My freckles are going haywire nowadays, it may not be very obvious in photos but in person sadly they are very noticeable. Sometimes I get very uncomfortable talking to people because of it. I was used to my very flawless face when I was in high school and these freckles are driving me crazy sometimes. Thank God for sisters, my sister’s skin is very sensitive and her skin agreed on Clinique so there is a chance that my skin will not react from it. She let me tried her sunblock and so far I have no reactions from it. I will definitely wait for Clinique’s Sale so I can get a hold of this…

Super City Block Oil-Free Daily Face Protector SPF 40

High-level daily sunscreen in a sheer, weightless formula. Protects against sun and environmental damage with broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sun block and antioxidants. For all skins, even the most sensitive. Wear alone or as an invisible makeup primer.

I actually don’t have these, instead I am having problems of how big my arms are nowadays. I guess a heavy son who asks me to carry him once in awhile made it really muscular and big, I need to tone them down a little bit which is why I also want to try Jillian Michaels’ tips.

Dumbbell Biceps Curls

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, your palms facing your sides. Exhale, and keeping your elbows locked against your rib cage, curl both arms three-quarters of the way up to your shoulders, rotating your wrists as you lift, so your palms end up facing your shoulders.
2. Hold for a beat, focusing on squeezing your biceps. Inhale, and slowly lower your arms to the starting position; repeat.

Triceps Kickbacks

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your sides, and stand with your feet hip-width apart, with a slight bend in your knees. Bend forward from the waist so that your torso is nearly parallel with the floor. Bend both elbows so that your upper arms are locked at your sides and parallel to the floor (your forearms should be perpendicular to the floor).
2. Keeping your upper arms still, straighten your forearms behind you until the ends of the dumbbells are pointing toward the floor. Hold for a beat, then inhale and slowly lower your arms to the starting position; repeat.

I subscribed to Jillian’s news feed and I received a very interesting email today…

Always Hungry? Maybe Your Hormones are Out of Whack

I’ve worked with many people who have told me that no matter how much they eat, they’re still hungry. They can scarf down half a pizza plus dessert and still feel ravenous afterward. Does this sound familiar? If so, it’s possible that a condition called leptin resistance is at least partly to blame.

To understand leptin resistance, you first have to understand the role the hormone leptin plays in your metabolism. When you’ve eaten a meal, the fat cells throughout your body release leptin, which travels to the hypothalamus, the part of your brain that helps regulate appetite. There, it switches off neuropeptide Y — a protein that tells your brain you’re hungry — and switches on appetite-suppressing signals. In other words, it gives your brain the message to stop being hungry and start burning calories.

Read More here.

I gathered so much quick trim tips, you bet I have. I know this blog has been the home of my diet plans, my life’s challenges as a healthier eater and I know so many moms who want to do a step further when it comes to being healthier, for the good of their family and of course of themselves. So sharing tips is nice. Anyway here are the best tips I have so far…

• Drink lots of water. Drinking before eating and while eating will help you feel fuller so you won’t need to eat so much food every meal plus sometimes you may think you are hungry only to realize after drinking water is that you are only thirsty.
• Think of what you can add on your diet, not what you should take away. You may not be eating veggies or fruits so much. You can even make them as your snacks, in this way your tummy will not feel hungry all the time, leaving less space for main meals.
• Take several mini-meals throughout the day. I advise you to eat every 3 hours, in this case you will have more power to control your meals and appetite when you have to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Always read the labels. There are so many available food in the groceries with healthier ingredients and will still taste very good. Just read the labels and avoid those unhealthy artificial stuff.
• Be physically active. Move those muscles, burn those fat. I don’t feel guilty when I indulge in a cup of frozen yogurt once in a while because I know I can burn them anyway.
• Think positively. If you will think that you will get your desired weight, you will not feel lazy to do what is right and then you will feel better and happier.

Well good luck to us!

… by Jillian Michaels.

