The challenge to become fit again

My waistline is 25cm and my weight is 45kg. I am really skinny. I have the body that NO MATTER how many times I bulk my tummy I never gain a kilogram. That I can sit even sleep with a FULL stomach. I don't even have a slab of fat in my tummy. To me, my body is a dream come true for every girl: to be able to eat like a man without gaining. My parents even my aunts will get annoyed and tell me "Are you eating right?". Here's the deal, that was 3 years ago.

Today I am wearing size 29 or 30 jeans. I have slabs of fat in my tummy, I have to stand up after eating and everytime I eat, I gain a kilogram. Blame it for my developed and still evolving love for food. Having lovelife really makes you bulk (on my own opinion) if your partner does really take good care of you or spoils you at some time. My boyfriend loves to take me out to dine in and shop. 2011 is the year that contributed A LOT in my weight gain. During my second semester, I started noticing I really have a stomach of a man, I eat rice for breakfast with bacon and cheesecake almost always. One time, I was on my usual routine(I had ate my fav. breakfast meal), had my lunch(sisig, rice and egg) also and after school I have to go to grocery for our laboratory the next day. I met up with my friends at SM Manila Foodcourt and they were eating so, they ask me to have some too. I wasn't really hungry that time but I took the invitation. I bought my own meal at Pinoy Toppings. This chain is actually serving a massive amount of rice along with your all-time favorite Pinoy ulam like Tapa, Pares etc. and fried banana for dessert. I ordered Tapsilog (I love Tapa) and a large size of Pineapple Juice. When I got to our table, I finished my food for about 5 to 7 minutes and they were telling me: "My god! You're a monster Jazel! Are you even human after all?" They were laughing and one of my friend told me: "You even finished your meal faster than Mel does and she was like eating that for 30minutes already". I bragged more: "I don't know, I even ate rice, bacon, cheesecake for breakfast, I also had my sisig lunch at school. you know". When I was in Arizona, (on-the-job training) the shop employees were the best spoiler, we can eat anything inside the shop as long as there's no customers and no supervisors/manager around. And I tell you, this is no ordinary shop because it is an ICE CREAM shop (my weakness). I could whip up my own milkshake, I can grab a pack of cheetos and grandma chocolate chip cookies. When my friend and I went out to eat, the regular size of fries, burgers and sodas back there is equivalent to our upsize version in Philippines. When I went back, my boyfriend finally introduced me to his family when they were here (they live in K.S.A). Turns out the family loves to dine in. And our first dinner together, they took me in Superbowl, SM MOA. And they ordered like, 2 family size of Yangchow rice and 4 main courses. The second is when they took me in Max's and the deal was still on-going that time (the deal: unlimited chicken for 175) and I ate 5 plates of that (OMG. I know, it's really OM) alone. My boyfie's mother, she was like: "Jazel eats a lot pala". I know that time my cheeks flushed red. I developed a perception that I got the thing for food in my circle of friends. December 2011 my Benj took me to Dad's Kamayan Saisaki restaurant at Glorietta 2 (I think, I'm not sure, all I know it's in Glorietta) and we had buffet dinner. Yes I ate to my heart's content. I almost tried everything. I bulk up with Tempura so much (because I love Tempura) December is definitely the month of no-no dieting. January is my birth month, I had like 3 times celebration, one with Benj and my family (on my birthdate), second plus with relatives at Seaside - Trinity Restaurant, third with college super friends at Japanese Buffet Restaurant - Yakimix. On such occasions, I never hold back on anything. Just go and eat. And although I complain a little on my weight, being teased of being fat, having flabby arms, I shrugged those comments off because I know food really conceives me. And I'm trying to enjoy the dining experience to the fullest while I can because when I got older, I will have to watch out on every food I take in my stomach.

Suddenly, I realize, I need to slash off some kilos. Because I'm being conscious. My boyfriend is trying to stay fit because he needs to prepare for his Bora trip along with his co-workers and clients. And he's like: "Hon, we need to get fit. We need to." And I'm like: "Ok, we'll do it together". This is the time that I feel, I really need to cut off.

I found this interesting site:
http://www.loseit.com/index.jsp#Home

based on my own observation it is a virtual weight planner.
Of course, I signed up. I'm determined to reach my goal. I just wanted to cut like 15 kilograms.

Fingers crossed.

