Desperate Measures

Ticking Boxes

Ugh.  I know.  Two months without a post.  This no-internet-connection is seriously cramping my style.  I think it could be one of the reasons why I'm having an even harder time sleeping.  Too many thoughts in my head with nowhere to go.

Bah, humbug.

In desperation, I'm now trying out melatonin.  It was Night No. 3 last night.  So far, so good.  I'm sleeping more, but still not enough.

I've been a total disaster this year.  I only recorded three days of activity last September.  THREE.  And I haven't done a single thing since I left Siargao on October 29th.

Chocolate chip cookies are expensive.

What I have done is get sick.  Again.

I went to see my folks and ended up getting whatever bug they had.  It must have started around the 3rd of November, when I accompanied my dad to the hospital for a check-up.  At first, I thought it was some minor throat irritation, until my voice completely deserted me at a party that weekend.

I went for a check-up, and the doctor prescribed some meds for a viral infection.  He said I should go for an X-ray if my condition didn't improve in two weeks.  It's only been a week and a day.  The voice is back, although I sound like a frog going through puberty.  But the cough and cold are still present.

So I've stopped smoking.  Again.  Hopefully, this time, for good.

Sorry, Keith.  I've kept you alive long enough.

My diet, predictably, has been appalling.

In Siargao, when I wasn't partying, I was obsessed with cooking up the most calorie-laden obscenities I could think of.  I actually considered battering and deep-frying a lasagna - that contained rice and mashed potatoes, as well as the pasta - to illustrate the sick and twisted mind that I possess.

The words on this photo used to be about fitness, but this one is now more appropriate.

Soooooooo... I wish I could say I'm back where I started, but I really am quite the overachiever when it comes to fucking up.

And then Isabelle Chiang posted this line on Facebook...

… with a link to Paleo Manila.

I had literally just been checking out their website upon the recommendation of fellow foodie, Margaux Salcedo.

Since my illness - and the monster APEC traffic jams - forced me into hibernation, I was thinking of finally getting back on track with Paleo, but was discouraged by my lack of access to a proper kitchen (- I am still squatting at a friend's tiny studio along Katipunan) and overwhelmed by the food temptations in this university town.  I had been ordering Asha Peri's parfaits, but needed something more substantial to sustain me throughout the day.

These are excellent.  Cost is P350/jar, with a P100 rebate if you return the jar.  From Asha Peri's Dahon Kusina.

While I just found out that Isabelle's family owns Savory, the 1950s institution known as much for its fried chicken as its  widely mispronounced name, I didn't know that she herself was behind Paleo Manila.

I first met Isabelle during a quick visit to Manila in 2013, while enrolled for a short stint at the CrossFit Libis box.  She introduced herself and said that she had joined CrossFit because she had read about it in my blog.

I was just chuffed that there was someone, outside my circle of friends, who was reading my blog, and taking it seriously too!

When she found out I was interested in trying out Paleo Manila, she immediately offered a free trial.

What a sweetheart!

Note that she did NOT ask me for any publicity in return.  But am doubly grateful to her for giving me something immediate to write about that doesn't just involve me lamenting my failures.

I'm only on my second day, and I've already signed up for a second (PAID) week.

This was breakfast yesterday:

Tropical Chia Pudding with Almonds, Coconut, Pears and Raisins.

And this is today's menu:

I've already Googled recipes for Squash Lasagna because it was damned good.  Am getting a lot of ideas for cooking healthier when I get back to Siargao next month.  (Isabelle says that their menus change all the time and that they rarely repeat recipes because most of their clients have signed up for monthly plans.)

I'm glad that Isabelle has totally embraced this CrossFit/Paleo lifestyle and is making it possible for others to join her on her path to fitness.  I especially love it that I played a role in getting her started with CrossFit, and now she's helping me get back on track with Paleo.  Thank you, Isabelle!

(FYI, Paleo Manila's website isn't mobile-friendly, but Isabelle assures me that they are already working on a mobile version.)

So...

• Sleep:  √
• Not smoking:  √
• Diet:  √
• Exercise:  Slowly, slowly.  After I beat this cough and cold.  When I get back to Siargao this December.

Who would have thought that I would have taken this time in Manila to get back in control?  Illness is a strong motivator.  How long I stay this course, of course, is anybody's guess...

