SBD Challenge Day #2: Better Than Yesterday

Your first day on South Beach Diet is the hardest! Pero after 2-3 days you’ll feel better with the program. Like today, I feel better. Hindi na ako nagugutom o nag-iisip na gusto kong kumain ng ice cream o ng hopia. Haha! ‘Yung craving ko para sa mga sweet treats ay na-lessen na today. Yay!

Hindi naman talaga mahirap mag-SBD kapag determinado ka talagang pumayat. At para mas maging determinado ako, nagtu-throwback ako sa memory lane. Binabalikan ko ang mga pictures ko, 3 years ago, kung saan ang payat-payat ko pa na resulta din ng SBD ko dati. Kung wala ka namang pictures na payat ko, you can always look at the sexy photos ng idol mong artista for example. Then, set your goals. Tell yourself na after 6 weeks ay magiging ganyan ka din kapag pinagpatuloy moa ng SBD. Disiplina, determinasyon, at mindset lang naman ang kailangan mo para matapos moa ng buong programa ng SBD.

I started my day with a plate of burger! Yes! Pero ‘yung puwedeng burger sa SBD, ha. No fatty beef, no buns. ‘Yung lettuce, tomato, at cucumber na usual veggie na sinasama sa burger ay present. Ang absent nga lang ay ang buns (kasi carb ‘yun) at instead of ground beef I used sardines. Then, I had a 30-minute walk with my dog, Kiefer Jr. Nag-ikot lang kami dito sa lugar namin. Hindi ko kailangan mag-exercise kasi hindi naman requirement sa SBD ang exercise but still since naka-leave ako sa work, I want to maintain an active lifestyle. Kaya nga pag-uwi naming ay naglaba naman ako ng sangkatutak. Ayun, natagtag kaya bagsak sa kama. Haha!

Hindi ako nag-lunch kasi I slept the entire afternoon. I woke up mga 4pm na, I had 2 hard-boiled eggs then nagluto na ng dinner. FYI! Bawal na hindi mag-lunch, ha. Dapat nga 5 times a day ka kumakain sa Phase 1 sabi ng SBD book. Dapat meron kang breakfast, midmorning snack, lunch, midafternoon snack, at dinner. Ang maganda sa SBD ay hindi mo kailangang sukatin ang kinakain mo. kain ka lang. O, I said kain ha not lamon! Haha! Kain ka lang hanggang sa ma-feel mong busog ka na. Don’t be stingy on your serving but don’t overeat, too. ‘Wag gutomin ang sarili. Hindi fasting ang SBD. Kaya if you suddenly feel hungry after an hour of breakfast eh di mag-midmorning snack ka na puwedeng tuna rollups o mozzarella cheese stick o celery stuffed with cheese.

Nagluto ako ng pan-seared chicken breasts at adobong kangkong for dinner. So, I have two recipes for everyone! ‘Yung kinain ko nung breakfast na burger sardines at itong dish ko ngayong dinner. Yay, may pictures na ako! haha! Kahapon kasi nakalimutan kong mag-picture.

Burger Sardines

2 packs of sardines

3 whole eggs

Fresh basil leaves

Salt and pepper

Cucumber, sliced

Tomatoes, sliced

A bed of lettuce

Thousand Island for dressing

Wash your sardines, if in tomato sauce. Then, mash it with a fork. Add 3 eggs, chopped basil, and salt and pepper and mix it together. In a pan, put olive oil in a medium heat. Scoop three tablespoons of the burger mixture into the pan. Fry it like usual. Then set aside, 4-5 burger sardines.

In a bowl or big plate, assemble the cucumber, tomatoes, and lettuce. Put on top of a bed of lettuce the fried burger sardines. Serve it with thousand dressing on top.

Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts

Chicken breasts with no skin

Tomato sauce

Soy sauce

Bay leaf

Garlic cloves, minced

Black pepper

Olive oil

In a bowl, mix the tomato sauce, soy sauce, bay leaf, garlic cloves, and black pepper. Marinate for 2 hours or overnight the chicken breasts into this mixture.

In a pre-heated pan, put 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Put the marinated chicken breasts and sear it 3-4 minutes each side. Serve your pan-seared chicken breasts on top of a Greek salad or on the side of adobong kangkong.

