The thing about weight loss

It has been almost two years since I embarked on my weight loss journey. After the three toughest months in my life, I went back to eat normal meals and I stopped going to the gym as well due to few factors, one of which would be my laziness.

Reverting back to normal eating style was pretty easy in the first place but soon, it went haywire. I was constantly going through psychological battle of choosing good food over bad ones.

I know I should avoid sugary food like desserts and stuffs because it will cause a lot of side effects to my health as well as contributing to the increment in my weight. Soon, the craving went out of control a bit and I began to eat junk food and desserts.

Before I knew it, my weight increased from 58kg to 62.6kg within half year of stuffing crappy food down my throat to my stomach. I could feel certain dresses starting to get tighter and worse still, I felt bloated all the times. As if it wasn't bad enough, I didn't feel the need to get back on track.

Suddenly, it struck me, I am a kinda a yo-yo dieter.

I am very much aware of my problem and yet, I still repeat this yo-yo dieting routine from time to time. But hey... it isn't that I am enjoying every bit of it but I am that kinda person who has very low metabolism rate. That particularly means I do not sweat easily even in the hottest or dry weather. I have to be on the treadmill for more than 45 minutes only then, I could spot a little bit of sweat.

#firstworldpain

The motivation to get back on track was practically zero or it didn't even exist at all until April this year when my students decided to surprise me with a birthday gathering.

When I finally received the pictures, I was totally at a loss of words - how can I be so fat and I didn't even realize it at all? What on Earth was I thinking when I put all those crappy food into my mouth? Did I never even think of my waistline? Did I even want to gain back all the weight that I have lost over the past 2 years?

I was even more shocked when I went through the rest of the pictures taken during my birthday week.

How could nobody tell me that I have actually gained a lot of weight?

I mean I know I was gaining weight but I didn't realize it was so pretty dang obvious!
Look at my round face and big mighty arms! OMG... What has gotten into me?!

I was even more confirmed that my weight gain was horrible when I finally got the two maxi dresses from TCL and VGY.

How on Earth could I gain so much weight and still, I could be pretty ignorant about it? There was no way I could believe it was me, looking back at my own reflection in the mirror!

A million times NO!!!

*sighs... sighs... sighs... sighs... sighs...

For the next one week, I was practically emo-ing over my weight gain and finally, I decided to get back on track. I need to be at my pre-weight gain weight. I want to look healthy and most important of all, pretty. I need my confidence back. I need to feel alive for once again!

I left my hometown from KL - yes, peeps, I am back at KL for good and this time, never gonna go back to my hometown and that hell of a work place! Then on, I decided to once again, embark on another weight loss journey. Now, you see? Yo-yo dieter...

The first week into eating clean went by pretty easy because I could easily find healthy food supplies in KL. Unlike in my hometown, salads are like 3 to 4 times more expensive than what we have here in KL. Eating clean in my hometown was literally impossible because every now and then, my parents would whip up good meals or I would go out with friends.

Lemme share with you what I have been eating and doing for the past 3 weeks in KL.

If I were going out, I would opt for brown rice or quinoa with salad. I especially love the brown rice served by Three Little Birds Coffee in D7, Sentul.

The bento box isn't exactly cheap but I was aiming to eat healthily to shed a few pounds off so it has to be done that way.

If I were to order coffees or teas, I would go for either low fat milk or soy milk. At least from what I understand, these two types of milks have lower calories compared to normal fresh milk. Well, sometimes a girl gotta do what she gotta do.

I try to stick to only order salads without mayonnaise or thousand island sauce. I usually opt for balsamic vinegar, garlic or a little bit of chilli here and there for my dressing.

If I were going to order chicken, it has to be chicken breast and well... grilling would be the best option

One thing you have to bear in mind if you were going to order salad outside - it is not entirely cheap. Let's say I am trying to cut down on my spending on food, what would I be eating?

To be honest, I do not particularly like Yong Tau Fu because I know that every bit of it is processed food. The trick on ordering Yong Tau Fu is that, do not be greedy and get everything in sight. You have to know what is the food that your body needs.