For the love of OJ

I've been in love with OJ (orange juice) ever since when I first drunk it on a plane going to U.S.A. No matter how strong the tastes was, I drink it like it was never that sour. I love drinking OJ at breakfast, lunch,snacktime,dinner -- in short any time of the day. So what does OJ do in our body?


from Healthmad

Orange juice is a basis of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), thiamine, Phosphorus G, folic acid (Vitamin B9) potassium, and vitamin B6. One 8-ounce glass of 100 percent orange juice counts as almost 25% of the USDA-recommended every day fruit and vegetable servings, based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

from Livestrong

Provides Vitamin C
Drinking at least two glasses of orange juice per day increases the vitamin C concentration within the body by 40 to 64 percent, according to the said study published in the September 2003 "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Vitamin C, an essential vitamin that cannot be synthesized by the human body, is an important antioxidant, a substance that protects the body against the harmful effects of free radicals, the molecules that may cause tissue damage and early aging.

Protects Against Inflammation
The intake of glucose and high-fat meals induces the development of inflammatory reactions within the body. Inflammatory reactions lead to the development of increased insulin resistance, a common cause of Type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis, the hardening of blood vessel walls due to fat deposition. As mentioned in a study published in the April 2010 "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," the intake of orange juice, together with a high-carbohydrate, high-fat meal, prevents the occurrence of inflammation within the body, making it a good preventive measure against the development of insulin resistance and atherosclerosis.

Improves Diastolic Blood Pressure
Regular orange juice consumption may improve diastolic blood pressure, suggests a study published by "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in January 2011. According to this study, orange juice contains hesperidin, a healthy water-soluble plant pigment. Hesperidin serves to improve the activity of small blood vessels, blood pressure and decrease the cardiovascular risk biomarkers in susceptible patients.

Decreases Bad Cholesterol Levels
Regular orange juice consumption may lead to the decrease the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in patients with high cholesterol level, suggests a study published in the October 2010 issue of the "Nutrition Research." However, the mechanism behind this blood cholesterol level improvement with orange juice consumption is still unclear. Further studies and clinical trials are necessary to further establish this fact.


from Orange juice Nutrition Facts

*Freshly orange juices are rich in antioxidants
*Freshly orange juices can be used to fight against some healthy issues such as heart disease and cancer
*It can be used to boost your immune system
*It can be used to reduce the harmful effects of free radicals within your body cells

from Hubpages of len7288

Orange is Beneficial in the following cases :

*Asthma
*Bronchitis
*Tuberculosis
*Pneumonia
*Rheumatism
*Prevent kidney stone
*Helps lower cholesterol
*Helps prevent diabetes
*Arthritis
*High blood pressure
*Persons addicted to alcohol have found that the desire for liquor is greatly reduced by drinking of orange juice.
*Consumption of large quantities of oranges will decrease the outpouring of mucus secretions from the nose.

Nutritional Contents of Orange :

*Betacarotene, another powerful antioxidant that protects our cells from being damage.
*Calcium that helps protect and maintain the health of our bone and teeth.
*Folic Acid for proper brain development.
*Magnesium helps maintain blood pressure.
*Potassium helps maintain electrolyte balance in the cells, and is important in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system.
*Thiamin helps to convert food into energy.
*Vitamin B6 helps support the production of hemoglobin that carries oxygen to all parts of the body.

See, there are a lot of benefits of drinking OJ. Those are just some pages dedicated for OJ benefits. The next fruit juice I'll feature might be Apple, Pineapple or Cranberry. who knows?

I advice that make it a habit to drink a glass of fresh fruit juice, you might realize that it does wonders for the body and even for the skin too.
Remember: Beauty comes from within. And nourishing your body will show how healthy your skin is.

Egg white and yolk mask

I guess most of you guys are familiar with egg white mask and egg yolk mask.
A lot of blog posts I read, said that these two face masks are their secret weapon for having healthy, glowing and beautiful skin. From Alternative Therapies egg white mask benefits are the following:


*Regular application of egg white mask shrinks skin pores thereby prevents accumulation of grime and dirt in pores. It puts an end to pimple and acne breakouts. Though some people say that egg white face mask for acne scars is very beneficial, but it is not proven.

*This mask cleanses the skin deeply by making it supple, soft and bright.

