2013 in photos

New Year's Day/Exchange gifts | Tejada Banner Residence, Sucat | January 1, 2013

BonoSoc Tagaytay Getaway | Cruz Jestra Residence, Tagaytay | January 12, 2013

LR19 Get-Together | Krocodile Grille/Capriciossa Greenbelt, Makati | January 16, 2013

Jasmine Kate's First Birthday | Fun Ranch Tiendesitas, Ortigas | February 3, 2013

Brianna's Second Birthday | Tejada Ahlen Residence, Pasig | February 5, 2013

Kat's 25st Birthday Celebration | Beers Paradise, Makati | February 16, 2013

Job's Seventh Birthday | Mercedes Village, Pasig | February 24, 2013

Good Friday | Manila Ocean Park, Manila | March 29, 2013

Get-together at Lola Purita's Wake | La Funeraria Paz, Manila Memorial Park, Sucat | April 6, 2013

Welcome Home, Enzo Party | Declaro BF Residence, Paranaque | April 7, 2013

National Geographic Earth Day Run | Fort Bonifacio | April 28, 2013

Father's Break from the Seminary | Tejada Ahlen Residence, Pasig | May 11, 2013

Mother's Day Weekend | Pansol, Laguna | May 11-12, 2013

Mama's 51st Birthday | Richmonde Hotel, Ortigas | May 17, 2013

Tatay's 80th Birthday | Fortezza Party Place, Novaliches | May 18, 2013

Brianna's Second Christian Birthday | Tejada Ahlen Residence, Pasig | May 28, 2013

DLSU-AdMU Benefit Game | Mall of Asia Arena, Manila | June 2, 2013

Enzo's Christening | Our Lady of Peace Parish, Sucat | June 15, 2013

Tatay's 50th Birthday Celebration | Subic Freeport Zone, Olongapo | June 29-30, 2013

Tatay's 50th Birthday Dinner | Claw Daddy, Shangri-La Mall, Mandaluyong | July 2, 2013

Declaro Kids' Recital | 19 East, Paranaque | July 7, 2013

Trip to Ark Avilon Zoo | Ark Avilon Zoo Tiendesitas, Ortigas | August 12, 2013

Oplan Balik-Alindog Kick-off | Declaro BF Residence, Paranaque | September 2, 2013

LR19 Invades the South | NLOS, BF Paranaque | September 6, 2013

Birthday Celebration with LH Friends | Tejada Ahlen Residence, Pasig | September 13, 2013

Birthday Salubong | Tides, Pasig | September 14, 2013

Rich's 25th Birthday Celebration | Santos Tagaytay Residence, Tagaytay | September 28, 2013

JaButch Engagement Party | Orola Better Living Residence, Bicutan | October 11, 2013

Nanay's 79th Birthday | Serrano Capri Residence, Novaliches | October 15, 2013

Ren's 25th Birthday Celebration | Panganiban Casa Residence, Sucat | October 19, 2013

Trick or Treat | Tiendesitas, Ortigas | October 26, 2013

Declaro Kids' Recital | Bowler Bar, Makati | October 26, 2013

Mega Style Series | Prive, Fort Bonifacio | October 29, 2013

Undas 2013 | Fontana Leisure Parks, Clark, Pampanga | November 2-3, 2013

Niko and Janelle Birthday Celebration | Orola Better Living Residence, Bicutan | November 9, 2013

Ghetto Night | Tejada Ahlen Residence, Pasig | November 25, 2013

Jan's 19th Birthday Celebration | Tagaytay City | December 7-8, 2013

Welcome Home, Apple Inuman | Tejada Ahlen Residence, Pasig | December 13, 2013

LH Batch 2001 Christmas Party | Santos Valley 1 Residence, Sucat | December 20, 2013

Nanay's Wake | La Funeraria de Novaliches, Novaliches | December 24-28, 2013

Nanay's Libing | Holy Cross Memorial Park, Novaliches | December 29, 2013

(After posting all these here, I realized that I don't take that much photos anymore. There are a lot of things I've done this year that aren't in this post but I guess that's what Twitter and this blog is for. Happy New Year!)

New favorite workout (old) song.

I don't even know if my title makes sense but what the hell...