If you do not know what processed food is, it basically means food that has been altered from its natural state.

Examples of processed food would be fish balls, nuggets, hot dogs, sausages, sodas and others.

Hence, if I were going to order Yong Tau Fu, I would go with tofu and fresh vegetables. However, my diet isn't extremely strict to the point I have to get rid of all processed food from my life once and for all. Occasionally, I still eat my hot dogs and sardines.

As far as fast food like McD and KFC, well, to have none would be the best idea if you are going on a diet.

Most of the times, I try to keep things simple. That explains why I prefer to prepare my own food at home. One of the most important reason why that is so is because at least, I know what gets down my throat to my tummy.

My utmost favourite meal would be this!

I bought myself a spirelli so that I could make zucchini noodles.

You may be telling me that it is a waste of money to buy hings like that but lemme tell you - sometimes, you have to cheat yourself in order to make yourself feel good and zucchini noodles is one of the ways to end my craving for pasta.

At least, I feel like I am eating noodles.

Carb craving - settled!

The spirelli has to be one of the best products I have ever bought because I am kinda hooked on making zucchini noodles every day.

If I were too lazy to cook, I would just throw in some lettuce topped with Yellow Mustard and well... if there are chicken stripes, that would be the best.

I do take carbohydrate but I try to minimize the total amount of it. I would opt for either protein or probably just salad.

By the end of Week 1, I actually feel less bloated and I could feel my tummy flatter.

At the same time, I frequented the gym two to three times every week. I would do squats, cardio and a little bit of weight lifting. During weekends, I would go swimming.

I am not aiming for a model-like body but I just wanna be 58kg again.

During the second week, my mum came to KL and it was almost impossible for me to get her to go on a diet with me so, over the few days she was with me, I did eat food like nasi lemak, thosai, curry, rendang, fried squid and all those unhealthy food. The trick is to eat some and not a lot.

I'm sure you get what I am trying to tell you.

On those days when mum went out with her friends, I would stay in and whipped up my own meals.

Sometimes, I would prepare extra so that I could pack up some late dinner for my brother. The pasta that you see in the picture above is not mine though. I am trying to avoid carbohydrate so, you get what I mean.

Another easy salad recipe would be this...

No cooking required.

You basically just throw everything in and believe me, the combination is good. I love the flavor that the tuna gives whilst the corns are really, really sweet!

On days when I do not feel lazy, I would cook a bit...

Well, easy dish like what you see above is really good for your body. You basically just boil the french beans and cook the minced chicken.

Voila, ready to be eaten!

Oh, please cut down on the sodium and salt, okay?

By the end of the second week, I actually feel good about myself.

It could be psychological but I do feel lighter.

Pants are starting to feel loose once again. I am determined to keep up my good work!

This week is the third week and I am trying to experiment with vegetables that I have never tried before - brussels sprouts.

I just popped everything into the oven after drizzling the brussels sprouts with a bit of olive oil. After 25 minutes, done!

Fried myself an egg with half link of Chinese sausage.

For dinner, I would usually go a bit lighter by taking raw vegetables.

Well, I kid you not when I tell you everything that you are seeing here in my blog is so easy to prepare. I usually could eat after 15 to 20 minutes and best of all, I would meal-prep for the next day or so. Life couldn't get anymore easier.

So, this week's update...

Please excuse my flabby thighs...

Pants are loose, I have mentioned that. I feel like my collar bones are getting more obvious. My thighs aren't as gigantic as they used to be.

Best of all... I could feel my face getting slimmer too.

 Life has never been so good with dieting.

Hopefully by the end of this week, I would still be motivated to continue to eat healthy to reach my goal weight of 55kg to 56kg.

I haven't have the chance to go and weigh myself yet but I would do so soon.

Before I head off to bed, I really hope my entry would be useful to those of you who are trying to shed off a few pounds.

