It is so easy to gain weight!


This winter had been cold and long. My little guy had been my “work-out” partner. We would walk to school every morning – even when it’s freezing out. My neighbor and I used to run a few miles after dropping the kids off to school.

But the past few weeks, our routine got changed. Chorus and orchestra early morning rehearsals had forced me to drive him to school. Which meant, the almost 1 mile walk I had every morning had been replaced with zero mile.

And in 2 weeks, I noticed that I was gaining weight every single week.

So in 2 weeks I gained an additional 5 pounds, on top of the 7 pounds I’ve been trying to lose since last Thanksgiving.


I love to eat – and big portions.
I love bread – and lots of it.
I love dessert – my, my, my!


I’m almost 47 years old and my metabolism has changed.

I can still fit (barely) in my clothes. I used to wear size 0-2 clothing. But this week, I couldn’t fit into my size 4 clothes.

I know some of you think I shouldn’t be complaining but you’re wrong.
I am now 12 pounds heavier than last spring. (Not healthy at all!)

I still look petite but when the sweater season ends, it won’t be fun!
I can feel the extra pounds in my armpit, my belly (!!!!) and my thighs.

The extra weight had taken all my energy, too. The extra weight makes it tougher to exercise. I kept saying to myself, “I just don’t have the energy!”

That means it’s time to get serious and lose weight.

Last week I started writing down what I eat. It works during the week but come weekend, I lose control!
(My little guy's gymnastics meet don't help either - sitting for 5 hours and getting hungry don't mix well!)

Finishing a book also hindered my ability on staying fit. I sit by the computer and type, and type and type – which is not good, not good at all! Maybe I should have signed up for that half marathon instead!

I used to love to exercise, but with the insane winter we have, it’s pretty tough to go out for a run or even do the P90X DVD. (It gets pretty cold in the basement!)

My workout clothes don’t fit me either.

Which is a sign – it’s time to BRING IT once again!

Exercise should be a habit. It should be like brushing your teeth.
Every winter, I fall off the wagon.

So starting tomorrow morning, I am back on my exercise routine.

I can’t give up bread – not yet, but I can try to go on that stepper and burn some calories!

Do you want to do it together?

I'll be here.
(Photo source  : CoolClips )

Every day, we tell our children “Try to learn something new every day.”


And yesterday, I learned something new!

Last night, gratitude to a dear friend, I found out that you can text to GOOGLE (466453) and get the phone number and address of my local pizza store, just a text message, “pizza”, to GOOGLE.
I didn’t even have to tell GOOGLE where I was!


Technology always amazes me. I’m still at awe at how Microsoft Word knows that I spelled something wrong – it even knows that I wrote a fragmented sentence! One day, I just need to touch the screen and it’ll probably write an entire page of thoughts and ideas!

So I’m having fun with this new discovery!

(Just a warning, make sure you have unlimited text package from your mobile provider, because it can be addicting!)



Here are some fun information!

Definition…………………..….define pigwidgeon
Flights……………………….....flight co123
Movies…………………….......movie new york
Stocks………………………...stock DECK (stock symbol for UGGS)
Translation…………………..…translate hungry in Spanish


For other Google SMS tips, visit http://www.google.com/mobile/sms/search/ .


Did you learn something new today?
(Photo credit: Microsoft Office clipart)

there are days that seem like no matter how we steer to the right, our path leads us to go to the left;

and..
there are days that no matter how tough it is to keep stepping forward, something is pulling us back;

and yet, one day..

life surprises us..

we didn’t even have to step on the accelerator,
the cruise control has already set the speed;



every day, i just need to count my blessings;
every day, there’s a reason to smile;
every day, I just need to be patient.


every time I feel like getting angry and upset,
i look outside and know that
there is always something to be thankful for.





last weekend, my little guy competed in his 4th gymnastics qualifier of the season.
like most kids, he worked really hard, and he earned 1st place in the All-Around.

(here’s a video of his floor routine exercise, my favorite routine!)





so no matter what...what ever will be, will be.
what are you thankful for today?

Let me paint you the setting.

