Curves for Women

I received an email last week inviting me (along with a number of bloggers majority of which are also my friends) to visit and experience the newly opened Curves, a fitness center exclusively for women. It will be held on a Saturday so I am free. Also, at this point I am very much into physical fitness that was why I immediately replied and confirmed my attendance. I was particularly interested to know if there will be something new and exciting they will offer.

I know Curves is from the U.S. but I am not familiar with the kind of service they give. I did not even know they have a branch here in our country. I was very glad I proceeded to Curves last Saturday.


I met the manager and part-owner Ms. Fe and the center's media consultant, Miss Claire Agbayani, also the young and vibrant circuit coaches. One of the participants was the former beauty queen, Joyce Ann Burton, whom I learned also blogs. I missed her blog address but will ask Claire next time. I'd like to check out her blog.

The management team walked us through the background and milestones of Curves.

* Curves started in 1992 in Texas founded by Gary and Diane Heavin, considered as innovators of the express fitness phenomenon. It gained overnight success and expansion was considered to serve its growing clientelle.
* One accolade after another came Curves' way such as the fastest growing franchise in history and the world's largest and number one fitness franchise.
* As of 2009, it has nearly 10,000 locations and 4 million members in 73 countries. (I was clearly surprised with this data.)
* Curves is considered to be a one-stop shop where women can lose weight, gain muscle strength and increase metabolism all for 30 minutes at least three times a week.

I had to smile when I read from the press kit that Curves' unofficial motto is "no makeup, no men, no mirrors". It just emphasizes the straightforward training one can get in Curves.

From my assessment, the gym area is about 35 to 45 square meters. It can accommodate about twenty four persons at a given time per Ms. Fe.

The atmosphere is very zen. There is no clutter and the equipment are arranged in a circular pattern. It's quite intimate and looks very relaxing, not rigid. I checked each equipment thinking they are quite easy (but they're not). They are slim so unlike the bulky gym equipment I use.

There was body assessment for the participants during the presentation as well as the usual questions on medical history and the reason for going to the gym. After which the work out started.

The circuit coaches guided us on the proper use of each machine and the correct posture while handling them. The equipment are arranged alternately, one machine and one recovery board after another. There is a total of fourteen hydraulic exercise equipment you have to go through for two rounds or a total of 30 minutes.

It felt like we were in a group exercise because there is a cue tape which instructs us when to get off the equipment and transfer to the next. There is even an instruction to count your heartbeat. It's really fun! It's very fast phased and very engaging.

I have been a gym member for more than a year now and there are a number of differences I can state. What I like about Curves is the privacy, the intimate atmosphere yet laid back ambiance it lets you experience. It's like you're just home in your own gym.

Relating my own experience, the recovery board where one stands on and do some aerobic steps or dance steps, recharged me. It gave me a few seconds to breathe before going to the next equipment.

This kind of training disciplines you to stick to the required work out because you have to finish the whole circuit. I find it very interactive. My mind did not wander not just because a coach was guiding me but because I was focused on what I was doing. I could have easily stopped had it been the usual gym training. My body seemed to agree with this type of conditioning.

What I find a good offer from Curves is that there is no additional fee for the circuit coach and the weight management program. They are there to guide each participant and ensure they are meeting their required program and walk them through the achievement of their goals.


One of the poster guides inside the gym which serve as reference for participants.

Lateral lift, Squat, Chest/Back, Hip Abductor/Adductor

Doesn't the place look relaxing? The squares are what they call recovery boards.

Recovery stepper, Glute. The stretching equipment near the door is my favorite. I love to stretch after a work out.
Curves is located at 2/F Serendra, McKinley Parkway, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, #828-02-08. Its operating hours are from 7 AM tp 10 AM, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, 3 PM to 7 PM. The closed hours are used for club maintenance.

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On Dieting

"Inside some of us is a thin person struggling to get out, but they can usually be sedated with a few pieces of chocolate cake." - Author Unknown

That quote above is talking about me I suppose. Just how hard is it to diet? For someone like me who loves food, it takes tons of discipline and will power to manage my food intake. I am a rice person and I love chocolate cakes. I cannot resist them once they are in front of me.

Like I always say working out at the gym is no problem with me. I make time for it, squeeze it in my schedule whenever tasks get tight. But it's the dieting that hampers my weight loss program plus the fact that I can't control eating during PMS.

I was able to shed off some pounds last January. I was really happy about it. I was still short from my target weight but I can adjust for February. It's only a matter of three pounds. February came and it seems I gained two pounds. Ha! But I am determined to still achieve my weight goal for this month.

