This whole starving myself business isn’t working out.

She said on Day 4 of her diet. Which, technically, would be Day 3 since she had wine and a nibble on a crepe on Day 1.

Gaaaaah!

I spent the entire day – and night (I slept at 1 AM) – yesterday Googling recipes and watching Martha Stewart videos on how to cook anything and everything breaded, battered and deep fried. Deep fried Oreos, anyone? Corn dogs? Suffice it to say that I am now armed with the knowledge – and a grocery list! – to gain even more weight than I already have.

But I sure am looking forward to those deep fried Oreos…

Okay, let’s backtrack a little.

Last week, a lockdown was out of the question since Debra Wennett, former Siargao resident and one of my favorite people in the world, was in town for a short visit so we celebrated, up and down the island, with too much food and too much wine.

(My favorite new foodie discovery is Nine Bar’s German guest chefs who serve up some pretty tasty specials-of-the-day. I’m dying to return for their burgers, which have gotten a lot of rave reviews. Plus I really want a burger. Note: The German chefs are only in Siargao for a few months, so if you’re on the island…)

Of course I continued celebrating long after Deb had gone home to bed. And on the days that we didn’t get together. As is my custom.

If you see photos of me (and you won’t , unless we’re Facebook friends and, no, if I do not know you, this is not an invitation to connect), you’ll see a HUGE difference from when Deb and I first met up at the beginning of the week and when we were saying our goodbyes.

I still swam almost everyday since I arrived – missing only two days – but it wasn’t enough to offset the large amounts of calories I was consuming.

Well, Debra finally left last June 1, the start of a new month, which also happened to fall on a Sunday, the start of a new week. It was the perfect time to start over! Start what exactly, I’m not entirely sure…

As you may have noticed, I’ve been incredibly uninspired of late.

I stopped oil pulling. I stopped doing squats. I stopped writing. I even want to stop swimming.

Well, it’s too hot to do anything. (She whined.) Yes, even to swim. The water is warm, sticky, and cloying. It feels like swimming in sweat.

And I’m bored. Bored of endless repetition.

I think I miss working out with weights… I’m considering staying in Cebu for a while and joining a gym. Idle thoughts for now. But I’ll be in Cebu next week and will explore my options.

(End of whine.)

But I’m pretty sure this lethargy and ennui are byproducts of my unhealthy lifestyle. It’s like being stuck in a bog and the heavier I feel, the easier it is for me to sink into the mire rather than pull myself out.

I’m pretty sure it will pass.

It’s especially hard now that I’m detoxing. The first few days are always the hardest.

Detoxing? Is that what I’ve been doing?

Well, I’ve been trying to have only one main meal a day, consisting mostly of protein. If I get a sugar craving, I’ll have some fruit (avocado, mango, banana, papaya).

For instance, today, thanks to yesterday’s overexposure to Martha Stewart, I had an avocado smoothie in the morning (minus the lemon juice since I’ve run out of lemons). Then crab claws in coconut milk, and some sauteed veggies for lunch. And then I had a banana three hours later because I was trying not to eat chocolate.

But I don’t want to lay any parameters on my diet this time, because we all know that I’m going to do whatever I want anyway. Like, tomorrow, I’m going to a party in the late afternoon, which means (1) that I can’t swim (- I can only swim at 5 PM when the workers have stopped working on the house), and (2) that I will be hungry for a very long time and therefore might end up binging. So should I deter the binging by eating a meal during the day, or should I compensate for it instead with more exercise? Hard questions for a starved mind. I’m sure I’ll find out tomorrow.

Oh yeah, I’m also trying to stop smoking. Again. I was doing so well in Manila! And then Bohol happened. Specifically The Ananyana. Good times…

Aside from swimming, I am also doing this:

But I’ve been using my newly acquired AbMat so I’m doing the basic sit-up, as demonstrated here:

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VsolU7dfK0

I must have lost around two kilos already, but it’s hard to tell because, well, I didn’t dare weigh myself before so I’m not sure at what point I started, and I think I have one of those fun house mirrors that distort that way you look. Mine makes me look thinner than I actually am. Either that or my friend has a mirror that makes people look fat.

Either way, the results are encouraging.

Encouraging me to go out and get a burger!

JUST KIDDING. I think the food cravings have passed. No more deep-fried food recipes or cooking videos tonight. Wish me luck with tomorrow’s party!

PS – I resumed oil pulling yesterday, but I’m still thinking about the squats. And I haven’t smoked since… Day 2. 😉