Exercise! You may not want to, but get in your workout anyway. The endorphin rush will help relieve cramps and raise your levels of serotonin, a mood-lifting neurotransmitter.

Get some R&R. Adequate sleep and less stress will put you in a better hormonal position to handle the physiological imbalance that PMS brings.

Cut out most alcohol, caffeine, and salt. Alcohol can exacerbate feelings of depression, so steer clear. Reducing caffeine may minimize breast tenderness and irritability, and cutting salt can reduce bloat.

Minimize simple sugars. Ideally, you’re doing this all the time, but it’s especially important before your period. Simple sugars may increase inflammation, making cramps feel worse. Eating regular meals and snacks with fiber and protein will help keep your blood sugar stable, which is a lot better for those raw nerves than blood-sugar swings.

Consider supplements. Calcium may reduce symptoms of PMS, so shoot for at least 1,200 mg a day. Magnesium is also helpful, as are B complex vitamins. To reduce the inflammation of cramps and breast tenderness, try a primrose-oil supplement; it’s a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory that may work in ways similar to ibuprofen.

A friend suggested I take noxycut to form muscles easily while lifting weights. He doesn’t understand that I don’t want to form a muscular body, what I want is to tone down my arms, abs and shoulders and that’s it. No muscular buffness. I don’t want to look like a man, I just want bits of cuts and to eliminate the fats. I’m lifting light weights, usually just 2.5 lbs for each arms with just more sets. My best friend suggested I lift more and maybe I will add and lift 7.5 lbs instead of my usual 2.5 lame weight and achieve this…

Wishful thinking? I hope not!

A friend is actually on the way, aside from taking her prenatal vitamins that she only got from a physician friend, she hasn’t visited an OB-Gyne. SHe thinks she is 6 weeks already and I find it really irresponsible not to go to an doctor after finding out that she is pregnant. She works in a call center which keeps her busy plus her time is also a problem so she can’t find time to go to the hospital. I advised her to take a day off from work, the pregnancy if very important then her work. I hope she goes though, I don’t think she is way to seriosu with this pregnancy.

I am determined to lose that 10 pounds this year. I don’t want to talk about numbers but I need to lose 10 pounds at least this year so it won’t be so hard to diet more by 2011. My BMI says that I’m okay but I feel really bloated so I look for diets that work. Friends tell me I look better today that when I was 15 lbs. lighter but still I plan to achieve my ideal weight come December. Thank God Summer is slowly bidding goodbye making way to rainy season where it won’t be so hard for me to hit the gym and get back to my routine. I’ll be updated about this. Wish me luck!

I think I need to take multiple vitamins, I’ve been feeling kinda low though I take these once a day…

These are actually Fern C, an ascorbic acid vitamins that I take once a day. Each one is 500 mg. Nowadays, I feel like I need to add more supplements in my daily intake of vitamins, I don’t know what I need which is why I’m actually planning to visit my doctor one of these days to have a complete check up, I just need to clear my schedule and see which days I can take a day off to go to the hospital for this. I’m planning this June, I hope it’ll push through. Only a few more years and I will hit the big 4-0 and I need to take care of myself because nobody will.

I haven’t met with my best friend for months now, the best fat burning exercise for me is when I step on it and brisk walk for an hour with a 10-15 minutes run. I used to do it twice a week but with the heat nowadays, I never tried going to the gym, I might die of heat exhaustion since it is a small gym with just one a/c that can’t keep up with the room even if the room is small. I will come back to the gym once this heat is gone, hopefully by June. It’s harder to burn calories when it’s cold, nowadays you can just sit on a chair and sweat your heart out because it’s too hot outside. Burning calories is not a problem this Summer.

I wish to have a treadmill at home, I get bored riding my dad’s stationary bike plus I don’t know how to bike properly which results to a bit of pain in my knees and my butt hurts every time I sit there for an hour so usually my biking only lasts for about 15-30 minutes, depends on my mood that day. Right now, I only watch my diet and I don’t exercise regularly, I hope to be back on track when Summer is over.