The close quarter battle is ongoing. The enemy stays tough and puts up a good fight. So far weapons I’ve used weren’t effective. The hardwares barely able to deliver.
I’ve deployed the Bangalore to breach the barriers but looks like it only works in Saving Private Ryan. Sometimes it pushes the enemy back but these guys are just hardened villains. They hardly budge. It takes time to flush them out. Yesterday was one of those days.
Time to change tactics. Time to bring in the bombs. Drop everything and rig the stuff was today’s priority. The ingredients were mixed carefully and are now set to be tested. I can’t wait to send these brown armies to the bottom of the earth. These bad guys are in for a big surprise. I hope.
I have high expectations on these baking soda toilet bombs.
There was once a time when losing weight was quite a struggle. There’s the gym but it requires membership. There’s your friendly liposuction clinic but obviously it’s invasive not to mention expensive. There are also self-help books on counting calories but these have limited recipes and rarely include nutritional info while some of it have ingredients that aren’t available locally. Where do you get kale, collard, cottage cheese, or quinoa? Go figure.
Fast forward to the era when almost everyone has mobile phones and almost everything starts to have its own app. Modern technology now makes losing weight interesting and fun. Weight watchers nowadays have more control, timely feedback, and could take actions fast like passing off on a slice of shortcake because calorie goal has been reached. Freeze it and tomorrow’s another day.
Seven months ago I was looking for a solution to my weight loss plateau. It’s the dreaded point of anyone trying to lose (or even gain) weight. Common knowledge dictates eat less, exercise more but it is easier said than done. Often times this hit or miss leads to under nourishment, sickness, and eventually, failure. I’ve seen people going back to square one and never attempting to cut weight ever again due to disappointment and/or lack of motivation.
This is where the apps come in. There are several apps that help count calories but I use Under Armor’s MyFitnessPal which is among the popular ones, if not the most, under its category. Since I started using it in August I have never turned back, never skipped a day without entry of my meals. The results gradually followed and goal finally reached. Thanks to data-driven weight loss.
MyFitnessPal allows its users to customize their own weight loss plan. Goal could be as aggressive as a 2-lb loss per week or just take it easy at .5 lb per week.
Personalized diet plan.
The app’s weight goal factors in the user’s activity level from Not Very Active to Very Active. Mine should be the former but since I have the leisure to take short breaks when my Garmin says Move! I set mine on Lightly Active. I normally achieve 10 stairs level (up) and 5,000 steps daily.
Activity level menu.
Of course, counting calories means food consumed versus daily calorie goal. This is where MyFitnessPal’s huge food database becomes an advantage. You may now start throwing away those diet self-help books you bought from the thrift shop. If you’re Filipino or Asian or anyone but American most likely those paper books do not include local dishes. So far everything I ate are on MyFitnessPal: sinigang, tulingan, sisig, tuna pasta, pizza, adobo, kamoteng kahoy, kangkong, balut, bulalo, sweet potatoes, bananas, eggs, etc. Whether it’s English or Tagalog food name, this app would have a match for it.
Use the app’s barcode reader if food label has a barcode. Trust me you’ll love this feature.App shows calorie per food based on servings and it totals everything per meal. Here’s my 600-calorie breakfast.
After all meal entries are in, the app predicts possible weight result. When I started months ago I smirked when it said I would be 145 lbs. Well, it happened, breached it even further and I never doubted the app since then.
The number always motivates.
Interestingly, sooner or later calories wouldn’t be the only thing that matters. Anyone who gets more serious about diet and nutrition would be asking about nutrient details like sodium, cholesterol, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and trans. Then there’s also the question if where the calories are coming from. Does it come mainly from carbs, fats, or protein? MyFitnessPal got these covered.
Macro shows our diet needs to include fat. Keto guys rejoice!Want more details, MyFitnessPal has this Nutrients tab for you.
