a work in progess

Chia pudding became my favorite healthy snack!

My base is a chia flax pudding ( 1 cup of soy milk + 2 tbsp chia seeds + 2 tbsp ground flax seeds) and just add on your favorite fruits and flavors! Sometimes Instead of milk, I use coffee for my base.

Some of my fav combos:

Coffee chia-flax base pudding + peanut butter + banana

Soy milk chia-flax base pudding + blueberries + strawberries + bananas

Soy milk chia-flax base pudding + mangoes + maple syrup or honey

If you don’t have fruits available:

Since, dancing is one of the activities that makes me physically active and is also one of my hobbies...💃🏽

Here’s my tiktok account!

I made a Youtube playlist of the workouts I usually do. Most of them are my go-to ones because they work on me and a few of them are workouts that I want to try out myself in the future! Feel free to browse on it! — https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4WEBzl2JdVGOXn-oeBdJujyeuPk9L_xK

Our brunch (we don’t eat breakfast) meals at home usually include fried and oily processed meat along with pandesal or fried rice.

Recently, I started getting weary with the feeling of consuming excessive oil into my body. It became a habit to waste tissue just to dampen my fried food to remove the excess oils.

You can see in my photo above that I drew what type of food I want to see on my plate instead — less fatty oils, more vegetables, and fruits.

This is how I incorporate the principles of training in my workouts! It is important to achieve results and improvements at a faster pace.

7 Principles of Training:

Specificity - training specifically to energy systems or skill requirements needed Warm - Up - increase heart rate and respiration rate, and prepares muscles for training Variety - makes sure every muscle group or fitness component is covered and are given a break + prevents boredom Progressive Overload - gradually increasing the exercise load (adding repetitions or adding weight) to see improvements Training Thresholds - the ’zones’ (percentage of their maximum heart rate) at which an individual want to train if they want improvement or adaptation Cool Down - lowers areas of the body that are raised in the warm-up Reversibility - loss of adaptations that were gained through training but lost because of a prolonged break period

How is cardiovascular endurance measured?

Cardiovascular endurance is measured through the multi-stage fitness test. It requires the individual to run 20 meters in time with a beep from a CD recording. The person must place one foot on or beyond the 20-meter marker at the end of each shuttle. He can warm up for 10 minutes. An assistant is required to measure the distance, play the recording, and record the level and number of shuttles completed.

The goal of the individual is to arrive at the end of a shuttle before the beep. If the athlete reached the end before the beep, he must wait for the beep and then resume running. However, if he fails to reach the end of the shuttle before the beep, he should be allowed 2 or 3 further shuttles to attempt to regain the required pace before being withdrawn.

How can muscular strength and endurance be assessed?

Muscular strength and endurance can be assessed through the NCF Abdominal Conditioning Test or Sit-ups test. It requires the individual to perform as many sit-ups in 30 seconds. Someone could assist you to hold down your feet and to set up the timer.

What body shape would you wish to be, an apple or a pear? Why?

I can say I am a mesomorph individual with an hourglass body shape, and I’m happy with it. But if I had to choose between a body shape of an apple or a pear, I’d choose pear.

An article said that a pear-shaped body, with stored fat fulfills the nutrient requirement before and during pregnancy. However, as the body changes post-labor and in menopause, it is good to control and lose the excess fat around the hips as early as possible because it will lead to the accumulation of abdominal fat in menopausal women.

Body shapes doesn’t affect much on the risk of having cardiovascular diseases but what we do with our bodies such as smoking, unhealthy eating, etc.

“Keep in mind that the body has its own way of distributing fat. Fat distribution around the abdominal and waist areas tends to be relative and can change as you age. Whatever your current body shape is, maintaining an ideal body weight and fat deposition by adopting a healthy lifestyle is necessary to prevent various degenerative diseases."

Can you delete balance in the skill-related fitness components?

No, because if you do not have balance, you would not be able to achieve all the other fitness components.

Why oxygen and water have a big factor in the overall function of your body?

Our bodies are mostly composed of water that contains oxygen.

"Oxygen is ultimately the fuel that allows our cells to produce energy from the food we eat." (“The Oxygen Machine”, n.d.) Oxygen keeps us alive and functioning through breathing. Without oxygen, we wouldn’t be functioning well or even living.

The body also needs water to perform all the functions of our organs such as regulating body temperature, lubricating joints, moistening tissues in the mouth, eyes, and nose, helping to dissolve nutrients and make them accessible in the bloodstream, carrying nutrients and oxygen to cells, and for flushing out waste products. In other words, nearly everything that the body does requires water. Water also help with hydrolysis, a vital process wherein cells breakdown what we eat and create energy. (“What role does water play in the human body?”, n.d.)

