Water matters

Hello, sweeties! I hope all of you have had a restful/peaceful Holy Week. I have spent some time in my hometown and I've been busy playing with my baby cousin and the dogs that's why I have been away from the blog for a few days. I'm back with a list of subjects I want to write about and there's quite a few things on it. Let's start with the earth element that is so close to my heart, Water.

Palawan

Although it is summer time and it would be so interesting to read a post about pools and beaches, what I'm gonna talk about is drinking water. (Yes, I know some people do drink water from pools and beaches but that doesn't count. hehe)

Photo is from here

We all know how drinking plenty of water plays an essential part in our well-being, right? It hydrates our skin, regulates our body temperature, helps remove waste products, protects our organs, cushions our joints and the list goes on and on. When we talk about weight loss, we can associate water with helping convert food to energy and giving us a feeling of fullness.

Photo is from here

Awesome fact: drinking ice cold water makes the body heat itself up to be able to accept the ice, which in turn fires up the metabolism. You can actually burn calories by just drinking cold water! 

I have been drinking lots and lots of water these days.  It isn't a problem for me anymore because I learned to love drinking water! It wasn't always that way, though. I had always complained about the bloated feeling I get after consuming a lot of it. I hated that feeling that something (a goldfish, maybe) is swimming inside your tummy after you've drank aplenty.

My little secret for drinking more water without getting bloated is to drink more gradually. My tumbler never goes empty! I use my good old 16oz. tumbler at work and it's right beside my monitor so it never goes unnoticed. Whenever I finish its contents, I get up to fill it again. Aside from adding my water intake, the trip from my desk to the water dispenser is a good break for my eyes from the computer and my whole body from sitting. 

Now here's a little challenge for all of us: Assign a "water-only" tumbler or sports bottle then commit to having it always filled  and to drinking 2-3 liters per day. After a a week, see how it will change how you feel. 

Let's get it on!

Let me give you a background first. I was born from a family of fat and food-loving people and grew up slightly rounder than all my peers. I usually get comments that I am obese for my height (I am 5'0 ft. and I used to weigh 140 lbs.) but it didn't bother me even a bit.  I would even say that "diet" just isn't in my vocabulary.

Most girls would be so self-conscious by the time they get to High School but even when I was in College, I never mind being fat. I guess it was my self-confidence. I am a person who knows who I am and what I'm capable of, so as long as I felt good about myself, other people's comments just didn't matter.

When I started working, I became less active as I felt too tired to get up and exercise. I also had my own money, so I was more able to eat what I wanted to. Needless to say, I gained more and more weight. It still didn't bother me though, I can always buy new clothes anyway, right? Then in late 2009, I started having chronic back pains. My doctor said that I am too heavy. My lumbar spine can't support all the weight and it is becoming unstable.

Photo from here

January 2010, I also discovered that I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), which means I am most likely to have these complications.

It was then that I got scared. I started "dieting" and exercising, on and off.  I would be so determined for like a month, then I'd eventually stop. After a month or so, I would feel energized and motivated again, then after some time, the lazy person in me would again take over.

I started this blog on my birthday last year because I wanted to be out in the open. It was actually to chronicle my journey on battling with my weight issues. But I got more focused on schooling, beating deadlines for the numerous papers and reports became my top priority. Exercise and eating healthy again took the back seat. As time went by, I also started to feel bad with how I looked like.

I still look okay back in 2009.

Then I got fat.

This was when I was in my heaviest. 140 lbs.

When I finally decided that I'd quit schooling, I thought that now I can actually focus on the first item in my list -- Achieve my ideal weight. It was also then that I received an email from Rae of Scatterbraintures, inviting me to join her in creating a support group on healthy living and weight loss.You can email me or Rae if you are interested in joining as well.

From now on, you might be reading more of health-related stuff here in the blog. Please join me as I try to lose 34 lbs. more in the remaining 17 months before I turn 25. 

Holler!

Hello, folks! I am back to write a quick post. I am still superrrrr busy because of school stuff . As you might have noticed, I abandoned my blog and I wasn't even able to continue the March photo a day challenge.  Everything will be over by next Thursday, though. So please pray for me as I finish my final requirement and as I quit schooling. 

Image is from here

I do believe that we should never stop learning, that's why I went back to school. But it doesn't work for me anymore. I am, most of the time, bored or stressed out. I feel that schooling is a hindrance for me to achieve my other goals. That doesn't mean that I'll stop studying and learning more things, though.

