Shhhh, hear that? 

Those are sounds of laughter from my younger siblings. They know me well, so yes, they have the right to laugh.

Seriously now… I’ve always admired people who can do pushups without looking like they are dying afterwards and I’m one of the many who’ll look asphyxiated after performing one measly pushup. So. Not. Cool.

I found a gem this morning at Karin’s Surfer Sunday post.

The One Hundred Push up Challenge is a 6 week training program aimed to make you sustain and perform 100 pushups at the end. My first thought was, “no way!” but after reviewing the complete program, was shifted to being a little bit motivated “hmm, I can do this!”. I said only a LITTLE but I’m going to try this, just in time for the Summer of Me challenge.

What makes this challenge tick? Pushups gives the body a good total workout, strengthens your arms, chest, legs, insert anything you want here___. Most importantly, you can do pushups anytime and anywhere because it doesn’t require any gym membership and extra equipment.

The challenge takes you to train 3 days a week for six weeks. You’ll have to take an initial test to see your fitness level it’s doable, right in the comfort of my home.

So without much further ado, I’m starting the challenge today. Anyone wants to join the fun?
Oh, don’t smirk now, this is going to be fun, really! (If possitivity burns a lot of calories, I’d be so slim right now!!)

Only a few hours left and June is almost over. One half of 2008 flew like a breeze, just like that. First half is finished, I am so looking forward to the second half of the year with so much excitement. There’s a wedding, a homecoming and lots of travelling. I can’t wait!

Pristine and I will be taking a trip back to Japan in 5 weeks! Although this is not the first time that we’ll be travelling together without M, (I have done two trips from Japan to the Philippines when Pristine was younger but the flights were short), this is the first long flight that we’ll have together. We’ll have a short stopover in Hong Kong and then transfer to another plane going to Narita (Japan) - which reminds me of my worries.

What if she’ll sleep when we land in Hong Kong? Then I’d have to  carry her around the huge airport along with my hand carry baggage and what nots looking for the boarding gate for our next flight. She’s already heavy now and heavier when she’s asleep. I am seriously considering to buy a simple fold and go stroller but I have this feeling that strollers are more than a burden than help.

Any thoughts?

I don’t know how many times I have mentioned that I really hate going to work on Saturdays and Sundays. One day off per week is not enough and I am usually tired when I reach my desk on the first work day of the week, that is Saturday.

I work from Saturdays-Thursdays. No point in complaining, I know as it won’t change anything. I want to stay home especially now that darling daughter is home for her summer vacation. I want to go home and play with her, sleep with her and cook, arrange the cup board, clean the bathroom, arrange the closet, etc. My mood is not all sunshine today so I better stop.

I hate working on Saturdays but not that I am going to quit this job soon. Just sayin’.

This is my first Fat Ticker Friday since I joined the challenge over at Christie’s Baby Tea Leaves.

How did I do this week? Well, not bad but also not what I hoped it to be. Due to my daughter getting sick early in the week, I wasn’t able to go the gym for three days and only done push-ups and ab work at home. I only went to the gym for 3 times this week. Then I had errands missed those after-run glow over the weekend.

However, I am still eating sensibly - a thing that I don’t dread at all. It has rubbed on me since the beginning of this year when I decided to change my lifestyle.

Oh and my weighing scale broke down - not because I was too heavy! LOL. It’s made in China, that’s why. Oops. Seriously, I thought the battery died down and I replaced it only for find out it’s kaput, garbage stuff now. I can only rely on the gym weighing scale which I loathe by the way because it seems that I am heavy there than at home?

Strange stuff.

Speaking of weighing scale, I plan to buy a weighing scale that displays body fat percentage also since relying on a weighing scale that only shows body mass is disputed by fitness gurus. It lies. Real weight loss is fat loss and the only way to find out if what you have lost is fat and not the essential for revved-up metabolism lean muscle (think about burning calories while sleeping, baby!) is through a bioelectrical impedance scale/body fat scale (showing fat percentage), skin fold calipers or underwater weighing. Knowing one’s body fat is important.

Weight: (still) 152 lbs.

I hope next week is better!

How do you keep a toddler who loves outdoors and school at home for five long weeks? What are the chances she’ll ask to be taken outside and tug your skirt asking “why no school today?” for a minimum of 10 times per day? Answer: everyday!

Pristine had her last day of school last June 19 and had been staying at home with her grandma (my mom who stays with us). The first few days was a bliss, she seemed so happy not be waken up early in the morning for school and just relax at home, play, watch a movie in DVD and nap. Thankfully, my mom is also minding one boy living in the same apartment building. He is the same age as Pristine and they really get along well. They are keeping each other entertained for the long summer vacation and I am happy…

Until both of them started asking why no school and sleep-talking - calling their classmate’s names in their sleep!

