June 10, 2007
Our Biggest Loser contest is over and I'm not the biggest loser. Aside from the 500-peso ante, all I lost were a couple of pounds, and around 3 percentage points off of my body fat index. That was far from being competitive. But at least I achieved a few of my goals:
- Lose a couple of pounds. Doesn't matter how many as long as my weight doesn't creep back up.
- Look noticeably thinner. My friends and officemates will attest to this; too bad "audience impact" doesn't count.
- Be conscious of my diet. Never would've thought it'd happen, but I am actually making an effort to understand those "Nutrition Facts".
- Get into the exercise habit. Gold's Gym really helped out here. In fact, I feel awful whenever I miss out on my regular M-W-F gym days.
Labels: :), Biggest Loser, exercise, health
May 18, 2007
Two weeks after getting into the gym habit, I decided to take some measurements again. After all, I was feeling a bit lighter and healthier, and had some extra spring to my step, so I figured that meant that I'd lost a few pounds.
I measured my weight with the same machine used in our "Biggest Loser" contest, and I was elated to find my weight at a "mere" 196 pounds, even with my shoes on! You may think that this isn't such a big deal, but for me it was huge (or the opposite, actually, har har). For the longest time, I've always weighed in it over 200 pounds, and it's always been bothering me that I was that much overweight. Of course, 196 pounds is still overweight, but that 200-pound barrier was this hump that I've always wanted to get over... or under, rather. This is a great achievement for me, and it sure does a lot for me mentally as well. It gave me a huge psychological boost and it indicated that I was finally doing things right.
I've already accomplished what I wanted to achieve in our contest: to get into the habit of exercising and to start living a healthier lifestyle. Of course, actually winning the contest would be a very nice reward, so I'm definitely not slacking off!
And guess what? I've also lost an inch off my waistline! As a "consequence", I now have to tighten my belt by one notch.
To tell you the truth though, finding out I'd lost weight wasn't very surprising. I've somehow managed to maintain my weight in the 200 to 210-pound range with my regular eating habits; my weight was already very "stable". So if you just add a dash of exercise and combine that with lessened food intake, I was sure to lose some weight. All this simply proves the age old formula for weight-loss: Higher energy consumption + lower energy intake = lost pounds.
I measured my weight with the same machine used in our "Biggest Loser" contest, and I was elated to find my weight at a "mere" 196 pounds, even with my shoes on! You may think that this isn't such a big deal, but for me it was huge (or the opposite, actually, har har). For the longest time, I've always weighed in it over 200 pounds, and it's always been bothering me that I was that much overweight. Of course, 196 pounds is still overweight, but that 200-pound barrier was this hump that I've always wanted to get over... or under, rather. This is a great achievement for me, and it sure does a lot for me mentally as well. It gave me a huge psychological boost and it indicated that I was finally doing things right.
I've already accomplished what I wanted to achieve in our contest: to get into the habit of exercising and to start living a healthier lifestyle. Of course, actually winning the contest would be a very nice reward, so I'm definitely not slacking off!
And guess what? I've also lost an inch off my waistline! As a "consequence", I now have to tighten my belt by one notch.
To tell you the truth though, finding out I'd lost weight wasn't very surprising. I've somehow managed to maintain my weight in the 200 to 210-pound range with my regular eating habits; my weight was already very "stable". So if you just add a dash of exercise and combine that with lessened food intake, I was sure to lose some weight. All this simply proves the age old formula for weight-loss: Higher energy consumption + lower energy intake = lost pounds.
Labels: :D, Biggest Loser, exercise, health
May 04, 2007
With just four weeks remaining in our "Biggest Loser" office-edition contest, I decided to try to get into our limited-slots, first-come-first-served fitness program (free one-month's access to Gold's Gym). As you can probably guess, a lot of people attempt to enroll in this program and very few make it, so I was very surprised when I found out that I made it in.
I marked off Friday morning (earlier today) as gym work out time. It was the first time I had ever worked out at a gym, and I was very confused at first with all the machinery and things that I could do. So I made an arrangement to have officemates/gym buddies with me on my first work out: GM and Ryann. I probably wouldn't have survived without them, and I would've been discouraged from working out in the future. They acted as my trainers and tour guides. I never knew there were so many ways to exercise and muscle groups to target. Thanks so much, guys!
