Random Thoughts on my Twitter

I can't say I am a twitter addict. But I do check my twitter account regularly now. Mostly because I post my blogs' updates there.

I follow some celebrities and I having fun reading their tweets. Some are funny, eloquent, inspirational. Others are hilarious and even crazy.

Twitter also serves as my personal thinking board. I post my random thoughts in there. And though no one might benefit from it, I just like the fact that I can air whatever I have in my mind right at that moment. I just try to limit personal tweets and focus more on the positive side of things.

I'm all for positivity!

Let me share some of my random tweets:

~ Beware of people who are quick to offer sympathy.

~ Focus on the things that make you happy.

~ If nothing goes your way, God must have something else in mind.

~ Don't be afraid to do something silly, it might just make you happy.

~ To make you happy, you need: a healthy body, an inspiration and a set of goals.

~ The simpler, the better. As I get older, I have this urge to simplify everything in my life.

~ Edit! Edit! Edit! Life is just full of junks.

~ If you want to succeed in something, make time for it.

~ Once you believe life is good, life becomes really really good.

~ The mind is a powerful thing. Let's use it positively.

I think I have said more in my twitter. I just couldn't find the others. If you're interested and if you're on Twitter, follow me @mumsified822. Let's inspire each other!

Shopping for sleepwear

I am supposed to be window shopping for hubby but as always I ended up window shopping for myself. LOL!

Hubby asked me if I could find him some sleepwear because his pajamas are way too loose now. So I went online and checked for some nice PJs.

What I ended up with are PJs for myself. Hahaha!!! I do need a new set as well *pouts*. LOL!

I love this tank top and short set. It's perfect for the weather in Phnom Penh lately.

I love red! It's my favorite color next to pink and blue.

I shopped for my son, as well.

And oh, here's the pajamas for men, honey. LOL!

I also like this couple's long john. We would look cute in it. LOL!

No more yoyo weight

I am having anxiety attacks lately. I guess it comes from thinking too much about everything. I am generally a happy person but I cannot help it if I also worry too much. I have tried to step back and not let worry trouble me too much. Most of the time it helps. But there are times when I can't get away from it.

Last weekend, I had a case of diarrhea or a stomach flu or something. I will not get into details but that Saturday afternoon only, I went to the toilet 8 or 9 times. It was really bad. I was dizzy by the 5th time I visited the toilet.

But thank God, we still had a supply of oral rehydration solution at home. I had two glasses of it before going to sleep.

The following morning when I went to check on my weight, I lost over a kilo in just one day! I would be so thrilled if I wasn't still dizzy. But seriously, I was still feeling light, dizzy and wobbly the following day. At one point, I almost lost consciousness.

I am okay now.

It was a puzzling experience. I did not know what to make of it. But I think it was because anxiety was building up inside me. And I read somewhere that it might cause severe diarrhea in others.

Yesterday, I was completely okay. No signs that I had that bug over the weekend. But my friend still commented that I have lost weight some more.

She's right. Sunday morning, I weighed 53.5kgs. My lowest ever. But I wasn't really jubilant because it wasn't healthy.

What I am really happy about my weight is that I have never gained weight since I started to become healthy over six months ago. In fact, since I started to lose weight steadily, I have continued to lose more weight slowly but steady.

My weight is not like a chinese yoyo. It's consistent now. And I have to give a pat on my back for continuously moving on and doing the hard work all these months.

My challenge for now is to maintain this weight, permanently.

My fluctuating weight over the years

Growing up, I wasn't really skinny but I wasn't fat either. My weight was on the average. Sometimes, I'd gain weight but it was easy to lose the extra pounds when I wanted.

Fast forward to the time when I had my son..From 60kgs, I ballooned to 81kgs prior to giving birth. That's 21kgs in just nine months! I guess I just ate and ate and ate thinking I'd lose the pounds after I give birth. True enough, I lost some weight off. On the first year after I gave birth, I weighed around 65-67kgs. So I lost about 15kgs. That was amazing!

