My Ideal Protein Journey - Part 2

I hope I was able to hold you in suspense on my previous blog entry.  Here I am sharing more about the Ideal Protein Diet I am on.

Let me take you through what my food intake is for one week:

DAY 1: 

Breakfast - IP Crispy Cereals

Lunch - Fish plus 2 cups vegetables

Snack - IP Peanut Butter Protein Bar

Dinner - IP Leek Soup plus 2 cups vegetables

DAY 2: 

Breakfast - IP Capuccino Drink

Lunch - Pork plus 2 cups vegetables

Snack - IP Pink Lemonade Drink

Dinner - IP Chicken Soup plus 2 cups vegetables

DAY 3: 

Breakfast - IP Chocolate Pancakes

Lunch - Beef plus 2 cups vegetables

Snack - IP Cran Granat Protein Bar

Dinner - IP Mushroom Soup plus 2 cups vegetables

DAY 4: 

Breakfast - IP Fine Herbs & Cheese Omelet

Lunch - Chicken plus 2 cups vegetables

Snack - IP Peach-Mango Juice

Dinner - IP Leek Soup plus 2 cups vegetables

DAY 5: 

Breakfast - IP Maple Flavored Oatmeal

Lunch - Fish plus 2 cups vegetables

Snack - IP Milk Choco Pudding

Dinner - IP Tomato-Basil Soup plus 2 cups vegetables

DAY 6: 

Breakfast - IP Chocolate Drink

Lunch - Pork plus 2 cups vegetables

Snack - IP Raspberry Jelly

Dinner - IP Vegetable Chili Soup plus 2 cups vegetables

DAY 7: 

Breakfast - IP Capuccino Drink

Lunch - Beef plus 2 cups vegetables

Snack - IP Cran Granata Protein Bar

Dinner - IP Leek Soup plus 2 cups vegetables

The regimen is simple but has to be followed on time -- 7 am: drink 1 glass warm water (to wake up the digestive system); 8 am: breakfast plus supplements; 12 nn: lunch; 3 pm: snack plus supplements; and 6 pm: dinner plus supplements.  If dinner at 6 pm is not possible due to work, dinner should not go beyond 8 pm (to give time to digest food before going to sleep).

My first week went great and I lost 10 lbs easily.  My succeeding weeks however were a little hectic with work and so I missed the appointed times for meals. I also missed a couple of snacks because I did weekend afternoon siesta to rest from a tiring work week and missed a dinner when I was stranded on my way home due to heavy rains and flood.  My next losses averaged 4 lbs a week.  Not bad, you might say but that's only half of the Ideal Protein Diet target of 7 lbs losses per week.

Yeah, that's me...lost 28 lbs in 6 weeks.

I am very happy with my progress because I know that even though I am losing weight rather fast, I am sure that I remain healthy and still eat well.  For just being in the programme for 6 weeks (three weeks if one needs to lose only a few pounds), I have lost 30 lbs and inches from my body.  I and the people around me now can see the changes -- I regained my jaw line, I now can see my neck, my wrist watches and bracelets need adjusting, I now wear clothes that are 4 sizes smaller and I can now wear my old clothes which I stopped using since 2010.

I will be going to phase 2 of the programme which is the weaning stage. Will share that once I know what I'll be doing to still lose some more weight while keeping off the weight I already lost.

Read My IP Journey - Part 1

The Ideal Protein Diet is available in Diana Stalder Face, Body, Skin Care outlets.  Contact coach Dina dela Paz-Stalder will be very happy to guide you through the programme. 

Cignal Introduces TV-To-Go OTT Service

First there was just radio, then television and after a few decades came the advent of cable tv and since then, home viewing is never the same with clear viewing and lots of channels to choose from around the world.

One brand braved the cable tv scene about four years ago and has since reached several milestones -- Cignal Digital TV.  Under the PLDT Group of Companies, Cignal has been aggressive in its sales and marketing efforts that it has surpassed the 500,000-subscriber mark.  A High Definition (HD) cable provider, Cignal continues to push for new technology that will change the television viewing experience (and even viewing habit) for Filipinos. 

Noel Lorenzana, President & CEO of MediaQuest Holdings, Inc.,
welcomed guests at the Cignal TV-To-Go launch

At the recent launch event held at the Conservatory of the Peninsula Manila, Cignal introduced a new way to watch tv shows while on the move: Cignal TV-To-Go.  It is Cignal's new service that allows viewers to watch real-time broadcast feeds of Cignal channels on their broadband connected Smartphones or Tablets.  Now, Cignal Digital TV subscribers can watch their favorite shows while in transit to work, while waiting in a cafe or while on vacation in the province.  

"The shows that you follow will now follow you."
- Annie Naval, Managing Director & COO of Cignal

Since the Cignal TV-To-Go launch is currently on its beta phase and is offered for free to all Cignal Postpaid subscribers with Android devices on the Smart or PLDT broadband networks. The service will initially be available on mobile devices that run on the Android Jelly Bean operating system but it will be open to more Android devices and even iOS devices in the next few months.  

