Although I’ve adopted this new lifestyle by changing my diet and working out regularly, I’m not about to tell you that being disciplined is the easiest MOST FUN THING TO DO! Giving up your favourite foods (ohh… chocolate, french fries, cake) requires some sort of grit. In fact, it probably requires some sort of strait jacket.

Then, when it comes to working out, it’s not all a bed of roses. Your favourite work out activity can seem like the most difficult thing to do when you’re exhausted after a full day of work. After tackling the flood of emails earlier in the day, I feel like I’ve already swum through a tsunami and getting into the pool is probably the last thing I want to do. But, if I’m going to crack the health code and go for gold, here are some tips on how to stay motivated to exercise (and keep that 25 inch waist line)!

1. Work out with friends
Whether you’re traveling light or working out, friends help ease the burden of your weight(s). Not that they’re there next to you carrying your dumbbells, but friends are a great source of encouragement to keep you going when your motivation is low. The more, the merrier! They’ll be your own personal cheerleading squad!

2. Think full-body wellness
Instead of focusing on how much weight you’ll lose when you go for that run or the muscles you’ll build, think about the overall positive impact of exercising. For instance, exercising promotes better blood circulation which brings extra oxygen to your skin, giving it a natural healthy glow. Then, with better blood circulation all around, you’ll feel more alert during the day too! It’s amazing what simple exercises can do for your whole body.

3. Start small and be realistic
Rome wasnt built in a day and babies learnt to walk before they started to run. This same principle applies to your workout regime. You’re not going to be able to carry 10kg weights or do 5 sets of the same exercise the first few times you start your weight training. A 21km run is probably going to seem impossible if 5km is already a challenge.

Constantly motivate yourself to exercise by building up your workout routine from the beginning, starting with small manageable bite sizes. These sizes should be palatable to YOUR body, not anyone else’s. I wasnt the strongest swimmer when I first started swimming, but I decided to do shorter laps and take more regular breaks. Now I can do longer laps without stopping and I’d have to say I’m definitely more confident in the water! Soon I might even be doing synchonized swimming. Haha. Small baby steps to a major breakthrough.

4. Write it down
Once you know where to start, whether you write it down, tweet it or log it in your phone, JUST. WRITE. IT. DOWN. The idea is to have a record of what you want to achieve, when you achieved it and how you got there. You’ll be able to look back and what works for you and what didnt. Which leads us to the next point…

5. Celebrate every small victory
You skipped on dessert during dinner yesterday? Pat yourself on the back. That’s a one less kilometer you have to run the next time. Make sure you recorded it. Went for a run today? Good job! Because that means you’re one step to being fitter and you’ll be able to run the same distance in a shorter time soon.

Celebrate every small step you make to getting the body you want because it all counts. With recording your fitness progress, it’s much easier for you to feel good about yourself when you look back and see how far you’ve come. When you go through at your records, you might really surprise yourself with what you’ve been able to achieve! At the end of all the small celebrations when you’ve finally got to where you want your body to be, it’s time to have a big party!

Whenever I mention losing weight to anyone, they look at me with incredulity and go, “What weight do you have to lose?!” Now now before you start the hate, I wasnt on a mission to lose weight. My recent dietary and lifestyle changes were more in pursuit of a healthier body. The weight loss came as a by-product of all that change.

Even when I hit my all time sexiest fittest in Brazil, Sao Paulo during the Miss Universe competition, it wasnt because I was trying to keep up with the rest of the girls. The reality is that I fell sick during the last week of the competition and lost my appetite. I ate much lesser than I normally did and ended up picking at fruits, a few leaves of vegetables or protein for all meals. That’s how I got so se.. skinny. Comparing my photos from the official Miss Universe Singapore photoshoot, I had significantly lost a whole lot of weight without even intending to.

For sure, I’ll probably never be that Miss Universe size again, and I thought I had put on a whole load of weight after stuffing myself silly in New York. But a recent date with the measuring tape surprised me! I’ve been a waist line 26/27-incher for the longest time. Mind you, that’s not considered fat by my height standards. But I have to say a 25-inch waist is pretty swell. HELLLOOO CURVES! Of course achieving 25 wasnt without hard work and resistance. I must be doing something right with my new work out and diet routine!

