Diet talks

It seems like the favorite topic every time a new year starts is how to shed off those holiday pounds. I am actually one of those who would like to discover the most effective diet pill in the market today. But first, I need to consult with my internist if she will allow me to take supplements. Which reminds me, I should go back and get my blood test results this week!

It has worsened.

I currently have a heavy head and a stuffy nose. It is just another allergy attack, as my OB confirmed yesterday. Poor me. I can't do my exercises because of it. I'm afraid it will turn into a full-blown colds if I force myself to do the breathing and pushing exercises. Neither can I take anti-histamines, for obvious reasons.

I need to get better, really soon.

I am on water-therapy and my Doctor advised that I stay away from fibrous fruits for now. And to also avoid shrimps, crabs and eggs because of the high allergens found in those.

We came home from the supermarket at lunch today (I also did some walking in Galleria) and was welcomed by big shrimps on the table (my MIL sent some last night). I was hungry and totally forgot to eat something else when we were served Menudo and Pinoy Beef Steak too! I just realized this after I have already stuffed myself with about 10 pieces of the shrimps and was full. Tsk.

I took my afternoon nap and was feeling sick more than ever. I'm usually good at watching what I eat, but forgetting something as important disappoints me. Sigh.

When I should be better, I am worse...

Sickie in the house!

Sickie = not cool. Pregnant Sickie = even less cool :(

Can't take meds! I'm relying on water therapy alone! My throat started to itch around Thursday. Yesterday, the itching was gone. I thought I was just having some allergy attacks. And then I started to have stuffy nose, then runny nose. Sigh. Heavy head! I'm still lucky I have no coughs.

Was offline the whole day yesterday, Sunday. I just had to rest.

I have so much to share. Personal posts up ahead! And I have tasks to finish. I wasn't able to meet the cut-off but I plan to finish 'em before the deadline. I hope I have enough energy, though.

TTFN!

Heat and cramps and shoes...

Can you believe how hot the weather has been for the last three days?!?! I complained to Ane on Thursday about it and didn't bring it up again. Until we stayed home all day yesterday, and the heat just really got me! I attributed the feeling to being pregnant but Ane said it was really hot.

I had a hard time sleeping last night because of the heat too. I laid myself on our bed and felt the heat from the mattress, as if someone had heated the sheets with body warmth (shucks, I hate that!). It wasn't a restful night.

And then I woke up around seven in the morning with a left leg cramp. I had to wake Ane to give me an impromptu massage. Man, it was painful, I had to stifle screams. And then the same thing happened to my right leg around 10am. Maybe I should start doing leg and feet exercises from now on, eh?

Speaking of feet, I've always been a snickers-and-flipflops type of girl (I wear heels only when there's an event that calls for it) . Now that I'm pregnant, I'm thinking of getting at least a pair of shoes (something else, yeah!?) that is ultra-comfy for the shopping errands we'll do in the next few weeks *wink*. Oh, that also means exercise for me, LOL! Anyway, I saw this Dansko pair online and it looks perfect, don't you think? Something like this, I think, will withstand long hours walking in the mall! I'll probably look for something similar locally because the shipping alone will take time.

But then again, I'll need Ane's permission to buy a pair of shoes before I blab about it here, huh? :)

Under the weather.

I planned to play last night. I actually went to the courts and meet my playing buddies. But I felt tired and had this dry and scratchy throat. I played three games at that was it. My third game didn't make me sweat eventhough I had a good run. We went home and I felt hot. I was able to take a quick shower and then took a tablet of Neozep to arrest whatever it was coming.

I slept and woke up with this pain in my legs and heavy head. Could it be flu? I cancelled all of my activities today and stayed home...actually stayed in bed (oh, how I wish our mattress here in QC is different, I want something that is more conducive for resting). I had a capsule of Alaxan during lunch today (no available Bioflu) and it helped a lot. Tonight, I'll take more Vitamin C (with lotsa water) and another tablet of Neozep.

Oh, I really hope tomorrow is a better day.

Passing by...

It's the early morning of Wednesday and I just had to drop by and say hi :) I have a PT session later this morning and I need to sleep! I'm still awake because I had to finish some labels/tags design my mom asked me to do, plus I finished a new LO (second layout in two days, oh yeah!). I'll share that probably later today, I'm still waiting for the one I finished yesterday to be approved for posting in another blog. It's my take on a challenge actually.

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I met up with my college blockmates at TGIF Serendra on Saturday and then later that night, with the E's at Kopi Tiam. It was a long but fun night. I have uploaded the pictures in my Flickr, so you might wanna check those out. You will also find there some shots we took at the wedding we attended on December 28. And and and, if you haven't yet, please check out the first ever album layout that I finished last week! :)

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Went to the doctor on Monday, for checkup and because Ane was left behind outside the building (no available parking yet), he wasn't able to join me inside the doctor's office. Oh well, the doctor advised something that Ane should have heard himself because he suspects I was just making it up, LOL! It has to do with changing 'something' about our lifestyle ;p Anyway, I was prescribed a new med to take with the existing ones. It's supposed to have a laxative effect and I figured I'd be tied at home until my body is able to adjust to it. But as of now, no effect yet. The doctor was happy that I actually shed some pounds and this new med will probably make me lose more weight (does that mean I can eat more now?!?!) once my bowel movement change. Oh well, everything is lookin' up...for now. :)

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I wish I can share more, but I gotta catch some zzzzzzz's now...I don't wanna pass out in the gym later :) TTFN!

