HOW I EMBRACED THE HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND HOW I KEPT ON SHEDDING POUNDS

I will write my blog about my lifestyle change (aka diet) in due course because I haven’t reached my target weight yet. But reading Chrissy’s made me do it. No, not dieting, because I have been dieting for a year now. I’m talking about blogging and inspiring people.

Let me show you my pics when I was at my heaviest

This is me in 2006, around 150+lbs.

This is me, after a year with the ABS POWER DIET. 25lbs. lighter.

And this is me, after gaining around 15lbs. April 2010, Laiya, Batangas

And this is me now, after almost two weeks of strictly following my current diet. Getting toned and firm! :)

And I’m not done yet with this CHEAT TO LOSE DIET. I’m still in my Low G.I. week.

I’ll post an entry again once I achieve my desired weight at around the end of July. But for this entry, I would just like to tell those who are struggling to shed some pounds, how one decision has changed my life.

If may be patterned a bit after Chrissy’s (since she inspired me to write this entry!) but I’m pretty sure you’ll gain a lot of insights as you reach the bottom of the page.

For reference, I’m 5’5 1/2

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I grew up in a family who loves eating and cooking, so you could pretty much imagine how hard it is to tweak my eating habits. We also love dining out. Dining out can be compared to shopping, so every weekend, my family and I would eat in fine restaurants that offer the best meals.

And having a boyfriend who loves eating as well just made the situation harder. And since we share this love for food, we would also eat like there’s no tomorrow.

Eat, eat, eat. That’s all I ever did for a year. It seemed like I could never get enough of eating. Every meal is a feast, because I would stuff myself to my belly’s content, not my mind or heart.

And before I knew it, I could see flabs. Three layers of pancake- like flabs on my belly. My boobs were around 40B, and my hip size is 42. And my waist? It’s 36. 40-36-42: Not a pretty good body statistic.

I used to be 40 pounds lighter before I got to my heaviest in 2006, which is 156+ pounds (this is an estimate. I completely forgot how heavy I was. But I’m sure I was around 150+). But it was a disastrous lifestyle. I would eat normally like what I did, but I would eat less. AS IN LESS. I used to have only 1- 2 meals a day. And 1 out of the two meals, I would replace with beer because I thought that a bottle of beer is equivalent to a cup of rice. And I thought that it was good, because I’m having my calorie and carb intake sans the starch. But I wish I knew better. And the result of that disastrous lifestyle: a slim body, but not a healthy- looking one; loose skin; fat deposits. BUT-- I was slim. I took my theatre performances and work as an opportunity to lose weight by sleeping and eating less. It’s like I already did a fad diet. But boy, I was enjoying my new body. To hell with the negative signs.

And the success of my fad dieting lasted only for as long as I continued with my bad lifestyle. And when I started enjoying eating a lot again, I gained back what I lost—and I gained it back faster than I thought.

Having a fit body is very important in my career. I’m a theatre actress, and I’m no different from the celebrities in the T.V.. I have to keep myself fit if I want to score good roles.

I got so fat, that I didn’t get to join theatre productions. Depression came, and I ate more than the usual. And I got fatter each and every single day.

My friends would tease me and tell me that I’m “pregnant” that’s why I’m gaining weight. The news even reached my superiors in school and they really thought that I was expecting! And I have to end all doubts by bravely saying that “No, I’m just fat”, even if it sucked admitting to others that I am. I’m so disillusioned that time. I still kept on thinking that my body is still okay, even if it’s not anymore. Then my pretty tops and shorts wouldn’t fit me anymore. It came to a point where I have to shop for new clothes. To make matters worse, I have to buy in surplus stores because it’s where they offer plus- sized clothing. My shirt size went from small to large.

Then I started hating the panting after a small flight of stairs, and not being as agile as I used to whenever I swim or play badminton. It sucked because I can’t enjoy what I’m doing best! Then I started despising the bulging belly and my hip that’s as big as a planet.

