Lifestyle Change + Win Php2,000!

 

My name is Nikki.  

The well-known energizer bunny between friends and family.  

As active as I am, you would probably think I don't have problems with my metabolism or weight management.  You may think I can eat whatever I want and maintain a normal figure.

YES AND NO.

Yes, I can eat everything and NO I can't maintain a healthy figure without working hard for it.

I am accustomed to busy life with crazy schedule for most of my lifetime.  Especially now that I am a hands-on working mom with an active boy on the side.  I do not have time to sit down, relax and enjoy a good cup of coffee and tea.  I just gulp everything in a rush as I have a lot of things in mind and tasks to check before the day ends.  And because of that, my body suffers big time!  I find myself stress-eating, snacking between work and worst of all, I eat instant noodles at wee hours of the night while watching K-drama because that is now I de-stress!  Unfortunately, most of the time, I don't understand if I am full or not!  I gained approximately 15lbs in a year's time.  

When I had my driver's license renewed last July, that was the moment of truth!  My license has a huge 57KG printed for a girl standing 5 feet 4 inches.  My normal weight would be around 52-54kg.   I told myself I have to do something about this.  That's when I decided to do a Lifestyle Change.

1. Exercise.

I increased cardio workout routine and added weight training.  Cardio is indeed not enough to burn fats as cardio is great to increase heart rate but weights would help in fat burning.  It doesn't hurt that my body would look more tone than ever!  

2. Eat healthy.

I bid goodbye to junkfood.  I am a junkfood monster and eat chips almost everyday.  Of course, I still reward myself every now and then.

Weekend OOTD FOTD

 

I may not go out as much but I try to look good and made up whenever I do go out!  This is my most favorite weekend chill outfit from Uniqlo.

This romper comes with a deep pocket and it looks like I'm wearing a top and bottom separately no?  I love the extra cloth that gives an illusion of tuck in and the cloth is quite heavy so it hides my flabs and tummy!

As for my look, I just used concealer, set it with powder foundation and filled my brows especially on sparse areas and a pencil dark brown liner to enhance my eyes.  Finishing off with my favorite Highlighter and Blush from my Hourglass Palette.

Lipstick is Teviant and I love the cool-tone rosy pink giving a fresher vibe.  Do you like my cute earrings too?

Hey Luxx Lash Magnetic Lashes and Luxx Liner and Lashes Review

 

Magnetic lashes or easy-to-apply false lashes are the the in thing for now and how lucky for girls nowadays no?

One lash brand that I have tried is called Luxx Lashes.  The company offers premium reusable and chemical-free magnetic lashes for those with sensitive eyes.

For someone who mostly wear false lashes because I gave up overall on mascaras due to my super thin, sparse and almost non-existent lashes, I immediately gave Luxx Lashes a try starting from their famous magnetic lashes.

When worn

Rosie Magnetic Lashes (Php1,799.00) is soft, feathery and lightweight.  True to what they advertise, the magnetic lashes from Luxx lashes are indeed very natural when applied properly.  I don't feel like I am wearing any lashes at all so these are perfect for long-wear without having to worry about chemical (lash glue) near your sensitive eyes.

If you have really sparse lashes and almost none on both edges of your eyes, I highly recommend to skip magnetic lashes and go for Liner lashes instead (will talk about them below.)  For someone who is very versed in lash application, I took longer time to try to connect the magnet on both ends of the falsies and many times, the magnet stuck together without having a real lash to attach to!  Because the magnet is quite strong (for a short strip), there were even times it pinched my eyelid!  *Ouch* 

Salon Blown Hairstyle with Vidal Sassoon's Air Hair Styler

 

When I first got my Air Hair Styler, I didn't know what to do with it!  I just like the idea of having hair tools with interchangeable heads and just HAIR TOOLS IN GENERAL!  I love collection them - no judgment please :P

Thanks to Tiktok and the stuck at home Pandemic, I was able to watch a lot of Tiktok Influencers who are using a similar hair styler (mostly in other brands), and noticed how they can easily create curls using the round brush head!  I mean, I have the tool, I should at least try right?

Yes, I did and pulled out a lot of hair I ended up using Hair Growth serums!  LOL.  But thankfully, with my persistence and love for hairstyling, I was able to FINALLY umderstood the right way to work and hold these tools.  

There are several ways to be honest but I like the vertical method!  The direction of the hairstyler is standing straight as shown on photo below and the effect of the curl is soft..wavy and romantic!

Expect gentle pulling when you use such tool as compared to regular curling rod!  But surprisingly, if done correctly, NO HAIR PULLING and no Hair Fall!

Workout Fit and Tools of Trade

 

Before pandemic, I do Boxing at Boxing Hybrid for about 3-4 x a week!  The pandemic slowed down my body and I have been sluggish for the first 2 years!  I still workout but not as intense as boxing.

After taking health exams for my driver's license renewal, it was a HUGE wake up call when I was told my weight was 57kg!  I MEAN SERIOUSLY?  Even when I was working out, I do not check my weight often or NOT check at all!  But seeing 57kg for a 52kg girl in the past, I knew I had to do something.  My clothes does not fit well anymore, my tummy is protruding and worst, I get tired and easily irritated at menial things!

So I've decided to lessen chips intake! LOL, I mean I still eat chips, but I've decided not to eat too much unhealthy food like instant noodles - I am blaming everything to K-dramas and movies but I have also been sleeping so late since Kyle's summer vacation.  Imagine, I sleep at 3-4am EVERY SINGLE NIGHT.

I have been eating better, adding intensity to workouts and trying my best to sleep earlier and longer, I am actually down to 54kg as of the moment after 4 months!  I still have a couple of pounds to spare but I got back my energy and is lifting weights once again!

That said, I made sure to wear the look!  I change to workout clothes - comfortable ones, even wore comfortable workout shoes and ...

I monitor my workout with Huawei Band 6 Smart Watch which I got online via LazMall.

Super helpful the update on heart rate, the number of calories lost and the time of workout.  I also monitor my sleeping habit using the app making me more conscious about healthy living.

What about you? 
Do you have essentials or note-worthy gadgets to keep you healthy and strong?

Keep smilin'

Stay happy!