I want to be totally committed to my diet that is why I am publishing it here...and everywhere. It's in my planner, it's in my phone's notepad, it's in my computer.

Let me motivate myself by accounting what I have been doing good consistently for about two weeks now.
1. Just 1/2 cup of rice in a day, one cup max.
2. No heavy meal during the night.
3. Breakfast is light - coffee or milk (bone strengthening variant), a bread with half sunny side-up or just one hardboiled egg.
4. Lunch is either banana, tuna sandwich or crackers.
5. Crackers as afternoon snack.

I noticed that I get easily full when I started my diet. It's like my tummy can only contain certain amount of food unlike before that I can easily devour two cups of rice in one sitting. I should be happy about this I believe.

I should discipline myself from the following:
1. Eating potato chips and chocolate cookies on some days.
2. Procrastinating on including more fiber in my diet - oats, fruits!

To further support my diet program I will do the following:
1. Religiously record my daily diet. I have checked a diet spreadsheet already and will adapt it.
2. Read journals about successful diet management.
3. Visualize myself in my ideal weight.

Next time I will be discussing my BMI and fat mass. I should be nearing my ideal range towards the end of the third quarter of this year. I will be chronicling here my fitness goals and achievements. I really need to do this. I want a healthy and fit body. I want to be true to my commitment to myself.

So help me, God.

***Picture used in this post is from Getty Images.

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Jogging

My husband and I have always wanted to jog together with our daughter. There was never a concrete plan so it did not push through. But this year I have included this as one of my goals - a physical fitness activity involving the family.

I got the commitment of my husband and daughter two weeks ago. We were supposed to jog on January 23 but it was my aunt's birthday celebration so we forewent the plan. But last Saturday, all things were set, mindset included.

I was glad to note that hubby and daughter even woke up an hour ahead of me. I was so sleepy but I decided to go for it. Half asleep, I reminded myself of one of my mantras this year - MAKING THINGS HAPPEN. I got up and prepared myself.

We were at the UP Diliman grounds at half past six in the morning. There were so many joggers. The air was so fresh and really cool. I like the smell of grass and trees and green plants in the morning.

The atmosphere was really very ideal for brisk walking, jogging or running. I can't cope with my husband and daughter when they run so they have to wait for me and just do brisk walking so I won't left behind.


There they are, taking a quick rest before going back to jogging.


That's me and my daughter strutting our stuff. Take note of the message on the grandma's t-shirt by the way.


After an hour and a half we proceeded to a nearby Jollibee store for our breakfast. My daughter had chicken joy. She was really starving from so much walking and jogging. My husband's choice (and the only food he eats from Jollibee aside from their Jolly Hotdog) was corned beef, garlic rice and egg.


Much as I wanted what hubby ordered, I opted for a light meal because I am trying my best to manage my diet. I didn't even touch the syrup but I put on a little butter. But these Jollibee pancakes are just so thin, paper thin! Oh well, it filled me up somehow.


I am glad that my daughter enjoyed this activity. In fact she is looking forward to our weekend jogging. We plan to do this at least every other Saturday, just to be realistic about it. And in time, our jogging activity will be on a weekly basis.


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Children and Facebook, What Are the Rules?

I have some issues about Facebook and the children using it. By children here I mean those who are sixteen years old and below. From my experience, children around thirteen and younger usually just play games and interact with their relatives and classmates, add some celebrities they like and wanting more comments when they post something in their wall. That's just about it. Most mothers I know supervise what their children's activities are in Facebook. I do, not just in Facebook but even in Meez which my daughter loves and the sites she visits in YouTube.

Everything is handled properly through open communication so she understands that it's not breathing behind her neck all the time. There are rules that needs to be imposed, rules we both agreed on, and they should be followed.

My daughter's Facebook account is mostly for communication purposes with my family living in the U.S. We used to exchange pictures through Multiply but then everyone has been so active in Facebook that Multiply was left behind. Now other than phone calls, we update each other through Facebook and send some pictures through our albums. We still use Multiply for printing purposes.

As for my account and my daughter's, everything is in private setting. The pictures are just meant for the family and some friends. I just have to note here that my daughter is not much into Facebook which is a good thing. She just opens it to read her aunts, uncle and cousins messages and see their pictures. She checks her classmates' status and comment if she has a thing or two to say. But I still constantly check it and tell her so when she opens her FB.

In most cases I have a fun time reading the threads of my daughter and her classmates and friends, as well as my nieces and nephews. They're just being giggly throwing jokes. It's all fun. I find myself laughing most of the time.

But I noticed my daughter's list of friends ballooned. We edited it.

