An Early Cheat Day

I said that I usually cheat on Sundays but, today, I made an exception. After eating 2/3s of a piece of a cracker for breakfast, I lost my appetite.

Brunchtime, I felt nauseous at the thought of having a whole wheat egg & cheese sandwich so I ate a fried egg (I usually poach my eggs), 4 sausages, a cup of fried rice and downed a glass of coke. This very simple meal made me pleasantly satisfied.

The high carbohydrate content or maybe just the sheer amount of food made me sleepy so I did something I haven’t done it two weeks – I went to Mercury Drug and bought myself a bottle of Red Bull and a Biogesic.

It worked like magic. In 15 minutes, I wasn’t sleepy anymore. It helped me cleanse my large intestines, too (just keeping it real).

* * * * *

My dad sent me on an errand to San Juan and, because it was close to Greenhills, I decided to pass by Greenhills Shopping Center after I finished the errand. I didn’t find any shoes, clothes, gadgets or books that I liked but I did get to eat at Unimart’s Coffee Shop.

Their burger steak is awesome. The patty was larger than my closed fist, which makes it 7-8 inches in diameter (yes, I’ve got big hands) and it was packed with delicious meat (usually, food court patties are packed with flour) and the gravy was also very rich in taste (unlike most fast food gravy, which usually looks and tastes like mud colored water).

Along with the bread, buttered veggies and 3/4s of a can of Sprite, it filled me up. The best thing about it is, because I felt so stuffed, it made me want to go back to eating whole wheat egg sandwiches and beef and beans. As I’m writing this, I am also eating a whole wheat egg sandwich. Based on this, I can say that having cheat meals work for me.

Changes to My Diet and Exercise Habits in 2012

For the past two weeks, my daily diet has consisted of mostly:
- a cup of oatmeal
- 2 servings of beef and beans in tomato sauce
- 2 whole wheat egg & cheese sandwiches
- 2 packs of crackers
- 2 cups of coffee (1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon)

I said ‘mostly’ because on Sundays, I eat whatever I want, in the quantities I want, which is usually almost to the point of getting nauseous. There are also days wherein I eat the free dinner in the office OR eat half a box of pizza when the birthday celebrant happens to be generous enough to buy pizza for everyone.

* * * * *

Exercise wise, I’ve been following this workout routine:

___Whole Body Day___
- Squats
- Pull-Ups
- Calf Raises
- Push-Ups
- Sit Ups & Leg Raises
- Superman Stretches

___Shoulder Day___
- Front Lateral Raises
- Side Lateral Raises
- Rear Deltoid Raises

I don’t take days off when working out. It’s either I work out my entire body today or my shoulders. So far, I haven’t felt any ill effects.

I have also finally began to use my 3 month old bike to run short errands (Less than 10 Km away, round trip). My quads start to burn after the first few minutes of pedaling but I guess I’ll get used to it just like I did 12 years ago.

I have also been walking for a total of about 30 minutes every day I go to the office, which gets my heart rate up. I also take the stairs going up to the fourth floor. The walking and stair climbing let me work up a fair amount of sweat so I always have to change shirts upon arrival.

* * * * *

So, what’s happened after twelve days?

I’ve lost 5 lbs[1], I have better bowel movement (just keeping it real) and I believe it has also improved my concentration and my testosterone levels.

Now, let’s see how long I can keep this up.

Notes

[1] I weighed 192.5 lbs on January 9 and currently weigh 187.5 lbs.

My Stand Up Desk Experiment

I’ve been using an improvised stand up desk for about a month now and I’ve gotten good results.

I no longer get the back pain I used to derive from sitting all day, I have better bowel movement (just keeping it real ) and, if the science is right, I am effectively cutting my risk for a heart attack[1].

How did I create my improvised stand up desk? First, I grabbed a spare plastic chair from the garage, put it on top of my desk and mounted my monitor on it. Then, I used shoe boxes to raise my keyboard up and a water boiler box and a grade 7 math book to elevate my mouse. It was that simple for me.

