else's weight loss claims. Even if the claims are true, someone else's success may have little relation to your own chances of success.

· "Scientific Breakthrough...Medical Miracle." There are no miracle weight loss products. To lose weight, you have to reduce your intake of calories and increase your physical activity. Be skeptical about exaggerated claims.

Weight Loss Attitude Traps

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:41:02 GMT

I came across this article which I find very useful as I encounter many people (including me way back before) here on MFP who have these attitudes. Read on:

The five things components for lifetime weight control are lifestyle, exercise, attitudes, relationships, and nutrition. This is according to the Learn Program, the most successful and most thoroughly tested lifestyle change program for weight management. Kelly Brownell, Yale University obesity research expert and creator of the Learn Program, says thoughts and feelings can spell the difference between success and failure in permanently controlling your weight. He says there are four inter-related attitude traps to watch out for: Perfectionist thinking, light bulb thinking, imperative thinking, and impossible dream thinking.

Perfectionist Thinking
Brownell says it is human nature to want to be perfect. But we learn to control this desire because we find out from experience that we can never achieve perfection and we will only be disappointed if we become obsessed with it. Nevertheless, Brownell has discovered that many people who go on a weight loss program unrealistically expect to never make mistakes or to never encounter difficulties and are emotionally crushed when they do. For example, he says perfectionist thinking leads people to expect to lose weight every week. The reality is that some weeks their weight will stay stable or may even go up a bit. This leads to negative feelings of discouragement and self-blame.It is much better to expect to lose weight some weeks and to feel good about the hard work you have put into your commitment even on the weeks when the scale does not budge.

Light Bulb Thinking
A light bulb is either switched on or it is switched off. There is no in-between position. The same is true for people with light bulb or dichotomous thinking. This is also called the “all or nothing” attitude. Brownell notes that light bulb thinking is the classic attitude of people on weight loss programs. In fact, he sees it in nearly every client he works with. “It involves viewing the world and losing weight as either right or wrong, perfect or terrible, good or bad”.He gives the example of a person who for six straight days sticks to their diet and on the seventh day has a piece of cake. Light bulb thinking makes this person think, “I really blew it now. I am off my program”.The guilt and depression at having been “bad” usually leads to more eating to soothe the negative feelings, according to Brownell. To counter light bulb thinking, he suggests talking back to yourself to realize how illogical it is to feel terrible about one slip. Mistakes are inevitable and should be seen in the context of learning from them rather than feeling like a complete failure.

Imperative Thinking
Imperatives are words like “never, always, and must”. Brownell says that the vocabulary of people trying to lose weight is peppered with these imperatives. H gives real-life examples from his many years as a weight loss counselor. “I will eat a salad for lunch every day”. “Chocolate is my downfall so I will avoid it always.” “I will never eat more than 1,200 calories”.Brownell warns that people who feel they should never eat certain foods are especially likely to fall prey to imperative thinking. He says that if you forbid yourself from eating peanuts, you will be fine for a week or two but then you may start to crave and fantasize about peanuts. When you break down and give in, feelings of failure can lead you to a binge not just of peanuts but other types of “bad” food as well. At this point, some people give up trying to lose weight until the next diet comes around.Instead of saying, “I will never eat candy bars”, Brownell recommends saying to yourself, “I will do my best to eat fewer candy bars, but if I have one, it is a sign to increase my control, not to let down”.Instead of promising, “I will exercise every day”, substitute the thought, “This is my goal, and I will do my best to reach it. When I can’t, I will try harder the next day.”

Impossible Dream Thinking
“Impossible dreams” are extremely unrealistic goals or expectations. People may believe that they can easily lose fifty pounds in two months or that losing weight will bring back an adulterous husband. Brownell observes that people are oftentimes not aware that they have impossible dream thinking about their weight loss goals. He cites the case of Audrey, one of his first overweight clients. Audrey had been overweight since childhood and had never had a serious romantic relationship. She would joke that when she lost weight, she would meet the man of her dreams. Apparently, she was serious because she became deeply depressed when she lost all her excess weight and still there was no romance on the horizon. Brownell believes that it does no harm to hope for the best and aspire to improve your life through weight loss but you have to realize that losing weight may not change your life dramatically. He explains that impossible dream thinking can actually make weight loss a disappointing experience when if your fantasy is not fulfilled. His advice? “Concern yourself with what you will do today and tomorrow, not what life will be like when you lose weight”.