Made in China

It never really struck me before that I own quite a number of products be it beauty-related or non-beauty-related that are made in China. Yes, iPhone is made in China and some parts of Samsung products is also made in China. I don't have any issues to that but when it comes to skincare and cosmetics, I do have my preferences. Well... let's just say I prefer skincare products made in Korea.

I am not stating Korea has the best skincare and make-up products. It's personal preference, remember?

Honestly, I do own beauty related products made in China and no doubt, some of the products are my favourites. Take for example, NYX Cosmetics.

Everyone loves NYX Cosmetics because they are very affordable and best of all, some of the products even made it into magazines or runways.

Even the infamous Sigma Cosmetics has their products made in China as well.

The Paris Palette that I have is not cheap... it retails at USD$59 and yes, it is made in China. I know there are people who are really bothered with the issue, "If it is made in China, why is it so expensive?"

Even my favourite eyeshadow primer from MUA is made in China!

Will have a separate review on that later.

As far as I know, even though some of the products from big companies are made in China, these products need to go through certain examination and they need to meet certain qualifications to be able to categorized as 'safe' products since these products are not tested on animals. Well... we all pay for our safety, right?

Well... hopefully what I think is right.

So, I have no issues at all with that. It only struck me while I was still with a cosmetics company last year, a customer approached me and said, "I want to get any skincare that is not made in China." 

I was surprised because obviously, he entered an all-Korean skincare outlet and wanted something that is not made in China. Then, it struck me suddenly when he said, "I used to use Hada Labo before I realized all products from Hada Labo are made in China. China has the highest rate of animal testings and their products are not safe to use!"

My colleagues and I were surprised because honestly, when I buy something, I never bother to check where it is from. So, that taught me a lesson. No, I am NOT indicating China-based products aren't good but well, let's just say we have our own preferences.

Okay, let's not debate on whether or not we should buy made-in-china products and shift our attention to what happened to BFF and I last week.

I went out with BFF for our cosmetics shopping at KLCC the other day when BFF went to Guardian Pharmacy to check on some products. Somehow or rather, we were talking about Bio-Essence products when the Bio-Essence promoter approached us. We had this very disturbing attitude and conversation with her when BFF asked her if Bio-Essence products are worth the prices and if they are good.

Well... for sure the promoter will promote her brand to death because that is what she does for a living. When BFF mentioned about 'made-in-china' and 'if the products are safe' topics, her expression changed. She started bombarding BFF with her who-do-you-think-you-are attitudes and condemning BFF.

Hey, hey, hey... I was there too and I saw the way she promoted Bio-Essence. No, she wasn't friendly to us. She talked to us as if we were inferior and that we would not afford to buy her products. Hey, c'mon, we are using SK-II, Clinique, Bobbi Brown and a lot other brands that are obviously NOT made-in-China, so who did she think she is to talk to us like that?

Yes, I am quite paranoid about what I put on my face so, my skincare products are NOT made in China. I always have in mind a deformed face so, I don't want that to happen to myself or people around me.


I had the urge to throw her out of her position at that point of time. BFF was just being nice and asking if the product really does what it claims that this was what she got. WTF is wrong with the promoter from Bio-Essence? Her attitude got on my nerve when she said stupid stuffs that she thought we didn't know like this, "Do you actually know what world we are living in now? Everything is made in China. Even your iPhone and Samsung are made in China. L'Oreal has the biggest manufacturing factory in China and countless other products that you may put onto your skin are made in China."

Bitch!

I do not put made-in-China skincare products onto my face nor will I condemn made-in-China skincare products. I don't think I am standing in the position to criticize or condemn these products just because I don't use them.

Hey, getting the made-in-China topic out of the context, is that how a promoter should treat her customers?

The thing that really made me angry was that when we went to other counters, that bitch of a promoter actually dragged her colleagues and finger-pointing BFF and I while gossiping. Hey, I am not blind, okay?! I saw everything. Even if she wanted to bitch about us, she could do so when we have left the place and not dragging her colleagues around and bitched about us in a secretly manner. That was just so unprofessional of her!