Now to publish this post and get out of this cafe before the grilled cheese sandwich starts calling my name.

Gai's Siargao Food and Exercise Diary

Sunday, 15 December

Another sleepless night.  Had to force myself to get up in the morning.  It was too hot to jog so I took the bike out.  Two kilometers in, I got a flat tire.  I went to the nearest house and asked if I could park my bike in their yard until someone could come and get it.  I tried jogging back but, even with The Prodigy on full blast, it wasn't happening.  I walked.

• Biking, 2 km.
• Walking, 2+ km.

Nicolas was in the room the whole afternoon so I couldn't do the Jillian Michaels workout.  I really didn't want to anyway.

• Swimming, 32 laps, possibly more because I couldn't concentrate and kept losing track of my count and starting over.

Had a bit of chutney with my fish cakes but, apart from that, was still on track with Paleo.  It's a struggle though, knowing that Joanna Ongpin's espresso chip cookies are sitting in the fridge.  Nicolas had two.  Gaah!

Joanna Ongpin-Duarte's espresso chip cookies, available at the Rafik Shawarma/Pizza di Gracia booth at the Saturday Salcedo Market and the Balesin Club gift shop. 

Monday, 16 December

Still no sleep.  It's really difficult to be motivated when all you want to do is sleep.  The thought of moving right now isn't the most appealing.

I think I'm too scared to do Jillian Michaels' "6 Week Six-Pack".  I watched the rest of the video and she goes through the first part without any rest and then does everything again in DOUBLE TIME!  If I was already huffing and puffing at the warm-up, then I'm sure to be dead at the end of this workout.  Maybe I should do parts of the Shred workout again so that I can get back to that level of fitness first...

I've been told that my bike needs a new tire.  I think I need a new bike.

<twiddles thumbs>

Can you tell that I'm procrastinating?

Noo nee noo nee noo nee noo...

I ended up wrapping Christmas gifts for the staff.

I only had breakfast today.  Mr. Delicious applewood smoked bacon and fried eggs.  Yummy.

• Swimming, 32 laps

Tuesday, 17 December (Cheat Day)

Big lunch and some bubbly and cheroot cigars with friends, then a pizza dinner.  Oh, and I finally had some of those cookies.

• Swimming, 32 laps

Wednesday, 18 December

Groggy.  Was kept awake the whole night by a farting dog.  I don't know what he ate but it was nasty.

Asked for a green juice then tried to go back to sleep, but the leftover pizza from Kalinaw was calling me.  I reheated the last four slices and had them for lunch.  So much for Paleo.  ARGH.

I've lost my will to exercise.  It's too hot outside and Jillian Michaels scares me.

• Swimming, 32 laps

Had another green juice for dinner.

Thursday, 19 December

Rainy morning.  Chicken-vegetable soup.  One cookie.

• Swimming, 32 laps

Dinner:  More chicken-vegetable soup plus the leftover mustard-tarragon chicken and green salad from last Tuesday.  Plus one more cookie.

Friday , 20 December

I woke up starving and with a craving for Spam and fried eggs so that's what I had.  I had some green juice with it so my breakfast wasn't entirely unhealthy.

For lunch, I had meatballs soup.  With a bit of rice.  And then I had some dark chocolate.  And a cookie.  And another cookie.  Doh!

Tonight, for the first time in my 14 years in Siargao, I am having dinner at Lalay's, the local barbecue joint at the boulevard.  I only had their food once before, some years back when Nine Bar had a party there for their staff, but that was when they relocated to the side of the road.

• Swimming, 32 laps.  I've begun timing myself and I average about 39 minutes in the pool.

Saturday, 21 December

I can't decide if I am hungover or just lacking sleep or both.  I got home from the jungle disco at about 3:30 AM and was awake and playing with the dog four hours later.

I had a mango when I finally got up and what was left of the meatball soup.  No cookies yet.  (There are only two left.)

Lalay's was nice.  Aussie guy, Brent, was there and we had a good laugh.  I had the pork barbecue and the chicken barbecue and, although I didn't have rice, I did order a plate of fries.  My total food bill came out to P200.  Not bad.

I did drink a lot though.  We started with gin tonics at Lalay's (except that I wasn't drinking the tonic), then we had piñacoladas at Pontus and Frida's, then shitloads of very strong rum cokes at Tattoo.  There were a lot of cigarettes too. In my recollection, I was calm but, by other accounts, not so.  It's a good thing Andrew was there and made sure I got home okay.