While working out earlier today, I've stumbled upon Cassie's song, Me and You, after a long long time. I was so into the beat while working out, I didn't realize how relevant the lyrics are to my life right now. After cooling down, I actually listened to it again and thought "Hmmm... Interesting." Not that I can totes relate to each and every word of the song but, yeah. It's basically the perfect song.


"I was waiting for you to tell me you were ready. I know what to do if only you would let me..."
Also, once I get my rockin' body, I'd wear what Cassie's sporting in the video while working out. That's the dream!

Oplan Balik-Alindog 2013: Full Throttle Days 4 and 5

So much for documenting the whole first week of Oplan Balik-Alindog 2013: Full Throttle (damn, that's a mouthful).

Anyway, day 4 was all about strengthening and toning. I didn't get to run last Thursday since it rained in the morning and I had something to do that night. Breakfast and lunch were egg and baked fish, with a serving of veggies on the side. I had carrot sticks and chicken fillet for dinner. I also met up with a couple of friends Thursday afternoon for coffee and I had far too many cigarettes that I dreaded waking up the next day for my first-ever 10k.

Which leads us to day 5... I finished the whole 10k without walking! OHMYGOD! Achievement: Unlocked, indeed! I don't know where I got the energy to do it but I finished it. You know what makes it even better? I didn't feel like my lungs were going to give out! I've finally found my pace. We didn't do any strengthening and toning after the 10k run, just a few stretching exercises that will help alleviate the soreness of my thighs.

My tita treated me to mani-pedi later in the afternoon to celebrate my achievements for the week. Since I didn't get to take a photo of the notebook my tita used to keep track of my progress last Friday, here are my statistics (?!) as of September 6:

Weight: from 128.5, I am now at 123 lbs. 13 more pounds to go and I'm down to my desired weight.
Waist: from 31 inches, I'm down to 30. It doesn't look much but I am happy with the result.
Arms: I lost an inch on each of my arms, from 12 inches to 11 inches.
Hips: 38 inches to 37 inches.
Biggest loss goes to the thighs: I lost 2 whole inches in 5 days, from 23 inches to 21. How great is that, huh?

Right now, I am continuing the workout and I've been balancing and managing my meals for the day even if I'm here in Pasig. I send my tita reports every time I finish working out. I don't run anymore since there are a lot of stray dogs here but I have a cardio routine I do even if I'm just at home.

I feel sore but I feel so much stronger now, being able to finish circuit after circuit. I now am pushing myself to do more of each circuit so I can maximize my 20 minutes (Yes, my workout only takes 20 minutes a day. I am very thankful to my ever-generous and motivating tita, Ate Lizza Declaro, for helping me jumpstart Oplan Balik-Alindog 2013. I'm on my way to my desired weight and dream body. Manny Villar got it right years ago: Sipag at tiyaga lang ang kailangan.

Oplan Balik-Alindog 2013: Full Throttle Day 3

I don't have any photos for Day 3 because as soon as the food were served, I wolfed them down right away. Plus, taking photos of the food is really, well, silly. I don't understand why a lot of people (in Instagram) do it but... well, I just don't think that's for me.

Anyway, yesterday, we did a 7k run for 54mins which, according to my tita, is a good time. To be honest, I was really tired at around 5k and starting cramping up at 5.5k but I pushed just to finish the whole 7k and I did! Yay me!

The workout was bru-tal. It was high intensity and my armpits still hurt now from all the push-ups I had to do. I was screaming the whole time, Brianna called on to me, panicking. I had to reassure her while doing burpees so I don't think I sounded convincing but she calmed down so it worked.

I thought we were weighing in again today (cause that's what I saw written on the notebook) but my tita decided to do that on Friday instead, so it's more rewarding to see the outcome. Which, I honestly think, is a great idea but I just can't shake the feeling of wanting to step on the weighing scale whenever I see it in the bathroom.

Going back to the food, well, breakfast and lunch were alright but dinner was heavenly. We ate at this stall in the ATC foodcourt called C Verde and the healthy burger, zucchinis and nachos were so freakin' good, I didn't feel guilty devouring everything in less than 5 minutes! I ordered their spaghetti for Brianna and I think it tasted good, too, since she couldn't stop eating it. Best of all, bottomless mango SHAKE! Woohoo! C Verde, I think, is a subsidiary of Big Chill. I haven't seen it anywhere else but Town but thing is, I wasn't looking for it then.