Top executives of the PLDT Group of Companies led by
SMART Communications and PLDT Chairman and Cignal founder
Manny V. Pangilinan did the ceremonial toast
during the launch of Cignal TV-to-Go

Cignal TV-To-Go is PLDT Group's first multimedia, multiscreen answer to evolve side-by-side with technology and the growing needs of its subscribers.  This OTT service can be a future worldwide trend in multimedia viewing.  

Cignal Postpaid subscribers can visit www.Cignal.tv to register.

My Ideal Protein Journey - Part 1

I've been chubby most of my life, except in my early teens when I was average and in my 30s when I ballooned to obesity.  I love good food, whether I'm cooking or just eating, and that is the problem.  I have tried some diets like Atkins and even went Pesco-Vegetarian for 2 years, where I lost 45 lbs but gained it all back 2 years after when I stopped. 

A few weeks ago, I learned about a new formula that is not only a diet programme but teaches you to make the right food choices and live a healthy lifestyle.  It's called the Ideal Protein (IP) Diet from Diana Stalder Face, Body, Skin Care and the owner, Ms. Dina dela Paz-Stalder is the health coach.  She herself underwent the programme and had an amazing transformation.

Ms. Stalder's amazing transformation.

In a nutshell, the Ideal Protein Diet was designed as a means of preserving lean body mass, including muscles, bones and other tissues, while losing fat.  The IP diet limits carbohydrate and sugar intake, supplementing with important electrolytes and vitamins and teaching the body to live off its stored fat.  To accomplish this, a line of high-protein, low-fat, low-carbohydrate products (prepackaged protein powders) that are eaten along with healthy food options like leafy green vegetables and lean protein and supplements such as multi-vitamins, calcium-potassium and calcium-magnesium.

The Ideal Protein Diet package of Diana Stalder

Prepacked protein powders

The supplements to ensure maximum health

I started six weeks ago with an open mind and hoping for will of steel that I will be able to finish the programme with good results.  I am (or was) a heavy rice eater and pasta lover that I thought I would not be able to give up the carbs for good.  But I did and now I lost my cravings for anything with carbohydrates.

I would like to share with you what my meals are like in a week's timeframe but let me reserve that for my next entry, together with my full body progress photos.  I still have to complete my last week on the programme.  In the meantime, here are before and after (taken last July 19) head shot photos.  

The Ideal Protein Diet is available in Diana Stalder Face, Body, Skin Care outlets.  Contact coach Dina dela Paz-Stalder will be very happy to guide you through the programme. 

Collection: UK Makeup Invades Manila

Heavy rain and traffic did not deter Manila's hip and trendy crowd from making their way to the Rockwell Tent to witness the unveiling of another British brand to hit the market.  

The invitation said to come in sweet, colorful or edgy attire so upon arriving at the venue, the same vibe was seen and felt by guests -- from the design of the tent entrance, to the interior of the tent which was transformed into a colorful London high street.

This latest British invasion is Collection, one of the biggest makeup brands in the United Kingdom and is set to conquer the hearts of fashionistas with its beauty must-haves: the season's fanciest and quirkiest trends in makeup. The product displays were a big hit among the guests who tried out hues to determine which will suit their style.  They have a wide array of makeup for the face, the eyes and lips that is surprisingly affordable.

Collection product display

Collection makeup for the face...

...and colour palettes for the eyes and lips

A hip and edgy makeup brand, Collection celebrates individuality and encourages everyone to flaunt their personality in a variety of makeup colors.  These attributes and more were echoed by LF Asia's  SVP for Marketing, Licensed Brands, and Distribution Mr. Mario Salvatori, and Collection Regional Brand Manager Ms. Donna Dewhurst as they welcomed the guests and introduced the Collection brand in the Philippines.

(l-r) Mr. Mario Salvatori and Ms. Donna Dewhurst

For the launch, three styles/personalities were highlighted and by the Collection brand ambassadors: 

Collection brand ambassadors

pastel clad fashion blogger Camille Co for the sweet and elegant SOFTLY NATURAL look, whose favorite is the Lasting Colour Lipstick Sweet Tart; 

Camille Co

techno aztec inspired fashion blogger Laureen Uy for the hip and colorful POPPING PASTEL look, who raved about the Bedazzled Eye Palette; 

Laureen Uy

and rocker styled model/actress Solenn Heusaff for the the sultry and edgy ROCK CHICK look, who loved the Lasting Colour Gel Eyeliner in Black.

Collection is available in fashion and beauty boutiques in Manila. Check out their website www.collectioncosmetics.com.ph for the list of stores, product descriptions and tutorials on how to achieve the Softly Natural, Rock Chick and Popping Pastels looks. Like them on Facebook at facebook.com/CollectionCosmeticsPH and follow them on Twitter at twitter.com/CollectionPH to be updated with the latest Collection products and news.

Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2013: Happy V. Andrada

Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2013 proved to be another exciting showcase for Filipino designers.  One such designer that I always look forward to seeing a new collection is Happy V. Andrada and this season didn’t disappoint as models sashayed on the runway wearing tops, bottoms, jackets and dresses in fine woven fabrics with interesting architectural details.