I seriously thought I could maintain that weight. And then we moved to Kuala Lumpur and lived above the mall. It was disaster. I gained weight again and it was my heaviest after pregnancy at 78kgs. Since then my weight has been fluctuating. See my collage and the details below:

July 2008 - This was my heaviest after pregnancy at 78kgs. Picture was taken at Penang, Malaysia.

May 2009 - I worked hard to lose the weight because we were going to Bali. I wanted to wear my swimsuit. And I did! I lost a total of 18kgs. My weight this time was 62kgs. Picture was taken at Bali, Indonesia

August 2010 - We were in the Philippines. My son has just been diagnosed with Lymphoma and our world turned upside down. I guess my way of coping was to eat the problem away. My weight here was 70kgs. Picture was taken at Subic, Philippines.
P.S. My son is doing okay now. In fact, he's doing fantastic. Just in case you're wondering.

October 2011 - I went on a diet again. I added a lot of exercises as well. I wanted to look good for our upcoming Europe trip. I did not want to look like a bread roll covered in a coat. LOL! My weight here was 59kgs. Picture was taken here in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

March 2012 - That's me right now. My current weight is 55kgs. On a good day, I sometimes weigh 54kgs. But most of the days I am 55kgs. I think this is my perfect weight.

After I lost a lot of weight preparing for our Europe trip, I decided I needed a lifestyle change if I want to keep my weight off. And so I did. I lost some more weight and worked hard to tone my muscles.

Everyday is a challenge. There are days when I just want to give up and go back to my old days of bingeing but I stop myself and say "I have come this far, might as well finish it".

There will be challenges in the future, that's for sure but I am determined to stay healthy. I love how I look and how much spare energy I have for the more fun stuff of life.

If I can do it, I am sure you can do it too! Cheers!

I am Stronger

I can do 30 straight push-ups now. For me, this is a huge achievement.

When I started working out, I could not even do 5 straight push ups. Now that I think about it, I don't think I could even do three push-ups.

So how did I get to 30 straight push-ups? Patience and practice.

Every week I try to improve on the number of push-ups I could do. I started with 5. The following week, I did 6. Then 7 the next and so on and on.

Push-ups are not only great workout for the arms. They also work your abs, butt and pretty much all the muscles in your body. That's why I love push-ups now.

This is me, taken last Saturday.

My shoulders may not be stick thin or buffed but I love how they look. It's got definition on them. LOL!

More than the definition on my arms, I love that I am stronger now.

I think that it's the most important thing.

That Video

Last night while browsing my FB page, I came across an annoying video about a Westerner living and doing business in the Philippines for over three years now but says he is pissed of with the country. He mentions the 20 things he dislikes about my beloved country.

I am not going to post the video here because I personally think that person doesn't know what he's talking about.

Those things he mentioned which piss him off are inconsequential except for one or two. In fact, he actually sounded like he's just whining.

Example 1: He is pissed off with the amount of whitening lotions in the groceries. While I also don't understand this fascination or more like obsession with some Pinoys to get fairer complexion, so what? Why is he bothered by it? When you think about it, it's just the opposite of Westerners trying to become tanned by using spray on tan. Different people like different things. Since he is in the Philippines he should respect that difference.

Example 2: He is pissed off by the roosters' crowing. This made me laugh. LOL! Maybe he was in the wrong neighborhood. He should go and live in some posh area so he wouldn't be bothered by those roosters. Hahaha!

Example 3: He is pissed off by the street vendors selling something which he thinks is offensive to him. Again, this made me laugh. He could just ignore them, can't he?

There are a lot of problems in the Philippines, I know. But I wouldn't trade it for anything else. Despite what that person said, it's still more fun in the Philippines.

Oh yeah!

Variety is the Key

Familiarity breeds contempt. Have you heard of this quote before? In my case, familiarity did not breed contempt. I just got bored. And boredom is usually dangerous.