*Egg white facial mask tightens the skin if applied every week and thereby delays the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines on neck and face.
*This is the most beneficial face mask for people with oily skin


I forgot to mention that some people swear that this could help whitening the skin. My mom and grandma told me to mix egg white with calamansi or milk for maximum whitening effects. Now we're done with the egg white let's see what his sunny friend -- egg yolk has to offer to our skin. From Tickle thy thoughts:


Egg Yolks are very good for the skin. It has vitamin A that has retinoids or Retin A which is used to help skin shedding, regulate the amount of skin produced, stops pores from clogging. Egg Yolks also have 13 cis retinol which helps reduce oil production and bacteria that can cause acne. If you have oily skin or have pimples, Egg yolk facial mask can help you.


I would show how I do these mask and their instant effects on my skin.
(Note: I do not have a face that could launch a thousand ships and certainly I don't have a perfect skin.)

**Amount of Egg whites and yolks used: approximately 2 tbsp. each
**One of the trickiest part of using these masks is WHEN to wash them off. Most people (including me) suggest that You can wash them off when you feel like you can't smile no more




Picture Legends:
no. 1. I washed my face with lukewarm water and Clean & Clear Morning Brightening cleanser.I did these to wipe off the dirt that was accumulated in the pores before doing the mask. Why did I use lukewarm water? To open the pores for better absorption. Clean & Clear morning brightening cleanser has caffeine, papaya and lemon beads for instant radiant skin.
no. 2. My face after washing with lukewarm water and the brightening cleanser.
no. 3. That is the egg white I used, it has bit traces of the yolk because I cracked it the wrong way.(my bad)
no. 4. My face covered with egg white. It smells stinky but it's worth it. I swear.


Picture legends:
no. 1. My face after I washed off the egg white mask about 20 minutes after with lukewarm water. I felt there is an instant improvement on my pores
no. 2. The egg yolk I used
no. 3. My face covered with egg yolk mask
no. 4. My face after washing off the yolk mask with lukewarm water about 20 minutes after. And followed by washing my face with cold water.

The reason that I used the one after the other is because it is said that when doing egg white mask you must apply a good moisturizer, you don't need to look far because the good moisturizer you're looking for is his friend -- yolk.
Honestly, I felt good about my skin at instant when I did these masks. Though even after washing off the yolk mask, my face smelled stinky. But it is worth it. I am going to keep it as a beauty routine forever. Trust me, these masks will do wonders for you. I recommend using both -- egg white then egg yolk.

It's natural, means it's actually SAFE (super safe) for the skin. I definitely recommend this regimen.

My skin story (part 1)

For those people who are suffering from acne and acne scars, I can feel you, because that is the case I have right now. I know that it seemed like it's an endless battle, it can be frustrating and at the same time, can be depressing too. Right now, I could say my skin have improved so much compared on what I had before. I cannot say that it's totally different because I am still suffering from acne scars but I am not experiencing extreme break-outs like before. Before achieving this level, I went through a LOT of frustrations, depression, dermatologists and products (from expensive to cheapest to chemical to natural remedies) just to cure my acne. I know that our self-confidence is so affected because of our situation. Just like me, whenever I walk my way to the school,I always walk with my head down because I am so ashamed of my face bombarded with acne and acne scars. I cannot even look my face in a mirror, because when I do I get so depressed and I am hating myself more or sometimes, looking at the mirror makes me cry so hard because I pity myself that I am one of those people who suffered from such depressing case. There are times that I envy those girls with smooth skin because they can dolled-up their faces without worrying of having a bad pimple, or simply because, they can show off their faces without feeling of shame, while me,on the other hand, I can't do those things because instead of making me prettier it would only make me uglier than ever and no person can be dazzled on my tocino-like face. I got the lowest of low self-esteem. I only see myself as an ugly-duckling with no chance of being a stunning swan someday. As of this moment, I am not saying that I am confident of my face, but I have managed to raise my self-esteem level by doing things I know I am good at. I'm staying positive because I know this will be cured. Of course, I still have down times and whenever those times come, I just tell myself:
"Late bloomer lang ako"

..even if it really mean super duper LATE bloomer.


My face about 4 years ago




Face's condition now




That's all I can share for now, don't worry it's just Part 1. There are a lot of parts coming. I will show you if I ever get improvements on my face because I am in constant search for clearing up my skin (hopefully). And probably, give some advice on achieving clear skin and on being "beautiful".

The kind of posts..

I decided to get matured on my blog entries. I will post about natural remedies (tried and tested), products reviews, travel experience, my wish lists. In short just anything about my life really.

These entries are A LOT better than the entries I have on my previous blogs.

If you wanted to see how random I am (aside from reading the entries here) you can visit my tumblr account: http://www.stardustandhearts.tumblr.com