PWLD 4: Breaking the Rules

Yesterday is not a so good day for me. I had a very, very serious violation of my goals: We went to Dad's at Glorietta. (OK, to my many MANY readers who may not be aware what the deal about it is, Dad's is an eat-all-you-can restaurant.)

After weeks of controlling my diet for my weight loss goals, I didn;t think twice when my siblings asked me to go with them and eat at Dad's. But I have to admit that this time, I was very conscious of what I was eating. I ate mostly from the sushi area -- fish, seafood. I didn't eat much pork and chicken. Haayyy...

When we got home, I was a bit confident I am OK. But when I checked the weighing scale, I think I am not OK. Well, with the bottomloess iced tea, I guess an extra pound is really in place. I just hope I can lose that extra couple of pounds I might have gained because of this.

Anyway, I still haven't finalized my jogging/running sched. I wanted to join a gym club in a nearby area but I told myself I'm going to join one (again) once I can make my jogging regular. Otherwise, it's going to be just a waste of money for me.

Hape weekend everyone.

PWLD 3: Online Support

Today, I did some things that will probably help me with my weight loss goals.

One, I joined a forum dedicated to people who are trying to lose weight. It's relatively new, and I hope it prospers and becomes a really active group of people who wants to help each other in attaining a healthy and fit lifestyle by, first, losing weight.

Two, I checked out two sites provided by Traveliztera (Ma'am, if you're reading this, I'm adding you up in my blog roll, I hope it's alright):

• http://caloriecount.about.com/ -- According to this site, my goal weight should be 144 lbs, and I have to achieve this by 13 July 2010. Need to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week.  Hmmm... Long shot, but let's see.
• http://www.nutristrategy.com/activitylist4.htm

I saw the two sites from her blog. Anyway, looks like it's going to be helpful. I'll give it a shot.

And finally, three, sit-ups. :-) I am actually getting hooked on regular sit-ups/crunches at home. And this is in addition to the support I am receiving from my family. (Hahaha, parang sumuko na ako sa sarili ko no?) What I meant by support is that we only cook healthy foods now -- less cholesterol as much as we can, too.

So, for now, I think what I should also try to regulate/monitor is my sleeping pattern. Ouch. I usually sleep late at night and wake up early. Hayyy... the problem of being a corporate slave. :-(

Welcome, Monday.

The Biggest Loser: Asian Edition (Possibly)

I have watched over the news a while ago that an Asian edition of The Biggest Loser has just held an audition for participants here in the Philippines. Hmmm... Had I known about it, I think I might have auditioned. The show is similar in some ways as other reality shows, namely, Amazing Race, American Idol, America's Next Fashion Model, etc. But unlike these shows, The Biggest Loser seems to be more inspirational than the rest. It somehow touches its viewers much more than the other reality shows do.

Who wouldn't be inspired from these results?!?!

Tomorrow, I'll try to wake up early... try to walk/run a few kilometers, and, hopefully, be able to "gain" some of the results that Biggest Loser competition participants have.

Belated. :-)

Unexplainable Wealth or Unexplainable Stupidity?

Have you guys heard of the report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) about GMA’s “unexplainable” increase in net worth? The report provided GMA’s net worth when she was still a senator, and compared it against her net worth now. According to the report, her net worth did not just doubled, not just tripled but multiplied 2000-fold! But hey, I won’t be dwelling on that fact (it is a fact). I want to dwell on how PCIJ and some congressmen played their cards. They are saying that GMA’s unexplainable wealth should be subject to investigation because of the following (well, among others):

• At a salary of [I can’t remember but I think it’s in the 50K area], the President cannot acquire much wealth.
• Even if the President has investments in the stock market, she cannot amass such wealth because of the recession.

I say… that PCIJ and the congressmen who made this assessment are either of two things:

1. Stupid, just plain stupid.
2. Or committing a moral crime of trying to deceive the people by manipulating information for their own benefit.

Either way, I hate them. One – Buffett, Gates, Jobs, or Villar, Tan, Sy, and even Velarde did not become multimillionaires because they are salaried employees… Oh, no, they are not salaried employees at all! So, for PCIJ and some congressmen to assert that GMA’s wealth should be investigated because her salary as a President cannot explain it is just so ridiculously funny and absurd. Why? Well, of course the salary won’t explain it. According to the GMA’s spokesperson, GMA has other sources of income. Which brings me to the next item…

Two – The President has investments in the stock market, hence, the increase in net worth. These same people are saying that with the recession we are experiencing, it’s really unlikely that anyone would profit from the stock market. Again, please refer to items 1 and 2 I mentioned above. Why? I am a PolSci graduate, a trying-hard writer, basically a nobody in this world. BUT I know that there is such a thing short-selling in the stock market, dividends from blue chips, and rallies from time to time. The President, on the other hand, has a PhD in economics, has been a Trade secretary before, and, I am very sure, has exposure in the market for years already. I am quite sure she can make decisions that can give her huge profit in the stock market. Yes, even and specially during a recession. I am not taking away the possibility that GMA’s net worth could have been augmented by means that may not be morally acceptable, but my point is really not about or against that. I just hate the fact that people criticize GMA and try to gain the people’s trust by deceiving them.

Did they really think GMA (or any previous presidents) has only one source of income (which is their salary as president)? And did they really think a PhD in Econ, an economic analyst, a former trade secretary cannot gain profit in the stock market during a recession? Stupid.

President GMA's 1M NY Dinner

By now, you are already aware that President Arroyo and his entourage spent close to USD20,000 or around PHP1,000,000 over a New York dinner during her stay in the US last week.

Why the fuss over that dinner?

For one, although I haven't tried it yet, I am sure that the amount is just normal for the "Who's Who" in that area of the world. And GMA is a president for effin's sake. The Philippines may just be a developing world but it doesn't mean you should let the president eat dinner at a hotdog stand, or at a nearest McDo. She is, regardless of the GDP of our country, a dignitary in a foreign land. And when you're in Rome, you do what the Romans do. In New York, public figures don't just dine in McDo.

Also, the spokesperson said it was actually a Congressman (whose net worth is around half a billion) who paid the tab -- whether the money is from our taxes or not is another matter.

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On another matter: The distance from my residence to my office according to Wikimapia.org, is 928 m or 3 044 ft. And I take another route going back home, and its distance is 1.2 km.