#weightplateau

[ysapawithfeelings]

Life Lately

I know it's been a minute, and I do apologize to my readers (feelingera?) if I haven't been able to post anything for months. Life just keeps happening and unraveling, and there are unnerving moments when I literally have to pause and take some deep breaths, always fearing I won't be able to keep up with the endless changes, countless chores, and spiraling conflicts. Impostor syndrome, and all. You get my drift.

I'm so thankful for finding some time today, a little respite if you will, and I found myself easily logging into my blog, like it's the most natural thing in the world to do right now. I'm also glad this safe space resembles that of a low-maintenance friend, who I don't always have to meet or talk to, but when we finally do get together, it's so painless and effortless to just pick up where we left off, and happily realize that nothing has changed between us. I love friends who are like that. Don't you?

Anyway, enough with the lengthy intro. I guess I'll just dive right into what transpired during my birth month and do this in reverse. August.

My Birthday

I spent my birthday with my family and my dearest loved ones, of course. Because the pandemic still very much exists, I haven't been really able to have a proper celebration with my friends yet. Somehow, the get-togethers keep getting postponed, but with the cases on the rise again, it's still better to be safe than sorry. If you look at the photos, you can see I'm holding a truffle chocolate ice cream cake which I got from my uncle Danny Buenafe. It's delectable and flavorsome—two appropriate adjectives in describing the bulk of my adulthood these past few months. Sharing this anecdote from my birthday post last August 18th:

God makes all things new. 🙌🏼 I know this to be true because despite getting a year older, my heart feels young, fresh, and full. God has taken the aspects of my life where I’ve been crushed and broken—and created something new and beautiful out of them. ✨ I’m just happy and grateful I am where I am at this stage in my life. And although I’m still very much a work in progress, I think I’ve finally reached the point where I completely and genuinely love myself not only for everything I am, but also for everything I’m not. Sabi nga sa Gone Girl, the rest is just background noise. (Sheesh, what a reference.) Here’s to 26! Plus 10. 👵🏽 Nasa Bingo pa rin naman. Haha! Cheers! 🍷

Health and Wellness

Now, this one's a big and beautiful news. Because the annual physical exam (APE) is free and mandatory for any Accenture employee during their birth month, I grabbed the opportunity right away. The results were the complete opposite of the results I got back in 2020 right before the pandemic began. Everything's spectacularly normal; it's surreal! I never knew it was possible to reverse them.

After having been diagnosed with polycystic ovaries for almost a decade, I'm more than ecstatic to report I have normal ovaries now. My blood sugar results came back normal too! Months ago, I stopped taking hormonal pills, and now I no longer have to take Metformin, which was prescribed to me since 2014 to control my pre-diabetes. Suffice it to say, I passed my medical exams—maybe not with flying colors—but hey, nobody's allowed to rain on my parade. Not even me.

Honestly, I have never wanted to pass a test more since the UPCAT, so I just want to take this moment and share my joy with the world. The road has not been easy to get to where I am today.

And can I just say: ang bait ni Lord sa’kin. Binalato Niya na ‘to kahit na kumakain pa rin akong doughnuts at lumalaklak ng milktea. Our God is truly a God who heals and who answers the most fervent of our prayers. I may not deserve it, but I am embracing it nonetheless. Most people think we don’t deserve good things, but we do. So okay, fine, I’m taking it back. I am so done invalidating myself and my accomplishments. I deserve this. I worked hard for this. I’ve been through hell and back for this. And now, I’m reaping the fruits of my labor and His promises.

Thankful evermore, I am. La vita è dolce! 🍭

Stuck In A Plateau, But That's Okay

These days, I seldom find time to exercise. Heck, sometimes I go on two to three weeks without any movement. It really depends on the workload I have or commitments I need to address immediately. I also blame myself; there are moments that my laziness gets the best of me and I just willingly let it. No reservation and no regret.

The even worse part is, I eat a lot too. Hahaha! It's so gratifying and so satisfying to eat all the good food I know I deserve and work hard for. So add no movement + eating excessively, and you have weight plateau as your sum. That's what I'm in right now. To be honest, it makes me sad and disappointed about myself.

See, when I fall into that blackhole of not moving and non-stop eating, it's insanely difficult to find that momentum or that precious piece of self-discipline to start moving again. When you used to be morbidly obese like I was, getting back on track is twice as hard. The perpetual fear and pressure of not gaining weight are your worst enemies. When those two combine, you just want to curl up in bed like a frightened infant, and all the negative self-talk would subsequently come like an avalanche. With mental anguish present, it's highly likely that you would end up not moving at all.