And all it took was one look at the mirror. I was in my undies, then I mused: I AM GETTING TOO FAT. AND THIS HAS TO STOP.

It only took one decision to change my life forever. I started researching about different diets, ways to eat healthy, and the most effective diet and eating habits. When I came across the one that’s right and do- able for me, I embarked on a journey to lose all my unwanted fat.

But I have to admit that it was not that easy, especially if you’re the type who loves food. After a few days, the old habit starts kicking in again and I would feel depressed because I am missing all the bad stuff. And it’s not easy most especially if you’re dining out or attending an occasion, because you lose your focus with all the food that you see! My diet has become a one-step-forward-one-step-backward process, and I would give up because of the feeling of hopelessness. Losing fat the right way was harder than I thought! I was almost tempted to go back to my crash dieting because it was easier. Two weeks, and the results are dramatic and already visible. But I held on to the adverse effect of crash dieting: ANY DIET DONE THE EASY WAY IS MOST LIKELY TO GIVE YOU MOMENTARILY EFFECTS. With this in mind, I still struggled on my path to fitness.

Dieting and exercise go hand-in-hand. For the other one to give dramatic and faster results, it should be backed up by the other, and vice versa. And it’s not easy, especially for me, who would put exercising in the 100^th place on my 100 things to do before my day ends list. Yep, that’s how much I hate exercising. I was an athletic kid, but I lost my love for it somewhere along the way.

I had a lot of reasons not to exercise. For one, I don’t have money to sustain a gym membership, and to purchase expensive gym gear and clothing. Other petty reasons would be: I am too busy, I have performances in the evening, I have no place to exercise in my house, etc., etc., etc.

But it is very true that if there’s a will, there’s a way. Hubby talked to me about the importance of exercising, and the rest is history. I’ve started exercising, and have found effective and faster ways to maximize a work out. I’ve also found effective ways to burn fat without hiring a trainer or even buying a gym membership. Plus, the discovery of different exercises that are done in 15 minutes, and are more effective in burning fat when compared to hourly sessions in the gym, is like finding gold in books and the Internet. These very effective interval cardio exercises and circuits workouts have made me love exercising more and more each day. And I make it a point that I do my interval cardio and circuit exercises 4 times a week.

And now, to cut this short, I am eating well and feeling well. And most importantly, I’m looking better than before! I’m done with my ABS POWER DIET and I’m happy with the results. I’ve lost 25lbs. in one year. But I fell off the wagon because the ABS POWER DIET is quite hard. And now, I’m halfway through with my CHEAT TO LOSE DIET, and I’m looking better than before! I’m not saying that the latter is better than the former. What I’m saying is, my love for a healthy lifestyle has made me find a lot of ways to lose weight effectively, dramatically, and easily.

But don’t let the EASILY word fool you into thinking that it is “easy”. If you love doing something, everything will be easy. So for those who are having a tough love with dieting and exercise, all it takes is acceptance first. Accept your state, and acknowledge your needs and goals. Then the love comes afterwards.

But don’t fret. Eating healthy doesn’t necessarily mean saying goodbye to burgers, pizzas, fries, sodas, and ice cream for life. Believe me. Diets that only allow you to eat nuts, fishes, fruits, and veggies for life are delusional and IMPOSSIBLE. Unless you have a change of heart and decided to be a vegetarian, then it’s no biggie. But for people who love eating like me, there are diets out there that will still allow you to eat like a King on some days. Isn’t it great? A diet that allows you to eat all the bad stuff whilst still keeping you fit and healthy. If you’re in my position, I bet you couldn’t ask for more.

I’ve been doing the healthy lifestyle for a year now. And here are some tips that made me very successful in my journey:

- Do not call your Diet a “DIET”. Because saying that you are “dieting” may result to momentarily efforts and effects. And once you get your desired look and weight, you let yourself go again. Remember, it’s easy to gain, but hard to lose. If you want to stay in shape for life without going all through the demands of dieting over and over again, MAKE A LIFESTYLE CHANGE. You are dieting because you want to change your life, not your current look or weight.

