Get Real

I am living in the Philippines.  And as much as I want to eat all of those healthy food I’ve read on blogs, some of the ingredients cannot be found here.  But lucky me, still, because here in the Philippines, there are other veggies available which I think is not available in cold temperate areas.  I am also fortunate because the price of the vegetables here are cheaper as compared to other countries.

I have to live within my means.

Some advantages of being an almost vegetarian:

1.  I got to save up on food.  Since I also eliminated flavored drinks such as iced tea, juice, and carbonated drinks.  So I guess, it’s ironic that my header has a picture of an iced tea, but hey it looks good 🙂  So I’ll leave it there for a while.

2.  Since I have eliminated unhealthy drinks, I have saved up on calories for food.  And when you eat veggies, most of them have low calories so I’m filled up and satisfied.

3.  Veggies are tasty–tastier than meat.

4.  I’ve lost a lot of weight as compared to just counting calories but still eating anything I want.

5.  I feel great doing something good to my body.  Like being a good steward of God’s blessings. 🙂

Anyway, my breakfast was heavy.  Omellette (just containing tomato), energy drink fortified with calcium, and a serving of rice.

For lunch, I had banana, sweet potato

For dinner, I plan on eating this nice squash 🙂

So good!  Now I need to do the laundry, then attend worship service.  NO service on tuesday so I have to attend now.  Hopefully I’ll be able to insert exercise in between 🙂

Savory Saturday

Happy Saturday!

It’s always good to go home because I can buy the food that I want to eat because I am allowed to cook.  Actually, I don’t really cook, I let my sister cook for me.  I just buy the vegetables and other ingredients and she’ll be in charge of cooking.

I went to the mall to buy food and I was happy to find wholewheat pancake.  It’s rare to find something healthy like that here. 🙂

Before that, for breakfast I ate two rice cakes.  I was really starving then because I had late breakfast.  I went to the mall after but while walking at the mall, my stomach started growling and I was feeling queasy and so I decided to eat at Savory Chicken, home of the best savory chicken.  They had a promo, for Php99, they serve1 piece chicken, rice, veggie side dish, and juice/iced tea (16oz).

I only get to picture the iced tea because I was really starving then I didn’t get the chance to take pic of my food! Haha! 🙂

After the grocery visit, I went home and look what I’ve bought!

As I’m typing this, the whole wheat pancake is already almost gone! 🙂

Before I end this post, current weight 138 lbs!  Progress! 🙂

Have a nice saturday!

Pomodoro Sauce

Posting from my phone. I just want to post now.

Last night I tried this stall inside the mall near the grocery store and it sells pasta and sauce. I was in the mood fir some tomato and so I ordered pomodoro sauce. I love the slightly salty but voracious sourness of pomodoro. I think I’ll frequently visit this stall. Goes best with a bread roll 🙂 The best part here is that it’s sold for Php35 only, a little less than a dollar 🙂

Difference

I’ve been sticking to this change for almost three weeks now. Is there a development or a difference? Not much on this picture. But my clothes are more loose now. People could see the difference now.

The difference also this time around is that I’m loving veggie dishes now as compared before. Before I avoided veggies because I don’t know how many calories are there. But now I have my own device on estimating its calories. Moreover, I find that even if I am starving, after two to three spoonfuls, my hunger is over and I feel satiated. So portion size is not much of a problem.

I am just looking forward to jogging if my feet can handle my weight. I don’t want to risk it. I kno I am not really a professional jogger but I love it after jogging like I am doing something good to my body.

Have a great day! 🙂

So Far

It’s been two weeks since I decided to be a lacto-ovo-vegeterian.  Though there were times when I eat meat included in the veggie dish I ate.  I’ve lost 8 pounds in 2 weeks which makes me inspired to stick with this.

Last Friday I had a challenge when we had our staff meeting and there were lots of delicious food.  The smell was torture, I tell you.  I was salivating and my stomach churning–then I’ve thought of eating sweet corn.  It stopped me from giving in.  Yes!

I need variety in my menu.  I hope to drop by this healthy shop for some healthy stuff that I don’t know of.  But right now I’ll just be happy with fruits and veggie dish that the stalls within UP Manila are cooking. 🙂

It’s summer and so hot but I like it!  I love summer.  I don’t think I’ll be able to go to any beach this summer but I promise I’ll treat myself to a trip to Manila Bay next week. 🙂

I’m also walking faster now.  In no time, I’ll be able to go back to jogging.  Maybe one of my faith goals which is to participate in fun runs (5k) will be possible. 🙂

New Skin

I was thinking about how I’ve changed over the past year and I realized that other people changed, too.  So will we still fit with each other?  Only God knows.

Anyway, I’m also still amazed that I could still stick to this new food staple.  It makes me think of cows when I eat veggies.  Good thing there are lots of plant-based food.  I am just concerned about my source of protein.

Source

For the past two days, I’ve had sweet potato and singkamas (Mexican turnip in the Philippines).  I love this root crop because it’s sweet but it can make your stomach churn making you feel hungry.  So I don’t recommend this as a sole snack.  I guess I could eat this first followed by something which would make me feel satiated. 🙂

As for the exercise, I did 30 minutes of walking.  I guess I would do this until I’m confident that I could handle jogging.  I feel good about it.  It’s been so long since I feel good about myself.  Life has been stressful but I guess I just have to surrender my health (body) to God and He’s done the rest.  I just have to do my part.  I just hope that He will sustain my new lifestyle because I’m loving it. 🙂

Ordeal

I’ve lost 4 lbs in 1 week. 🙂

But this wasn’t easy.  See I had my blood checked and Igot diabetes scare.  My fasting blood sugar was high but not too high to be diagnosed diabetic.  But just to make sure, I had my blood tested again for glycosylated hemoglobin to check if my blood sugar has been high for a long time now.  Thank God, it was normal. 🙂

But during the wait, I was really reflecting back on my eating habit and how I’ve been bad to my body.  I promised myself that if God made me healthy still, I would really be good to my body from now on.  I instantly become an almost vegetarian. 🙂  I gave up on iced teas and carbonated drinks–water only.  I am loving water now.

Also, as much as possible, I walk back to my boarding house from work–bit more than 30-minute walk. 🙂  It makes me lose 250 Calories more or less 🙂

I am now enthusiastic to read food and fitness blogs 🙂  Reading food and fitness blogs made me feel motivated. 🙂

.e

to forgive and then to move on…

God has someone better for me.

Menu

Did my menu for this week.  It’s now Day 1.  I really hope to do this by God’s grace I know He can make me healthy.

Statement

God has really been faithful.  When He promised something, He will bring it to completion.But whatever happens God, I will do this for my health and if anything happens, I will still move on because I know that You are great in turning things around. 🙂