ramblings, random musings, fascinations, rants, raves and revelations

Knowing that I considered going to they gym because I really need to shed some pounds, Ron forwarded this article…

A recent study from the University of Arkansas says a mouthful: The average diner underestimates his or her calorie count by up to 93 percent when eating out. So every time you step through a restaurant door, you may be consuming twice what you bargained for. And that’s bad news for all of us: This year American’s will spend $500 billion — half of our total food dollars — eating out. It’s a double-dip disaster: More meals out, more calories consumed, more trouble from expanding waistlines.

I should know. During a single day recently I visited three big chain restaurants, ordered normally, and demonstrated how you can easily consume a whopping 6,000 calories — three times the recommended total. No, I didn’t eat a mountain of onion rings or a whole extra-large pizza. In fact, I didn’t even have snacks or dessert — just three square meals, including a bran muffin, a burrito, and a salad. It’s the way millions of Americans eat all the time, thinking they’re doing pretty well.

The good news is you can eat on the run — helping yourself to a lot of delicious food — and still lose weight. You just need a strong sense of determination and a wary eye for the the food traps. Start now by making smart choices like those shown here, and you’ll be much skinnier by summer!

BREAKFAST

Breakfast Sandwich
Eat This!

Ham, Egg & Cheese English Muffin Sandwich:
310 calories
10 g fat (5 g saturated)

Not That!
Multigrain Bagel with Lite Cream Cheese
530 calories
17 g fat

Many readers have indicated that breakfast is one of the most misunderstood meals of the day. So let’s say it once and for all: Bagels are bogus. Doesn’t matter if they’re made from multigrain and slathered with the lightest cream cheese in the world. A study from St. Louis University found that people who started their days with eggs consumed 264 fewer calories over the course of a day than those who started with bagels and cream cheese. (That’s 1,800 calories in a week — or a half pound of fat!)

Why? Because protein kick starts your metabolism, helps keep you feeling full throughout the day, and gets your body burning calories early and often. Empty carbs, either from bagels, pancakes, even bran muffins, spike your blood sugar and set you up for a big energy crash — and the massive cravings that come along with it.

LUNCH

Burger
Eat This!

McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese
510 calories
26 g fat

Not That!
Burger King Whopper with Cheese
770 calories
48 g fat

Yes, you can keep your figure, or even shrink it, eating the occasional burger, as long as you know the right one to pick. Apparently the BK’s famed flame-broiling does nothing to cut the calories on their most popular burger. And the massive bun and thick layer of mayonnaise don’t help either.

So, a few rules for the burger lovers out there who don’t want to kick the habit: 1) Four ounces of meat or less. Some chains serve burgers packing up to a full pound of beef, easily exceeding the USDA’s recommendation for meat intake…for an entire day. 2) No mayo or mysterious sauce. It doesn’t matter how “special” it may be, it can pack as many calories and fat as the meat itself. (The only thing special about it, most of the time, is its ability to stretch you horizontally.) Ketchup, mustard, and barbecue sauce are all fine. 3) Can the combo. If you were to add a large fry and large Coke to McDonald’s relatively reasonable Quarter Pounder, that’s an extra 870 calories. If you want to eat cheeseburgers, you’ll have to show some restraint with the sides.

DINNER

Eat This:

Ruby Tuesday’s 9 oz Sirloin with French Fries
615 calories
19 g fat

Not That!
Ruby Tuesday’s Bella Turkey Burger with Baked Potato
1524 calories
84 g fat

People pay too much attention to the type of meat being served to them, and not enough attention to how it’s being served. Steak = bad, turkey = good, but it’s not always that simple. The fact is a sirloin — among the leanest of all steaks — has about the same number of calories, ounce-for-ounce, as turkey or chicken.

But problems arise when the poor turkey is fried, stuffed into an oversized bun, and covered in cheese and mayo. All of a sudden, you have a turkey burger with four times the amount of calories as a 9-oz sirloin. Note to all sandwich, burger, and wrap lovers: Beware of the cheeses, special sauces, and dressings. It’s these, not the meat itself, that pack the biggest punch.

DESSERT

Cake
Eat This:
1 Slice Blueberry Cheesecake
450 calories
30 g fat

Not That!
1 Slice Chocolate Layer Cake
900 calories
55 g fat

We too often look at dessert as an all-or-nothing proposition, as if deciding whether or not to eat it is the only choice that matters. But even within the world of indulgences, there can be a meal’s worth of calories separating a slice of cake from a slice of cheesecake, which is why every decision you make throughout the day, from breakfasts to snacks to the moments where you’re rewarding yourself, demand careful consideration.

Cheesecake is by no means a health food, but the graham cracker crust it often comes built on is a relatively low-impact vehicle, and the blueberry topping (usually fresh or frozen berries simmered with lemon juice and a touch of sugar) adds a small dose of antioxidants. Chocolate cake, on the other hand, is a dense wall of flour, butter, and sugar, spackled with multiple layers of frosting made with more butter and sugar and heavy cream. Ounce for ounce, it’s one of the most calorie-riddled foods on the planet.