- IT PAYS TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE. Don’t believe everything that you hear. Read books, and take advantage of technology so you can gain knowledge. Just because I tell you that counting calories are only going to make your diet harder than what it seems, doesn’t mean that I’ve already told you the main principle of calorie intake. Knowledge is your weapon. It also saves you from being carried away with fad dieting and information (most especially on the “blown out of proportion” information on aspartame and artificial sweeteners).

- BE CRITICAL. Here’s why having a lot of knowledge will help you better in choosing the right foods for your diet: E.G. yogurt has become a fad nowadays. And people will tell you that you’re eating the “GOOD STUFF” ‘cos it’s yogurt. Now, here’s where I burst your bubble: If you like eating that “fad yogurt” (I’d like to call it the “fad yogurt” ‘cos stores are starting to grow everywhere like mushrooms! It’s like the local version of Starbucks) because you think it’s healthy, lemme’ give you a reality check by saying that it is not. Here’s an analysis. Sugar and fat are the main ingredients for a yummy desert. And even if your yogurt says that it’s 98% FAT- FREE, then it’s probably loaded with sugar because it still tastes damn good. And sugar loads you up with carbohydrates, which induces Insulin that holds and preserves the fat. So why do you think that these “fad yogurts” are very popular? It’s because they still taste good even if they’re 98% fat- free! If these yogurts are fatless and sugarless, then there wouldn’t be a yogurt phenomenon in the first place. I’m not saying that you can’t have it for life. Just take in moderation.

- REACH FOR THIS, NOT THAT. We have choices in life. And life’s much better if we make smart and healthy choices. So if you feel like snacking on something, grab a fruit, instead of a bag of chips. I know that a bag of Cheetos will taste a thousand times better than fruit, but opting for the healthier choices proves to be better in the long run--- ALWAYS.

- READ THE NUTRITIONAL FACTS, AND FEAR NOT THE CALORIES! It pays to know what you’re giving your body so you should take note of your meal portions. But I’m not saying that you do the math on every item that you’ll buy. That would be plain ridiculous. As I’ve said, calorie counting is not what’s important. Portions are the key to knowing how much you should eat. Read the labels. Check if it’s high in Sodium. If it is, look for an alternative. If it’s high in sugar, look for an alternative as well. Check for the carb and protein grams. But don’t freak out if you see that every food in the grocery has high calories. Dearie, calories are easily burned. The hardest are fat and carb. So don’t stare at the calorie table. It’ll just make you worry about the less important things, and makes you sacrifice the really important ones. Best foods to eat if you want a good amount and kind of calories? Fruits and veggies.

- LOVE. The key to a successful journey is love. Love what you’re doing, and love what you’re eating. There shouldn’t be any place for regret because regret blocks your way to success. So if you’re on a diet, have patience and do not regret the time that you turned down your friends for a night of pizza and beer. You’ll enjoy it some other time, along with a spanking and sizzling new body.

- PLAN. Planning is half winning. So if you’re busy, set your schedule. Foods sold in restaurants may contain unsaturated fats such as vegetable oil, lard, corn syrup, etc. These are bad fats that can stay in your system forever, and may take a lot of time to lose if consumption is prolonged. Planning what to cook and bring assures you that you’re only getting the best out of your meals for your diet.

- SAVE. Diets require a good amount of cash. So if you’re itching to buy new shoes, save it for organic and healthy food shopping. There will always be a thousand pretty shoes. And trust me, it won’t run out.

- HAVE DISCIPLINE. Don’t settle for anything less. If the only visible restaurant you see is Jollibee or McDo, don’t go for it. You can’t keep on telling yourself that: “I’ll just exercise and eat healthy the next day.” This kind of attitude is just going to slow down your progress and will lead you to nothing. If you want faster and more effective results, BE STRICT ON HOW, WHERE AND WHAT YOU EAT. No room for buts and maybes. Follow the plan, and stick to it.