I realize it is really important to have different choices of food especially when you're trying to lose weight or when maintaining your weight. If you continue to eat the same kind of food day in and day out, you're bound to get bored. And you know it's not a good thing. I can speak for myself.

The past month, we have been eating almost the same kind of food every week. I go to the supermarket and buy the same list of food every week even our fruits have not changed - apple, pear, papaya, orange, grapes and mango.

Sometimes last week, I suddenly had major cravings of the "sinful" kind. And those cravings never subsided until I ate those food I craved. So we ate at chinese restaurant for my oily food cravings, had pork knuckles at the Filipino resto, had pizza, burgers, etc, etc.

It sounds harmless enough. A little indulgence once in a while is okay. I know that.

But it wasn't my usual little indulgence anymore. It was my old self trying to sneak in surreptitiously. My old self who says "you can always exercise or you can go back to healthy eating again tomorrow". And then when tomorrow comes, it would say the same thing again.

It was creepy. LOL!

The damage? I gained 1.2kgs in a week. I was already 54.3kgs, my lowest weight when the craziness started. Now, I am back to 55.5kgs.

It is a good thing I stopped myself before it became a habit. Trivia: Did you know that it only takes 21 days for you to form a habit? Yes, it's true! So better make sure you don't do the same thing for over 21 days if you don't want it to become a habit.

I am now back on the healthy track. I realize variety is really the key. When you think about it, that should also apply in our life in general. I admit I am sucker for routine but a little off the track or a little spontaneity is needed to keep us going and be happy in the long run.

Those Lows

I always believe that happiness is a choice, like everything in life is.

It maybe hard to be happy or even smile when everything seems so gray. But there's really no point in being sad or despondent anyway.

Yeah, I am psyching myself up. LOL!

Seriously, I used to have those dark moods and depression. When I look back, they were just a waste of time and happiness.

I am not saying everyday is a great day for me now. I still have those not so good days and those days when I feel a little down. But you know what, I don't dwell on it anymore. I just look at the positive side of everything. That makes me instantly better.

When positive outlook doesn't help, I do these things:

1) Blogging. It makes me busy, keeps my mind away from the problem and at the same time makes my paypal account happy.

2) Beading. Another thing that keeps me busy and my wallet happier.

3) Exercise. A good exercise always make me happy.

4) Count my blessings. When I do, suddenly there is no reason enough to make me sad.

5) Go out. Have coffee alone or with friends. A change of environment usually does the trick for me, especially when I am cooped up in the house for a long time.

6) Shopping. Retail therapy always works. But I am not talking about the shop-till-you-drop kind of shopping. It will just make you more depressed. A window shopping or just a simple trip to a shop lifts me up.

Honestly, it's more fun doing these things than being sad or depressed. If I have more money though, I'd definitely add "travel twice a month" to the things I could do when I need a little bit of cheering up. As it is, I cannot just have an impromptu travel. Unless, I want to be more depressed. LOL!

Happy weekend blogosphere!

BMI and your health

I have read a lot about BMI or Body Mass Index. They say the higher your BMI score, the higher the possibility of suffering from illnesses.

The normal BMI for an adult ranges between 18.5 and 24.9. Below 18.5, you are considered underweight, above 24.9 you are considered overweight and 30 above you are considered obese.

I checked mine and the result is 20. Thankfully that's in the normal zone. I also checked hubby's and his score is 24.3. Yay! But I would like him to lower it down if he still can.

For more information, check this out.


[Via: BMICalculator.org BMI Calculator]

The Wrong Hair

Like I said in my previous post, I was still sick yesterday but I went out and had an impromptu haircut. I think it's what I needed to get better - fresh air outside and a lighter mane.

I wanted a short hair like Michelle Williams. It's been so hot lately and I wanted a total change of hair. I have also been complaining a lot about hair fall. So having a short hair is perfect.

Michelle Williams. She looks cute and pretty.

But instead of having the sweet pixie style like Michelle's, the haircutter gave me this edgy haircut.