I had a lot of fun even though I hadn't pushed my body to its limit in such a long time. I'm feeling fine, except that my legs are killing me after doing squats. Tomorrow I will probably have the worst time trying to get out of bed.
I marked off Friday morning (earlier today) as gym work out time. It was the first time I had ever worked out at a gym, and I was very confused at first with all the machinery and things that I could do. So I made an arrangement to have officemates/gym buddies with me on my first work out: GM and Ryann. I probably wouldn't have survived without them, and I would've been discouraged from working out in the future. They acted as my trainers and tour guides. I never knew there were so many ways to exercise and muscle groups to target. Thanks so much, guys!
I had a lot of fun even though I hadn't pushed my body to its limit in such a long time. I'm feeling fine, except that my legs are killing me after doing squats. Tomorrow I will probably have the worst time trying to get out of bed.
April 20, 2007
A couple of months ago, some of our managers engaged in a "Biggest Loser"-like contest. The goal? To lose the most weight after a fixed period of time. (To make things fair, they measured the percentage loss instead of just the raw difference.) The pot was huge; each manager put in a hefty 2,000 bucks, winner takes all.Not to be outdone, us subordinates got into our own little contest: two months, 16 contestants, 500 bucks each, winner takes all, runner-up loses nothing (as a consolation). Do the math; that's a huge potential pay-off! And instead of measuring the percentage change in weight, we used the percentage change in body fat index as our metric; after all, muscle weighs more than fat which would put the already-fit people at a disadvantage.
(If you're wondering how we measure body fat index, we use those 5-peso machines at Mercury Drug which measures your height, weight, body fat index, and even blood pressure! Those machines are pretty inaccurate in my opinion, but they're the easiest way.)
It's been almost three weeks since our initial weigh-in and I've only recently started getting into it. My regimen is simple, almost too simple: 30-45 minutes of exercise in the morning for three times a week (mostly consisting of light jogging/walking), a "stricter" diet (only by my standards) of more fruit and fiber and less fried and fatty foods, lesser food intake (especially at night). I'm not in the company's limited-slots fitness program which entitles us to a month's access to Gold's Gym, but I'll try to get in next month.
And as an extra measure, because I'm absolutely crazy, I take the stairs up and down everyday at our office building. Unfortunately (or fortunately), HP is at the 7th floor (and also at the 14th, but thankfully I'm not located there). I have a technique to psych myself up for the stair-climbing task. I have to take 6 flights of stairs to get to the 7th. 6 flights is just 2 sets of 3 flights. One can easily climb 3 flights of stairs, right? So when I get to the 4th floor (which is pretty easy), I just say to myself, "One more time!" and convince myself that I just have to climb 3 more flights, which is again pretty easy, right?
It takes less than 2 minutes to get to the 7th floor. I try to maintain a constant, healthy pace; no cheat by slowing down! And I do all that with a 7-pound laptop on my back! After two weeks of climbing stairs, I've gotten really used to it and can do up to 3 sets up and down a day (not continuously, of course!) without getting my body wasted. But the question is: does it help? Or am I just working out my thighs?
(By the way, I started with a whopping 30.3% body fat... and 15-20% is normal for guys. Ick.)
Labels: Biggest Loser, contests, health, HP, work
February 19, 2007
My dad's finally home! He arrived from Singapore this afternoon along with my sister. He doesn't look like he's skipped a beat. The doctors said he shouldn't do anything strenuous for at least a month, but otherwise he looks like he's back to normal...
...Except for the fact that he's on a health crusade now. There seems to be no end to the advice he's picked up from the doctors in Singapore. Look for all our meals to undergo a mandatory health inspection from now on. But it's for our own benefit too so all's well and good.
I'm very, very happy that my dad's back.
...Except for the fact that he's on a health crusade now. There seems to be no end to the advice he's picked up from the doctors in Singapore. Look for all our meals to undergo a mandatory health inspection from now on. But it's for our own benefit too so all's well and good.
I'm very, very happy that my dad's back.