Whenever my legs need to take a break, I take a walk, I sit (I never said I’ve sworn off sitting; I usually eat and drive while sitting. ) or lie down on my bed (which is behind my desk) and get up when I’m good to go.

Before I end, I must mention that I don’t stand with a ramrod straight back and immobilize my legs – I’ve tried that and it makes my legs and back hurt. What I do is I shift my weight from one leg to the other and sometimes raise one of my feet on a low stool. Using those two simple techniques let me stand continuously for at least an hour.

Notes

[1] You sitting down? Experts say it’ll kill you
[2] The Most Dangerous Thing You Can Do Every Single Day

Learning How To Be Less Argumentative

I knew those boards would fit. But she said not to do it to lessen the load of the bag so it wouldn’t burst so I let her have her way.

I also knew that the coffee shop we went to a couple of months ago also offered massage services but she kept on insisting that it didn’t so I just let it go.

I’m surprised at how easy it is not to sweat the “small” stuff.

* * * * *

Reception Venues

May 21, 2011 – Chilline T-House, Tagaytay
June 4, 2011 – Edsa Shangri-La, Manila, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City [1]
June 11, 2011 – Villa Immaculada, Intramuros, Manila
June 12, 2011 – The Loft @ Manansala, Rockwell Center, Makati

Notes

[1] “Edsa Shangri-La, Manila” is the full name of the hotel according to its website.

Searching for Directions

Aside from locating the entourage for the wedding ceremony or making sure the right sounds and videos play at the right times during the reception, one of my responsibilities is to search for directions (because I’m also the driver! ).

As you might have guessed, I first search for the place using Google Maps. If I can’t find it there, I comb through the Wikis, Blogs, Forums and, if it exists, the website of the venue. If I find a printable map, I use it. If not, I print the text directions.

If I fail to find directions on the internet, I call the venue and ask them for directions [1]. The staff is usually competent (or can at least redirect me to someone who is) so this method never fails. As soon as the directions are said, I write them down in my notebook (or type it out in Notepad), taking into account all the turns and asking for any landmarks I’ll be passing. Then I take the notebook with me while I’m driving to the place.

Then, at least three days before the wedding, I drive to the place to help with the ocular inspection.

Sometimes, despite my best efforts, I still get lost and have to ask around for help (good thing I’ve got time to spare as I don’t have a wedding on the same day I help with an inspection ).

Once I reach the mountain top or the underwater cave I’m looking for, I can finally begin doing the ocular.

Reception Venues

April 30 – Moon Garden, Tagaytay
May 1 – The Mango Farm, Antipolo, Rizal
May 7 – Hyatt Hotel, Manila
May 8 – The Mango Farm, Antipolo, Rizal
May 14 – The Greenery, Bulacan

Notes

[1] I do this as a last resort because I prefer reading written instructions to receiving verbal instructions.

Weddings in April

This month, I’ve had five weddings so far (and had three in a row!).

One of them saw the bride and groom showcase their musical talent in the piano and the guitar (and they were really good!).

Another had a long haired rocker priest who pronounced the couple as “Dr. and Dr.” instead of “Mr. and Mrs.”

Yet another had its preparations, ceremony and reception venues within walking distance of each other (hence guests merely had to walk from place to place).

Pro Tip: If you (or anyone you know) ever plan to get married in Malate Church and want to throw doves in the air after your ceremony, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AT LEAST FOUR BIG GUYS SURROUNDING YOU. Why? Because it takes four big guys (with their arms outstretched) to stop beggars from lunging at you and grabbing the doves the microsecond they leave your hands (which has been proven harmful both to your sanity and to your pictures and videos).

Here are the venues:

April 8 – Light of Love (Atrium), Quezon City
April 9 – Glass Garden (Emerald), Pasig City
April 10 – Ramon Magsaysay Center, Manila
April 14 – Patio Victoria, Manila
April 16 – Ramon Magsaysay Center, Manila

Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
.
.
.
Please.