Day 6: 30 DAY CHALLENGE

Just in case you thought I’d be gone after the REST DAY, nope. I did the WOD today!

50 jumping jacks

25 air squats

20 push ups

FOR TIME

Time: 4 minutes 23 seconds

I know the WOD was a piece of cake for most of the world but after the quick jog for a warm up, I was tired. What can I say, I’m not into the exercise vibe yet. On the original 30 Day Challenge, it said 50 to 100 jumping jacks. I took the liberty of being realistic. By the time I was done with the 50 jumping jacks, I was catching my breath already.

Struggled with the air squats too! But I’m pretty proud of my push ups. I think I’m getting better at this. I’m feeling more comfy pushing my body back into position. Agggh. I need to work on my warm up exercises. I’m beat even before the WOD.

Breakfast was a mango-apple-guava smoothie with yogurt. I hope I didn’t have to take a photo of it.

Good thing today is that I’m back after a rest day. I usually slack off after a cheat day or rest day. I’m feeling determined to get this done! 24 more days feel like a long time! But wish me luck!

DAY 4 of 30 DAY CHALLENGE

FOURTH DAY!

 

Long run (2.34 km)

Front plank

side plank (right and left)

1 minute each

Okay, I’ll be honest about the run, I walked a little bit! And for the planking, I can’t hold the position straight 60 seconds. So I hold it for 15 seconds, rest for 10 seconds and do it again. Did 4 15-second planking for all three. I have to admit, my sides hurt so bad. I’m glad it’s REST DAY tomorrow! I know it feels unfair that I get a rest day immediately but don’t worry, the WOD on Saturday will make up for the rest day.

And because I was able to buy fruits yesterday, I stocked up for my morning fruit smoothies!

I’ve got mangoes, papaya and the middle bag is filled with apples. I’m still freezing the grapes, oranges and watermelon. Was able to score dragon fruit yesterday but it didn’t make the freezing process. I snacked on it while preparing the rest of the fruits. If you’re not familiar with dragon fruit, this is how it looks like:

Those red bulb-like things are the fruit. 😀 After the run and the planking, I started making my smoothie. I have to warn you, it’s not appealing. I used mangoes, papayas and a little bit of apple. To get a smooth texture, I added a little bit of skim milk. I don’t know the measurements or proportions. I just put it in the blender and taste it if it’s good to go.

Mango, Papaya and apple smoothie

 

I think it might have needed more milk but I didn’t want to add more. So, it looked like ice cream. Even the texture was ice-creamy. Here’s a close up! LOL.

 

 

 

DAY 3 of 30 DAY CHALLENGE

THIRD DAY? Hooo! Feeling happy!

20 lunges

10 push ups

5 ROUNDS

I don’t really know how to do lunges so I watched videos from Youtube. It would be great if I have an exercise partner but yeah. Maybe in the future! ❤ I hope I was able to do some work with my muscles though. As for push ups, I got this feeling I’m doing better. I can carry my body back up more easily. Yeiiy!

This is my breakfast drink today. Calamansi juice with honey. We got an overstock of calamansi from Grandmama’s farm so we had to squeeze them all before it got rotten. Storing a big container of Calamansi juice in the ref! More sour drinks to come! It doesn’t look too appealing but like I said, I have no intentions of making food look more than what it is. Don’t worry, it tastes good.

 

Had a peanut butter sandwich and passion fruit for breakfast meal. And I hope I didn’t have to take a photo of the sandwich. Here’s my passion fruit. 🙂 It’s native which is why it doesn’t have that orange color that most fruits for export have. Also, it’s sweeter than those harvested for export. Yum yum!

DAY 2 of 30 DAY CHALLENGE

I don’t want to start feeling cocky because it’s just day 2 but YEIIY!!

 

2 km run

25 air squats

3 rounds

Oh and btw, here’s dinner last night. It’s winged beans with coconut milk. It’s not the best photograph and I don’t really know how to stage food? If there’s even a thing. Anyway, yum yum. Also my breakfast today! Leftovers. Bahh.

