Ten minutes never felt so long

I was supposed to do yoga yesterday, but the torturing heat here in Manila made it close to impossible.  Have you seen the temperatures lately?  It feels like we’re in an oven.

In the middle of setting up for yoga, I felt irritated and annoyed and it was very impossible to try to calm the mind and do my rounds.  So I went for the next best thing:  circuit training.

Actually, it’s the best exercise.  High intensity interval training guarantees maximum output at the least amount of time, provided of course that you execute it well.  Circuit training also makes sure that you burn after a workout.

Usually my source here is Back on Pointe but I needed some visuals.  So I headed over to Popsugar Fitness and found this:

I did this entire circuit twice and I swear my thighs and buns were burning.  I thought I couldn’t finish!  You just have to power through.  Don’t forget to end it with some yoga!

Hulk's Exercise

I wish you well on your health and fitness journey.  Do you have a favorite circuit?  Share it with me in the comments.  I would love to hear all about it. :)

 

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Falling into a schedule

CAN I JUST GET A QUICK SHOUTOUT?  This school term is finally over!

In that light, Le Beau has been bugging me to come up with a workout schedule while I’m on my five-week break.  I cannot disagree with that; my body has gone through so much that to call it in a fit of disarray and bleh is an understatement.

So here’s what I think.  Running Mondays, Yoga Tuesdays, Biking Saturdays.  Sounds good right?  All the other tasks that I have to accomplish within the week, work-wise and otherwise, I now have time for.  My only concern is, my class schedule for the next term is Tuesdays and Thursdays, so yoga has to fit elsewhere.

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Are you following me on Pinterest yet?  Hahaha.  Not that I have so many interesting posts there, but I just created a new board, basically prepping my head for how I would look like when I start working out.  HAHAHAHA.  I know that’s a big joke, but I can’t help it sometimes.  Even though I am so sure I do not have enough money to create a whole new fitness wardrobe, that shouldn’t really stop me from dreaming of having one.

Imagine my joy, though, when I saw these Flyknits:

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I’m pretty sure Le Beau is going to argue that I don’t really need new sneakers, especially when I’ve barely used the neon green ones my cousin gave me, but look at it!  It’s so pretty.

Enough gushing now.  It’s quite a big day today, and someone will not stop nagging until that someone is satisfied.  Before my good mood is ruined, must sign off.

Have a great day. :)

Returned, I have?

Forgive the hiatus.  I have repeatedly told myself that this year would be different, but even with the weekly notification from WordPress, I still failed to update the blog as regularly as possible.

Blame it on my Superman complex.  I actually thought I can juggle a full-time job, three major subjects for grad school, an LDR, chores and errands, family stuff, and a whole dollop of me-time.  Ha.  Noting the number of zits that have popped across my forehead and the existence of eyebags upon eyebags, I have come to conclude that I have bitten off more than I can chew.

Relief, however, comes after some time.  I have a handful of minutes to relish the fact that, after this week, this term’s grad school is officially over.  I could not be more relieved.  I am never overloading on subjects again!

As much as I want to finish, I really should not have done away with so many major subjects at a time.  It is embarrassing to say, but it was work that suffered.  Oh, how I wish that work did not suffer as much as it did.  But it did.  Oh it so did.  I will definitely pay more attention to time management now.  There must be a semblance of life balance in what I do….

…. which includes physical health.  Coming from an annual physical exam, it was discovered that I indulge too much in um, savory food to say the least.  I think — I THINK — with a weight gain of almost 10 pounds since Paris — Oh Paris, I wish I can escape to you — I eat my stress away.  So, like every year, I embark yet again on a journey to physical wellness this time.  And I hope that the quick 6 week break from schooling will help me build a firmer and stronger workout habit.

It's A Numbers Game

Le Beau is quite concerned and I can’t afford to have another person worrying about me.  My mother already has that covered.  So yeah.  Here we go again right?

I figured it out though.  Or at least I’ve planned it all in my head.  I have to shed some weight first before I start building muscle again.  I’ve done it before, right after finishing the management program in 2010.  Given, of course, that my body might not respond as quickly as it used to four years ago, it surely is worth a shot.

That means sleeping longer, eating better, lessening sugar and well, yoga.  Yoga is my life saver.  Le Beau knows it too; he finds me more pleasant and happy and relaxed after yoga.  And I would like to think a pleasant and relaxed partner is someone he deserves to have.  Yihee.  Bring on the cheese.

Yoga is

Oh, it’s National Poetry Month!  A good friend Ginny has constantly posted beautiful words on Facebook and I have to thank her because now, I look forward to it!  I have forgotten, too, the power of the written word.  Because of that, I shall do my best to keep posting lovely prose — at least, lovely to me — in this channel.

I hope you enjoy this journey — wellness and artistry — even though I basically force you to go with me on it.

May you have a much better managed day than mine.  :)  I leave you with Tyler Knott Gregson.  Tell you more about how I discovered him later.

Tyler Knott Gregson #319
Thank you, Pinterest, for being my constant source of images.

Getting back on track

Normally, weight gain doesn’t bother me.

It’s a lie.  It feels magnificent.  Not having to worry about losing weight because your man loves you as you are?!  Totally reminds me of Channing Tatum’s first lines in his vow from the movie The Vow:

I vow to fiercely love you in all your forms, now and forever.

That has to be the best line in their vows ever.  Anyway, moving on…

It’s different to have your family critical of you; I think it’s something that they normally do.  Like breakfast.  It’s part of being a family, criticism.  So it slighted me in the littlest manner possible whenever they would criticize about my weight.

Then it became lunch topic.  And a greeting.  “Oh wow, you’ve gained weight!” or “You look so… great!” I am assuming by ‘great’ people are talking about width.

And then…  it became an MRT pass.  A lady offered me her seat when she saw me.  I think she assumed I was pregnant.  I took it anyway, sayang e.  But it happened again.  A girl frowned at everyone and was like, “Here take my seat.”  Then… I realized it has been happening all the time.

Even at church!  I usually hear mass at the Bel Air locale every Thursday night.  Twice, I was offered to sit in the nursery.  Yes, the place where the moms with kids and pregger moms  sit.

Now, I only have one thought in my head.  This weight has got to go.

But then this is not my first foray into weight loss.  I’ve done Plana Forma.  Circuit training.  Yoga.  Weights.  I rekindled my love for running.  But my brother said I lacked one thing and it’s not determination.  It’s consistency.  I may be motivated and determined to be toned and all that but if I have too many rest days, the weight will just come right back.

I think that’s also one of the reasons why I gained faster this time compared to the time I managed to lose the weight.  I abruptly stop.

Anyway, moving on… I’m going to try out one of the workouts on Back On Pointe.  Been pinning a lot from it lately, and this workout caught my attention:

I like mornings.  I actually like waking up early.  I am kind in the morning, so it’s easy to associate me with the word ‘angel’ as long as it’s morning.  So yeah, maybe this kickoff would be a good start.

Plus of course, serious diet realignment.  More complex carbs, more protein.  Lesser sugar, lesser caffeine.  I challenged myself a few weeks back to not have coffee; I lasted a good five weeks.

Let’s see how long I can keep this up.  I figured this coupled with a good diet and maybe running at least five hours a week could eventually prep me for that big February 2013 event.  EHEHEHEHEHEEEEEEEM.

I’ll let you know how it goes.  Maybe this would be a good start for you too. :)