On my mind though I was asking myself if I did the right thing? Isn't it that reading their posts will make me more aware of what the kids are talking about, have a feel of what is up with them when I read their status no matter how they 'shock' me at times? A thirteen year old talking about being heart broken, come on now. But still, that gives me a peek of how someone in her age bracket reacts to a particular situation.

I only allowed her to keep family and classmates/friends/schoolmates and yes, mothers of her classmates who added her. I know 99% her classmates because they have been together since nursery. I saw them grow up. Much as everything is in private setting, you cannot be too sure of the internet so I really supervise my daughter's online activities. The list is grouped in different categories such as family, friends, classmates and so on. It's easier to manage album privacy setting this way.

A few months ago I saw a picture of one of her schoolmates, W, posed lying sideways on their couch, with arms stretched to her head, wearing a sleeveless, low necked laced blouse and laced stockings. I don't know if you get the picture. But yes, it looked like this girl, barely fourteen, posed for an adult magazine. I just have to take a deep breath seeing it.

I don't want to be judgmental so I let it be. Fine, most probably her mother knows the picture was posted. On my mind was how can she let her daughter pose the way she did and even uploaded it in FB for everyone to see. Beats me. Why even pose and wear something like that even for personal use. Okay, maybe it's none of my business. Let it be. It's not a big deal with them obviously.

This morning as I was about to go to my daughter's FarmVille game, I saw the same picture tagged by one of their schoolmates I'll call A. Three girls - A, B, C - kept on giving their comments about how "yuck" the pose is, how "fugly" the girl is. One even said, "If you're pretty, then it's alright to pose like that and if you're a celebrity." They call the girl names - flirt, sl*t. That was really mean. My goodness. Am I reading comments from kids???? I just have to take a deep breath again.

C is a classmate of my daughter who asked her a few days ago, based on the timestamp, to go and comment too. Oh no, you didn't. My daughter has enough sense not to say anything.

I pity the girl, W. She has been a constant laugh stock of the kids in school. She is like an outcast. Nobody wants to be friends with her. You think these things happen only in the movies. I witnessed how some kids avoided her during their field trip two years ago. They did not even hide their dislike for this girl. The mother in me was really moved.

This makes me wonder if the parents of these girls, W, A, B, and C are checking their children's accounts. I DON'T WANT TO SOUND SELF-RIGHTEOUS because I have my own pitfalls too. But I'm just saying please, please, if we let our kids create an online account like Facebook, it is our responsibility to guide them and yes, check what is going on. Kids, mind your manners and don't be mean. I can only imagine how hurt W will be when she gets to read those comments. Imagine how the mother will react reading those comments. I certainly hope the mother will pull out that picture of her daughter.

Facebook, and other social media networks, forums and sites, can only do so much. Generally they provide protection for a person's privacy especially for kids below eighteen but it's the parents foremost responsibility to guide the children on the proper use of networking accounts.

On the other hand, adverts and applications should be reviewed by the network administrators such that minors will be protected from inappropriate sites appearing on their accounts. Or maybe there should be a language filter? And pictures cannot be used in any way without the consent of parents or owners of the pictures.

I don't want to keep my child in a bubble. She'll experience the real world in time, out of middle school and onto a university. She has to be equipped and guiding her now, I am hoping and praying, will instill in her the right values to make wise choices in the future no matter who or what she encounters in life.

Right now, as a parent I am bound to remind her of these:
1. I will go to the sites she visits and give my two cents about them.
2. Do not disclose personal information and pictures to anyone other than family and close friends. (Explain to the kids why this is so.)
3. The age old rule - don't talk to strangers or don't add people you do not know.
4. Always keep the privacy settings.
5. Please don't just click any link.
6. Have fun but be careful what you post. What's online will be hard to take back.

*Technology (like social networking) is neither intrinsically good nor evil. It all depends on how our kids use it (and how parents guide them).

*From Telegraph.co.uk. Words in italics, mine.

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My First Ever Baked Macaroni

January ends a few days from now. Like what I have shared some weeks ago, I set out a number of great expectations for the year and broke them down to months and weeks.

How am I faring so far in January? I would say just fine, pretty well. Some buttons still need to be pushed but things are getting done. Making things happen - my motto for the year.

Professionally I was able to accomplish what I have set to do. I need to push more...should I say pray more...but I am confident to say I am doing my best.

The structure on the business front has been set and will commence anytime now. The target date is within this week.

On the family side, one major step, among several major steps, about one of our major goals for the year has been done. Thanks to my Pop who had been a source of motivation with his constant follow-ups. Subtle follow-ups, haha.