PFW Holiday 2013 Happy V. Andrada Collection

Happy’s new collection highlights creations that promote eco-ethical fashion – using natural dyes in 100% organic woven fabrics indigenous to the Philippines – which enable her to help support local skilled artisans from various communities that produced the fabrics.  Happy muses, “I used environment friendly resources to create a collection that supports the Filipino artisan worker. Everything is 100% Philippine made.” In muted color palette of lilac, gray, red and black, Happy worked her magic using Abaca, Pineapple, Pineapple Silk, Pineapple Crepe, Philippine Dupioni, Jusi, Bamboo and Waterlily.  “I plan to use other colors that would fit other seasons for future collections.”

When asked what inspired her to come out with such patriotic collection, Happy shares, “I got invited to showcase my designs in Czechoslovakia, United States of America and Japan and so I decided to highlight Philippine made fabrics to say I am a proud Filipino and at the same time, these fabrics are saving the earth because they are eco-friendly materials and ethical in the sense of production, labor, etc.”

And does the collection have a name? “To be honest this Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2013 collection doesn’t have a title, it’s just babies of my winning entry from FDCP Weaving the Future Smart Choice Award, where my collection was called Barong Reinvented. From there, my designs just evolved,” Happy volunteers. “I also played around with shapes like triangles, so I could call it Triangular Evolution, too.” 

With her wearable art ready for the market, she’ll definitely be on top of the list of fashionistas who are advocates of a healthy earth and giving back to society.

Designer Happy V. Andrada (extreme right)
with models at the PFW Holiday 2013 at SMX

About the Designer

Happy took fashion courses at Central Saint Martins in London. A dynamic young designer, she has been joining and winning shows and contests here and abroad – won as Emerging Designer at the 2012 Miami International Fashion Week International; won two major awards in the last 3rd Asian Weddings and Arts Competition in Hong Kong; won grand prize at the Swatch’s My Rabbit Story and Smart Choice Winner in the Weaving the Future competition by the Fashion Design Council of the Philippines, among others.

The creative lady behind her own fashion label is also an entrepreneur who co-owns F*ART Fashion ART with her equally talented and beautiful sister, book author Viva V. Andrada.

Want to wear her designs and be absolutely happy? Check out Happy V. Andrada’s Ready to Wear line at www.shop.happyandrada.com and you may also try out her creations at her store, F*ART Fashion ART.


As published in BusinessWorld's HerWord.com:
http://herword.com/fashion/happy_andrada_2013/index.php

Happy Thoughts for the Week

SWAP: the New Kid on the Fashion Watch Block

In my lifetime, two of the most memorable affordable fashion watches to me are Alba (early 80s) and Swatch (late 80s) and I remember gawking at them on some friends’ wrists back in school. Both brands produced funky and colorful timepieces that are fun to wear.  My parents did not get me an Alba back in grade school but they gifted me with my very first Swatch in high school.  I think this is where my love and addiction for watches started and up to today, I haven’t stopped collecting them. 

To date, I own 24 timepieces, not counting those that I handed down to my mom because in reality, I couldn’t use them all. And even though I have moved on to buying branded/pricier ones, I still got excited when I learned about the new kid on the fashion watch block called SWAP.  

My eyes lit up as I gazed at the colorful array of interchangeable watch faces and straps of SWAP at its launch last month at the Glorietta Activity Center.  The stage and showcases were dressed up with the colorful theme of the watches and guest celebrities joined in the fun.  Rainbow and neutral colored straps were all over the place, not to mention the equally colorful watch faces from its plain/classic variant to the graphic collection.

The SWAP launch event stage in Glorietta

Displays at the SWAP launch

SWAP watches currently has 30 colors of straps and 22 watches faces (9 plain and 13 graphic) you can choose from and wear depending on your mood and fashion statement for the day.  All SWAP watches have stainless steel case back, are 3atm water resistant, hypoallergenic silicone strap and come with a one year warranty on its Japan made mechanism.

SWAP Classic and Solid watch faces

SWAP Graphic watch faces and colored silicone straps

A SWAP watch face costs P500 each while the silicone strap costs P350 but they have a Starter Kit that comes with 2 silicone straps and a watch face of your choice for only P1,000.

SWAP Starter Kit

At the launch, SWAP announced that every month, a new theme of exciting graphic watch face designs such as sports, movies, characters, superheroes, places and even fashion patterns and trends will be made available.  For the straps, a new batch of colors will be introduced quarterly.

SWAP campaign hashtag

All SWAP watches are now available in Tomato Stores and SWAP exhibits in various malls in Metro Manila.  You may also order through the Tomato Online Store at www.tomato.ph, which by the way has a Customer Service Live Chat Application that you can use to inquire or complain about their products.  I’ve tried this when I discovered at home that the watch face I got from the event has a scratch on it and their customer service representative was friendly and efficient that I was able to have the replacement the following day from one of their stores.

My SWAP purple strap plus Mirror and Instagram watch faces

Finally, if you wish to decide on which colored strap and watch face to buy before going to their store or exhibits, visit their online visualizer at http://www.tomato.ph/SwapMeBaby. Mag #SWAPkana!