SBD Challenge Day #1: Change is Coming... Again!

Mataba ka. Hindi na kasya sa ‘yo ang damit mo one year ago. Extra rice pa. Lamon pa more. You want to hear these everyday? Or you want to change now. The choice is yours to make.

This is my second SBD book. The first one went missing.

Mahirap daw magpataba at mas madaling magpapayat. Pero ang mahirap kapag mataba ka ay ang pangungutya ng mga tao sa paligid mo. During my first year in college (2010-2011), I was super overloaded and baboy. Then, the following year, as I rummaged around Booksale, nagkita kami ng first South Beach Diet book ko. Hardbound ‘yun. Makapal. Pero wala pa ring kakapal sa taba ko. I finished reading the book in less than three days. From then on, I was persevered na magpapayat dahil sa bagong knowledge na nalaman ko.

It took me two long months to lose almost 60 pounds. I was happy because I was so thin, super sexy, and I was so proud of myself for achieving my goal. But the problem was me. I didn’t follow the South Beach Diet phases and program properly. Feeling ko kasi ang payat-payat ko na. Kaya ayun itinigil ko na siya when I was in my third year (2013). At dahil sa pag-backslide ko dahil nga feelingera akong ang sexy ko na at pang-FHM Sexiest Woman Alive na ako, little did I know, na-regain ko na lahat ng taba na tinanggal ko sa katawan ko. Present day, 2016, I’m back to being the big fat ugly gay I used to be.

A week ago, I went to the clinic because I was feeling sick. There, I saw a weighing scale. I took the courage to weigh myself then boom! I was so shocked to see that I’m back to my previous weight three years ago, I am weighing 233 lbs. again!

With this shocking news, I decided today, January 18, 2017, to put myself on the South Beach Diet program again. But this time, I’ll make this right. For myself and for a better health. Now, I challenge myself on a 6-week South Beach Diet program. So, from January 18 to February 28, 2017 magra-run ang programa ko para sa sarili. I will follow every written word in the SBD book. It will serve as my bible for the next 6 weeks until I reach my target of shedding 50 lbs off of me. I am so determined now that I can do this (again) and I want you to be part of my journey that’s why I’m going to blog about this every night. Gagawin kong diary ang blogsite ko for 6 weeks. Para lang maikuwento ko sa inyo ang paglalakbay ko towards better health, I’ll share my everyday recipes, too. I want you to know more about South Beach Diet. And with this, I wish and hope I’ll inspire you to step up and change for the better you.

So, what is South Beach Diet? Para sa mga hindi nakakaalam, ang South Beach Diet o SBD ay isang diet program na dinesenyo ng isang sikat na cardiologist na si Dr. Arthur Agatston. That’s why I trust this program dahil isang doktok ang gumawa ng SBD at hindi kung sino-sino lang diyan. May iba kasing mga diet books na model ang nagsulat, o nutrionist, o health buff. I have nothing against these people or their programs, I would trust my overall health to a doctor than anyone else. Health ko pinag-uusapan dito at hindi ito biro. At saka proven and tested ko na kasi ang SBD kaya mataas ang tiwala ko dito. I just need to do this right, this time around.

Merong three phases ang SBD. Phase 1, which is the strictest phase na tatagal ng 2 weeks. Dito sa phase na ito ka papayat nang bongga. Approximately 8-13 pounds ang mawawala sa ‘yo during the first two weeks. Good news, mostly belly fats ang matatanggal sa ‘yo kaya you’ll notice the difference immediately. Puwede mong i-extend ang Phase 1 kahit gaano pa katagal o hanggang ma-achieve mo ang target weight mo. Ako, 233 lbs. ako ngayon at tina-target kong magin 180 lbs. in 6 weeks. But remember, kapag na-achieve mo na ang goal mo dapat ay mag-transfer ka na agad sa Phase 2 kung hindi ay magagaya ka sa akin at babalik ang taba mo. Pero kahit pa, it took me 3 years to gain back my original weight. Pero mali pa rin. Kapag mahal mo pero may syota na, let go! Mali, eh! Haha! I’ll talk more about Phase 2 and 3 next time. Focus muna tayo sa Phase 1 ngayon.