There’s a big caveat to all this. MyFitnessPal computes based on accuracy of the user’s entry so honesty is a big factor here. User details like height, initial weight, activity levels must be all correct. Needless to say, if it’s two slices of apple pie you ate it must be two apple slices that should be entered or else weight predictions would remain a number and not a reality. And your bathroom scale would surely know.
There are also basic tools I use to complement the app. I have a cheap digital kitchen scale my wife got online and on most days I wear a Garmin Vivoactive HR watch that records calories consumed based on my physical activities such as running, walking, intervals, stairs climbed, etc.
The Garmin smart watch pairs with MyFitnessPal app and calorie goals are adjusted accordingly. I found some discrepancies though on how MyFitnessPal adjusts so I would ignore the big numbers whenever I see them.
Garmin Connect app shows a more accurate ‘calorie left’ number.Better ignore the adjusted 1000 calories unless you workout like Dwayne Johnson.
MyFitnessPal is free but it has a premium package if you want to be more detailed about your diet. Free works for me for now.
***
Revision: I won’t sleep tight if I don’t include the barcode reader screenshot and change the boring title.
The bathroom weighing scale finally shows the magic numbers: one, three, zero. Months after I started counting calories seriously I have reached my ultimate goal. It was a test of will, patience, and discipline and I did it breaking stereotypes about genes, age, and being endomorph. I have never been this light and fit. Take note: Never been in my entire life.
Measure and control play a big part in all this. Again, “whatever is measurable is controllable” proves itself true. A concept that I first read in school textbook, often heard at work, and now put to good use in achieving weight loss. It started with just wanting to shed off Christmas weight. Then getting out of the dreaded weight loss plateau. Then entertaining the thought of hitting the ideal BMI. Before I know it I was staring down at a scale that says I am already 30 lbs lighter seven months later.
The MyFitnessPal app made it happen.
It’s not really a big number but I am now following a new lifestyle–not cliche New Year’s resolution–which I would continue to embrace. Achieving a 130-lb weight is just the start. My current regimen could result to increased muscle mass so whether I maintain my new weight or not is no longer important. For now, I see lighter runs ahead and probably new PRs.
***
There is so much discussion about coffee. Some days a villain, some days a hero. Whatever, it’s fuel for me. But it’s expensive regardless if it’s Starbucks or home-brewed which is why I will start using a coffee press instead of a drip coffee machine that runs on electricity. I had my first brew last Friday and I like it.
Got this for 795 pesos from Starbucks.
***
Mood: 1/10 Honks! (Ah, yes coffee is diuretic. Reason I’m up for a very early morning snack and a Ghost Wars episode.)
Can I run farther? I asked myself immediately after I crossed the finish line of the Run 7-11 10K category a month ago. I wasn’t all spent while slowing down towards the staging area so I think I could. Since then I set my mind to try 16K.
Next weekends, however, I was grasping for motivation. Why should I? What for? I seem unable to justify why I would torment myself running farther when 10K seems to be good enough for regular runs. And the funny thing is, in the past weeks I didn’t even do 10K anymore. I also did 5Ks just because my workout plan that’s stuck on our refrigerator says I need to. Telltale signs of boredom.
My Garmin capturing the spike of elation?
Thanks to running and fitness pages I follow on Facebook, I got back on track. Surround yourself with like minded people they say. People who had the same challenges, same people who despite challenges have beaten the odds. So this morning I pulled myself out of Netflix’s Ghost Wars. I ran while it’s still dark.
The plan was to cover 12 kilometers only. It’s the distance set based on my newly discovered pre-run meal: .5 multiplied by bodyweight multiplied by number of hours left before run. I read it yesterday, not the whole article but I was eager to give it a try. It says it should be good for an hour’s run.
Experts say that pace is key to avoid early burnout on long runs. I tried slowing down but every time I check my Garmin it shows my 5K pace which is a bad sign if running economy is considered. I was planning my turnaround point at the 6K mark but my legs still seem up for two more kilometers.