October 12, 2006
I have very weak teeth. I easily get cavities. Every time I get my teeth cleaned at the dentist (twice a year), the dentist always tells me I have at least one new cavity (one-time record: a whopping 13!), which cost a fortune to fill.
The cause has something to do with my genes (mostly mom's side) but I guess it has more to do with my poor dental hygiene habits. In the past, I averaged one toothbrushing a day, before leaving the house in the morning. After every painful visit to the dentist, I get really pumped up about changing my bad brushing habits. I'd get really diligent about taking care of my teeth, but after a week or two, I slip back to my one-brushing-a-day ways.
Right now, I've been having success brushing in the morning (after breakfast) and in the afternoon (after lunch). It helps a lot that I bought a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste that I keep in my office trolley. And brushing your teeth at work sure is fun. It's the habit of brushing my teeth at night that's difficult for me; I just can't get used to it. When I get home in the evening, I'm so tired that after eating dinner (sometimes I even don't eat dinner at home), I rush up to my room and take a rest. Should I remember to brush my teeth, I'm already too lazy to go down (my brush is in the kitchen) since everyone's asleep and it's dark downstairs.
Solution: Buy another toothbrush and more toothpaste to place in the bathroom upstairs. Next challenge: flossing.
The cause has something to do with my genes (mostly mom's side) but I guess it has more to do with my poor dental hygiene habits. In the past, I averaged one toothbrushing a day, before leaving the house in the morning. After every painful visit to the dentist, I get really pumped up about changing my bad brushing habits. I'd get really diligent about taking care of my teeth, but after a week or two, I slip back to my one-brushing-a-day ways.
Right now, I've been having success brushing in the morning (after breakfast) and in the afternoon (after lunch). It helps a lot that I bought a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste that I keep in my office trolley. And brushing your teeth at work sure is fun. It's the habit of brushing my teeth at night that's difficult for me; I just can't get used to it. When I get home in the evening, I'm so tired that after eating dinner (sometimes I even don't eat dinner at home), I rush up to my room and take a rest. Should I remember to brush my teeth, I'm already too lazy to go down (my brush is in the kitchen) since everyone's asleep and it's dark downstairs.
Solution: Buy another toothbrush and more toothpaste to place in the bathroom upstairs. Next challenge: flossing.
Labels: dental care, habits, health
September 15, 2006
Started getting muscle pains in my lower-left back yesterday. Never noticed that it was hurting until I decided it was time to leave the office. It made sleeping last night really difficult and it worsened in the morning due to an awkward sleeping position. Felt better after eating breakfast and taking a bath, but the pain is still there, to a lesser degree now.
I suspect that having to bring my laptop to work everyday is the culprit. I take public transportation and I carry my machine in a trashy-looking backpack (don't want to grab any attention). Sometimes I only use the right-hand strap to carry my backpack, which causes me to shift my balance to the left side. Doing that everyday while standing for extended periods of time (on the bus and on the train) probably cause my back pains.
I suspect that having to bring my laptop to work everyday is the culprit. I take public transportation and I carry my machine in a trashy-looking backpack (don't want to grab any attention). Sometimes I only use the right-hand strap to carry my backpack, which causes me to shift my balance to the left side. Doing that everyday while standing for extended periods of time (on the bus and on the train) probably cause my back pains.
September 13, 2006
I had a mild case of vertigo last night. I started getting a little dizzy as I was writing last night's blog entry and pretty soon I wanted to just throw up. It took a lot of effort just to get downstairs and call my parents up for help (they were away playing mahjong). They got me a few tablets of cinnarizine (reimbursable to HP!) to help fight the nausea. I'm fortunate that I was able to will myself to sleep after an hour of lying down.
I felt better this morning, though I still imagine my world spinning at times. I did a bit of research on vertigo and I think I experienced some benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). I found these exercises to help combat the effects of BPPV in case it occurs again.
If you've never experienced vertigo in your life, be thankful. There's nothing pleasant with the experience.
I felt better this morning, though I still imagine my world spinning at times. I did a bit of research on vertigo and I think I experienced some benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). I found these exercises to help combat the effects of BPPV in case it occurs again.
If you've never experienced vertigo in your life, be thankful. There's nothing pleasant with the experience.