I HATE THE WAY PEOPLE STEREOTYPE FAT PEOPLE AS GLUTTONS

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:49:25 GMT

I have been overweight most of my adult life & while I do admit that I didn't care much about calories before which was one of the factors that made me overweight but I never ate anything like as if there's no tomorrow, even at my highest weight of 75kgs/165 lbs. I was overweight for the most part because of the pills that my gyne prescribed me as I have abnormal hormones & I have been taking hormonal pills since I was 13 plus lately because of my PCOS & insulin resistance. However I get many comments from people, including my own relatives when we are at a party or simple gathering. Whenever they see me getting food from the buffet table, I always hear them say "Only get some because there's still plenty of people who haven't eaten yet" or "No wonder you're getting fatter". Yea I know they're just joking but those words really hurt me so much because I've never been eating a whole box of pizza or a whole plate of fried chicken in one sitting, NOT EVEN ONCE IN MY LIFETIME! Now that I'm at my healthy weight of 54.2 kgs. & a BMI of 21.4, people starting to notice me even more & I no longer hear them saying those phrases.

I feel sad whenever I see TV shows that portrays obese people eating 2 boxes of pizza, bags of potato chips plus a 2L coke, I can't help but feel sorry for these people. I really don't understand why the heck the media stereotypes all fat people as if they're gluttons!

We need to understand that obesity is only the end result of many factors, not just by excessive eating. What are these factors? Either medical conditions such as Hypotyroidism, PCOS, Diabetes (like in my case); if the person is undergoing medications for Hypertension, Diabetes, Anti-depressants, etc. that has a side effect of weight gain; or simply genetics. Yea its true there is such a thing as being prone to obese like if both your parents are obese, theres greater chance you will get obese too or if you've been fat since you were a child. Though this doesn't mean that we cannot change what mother nature gave us. Its just that there are some people who loses weight faster than others but we can all lose weight. On the other hand there are also those who are naturally skinny that no matter how much they eat, still they have hard time gaining weight.

So you can pig-out all day & do nothing but still stay slim while on the other side of the fence, you may eat very little & almost kill yourself to the gym but still remain fat. Its due to genetics & not because you overeat your way to obesity!

I wonder why people don't say anything bad when they see a thin person pig-out & yet they make nasty comments whenever they see a fat person eating something? Its because of their narrow-minded point of view on overweight people.

So next time that you want to poke at a fat person whether in the buffet table or just about everywhere you go, think about the real cause first & not just jumping into stupid, insulting conclusions that associate obesity with gluttony!

FROM FLAB TO FAB

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 15:26:58 GMT

I used to be a thin young girl until I reached my puberty stage where I started gaining my weight. When I was 15, I was one of those "bigger" girls in class with a height of 5'0 & a waist line of 32 inches and weighing close to 138 lbs. (pretty much heavy considering my age & my height) & despite taking up Taekwondo classes, I just gained more weight. Despite being a "tomboy" then, I became very conscious on my weight, lost my self-esteem & more importantly my relatives & even my mom started to make some nasty comments about my weight which wasn't helpful at all.

First I did the "after six o clock diet" or not eating beyond 6:00 PM but what I did was more on starvation then come next day, since I had to get up very early to prepare for school so I didn't had time for breakfast & so my daily breakfast consisted of Coke & Pepsi. After which I developed ulcers that I had to be brought to the hospital. Despite of that, I hadn't lost any weight. I decided to stop dieting and just continue to eat normally and just submitted myself to the myth that I will never lose weight since I thought I'm big-boned & also I have abnormal hormones.