 

DAY 1 of 30 DAY CHALLENGE

Good morning Monday! I’m feeling a good vibe for this week! Made sure I was in bed before 9, otherwise I’d be tumblin’ on the internet until midnight and probably won’t wake up before 5 to do the exercises. I’m making it a point to get it done before breakfast so there’s no excuses. 

DAY 1 ACCOMPLISHED!

10 push ups

10 sit ups

10 air squats

5 rounds

I did 10 minutes of warm up. Emm, I didn’t know what I was doing, stretching here and there. Butt kicks, knee high. Stuff. Twisting here and there. I hope that was okay, I was scared that if I took a short jog I won’t be able to do the squats. Haha!

First of, let me admit that I don’t know how to do push ups. I did that push up with the knee on the floor but hell, that was still hard. And yes, I’m pretty sure it was bad form considering I couldn’t lift my body up completely. I’ll learn that. It’s a process, right? :))

Sit ups? I’ve always been competitive when it comes to sit ups. For some reason I felt I wasn’t lifting my body properly. I’ll put a video cam next time to see how I actually look like. For air squats, I love it! 

Just to update: I ate a banana afterwards and no, I’m not sitting while typing this. I’ll take a shower in 30 minutes and yes, I wrote this blog 15 minutes after the WOD. If I don’t, I’ll probably never write it. 

Feeling great, wishing myself patience and perseverance!

29 more day! 

Have a great week ahead!

30 DAY CHALLENGE: My First Try at Crossfit

I failed my Project 28 Days but like I said, i’ll keep doing this until I succeed! I finally figured out what I want to get myself for Christmas! I want a fitter, healthier body! Never mind the weight loss, I just want to fit better in my clothes. Although I’m not saying a little weight loss wouldn’t be good. Ehehe.

I was looking for an easy 30-day Challenge I can try. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not slacking by looking for something easy. It’s just that my physical activity is close to ZERO. Understand that I AM A BEGINNER. Found this blog! Because I’m really interested in Crossfit, we don’t have one here in Baguio. There’s 3 in the Philippines, I think? They’re all Manila-based. Moving on, I can’t afford the rates even if I was living back in Manila so I searched for “crossfit workout for beginners at home.”

Wish me luck. Pray for me. I don’t know. I know I’ll need all the help I can get. My number one enemy is myself. I procrastinate. I think there’s a lot of time, I’ll do it later. Then, the day ends, it’s time to sleep and I miss whatever I was supposed to do. My second enemy is the kitchen. I like to snack. And my snacking turns into a full meal. I like talking, telling stories while snacking so I stay in the dining table a lot. Help me!

I decided to start on a Monday and I’m putting a few to-do on my calendar of activities. For this weekend, I’ll be searching for proper warm-up exercises and easy meals I can cook to help my  body recover, adjust, whatever.

 

And to start my Saturday morning, I decided I should gear myself for the next 30 days. Instead of eating fried rice, spam and fried eggs, I decided it’s time to blend my frozen papayas and watermelon. I started making fruit shakes a month ago and it was great! I didn’t feel hungry until lunch time. It lessened my snack time and frankly, I was able to do a lot more work than usual. Thing is, by week 2 I had sore throat and laryngitis. Sister said it’s too cold to take for breakfast. I was thinking about the fruit diet that said the best time to take your fruits is when you have an empty stomach. The healthy fruit shakes stopped and so did my exercise regimen. That’s the story of my failed 28 Day Project.

 

I found this on Pinterest and will definitely link the blog once I find it again. I’ll keep it mind to always save the links so I can credit them. Basically, I cut the papaya and watermelon into small pieces and put them in the freezer. I left mine overnight. If you’re going to try them, make sure you separate the pieces so they won’t stick together once they’re frozen. It’ll be a lot easier for the blender to do its job. Also, I used a plate the first time and I had a hart time removing the fruits. I used cling wrap the second time.