I told BFF from then on, I am going to condemn Bio-Essence products because of that bitch of a promoter who is so unprofessional and judgmental. I don't even know why Bio-Essence would hire someone like her - she is going to make Bio-Essence going doink with her attitude!

I certainly hope what other promoters from other brands know what they are doing. If they are dealing with a difficult customer instead of BFF and I, well... let's just say, "Bitch, good luck!"

My favourites of Jan and Feb

Well, that pretty much means February just ended.

LOLX!

Anyway, I thought I just share with some of you what I've been loving and obsessed with throughout January and February 2013.

First up... I guess if you're a close friend of mine, you'll probably know how much I love doing my nails. It is just sometimes, laziness struck and thus, I don't do anything to my nail. No wonder people often say that beauty is hard-work because there is no ugly girls, only lazy ones.

I am so glad that I have found and tried out these 3D Nail Seal.

If you don't know, it is basically some stickers that you stick to your nails and then, you apply top coat over them to keep them in place. I know I am kinda late bloomer in these but I never trusted these stickers would really be so easy and long lasting. Best of all, they all stay put even though I've been doing housework like crazy during CNY.

They are just so easy to use and best thing ever - they are really cheap. I got them for around RM2.90 to RM4.90 and believe me, one set of the stickers can last for several applications!

So, yeah, I love those stickers and I foresee myself getting more of them really soon because it's just so fun to change your nail designs from time to time!

 Second, third and fourth products are all nail cares and nail polish remover.

Seriously, Elianto does have one of the best nail polish remover... for about RM8.90 only, these nail polish remover really does remove nail polishes without leaving residues! I have had bad experience with Guardian and several other nail polish removers that never worked.

Aside from that, the nail strengthener from Elianto is pure love! I have really weak nails and they chip and break whenever they are long. My only hope is to find a nail strengthener to keep them stronger or at least make them not chipping so easily. This is my second bottle already!

I have often heard about fast-drying top coat but since I am such a cheapskate and don't want to waste too much moo-lah on brands, I am so glad I found this - Essence Quick Dry Top Coat.

It dries pretty fast and well, of course it does it's job quite well. For the price of only RM8.90, what else can you complain, right?

Okay, time for beauty stuffs...

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed and NYX Matte Bronzer.

I have been obsessed with both of these items ever since I got them. Nothing much to say but yes, I am still not over using these two powders!

I always have issues of foundation transferring to the screen of my phone whenever I answer phone calls. For quite some time, I have been searching for foundation that doesn't transfer, at least, doesn't transfer like mad and well... I am glad to have found VOV Light Lasting Foundation.

This foundation gives a very healthy glow to the user and best of all, it's not oily and the coverage is medium. Although I do love full-coverage foundations, there are times when I want to go for a natural look without looking like I am trying too hard. So, love the foundation!

As far as eyeshadows go, I find myself reaching out for my Urban Decay Shadow Box all the times.

It's just like the other eyeshadows have disappeared because I no longer reach for them. LOLX! This palette really has been getting so much love from me!

For lip products, I have to admit, I do have a lot of them but throughout January and February 2013, NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams have been my favourite lip products!

They're quite long lasting and best of all, they glide on the lips smoothly and effortlessly! For only RM25 to RM26 each and so many shades available, these babies are really great!

Aside from that, two brushes that I have been using so frequently these days - Colours Cosmetics Fat Top Foundation Brush and MAC 168.

These two are seriously best brushes of their kinds in my collection ever!

Last but not least, few friends have been spotting that I'm way over Burberry obsession because they noticed I have different 'aura' lately. Hahahaha...

It's not really 'aura' but fragrance from Vera Wang - Truly Pink.

I am left with probably 20% of the fragrance and have been trying to find this in Sephora but so far, I have no luck with it. I got it as a gift and now... I am in love...

Okay, I shall end this entry... Gonna do some spring cleaning today!