We were supposed to beat my time for 7k today but it rained this morning so we just worked out instead.

Oplan Balik-Alindog 2013: Full Throttle Day 2

As usual, we started with a 5k run, which frustrated the bejeezus out of me. At the 3k point, my right foot started having cramps and then a few steps after, my (thunder) thighs followed suit. I was so disappointed by the end of the run, I almost didn't want to do any toning and strengthening exercise (as if it's my choice).

Toning and strengthening was suprisingly tolerable today. I didn't have as hard a time with the planks and the raises like yesterday. I even had a volleyball in between my legs while doing my leg raises. And the yoga part is still my favorite. Super relaxing. The best improvement, though? I didn't see any stars - parol, as my tita fondly calls them - after the run and the workout. Wooh!

The menu today was so yummy! Everything tasted so garlic-y, which I love and I was served potato salad. Potato freakin' salad. A small serving of carbs for the very good student. Woohoo!

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Right now, though, my right foot and my thighs are sore. I hope this goes away before the run tomorrow. Aiming to run 7.5k tomorrow. Wooh! Push!

Oplan Balik-Alindog 2013: Full Throttle Day 1

Since I've been looking forward to this program for months now, I will be documenting it here. I'm sorry about the photos. Most of them will be taken at 7 in the morning so a lot of my icky morning face will be covered with a cracker Kawai character. I am being trained by my tita who learned all the techniques from her children's trainers (I think).

We started off with the weigh in. I almost cried when I saw the result: 128.5! I gained back the pounds I lost a few weeks ago. My tita said not to worry. I told her okay but I still am worrying right now, to be honest. My goal was to lose 10 pounds but after the weigh in, I felt like I needed to lose, like, 20 pounds.

She took my measurements and my "before" photo and we went ahead and started stretching.

A 5k run quickly followed which took me 40 minutes to finish. We then proceeded to strength training and a bit of yoga for 30 minutes which made me puke after (due to acid reflux, according to my tita/trainer). Sorry, newbie.

I forgot to take photos of my food for today, which strictly follow the Cohen diet plan, so I'll just list them down here:

Breakfast:
4 pieces of crackers
Cheese omelette
A cup of tea
A tall glass of water

Snacks:
4 pieces of crackers
One small apple
A cup of tea
2 tall glasses of water

Lunch:
3 medium-sized, handmade burger patties
Sauteed cabbage
A cup of tea
A tall glass of water

Snacks:
4 pieces of crackers
One small apple
A cup of tea
2 tall glasses of water

Dinner:
Calamari salad
A bowl of chips
A cup of tea
A tall glass of water

(Note to self: Take photos of the meals tomorrow!!!)

All of the food are carefully measured as a requirement of the Cohen diet plan. Yes, my tita prepares all of my meals. I feel like a kid.

Since I am used to eating rice - and a lot of it - I naturally get light-headed due to my body adjusting to the lack of sugar. To remedy this, I am allowed to down 2 diet sodas per day but that's it.

No carbs and no sweets...you can probably imagine how woozy I've been feeling the entire day. I was like on rice life support just yesterday then all of a sudden, it's taken away from me. No worries. I have my diet Coke with me. Hihi.

I should be sleeping now - strict instructions from the trainer - but I am not (#medyobadgirl) and I know I'll be so dead tomorrow so I am capping this post off now by saying I will be better tomorrow and hopefully, I won't need the help of diet soda anymore.

Good night.

Haven't thought of that...

Almost 24 hours into living in the South again made me realize I won't be able to see my friends here anyway because of Oplan Balik Alindog: Full Throttle's 9pm lights out requirement and the fact that most of them have 9-5/10-6 jobs.

I'm available after lunch, before dinner, though. Coffee/tea anyone? :)

First of September

I have been looking forward to this month since July and I'm not even sure why and now, it's here: My birth month!

I am pretty sure I won't celebrate my birthday the whole month but I know it's gonna be the greatest month of 2013, starting it off with Oplan Balik-Alindog: Full Throttle. Then a week-ender with the usual college peeps in a new environment. First week palang, pakak na!

