Before 2018 ends, it is time for my year-end essay! I will compensate for my inability to update the last few months with this mega post.
Compared to the holidays of the previous years, this year is quite laid back. It was not as frantic as before.
Ayala Malls Circuit’s Christmas decoration
One of the things I am proudest of this 2018 is that I was able to make better choices for my health. This includes a change in my diet, and a better drive to exercise regularly.
Six years ago, in an attempt to create a separate avenue for self-expression and practice writing for my comprehensive exams, I had created BRYOLOGUE. It was even hosted for free at WordPress.com, before I ventured into self-hosting in January 2015.
I admittedly become absent here from time to time, but I should not let this anniversary pass without an entry. I haven’t even managed to post one on the 5th.
Several times I have been informed by friends and acquaintances that they have stumbled upon this website. Again, it makes me feel uneasy when they bring this to my attention. But then again, whatever they read here, they must accept the frivolity and, at times, candor that I offer.
Although I don’t promote at all, I’ve seen several Facebook posts grabbing photos here, but with proper attribution. However, there were also times that I saw posts using my photos without asking.
Anyway, after transferring to the laboratory back in March, we will be going back to the pool downstairs starting Monday. All things considered, it is best that we sit there along with the other programs.
One on the guitar, one on his laptop
Who will not love this modern lab? However, it is really fair enough we go downstairs again. So, goodbye lab! Those were fun three months with you!
The last thing to do before reaching work was walking the length of the sidewalk from KPMG, the underpass near PBCom, until our office building. What I hated most about this was, in spite of the heavy breathing from rushing, I usually had to endure two bouts of ‘Marlboro Country’ or a group of smokers having their nicotine fix.
But recently, I have noticed this interesting signage affixed in front of SMART Building. It was very clever and diplomatically-worded, not to mention that the smoking skull illustration was very apt. I laud the building administration for putting up such a reminder. Now, I only have to endure the group of smokers in front of PBCom. Interestingly, that building also has something posted in their building and even has the city ordinance number reminding people that smoking was prohibited. But alas! It fell on blind eyes and was blatantly ignored. There’s nothing much I can do about it but cover my face just to prevent myself from inhaling second-hand smoke. Ugh.
On another health-conscious note, I have decided to give this new product a try – CarbTrim. I’ve seen its commercial (featuring Angelica Panganiban) and I was curious to give the product a try.
Now, let me begin by saying that I began exercising again two weeks ago after a long hiatus. I’ve been very eager to get on my stationary bike again. But as there were people working on the construction of the rooftop of our house’s extension, I thought that it was very insensitive of me to exercise comfortably in my bike while watching videos, while they go up and down bringing construction materials and concrete. It did not sit well with me. As I can no longer wait for the long construction initiative to finish, I decided to just be ready and wait for them to go during lunchtime to have just an hour of exercising. I have to squeeze everything in an hour, though I know I can push myself to 30-minutes more.
So for CarbTrim, their tag line “Stop watching carbs, start blocking them!” pulled me in badly. Whenever I try to go on diet, the carbs are always the first to suffer. I know that it’s not exactly good but I can’t keep the idea of ‘carbs will make you fat’ our of my head. I knew that it was false but I still believed it anyway. CarbTrim was purported to contain the carb-blocking ingredient Phase-2 white kidney bean and was ‘clinically-proven’ to help blocking carbs.
Now, I’ve only just finished the whole box (containing six sachets, I think). I drink just a sachet during the first meal of the day (usually a brunch), then after resting for more than 30 minutes, I usually head right away to my bike. What I’ve noticed was that during the rest of the day, I began to eat less than I would normally eat. I don’t exactly know if it was psychological because I have a tendency to extremely restrict my eating when I’m dieting.
The tricky part was that I already ditched the weighing scale as weight loss was no longer my ultimate goal. I still want to fit better into my clothes but I no longer want to be stick-thin.The upcoming winter on our December trip will surely send me crawling if I were emaciated. I’m just trying to build my resistance because I also do not want to end up with a botched vacation, like what happened last September.
