Mid-year

Wow! It's June!

Before and After Weight Loss

Copyright 2016 Fiona C Yeo of Cartoon Lagoon

Finally nearly after 1 year, my relatives have started saying that I have lost weight. Haha. Yes, only after nearly a year. The irony is they said this at a time when my weight hasn't moved that much downwards. The pic above is from July 2015 compared to December 2015. It's not quite current but I wanted to use it as a comparison because it is in the same outfit! That dress has definitely become loose on me. I think it's obvious when you look at the pics that I have lost weight. Not so obvious if you see me day in, day out. I am lighter now than in either of those pics.

It's been such a tremendously slow process. I know some people do not weigh themselves but I do. I know some people prefer to see how toned they are getting as opposed to seeing how light they have become but I need to see the 'LIGHT'. Sorry, couldn't help the pun.

Lately, I've decided to bring the weight down first before concentrating on toning myself. That is my plan, it may not be yours. I also eat just about anything I want to but with a lot of common sense. We're usually advised to have balanced meals, That means you portion your carbs, proteins, calcium intake etc in that meal to work within  what is recommended as healthy.

I on the other hand, may not necessarily eat healthy meals but I do use common sense to work it out in the span of a few days. If I pig out on rich foods for 1, 2 or 3 meals in a row, then I eat light for the next meal or for the next few meals. If I am going out for a nice dinner, then I will try to eat light before that. If it's not possible, then I do not fuss. I just make up for it with the next few meals. I came to this 'conclusion' because I feel that ALL MEALS put in front of you are blessings. I am blessed to have food to eat. I am blessed to have water to drink. That's it. Very simple. No need to complain when people give you food and the food is too rich. You can eat in moderation and eat something lighter later on to balance it up overall. 

I also exercise only when I have the time to do so and am not crazily working out every other minute of the day.

I must say, yes, following the above will mean your weight loss journey will crawl painstakingly slow. I have this word of encouragement though. If you are able to crawl this slowly and you are patient, then the weight loss regime is more likely to stick because it will just be seamlessly integrated into your life and you won't even feel like you're on a weight loss regime.

By the way, I am suddenly able to blog better again because I have finally purchased a budget laptop.

Please let me introduce, Blue. My new HP Stream 13.

HP Stream 13

Copyright 2016 Fiona C Yeo of Cartoon Lagoon

I love Blue.
I really really love the colour. It is so me.
Ok, it could be faster but you get what you pay for.

I took the above pic because of the words on the screen; "Getting everything ready for you". I was smiling when I was getting it set up for the first time. I was recalling the year when I first bought our family desktop PC for the kids from Challenger and was setting it up. I had thick manuals and CDs by my side on how to set up the PC and how to install the dial up internet connection with Singnet! It was torture!

Now, the computer speaks to me. It tells me what it is doing to set itself up. Setting up wifi is such a breeze too. How life has changed in the last 20 years.

What am I doing these days? Well for starters, let's talk about nights. I just watched Descendants of the Sun with hubs. Suffice to say, the cutesy prettiness of Song Hye Kyo and the charm of Song Joong Ki was enough to keep us transfixed for a few nights in a row. Currently as I type this, hubs is busy surfing the net for Song and Song videos. Sorry, only Kdrama diehard fans will know what I am talking about! Let's be clear though that I am not a crazed Kdrama fan. I am selective. After DotS, I started to watch another series and just could not bring myself to continue beyond episode 3. In fact, I could have easily stopped after the first few scenes but decided to give it a chance. A good Kdrama need not have a good script but there should be good eye candy, good OST (Original Soundtrack) and a good director. I say it need not have a good script because seriously, there were some crazy unbelievable scenes in DotS but who cares, right? I can stare at Song Hye Kyo all day and all night and it doesn't hurt to have Song Joong Ki beside her too. Hubs agrees Song Joong Ki is not exactly handsome but is very charming. We're watching old episodes of Running Man now, which feature him. Haha. The things we do.