Throughout this time, there are a few things I’ve learned regarding how to lose weight. Losing weight isnt about starving yourself. I eat plenty and my friends will attest to the fact that I’m always hungry. A cornerstone of weight loss is being aware of what goes into your body. So, here are my tips on how to lose weight and get the better body you want:

Cutting carbs
Carbs give you energy and we all need it. It’s an important staple and I wouldnt do without it. I eat my bread, rice and noodles… Just not all of it. I’m not gonna start with all the calorie counting because we’re not all blessed to deal with Math. How I went about reducing my carbohydrate intake was to limit it to one bowl of rice (or equivalent) a day. If I had a full portion of rice during lunch, then that was a sign dinner was going to be purely protein and fibre. If my lunch was light, then dinner was the perfect opportunity to indulge in a bowl of ramen.

Of course, eating with friends and family will certainly help your cause. Because sharing is caring, instead of eating that whole bowl of rice by yourself, why not share it with someone else? That way you’ll also have more space in your bowl for the other goodies on the table.

Oh hello you pretty little thing. Get in mah belly!

Sugar, the innocent looking devil
This one is a real toughie. Considering how much I love my desserts (ohhh Red Velvet how you make my heart flutter), you’d probably have to straight jacket me before I completely give this up. I love my desserts: cakes, cookies, chocolates and all them pretty little treats.

But, sugar has got to be the sneaky little devil that creeps onto your belly without being invited. The worst part is the little devil refuses to budge! Unfortunately, you cant cut sugar out completely just like you cant not have carbohydrates in your diet. The trick to not eating sugar isnt to totally resist your favourite foods. It’s to be well aware of the hidden sugars in your food. Canned drinks, bottled juices, cakes, chocolates all have sugar in them. Choose water over bottled drinks, yoghurt over ice-cream, fruit over chips. When it comes to cakes, well, my best advice for cake fanatics like me is this: share them with someone so you only get half the amount of sugar but still all the goodness of that delish treat.

Eat your breakfast
They say breakfast is the most important meal because that’s when you load up on the energy to fuel you through the rest of the day. The good thing about packing your plate with carbohydrates early in the morning is having the rest of the day to burn them up!

I find that eating a hearty breakfast helps me eat less throughout the rest of the day. I load up on cereals with milk, throw in energy rich fruits like bananas into the bowl and I’m good for the rest of the day… Until lunch time, that is. Hahaha.

Ariel and her brand new human legs. Where’s the mermaid tail?

Work it out
I used to run 3 times a week until I took an arrow to the knee. Well, not literally of course. But I did sustain a knee injury no thanks to my heroic acts of floor work back in the days of dance. So now instead of running, I swim. And I couldnt be happier.

Not only has making the switch to swimming helped me overcome some sort of innate fear of swimming pools – I know, I know, it sounds crazy. I’ve done cliff diving and all that kinda crazy water sports, but swimming pools scare me. Maybe the Loch Ness Monster really lives in there – but swimming is a full body workout that not only helps with cardio, it also works to tone up your muscles! Add in daily light weight training and hello beach body!

Consistency is key in building a new habit. Having a fitter and better body is a combination of exercise and eating right! For sure, making dietary changes and embracing a new workout routine isnt always the easiest thing especially when old habits die hard. But incorporating a 30 minute a day workout is all it takes to getting fit. Just as brushing teeth becomes a habit, so does spending some quiet time with my weights become part of my daily routine. It’s the smallest changes I made and being highly aware of the choices I made that got me to the 25 mark. Now, 24 anyone? Hahaha.

I’ve probably never actually told you before how much I love being a girl. I mean, what’s there not to like? If I werent a girl, I probably never get to indulge myself silly in all that makeup that’s inside my make up case. And when it comes to clothes or shoes, you can own 21 tops, 407 bottoms, 1695 accessories and 36790 pairs of shoes and never feel guilty about it because, well, you’re a girl. Men complain about the lack of dress up choices when it comes to events.

Other than the obvious physical differences between males and females, there is one other thing that sets us apart from the boys: the fact that our bodies change every month. You’re probably all too aware of the symptoms of your body just before your period comes. But change is the only constant and every change is a new beginning. So, let me just illustrate some of the good things that come exclusively from being a girl because knowledge is sexy.

Image via images.google.com

Menstruation, Days 1 to 7 of the cycle
The first day of your period is counted as day 1. During days 1 to 7 your cycle, you may experience chocolate cravings and can feel low in energy. Instead of resisting that luscious bar of dark velvety chocolate, go ahead and indulge. Because your body metabolises carbs most efficiently during the first and second day of menstruation, you dont have to worry about that delicious dessert tipping the scales. At the same time, when your body metabolises this chocolate, it can help increase levels of serotonin, the ‘happy hormone’!