Confidence is Fabulous

I've been really, really being tortured with so many thoughts lately, from work, studies, relationship and also financial issues. I've been trying to divert my attention from these stresses by taking up a job but honestly, my attention isn't being diverted much, instead, I found myself having to go through series of worries that I may not perform well in work.

Recently, I stumbled upon a beauty guru, Jessica Harlow, and found her videos to be very inspiring - she talked about how to feel confident with yourself, tips to success, how to be happy by NOT getting drunk and a lot of other motivational videos.


Oh, of course she's a beauty guru, she has tons of makeup videos - check her out, people! She's just gorgeous and what else can I say? Inspiring.

Honestly, for me, self-confidence comes last in my list because, as a child, I didn't grow up liking myself because nobody liked me - I was an ugly duckling although I know I still am one. Hence, when it came to getting to know new people, I always freaked out at the idea because you know, nobody likes fat and ugly kid.

True enough, we don't need to be in the Miss World list to be confident because confidence comes from within and if we feel good about ourselves, we are confident. I guess it's all down to how we carry ourselves in the eyes of others.

Confidence is not only for girls but it's for the Mars as well. Okay, I shall skip this crap about Mars because we're ain't here to talk about Mars. Hey, it's about feeling confident about yourself and lemme share with you my tips on feeling confident.

Sorry, I don't do videos, so, you've gotta read, read, read...

Rule #1 - Posture, people, posture!

Posture for me is utmost important and I'm still trying to perfectionize it. If we are slouchy, of course we don't look good in the eyes of others and a slouchy person for me doesn't look confident at all. If we have good posture, naturally, people will think, "Hey, this person has got an attitude!" Then again, having attitude doesn't mean being arrogant or ignorance. Well, good postures include standing and sitting straight, keep your shoulders straight as well, keep your head right and no strutting!

Good posture can also bring positive body language!

Rule #2 - Dress up or down according to occasions!

Don't we just hate it when we're in the lime light not because we're wearing DKNY or BCBG but it's because we're dressed up for a BBQ gathering whilst everyone else dresses casually?

Erm... I should say, dress appropriately because the right clothes do affect your self-confidence whether you trust me or not. Of course you don't need to spend a lot to get the best clothes or dress to kill.

If you're someone like me, a self-proclaimed fashionista who loves dresses and more dresses, perhaps retails like Forever 21, Kitschen or Nichii might be right for you.

The other day, I was watching Jessica's video and I recognized her gorgeous dress that I saw at Forever 21. Initially, I thought of getting it but I changed my mind but after I saw the video, I went back the next day to get it.


I'm anal about dresses, okay? Hahaha... Then again, I'm not claiming I look as gorgeous as her but I just love the dress on her and I thought, "I need that dress!"

Rule #3 - Speak your mind!

I know there are times when we are terrified to speak things on our mind for we're scared our thoughts will be laughed at or even rejected but hey, we're unique on our own. We can't control how people think or even what they'll say about us, right?

We don't need to even give a damn about these people because they're just jealous of what we have, so, let others know your thoughts!

I can be quite spontaneous, blatant and shameless at times. LOLX! Hahahaha... At least I do feel good about it, of course, depending on situations.

Rule #4 - Grooming for success!

Well, I do know there are people out there that don't really groom themselves because firstly, buying makeup products for them is a waste of money and then again, they're lazy.

There are no ugly women, only lazy ones, hence, groom yourself, ladies! A little bit of concealer, eyeshadow, blusher, mascara and lip gloss wouldn't kill you, right?

Even for guys, you can groom for success as well.

Rule #5 - Be positive!

This is personally, for me, the hardest thing to achieve as of now because I don't feel 100% of self-confidence in me. Hey, I'm learning, okay?!

Rule #6 - Offer a helping hand to those in need!

I promise, this one totally pays off because lately, I've been trying to offer a helping hand to those in need. Just yesterday, I picked up a wallet with lotsa cash in it. I was telling stupid sister, "We should just shop till we drop!"

In the end, I handed it to the Uniqlo's staff that someone dropped his wallet earlier. True enough, five minutes later, a lady came asking if anyone seen her wallet which looked like what I picked up from the fitting room.