It was Saturday morning, in the dining room. My husband made breakfast for the kids – including my picky-eater, 10yo.


What’s in the breakfast menu? Scrambled eggs!

Sitting, with not a trace of a smile on his face, my almost 10yo was staring at a plate with freshly cooked scrambled eggs -- golden yellow and folded neatly like an omelet, a side of sliced apples and a glass of 1% milk.

I wasn’t exactly sure what’s going on in my little crumbcatcher’s mind, but he surely does not look happy.

So he took one bite after 5 minutes, drank from the glass of milk and took a bite of the apple. My ever energetic, super active, nonstop moving child seemed like on a slow motion pace at this moment.

So after 30 minutes of waiting for him to finish the eggs, I commented, “How come it’s taking you forever to finish a small plate of scrambled eggs? You seem to survive from the first few bites, the egg is so much better hot than cold.”

 
And that’s when he replied as his nose wrinkled, which is a sign that he’s controlling his tears,


“Mom, I am doing what you want me to do but you are still criticizing me. That’s why I don’t want to try new things because when I try you still criticize me.”


My husband heard our conversation and said,
“We love you little guy. It is our job to criticize you…and we will criticize until you get it right.”

Do you ever remember questioning your parents? I grew up in the Philippines and there’s no talking back – or even complaining, especially when you’re not even 10 years old…not even when you’re 21!

I think I started answering back only after I had children and moved out of the house – even then, I felt bad when I question my parents.

Maybe the new generation of children have been pampered and treated like their breakable. We can’t even tell them directly if they are not doing their tasks incorrectly. We have to learn how to coat the words so that they are not painful. We have to tip toe and be super sensitive to what we say because we might hurt their feelings.

Just look at the report cards, hard work aren’t graded in the first few years of their academic life because the educators feel that in doing so, we will be stomping on their confidence.

Are the new generation of kids going to grow-up so shielded from criticisms and with constant “pat-in-the-back” reinforcements that when they face the real world, employers, supervisors or managers have to be trained how to behave or communicate?

My parenting style is strict but compared to how I was raised, it’s pretty lenient. I asked my 15yo if he thinks I’m a “tiger mom” because I do expect nothing less than a A+, I make sure they practice piano, violin, saxopone or piano, there are no hanging out with friends on school nights, and only recently that I allowed “sleep overs”. My 2 older children (who are now in college) did not get to experience sleep overs. But like anything else, everything is within reason. As long as I see that my kids work hard and really adhere to the doing their jobs well (be a VERY good student, behaved and well-mannered), then we sort of “compromise”.

When my older son told us that he’s just a “B” student, that conversation did not go well -- especially we knew since my son was little, that he’s above average. So "B" does not relate to “above average”. It would have been different if that’s all he was capable of. So that was a tough fight!  I think he was grounded most of his teen life!

When my 15yo says,
  “Mom, this is the best I can do…and as our teacher said, we shouldn’t be so focused on the grades. A "B" on Honors class is actually an "A" and a "C" is actually a "B"," --

my blood boils and I reply with my Filipino-ewok tone which seems to come out every time I get angry,
   “Tell that to the colleges and scholarship grants! Especially when you get a "C" because you didn't do your homework.”

So when I confronted my 15yo, “Do you think you are being raised by a Tiger Mom?”

He replied with a laugh, “Are you kidding me. No way. I am being raised by tiger parents!”

“And then he continued….but the “cool” tiger parents.”


So going back to my youngest, who according to my three older children, has gotten away with a lot of stuff since he IS the baby : My 10yo took an hour to finish his breakfast!

He cried when we didn’t say he did a great job for tasting the eggs. I told him that we’re happy that he finally finished the scrambled eggs but it would have been better if he finished it in less than 1 hour.

And he said, “See, you are criticizing me again.”

And we replied, “because it is our job as parents.”

yes, today is one of those days - GREAT NEWS!

there is light at the end of the tunnel!
there is HOPE after heart break!




you are being bounced around…up and down!





flowers will soon bloom...

and our faith helps us through.

enjoy life.

keep smiling.