Sweat it out :)

I did it!

I went back to the gym! I actually started on Monday, hoping to meet up with my new Personal trainer (PT). But he wasn't around coz I had to change my schedule the last minute. Just talked to the consultant and she also offered options for my bro. Yup! We're doing this together. On Monday, I just did some cardio and lotsa crunches (have an event on Saturday, and I badly need to fit in my dress!!). Today was my Fitness Test. I had to do it again coz I stopped going to the gym for a long time, remember? I'm still aching in the middle...did more crunches today! I was told today that I still have 35 PT sessions left, yay! So I'm gonna be working my a*s off in the next few weeks. I just hope I can keep going back for my sessions. I start officially on Friday.

The OB said I should lose at least 15lbs. The Consultant says 20! Oh my! Extra effort! On a happier note, I already lost 2lbs (and keeping it that way), just by watching my calorie intake (for the last two weeks). I get hungry all the time but it's good that I can stop myself from eating too much.

Will update you every now and then about thie "battle". Wish me luck! :)

Indisposed.

What am I doing blogging at 3am, you ask? I was asleep for almost eighteen hours and right now, am having a headache for having too much shut-eye. Something arrived at 630am and I just could not bring myself to stand up from bed. Sadness became me. I didn't feel hungry or thirsty at all. I texted my Mom and told her I am staying home because I felt less sociable. I knew she expected Hubby and I to be there, November 1 being a family holiday, but I also know she understands what I was going through.

Just to make this entry clearer: the red flag is up and it is pretty disappointing. :(

Here now and sick

Wasn't able to blog for more than week. I'm kinda under the weather today. The past week was busy, busy, busy...been staying up late cramming things and just letting myself get lost in the many blog entries and freebies I stumbled upon (It doesn't help that the internet connection in the office was gone for a week only to find out this afternoon, when the repairman came by, that it's just a cable that wasn't working. So when I got home on the nights we didn't have net at the office, I stayed longer infront of Ivy than I should). And then waking up early to do errands. So the other night just before 2am, I decided to take a shower (bad move!) before hitting the sack. The heater wasn't working because the water pressure was too low. Since I was all too sleepy but couldn't possibly lie on the bed without cleaning up, I braved the cold water and dried myself right away.

Yesterday, I was able to stay in bed until lunch time. I got up and felt this heaviness in my head. I knew I was getting the colds. I was sneezing the other day which I thought was caused by some allergies. I was getting ready for work when I decided to lie beside Ane, who was taking a nap. I fell asleep. I would have loved to stay in bed but I had to go to the work. At 630pm, I was already at the garden, with my ngongo voice. I went home later at 10pm with a runny nose.

I woke up this morning with full-blown colds. I forgot to take some VitC before leaving the house but I did take Neozep once I got here. I had to commute and I bet I inhaled some allergens along the way. And here I am blogging nonsense. I will come back with a better entry later once am done with the Rotary's weekly bulletin. Sigh, I hate being sick.

Hoodia, anyone?

Before I clicked on the link, I thought I am gonna write about some garment/clothes. Nyay! So I got to the site and realized that hoodia is actually a plant (similar to the cacti family) originating from South Africa. It was found out that this plant has something in it that can suppress appetite, thereby promoting weight loss. (Oh no I can't belive am talking about weight loss again when I haven't lost a pound yet! Ugh!) Last I heard, weight-loss enthusiasts are clamoring for this supplement because of it's effectiveness.

Restless nights.

I read somewhere that if one begins to have restless nights and unsound sleeping patterns, then it is probably time to change the mattress, even the pillows. In a previous friday feast entry, I said I would really love to have our mattress in my brothers' apartment changed into a new one, preferably the ortho type. Because really, nights have started to become really long and when we wake up, sometimes we still feel tired from the previous day's activities. Do not get me wrong, we love staying there for all sorts of reasons but we find ourselves just happy sleeping in our own home where the bedroom furniture is relatively new.

We really hope to have the extra money to buy a new one for our bed there.

Diet, diet, diet!

Since being told to lose weight about three weeks ago, I've been very religious in watching what I eat. I even went back to playing badminton (twice a week, if time permits). I am yet to go back to the gym, my PT Ome has been texting me asking me when I am returning. Sadly, I still cannot figure out how I can go again. My gym is in Malate and I have no car to use to go there.

When I started to watch what I eat, I noticed I'd get easily nauseous to the point of wanting to throw up. I never starved myself but my body probably reacted to sudden change in eating habits.