I did this to bananas, mangoes, apples, pears, papaya, watermelon and oranges. I failed with the oranges because I didn’t take out the white part under the skin? I got a very bitter shake from that. Anyway, you can mix and match the fruits, add milk or any type of juice. So far, I’ve only tried it with milk. The papaya-watermelon, the one on the photo, I added apple juice, it wasn’t so bad. Except that I couldn’t taste the watermelon anymore. Probably something with my portioning.

I don’t measure how much I put, in my head I’m like, “emmm, more bananas. Not blending? More milk. A little bit of mango, maybe two?”

I’m like that. It’s a habit I should learn to change if I want to get the right nutrients and the right taste.

WISH ME LUCK! I WILL TRY MY BEST TO UPDATE ON A DAILY BASIS. 

* Note: Forgive me if I do not take good photos or if I don’t take photos at all. I don’t own a camera phone. I have a primitive camera that uses double A batteries. I’m still in the process of learning to document everything. Work with me. 

 

PROJECT 28 DAYS: FAILURE

Let me talk about my 28 Day Project.

Bottom Line: I failed. MISERABLY.

My first week was awesome. I ate less crap and more meat and veggies. I exercised, making sure I get in 20 squats after more than one hour of sitting in front the laptop. In total, I was able to do 60 squats each day. I ran 15 minutes on the bicycle machine and did workouts with the dumbbell. I was able to complete my work deliverable on time and even got extra work done from a freelance job. It was great!

Then came Sunday. It was my rest day. I also allowed myself to indulge on rice, a little soda and a lot of sleep. Boy, did I make a big mistake on that. Monday comes and I’m so lazy. I said, I’ll do it again on Tuesday. And Tuesday came and I found myself saying “meh. I’ll do it later.” And, you all know how that ended.

I wasn’t able to meet any of my goals for this month. I overate, overspend and frankly, I overestimated myself.

If I have to do this every month, I will! I failed, I’ll try again. If I have to do this every month to help me change my habits! I will! And to begin this month’s journey, I’m letting go of a few..urm, a lot (in my definition) of stuff. I’m finally accepting the fact that I’m never going to fit in these clothes EVER again! It’s a first step.

Yeah, I think step one is good. CLEAN CLUTTER.

 

Project 28 Days

Okay! So, yes. Obviously I have been slacking around. I’m not even going to defend myself. I got so lazy and caught up with my procrastination! So, I read about this story about astronauts. They were asked to wear this special goggles that made them perceive the world upside down. How cool is that? Well, probably not cool at all. It made the astronauts dizzy but they still continued the experiment. On the 28th day, one of the astronauts finally saw upright. Other astronauts followed days later. What’s the point of this story?

It takes 28 days to change your perception/habit.

I’ve been promising to be sexy! I’ll exercise and get abs instead of this flabby post-pregnancy tummy. But I’m out of excuses. I gave birth a year ago. What am I doing?

I’ve been saying that since high school too! I’ll get abs be super hot! But no. Turns out, wanting to be physically beautiful is not a very strong motivation for me. I turned 24 a couple of months ago and with that, I realized I’m just 24! I have a weak left knee that likes to cave in, I have back pains, lower and upper, my blood sugar drops so many times in a day! I’m unhealthy! I’m going to die! I have to do something! Which is what I’m going to do. Project 28 Days officially begins today. It’s a project that should keep track of my exercises and the work I accomplish.

More work done = more productive = more money

Exercise = less unhealthy eating = healthy life

That’s my logic as of right now but hell, it could change! Hopefully to something more meaningful! I’d like to keep track of everything I do in this project but I’ll try my best! Wish me luck!

 

 

My New Favorite Bath Soap: Droplets of Nature Beauty and Bright Moringa Soap

I got one bar of Moringa Soap from the April Glamourbox. It was a Green Beauty box so I knew by the looks of the soap that it’s one of those all-natural ingredients kind of product. No preservatives, no coloring and other harmful chemicals added!

