Of Guitar Lessons....

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I remember back in high school when we had our guitar lessons.. It was actually one grading period when we had to learn how to play the guitar and at the end of the quarter, we were asked to play a song that we composed ourselves. 

I had to struggle with the chords, especially shifting from one fret to another, since I really don't know how to play the guitar in the first place. It is actually one of my frustrations up to this day. But anyway, since we were required to play a song that we made ourselves, I thought I should buy my own guitar so I could practice all I want at home. We bought a locally made guitar so it was cheaper than the branded ones but I insisted on getting Gibson guitar strings. I had no idea that getting the strings could make a difference but I thought it played nicely...

We had some exercises where we would learn a song with easy chords to play and our teacher would grade us accordingly. Many of my classmates played the guitar beautifully... you would think they were born to play the guitar. As for me, I had to muster a lot of courage and really practice hard. I didn't get a 1.0 though so you would know how I fared. Even if I didn't ace the guitar lessons, learning how to play the guitar was a great experience for me. From the classes I had, I am able to recognize the chords and can lead the "choir" when we practice for the mass songs. 

 

How I Lost 12 Kilos in Four Months

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Yes, you read it right... I lost 12 kilos in a little over four months. I didn't get it with crash diets or subjecting myself to a hunger strike. I simply did it one step at a time... deciding to live a more active lifestyle and eating more healthy food. I got myself enrolled in a fitness studio. You can of course choose to jog by yourself around parks but I guess it didn't work for me. I wanted more than just jogging. The exercise and/or dance classes offered by fitness studios are more motivating for me as I enjoy being in a group. It really depends on you. Plus you get to use the gym equipment to help you tone and build your muscles.

Me during my masters graduation ceremony in November 2012.

Then I changed my diet. You know how it is with Filipino diet.. rice and meat and anything salty always goes with it. So I cut down on that especially on the salty and on the rice. No more rice during dinner. Vegetable salad and fruits take up most of my diet. No more sodas for me... even the diet ones are crushed out. I drink freshly prepared fruit juice. There's also one slimming juice that I take even until now called the summer slimmer, which I think is really effective. It is a concoction of apple, celery, cucumber, lime and ginger juice. It looks gooey but really, it tastes better than it looks. Just don't forget to add a few ice cubes into it. Definitely refreshing!

I spent a lot of time in the fitness studio: at least 3 hours if you are really up to it. I do exercises at least three - five times a week consisting of a warm-up exercise on the threadmill, 30 minutes jogging, one or two hours group exercise such as zumba, step, power board, cardio kickboxing or latin aero depending on the day's schedule, strength training and toning and then sauna afterwards. It has helped a lot in burning the fats and in improving the blood circulation. And because you sweat a lot, you really feel good and refreshed afterwards.

I still have some 7 more kilos to shed... and I am almost there. With this change in my lifestyle, I now feel more comfortable about my body and myself and I have more energy to do things. People notice it too and say that they like the change that they see and I am happy about it. I can now even wear dresses with confidence. :)

The present me... my face is not so round anymore.. Hehe! :D

So there! I hope you are inspired with my story. Go break some sweat. Losing weight and getting in shape does not happen overnight. You have to have the willpower and the determination to do it! And don't forget to have FUN while doing it! Enjoy!

 

The Prospect of Moving Out

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Moving is one of the things that gives me mixed emotions of uncertainty and excitement. Uncertainty because you never know if your neighborhood is going to be as good and ideal as the one you are used to. Excitement because of the new experiences that come along with the moving and the opportunity to try new decorating ideas. Being an optimist though, I always look at the positive side of things and just put the uncertainty aside and choose to be happy about the prospect of living in a new abode. 

So while we are waiting for things to be confirmed, I busy myself with moving out projects. Right now I am looking for ideas for a little girl's room and even considering doing some online catalog printing from online shops offering children's room furniture and accesoires. Since our little girl will start in the first grade next year, getting her a room for herself will be very helpful so she can sleep early and do have her own quiet space for making her homework.

There's still tons to do too before we finally get to move out. Send a notice of rental contract cancellation, pack up, paint the walls white anew, clean, clean and clean! So wish us all luck! We will definitely need it! :)