I know we complain about the hassle of getting our periods, but this is the best time to impress your man thanks to the decreased levels of both female hormones: oestrogen and progesterone. Less prone to jealousy, encourage your man to spend time with his bros one night and then plan a date the next night where you drive. Thanks to days 1-7 of your cycle you get enhanced parking skills with your heightened spatial awareness!

Image by: mycake.sg

Pre-ovulation, Days 8 to 14 of the cycle
If you think your body is done after menstruation, think again. The pre-ovulation stages are the best part of being a girl! Where do we start? During this time, oestrogen levels increase and you’ll probably feel a lot flirtier and cheekier on top of having better hair days. With increased memory and heightened verbal fluency skills, this might just be the time for you to ace that interview or presentation you’ve been dreading. If you work in teams, improved mood levels, being less aggressive and being more creative will for sure help you score extra points with your team mates! So schedule all your team meetings during this stage of your cycle.

Post-ovulation, Days 15 to 21 of the cycle
On week 3 after your period, classic symptoms of PMS start to show: mood swings, irritability and fluid retention are probably all too familiar to most of us. But instead of agonizing over them, cut down on salty foods and coffee to help combat fluid retention. Drinking lots of water and going for a good workout can also help you stay fresh during PMS. A solid sleep at night definitely always keeps me energetic throughout the day. With Whisper Super Long Overnights’ revolutionary 3D Absorbent Core which prevents fluid running along your skin, no matter how you move during sleep, you are assured peaceful, comfortable, worry-free sleep.

Image via images.google.com

Pre-Menstrual, Days 22 to 28 of the cycle
Just before your period your body prepares for the coming 5 days of menstruation. It gives you warning signs and signals. Although you experience the usual PMS and other bodily changes like greasier hair, there is a quick and easy beauty tip to get rid of oily hair in an instant. One plus side I particularly love during the pre-menstural stages is a lower sensitivity to pain during this time. It’s the perfect timing to make an appointment for waxing or eye-brow threading.

Despite disturbed sleep at night, having a long hot bath just before bed-time will help you relax and sleep well through the night. In addition, Whisper Super Long Overnights also give you added protection throughout the night thanks to its super 1 second absorbency material. It can absorb 10 times average flow letting you feel long lasting dryness throughout the night.

As mentioned previously in the tips for better sleep, make sure your bedroom should be cool, dark and quiet. A good night’s sleep should help combat daytime sleepiness too. Once your body is all prepared for menstruation, it’s back to day 1 of the cycle and you get to enjoy the benefits of being a woman all over again.

Disclaimer: This is the personal opinion of the blogger. This writing contains clinical information quoted from other books and internet sources and may vary from individual to individual.

I insist on at least 6 to 7 hours of sleep each night and I will admit that the bed is my favourite place in the entire world. I absolutely cannot function if I dont get enough sleep. Sometimes we wish we could sleep better or get a good night’s rest, so I decided I’d share some of beauty tips on how to sleep well.

1) Develop a pre-bedtime routine
Something as simple as reading or watching tv could start your bedtime routine. Developing a routine prepares your body for deep sleep by allowing it time to wind down after a long day of work. In fact, I like to use them hydrating paper face masks from Korea before bedtime to help calm my skin and rehydrate for the next day.

2) Keep your room dark during sleep hours
Your body goes to bed and rests when it’s dark, so keeping a bright light on during bed time throws your body clock off, disrupting the good night’s sleep your body deserves. Draw the curtains or blinds and avoid bright lights near the bed. If all things fail, use an eye mask.

3) Avoid caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant and at some point in our lives we’ve all resorted to it to keep ourselves awake in times of need. While coffee is great for keeping our minds awake, it’s not something that I recommend to include in your things to do to sleep well. Caffeine in all forms, from caffeinated teas, sodas and even chocolate should be avoided at least 3 hours before bedtime to ensure peaceful and restful sleep.

4) Don’t stress!
Stress encourages your body to keep awake. It ignites the body’s natural “fight or flight” response. And sometimes during periods we worry about leakage. But stressing about the smallest things interferes with getting a a good rest. To ensure that I get a the most peaceful sleep during the night during my periods, Whisper’s longest thick pads reassures me peaceful sleep throughout the night even if I toss and turn!

5) Exercise
Regular exercise, about 3x a week, is necessary to fully exhaust our bodies and send us into deep sleep. But vigorous exercise just before bedtime keeps our hearts pumping and keeps us awake. It is quite impossible to get a good night’s sleep if your heart is racing. Remember, you need your body to rest and relax before it can get fully recharged.