In the day, I do my chores then sit in front of the computer. By the time I do, it's usually the afternoon. I'm on it for a few hours and then hubs comes home and it's time to make him something to eat or prepare dinner. That's about it and I realise that it is enough to keep me happy.

I have to go....hubs is calling me to join him to watch youtube videos on Song & Song! Who will pass up a chance to cosy up to her husband? Not me! Ciao and God bless!

Out of Hibernation and a new magic number

Hello! I am back! I've finally recovered enough to be back on track with the exercising again!

So, how have I been? Have you been following me on INSTAGRAM?
My IG nick is FIONACYEO
Go look for me. I mainly show my meal pics over there.

I thought that as we move into the week we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, that it be apt that I also climb out of hibernation to do this long overdue post.
First, let's get it over with photos from Nov 2015 to April 2016, shall we? You might want to know how I have been doing weight wise.

I have not been exercising since my appendectomy (read about it in previous posts). That's maybe 5 or 6 months. But I have lost weight! I actually hit a  new magic number earlier this week! The lowest since I started exercising in July of 2015.

APRIL 2016
Here I am with my naked face all flushed and sweaty after a run. Arms and thighs flabby but still maintaining the weight which I had lost before my surgery.

  Above pic. Right after a run (end April 2016)

Copyright Fionacyeo (cartoonlagoon.com.sg) 2016

 

In the below pic, I was trying on some running shorts which were on sale and realised that I hadn't taken a full body shot of myself for quite some time. My fringe / bangs were in the way so I had them clipped up in the horrible fashion which is the way I do when I am doing housework or like now when I'm typing! I think me shall cut me fringe real soon because me wrinkly frown lines are showing! I also realised that I have several pics of me in this same blouse. I guess I find the cut flattering, that's why. It accentuates my curves in all the right places! As you can see from the pic below, all those months of not exercising have caused me great flabbiness, especially to my thighs! But, not to worry. I am on the road again and should be back on track if I keep it up.

 



Above pic. In a changing room (Mid April 2016)

Copyright Fionacyeo (cartoonlagoon.com.sg) 2016

 

Above pic. (Mid March 2016)

Copyright Fionacyeo (cartoonlagoon.com.sg) 2016

 

Above pic. End February 2016

Copyright Fionacyeo (cartoonlagoon.com.sg) 2016

 

Above pic. January 2016

Copyright Fionacyeo (cartoonlagoon.com.sg) 2016

 

 

My hair was really long by the end of last year. I had trimmed off inches here and there but I cut off about half the length at the end of February because I thought I was going to take up a job offer (which I eventually declined after some discernment). I'd just gone to the S$10 hair salon and said, "Just cut!"

 

Above pic. December 2015

Copyright Fionacyeo (cartoonlagoon.com.sg) 2015

 

Above pic. November 2015

Copyright Fionacyeo (cartoonlagoon.com.sg) 2015

Ok, so now you have seen my photos of the months I had been missing in action. I haven't taken any flattering photos lately so that first pic of this post where I am all sweaty will have to do! It's how I look when I am exercising any way! Truth!

I didn't mean to hibernate on purpose. Just got carried away by things to do on a daily basis. I've officially been a stay-at-home mum for 4 complete months. It took me a while to get into a routine. At first, I had been nursing pain from the slow recovery of my appendix surgery. Then things got better and I was able to go back to my usually carrying of fairly heavy stuff. So I've started to get into a routine of being the family chauffeur, cook and maid.

The early months of 2016 saw me kept busy with administrative matters. I had stuff to do, especially where it came to my daughter's Uni Exchange placement in Germany and her subsequent Visa application. To say it wasn't a stressful period is to lie. Please, if you ever choose to go Germany to study, read the fineprint thoroughly and apply for your VISA and Bank account as early as you can. The problem is not that you are inefficient. The problem is that you rely on replies from other parties who may not be able to respond to you by your deadline. You're pretty much left in the lurch; not knowing if it's going forward or not.