I used it immediately since it came exactly when I was about to run out of bath soap. First thing I love, the smell. It’s minty and it’s cucumber-y. Second, I didn’t expect it to make any suds since it was made from natural ingredients. It didn’t bubble up like the regular bath soaps I’m used to but it still made a foamy coating so at least it doesn’t feel like I’m using nothing on my skin. It doesn’t feel right when I take a bath and my shampoo or soap doesn’t make bubbles. I guess I’m so used to having bubbles and suds that I associate it to being clean!

Anyway, I LOVE IT! I didn’t notice it at first but the soap actually moisturizes my skin. After a week of using it, I didn’t even have to use lotion on my legs when I go out. I don’t know if it’s related, but the itchy feeling in my skin was also reduced. I took extra care of the soap since I know most natural soaps melt faster than commercial soaps. I place it on top a soap case that drains the water. I made sure it’s always dry and for an all-natural soap, it’s an achievement to have lasted 3 weeks.

After I used it all up, I wanted more so I checked Glamourbox if they have it in their boutique. Sadly, they don’t. The link on their site also directs to Mir and Ryvi which is a different brand from Droplets of Nature. I gave up and never thought about it again. Until the temperature dropped and it got cold, in effect, my skin became even drier. I got desperate!

I searched online and we don’t have a store here that sells Droplets of Nature. Luckily, I found Shopinas.com and they carry the product. Weighing my options between asking my sister to buy it in Manila and just ordering it online, I decided to just order it from Shopinas. Shipping fee for the 5 bars of soap was 140.48 Php. If I asked my sister to buy it, that 140 Php is just her one way cab fare. I love online shopping! Less hassle and it minimizes costs too! My orders arrived today!

I ordered their serum bar too. I want to give it a try since I’m so satisfied with the Moringa Soap. The Moringa Soap costs 114 Php (less than $3), while the Serum Bar costs 94 ($2) Php. I spent 670.58 Php ($16) in total plus shipping. Not bad considering the results I got. I’m giving one bar of each soap to my best gal pal! She scars easily when she has pimples and I’m hoping this soap will help her out! Excited! Getting ready for a bath!

My Dry Skin Issues

I told you about my VERY DRY skin right? No? I must have covered it at some point. Anyway, YES. I have very dry skin. Cold is my enemy. Here’s my theory, when it gets cold, my blood vessels constrict and try to conserve body heat. That’s fine. I understand that. Thing is, I think when my blood vessels do that, they fail to deliver water to my skin. Thus, my skin looks scaly when it’s cold. I’m not kidding! I’m pretty grossed out myself. If the lines were etched, my skin would look like a cracked planting plot during a drought in Arizona!

It’s that bad. If I have to go out, I wear long sleeves and jeans to cover up every inch of my skin. If I have to wear a shirt or anything above my ankles, I liberally apply lotion and bring the tube with me because I swear, my skin drinks whatever type of lotion and in a couple of hours, my skin’s dry again. Either that or the rain washes away the lotion in no time. Whichever happens first! And frankly, I hate the feeling. You know that tight-skin feeling when you have a sunburn? Almost as bad as that! I’d love to post photos too but I’m pretty sure no one would read my blog ever again. LOL! (I don’t think people read my blog anyway, well, not yet. I’m hopeful!)

VERY dry skin

This only happens when it gets cold and since rainy season started a few weeks ago, I’ll be suffering this for the next few months. I drink lots of water! LOTS OF WATER. I eat ls of tomatoes because I’ve read somewhere that it helps the skin too but I’m really looking for a body lotion that works.

I wasn’t kidding, was I?

I don’t mind if it’s not scented. Actually, I prefer unscented body creams. It messes up with my perfume. If any of you have suggestions, feel free to drop a comment! As of the moment, I’m using my son’s Aveeno Baby Lotion. It’s light and it really gets absorbed by my skin. It doesn’t get washed away by water so I’m assuming it’s giving moisture to my skin!

HELP. LOL. Is there a diet I need to take? A product I need to use?

Please don’t tell me to see my dermatologist again. She suggested I use Celeteque but my problem area is, well. Majority of my skin except my face so you see where my problem arises, right?