Anyway, yesterday was another playing day. While waiting for our turn, we passed around some junk food (argh!) and I even finished 5 8oz plastic cups of fresh buco. When we got home, I had more rice than I should and felt bad about it. I still felt hungry that I asked Ane if we could get some coffee from Starbucks. We did go out to buy some. While there, successfully stopped myself from getting an order of Banoffee Pie. I ordered a tall hot non-fat latte. Ane got himself a jave chip frap AND a slice of Oreo Cheesecake...which I was not able to resist! I did share with him. And I slept the guilt off.

This morning, I met with my former colleague Cleng for breakfast, and I had another cup of Starbucks coffee and a Chicken Empanada, guilt free...since it was my first meal of the day. Then after our first appointment, Ane and I passed by Galleria. And that picture that comes with this entry (something that I missed trying in SanFo)? I bought that calorie-laden fruit and shared it with Ane...after having rice and tinola for lunch! And what happened after lunch and dessert?!? We took a nap while waiting for our next appointment (which didn't push thru btw). As if it wasn't enough, we later shared a pint of ice cream! A few hours passed and it was dinnertime. Did you think I'd pass?! No! Dinner was rice and sinigang, and 2 slices of ripe mango for dessert, not to mention a glass of Coke light.

Honestly, I need to stop eating.

Bloody! (An update)

So I got the results this morning. All numbers! I need to go back to the doctor so she could explain to me what it all means, hehehe. But looking at the results and the normal ranges, I am within the ranges :) I still need to hear it from the doctor herself, though.

Thank you Mich and Donna for the comments on my original post :)

See, even my right arm is bruised (but not as bad as the left arm). When I returned for the results, I asked the releasing girl if this was all normal. She asked me if I was told to apply hot compress, well, they didn't. She asked me a lot of questions like when I had the extraction done, etc etc. I was blabbing until the woman sitting there waiting for her result called my attention. And showed me a bruise much much bigger than mine (and she had her extraction on Sunday!). I was stupefied and felt ashamed my worries are "miniscule" compared to hers. But whatever! Hay, just let it go, and hope I need not go through something like this again in the very near future.

The fact, however, still remains. The medtech who handled me for the first time probably wasn't trained enough to poke needles. Sheesh.

Bloody!

I had my blood tested today, five tests! Just to make sure I am in the pink of health :) Ane accompanied me to the ambulatory services of a hospital just before lunch today.

My name was called and I was made to sit in the blood extraction room. My hands started to sweat. Now I am usually brave but knowing that a needle will enter my skin makes me wince. The last experience I had with both blood and needle was when I donated blood for DEP's dad years ago. The memory sticks (not that I won't ever go through that again for a friend). The medtech showed me the three vials (two big ones and a small one) where she will put my blood samples. I joked that I am not there to donate blood but for tests alone. She laughed. She tried to look for a vein on my right arm and couldn't feel it. See! Even my veins refused to cooperate! Hihihi.

She tried my left arm and found the vein. As she started to insert the needle, I covered my eyes. Then she wondered why there were bubbles in the syringe. She tried the right arm again and was more successful, though she wasn't able to get that much. It was over. What seemed like hours was over in a few minutes. She asked me to wait while she checked whether the samples are good enough. They weren't. The two big vials yielded different reactions, which means there was an error somewhere.

So I had to do the extraction AGAIN! This time, she asked her superior to do it instead. Aargh! Ane was telling me maybe it was because I was spending late nights again. Ugh! So the superior was looking for the vein when she touched that first insertion (where the bubbly blood came from) and asked me worriedly if it hurts. I told her I don't feel pain but numbness. And then she went on again in extracting from my left arm in another vein, this time using a BIGGER needle :( The samples went directly to the vials and it took a bit shorter than the first one. I was told to keep the cotton for a while and asked me to return on Thursday for the results. Ane and I then went to lunch.

Later, I found out that the area on the left arm where the bubbly blood came from is BRUISED. Hhhmmmm.

Do you go to the gym?

Last year, I had the urge to go back to the gym. Luckily, my mom volunteered to enrol me lifetime, even bought me personal trainer services. But I stopped just before Christmas and never got the chance to return after the holidays. That is sad considering that my body suffers from yoyo weight problems (not the extreme ones, anyway). Last week, my trainer Ome, followed-up on me (I still have more than 30 sessions to go!) and I gave him some shallow reasons for not going back (ie. no car to get there, hehehe). But I really think I should go back because my hubby said I'm getting flabby especially after the long break. Maybe I should also try some muscle milk to firm? Or maybe not, am lactose intolerant, ayt?

So, do you go the gym? :)

Lactose intolerant

That's me. Too much milk can make my stomach really upset. Like right now.

I put milk in my coffee all the time, but just a bit of that (a teaspoon or two), I can tolerate. I finished a non-fat grande latte from Starbucks about an hour ago. It was a treat from the couple we had dinner with tonight. I forgot to say that I'd like just the tall one (they do not have short here!), R got me a grande. Ugh. I didn't realize I gulped it all, we were busy chitchatting, hehe. It probably didn't help that I also had cheese in my food during dinner at Chili's.

I guess I'll have to endure this through the night. Sigh.