A few years later when I was 19, at the time when Bangkok pills were very popular, an overweight classmate & I decided to give it a try & see how fast can it be as we were both curious on it. We divided the pills among us two & in those days that I was taking it, I suddenly felt something different. I felt very light but somewhat dizzy (I had no idea that the pill contained few grams of illegal cocaine) & every morning I had to go to the bathroom. Then as days go by, I saw myself shrinking my waistline from a size 32 to 28 & weight dropped to an all time low of 110 lbs. (imagine how many pounds of water & muscle is in that loss) however I didn't liked how I look in the mirror as I could see my arms & face sagging. After sometime, I ran out of the pill but didn't buy new one anymore since I didn't have money. Then all of a sudden my weight came back, even more! Though I eventually lost it because of so many pressures & stress associated in making those deadly college thesis & also because I was playing basketball in our college. Another few years gone by & now at 5'3, I started to work in a night shift on a data processing company early November. Slowly I saw myself gaining weight once again. I remained overweight until I had an amoebiasis last 2005 that made me lose weight though only very briefly & after just 6 months, my weight came back again. I tried out many diet pills & slimming teas or those laxatives like Xenical & other Chinese diet pills that are sold over the counter, just to name a few. Not to mention that I had sign up in 2 fitness centers on separate years but after only few months, I quit because I was too busy at work & no time for gym. During those times that I was on those pills, laxatives & exercising at the gym, I lost a little weight but in a short span of time, it came back again & more and once again tried out those pills & laxatives. Then I lost & then regain weight once again. The yo-yo cycle kept on repeating itself for about 4 years.

Late 2009 when all of a sudden my weight ballooned from 140 lbs. to 165 lbs., my highest weight ever & an all time high waistline of 36 inches! Suddenly I found myself having nothing to wear at all since all my entire outfit are all getting tighter every week. So I had nothing else to do but squeeze my big body into my smaller pair of 32 inch jeans with the help of a safety pin to had it all up since I couldn't zip it anymore. At the same time, it was that year that I was diagnosed with PCOS after so many years of occassional bleeding caused by my abnormal menstruation & it was there that I learned that the biggest factor of my weight gain was due to taking oral contraceptives and hormonal pill that my gyne prescribed me before. Even worse was that I was already prediabetic beforehand & because of my condition, I also became a full blown type 2 diabetic. On July 2010 came what would be I consider my wake up call. In my pre-employment medical exam findings, I discovered that I had hypertension & my BMI classified me as obese-class 2 or severely obese despite losing 4 lbs. My supposed employer rejected me because of that findings. I felt very sad, depressed & my self-esteem was an all time low. My doctor recommended strict proper diet & exercise 5-6 days a week! I was like, whaaat 6 times a week...uffff???

Me at 165 lbs.

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That made me decide to take charge of my health since I have been so sickly & would always excuse myself from going to work 2-3times per month. I decided to start slow since I don't want to do any crash diets anymore. First I eliminated fruit drinks, iced teas & sodas out of my system & just drank more water. It was a struggle for me at first since I didn't like plain favorless water but eventually I got used to it. At the same time, I did hip hop abs, my first workout, started out 3 times a week. After a month, I added another workout day & at the same time started to eat brown rice. By October, I lost 10 lbs, weight dropped from 161 to 151lbs.

Then all of a sudden, I hit my plateau. My weight remained at 150-155 range for 6 months & worse was that my measurements hadn't changed as well. I even felt more depressed come January when a tailor was taking my body measurements for our office uniform. I felt that I lost weight & could wear a size 31 jeans so I supposed my waist would shrink to 31 inches but voila, the tailor told me it measured 34 inches & not 31 that I hoped for. That made me sad, I thought I had been doing everything I can & then just to see that I was just 2 inches away from my starting waistline of 36. It was then that I decided to eat veggies as a snack & dinner.