I recently realized that one of the reasons why I go to school is that I want to have a better job. I figured that I should be studying so I can get out of my job, not be stuck in another one. Not that I hate being a Librarian, I actually like being one. I just wanna live a more comfortable life. How am I gonna do that, you might ask. Well, for now, my plan is to self-study about money, saving, investing and that kind of stuff. I kinda hate math, so that's actually quite a challenge for me. 

I'm also gonna study about myself, specifically about my weight issues. I'd be writing about that very soon, maybe after my long paper due next week.

So there, that's what's on my mind lately. I'd be visiting your blogs real soon. Can't wait to read all your stories that I have missed!

A smile

Bedside

On my bedside is a bookshelf and a little reading nook, where I don't really read (I prefer reading in bed). It serves as a place for my very big bag.

Neighborhood

I am originally from Bulacan but because my work is based here in the Metro, I rent an apartment with four other people, including my sister.  I live in the first door, the one that doesn't have an A/C.

Fruit

Mangoes & shrimp paste = Mangga at bagoong:
It's not summer without you...

UP

I didn't take this today. But this ride made me feel weird being UP there.

EKstreme ride in Enchanted Kingdom

Let's play... a photo a day

Here's how to play:

♥ Starting on March 1st take a photo each day with inspiration from the prompt. For example prompt 1 is 'up', so take a photo looking up. Or of the word 'up'. Or something that lifts your mood 'up'. It it totally up to you how you want to interpret it.

♥ Once you've taken your photo you can share it on Instagram, Facebook {on your own profile or business page}, Twitter, Flickr, your blog, Pinterest, Tumblr or even just keep them in a folder on your desktop. If you're sharing on Twitter or Instagram add the hashtag #Marchphotoaday so others can find your photos too.

Note: For day 20 you'll see that it says 'before / after'. Again, you can interpret this however you like. I thought it would be cool for people to use an app like picframe to show two photos in one. It could be a meal before eating and the plate after. It could be anything! If you don't have any iPhone or don't want to buy an app - just use your imagination and either take two photos or work it into just one.

For more info, visit Fatmumslim.

Wisdom nugget #1

Curious tag game

I loved tagging games when I used to blog in Multiply. You just have to answer the questions and it usually doesn't require too much explanation. I think it is a great way to make readers know about the writer without having to share too much.  It was really nice of Michy from I am a dekaphobic to tag me. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed answering the questions.

Original photo is from here

Let's start this first with the rules for the game:

- Post these rules
- Post 11 random things about yourself
- Answer the question that the tagger set for you in their post
- Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
- Go to their blog and tell them they've been tagged

11 Random Things About Myself:

1. My favorite household chore is cleaning the bathroom.
2. I am a VERY fickle-minded person.
3. I  chant "Bacon, bacon, bacon" when I'm craving for it.
4. I think I have Adult ADD/ADHD.
5. I seriously hold people on what they tell me.
6. People who don't know how to say thank you or sorry irk me.
7. I love beef and seafood.
8. I don't like Sinigang!
9. I have a big bag syndrome.
10. I can move on from bad things easily.
11. I love color-coordinated things. 

Answered Questions of the Tagger:

1. What's your favorite restaurant?
I have three : Tong Yang, Sambokojin and R&J Bulaluhan.

2. Froyo or ice cream? Which brand?
Ice cream! Häagen-Dazs. But it's so expensive so i usually go for Selecta. :)

3. Coffee or milk tea? Which brand?
Coffee, still. I love Starbuck's Java Chip and Coffee Jelly but for the instant ones, I like Great taste's white coffee.

4. What's the last movie you watched?
I watched The Vow in the big screen last Friday but the bf and I had an X-men marathon on Saturday.

5. Which book did you last read?
Matched by Ally Condie.

6. Do you have a planner? Which one are you using?
I have a Harry Potter planner, gifted to me by my dear sister.

7. Who's your favorite artist of all time?
I can't decide between Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman. 

8. What's your very first blog entry about?
It's about the list of things  I wanna do before I turn 25.

9. What's your favorite Filipino dish?
Bulalo and Kare-kare!

10. What's your most popular blog entry of all time?
 My A traveler...NOT post have the most number of comments so I guess that's it.

