Thursday, November 22, 2007

A reason, a season or a lifetime?

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered
and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant .

Thank you for being a part of my life, whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

How To Lose Ten Pounds in 3 Days

STYLE S.O.S.
by Tingting Cojuangco, Lucy Torres-Gomez and Rissa M. Samson
Philippine Star, 14 November 2007

Miss Cojuangco writes:

Do this 3-Day Diet. Believe me, it works. Follow the diet three days of the week until you reach your desired weight.

Important: Drink four glasses of water or diet soda per day. You can add herbs, salt, pepper, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard or ketchup to your food.

Note: Follow the diet for three days and lose 10 pounds. It works based on a chemical reaction so you must eat everything in the diet without substituting.

This is scientifically proven. You can have as much water, tea, salt, pepper as you like but no other seasonings. After going on the three-day diet, you can eat normally for four days and then go back to it. But do not overeat on those four days.

This diet has been tried and tested, and is guaranteed effective. It worked on my staff and officers of the Philippine Public Safety College — they’ve gotten leaner and I saw the big difference myself!

DAY 1

Breakfast
Black coffee or tea (with 1-2 packets of Sweet & Low or Equal)
1/2 grapefruit or juice
1 toast with 1 tablespoon peanut butter

Lunch
1/2 cup of tuna
1 toast
Black coffee or tea (with 1-2 packets of Sweet & Low or Equal)

Dinner
3 ounces any lean meat or chicken
1 cup green beans
1 cup carrots
1 apple
1 cup regular vanilla ice cream

DAY 2

Breakfast
Black coffee or tea (with 1-2 packets of Sweet & Low or Equal)
1 egg
1/2 banana
1 toast

Lunch
1 cup cottage cheese or tuna
8 regular saltine crackers

Dinner
2 beef franks
1 cup broccoli or cabbage
1/2 cup carrots
1/2
banana
1/2 cup regular vanilla ice cream

DAY 3

Breakfast

Black coffee or tea (with 1-2 packets of Sweet & Low or Equal)
5 regular saltine crackers
1 ounce cheddar cheese
1 apple

Lunch
1 boiled egg
1 toast
Black coffee or tea (with 1-2 packets of Sweet & Low or Equal)

Dinner
1 cup tuna
1 cup carrots
1 cup cauliflower
1 cup melon
1/2 cup regular vanilla ice cream

Steakauthority wrote in Chuvaness:
OF COURSE you will lose weight, anybody on this "diet" will lose weight because of the super low calories taken, You cannot follow this diet for 2 weeks straight because, well the super low calories, you will have no energy, you will faint. On this "Starvation diet" you will first lose water, then lose muscle and lastly your fat will go. Thats why it can only be done 3 days straight, 4 days re-loading on carbs. They call this "diet" carbo cycling and yes you lose mega pounds OF WATER in the first 3 days. No fat will be lost untill you start to re-feed on the regular days to boost your metabolism and do it again So 3 days on the diet, 4 days off etc. Here are the calories for your day 1:

coffee - 0 calories
equal 2 sachets - 4 calories
1/2 grapefruit - 32 calories
toast sliced bread - 32 calories
peanut butter, 1 table spoon - 94 calories
Breakfast total - 162

tuna - 109 calories
toast sliced bread - 32 calories
coffee - 0 calories
equal 2 sachets - 4 calories
Lunch total - 145

3 oz skinless chicken breast - 141 calories
1 cup green beans - 34 calories
1 cup carrots - 40 calories
1 apple - 70 calories
1 cup regular vanilla ice cream - 280 calories
Dinner total - 565

TOTAL DAILY CALORIES - 872
with this low calories you should not even try to exercise, you will lose weight while getting a massage.

To lose 1 pound of fat you need to burn 3500 calories.
In order to lose 1 pound of fat and you are on a 1000 calorie diet (when female) and your resting metabolic rate is 1500 calories daily (meaning if you consume 1500 calories daily you will not gain or lose weight)
So with out exercise on a 1000 calorie diet you should lose 1 pound a week.
When you exercise / burn more calories you could speed this up to 1.5 pound/week or so.
Losing more "weight" than this is not healthy and it will not be fat alone but muscle as well.
You can lose 4-5 pounds a week of fat if you are overweight, than fat will fly off like crazy for the few month or so.

I say:
With a catering and food business running almost 24/7, I hope I find the discipline to even try. Here's a look at my typical lunch:
Roast Beef in Mushroom Gravy Sauce, Stir-fried Vegetables and Seafoods in Oyster Sauce, Fried Banana Cutlets, Tortang Talong and Freshly Brewed Coffee


Monday, November 12, 2007

The Greatest Advice

- by Rick Warren, the Purpose Driven LIFE

Don't date because you are desperate.
Don't marry because you are miserable.
Don't have kids because you think your genes are superior.
Don't philander because you think you are irresistible.

Don't associate with people you can't trust.
Don't cheat. Don't lie. Don't pretend.
Don't dictate because you are smarter.
Don't demand because you are stronger.