I earned not cash but dignity! I am happy!

Rule #7 - Count your blessings!

Not everyone is as lucky as we are - born healthy and having wonderful friends and family around us to care for us. Take a moment of your life, think of those who yearn for what we're having now - aren't we just lucky?

Rule #8 - Set reachable and possible goals!

Don't reach for the impossible - do what you can and be contented that you've tried your best. Don't overdo things and don't push yourself to your limits or else, you'll go crazy! Hahaha... Sit back, relax and re-decide your goals if something goes wrong.

At least that was what I did when I was trying to lose weight and I'm grateful for helps and supports from people around me that I've managed to shed off a total of 40kg over few years! Initially, I was aiming 10kg per month even though I know it was kinda tough, so... do it slowly if you must!

Rule #9 - Learn to love yourself before loving others!

Yes, true enough - that's the number one rule in love. If you don't love yourself, how do you expect others to love you, right?

Rule #10 - Check out Jessica's channel and subscribe to her!

So, that's what you SHOULD be doing after reading this entry.

Hahaha... I am not paid to advertise, okay?

Anyway... I should end this entry already. I've a lot of other entries coming by this week.

If Jessica's channel isn't sufficient, check out Bubz Beauty and also Jarmaine. I believe they're inspiring too! Definitely worth checking out!

Take care, people and remember, confidence is fabulous!

Sleek and Solone

I don't think I need to do much introduction on Sleek Makeup, right? Well, it's quite popular in the UK already. If you're unsure, you may always google it up.

I've gotten my Sleek Makeup Palette in Original just 2 days ago but so sorry, I wasn't in the mood to share any of the swatches due to my personal problems.



On the whole, I love the packaging of their palettes - very sleek and posh and of course, sexy! I love packaging in black!

Lemme show you what's inside...



Gorgeous, ain't it?

I regret not getting Chaos and also Graphite. Darn... I should have splurged but nevertheless, I'm good for while. This palette is around 3/4 of Naked's size and it's great for traveling. Well, Naked is great for traveling as well!

On the pigmentation of the eyeshadows...



They're pigmented alright. The eyeshadows feel really smooth and as you can see from the swatches, they glide effortlessly.

Let me do a list of pros and cons.

Pros #1 - good pigmentation.

Pros #2 - affordable.

Pros #3 - great for traveling as you only need one palette.

So, now, it's time for cons!

Cons #1 - not available in Malaysia.

Cons #2 - colours don't stick to brushes! You've gotta use the sponge tip applicator and me no likey! Hate, hate, hate!

Cons #3 - pigmentation can get better - more improvement.

Overall, this is my rating!

Product - 3 out of 5
Packaging - 3 out of 5
Availability - Sleek Makeup
Re-purchase - Yes

Now, comes the so-called pencil liner as being recommended by Taiwan's Beauty Show, Solone Magic Waterproof Eyeliner!



I got two of these eyeliners - deepest black and shimmering purple. The purple eyeliner is beautiful, simply beautiful, what else can I say?



The colours are very pigmented but I just swatched it softly and carefully, well, as usual, I didn't wanna waste them!

As much as this eyeliner claims to be waterproof, I don't think it's waterproof at all. Thus, I agree with Isabel of her review on these eyeliners.

I tried them on my waterlines and they don't stay. They strayed about and within minutes, the eyeliner was transferred onto my lower lashline, making me look like a horrible panda!

Then, I tried it on the corner of my eyes, it smudged! Yes, it smudged pretty badly!

I guess this eyeliner is only suitable for the use on your eyelids and not waterline. It's similar to UD's 24/7 eyeliners.

Let's say if I wanna smudge these eyeliners without the aid of any liquid, well, they don't really budge but if you have them in shimmers, the shimmers will be gone within seconds!

Product - 2 out of 5
Packaging - 3 out of 5
Availability - Please refer to Isabel's blog for more information
Re-purchase - No

That's it, that marks the end of my reviews!