The staff is having their Christmas party tonight.  I wonder if I am expected to attend.  I don't think I can remain upright for very long.

There will be no exercise today.

7:30 PM - So I ate a massive dinner with the staff and the workers.  It's a good thing they get shy around me so I left the table as soon as I finished so that they could eat comfortably and speak more freely among themselves.

I'm tempted to have a cookie.  Part of me is saying, "No exercise, no cookie."  And the other part is saying, "You're going to have to eat it all before you leave on Monday anyway so you might as well have it now."

I'll have a cookie.

Oh, joy!  There were still three in the box!  Well, two now...

Sunday, 22 December

Watched a TV series till 4 AM and was awake 3.5 hours later.

Lunch at Maya Villas.  Alon has a short menu out now, but I didn't know this and ordered the hummus, baba ganoush and shawarmas in advance.  Must visit again and try out his burgers.

We started with white wine, then Pale Pilsens - and then this is where my memory gets foggy, but I have pictures on my camera that I do not recall taking.  We ended up at the Christmas party at Palaka Dive Center where I jumped around and danced with the girls while they karaoked.  I vaguely remember eating lechon.  And, judging from my throat this morning, I'm guessing cigarettes were involved.

Watched "South Park" reruns with Liam while I waited for the habal driver to pick me up.

I had a cookie when I got home.

Monday, 23 December

Didn't get to sleep till around 3 AM again and then, because I'm leaving for Cebu in the afternoon, I kept waking up every hour.  Finally gave up trying to sleep at 8 AM to play with the dog.  He knows that I am leaving.  He ignored me the whole week but, this morning, he is unusually needy and overly affectionate.  We'll both be very sad when I leave.

I think I'll have more of the bacon before I start getting ready to leave.  And I might as well finish the last cookie.

I think I'm back on track with my weight, but tomorrow is Christmas Eve and Nicolas will be with me for nine days in Manila and I'm already planning where we are going to eat...

Trying To Get Back To Good In Siargao

I left Siargao last November 18 and returned yesterday.  I only resumed working out again today.  Well, there was that one day in Bagan, in between sunning myself by the hotel pool, that I swam 20 laps.  And then Nicolas and I biked to and from lunch, which wasn't really very far, so I'm not sure if that counts.

In less than a month, I managed to do so much damage to myself - purely from overeating - that I felt like shit and looked it.  I was hardly even drinking or smoking.

I missed working out so much that I seriously had fantasies of doing push-ups, walking lunges and box jumps.  But I was either too busy or too tired - or both - to do anything.  On one flight, I tried to do air squats by the lavatories but it was a small plane and I got curious looks.  In Bangkok, I was looking forward to using the gym at our hotel because, from the photos I had seen, I knew that it had the Technogym personal Kinesis machine and I so wanted to do Kinesis again.  But even with 24-hour access to the gym, the spirit was eager but the flesh needed to sleep.

Today, I finally found the will power to get off my ass and start again.  Even if I got up late and the sun was glaring, I did the following this morning:

• Jogging, 2 km., time:  16:29 minutes
• Biking, 10+ km.

I felt totally elated afterwards.

In the afternoon, I watched a few new Jillian Michaels' workout videos and tried doing Level 1 of "6 Week Six-Pack" and nearly gave up at the warm-up.  I got as far as the burpees and a few of those squat twists before I gave up.  Will try again tomorrow.

I went to the pool instead.

• Swimming, 32 laps (1 km. + 24 m.)

I'm also making an earnest effort at returning to Paleo and intermittent fasting.  I only started yesterday but I'm already feeling better.  Let's see if I can maintain the regimen in the ten days that I am here.

I can't tell you how much I am dreading Christmas in Manila and the usual excesses that come with it.

Putting the Siargao Plan In Effect (Week 1)

I'm still eating badly (think:  buttered fried rice, bacon and cheese subs, Speculoos crepes, chocolate-covered polvoron...) but I've gotten rid of most of the bad stuff in the fridge (- and stored them in my thighs for extra energy) so, hopefully, I will be better behaved next week.

Except that that damned pizza delivery is just a phone call away, isn't it?