                                                                                                                                        

Day 1. I am super excited to start this day. In the morning, I ate a bowl of ginataang langka and half fried tilapia. Pagdating naman nang hapon ay nag-omelette ako.

Scallion Omelette

1 large onion, chopped

3 eggs, beaten

A pinch of salt and pepper

Canola oil

In a pan, pour Canola oil in a medium heat. Sauté chopped onion until translucent. Pour beaten eggs then add a pinch of salt and pepper. Done! You can serve it with blanched green beans on the side.

Eggs are unlimited in this diet! Kaya mag-isip ka na kung ano-anong egg recipes ang gusto mo! You can cook and eat it in this diet. ‘Yung iba sa inyo baka napapataas ang kilay kung bakit unlimited ang eggs sa diet na ito. You may be thinking na fatty ang eggs o bad for our health but in actuality, hindi. Ang isang itlog ay naglalaman ng protina at mataas na lebel ng good cholesterol. So, don’t be afraid with eggs. Masarap ang itlog… lalo na kapag dalawang itlog! Haha!

Tinapos ko ang araw ko sa pagkain ng isang mangkok ng ginisang ampalaya at fried galunggong. Hindi ko na ise-share ang recipe nito dahil napaka-basic lang. I’ll share more recipes sa inyo next time. Good night! Be fierce and fab!

The Macho-Pogi Owner of Piggin’ Out

Photo by Vyn Radovan

Remember the macho-pogi na guy that we spotted sa Piggin’ Out inside Carnival Food Park. Oh my G, kilala ko na siya! I’m such a stalker, I know. His name is Marcy Arellano, a former UAAP Warrior basketball player and now PCBL player. Sorry, I’m not into basketball kaya hindi ko siya namukhaan when we first met. But his handsome features and towering height quickly etched on my mind kaya naman I searched for him. Or stalked? Haha!

Photo by Vyn Radovan

While I was at the Carnival Food Park in Marikina with friends, we sought for a place to dine at. Pero puno na lahat halos ng tables sa dining spots ng Carnival Food Park until we decided to go to the restroom and after which we saw available seats at this pinkish porky food stall named Piggin’ Out. Merong nakaupong macho, poging cute na guy sa isang lamesa eh we were seven at that time so hindi kami kasya sa isang table kaya I asked him kung puwedeng maki-share. He looked at me and said, “Sure. Sige lang.” I thought customer din siya and waiting for some of his barkada so they could dine in sa Piggin’ Out. He stood and walked away from his table. My friends were like, “Uy, grabe ka, Jahr, pinaalis mo si Kuyang Pogi.” And I was like, “Of course not. Nagtanong ako if we could share sa table niya. Malay ko bang aalis siya.” Then, little did I know, nasa loob na siya ng stall ng Piggin’ Out when we ordered. So, owner pala siya nung stall. I mean, he can’t be just a server kasi he was wandering around. Wala namang waiter/server na paikot-ikot na parang boss. Haha! And that’s how we met.

Now, after doing a little research (or stalking for most of it), here are the facts I gathered. Haha! Hindi lang siya basketball player dahil ngayon ay businessman na rin siya. Meron siyang four food stalls around Metro Manila, ang Bistro Wast, Berliner Grill, and Piggin’ Out located at The Vibe Food Park in Quezon City and Carnival Food Park in Marikina.

Hindi pa ako nakaka-try ng food ng ibang food stalls ni Marcy Arellano but so far the dishes they’re serving at Piggin’ Out are beyond delicious! We ordered two sisig meals and a bagnet wrap. Grabe, it’s so moist, fatty, and mouthwatering! Iba ‘yung timpla ng sisig nila, eh. Extraordinary! Kaya punta na kayo sa Piggin’ Out sa The Vibe at Carnival Food Park, hindi kayo magsisisi! A guilty pleasure that’s worth it! This is gonna be your new PORKVORITE!

PS: May asawa’t anak na si Marcy Arellano na katuwang niya sa negosyo nila. At super ganda ng wife niya kaya ‘wag na kayong magbalak kumabit. Walang panama beauty niyo! Haha! Sad truth for us single ladies and gentlemen! Haha!

Welcome to Carnival Food Park!

