My Own Version Of Losing 13 Pounds In 3 Weeks

February 2010. I randomly thought of cutting rice from my diet just so I would know how it feels like. My rules were simple.

My meal was composed of a sumptuous viand (lutong pinoy meat viands ), fruits (mostly apples or grapes, bananas or oranges) and lots of water. I also had yogurt in between meals. Never had that "starving" moment as I usually gobbled on something healthy in between meals (no sweets. no softdrinks. Just.meat.and.fruits). 

I then thought of adding some spice into my whole endeavor. A day or two from starting the  "no-rice-but-don't-starve" diet, I spent 15-30 minutes using the elliptical exercise equipment. Initially, I did not have enough stamina to go beyond that. I had to stop, or I might have turned blue!  So my elliptical routine was composed of 5 minutes of slow movements, just like walking at the park followed by 3-5 minutes of fast movements like i was running chasing a snatcher (no, i did not experience that). :D  I repeated the cycle for about 30 minutes or less. Surprisingly, after approximately 10 days, I survived keeping my toes on the elliptical for 45 minutes to an hour. 

P.S. Watch a good TV show or a suspense/action movie OR play some Lady Gaga music while using the elliptical. The whole experience becomes more fun and less of a work. 

I did this when I was on a 3-month leave from work. That means I should have gained more weight during that time. Obviously, I did not. After weighing a day before my flight back to the Philippines, I got so excited with the results! From weighing 45 kilos (99 pounds) 3 weeks back, that day I weighed 39 kilos (86 pounds). Suhweet! At least, I figured out what works for me. 

And that's it.  How i was able to do it daily and religiously for 3 weeks? I simply challenged myself. I wanted to know if I'd accomplish something like it. Keywords: challenge, curiosity, discipline and mindset. 

To the cups of rice and to my beloved chocolates and candies, you will be on leave soon after the Christmas holidays. I'll miss you and till we meet again!

Dear Online Shopping Virgins,

(From an online seller's point of view)

1. Never purchase an item from a seller who ONLY accepts payments via G-Cash. Scammers are known for this. Yes, you can still settle payments via G-Cash. However, you need to make sure that the said seller ALSO accepts bank deposits and money transfers (as these have tougher policies in checking the receiver's identity) for settling payments.

2. In inquiring for an item's details (unit price, dimensions, shipping fee, how to order, etc.) send the seller a PRIVATE MESSAGE.There is a big possibility that the seller might not notice your inquiry among the hundred other inquiries. And it can be pretty annoying for others who were also tagged in the same photo.

3. Know that paying through money transfer agencies will cost you more. Money transfer fees can be a bit pricey especially if you'd send a relatively bigger amount. Bank deposits, those that don't charge another P50 for interbranch transactions, will spare you from added expenses.

4. In deciding to purchase an item, don't forget to include the shipping fee. Unless, the seller's making the sf free!

5. If an online shop has policies or FAQs page, read it before asking endless questions. Please spare the seller's time from answering your queries which are clearly explained already. Reading it beforehand, will save you time as well.

6. Make sure the photos are the onlineshop's, unless otherwise specified. Pixelated pictures may be copied pictures from someone else's page. Another thing scammers do.

7.  Having a "SOLD ITEMS album" and an "airway bill album" do not guarantee the onlineshop is for real. These photos may have been stolen from a certified seller only. And in online shopping, don't buy on impulse. This is one of the reasons why others get scammed. Explore the seller's albums, the info page, the wall (for some notes from other clients) FIRST.

8. Settle your payment ON or before the agreed date. The item you didnt pay for on time would have been given to a more responsible buyer.

9. After making the payment, inform the seller your COMPLETE payment details, especially for money trasfer transactions (complete name, address, correct money control number and the works).

10. Once shipped, ask for the tracking number from the seller. Sit back, relax, and wait for your item. Once the package's delivered, open it, enjoy, and online shop some more! haha!

Xoxo,
Just Another Online Seller and Shopper :))

Shorts Embellished

One chilly morning, I glanced at a sad looking shorts quietly sitting on my closet porch. :D It must have been waiting for me to notice his lonely life. So i got a needle, a thread and a pack of beads and started sewing on its blank surface. Few minutes later, the shorts finally started to look more alive than it has ever been. 

This one's still under repair though. I still have to think of a design that will match the already embellished side.

It will have to go back to its place for now. But for sure, this shorts will serve its purpose real soon. :-)

Foundation and concealer in one!

I have been sporting this puffy eyebags for quite some time now. My quest for a concealer to hide both my puffy and dark circles has come a long way. I've switched from one brand to another. Tried one tone or shade to another. Much for this failed quest, rather than actually masking my eyebags, these concealers actually highlight them! They make my eyebags look bigger and more powerful.haha! 

It was only maybelline new york's light ochre pure mineral healthy natural powder foundation (whew! That's a long one!) that hid my ever existing eyebags. It has become both my foundation and concealer. Just put thicker powder on the dark circles/eyebags, spread and brush it well, and voila, it works even better than all the concealers I've explored! Nah, this actually works best for me. Definitely getting another one to replenish my almost empty container.

Rat race: count me out!

To this date, I'm still not out from THE  famous rat race. Almost two years back, fresh from graduation, all I impulsively  wanted was to get a job (not that it's hard to get one considering my course), pay the bills, travel, help my family in whatever way I can, and shop! It's been almost two years since I got that. Then, I started getting tired of the mundane cycle, this rat race. I started wanting to not just work so I can pay bills (btw, my family was still helping me pay my OWN bills back in Manila) , not just drag myself out the bed, so I can save for an upcoming vacation. I started getting dissatisfied with being able to help my family with JUST any way I can, I want to help them get out of the rat race; the same way that I'm longing to be free from it also. I want to be financially free! Being rich and having more than enough money is not bad, as what most of us are accustomed to think, it is actually the LACK of it which makes it awful. It is nice to be able to donate school supplies to less fortunate kids because we have enough or a little extra moolah, but would it not be way nicer if we are able to send a child to school and train him to be financially literate? Someone with just enough or a little extra will not be able to do that easily than someone who is financially free. As I speak, my thirst for  financial freedom is just growing by the minute. I have so many BIG WHYS why I want to be one. You might doze off if i'd enumerate all of them here. My point is, it's not bad to want to be rich, to have that money just so we can help others more and better; it's the lack of it.Let's dream, act and grow. Think of your WHYS to fuel your desire in becoming financially free. Once you have those, the HOWS may just come in handy, if not, the pre-requisites in being able to think of HOWs no matter how challenging they may be, may just begin pouring like rain in the middle of a drought.