Unfortunately for me, weight loss is still primarily determined by diet more than exercise, isn't it?  As was recently reiterated in the news.  Which will explain why, in spite of all my efforts, I am still .5 kilos above my regular weight, which means that I am .5 kilos heavier than when I started this blog.  Geezoos...

As I said though, strangely, I seem to be more comfortable with my body the way it is now than I have been in a long time.  Could it be that I am just getting lazier (- how is that even possible???) and that I am merely coming to terms with a new normal?

Or maybe I'm really just hotter now?

All I know is that - I really, really want to eat another crepe right now.

Fine.  I'm going swimming.  Here's what I did the past week.

Note:  Wednesday to Sunday (14-18 August):  Swimming - 30 laps

Monday, 19 August:

• Kundalini Yoga (Radiant Boy Kriya and Meditation)
• Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred*, Level 1 (two-kilo dumbbells)
• Swimming** - 30 laps

Tuesday, 20 August: (overnight in Surigao)

• Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, Level 1 (1 liter water bottles)
• Lots of junk, two cans Red Horse, lots of smokes

Wednesday, 21 August:

• Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred (three-kilo dumbbells for rows, curls and flys only, two-kilos for everything else)
• Swimming - 30 laps

Thursday, 22 August:

• Zero exercise
• Approximately half a bottle of rosé, half a bottle of white, 5.5 bottles Pale Pilsen, lots of smokes

Friday, 23 August:

• Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, Level 1 (three-kilo dumbbells for rows, curls and flys only, two-kilos for everything else)

Saturday, 24 August:

• Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, Level 1 (three-kilo dumbbells for rows, curls and flys only, two-kilos for everything else)
• 3 x 20 reps kettlebell swings (16 kilos)
• Swimming - 30 laps

 Sunday, 25 August:

• Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, Level 1 (three-kilo dumbbells for rows, curls and flys only, two-kilos for everything else)
• 3 x 20 reps kettlebell swings (16 kilos)
• Swimming - 30 laps

***

*I appreciate the 30 Day Shred's Level 1 more now that I know how difficult Level 2 is, which I am completely dreading, by the way...

However, I am still doing the push-ups at my own pace and I do hand-release push-ups, CrossFit-style.

 

I also still hate the side lunges with arm raises.  By the time I get to these, my shoulders aren't too happy anymore, so I concentrate on doing the side lunges correctly and only lift one arm per raise.  Sometimes, I go with the same-side arm as the lunge or, sometimes, I raise the opposite arm.  Yes, I like to live dangerously.  <winces>

**I should have upped my laps to 30 a long time ago.  Now, my arms and shoulders are finally registering something close to an ache at the end of my sessions.

Recently, I've been researching techniques to improve my crawl, a.k.a. freestyle, and I was already working in the closed-fist drill and the thumb-to-thigh drill into my laps, when I came across a set of videos from Karlyn Pipes (- according to the YouTube info, she is a "Masters Swimming World Record Holder, National Duathlon winner, and [a swim] coach").

In "Technique 5: Exiting the Stroke to Improve Freestyle Swimming Efficiency", Pipes talks about exiting the stroke early, way before the arm is fully stretched backwards, which is a direct contradiction of what the thumb-to-thigh drill is all about.

 

I've been trying to practice Pipes' method but, because I swim alone, I have no idea if I am doing it right.  Sometimes, I get so caught up in the details (stretching the arm forward, keeping the fingers loose, pulling downwards and fanning out early) that I forget to breathe.  But I think I am going faster and I do feel the pull in my lats, which I am not so sure I am happy about.

In another video, "Common Freestyle Mistakes in Swimming" by iSport, they say that it is a must that a swimmer rotate the torso, while Pipes, towards the end of the "Technique 5" video, cautions against the over-rolling of the torso and says that emphasis should be on the reaching or stretching of the arm instead.

 

Since I only watched Pipes' video last Tuesday, when I was in Surigao, and got to try her method three times since then, I'd like to continue with it to see if I become more efficient in doing the crawl.

It's a good thing my internet connection in Siargao is so slow that it is almost impossible for me to look up any more swimming videos on YouTube, sparing myself further potential confusion.

The Siargao Plan

There was a Siargao plan to get back on track which, I swear, went into effect as soon as I arrived back on the island last Wednesday - and was flushed down the toilet as I crawled back home at 5:30 the next morning.  Although the next night was an earlier night, there was still too much beer and too many cigarettes involved.  Oh, and pasta.