It is still long. I told the haircutter to cut it shorter but he wouldn't do it. He kept on saying I will have to wait for three years to have my hair grow long again. So what? You already cut it, so why don't you just cut it really short? Maybe he wanted to say I will not look good with Michelle's hair style. But again, so what? It is my choice, right?

I hate it when the haircutter does not follow the client's request. I know they have the responsibility to make you look good but if they go against a client's wishes, it's downright rude. Well, that's what I think.

As consolation, my husband said my haircut suits me. I don't know. I am planning to have another haircut this week.

As for my health, well, I am feeling a little bit better. I guess, going out did me good.

Sad Story, Happy Story

The Sad Story

I gave hubby the task of doing our weekly groceries as I am still not feeling well. When he came back just now, he looked sad. I asked him why.

He said he just saw another motorcycle accident on the road. He did not witness the accident itself but he saw a girl still on the road. She's being helped by the police to get up. It did not look that serious but he said it's just sad to see these kind of things on the road.

I agree. What saddens me is that most people riding motorcycles here do not wear helmets. If I have all the money in the world, I will buy each and every person here a Bell Custom 500 helmets like below.

Pink for the girls

Yellow for the boys

Wouldn't it be cute? Seriously, people should learn the importance of wearing a helmet. It could spell a difference between being alive and being gone.

~~~

Happy Story

Have you been following American Idol this year? Well, we haven't!

We used to be avid fans (hubby and I) of American Idol but due to the situation at home (sleeping early, lots of housework) we have almost forgotten American Idol until we read about Jessica Sanchez.

She had a standing ovation from the judges during their first live American Idol performance. And to think, she some problem with her vocal cords that night.

Since I wasn't able to catch the show, I watch her performance on youtube and I was blown away! She's ready for the stage and I am sure she will come a long long away.

Starting next week, I am going to make sure I catch the show on TV again.

By the way, she's a Filipino.

Sick Friday

I spoke too soon. In my last post, I said I haven't caught the bug that my hubby and EJ have. But today, I am officially sick.

I think it's because I haven't had a full night of sleep since Monday night. I just could not sleep with my son coughing non-stop. Today we went back to the doctor again because it seems like the meds given to him are not effective. So the doctor has changed the prescription. I am hoping today we all get to rest. And hopefully get well over the weekend.

We've been eating deliveries and take aways for the past three days now. I don't have time to cook and wash the dishes afterwards. If we only have a bosch dishwasher, then I think it would be so much easier. So having deliveries and take aways lessens my house chores.

I am not sure if it is flu season here in Phnom Penh but I have been reading several Facebook status updates from friends here in Phnom Penh that they too are sick.

I don't like being sick. Who does, right? I am the type who can't sit still much less lie down all day. See, I even sneaked in just to write this post while my whole body is probably screaming at me to lie down. LOL!

The only positive thing out of this is that I have lost weight without trying hard. As of this morning, my weight is 54.7kgs. Hubby said I look like a skeleton. But of course, he always exaggerates.

I really hope we all get better over the weekend. It's not fun being sick.

I hope you guys are having a fantastic weekend. Take care.

Slowing down

The hubs and the kiddo got sick over the weekend. Usually when someone is sick at home, I get sick as well.

Surprisingly, I did not catch the bug. Might I hope that my immune system has improved? I would like to think so. There is no other explanation anyway.

his week, I haven't exercised at all. I usually rest during the weekend to give my muscles rest. That's what the expert says. I am just following. LOL!

But starting Monday, I had two sick boys at home, I could not possibly squeeze in time to do my exercise routine at home. Hubs is back at work since yesterday but the kiddo is still at home. With a kid around, my time is not my time at all. Sigh.

It is okay though.

I will go back to exercising next week. So far, I am still in check with my weight despite not exercising. But I have to watch my appetite. I have been a little indulgent.

How's your week so far my dear blogger friends?

It's the first of March. I hope your March starts off fantastically. Let's stay positive, focused on our goals, be healthy and above all be grateful to Him for all the blessings we have around us.