Anyhow, I was busy helping her to shop and pack for her right up till the hours before her departure. You can only imagine, squeezing all your Asian condiments (and bolster) into a luggage within the weight limit of the airline. We had to pack, weigh, unpack, re-weigh. You get the picture. When she finally arrived at her beautiful dormitory in Germany, I could finally heave a big sigh of relief.

I'm not a confirmed stay-at-home mum. I know that I'll have to go back to work sooner or later. That puts me in a sort of odd situation. I can't seem to work in a temporary kind of setting. I mean, I could get used to this lifestyle but I know it's only temporary. That makes it hard to make any sort of commitment as a 'homemaker'. I don't sign up for classes because I have housework to do and I am also on the look out for job openings. However, I must say that after a few months, my routine is getting better and I may be able to start attending classes or courses now if need be.

I was typing on my tablet all this while and it really wasn't very convenient for blogging! Now, I'm typing on my kid's old notepad which annoys me too because it's a little cranky. Up until now, I have stopped myself from buying a new laptop (old one broke) because I'm not earning an income and it's a purchase I can stave off for a little while by borrowing equipment from my kids!

By the way, speaking of not earning an income.....hubs has been encouraging me to be a full-time cabby. I am hesitating because I think someone in the family needs to have a more stable income but then again, it depends on what the Lord has in store for me.

I would like to end by saying that sometimes, life throws you off track but it's always good to dwell on the little happy and joyful things in life and to keep your head held high. No one and nothing can get you down if you don't allow them to.

God bless!

January 2016 Weight Loss update

Happy New Year!

I have not fallen off the face of the earth! Just been so busy with cleaning the house and trying to cope with my new role as a homemaker.
Homemaker. Such a fancy word for housewife. My life as it is now is relegated to being a chauffeur, laundry lady, cook and cleaner.

Life as a new housewife has its perks. Unless I am chauffering, I no longer have to set my alarm clock! I told myself I'd give myself that luxury at the very least. So now, I wake up when I want to and take a nap when I need to! Life is good and I am especially enjoying being the family cook.

Hubs and I went on a short food trail with his family in December 2015 when I hit the one month anniversary of my appendix surgery. When I left for the trip, I was still hurting in my abdomen. I could barely let my pants touch my navel without feeling pain. I felt quite frustrated that I could not carry my luggage or even my shopping because I would feel the strain in my tummy. However, I did realise that every single day made a difference and I was getting better every day. When I returned from the trip after a few days, I realised that I could start to slowly carry a heavy knapsack of groceries so I started to go grocery shopping quite often. From there, I was able to take on more housework and it was good because I managed to handle cooking for the family during the Christmas and New Year period.

So how am I doing weight wise?
Not too bad. My weight is still down and has gone down slightly below my first mini goal. I did hit a new magic number about 2 weeks ago but then I let the festive eating get to me. Well, considering I had eaten so much and still managed to maintain my weight at a reasonable loss of 7 to 8 kgs over 5 to 6 months, I'm not too sad! What saddens me is that I have not been able to jump on my rebounder (trampoline) & I have turned flabby all round, despite losing weight!

(I was all ready to upload a current pic but I'm still blogging from my tablet and have been having trouble loading my photos from it. I tried logging in from my phone to no avail. I believe it's because I need to tweak some settings since that phone is a new one).

You can see what's cooking in my kitchen if you follow me in Instagram.
Look for me under fionacyeo in Instagram.

Diet wise, I have not been dieting at all. No watching of calories either. I just eat everything in reasonable amounts. Also, if I am a glutton today, I eat leaner the next. It seems to work for me.

I am still cleaning and re-organising our room. Hope to set up a laptop soon as it's a real pain blogging from a tablet. Will check in here every once in a while. If you found me because you were looking for a weight loss routine, please perservere. If a person like me could do it, you can too! I've still got a long way to go so let's do it together.