So I haven't bothered to make an effort with my diet.

I have been swimming everyday though and have officially upped my laps to 30.  Which isn't enough, I know.

I just read that it takes nine hours of vigorous sex to burn off six Chicken McNuggets.  Not that I eat Chicken McNuggets but I've had much worse and I've certainly consumed more than the equivalent of six of them.  And regarding nine hours of vigorous sex, this is all I have to say:

So I plan to up the activity.  Tomorrow.

Seriously.

I want to restart Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred and complete it on or before September 27.  I want to work in some sort of yoga into my mornings, whether it's the Ashtanga sun salutes or a Kundalini kriya.  And I still think I should do some kettlebell swings.  Hopefully, I'll get to do something every day of the week, but if I can manage only five times a week, that's fine.

I'm still unsure how much effort I want to put into controlling the food and drink.

For now, if I can, I will and, if I can't, I won't.

Siargao: The Third (And Last, For Now) Week

Monday (Nicolas leaves.)

• Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, Level 2.  Each level in the series should be done for 10 days, with one or two rest days per week.  If Level 1 was a walk in the park, Level 2 is more like a mugging.  Geezoos!  The cardio is insane and I'm now following Anita (the easy level girl) instead of Natalie.  I have to confess that I don't do as many reps as they do, and I reset on the squat with dumbbell rows.  Using the two-kilo dumbbells.

 

• Swimming:  20 laps
• Two non-Paleo meals.  Before Nicolas left to  catch the plane back to Cebu, we indulged in my favorite breakfast of fried rice, fried eggs and spicy Spanish sardines in olive oil.  Yummmmmm!!!  In the evening, I had dinner at Sagana.  While it was mostly seafood, it was non-Paleo because the squid was breaded and I had rice with the meal and a mango-banana crepe for dessert, which made me sick because of the cream.  I wonder why some dairy makes me more sick than others.

Tuesday (Surigao for the day to visit a friend in the hospital.)

• Was too tired from being on a ferry for most of the day and couldn't bear to face Level 2 again so soon so I didn't do it and snacked instead.
• Swimming:  20 laps
• 3 sets of 20 kettlebell swings (16 kilos)
• One non-Paleo meal and one Paleo meal, with snackage.  Last week, I had absolutely zero to eat  when I was in Surigao and had my first meal at dinner, back on the island.  This week, I made up for it by heading straight for McDonald's and devouring two Sausage & Egg McMuffins.  When I got back to Siargao, I had the butter cookies, as I already reported.  Then I had a Paleo dinner of broccoli-tahini soup and pork chop.  Smoked some in Surigao.

Or a Sausage & Egg McMuffin, thanks!

Wednesday

• Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred, Level 2.  Still doing shit, although I am now using the three-kilo dumbbells for the static lunges with rows and the pendulum swings.  I HATE THIS WORKOUT!
• 3 sets of 20 kettlebell swings (16 kilos)
• Swimming: 20 laps
• One Paleo meal.  Made some chili with hotdogs (which made it non-Paleo), which I scooped into an avocado, and roasted cauliflower with a tahini sauce.

Thursday

• Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred, Level 2.  It's still not getting easier.  Seven more to go.  Ugh.  I'm dreading Level 3.
• 3 sets of 20 kettlebell swings (16 kilos)
• Swimming: 20 laps
• One Paleo meal and one non-Paleo meal.  Got hungry in the morning so I had a HUGE bacon-potato-onion omelette, which is technically Paleo although I should be avoiding potatoes to lose weight.  Dinner at Sagana was most decidedly non-Paleo because I had garlic rice AND mashed potatoes (with the saltimbocca - yum! - which would have still been non-Paleo because it had some sort of soy sauce on it and some flour).  Then I headed to Kawayan for the chocolate fondant again.  Smoked some.

Friday (Nicolas arrives.)