I try my best to fight it back. Getting stuck on weight plateau could be depressing, but I've been reading about it lately, and I think I can get out of this rut sooner or later. Hey, to be fair, I've been through way worse.

I'm a work in progress like I always say, and I'm the only one standing between me and my ideal weight. I'll get there. Somehow, someday. For now, I need to cut myself some slack and also look back on how far I've come. Come to think of it, this weight plateau could even be a strong, solid source of motivation in itself.

Work, Work, Work

These snapshots from La Union have absolutely no relevance to what I’m about to share next. I just find them so serene—kind of like how one feels when everything’s finally falling into place. Or a rare moment when the things that matter the most seem to be going right. I say “rare” because life is full of peaks and valleys almost always all the time, but once in a while, an extraordinary moment in time showcases every little thing to be just where they should rightfully be.

Two months ago, I was nominated for S&PP’s Recognition Awards for the One Accenture category. It’s the biggest surprise of my 2022 so far. Totally did not see that coming! I didn’t win—someone from Europe or some other continent did—but it felt so amazing to be somehow recognized for the efforts I put in, the efforts which I seldom really think of as enough or even substantial. Someone actually saw and appreciated them enough to nominate me for something like that.

I hate surprises; I do. But once in a while, I embrace and thank the pleasant ones that stride my way, especially when I doubt I deserve them to begin with. Some quote on the internet said, “You deserve it all: the career, the love, the friends, the peace. Stop trying to convince yourself that you don’t.”

And also:

So there you have it. Yep, life's been good lately. Hope yours has been too. <3

[bushra-ali]

"You're not eating enough to lose weight" Like all myths there is a grain of truth to this, but also like all myths when taken literally it's completely wrong If you eat fewer calories than you expend (calorie deficit) you lose weight If you create a larger calorie deficit, you lose more weight If you resistance train and eat an adequate amount of protein, the vast majority of that weight will be body fat BUT The larger the deficit, the harder some people will find adherence Hunger will usually be greater, energy lower, food choices more restricted (though in some cases, motivation can be far higher and some studies find hunger is LESS with a large deficit) And if you can't adhere to the diet it won't work So can you eat too little to lose fat? Yes - if by doing so you make your dieting approach impossible to stick to But if you don't? The faster the better And discovering the rate of loss that suits the individual is exactly what we mean when we refer to coaching as an art form... #caloriedeficit #countingcalories #myfitnesspal #caloricdeficit #eatingright #healthkick #starvationmode #eorkoutislife #keepmeaccountable #foodisnottheenemy #intuitiveeating #healthyway #noguilt #powercrunch #notloosingweight #weightplateau #fatloss #weightloss #dietplans #gymlife #weighteatchers #foodfreedom #foodforfuel #eattoperform #dietitianeats #healthylifestyle #orthorexiarecovery #dietculture #nomorediets #anorexiarecoverymeals https://www.instagram.com/p/B8no08DphYa/?igshid=13ouydut9ssu1

[bushra-ali]

Just because using protein powder is convenient doesn't mean that it's free of drawbacks. If you're making these protein powder mistakes, you may even gain weight. Even though protein is good for you, it still has calories, which means that eating too much of it may cause you to gain weight.  Your protein powder may claim it has 15 grams of protein per serving on the front of the container, but you have to be careful to make sure you're actually getting what you're looking for. As we've been saying, more protein isn't always better. And that even applies to active people whose caloric and protein needs are higher than their sedentary peers. So those post-workout protein shakes and bars? Take a look at their nutrition labels. Anything over 25 grams, and your body won't be able to utilize it all.  If you don't get that fiber, you're more likely to gain weight. A The Journal of Nutrition study that tracked overweight patients' diets found a strong association between high fiber intake and weight loss. if you're lactose intolerant, making this your top protein powder source won't be doing a body good. You could be building up inflammation in your body by consuming a food your body can't process. Inflammation leads to a host of issues, from skin problems to mood regulation struggles. Weight gain is another side effect of high levels of inflammation. If you must stick to dairy-based protein powder, at least consider a whey protein isolate. It has a much lower amount of milk solids and sugars that give those suffering from a lactose intolerance bloating and inflammation. #protein #wheyprotein #weightgain #proteinpowder #postworkout #macrotracking #macronutrients #macros #macrocounting #weightgainmeals #weightgaindiet #weightgaining #caloriesurplus #caloriedeficit #guthealing #guthealth #trackingmacros #macrosmatter #countingmacros #macrocounting #macroscounting #weightcontrol #gainweight #gainmuscles #gains #gaintrain #gaintrick #weightplateau #gains💪 #uaefitnessmovement #isyourtrainerregistered https://www.instagram.com/p/CF6Vw6sJ9tv/?igshid=529vstgqo6w5