Last May, I went to a pharmacy to buy my medicines when I got tempted to weigh myself on the kiosk machine. It said that I had 148 lbs & I was very happy. Finally I was out of the 150 range. After a week while I was exercising at a hotel gym, I saw a weighing scale & decided to weigh myself. There I saw that I was 145 lbs. Another one for me! :D

Me at 145 lbs

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First week of June, while I was doing a research, I accidentally came across this site through google. Since I was so wanting to know the calories I'm eating in, I decided to click the link. From there I saw that this is actually an online fitness community support group & also saw a food diary wherein I can log everything. Since I heard that logging your food is a very effective tool in losing the weight so I decided to give this site a try, anyway its free. So I registered with a starting weight of 145 lbs. As I was logging every food I eat, I get surprised by the calorie content of every food that I eat & also the exercises burned. No wonder I didn't lose weight. I realized that I was underestimating my calorie intake while overestimating my exercises.

After a week of religiously logging all my food & exercises, I decided to have another weigh in. This time my scale shows 142 lbs. WOW! Then came another week & my scale shows 141 lbs. I said to myself WOW this is actually working! Another week has passed & I was now under 140 lbs! This time around I added some strength training exercises. Then 3rd week of June I was down to 135 lbs. & now under the healthy BMI of 24.6. This time around people were starting to notice the big changes in my body & appearance. Some people commented on how great looking I am now which is so flattering. In fact, I had the tailor make some adjustments on my uniforms because it is now too big for me after I tried it on. My waist size dropped to 30 inches.

July came when I decided to enrol in a martial arts class & at the same time added another day of exercise making it 6 days a week. 3 days for cardio & 3 days for strength training. I saw my pounds drop off from 135 to 130 & at the end of July, I was down at 129 lbs, my lowest weight ever after a decade! This time around, more people saw the big change in me & every people I know commented on how much I lost weight & how pretty I am now. I'm getting thinner as days gone by. Waist gone down to 29 inches & I was able to wear my size 29 jeans that I last wore way back when I was 19 years old & with my then weight of 110 lbs!

August came & still getting slimmer, my weight has gone down to 127 lbs. Then 3rd week of August, I was able to reach my goal weight of 125 inches. It is then that I changed my goals from losing 1lb. a week to maintain my current weight but still I keep on losing weight & inches. This time I focused myself more on muscle toning. End of August, I surpassed my goal weight at 122 lbs. & reached my goal waistline of 27 inches. Presently, I weigh 120 lbs. (just weighed in this morning), waist still at 27 inches. This time around everybody who knows me including my online friends commented how slim I am now & I look really great. Men are giving me a second or even fifth look again as I passed by them. My former collegues & other friends who saw my latest pics on facebook even asked me for some advice on weight loss.

Me at 122 lbs.

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Me at my present weight:

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I have never been this slim all my life, not even when I had 28 inches a decade ago as my arms and belly were flabby. This is the first time ever that I wear a size 26-27 jeans, first time to have a toned arms & body. Before I could never imagine myself getting into this weight & size. I was already feeling contented at 140 lbs., my lowest weight since 25, but I had a feeling to lose more if I still could.

After all what I've been through, I learned that with all right attitude, determination, hard work & discipline, anything is possible. All you have to do is believe in yourself, never give up especially when in plateau & be positive enough to believe that you can do it. Weight loss has never been easy for me. It has been a very tough struggle for me. There are times wherein I feel lazy to workout, crave for anything sweet (even if I'm diabetic), I miss eating ice cream & cakes. I miss my powdered orange juice & iced teas, I miss my sodas. There were times that I also want to give up as I got stucked in a plateau for more than 5 months but my inner conscience told me to be patient & soon the pounds & inches will come off. Many times I succumbed to weight loss mistakes & oftentimes failed. Its just that I never let those circumstances ruin my momentum.

I think my greatest weight loss advice that I can give to you is NEVER GIVE UP! Weight loss can be tough. All of us go through hard times. But remember that we are all here in this site to learn & support each other in times like this. If other people can do it, so can you!

(PS: Sorry I'm having hard time putting the pictures. I can't figure out how it works. Tried lowercasing the "img" but it still won't work)