• Nicolas and the dog were in the room.  Any excuse not to do Shred, Level 2.
• 3 sets of 20 kettlebell swings (16 kilos)
• Swimming.  I was going for 30 laps but, for the additional ten laps, I wanted to do just the crawl - so that I could finish faster - but I was counting them out in fives, and then I forgot which five I was on.  So, while it is most likely that I did 30 laps, because I am brain dead, let's just say I did 25.
• One non-Paleo meal, and heavy snackage.  I was going to be good, I really was.  Because Nicolas normally has a big panini sandwich at the Mactan Airport in Cebu, we didn't have to have lunch together and I was only intending to have dinner.  When I got a bit hungry, I asked the maid to make me a raw avocado-chia pudding.  Still good.  And then I had to have the white chocolate-covered Oreos and Reese's peanut butter cups.  And then I brought out the shortbread cookies and the salted caramel spread and the Trader Joe's peanut butter for us to try.  And we still had dinner.  (The leftover chili and hotdogs with avocado, and some raw lasagna.)

Saturday

• Same excuse for not doing Shred, Level 2.

• 3 sets of 20 kettlebell swings (16 kilos)
• Swimming:  30 laps (5 frog kick, 5 crawl, 5 frog kick, 5 crawl, 5 frog kick, 5 crawl)
• Two Paleo meals, but I snacked again.  I have a massive sugar craving that I can't kick!  And it doesn't help that I have all this stuff in my fridge.  I finished the box of Oreos (- I have one left!) and had more of the white choc Reese's cups.

I'm not even putting up a fight anymore.

Sunday

• Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, Level 2, finally!  Nope, it hasn't gotten any easier.
• 3 sets of 20 kettlebell swings (16 kilos)
• Swimming:  30 laps
• Two non-Paleo meals, plus major snackage again.  I tried all of the local treats I bought in Cebu - and it's a good thing that most of them turned out to be shit, except for the rosquillos and ChocNut knock-offs, so I'm giving most of them away.  And then, after my swim, I joined Nicolas and his golf buddies for crepes (with that salted caramel spread).

This Siargao trip was a disaster, wasn't it?  Well, I did lose most of the excess weight.  I'm only one kilo over and, while I'd be happier with two kilos less, I actually look fine.  The boyfriend thinks I look good.  :-D

I'm leaving for Manila later this morning and will be gone for ten days.  I'm not sure that I can continue doing the Shred while I am gone, but I will find something to do.  I'm telling myself I'll behave in the city - food wise, but we all know that isn't going to happen.

The Evil That Lurks Within

The first thing you're supposed to do when you get on the Paleo Diet is to get rid of everything in your pantry that isn't Paleo.  Because if it isn't there, you can't eat it, can you?

Well, on this trip to Siargao, I've restocked the pantry with all things non-Paleo.  For the Cheat Days, she told herself.  Except that she was never one to follow the rules and ever day had turned into a Cheat Day.

Sigh...

So here I am, eating butter cookies when I'm supposed to be jumping up and down, killing myself with Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, Level 2.  (FYI, Level 2 is effin' hard and I've been up since 4 AM and just got back from Surigao and don't have the energy for all of that.) 

Here's a quick rundown of what's lurking in the cupboards:

1. Two cartons of white-chocolate-covered Oreos.  (A third carton was consumed in Cebu.)  From France.
2. Two packs of white-chocolate covered miniature Reese's cups.  (One left.)  From the old Manila Domestic Terminal.
3. One box, R&M white chocolate-covered dried mangoes.  (Gone.)  From the Mactan Domestic Airport.
4. Half a bag of Crunchy Cheetos.  (Gone.)  From the old Manila Domestic Terminal.
5. Two tubs of Chocoron.  (Gone.)  From the Mactan Domestic Airport.
6. One bottle, Banana Macademia Jam.  (Opened.)  From Antonio's.
7. One bottle each, Trader Joe's Fig Butter (- opened), Casa San Luis' Salted Caramel and French Sea Salt (- unopened), Casa San Luis' Bacon Bits Caramel Sauce (- gone).  Ordered from Taste Central.
8. Three bottles each, Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter, Plain and Crunchy.  (One bottle of each gone.)  Ordered from Amazon.
9. One bottle, Trader Joe's Peanut Butter.  (Unopened.)  From Rosan.
10. And an assortment of Philippine popular snacks like Otap, rosquillos, er, butter cookies...  (Untouched except for the butter cookies which are gone.)

FYI, that Bacon Bits Caramel Sauce is a winner.  Spread it on a crepe...  That would explain the five crepes on my first week back.

Okay, I'm going to swim now.  And maybe do some kettlebell swings.  

