{cherry} EVERYDAY

I started doing Vegan Sundays a few months back, inspired by my dream to finally lose the excess poundage I’ve been lugging around my waist, thighs, back and arms for the past 6 or 7 years.  Yes, it’s that long and I can’t believe I waited that long to do something about my weight.  But you know me, I chickened out.  After a few weeks of going vegan, I finally threw in the towel and raised the white flag.  Why?  Because I wasn’t losing the weight.  But the reason for the failure may be attributed to the main purpose. Being vegan has to be more than the weight loss.  It’s about believing in something more meaningful and it’s not just about fats and muscles.  Although for an overweight person, it could already mean the whole world to them and the only reason for it.

But now I’ve been thinking about doing it again and like I said in my previous post, I won’t be as strict about it as before.  I don’t have to do it only on Sundays, I can do it any day and even twice or thrice a week.  It won’t matter just as long as I do it at least once a week.  So I’ll do a restart next week and see how it goes.  And one more thing, have you heard about this Nike Training Club app.  it’s the coolest thing in the world.  It’s very challenging but it will really test your limits.  It’s either you love it or you don’t.  Good thing I love it and I’ve been doing it for almost two weeks now.  Best of all, I think it’s working.  Try it for yourself.

Good news!  I think my current weight loss plan is working.  I’ve noticed significant weight loss around my tummy and thighs.  Although I have yet to lose my chubby cheeks (blame it on my round face I inherited from my mom), I’m still glad that I’d be able to wear my favorite Gardeur jeans in a week or two.  I bought that at Gray & Osbourn which has a wide selection of women’s clothes and I’m so glad I found the site.

So how does my diet go?  To better understand it, I’ll just tell you how my day goes from sun up to sun down.  Upon waking up I immediately fix myself a cup of Jo.  I have a particular brand which I’ve been drinking ever since our trip to Singapore middle of last year.  It’s a good thing it’s available in our groceries here.  After that, I do a cardio routine for 20 minutes which is basically my favorite work out video.  It’s a combination of martial arts moves and dancing.  Then I do weight training for every part of my body — arms, shoulders, chest, legs and of course, my core.  It takes about 20-30 minutes to finish my weight training.  I try to exercise daily.  If I miss a session, I try to work out longer the following day.  I exercise second thing in the morning.  First thing is my coffee, of course.  Because when I do other things, exercise gets push aside.

With regards to food, I just avoid the carbs.  I haven’t eaten rice for over two weeks now.  I eat heavy during lunch.  Vegetables are ever present during lunch and come dinnertime, I eat mostly meat.

As you can see, my weight loss plan is not rocket science.  Anyone can do it.  It just takes discipline and consistency.  If you ever find yourself slacking off one day, give in but promise to get on that bike or put on your rubber shoes and run the following day.

It’s officially back to reality for most of us. My little girl went back to school the other day against her will, of course. She wanted a longer vacation and would prefer to go back to school in February. I told her that it doesn’t work that way and that she still has a long way to go before she finally finishes school.

And it’s back to the kitchen for me.  I haven’t started cooking though.  I might this weekend when work load is lighter.  I told myself that there would be less eating out and more cooking at home for us, at least, for me.  And I’m finding it hard to do that.  Why?  Well, yesterday we had lunch and dinner out again.  After I picked up my kid in school, we headed straight to Pancake as I was craving for Pan Chicken and Almondigas Soup.  My son joined us much later and he had Daing na Bangus.  See what I mean?  And I have this nagging feeling that that won’t be the only dinner out this week.

But I will try.  I will try to cook more.  It would be hard.  Just see exhibits  #1 and #2

Our Media Noche spread were party take-outs…

Alba’s Paella Valenciana, Galantina and Tapas Platter.

As much as I’ve grown and changed in my almost 40 years, one thing has remained a constant. My love of food. And I feel it my heart and soul that 2012 is going to be the most flavorful and tastiest year ever.  Although I’ve ditched carbs for awhile, there are still so many great-tasting dishes without carbs out there.  And this would be my challenge for the year (or at least for the first few months of 2012)…to create satisfying meals and dishes that won’t make me miss carbs.

Happy New Year, Foodies! Expect delicious this year!

Filing for bankruptcy involves a lot of complicated procedures, paper work, and stress. Without a skilled bankruptcy attorney, anyone can almost go insane. Consider dealing with collectors every day at your doorstep, on the phone or by mail as one of the most stressful parts.

The thought of losing all your properties and watching your savings account empty are the scariest but these can only happen if you don’t have a reliable attorney beside you to give advice on how to manage your finances and defend you against the harassment of your creditors. There’s an ‘automatic stay’ that takes effect after the lawyer has filed your petition and this helps ward off credit collectors. Should these collectors try to contact you in any way, they are automatically in violation of the law. Personally, this alone is already a relief because they can be everywhere. Before filing for bankruptcy, some of them would even call your  home and even at your office as if trying to eliminate every possibility of escape. How can one handle money problems well if they keep stalking you, right?

Dealing with debt collectors is one thing and dealing with creditors is another. Thank God for bankruptcy lawyers.  One need not worry about facing this type of problem alone.  So if you think that you have tried every possible means of reducing your debts and nothing worked out, filing for bankruptcy is your last resort. Find a good attorney and let him or her help you regain your financial stability. It may take quite a while before it happens but at least you can sleep better at night.

Disclaimer:
I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog for California Bankruptcy and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.