But the best thing about this month is the fact that this is the first time IN 10 FREAKIN YEARS that I will be celebrating my birthday as a single lady. How can I not be excited, right?!

Good God, I don't think I'll be able to sleep this whole month because I'm looking forward to every damn day of September!

Wake me up when September ends? More like keep me up til September ends. I know it doesn't make any sense but I'm so freakin' excited to find out what the Universe has in store for me this month, I most probably won't make any sense most of the time.

Woohoo! Let's do this!

Nat Geo Earth Day Run 2013

When I saw the ad for the Nat Geo Earth Day Run 2013 on TV a month ago, I immediately wanted to run it. I asked the family about it and I was surprised that my parents actually agreed to register the run with me. I did so in the kiosk in Greenbelt 3 - thanks to Kulit Runner for the information about the kiosk - when I went out with a couple of friends.

Fast forward to last night: My parents decided to back out the last minute from the run due to lack of training. My siblings happily agreed - since they didn't have to pay for anything - to run it with me.

We ran 5k. Carlo finished at 36 minutes, Trish at 42 and I finished at 49 minutes. Personally, I was so proud of the two 'cause even without the training, they finished early without suffering any cramps but it just reminded me of how old I really am and that I should work on strengthening my body, especially my apparently really weak legs.

I didn't bring a camera or my phone - we used Trish's phone in the photo above - during the run but there were a lot of things I wanted to take photos of, like the water stations and one of their sponsors' booths that won't refill the water bottles and forced people to drink off of the cups. Too bad.

Anyway, we had to line up to get goodie bags and the certificates of participation after the run which took 30 minutes. I didn't want to leave the line despite Trish's attempts to change my mind. After all, we paid for those bags.

Overall, it was a pleasant experience. Nothing major really happened as far as the 5k run was concerned. I just think they should've done something about the plastic bottles and paper cups provided for by their hydration sponsors. Using those defeats the purpose of the run and their advocacy.

Diet and Exercise: Round 129834987409834092735.

After a couple of months of relapse on working out and dieting, I decided to start on  building those two habits all over again partly because I got inspired by my friends' progresses but mostly because I can't find a single t-shirt in my closet that won't show my pregnancy/beer belly; which is unfortunate for me because that's all I want to wear whenever I go out. I mean, with a pair of shorts and sneaks, you can never go wrong, especially with the kind of weather we're having...but that's not really the point here.

Anyway, I've found the perfect workout for me since the Nike Training Center didn't really work for me - I don't enjoy doing squats and push-ups, okay - and the running thing is not a regular thing because I just have a lot of conditions when it comes to that. Since my Tatay and my brother bought an Xbox, I asked them to get a dance or workout game that I can use. They got me this:

I started yesterday and I got so addicted to it, I probably danced for more than an hour. I love the fact that the music that they used are mainstream ones so everyone can relate to it. There are hiphop beats (Superbass, Nicki Minaj), pop (Call Me Maybe, Carly Rae Jepsen), dance (On The Floor, Jennifer Lopez) and some old school music, too (My First, My Last, My Everything, Barry White)! Livin La Vida Loca is on the line-up, too, but it has a weird dance routine. It's as if they're making fun of Ricky Martin.

Aside from dancing, I've also changed my diet quite a bit. Dinner now consists of a cup of fruits and oats and several glasses of water. Plus, I am limiting my rice - and other sources of carbs, for that matter - intake to one cup per meal (breakfast and lunch). Beef, pork and chicken remain on the diet since I am leaning towards fish lately anyway so I guess it won't cost me much. Beer and other alcoholic beverages will remain part of my diet as well, since I don't consume it on a regular basis. Since I'm not really a fan of sweets, cutting back on it will not be a problem. Chips and McDonald's french fries will be the hardest to give up but as Malia said, disiplina lang. Cutting 'em back to once a month EACH. Guess I've had my fix for both for April.

Official weigh in is at 127lbs. I'm planning to lose at least 17lbs. and to flatten my tummy. Deadline is on my birthday, September 15.

Sigh. Losing weight has never been a problem for me in the past. #AnyareSatin