An hour and a half later I was on my home stretch. Sun’s already up, school kids already being dropped off, and the Monday chaos starts to set in. Before my watch hits the second hour I finished my run. Not fast but I did it. My 16K baseline has been set.
As parents, we play different roles. At some point we are either any or a combination of being a superhero, a soldier, a doctor, a nurse, a driver, a bank teller, a teacher, a preacher, a clown, and a friend. Our children expect us to be as flexible as Mr. Fantastic and our children keep a keen eye on us day in day out. What we do is what they would become.
It is imperative that we pay attention to our actions. The sooner we realize that we have greater responsibilities the moment a child becomes part of our lives, the better. Parenting is complicated, I know, and it is normally easy on theory but a whole lot different when everything happens right in front of your face. Kid cries, kid wants food, kid poops, kid pees, kid makes a mess. And kid gets sick. And some kid, later on, would have special needs.
There is no turning back. Hard truth. It takes someone strong, wherever that strength may come from, to say “I can do this.” A good parent commits, a good parent loves…without condition. Child first, everything else takes a backseat.
It took some time to get my acts straight when it comes to alcohol. Several times I was behind the wheel under influence with Marcus inside the car, I had days I missed getting him to bed because I can barely hold my own, and there was one day I missed him blowing his birthday cake because I’ve passed out. Been that bad father.
This was a sign.
Honestly, I somehow miss drinking with friends. Those days when cheeks would get warm and tight. Those days when eyes drop halfway, then the world starts turning. Those days when inhibitions are lost and words come out freely and without care. All for the heck of doing it. In vino veritas. But perspectives and priorities changed.
I haven’t stopped drinking entirely but since the red wheelchair came the drinking became less and lesser. Occasional isn’t even a close definition. I could count with my fingers the number of times I went drinking especially last year. Running and working out helped me avoid the urges. (FYI, six bottles of low-calorie beer is equivalent to one meal or a third of a day’s calorie allowance. That’s excluding finger foods!)
I am alcohol-free, almost. I’ve made myself 24/7 for Marcus as much as possible. I’m his fireman who would jump the pole and would be there for him in no time. I would only drink if Marcus is not around or if I know Marcus’ needs are all taken care of. I think I could now qualify as best parent yet not. Others have far challenging stories. So to all of you out there who continue to make sacrifices and continue to love their kids with special needs, hats off to you. Happy Sunday.
Build a theme park and they would come. This is what Marcus has been doing on Roblox this past few days. With a bigger and better TV for his XBox, the games have been more vivid, been larger than life like Theme Park Tycoon 2. He was never this focused on this game.
Marcus oversees his park.
For days this week I would wake up from a night shift slumber hearing him and his mother exchanging ideas on how to improve his theme park as he tries to compete with others online. Man, his park is impressive. In fact, he tops others by several number of AI guests lining up his rides and trust me, the Ultra HD screen makes first person perspective dizzying enough for an old guy like me. But it’s just another video game for Marcus, still seated the whole day and he could only imagine what a real theme park looks and feels like.
He’s finally here!
Thanks goodness, Enchanted Kingdom is just an hour away from home. It’s a longstanding plan to bring Marcus there but his recent interest in roller coasters, drop towers, and other thrill rides made us agree that this time is the right time for us to be there. It took only a short question from me and a nod from wifey, budget constraints dismissed, and we saw ourselves on a Saturday afternoon driving to Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
It’s been years since wifey and I last visited Enchanted Kingdom. The park’s entrance fees have doubled to P900 per person, P600 for persons with disabilities. It almost emptied my wallet. The park was packed as anticipated so one immediate challenge was Marcus’ access to the rides. I can still carry him but the question is if the attendants would approve it.
Real life, real thrill.
Up, Up and Away ride would’ve been Marcus’ first and only ride. The staff allowed us to bypass the queue by entering through the exit gate. All the next rides, however, weren’t as PWD-friendly. We checked Roller Skater, Jungle Log Jam, Fun Kart, and even the seemingly easy Swan Ride but these have regulations that prohibit people like Marcus to ride any of it. Bummer.