And here are my top 3 hunger busters.

- NUTS. Screw the old belief that nuts are high in fat. Nuts may be high in fat, but they have GOOD FAT. Well, peanuts, on the other hand, should be taken in moderation. And good fats are “Easy to lose” fats.

- FRUITS. Not too much of this though ‘cos they are still high in carb. But to make me feel full and satisfied, I take it in moderation. Who doesn’t love fruits anyway???

- PROTEIN BARS. In different flavors such as chocolate, almond, caramel, etc., with less fat and carbs. I always take high dosages of protein to keep my muscles happy. And if my muscles are happy, I’m lean and toned- looking. And if someone tells you that high- protein diets are dangerous, don’t listen to that person. He/She might be misinformed. As I’ve said, IT PAYS TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE.

And here are some tips on how you can burn, not take, and retain too much fat, without having to sweat a lot:

- TAKE THE STAIRS. For short trips and a longer life, take the stairs.

- WALK. Enjoy walking. It helps you burn some calories. Some is still some. Don’t take it for granted.

- GO EASY ON THE ALCOHOL. Alcohol slows down your metabolism. So if you love it, learn how to control your consumption.

And finally, here are the best insights that I’ve gained from diet experts and trainers. These are randomly typed in the list. All came from Joel Marion, Rachel Cosgrove, and of course, my health freak hubby:

- “You cannot out- train a bad diet.”

- “Eat healthy 90% of the time, and 10% unhealthy of the time.”

- The worst nutrient combination intake ever: CARB+FAT. Because CARB+FAT=INSULIN, And INSULIN+FAT= FAT STORAGE AND PRESERVATION.

- Eating like a king for a day gives your LEPTIN (a body acid) a boost. It’s what speeds up your metabolism, and makes you burn fat faster and more. So after a cheat day, do a heavy work out. Trust me, you’ll burn half of what you ate the day before.

And here’s where the part where I end this long journal.

I would just like to say that all hard work has its own sweet fruits. And it’s sweeter if you’ve gained it the hard way, because the trials and hardships teach you to become smarter and better.

Dieting is not easy. But it is still do-able if you learn to love it.

Don’t be afraid to commit mistakes because it is where you learn. I’ve fallen for a number of times, but here I am, back on my feet, and more successful than ever. Just stand up, brush yourself, and continue with your goal in mind.

It just takes one decision to change your outlook, and one brave step to change your life. There is always hope, as long as you keep on looking for it, no matter how blurry your future may seem.

There goes my story to a fit lifestyle. I’ll get back to you with another health entry once I reach my goal.

**I would like to take this opportunity to thank Randy, my ever supportive and loving boyfriend, who has been with me in my journey to a fit lifestyle. One most important ingredient to a successful endeavor is support from the people around you. And I would like to thank him and his six- pack abs for that. Also, my mom who has supported me every step of the way. She’s doing the shopping for the good stuff for me. So everything would not possible without her help as well. If people are pushing you to lose weight, don’t think of it as an insult. Think of it as SUPPORT. Always look at the brighter side of life.

**If you are interested to try the diets that I’ve tried, type in ABS POWER DIET and THE CHEAT TO LOSE DIET by Joel Marion in the Internet. There are also books available in Fully Booked and Powerbooks. I’m not saying that these are the be-all and end- all of all the diets. These worked for me. And if you’re currently on a diet, I’m not saying that mine’s better. After all, it all boils down to whatever works for you. But if you still want to try mine, by all means, do it. Because I’m pretty sure that any of the two will work for you. Here’s something to get you excited and curious: A DIET THAT LETS YOU EAT ALL THE BAD STUFF.

Cheers! Lemme know your success stories. I’m also open to any queries, so feel free to ask anything.