6) Avoid drinking water before bedtime
As much as we need to hydrate our bodies throughout the entire day, it’s best to avoid drinking water at least 3 hours before we sleep to prevent water retention and looking puffy the next day. Tried and tested myself! Especially when you have your period, water is especially important. But just as Whisper’s Extra-Long Overnights gives you a restful sleep at night to feel your best the next day, avoid drinking water to look and feel your best the next morning.

Do you have any other tips to share on how to get good sleep? What do you do to sleep well at night?

What if I told you behind this face lies cancer? A cancer that does not reveal itself until the later stages is eating away on the inside showing symptoms only too late. Cancer does not strike based on age, looks or how much money you have; anyone can be a victim of cancer. Most cancers are terminal, but cervical cancer is different.

Cervical cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer in the world and in Singapore, the numbers are astounding. 1 woman dies from cervical cancer every 5 days and 200 new cases are reported each year. But why would we be alarmed at these figures? It is sad knowing that a cervical cancer vaccine is available yet so many women are dying from something we have control over. Hahaha. There IS a prevention and treatment for cervical cancer, but the best way to protect yourself from cervical cancer is to start with education. Here are the facts:

Cervical Cancer Symptoms
* Abnormal bleeding
: in between periods
: after menopause
: after intercourse
* Watery or bloody discharge
* Lower abdominal pain during intercourse

Cervical Cancer Risk Factors
* Being a sexually active female
* First sexual intercourse at the age of 12++
* Multiple sexual partners
* Being a smoker increases the risk 10x
* Previously suffered from STDs

What are the available cervical cancer treatments available and appropriate preventions you can take to keep yourself safe, you might ask. Cervical cancer results from an infection of the cervix by the HPV (human papillomavirus). Because it’s transmitted via sexual activity, higher sexual activity naturally means higher risk of cervical cancer. But keeping yourself free from cancer is possible with the cervical cancer vaccine. Other than that, to fully protect yourself from the cervical cancer virus, below is a list of some prevention methods.

Cervical Cancer Prevention
* Go for your regular pap smear
* Stay faithful to one sexual partner
* Quit smoking or avoid secondhand smoke
* Get your cervical cancer vaccination

The cervical cancer vaccination is a total of 3 jabs taken over several months. I figured it was a good start for me to get on the right track to protecting myself from cervical cancer. I got my first jab done last week and it was swift, although not exactly painless. Which injection is truly ever painless you tell me. But, it’s a temporary inconvenience for a lifetime of protection.

My mom was actually brave enough to get her pap smear done and she willingly signed up for the vaccination too! I’m so proud of her. But when she got to the clinic, she was told she didnt need the vaccine. The cervical cancer vaccine is actually recommended for women below 25 years of age in Singapore.

You know the saying, I am woman hear me roar. Dont let the symptoms of this women specific cancer tell you it’s too late. Take charge and be the change you want to see. If you had the power to control one thing in your life and make a difference, what would it be?

I’ve taken power over cervical cancer, will you?

1. I HATE mint: mint leaves, mint sweets and even mouth wash that tastes like mint. Vietnamese paper rice rolls all have mint in them and I usually order them without the mint.

It’s kinda weird how I dislike only certain types of mint though. Till date, I still cant figure out if it’s spearmint or peppermint that I dont like.

2. I’m a sneaker kinda gal. I could live in my Converse and Adidas sneakers all day, all over the world.

3. The biggest fashion faux pas I’ve ever committed is dressing like a $5 hooker for a dance performance. Ripped stockings, bright orange top over a bright cyan bandeau. Never. Going. There. Again.

4. I eat tau huay, toufu and tempe but dont like the taste of tau pok and tau gua.

5. I generally have a high threshold for pain and that’s made even higher when it’s day 19 to 21 of the cycle. Post ovulation is great because sensitivity to pain is low! I calculated and that’s just in time for me to schedule a facial before the Nuffnang Blog Awards! I can sleep through extraction and not feel a thing. When I wake up, my face will be all clean! HOORAAAYY for low pain sensitivity!

6. I’m such a gadget-phile. I use an iMac, carry and iPod Touch and love my Blackberry to death. Oh I also have DSLRs. Well, technically one’s my brother’s. But we exchange and swap our cameras all the time.

Unlike that first week when you should truly be happy it’s here, the post-ovulation stage again changes your body in subtle ways preparing it for the arrival of your period.

My tummy’s starting to bloat a little and I am a little frazzled this week. Counting from day 1 of my period, I realise I’m entering the post-ovulation stage of the cycle. And here I thought my bloat was due to the overwhelming number of cakes and macarons I had those first couple of days. Haha!