Napakasayang magsalusalo kasama ang pamilya at mga kaibigan. You know me, I have an eye for great places and food! At ngayong napakadaming food parks ang nagsusulputan kung saan-saan ay sinubukan naming gumala at pumunta sa isa sa mga food parks sa Metro. Nadala kami ng mga paa namin sa Marikina, and I mean this literally, kasi nag-walk-a-thon kami papunta sa isang sikat na food hub sa Marikina ang Carnival Food Park.

At first, I thought may karnibal talaga. Tipong may mga rides like ferris wheel, roller-coaster rides, tapos may circus acts at siyempre kainan nga. But even if it wasn’t what I expected, it still didn’t disappoint me! It was all I want in a carnival-themed food park! Isa itong malaking bakanteng lote na nasa mga 1500+ square meters sa Gil Fernando, Marikina. Isa siyang carnival-themed food park, obvious naman sa pangalan. Haha! What captivated me most was its entrance! It was everything! Makikita mong nagka-cram ang mga tao sa entrance niya para lang mag-video o take ng pictures. Pang-IG talaga (kahit wala akong Instagram). When you enter this food park it feels like you are being transported to a different realm. Tipong Narnia o Alice in Wonderland.

Sa loob ay merong 25-30 stalls, hindi ko na nabilang. Basta maraming food stalls. And they serve a handful of meals and snacks from burgers, pastas, ice cream, rice meals, nachos, fishballs, ramen, and more! Tapos may bar setup sa gitna ng park kaya naman puwedeng-puwede rin ‘to sa mga lasenggero o sa barkada na gusto ng ilang tagay. Ang mga sitting/dining area nila sa itaas na nagsisilbing second floor ay gawa sa mga lumang container vans pati na ang pintuan nila sa comfort rooms ay gawa din sa tinabas na parte ng container van.

Are you excited to go na? G na kayo ng tropa! Kung galing kayo ng Cubao sakay lang kayo ng jeep bound to Marikina. Sakyan niyo ay ‘yung SSS via Blue Wave. Pagbaba niyo ng Blue Wave ay puwede na kayong maglakad sa right side ng kalsada hanggang sa matunton niyo ang Carnival Food Park. Puwede rin kayong mag- LRT2 galing Cubao o Recto tapos baba kayo ng Anonas o Santolan at sakay ng jeep bound to Montalban at sa mismong lugar na kayo nito ibababa. O kung hindi niyo pa rin trip ang mga joyride that I suggested o mga shala-shala kayo at hindi nagji-jeep, sakay na lang kayo ng taxi o Grab o Uber tapos sabihin niyo sa Carvinal Food Park, Gil Fernando, Marikina. Gets na ‘yun ni manong driver!

Tip #1: Don’t go to Carnival Food Park on a weekend. Super daming tao! Mahihirapan kayong makahanap ng seats. Us? We got no choice. Sunday lang ang free day naming lahat. Pero kung bet niyo ang siksikan at waiting galore na may mag-empty ng table/seats, go lang!

Tip #2: We find ways! Oo, nahirapan kaming maghanap ng seats kaya nag-decide kaming mag-ikot at tumingin ng stalls na wala masyadong tao. At meron kayong makikita, ha. Promise. At kung kahit ayaw niyo ng food nila, go lang! Order pa rin kayo ng kahit ano para naman makapag-stay kayo sa reserved seats nila. Pak!

Ngayon, pag-usapan na natin ang hinihintay ng lahat… pagkain! Ang tanong, hanggang saan aabot ang Php 229 mo? Well, aabot ka hanggang langit ng kabusugan! Pito kaming magkakaibigan na pumunta sa Carnival Food Park and we shared everything kaya mas nakamura kami! Bumili kami ng tig-i-isang dish sa iba’t ibang stalls and we shared food. Sharing is caring, right? And it’s always better to share food with your closest friends. It makes the bond stronger. Here’s the list of the stalls and grubs we tried:

Piggin’ Out

Sisig Meal – Php 150

Dito kami nag-stay. Katulad ng sabi ko sa Tip #2 ko, we find ways. Haha! FYI, hindi kami manggagamit katulad ng iba diyan! Mga user-friendly! Pagkatapos nilang makuha ang lahat sa ‘yo, iiwan ka na lang. Char! Haha! Hindi lang kami nag-order ng kung ano lang para magamit ang dining area nila. We really loved their sisig and... the macho, poging owner nito. I didn’t get his name, though. Haha! I'll update you kapag nalaman ko na ang name niya! Haha!