We live in Dubai, where there is practically no outdoor life while the sun is out at this time of the year. We can’t take them to the parks, it is too hot, humid and since we are living in the big construction site (the whole city is under construction - check out my other blog for that), it is dusty outside. Five more weeks and we are off for our vacation in Japan.

Oh, I can only hope the days go by doubly fast!

I just wrote the other day that I am glad that Pristine finished one year of KG1 without getting sick often. In fact, I can only count with the fingers in my both hands the number of times I had to take a break from work because of her health.

Last Monday was one of those times. She was not feeling well because of the dusty weather for the past days. I didn’t get enough sleep, she didn’t get proper sleep because of stomach pain and coughing. When morning came, I wanted to be with her eventhough she was feeling a little bit better.

I submitted my leave form to the boss the next day and with knitted eyebrows he told me, “Why does your daughter keep on getting sick? Don’t you have anyone at home to take care of her?”

My mother is staying with us but damn it, can’t a mom be with her daughter for one freaking day!? God help me, I am so angry.

The result of the x-ray and blood test done on the babe showed chest infection due to allergy and prolonged cough. She has to take anti-biotic (the strong one that has caused her gastric pains the other night) for seven days. That is so bad news to me because I am afraid she’ll not be able to sleep because of abdominal pain again and that would automatically mean I wouldn’t be able to sleep the whole night too. Thankfully, it seems that drinking yoghurt drink or eating yoghurt before taking the medicine worked wonders. She didn’t have any tummy pain and I was able to get a good night sleep to be ready for work the next morning.

One thing that I am also thankful is that, even if she has fever or flu, her appetite never wanes. She eats normally and even more - asking for yoghurt or peanut butter sandwiches or pancakes for snacks. She also loves eating kiwi fruit (the golden variety, yellow in color) which is loaded with Vitamin C.

She is back to her healthy state right now. I kissed her this morning while she’s sleeping and she opened her eyes and said, “Mom, you’ll be late for work!” so that means she is a-ok because when she’s sick, she’ll be clingy and sticking to my skirt the whole day.

There’s a hip weight loss challenge going on over at Baby Tea Leaves and I am joining by declaring that this summer is THE SUMMER OF ME!

So, today, I’ll be shameless and share my weight story (someday I’ll share my big girl photo too):

Many years ago when I was growing up in the Philippines, we only had basic food and I never had problems with my weight. We only have cakes and ice cream on birthdays, Christmas and New Year. My parents stuffed all six of us with mainly vegetables and fruit so we were all healthy, agile and trim. We did not carry extra tires around our waists nor suffered tooth decay from eating too many chocolates.

OFF TO JAPAN!

I came to Japan in October 1996 weighing 49 kilos (108 lbs). I stand 5 feet and 4 inches (160 cms) and 20 years old. Oh dear, I really thought weight-wise, I’d stay that way forever but as soon as my undisciplined self touched down in my dormitory room, my eating habits abruptly changed and I was consuming too many calories. I was not alarmed even with the 3 kilo increase in my weight in just 6 months! That time I thought it was temporary but now I know that it was denial. I was blinded by the new found luxurious life than I had way back home. I had my own money through monthly stipend as a scholar and finally able to buy anything I want, any time. I would go shopping and watch TV or study with a junk food beside me. I drank sodas and sweet juices instead of water, I ate a lot of McDonalds. I was eating my way to destruction and did not care because I had youth on my side. Young people don’t get fat, don’t they? At least that’s what I was thinking. How stupid of me!

There were times when I get some realization and would go to a nearby gym to sweat it out. I lost some weight but never got back to the old 108 lbs and I wasn’t able to wear the clothes I brought home from home again. With the money I had, I kept on buying new ones, with bigger sizes every time.

I was weighing 60 kilos (132 lbs) when I graduated in 2001. I was unstoppable - and because I am naturally photogenic, (yeah you’re allowed to laugh, go on) I still felt beautiful even when I am heavy.

PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH

Then pregnancy and child birth came. I gained 20 kilos (44 lbs.) more and looked only short of a full term cow. I weighed a whooping 80 kilos (176 lbs.) a week before I gave birth. I felt so huge because I was as heavy as my father.

After I gave birth, I only lost 5% of that weight, to think that my daughter weighed 3.5 kilos and all that placenta and water inside me! I know I vowed to be back in my old form, whatever that was but I was breastfeeding without restrictions so I can’t really diet. I had constant hunger pangs in the middle of the night which was pacified by whole fat creamy milk and white bread or donuts. Jeez, I can almost pull all my hair out now recalling what I put into my mouth during those times. *shiver*

RELOCATION TO DUBAI

January 2007, we left Japan, the land of glutinous and high-caloric rice and yummy tempuras and relocated to Dubai, United Arab Emirates because of my work. I work 6 days a week, sitting in front of the computer for more than 8 hours per day. Yeah, good guess. My butt size has increased tremendously because of that. I had a sedentary lifestyle but because we only had the car 10 months after relocation and I was taking the bus to and from work, I did not gain weight. However, I am still envious of seeing fit people and cry inside dressing rooms.