Starting day 14 onwards the first signs of PMS appears! The mood swings havent hit me, but I’m sure I can combat it by letting off the extra energy by working out tomorrow! Doesnt help that this week is crazy week for me too. Meetings, excursions and finals this Thurs! But a nice relaxing shower and scrub in between the madness will do the trick to unwind those tense muscles.

The increase in oestrogen at this stage is the main cause for the classic symptoms of PMS. Oh how I miss the first 2 stages of the cycle! The better articulation, the more efficient burning of carbs and of course, the better hair days! Wheeeee!

So to cheer myself up and let loose a tad from this intense week, ima gonna show you the foods you can enjoy whilst having your period. Guess what, chocolate is always a good option!

I swear after tasting the macarons from Canele I got from the Whisper dialogue session, I’m hooked on them. I’ve tasted macarons from Canele, Bakerzin and now Obolo but still find that Canele’s taste the best. It’s texture is consistent and the shells are crisp regardless of which flavour you pick. Call me Macaron Monster if you must! I am thoroughly guilty.

The macarons from Obolo come in a box of 8, perfect for indulging when you feel a need for a chocolate pick-me-up. I chose raspberry, hazelnut-chocolate, rose, ruby, macha, mango-passion AND FINISHED OFF 5 at one go! Haha. The flavours are very unique and fragrant I must admit. However, I did wish the shells were a little more crisp.

What you REALLLLYYY have to try is the Dome Amore made of dark chocolate-raspberry mousee with a core of white chocolate creme and raspberries, Valrhona crunchy chocolate pearls and chocolate genoisse.

Smooth creamy mousse with a zesty raspberry twist, accompanied by the crunchy bits of chocolate pearls make for a very appetising and flavourful experience.

If you’re lucky and are currently experiencing day 1 to 7 of your cycle, give yourself a chocolatey treat! You deserve it.

Where?
Obolo
452 Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427665

As for me, I probably will release my pent-up frustrations by cleaning out my room! Haha.

Yay!

Day 1 of my period is always the best time because I feel so much skinner and I actually AM skinner. That’s because my body’s burning carbs more efficiently than other days of the cycle. Guess I have an excuse for the Old Chang Kee and bubble tea I had earlier then. Hee hee.

Coupled with the run I did yesterday, despite it being shorter than my usual route, I bet my body will still be in good form very soon. YAYYYYYYY!!! Hello abs! No worries about fitting into my favourite pair of skinnies or wearing a figure hugging top. Ima gonna keep up the fitness level and be more disciplined from now on. Probably schedule another run this Friday.

Go me!

My complexion is a little oilier than usual. I can see the tiny oil bumps on my face and pimples have appeared in the weirdest of places like behind my ear. Haha. However, when that happens, I usually know my period is coming in the next week or so.

I checked the seekrit sheet Whisper provided and it says I’m spotty thanks to the higher level of progesterone. But I wouldnt worry too much about it because from personal experience, it goes away soon enough.

It does makes me GREEN thinking about my will-be glowy skin once this pre-menstrual stage clears. So, in the mean time, to help combat the spotty complexion, I’m going to follow in the footsteps of The Hulk and enjoy a mint mask which helps calm my skin and absorb the excess oil while surfing the Facebook page for more seekrits of the cycle.

RAWR! =D

I’m happy today’s here!

Why? Because I’ve got the secrets of the cycle in my hands! Wahahahaha.

It came at a great time too because Im due to have my period.

When I was approached to join the “Happy It’s Here” initiative by Whisper I immediately thought YES! It was a wonderful opportunity to better educate myself about my body. Knowing is half the battle won! Im such an information junkie like that. Heehee.

Something like this happens once every month and why not see what it’s really about. I mean, when we first got our periods we were ecstatic and so were the people around us.

It was the first step into womanhood.

But now after so long, I have to admit to not keeping a good track record of when my period is because I can honestly tell by the signs my body gives. I have to admit at this point I cannot remember when the last time my period was. *guilty face* However, I’d say Im pretty good at telling when my period is coming. Yes, we complain about how it makes us feel bloated but then there are times when I do feel SKINNIER after my period. True fact!

So this is my attempt to track the various stages of my cycle and share its secrets with you so we can appreciate the little things that make us women.

I am woman, hear me ROAR!

I am currently in the pre-menstrual stage (Day 21-28) of the cycle and experiencing bloatedness/water retention. Eep! But it gives me the excuse to dress up in them sweet babydolls. Yay! Oh and definitely have to cut down on consuming too much coffee. Had too much last week, explains my water retention. Gonna be a good girl and drink more water instead of dehydrating fluids.