11. What's your current profession?
I am a Licensed Librarian. :)

11 New Set of Questions:

1. Have you done something bad this week?
2. What are your plans for the weekend?
3. What is your favorite book?
4. Do you play an instrument?
5. Would you like to have kids (someday)?
6. Do you fall for people easily?
7. What do you believe in, free will or destiny? Why?
8. Would you change your religion for your bf/gf?
9. Are you comfortable with the idea of LGBT relationships?
10. Do you compare yourselves to others?
11. What is your beauty secret?

I'm tagging Cherry of  A Day with Me, Rae of Scatterbraintures and Sey of 14th Street.

Piliin mo ang Pilipinas

El Gamma Penumbra never fail to amaze me. When I first watched their PGT Finals performance in Youtube, I had goosebumps. Now, this. Even better!  Enjoy the video!

Visit the iChoose and Choose Philippines sites too. Share why you are one Proud Pinoy/Pinay! :)

A traveler...NOT

I cannot really travel as much as I want to, but that is one of the luxuries I do allow myself to have every once in a while. I've been to Zambales (Anawangin and Nagsasa), Cebu & Bohol twice;  then Baguio and Puerto Princesa once. Here are some of the photos from my previous trips:

I dream of visiting more wonderful places here in the country... And yes, someday, I'll travel the world. It's actually one of the main reasons why I want to be rich! But while I don't have enough moolah, these are the places I think I can afford to go, before I turn 25.

I am aware not that "well-traveled" even in our very own country. But when I stumbled Lakbayan, I still gave it a shot. It was a very interesting  way to "evaluate" one's score when it comes to traveling around the Philippines. You guys should also try it. Getting results was just so easy. No signing up or whatsoever. Here's my score: 

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

I am a C- traveler! I know it's nothing to be proud of, but seeing the failing grade  fueled that burning passion in me to explore more of our country. This year, I would be traveling to Bacolod and Cagayan de Oro/Camiguin. Next year, I hope to squeeze more travels in my budget. And when I finally turn 25, I'll take the survey again. Hopefully, by that time, I can at least get a grade of B. :)

Back again!

I've been out for a while again because I had to give my right wrist some rest. It had been hurting so bad that I had to wear a splint :

It was uncomfortable, not to mention, unsightly! Wearing it was a nightmare to a computer-love like me. I had to stand while working in the computer. I also had to undergo some tests for my nerves, which included currents and lots of needles. Not fun, but I am very glad that I don't have carpal tunnel syndrome or cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerves in the neck).

Anyway, that's it for now. Not using the splint anymore but no one wants to abuse the wrist, right?

Best ad

I am not a fan of forwarded messages but this is just so funny that I have to share it. Hope you guys enjoy it too! :) This has to be one of the best singles ads ever printed. It is reported to have been listed in the Atlanta Journal. SINGLE BLACK FEMALE seeks male companionship, ethnicity unimportant.  I'm a very good girl who LOVES to play.  I love long walks in the woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping and fishing trips, cozy winter nights lying by the fire.  Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hand.  I'll be at the front door when you get home from work; wearing only what nature gave me...  Call (404) 875-6420 and ask for Annie, I'll be waiting..... Over 150 men found themselves talking to the Atlanta Humane Society.

...

It's a week before you-know-what. We're not big on celebrating it, but we do celebrate in our simple way... Last year, we had this in the apartment's rooftop:

That's me, the boyfriend, the boyfriend's ate and the ate's boyfriend. :)

I'm thinking of camping this year. How about you guys, what's your plan for next week?

____________________________________________________________
I refuse to mention the V word for the fear of the photos getting crawled and indexed as part of the celebration... :)

No freedom nor love

Freedom to choose is already taken from us. Everything we would do or say must be according to rules and orders. There will be no hate, but you won't feel love either. Even the one you'll have to spend your life with will be chosen by the government. What will you do? How will you survive?
 

I do not know if that would make you pick up a book, but that would certainly grab my attention. I don't get to read much as I want to nowadays because of school stuff, but whenever I get a chance, I spend some time with my new love: Young Adult Dystopian Novels.

Sappy love stories have been my "favorite" genre until I discovered YA dystopian. Although most of my favorites still have a romance side to it, I find them more enjoyable and exciting reads than Segal, Sparks and Ahern. I mean, don't get me wrong, I liked the stuff those three authors wrote but adult novels tackling  adult problems are tiring to read. 