Siargao: The Second Week

Monday (Nicolas leaves.)

• Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, Level 1 (Started using three-kilo dumbbells for the upright rows and bicep curls.)
• 3 sets of 20 kettlebell swings (16 kilos)
• Swimming:  20 laps
• One Paleo meal.

Tuesday

• Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, Level 1
• 3 sets of 20 kettlebell swings (16 kilos)
• Swimming:  20 laps
• One Paleo meal.

Wednesday (Went to Surigao for the day to bring Apollo to the vet.)

• Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, Level 1 (Started using three-kilo dumbbells for the chest flys.)
• 3 sets of 20 kettlebell swings (16 kilos)
• Swimming:  20 laps
• One non-Paleo meal.  Sushi/sashimi buffet at The Boardwalk, topped off with a chocolate fondant at Kawayan.  Lots of cigarettes.

Thursday

• Zero exercise.
• One Paleo meal and one non-Paleo meal.  Snackage:  Reese's Nutrageous bar and chocolate cake.  Lots of cigarettes.

Friday (Nicolas arrives.)

• Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, Level 1
• 3 sets of 20 kettlebell swings (16 kilos)
• Swimming:  20 laps
• Two non-Paleo meals, including a tasting at Nine Bar.  Snackage:  Reese's white-chocolate covered miniature cups (available at the old Manila Domestic Terminal).  Lots of wine, Red Horse, and cigarettes.

And chocolate and cigarettes.

Saturday

• Zero exercise.  Hungover.  Blech.

• One Paleo meal, one non-Paleo meal.  Snackage:  Chocoron (chocolate-covered chicharon).  Don't knock it till you've tried it!

Available at the Mactan Airport in Cebu.

Sunday

• Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, Level 1
• 3 sets of 20 kettlebell swings (16 kilos)
• Swimming:  20 laps
• One non-Paleo meal.  Snackage:  Crunchy Cheetos.

Weight loss:  Half a kilo.  Still above normal weight.  Doh!  Must minimize snackage, she thought to herself as she ordered fried rice, fried eggs and sardines for breakfast...  Gaaaaahhhhhh!!!

Siargao: The First Week

I'm back in Siargao, Land of the Lost (Internet Connection).

In my last post, when I said that I ended up fattening me up, I wasn't kidding.  I lasted all of two days back on Paleo and had an ensaimada fixation.  When the numbers on the scale started to climb, I thought, "Not bad.  I like myself like this."  Except that the numbers kept climbing.  And then I no longer liked what I saw, but I still couldn't stop.  I was the heaviest I had ever been.  EVER.  Ugh.

When I saw Nicolas in Cebu, he eyed me suspiciously for some time and then finally asked if I had gained weight.  I gave him my brightest smile and nodded vigorously, "Yes, I did!"  He frowned at me.  "This is the heaviest I've seen you."  "Yes, I know," I gushed.  I don't think he was too happy with my enthusiasm.

"Pah!  I'll be in Siargao soon.  I'll lose it in no time!" I assured him.

Before I left civilization, I rediscovered how to grab videos off YouTube (- if you're a Mac user, I recommend ClipGrab) and downloaded workout videos that I could do in Siargao.  For those days when I can't be bothered to get dressed, get out, and enjoy the great outdoors.  Which, in truth, is every day.

I had big plans:  I'd learn to do double unders, do proper push-ups, challenge myself with 40 days of Kundalini Yoga.  But then I remembered I was me.  Soooooo, this week, this is what I've done.

Monday:

• Jillian Michaels*' 30 Day Shred, Level 1  (- I'm using a mega-sissy weight too:  Two kilos.  Phooey to you too!)

 

• Swimming:  20 laps (1 lap = 16 m. x 2)
• One Paleo meal.  A few shots of Patron XO and beer till I forgot my name.  Lots of cigarettes.  Once a week, right?

*Okay, I had never heard of Jillian Michaels until last week's YouTube harvest, but she seems to be okay.  So far, anyone should be able to do her "Shred, Level 1".  I like it that she breaks down each exercise to short, managable segments (e.g. two minutes of cardio would be 30 seconds of jump rope, followed by 30 seconds of butt kicks, then repeat), and that the entire workout takes only 20 minutes.

Tuesday

• Zero exercise.
• Two non-Paleo meals.  Mojitos and wine.  Lots of cigarettes.  Doh!