A great effort on my part is dieting. But I'm glad to note I have lost a few pounds when I weighed in during the third week of January. If I will stick with my diet, the trend will continue therefore it is safe to say I will achieve my target weight for the month. Ergo, I should stick to my diet.

And yes, I was able to bake my first ever baked macaroni. It was a spur of the moment since I have most of the ingredients. I thought of sending a message to my niece through Facebook about her baked macaroni recipe. She answered after a few minutes so I gathered the ingredients and started working on it.

What's good about my baked macaroni:
* For a first timer, I was able to produce a decent bechamel sauce.
* The baked macaroni has just about the right texture.

What can improve is the mozzarella flakes I sprinkled on top before I set it in the oven. It just doesn't smell good nor did it give a good taste. It looks good though but my daughter remove the cheese toppings before eating them. The bechamel sauce was great though.


Here's the recipe my niece shared with me.

Macaroni noodles:
1/2 kg, cooked as directed

Macaroni sauce:
Saute chopped onions and crushed garlic cloves in butter.
Add 1/2 kg ground beef and 1 pack of spiced ham.
Pour in 2 medium packs of tomato sauce and 1 small pack of tomato paste; add 1 medium pack of tomato sauce's worth of water.
Add sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.

Bechamel sauce (in low heat):
1/4 cup softened butter
2 big cans Carnation Evap
2 Neste Cream in tetrapacks
1 small can of mushrooms, finely chopped
1 Campbell's cream of musroom (condensed soup)
1/2 bar of ordinary or quickmelt cheese

It is advisable to make the bechamel sauce first and let it cool. Mix the cooked noodles with the red sauce and top it with bechamel sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese or mozzarella or your ordinary cheese. Ready to bake. Brownish toppings and some bubbles will indicate your baked macaroni is ready to serve.

I baked two pans. I thought they're too much but what do you know, they were consumed after one and a half days up to the last noodle.

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New Year's List at Random

I have set my expectations for the year 2010 for myself and my family. I'm reading a book by Joel Osteen, It's Your Time, and I agree with him that instead of calling them goals - be bold, be direct, and call them your great expectations. You expect to achieve what you have set to achieve.

While resting my body after a work-out, I decided to write my expectations at random. I know already what I want on my mind. I mapped them out as soon as I got home, broke them down with action plans quarterly, monthly and even weekly where applicable. We all do this at work, why not on our annual personal expectations? It's clearer and it's easier to monitor our progress. This is my little way of giving a hundred percent of my commitment to what I have set to do.

I came up with twenty one items relating to my family, relationship with people, health and wellness, work, travel and leisure, business and money, on line presence, school, home and living. Yes, they do sound like sections you can find in a broadsheet. I did not plan make it that way but it ended up that way. :)

I would like to share a few of them.

1. Up my savings to a certain percentage. Save in all areas that I can save. Every cent counts. If there are more cost-efficient alternatives giving the same quality arriving at the desired result, why not?

I have started on our television cable provider last year. I changed provider because it is almost half the price with 95% of the same channels that I often watch at night. Next would be our DSL. Maybe 90% of the people I know have availed of the bundle service provided by telcos (landline and internet connection) with only an additional P300 monthly. This saves us P600 a month comparing to how much we are paying right now.

Oh yes, I do my own hair coloring now. I just did. This will save me a few thousand pesos quarterly. :)

2. Reach my ideal weight once and for all. I have lost a lot of pounds already for the past two years. But it seems my weight has plateaued. I'm still far from my desired weight. I have no problem with working out but it's the diet that I have to be diligent about. Will mind my diet.

3. Bake. Bake. Bake. Bake cakes and cupcakes. Haha, this runs contrary to my #2. But it's not to devour them but for the pleasure of doing them. I love looking at pastries and cakes. I always love imagining the end product. I admire those dainty cupcakes and how I wish I can make some. They would be nice gifts or give aways and eventually, a business.

My guinea pigs would be the class of my daughter next year. Cupcakes for each classmate and teacher on her birthday. Haha. This gets me so excited.

4. Enroll my daughter in a music summer class.

5. Cut on processed foods gradually, starting at 60% this quarter.

6. Home improvements. We started this January by repainting our room. All the rest are scheduled on specific months.

7. Run, jog, do brisk walking.....whatever it is that will be a joint physical activity for the whole family. My husband stopped going to the gym because of time constraints but he does brisk walking. My daughter swims. I go to the gym. I want us to be in any one of these together at least once a week. Jogging would be the most practical.

8. Have more educational trips as a family. We had fun at Fort Santiago. We will definitely do something like this again.

These are just a few of my great expectations. There are some areas that I want to keep to myself and the family. There are times it's just me and God who know and they happen magically. :)

Happy New Year!

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