I had my executive check-up last year and some of the findings were alarming (for my age). According to the results and the office doctor, I am overweight and, I have a mildly fatty liver and borderline high cholesterol. This was considering that I neither smoke nor drink. SO, for the first time in my life, I went on a diet, began exercising, starting my first ever fitness (and wellness) journey.
My name is Gabby Paras and this is my journey…(*cue title card*).
January 11, 2016
Age: 26
Weight: 172.9 lbs. (Target: 155.0 lbs by April 2016)
Height: 5’8″
Status: Single and Overweight
Executive Check-up (ECU)
For five years, I had been stalling my ECU. Either I was too lazy to set a schedule or I was too afraid to know that I was unhealthy. If you haven’t done your ECU, I suggest you maximize your company benefits and schedule it soon. The sooner you learn how you could make yourself healthier, the better. Just take it from my experience, I didn’t have any symptoms, whatsoever. I just scheduled the ECU for the experience yet I needed it after all. Some people are also too embarrassed to share personal details or do slightly intensive medical tests. Keep in mind that you’re just one of the many patients the doctors and nurses are encountering on a daily basis. They won’t remember you! Just be honest when being interviewed, follow the instructions correctly and let them do their job!
Food Diary
I started a food diary using my Starbucks 2016 Planner because 1) collecting Starbucks stickers might had contributed to my weight-gain, 2) I wanted to give my doctor a proof that I followed the low-fat and low-cholesterol diet she gave to me.
Actually, I am not strictly following the diet. I still eat anything I want BUT in moderation. If I can avoid fast food, the better. Kudos to me for successfully avoiding soda and alcohol until now! Having a food diary makes me more conscious of what I eat. Maybe, because I know I’m gonna write it down and it makes me feel a little guilty for not having the discipline to do what I said, I’d do.
And yes not to brag, I did lose 10 pounds two weeks since January 11. Let’s see if I can sustain this craziness. [UPDATE: I’m still at around 161 lbs.; yes, my progress has slowed down. 🙄 )
Lemon Water
I was hesitant at first to try lemon water thinking it would make me acidic. Turned out, it didn’t. Lemon water helped improve my digestion and suppress my appetite. I drink it not only in the morning but almost the whole day (except before going to sleep). Always remember that moderation is still the key. For some people especially those with ulcers, lemon water needs to be diluted to reduce its acidity. I also make sure that I follow lemon water with fresh water to neutralize the lemon acid, which can damage teeth. Bad teeth = NOT SEXY!
Learn about the benefits of lemon water below as demonstrated by the sexy Tom Daley. Amazingly, you can easily buy lemons in your local grocery stores. I get mine at Php 183 for 4 pieces. Ugh. It hurts but the benefits are worth it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2B3SGmGABc
KFIT
Coincidentally, a friend recently introduced me to a fitness app called KFIT (which stands for Keep Fit), a fitness-activity scheduler. For just Php 1000, you can enjoy different fitness activities ranging from dancing and massage, to wall climbing and flying trapeze.
If you’re a first-time user and if you use my promo code, you’ll get a discount. Just download the app and apply my promo code: 84TTX. Once you’re inside the app, you can select a day of the week to select and schedule your fitness activity. You’re only allowed to attend 3 to 4 classes per establishment (depending on the set limit). Also, a maximum of only 4 activities can be booked at a time. Failing to arrive at a booking without cancelling can cost you Php200, which will be charged on your credit card (or from your available credits).
I LOVE KFIT. For just less than a thousand, you can already enjoy various activities. If you wake up one wanting to pole dance, with KFIT, it can be possible. Going to the gym everyday tends to be boring especially to non-physically fit people like me. Shake your life after work with KFIT’s activities like the ones I’ve already tried below.
Zumba
Dancing has never been my strongest suit. Here’s a secret: I don’t have rhythm 0_o. But I’m trying HAHA. It was my first time to try it in Movement Dance Studio in The Podium. After running out of KFIT sessions, I transferred to Functional Fitness Performance Center Ortigas also in the same mall. See how convenient that is? Honestly, the classes depend on the instructors. Luckily, all classes that I’ve attended had engaging and energetic ones. You can also factor in the energy of your classmates. Energy is contagious, people! The only important thing to remember is to avoid sitting down in the middle of the exercise. Correct me if I’m wrong, this apparently applies to all intense physical activities. It’s because as you exercise your heart rate becomes high and sitting down (or resting, for that matter) slows it down, making you prone to dizziness or at worst, cardiac arrest.
At first I was conscious of moving my body but the others do not really care how ridiculous you look. SO, I just try my hardest.
Yoga
Practice makes perfect. This is something that I learned after trying out yoga. I tried yoga mainly because my fellow KFITters wanted to but to my surprise, I enjoyed it! As a beginner (and as a person who does not really move a lot), expectedly, I can’t do or hold most of the poses. Don’t worry! If you’re not flexible enough, the yoga instructor will give you customized poses to work with. You can also use a block or two to help you support your body. Continuous practice would little by little make you able to do that difficult yoga pose.
Yoga is not about flexibility. I’m not going to pretend I know its purpose and value but for me, it’s about appreciating every inch of your body in a relaxed state of mind. After each session, you’ll feel light and “clean” as if you sweat out all the negativity. I had flow and power yoga classes at Yoga+ in The Podium and Vibe Fitness Studio in Light Mall (Mandaluyong City), respectively. I highly recommended the two. However, if you wish to only focus on yoga, Yoga+ is the better option since Vibe offers other classes like the next item in my list.
Namaste.
Fat Burning Dance
Fat Burning Dance is like Zumba with a bit of basic weight lifting exercises. What makes it different is that it uses party lights and music to pump you up. Well, it worked for us!
Boxing
I never expected to enjoy boxing. I don’t enjoy watching it but darn, it’s exhilarating to hear the sound of my fist hitting the palms of my instructor (of course, he’s wearing punch mitts). PAK! I tried boxing in Elorde Ortigas Boxing Gym. Yes, you will be assigned a boxing coach who will guide you until the end of your session. It’s not mandatory to tip but I suggest you do.
Transitioning to a healthy lifestyle is hard. It takes time and dedication. And also a little courage to step out of my comfort zone (read: lying on my bed and surfing the Internet). As of now, I’m still on track. Slowly but on track. I’ll update this post as I continue my fitness journey. Pray for me.