Brewskie Pasta Hub

Fatty Krabby – Php 178

Here, we ordered Fatty Krabby. Pero sana nga they named it Krabby Fatty na lang, eh. Wala lang, I love Spongebob Squarepants! Anyway, our order was a linguine pasta with special aligue sauce and shrimp. Super sarap! Not your ordinary pasta dish, it was extraordinary! That aligue sauce was creamy, milky, and delicious in all forms!

Tori Joint

Tonkotsu Ramen – Php 200

I love ramen so much! Kaya walang duda na isang mangkok ng ramen ang in-order namin. We ordered Tonkotsu Ramen and it tasted very authentic. I loved its firm noodles and the soup was excellent.

The Amazing Churros & Fantastic Dips

The Amazing Churros Ice Cream – Php 100

The marshmallow-coated churros were A+mazing! ‘Yung ice cream naman mismo ay masarap din, it resembled to a taste of Hersey’s dark chocolate. It was a bowl of sweet overload that Willy Wonka would be proud of!

Hip On

Mixed Balls – Php 50

Dalawang order ng Mixed Balls nila ang in-order namin sa Hip On para sa aming appetizer. May halong fishballs, squid balls, chicken balls, at kikiam ang isang order ng Mixed Balls kasama ang sweet and spicy sauce nila.

Bar Area

May dalawang parte sa bar area. Ang una ay nagbebenta ng mga alcoholic drinks such as cocktails at beer. Ang pangalawang bahagi naman ay kung nasaan ang mga non-alcoholic drinks like raspberry punch at green iced tea na aming in-order. Tip #3: We find ways… again! Nung mag-o-order na kami ay wala na daw big bowl na Php 120 lang

Big Bowl Punch – Php 120

na kasya sa 4-6 katao, ang meron na lang daw ay ‘yung Php 100 na large bowl na dalawa lang ang makaiinom. Wala na daw kasi silang available basyo ng big bowl, lahat daw nasa dining area na. Kaya nag-ikot kami ng kaibigan ko para maghanap ng mga tables na tapos ng uminom ng mga punch nila. We used a little bit of our waitering skills and asked some customers, “Are you done with that?” Sabay kuha ng basyo ng big bowls nila para magamit namin sa aming orders. Eh di nakatipid kami. Told you, we find ways! Haha!

Senorita

Live Action Nachos was our order here. Isang plato ng crispy nachos, cheese, ground beef, jalapeno, corn, at ang kanilang special sauce. Isang appetizer na napakasarap!

Live Action Nachos – Php 190

Hungry Heroes

Hunger Heroes Burger – Php 150

Isang burger na may malaking patty at isang ring of pineapple at isang cheesy, mushroom bacon burger na talaga nga namang napakasarap! Isang kagat lang lasap mo ang sarap. Hindi isang kagat, tinapay lahat. Haha! This was one of my best burger experiences ever! I will truly order one of these again! Worth every money spent!

Now, let’s see kung umabot ba sa P229 ang gastos ko sa Carnival Food Park sa Marikina. Here’s the total computation:

Piggin’ Out’s Sisig Meal – Php 300 (two orders)

Brewskie’s Fatty Krabby – Php 178 (one order)

Tori Joint’s Tonkotsu Ramen – Php 200 (one order)

The Amazing Churros Ice Cream – Php 100 (one order)

Hip On’s Mixed Balls – Php 100 (two orders)

Bar Area’s Big Bowl Punch – Php 240 (two orders)

Senorita’s Live Action Nachos – Php 190 (one order)

Hunger Hero Burger – Php 300 (two orders)

Total food cost: Php 1608 / 7 people = Php 229 per person

Wow, amazing! Pitong tao ang nabusog sa halagang Php 229 kada isa. Not bad at all. Alam niyo bang umuwi kaming super sakit ng mga tiyan sa kabusugan. Haha! Hindi lang kami busog, nag-enjoy pa kami sa napakagandang view ng paligid. Halika na, dalhin na ang buong barkada at pamilya sa Carnival Food Park. I’m sure lahat kayo ay mag-e-enjoy dito! Gora na!