Rialto was a blast.
All is not lost though. Enchanted Kingdom has something for PWDs. Rialto for one had an Ice Age feature film that got Marcus screaming and laughing. Then the park’s Agila, The Experience theater made up for all our disappointment.
That moment when the steep entrance fee becomes worth it.
Exclusively housed in the theme park’s inverted cone-shaped building, Agila offers an interactive experience (Eldar the Wizard in Hologram would fascinate even adults) that features the promotion of EK’s environmental awareness campaign. Agila’s main attraction is its huge theater with moving seats that add realism to flying with the eagle as it soars and sweeps over popular natural wonders of the Philippines. Marcus and wifey was able to get a short glimpse of how Palawan’s Underground River looks like. I’d pay 900 pesos again to experience Agila. It was worth it.
If only there’s PWD rover in space.
We arrived late in the afternoon so we ran out of time to test other rides, individually. Right out of Agila, Marcus let me ride Disk-O-Magic alone and next was Space Shuttle which opened again after the fireworks display. The Ferris Wheel would’ve been our last but it still has a long queue until the park closed at 9 PM.
Our Enchanted Kingdom day was a welcome change to our weekend routine despite the limitations. Getting Marcus out of the house to places that give adequate access to PWDs like him is always something that we look forward to. I know EK could do better by being more PWD-friendly. I now also wish that our country has a theme park for people in wheelchairs.
***
Mood 1/10 Honks! (Yesterday’s DQ ice cream made my day.)
The challenge with working out at home is the need to ensure you execute the right form. So lately I’ve been recording myself doing my routines to check if my forms are spot on and if not, correct it accordingly. I can do handstand pushups but I’ve been wanting to do it without the wall.
Good thing YouTube has been helpful so far. I am following Chris Heria, GMB, and Athlean X among many others to get tips on how to perfect the forms through progression. Recently I also downloaded Heria’s Thenx app which as of now don’t have any annoying ads plus the videos are easy to understand. I’m now in the process of this app’s handstand pushup intermediate level.
It’s the time of the year again when the color red is all over. It’s Valentines week plus it’s Chinese New Year. Prices of flowers once again doubled, overpriced chocolates flood the shelves, couples here and there, and singles in despair. Love is in the air. (Did it rhyme?)
But how long does love last? How long does displaying affection in public remain appealing for lovers? How soon before all this romance start to wane off? Would this ‘heat of the moment’ gradually end when marriage starts? The fact is, the answer may be yes.
There is a saying that if love is blind, marriage is the eye opener. True? Time will come when couples snap out of their fantasies. Like it or not, marriage comes in a package, annoying individual traits and tough challenges included–kids for one. ‘And they lived happily ever after’ just so belong in fairy tales.
This doesn’t mean, however, that marriage is a trap. It may be a point of no return but not entirely likened to a deadly quicksand or I won’t even write this post and expect to survive a day more. Perseverance and understanding considered, there’s something that could make wedded life a bliss. In any case, let humor be among it.
Blessed are couples who make each other laugh often. Marriage is serious stuff but it doesn’t have to be serious all the time. Being too serious is boring and when boredom strikes, it normally spells bad options and you know what happens next. That is why laughter is key. Being able to laugh out loud loosens tensions, opens door to communication and could very well help preserve marriage. After all didn’t they say that laughter is the best medicine?
Happy Valentine’s Day wifey. I love you…and your shallow jokes.
My wife was a clown in her past life.
***
As always been the case since Marcus arrived, our Valentine’s day dates already include a kid tagging along. Our date, his agenda. This weekend was meant for Black Panther.
Black Panther stood up to the hype. One proof: I was awake during the entire long film, thanks in part to the venti Americano. Behind the action scenes, this movie is trying to tell us something deeper. I cannot recall watching in the big screen something that has so much subtle messages in one story like this latest Marvel film. (But take note I’m becoming Dory.)