Wednesday

• Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, Level 1
• Swimming:  20 laps
• One Paleo meal.

Thursday

• Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, Level 1
• Swimming:  20 laps
• One Paleo meal.

Friday (Nicolas' arrives.)

• Zero exercise.
• One Paleo meal and one non-Paleo meal.  A bottle of wine and a few beers.  Lots of cigarettes.  Oops!

Saturday

• Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, Level 1
• Swimming:  20 laps
• One non-Paleo meal and one Paleo meal.  Half a bottle of wine.  It was a 2008 Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru, mind you!

Sunday

• Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, Level 1
• Swimming:  20 laps
• One Paleo meal and one non-Paleo meal.  FIVE crepes.  Gaaah!  I'm blaming PMS!

So far, I've lost three kilos.  I'm still over my regular, acceptable weight, but that isn't really a surprise, is it?  Sigh...

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The Road To Hell is Paved With Sugar

I took the whole of last week off from Paleo.  I am blaming it on the following:

1.  My period.  Even though it lasted all of three days.

2.  The return of my taste buds since I've cut down on smoking.  Mind you, I haven't officially quit.  I smoked once in France, maybe a little bit more in Sweden but, since I've been back in the Philippines, I've only smoked once.  I'll still smoke when I want to.  It's just not so often now.

3.  New things to try like cronuts (- the bastard child of a croissant and a doughnut, originally created by Dominique Ansel in New York), and the Jack Daniel chocolate cupcakes of a singing surfer from La Union.

The original NYC cronuts.  (Internet file photo.)

Re the cronuts, currently, there are four places in Manila that have them.  The "croughnuts" from Dolcelatte are by order only and come in a box of six (P110/piece) and feature five different flavors. They were a bit too thick and doughy for my liking and were more like doughnuts that weren't sweet.  But my friends seemed to like them.  We agreed that the almond-flavored croughnut was the best.

The "croissant donuts" at Wildflour are rationed - two to a customer at P120/piece.  For me, these tasted more like the bastard child of a kouign amann and an eclair.  Definitely a lighter, flakier and, therefore, a better pastry than the ones from Dolcelatte, but a tad too sweet.  

I haven't tried Chatime's "kronuts" (- call 02-584-7721 to reserve) and Dunkin' Donuts' "donut croissants" but, right now, I don't feel particularly compelled to.  It's an interesting concept, and I'd recommend trying the Wildflour ones once, but it's not something I'll be wanting to have again right away.

Re the cupcakes, when a friend announced that Manskee was in town for a few days and was accepting orders for Jack Daniel cupcakes, I was sufficiently intrigued to place an order.  I would find out later that not only does Manskee bake the moistest cupcakes in town (with just the right amount of whiskey), he is also a surfer from La Union with a recording career!

 

How cool is that?

The cupcakes are best eaten cold.  I'm on my fourth one for the day...

4.  Spending time with an old friend at her father's wake.  And you know how wakes are.  Goto/Mamon/Siopao Central.  A few new discoveries (- for me, at least):  Toasted mini siopaos.  They came in brown boxes and had three or four locations in Quezon City, which I intentionally failed to note because I am not supposed to be traipsing around Quezon City looking for mini siopaos.

My other "new discovery" is what, I think, is referred to as a "puto pao", another mini siopao of sorts that seems to be the love child of a puto and a siopao.

Who woulda thought mini siopaos could be so good?  And what is up with all these freak pairings???

Ahahaha!!!  Okay, so it's kinda a stretch from mini siopaos but it's still funny.

I also realized that I like kare-kare.  And jello.  (Not together.  But only because I haven't tried it, although I am not closed to the idea.)

And lastly...

5.  Goya Dark Chocolate.  Yes, this is how far last week's debauchery has led me.

(Internet file photo.)

Stick 'em in the freezer.  I'm down to my last two.

I've had so much sugar in the past few days, that I've started to get headaches - and I don't normally get headaches.  I really feel like I've poisoned myself.  I feel sluggish and gross.

There is absolutely no way I am getting on a scale.

I went really big.  I probably just gave myself diabetes.

I'm putting an end to the madness tomorrow.  I want to live on greens and oranges for a while.  (She said to herself unconvincingly.)

I really shouldn't have cupcakes in the fridge.