As I’ve already finished drinking all of the sachets, I will be buying another box later just to continually observe its effects. At the back of my mind, I knew that it might not be working as it was purported to be. However, I’m still going to continue for the heck of it.
Once the clock struck 12, I felt extremely happy because it was already the start of the -ber months. Here in the Philippines, it usually signals the start of the Holiday Season. And true to form, while we were waiting for our food to be served in “French Baker” in Ali Mall, the Odyssey kiosk nearby was already playing English and Filipino Christmas carols on repeat! Christmas is nearly upon us, and once All Saints is over, the Christmas fever will be on full-throttle.
French Baker goodies: clockwise – Chicken Pesto Cream, Chicken Parmigiana, Mango Crêpe and Soup in a Bread
It’s 2:00 AM and I almost had a fainting spell. I left the office feeling okay, but on my way home, I had this familiar feeling of non-hunger. I can’t exactly explain what was it but it was when I know my body was running low but felt no hunger pains. I said that it was a familiar feeling because that was what I used to feel when I used to take suppressants. I no longer take them because I did not like the effect on my body and I know that in the long run, it will be very detrimental.
Anyway, I did not know why I even felt that way because had I known that my stomach was about to rumble, I would be immediately getting something to eat. I then bought this steaming bowl of goto because it was the quickest fix I could find. My body is now singing Hallelujah Chorus to me. LOL
Earlier this day, my nephew and I went to the market place to reserve and buy a cake for my parents’ 32nd wedding anniversary. We had to return after 20 minutes or so to let them finish the writing of the dedication, so I just decided to go around the area. Just a few meters from Goldilocks, I saw this Ukay, which I haven’t visited for a very long time.
It is the Philippines’ version of Goodwill, only that they are not non-profit organizations and operating as private businesses. Well, I can’t remember when was the last time I have thrifted and it won’t hurt to just go around a bit.
Luckily, I was able to find one interesting item (for Php 50 — just a notch above a dollar, imagine that) and I need not go much further:
I got home starving a bit from a whole day’s work. When I dropped by the kitchen, this is what I saw:
I had to fight a strong urge to eat my favorite Piattos (Sour Cream & Onion). I generally prefer chips in sour cream, garlic or plain and salted. But I know that the moment I open the pack, I would not be just tasting but emptying it down. I just got a banana and drank two glasses of water.
Mind over matter as I am about to sleep and I did not want to feel guilty after. I know very well that I have a delicate relationship with food, which I last described in my previous entry.
Egg, hotdogs and rice on a sizzling plate
Dairy Queen sundaeI’m fine with cheat days. Saturdays and Sundays are admittedly the scariest days of the week because I know that I can’t escape eating with my SO, Mon. He’s extremely eagle-eyed of what I take in and we even had a heated argument last Saturday because of this. I was finally able to voice out my feelings about him watching over what I eat and the reasons why I have an ideal body image. We were finally able to find a middle ground, but just an extra measure, I reiterated that I did not want him mentioning anything about whatever it is that I’m doing and we should just carry on with our normal lives. Case closed. Hopefully.
But yesterday, without three days of exercise, I felt quite guilty of eating this grease fest on a sizzling plate. The caramel sundae from Dairy Queen was okay, though. However, what followed inside the cinema was different — it was junk food galore. I opted not to drink any iced tea and brought water instead.
Food for the day: Chicken stew, kimbab (Babhouse, RCBC Plaza),original glazed donut (Krispy Kreme), green tea latte
Since the start of the year, I have sworn to stick to my diet and be done with it. Easier said than done. However, since the start of May, I have continuously stuck to my exercise of one hour for four days a week (which can even reach five) and be more conscious of the things I eat. I don’t weigh myself, but I look for the overall change in the body shape.