Marcus’ Fallout 4 mod.
Unlike other superhero movies that are about fighting crimes and saving the world, Black Panther was more specific and relevant. It was about raising awareness that black minorities exist and that they are often oppressed whether they are in their own birthplace or in foreign soil. Whatever the reasons are, such oppression must come to an end especially for the sake of the young and innocent ones. I think our leaders could always do more. Sadly Vibranium is fiction and the misery of the black minorities is a fact.
Black Panther also delivers the premise that Hollywood isn’t all about good white guys all the time. I don’t know if there’s something political behind the story but Asians come next after the number of Wakandans and I think we could count the number of white guys who appeared in this film, Stan Lee included.
Then there’s the individuality aspect of the movie. There’s so much artifacts in Black Panther that address body shaming which continue to become more prevalent on social media. This superhero movie doesn’t only save the world but also seek acceptance of people with body piercings, lips with flat disc, erect nipples, and even backnes. To each his own. Now I feel like wearing sandals with my ugly toes exposed.
Our first Wing Stop visit and we love it.
***
Mood: 1/10 Honks! (This is Sunday. Sunny and sleepy.)
Update here, dump there, good posts, bad posts, anything goes. That’s what I’ve been doing regularly lately. There would be days I get stuck correcting or revising archives before I repost and there would be days I just copy and paste the article on its original timeline.
You see I’ve been busy. Running, working out, and writing have been fighting to get their own share of my time. For now I continue to focus on my goal to repost and will just worry about them later, hopefully ahead of grammar Nazis or just before Grammarly starts to force me to get its premium service. I just can’t let years worth of posts stay on my backup Word document which I saved prior to me messing up my site few years back when I wiped out several posts just because I forgot to pay attention to what I was clicking. Lesson learned: back up, back up, back up.
Today I reposted a couple more and I received a prompt from WordPress that I just hit 500 posts. Wow. And to think I’m just about to finish year 2008.
Another WordPress achievement.
***
There are things that just can’t be part of my conscious effort to embrace minimalism. Writing is one as I now have drafts and doodling all over my phone, laptop, paper notebook, and some hang on in my head. This is one of those few cases wherein clutter is probably good.
Then there’s material stuffs. This week I gave wifey the approval to buy the TV she’s been wanting to have and been saving for. The least I could do on Valentine’s week is to give a nod. There’s now a giant Ultra HD Devant TV in the middle of our small house which made me realize 50-inch is the biggest we can get unless we hang the TV across the kitchen and view it from the living room. So far the Call of Duty and Fallout 4 games of our 9-year old son have been more gory.
Wifey also got me a pair of new jeans while in SM San Pablo last Monday. This one is for the books as the last time I purchased a pair was almost five years ago. My existing pants are either tattered not by design but due to wear and tear and all of them, FYI, are a couple of inches loose already. I need a new belt next.
My first 10K run result is finally available almost a week after the race. Quite, disappointing to be honest. I don’t know if this is normally how long it takes to be processed but I know Nat Geo’s timing seven years ago was out in about 24 hours. There must be a valid reason behind this delay and I would assume that maybe because this race was held simultaneously in three different places in the country?
The result made my day anyway. MyRunTime’s official race analysis shows that it was a good run for a first timer, not to mention my age.
If only there’s a podium for 163rd place.
To finish earlier than a thousand plus runners is a big surprise. I don’t care if I overtook youngsters or older participants who either joined the race to really race or just for the sponsors freebies. I don’t even care now if I forgot to get my finisher’s medal and shirt. This race result is more than enough. 163rd place is a win for me. (Gun time and chip time are better explained by this site or Runner’s World.)
So how soon would I be joining another event? Not in the next months. I am now planning to increase mileage slowly. 16K seems doable.
Marcus Can Blog 