Tumaba ka yata

My officemate's quip and the tell-tale tightening of my pants are enough reasons for me to initially freak out and get my fat-ass back to the gym and lose all the pounds I gained during the recent break.

However, budget reasons have forced me to give up my posh gym membership and lose weight the cheaper way.

Last Saturday morning, instead of my usual weekend wake-up regimen of reading in bed, I hauled myself out of bed, donned on my exercise attire and decided to run a lap around the block. I finished one lap but not without realizing why I wanted to sweat and do my heavy breathings in the sterile air-conditioned surroundings of Fitness First Plus. Around 3/4's around the block near the church, there was a stinking garbage dump. I was already breathing heavily at that time and I did not relish the feeling of breathing in that noxious smell. Rounding the corner, I then breathed in the toxic fumes of cars entering the BF subdivision. I knew I should've just stayed inside the park and did my laps there.

The Phase I park was really beautiful when it was newly built. There is a big gazebo in one end where events can be held, a big fountain in the middle, a big children's playground in the other end, a bike/jogger's lane snaking around the park's walled perimeter and big trees all over. However, it is not well-maintained as I expected it to be. Probably the gazebo is the only thing that's maintained as people pay for it's use; the fountain now is gone as obviously, water is scarce here in BF and I've never seen that fountain working; the children's playground is a mess--the sandpit almost non-existent and garbage almost everywhere; and the jogger's path is okay but I avoid the portion of the path that's near the garbage dump. Fortunately, the trees are still there and were not uprooted during Milenyo.

I also enlisted Leo's help by having him accompany me do some laps in their pool. We did this last Sunday afternoon so I was pretty exhausted that night (I also jogged that morning).

Desperate, I dug out the exercise set that my colleagues gave me a year ago. It contains a jump rope, 2 pcs of 3 lbs weights and that thing that you squeeze using your hands (forgot what it's called). I think the jump rope is the best among the lot. Every night when I get home, I do a 100 jumps (and more if possible). I ensure that my heart rate increases and I break a sweat. Hopefully, I'll lose enough weight in 3 weeks time to make it through my first fitting with Cecil without not much embarassment.