Don't sleep around because you think you are old enough & know better.
Don't hurt your kids because loving them is harder.
Don't sell yourself, your family, or your ideals.
Don't stagnate!

Don't regress.
Don't live in the past. Time can't bring anything or anyone back.
Don't put your life on hold for possibly Mr. Right.
Don't throw your life away on absolutely Mr. Wrong because your biological clock is ticking.

Don't abandon your responsibilities but don't overdose on duty.
Don't live life recklessly without thought and feeling for your family.
Don't commit when you are not ready.
Don't keep others waiting needlessly.

Take care of yourself.
Don't wait for someone to take care of you.
You light up your life.
You drive yourself to your destination.
No one completes you - except YOU.

Don't bring another life into this world for all the wrong reasons.
To feed your nurturing instincts, care for the needy.
To fulfill your parenting fantasies, get a puppy.

To make yourself happy, pursue your passions & be the best of what you can be.
Simplify your life. Take away the clutter.
Get rid of destructive elements: abusive friends, nasty habits, and dangerous liaisons.

Be true to yourself.
Learn a new skill.
Find a new friend.
Start a new career.
Sometimes, there is no race to be won, only a price to be paid for some of life's more hasty decisions.

It isn't true that life does not get easier with age.
It only gets more challenging.
Go on that trip. Don't postpone it.
Say those words. Don't let the moment pass.
Do what you have to, even at society's scorn.

Don't be afraid.
Don't lose your capacity to love.
Pursue your passions.
Live your dreams.
Don't lose faith in God.
Don't grow old. Just grow YOU!

When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you'll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give to someone is your time. Relationships take time and effort, and the best way to spell love is T-I-M-E because the essence of love is not what we think or do or provide for others, but how much we give of ourselves.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

I must have done something good

I lost my cellphone in NAIA last Saturday. Until now, it's still baffling because I was so sure it was inside my *pink* bag (I was wearing pink shoes, by the way).

I don't use my phone in public places unless I need to meet someone or I am waiting for an important message. I usually place it inside the most secured pocket in my bag. I just keep it on almost-max volume so I know if somebody is calling or has sent a text message.

It was early in the morning and there were only a handful people in the airport counters. I just stood behind the queue and let my companions do the check-in tasks. My companions and I then went through the usual security protocols and decided to have our breakfast near the designated waiting area. I only noticed that my cellphone was missing when I reached for it to send a text to Nanay.

The zipper was open and my cell phone was gone.

I informed my companions about my missing phone. Dr. Cuano, the team leader, immediately dialed my number from his phone thinking that it might just be tucked inside the nooks of my bag. While calling, he barraged me with questions to extract possible explanations why we were not hearing any sound from my bag although it was ringing. My other companions came up with a reason that I might have put it inside my checked-in luggage although they were sure I did not.

After so much searching and ringing, Dr. Cuano and I went back to the check-in counters, terminal fee counters and x-ray areas to check if anybody has found and turned over a phone. Without much luck, we reported the incident to the airport security. I had to be x-rayed several times (I might have swallowed it whole?). My bag, with and without contents, had to be x-rayed several times. All the while, I kept my cool and held my ground. I just followed whatever they asked me to do. I answered whatever questions they had. Anyway, much searching just told me it was definitely gone. Accepting the fact, I just hoped that it would still bring luck and goodwill to whomsoever got it.

Good thing I regularly back up my contacts and there were no incriminating messages there. I feel lucky for the finder. The phone was a SE K750i. It was given to me in September 2005 by a friend in exchange of my SE K700. Beside the minor scratches, almost new pa din. I rarely used it because I have another phone with 3G that I use more often to access the internet. The only regret I have was that I lost the saved messages from my kids, parents, sisters and friends. I also lost but without much regret, recent messages I got from a seemingly deranged person --- those, would surely fire up the interest of anybody who would read the messages.

Ten minutes before boarding I once again called my number. Maybe by hearing that it has been turned off would set my mind that it was indeed goodbye time for my phone. But alas, a woman answered on the fourth ring! My mind froze and my heart skipped a beat that moment. I immediately proceeded to the area she instructed me to go. I thanked her profusely and asked how it ended up with her. She said that she found the phone on top of the Cagayan de Oro check-in counter 30 minutes prior to our meet. She thought it was her friend's phone so she picked it up and found out it wasn't when she was giving it to her in the waiting area.

We could not yet resolve how it ended in a place 10-12 counters away from where we were. How did it happen when I was so sure it was inside my bag? Hey, this was the airport. Who would steal a cell phone in a supposedly secured area? Why was it with her only in the last 30 minutes when we were in the same area 2 hours earlier? Why was it not answered when we were constantly ringing it and surely could be heard few meters away? The security people theorized that somebody might have taken hold of it but when they publicly announced that it was missing the person might have put it on top of the counter. It could be checked with the security camera but we refused to do so.

I don't know really. To quote Dr Cuano, it was indeed good-over-evil. Swerte daw talaga ako. I might have done something good to be able to get it back.