Make all the right choices above, and you’ve consumed 1,885 calories. For someone who’s busy and moderately active, that means you can lose up to a pound or more a week! (Add in a few bouts of exercise, and the weight loss can easily double to two pounds a week or more.)

Thanks Ron!

When my so-called infatuation and kagagahan reached my mainstream friends [Havenlink friends, PacHub friends, college friends, hayskul friends and office friends], again my blog world attained recognition. It showed people its possibility as a medium for communication, advocacy and as an attention grabber.

I thought Im just being lured by his looks and so my infatuation for beautiful creatures kicked in, but after reading his entries, I started to feel and appreciate what his blog is all about. And what I really should be feeling.

I wish to seek forgiveness of my so-GAY reactions and initial intention. I gave in to my physical desires. I’m really sorry and I mean it. Now, I can say that I’m more attracted to what is in between his ears atop his shoulders. I understand what infatuation is now. Thus the definition explains…

Infatuation is the state of being completely carried away by unreasoning passion or love; addictive love. Infatuation usually occurs at the beginning of relationship when sexual attraction is central. It is characterized by urgency, intensity, sexual desire, and anxiety, in which there is an extreme absorption in another. It is traditionally associated with youth.

In the case of David Eric Poarch, his blog exudes richness in content and personal details that each post easily merits a lot of comments from readers not to discount the fact that his looks well complemented to it too. To think his blog [as it has been considered a Travel blog] contains mainly of Luzon travels, his blog traffic can easily give a lot of big blogs [containing the LuzViMinda travels] a run for their money.

Here is why I think his blog has become a big hit:

Emotion. David’s post touches the reader’s heart especially Filipino hearts. Most of us will never forget actors, authors, writers and stories that stirred our feelings. But the fact that a person gave up what most of us have been dreaming of for the love of Philippines and our culture created a big impact on each and everyone’s disposition. Whether they made us angry, cry or laugh, the emotions they create remain and will not be easily forgotten. Thus gave us the question - Do I really have to dream or aspire for the land of honey?

Writing style. David’s writing style is very direct. He speaks his heart out in every blog post he has written. Anyone who gets to read wants to understand more about the issue at hand. Every blog post bears a lot of emotion that shows the effort made when writing. This makes the post clear, beautiful and intriguing. His stories are always well provided by pictures to document it.

Facts. Rather than just opinions or rants, David shares a lot of information in his blog that concerns the various parties involved in the issue.

Appreciation. David continuously showers his readers with appreciation by recognizing them whenever he can. This touches the heart of readers and contributors who feel acknowledged and the spirit of community or bonding is further strengthened.

Feedback. David does not hesitate to accept feedback through his blog and is willing to answer them sincerely. This transparency showed how connected he can be although he hid the message board to avoid some more confrontation with his partner.

Concern for others. David’s blog has now extended to a bigger cause, dealing with politics, nature and current issues. This, in turn, has also earned him a growing loyal audience.

Word of mouth. Eventually, those who came to know of David’s blog, and was touched [or entertained] by it, have become sneezers of information that further spread the word about his blogging cause. It has moved a person, like me, to reflect on what lessons can be learned from him in this column.

Bravery. Not all of us are bold enough give up all the luxuries and the comfort we have at home. David fighting for what he believe is right and pursuing it made most of us think - Can I also do that?

There are actually more lessons that can be learned from his blog. I won’t be surprised if he will be considered as one of the most influential bloggers in 2008.

I will continue to post entries about him not primarily of my physical attraction but more of admiration on what his coconut contains. He would still be “My Coconuter”.

Since I was too excited to check on Anawangin pictures and cant wait to see its beauty, I googled for some info and pictures. While screwing things all at once [very Gay], I accidentally bumped into a blogger who had experienced the island and a lot more of the Philippines. I admired the pictures he posted and I was drifted to checking all his posts. And then whoah! I saw one picture with the blogger himself! I was love struck! hahahahaha… Damn! I giggled stupidly to the weird-prying-eyes of my officemates. Hahahaha… I don’t care! I just so love him! He’s too admirable and sexy. I cant help but to post this video and I know I’ll be digging so much of him from now on. How come I haven’t been able to watch this TV documentary before? Good thing naihabol ko pa! At least I can say… I really didn’t miss half of my life. Sheez, thanks to YouTube.

A young man who had a comfortable and achievement-adorned life in the US, left it all in search of true meaning to “life, freedom, purpose, and happiness” figuratively embodied in a “perfect golden coconut.” While in the US, he graduated Valedictorian of his high school class, received a full scholarship to one of the top US colleges, Rice University, interned at NASA for two terms, and is MENSA International qualified, to name a few of his accomplishments. He now lives as a “nomad” in the Philippines and attempts to try and understand various aspects of life and life itself. He maintains a blog to document his thoughts and photographs during his journey. His writings and ideas have good intentions and have potential for overall world improvement, which you will see from reading his blog. I just hate envy [sorry for the bitchy term] Liza [you know what I mean].

Goodbye chocolates, goodbye hotdogs… Goodbye other crushes!