FINDING MOTIVATION

On August this year, that is, barely a month and a half from now, is my brother’s wedding. It is a grand affair - everyone will be there to scrutinize my size. My brother and his girlfriend are a very handsome fit couple and all of my family members are. It’s a sure bet they’ll comment on my weight. So I have made it a motivation to change my lifestyle in the hope to change the way I look. I started exercising since New Year rolled by going to the nearby park to jog. However little, I made progress. Then I finally took the commitment to enlist in the gym last March 30, 2008.

GYM STARTS

So as not to waste my gym trips which cost me time away from my daughter, I loaded myself with information. I have found out that it takes 3,500 calories to burn a mere ounce of fat! The calorie deficit can either be achieved by diet (cutting on the caloric intake) or exercise or better, both.

My exercise routine are as follows: cardio - running on the treadmill for at least 30 minutes followed by strength training one or two muscle groups per day. I love the internet! It is full of helpful resources. Seek and you shall find. I track my diet and grab some exercises at Spark People, get my strength training routine at Free Trainers and load up on information at Shape Fit and Intense Workout.

I go there 4-5 times a week. I watch the food I ate, limit rice intake to one meal per day (lunch) and switched to whole wheat version of breads.

WEIGHT LOSS

For the first time in years, I saw my weight go down! Starting weight was 160 lbs. and because I carefully monitored my diet and religiously followed my exercise, I saw that I was steadily losing one pound of weight per week. Not bad! I lost 8 pounds in 8 weeks.

Then I hit the dreaded plateau.

It’s been almost three weeks now that I’ve been exercising and dieting (not starving myself but eating balanced meals with portion control) yet the scale won’t budge since the last weight loss register. I scoured information in the net like crazy.

So many articles were written about weight loss plateaus, the causes and what to do with them. My weight did not decrease not because I’m not losing any of it but because I was gaining lean muscle and muscle is heavier than fat, although it consumes less space. Strange and complicated as it may sound, I have not lost any weight in three weeks but my clothes have become more loose. I dropped a clothing size and never felt better.

GOALS

I weigh 152 pounds today and have a goal of at least 140. Goals have to be realistic, hey. I am incorporating weight training so I don’t know how much I’m going to lose in this challenge though I know somehow, this body’s gotta shrink. 130 pounds would make me happy but losing more than 1-2 pounds per week is unhealthy and not good for the body! The slower you take the weight off, the higher the chances you’ll keep them off. And besides,

I did not get gain all this weight overnight so there’s no way I’m going to lose it the next day!

Regular exercise. Proper nutrition. Motivation and a clear cut goal will take me to success.

Due to the dirty air we inhale at this time of the year, every member of our family has taken turns in getting sick. I can handle adults getting sick but now it’s the babe’s turn and I am restless.

After more than two weeks of on and off cough that don’t seem to end even with medication, I took her to the doctor last night because she had fever. The doctor said chest sound is suspicious and asked us to go for x-ray and blood test. Blood what!? The scene during blood drawing was really heartbreaking! Then we picked up her medicines and went home. Everything was fine…

Until 3 am when I woke up with her moans and complaints of stomach pain. She couldn’t sleep, kept on telling me pain, pain and wanting me to rub her tummy. I gave her lukewarm water and observed. She would sleep for a minute, wake up the next and cry - like that in the next two hours! I read the antibiotic suspension given to her and it said:

“Known side effects include gastro-intestinal disturbance. A systemic reaction can also follow, to be readily treated by means of gastric lavage and supportive measures”.

That’s it but what should I do now?

Should I give her meds for stomach pain? Will it not contradict with the meds she just took? I was dead worried and did not have any other choice but to research the net for medical information. I can’t call her pediatrician at 3 am, can I?

Today is the last day of school and marks the completion of Pristine’s KG1 year. What a year it was! It seems like it’s just yesterday that we bought her uniforms and sent her to school and now, she is going to be KG2 next school year (in September this year). Summing up this year, health-wise, she just had a few days being absent due to sickness. Thank God, I can only count with my ten fingers that number of times.

The first time we sent her to daycare in Japan when she was 16 months, she would come in contact with a new flu virus almost every week! The teacher promised better days when I went to her sobbing and asking why my baby is always sick. She was right! She also said exposing children to flu viruses early in life (not deliberately though) can make them develop a stronger immunity.

So today they had a farewell party in school and she was dressed up in her favorite dress. I’m sure she had a fun time! I have to ask her when I go home today as I am still in the office and finishes some print outs of things we’ll do together when I go home.