Now, we all know what young adult novels are, but whatdahey are dystopian novels?

A dystopia (from the Ancient Greek δυσ-: bad-, ill- and τόπος: place, landscape) (alternatively, cacotopia,[1], or anti-utopia) is a vision, of an often futuristic society, which has developed into a negative version of Utopia. A Dystopia is often characterized by an authoritarian or totalitarian form of government. It often features different kinds of repressive social control systems, a lack or total absence of individual freedoms and expressions and a state of constant warfare or violence. --Wikipedia

They're usually mistaken or categorized by Sci-fi, but I don't really like the hard-core science fiction. I like the ones with empowered women and a little "kilig" on the side. Below are my top 5 Dystopian YA books.  Only one of them has a male protagonist because I don't really feel connected with the book if the lead is not a female. I included the blurbs, hoping you'll be encouraged to read them too. 

1. Divergent

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

2.  Delirium
Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.


 3. Hunger Games trilogy

Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister Primrose, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before — and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.




4. The Sky Inside

 A stranger has come to take away all the little children, including Martin's sister, Cassie, and no one wants to talk about where she has gone. The way Martin sees it, he has a choice. He can remain in the dubious safety of HM1, with danger that no one wants to talk about lurking just beneath the surface, or he can actually break out of the suburb, into the mysterious land outside, rumored to be nothing but blowing sand for miles upon miles.





5. Matched and Crossed

Cassia always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate, until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

 If you have questions about any of the books, leave me a note. I didn't include my review because I'm not good at that, but I'd be very happy to answer any of your queries.

The Places we'll go.

I found this video in Patty Laurel's blog. I've actually just read the book some weeks ago, but seeing the video today made me cry. It gave me affirmations that I wanted to hear. I felt as if the people were talking straight to me. The message is exactly what I needed today. 

 Enjoy!

Perfect time

Have you ever wanted something so bad? Did you strive really hard for it? I know you did. We all know we got to make things happen. BUT what happens if you did everything in your power and something came up that hindered you from getting what your heart yearns for? 

Frustration. That's what happens.

As I have probaby mentioned in my posts before, I was taking some Masteral classes on Librarianship (Yes, we do have to study to be a Librarian and yes, there's a course on Librarianship). I have everything planned out : 2 years to get the degree, I'll take 9 units of Reading Education classes for electives. Then, I would just need 9 more units (1 semester) to get a teaching certification.

Juggling work, studies and a little bit of social life isn't very easy to do. Unless  you have Hermione's timeturner, which will make time travel possible.

Image from Weheartit

But I don't have it, so I had to attend classes three times a week (after an 8-hour job) for the past months. I thought, after this semester, I'd only have 1.5 years left. But things change. I've checked UP Open University's page about the Professional Teaching Certificate earlier today. I literally froze on my seat while staring at the newly revised curriculum. None of the electives I have taken were on the list. Now I have to rethink everything that I have planned for the next two years. You might think that I am overreacting, that it's just another six months, that it's not a big deal. But you must understand that I am not a patient one. I am really not good at waiting. That's why I work hard. Because I wanna speed things up.

Image from Weheartit

But I guess no matter how hard we try, we can't defy what was planned for us. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying we should stop striving. That we should just sit and wait for His plans to unfold. We should still do our best, everything that we can, but He will give it to us in His time. The perfect time.

Freebie Alert: Interim Goddess of Love

Fairy Tale Fail, No Strings Attached, My Imaginary Ex and Love your frenemies. If you have read all these, then you'll be excited with what I'm about to share. If you haven't. then this must be the perfect time to start reading Mina's works!

Mina Esguerra, the author of the previous works mentioned have sent the good news thru her newsletter. Her debut YA novella, Interim Goddess of Love is FREE for download in Amazon. As soon as I've read about it on my email, I immediately opened Amazon and searched for the book.

See that 0.00? Yay!

I successfully downloaded it and am enjoying the first few chapters already.

No, I don't have an iPhone. I've got an iTouch though.

No Kindle device? Me too! Fret not because you can read it on your PC, Mac or on your iPhone or iTouch! The promo will be until tomorrow, January 28 only so hurry and download it now! :)

P.S. Let me know if you're having problems with downloading, I'd be glad to help.