Resources:

Sehat, H. (2016, September 19). Apple and pear body shapes: Which is healthier? Retrieved from https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2016/09/19/apple-and-pear-body-shapes-which-is-healthier.html

The Oxygen Machine. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/oxygen-machine/

I think my fitness journey started when I was in 8th grade, around 2015. As you can see, I was a fat kid. It made me conscious about my body. Instead of eating a whole meal for lunch, I just ate a protein bar. I do not eat as much as I should.

Grade 9 (2016), I started working out and cutting off bad food for my body. I used to be on the stationary bike for an hour straight every after school. I started doing XHIT workouts for my arms, core and thighs. After a few weeks of constantly doing these workouts, I started to see results for my thighs and arms. My shoulders and biceps toned and my thigh really got thinner. Though I did not see ab results. Seeing results motivated me to do them every day, so I did. But I tend to skip my core workouts since I wasn’t happy I did not get results.

I started measuring my waist, hips, arms and thighs almost every day. I log it in my notebook. We didn’t have a weighing scale so I couldn’t check it always. Every time I get the chance to check it, I do. My weight goal was and still is 55 kilos or 121 pounds.

I started reading about bloating, etc. I also learned that what I eat has more effect on my body than working out regularly.

I started cutting off soft drinks. I also promised myself I won’t drink any flavored drinks as much as possible. I used to eat a kilo of fries along with a garlic mayo dip every week, when my dad visits. So I lessened my consumption of fries. I told myself I can buy a medium-sized fries only once a week. I tell the staff to not put any salt on my fries anymore so I could lessen my sodium intake. I stopped putting salt on my boiled eggs too. I also got conscious on how oily my food is so I tend to damp tissue on fried food to remove excess oil. Ever since I got used to less oil, my tongue because sensitive to oily food. Then I started trying to cut off chips since I am not really a fan of it, I just eat it because it is cheap and it’s more accessible.

As they say, “Habit turns into a lifestyle.”

Senior high started and I did not have much time to workout at home because my time is consumed by my travel time. I walk a lot when I commute though, so I think that is one of my physical activities.

We started eating brown rice instead of white rice. I started consuming some soft drinks again as a chaser when I get to drink alcohol on occasions.

College started at UPOU and I am stuck at home. I could not workout as much too because all I do is read all day. So I take the chance to work out a lot during semestral breaks.

Early 2020, I was reminded of my goal to have toned abs and obliques. I tried searching ab workouts that would work on me. I discovered MadFit and I saw results! Again, it motivated me to start working on my core. I felt happy because I know it is a step towards my goal. There is no more excuse for me to have the “it doesn not work so I will not do it” mentality. Ever since that, I tried different variations of ab workouts. I also tried Pamela Reif and Chloe Ting for more intense work outs.

Right now, I’m still working on my core. I really want my obliques to be super visible. I currently working on my butt, inner thighs and triceps too. But this is what my body looks like now.

It’s funny because sometimes when I zone out and remember I have a body goal, I tend to do exercises that I could do in my current position. And I think it helps a lot too, especially if you are too busy with work, school,or chores. Do small exercises during breaks and it will help you clear your mind, at the same time, benefit your health and a tiny step towards your body goal. It is also important to know what exercises you can do properly (with right posture, etc.), to give effect to your muscles.

I also do not deprive myself anymore from eating my cravings, as long as I do not eat excessively.

Short term goals

I do not have a strict schedule for my workouts. I just tend to do it when I feel like it but I want to exercise at least 4-5 times a week now.

Eat none to 1 cup of rice a day.

I plan on learning jumping rope again and be able to do it for 10 mins straight. I just started with it and I need to get used to it first.

Long term goals

Be able to have toned abs, butt, thighs, and arms, or a slim fit body and maintain 55 kilos. To be able to do this I need exercise regularly, be more mindful of what I eat and be consistent, and that will be a challenge for me.

Be a flexitarian soon. A flexitarian is like a vegetarian who eats meat occasionally. It is hard for me to be one at the moment because I still live with my parents. They are the ones who spend on the food we eat every day. I think it is more costly if I become flexitarian, so I’d be able to accomplish this when I start earning my own money. Plus, my dad loves meat that much that there is no day that we do not consume meat, whether its processed, fresh, or seafood. It’s hard to avoid meat in this household.