Five Factors for Achieving Healthy Weight Loss

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photo source: ISTOCK/NENSURIA

Weight management is one of the main components of a healthy lifestyle. Over time, it is easy for excess calorie consumption or a lack of exercise to start to show up on your body as extra pounds. Today, you can find many different weight loss plans available that all claim to help you get fit, yet there are some simple strategies that have always been known to work. Incorporating these five factors into your lifestyle helps you drop the extra weight and enjoy having more energy that helps you stay on track with your goals.

Develop a Balanced Diet Plan

The decision to lose weight may make you feel like you need to skip meals or avoid eating specific foods. Unfortunately, this strategy can backfire by causing you to feel deprived, and skipping meals can affect your metabolism. Instead, develop a balanced diet that highlights low-calorie fruits and vegetables along with a proper portion of protein to help you reduce calories and fat consumption.

Live an Addiction-Free Lifestyle

Alcoholic beverages are known for being high in empty calories that do very little to fuel your body. Dealing with hangovers or using drugs can also cause you to have no energy or interest in exercise. When you have an addiction, entering rehab for prescription drugs and alcohol abuse gives you a firm foundation upon which you can begin to start your weight loss journey. You’ll feel better and even learn strategies that increase your motivation for weight loss.

Adopt a Positive Perspective on Exercise

During your life, it is possible that you developed negative ideas about what exercise is all about. Whether you still shudder about your high school coach making you run laps or you just don’t like to sweat, you need to know that workouts shouldn’t be stressful. Try a fun form of exercise, such as swimming or hula hooping, to find a workout that you get excited about.

Get Proper Sleep at Night

Sleep is another factor that influences your ability to lose weight. While you rest, your body makes repairs and generates energy that stimulates your metabolism. Without enough sleep, you can also feel just as bad as if you were hungover. This can cause you to skimp on your workouts or turn to unhealthy foods for energy. Make sleep a priority in your life. Set an alarm for bedtime if you need to, and create a comfortable sleep environment. You may even need to store your smartphone in the other room while sleep, but waking up feeling refreshed enough to exercise is worth it.

Invite Others Along on Your Weight Loss Journey

Losing weight is not something that you have to do alone. Tell others about your goals to help establish accountability. You can also talk to a professional counselor about any addictions or problems you have about food or other substances that affect your weight. Finally, invite some friends to join you in exercise and other physical activities such as group workout classes or a pick-up basketball game that helps you transform fitness into a fun part of your life.

Weight loss takes time to happen at measurable levels. However, you can tell that you are making progress just by taking note of how much better you feel while you wait for the scale to reflect the pounds that you drop. The decision to eat better, avoid addictions and exercise more helps enjoy more energy and confidence that shows every time you look in the mirror.

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DIY Bento Picks: The Mustache

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Ever since I started making bento baons, I have been looking for the mustache bento picks. Hanggang ngayon wala pa din ako nabibili.

That's why I always make a mustache DIY bento picks.

Making a mustache pick is just easy. I searched for mustache photos like these and print it on a clean bond paper, board paper or in a glossy paper so you don't need to scotch tape to cover it. (Free Printable Mustache DIY bento pick here)

After that, cut it like this and attach it to a toothpick. If you printed it on a bond paper, like I did, you need to cover it with scotch tape to make it water or moist proofed.

That easy. I usually use mustache pick when I make sandwich or a burger like this. 

I just add one of the two eye picks I have saved. Haha! So there you go, the super easy to make mustache DIY bento pick.

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5 Things You Didn't Know About Quartz Countertops

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When it comes to picking out countertops for your kitchen or bathroom, there are several choices that are overwhelming to pick from. There are wood, laminat, cement, marble, quartz and many more. However, the quartz countertops are a little different than the other natural stone countertops you may have seen or heard of. Actually, quartz countertops are a form of ‘engineered stone ‘ which means that it’s made from ground up particles of stone that are bound together with a space age plastic resins. To go a little more in depth, here are 6 things you may know not know about Quartz countertops.

1. They Are Not 100% Quartz - Of course with many quartz countertops there is some quartz but saying that is the only thing that is wrong. Actually, there are about 10% of the countertop that isn’t stone at all. The other 90% is crushed up granite marble and natural stone or recycled ceramic. All of the rock material is mixed together and held together with binders which is what gives it that quartz countertop look and feel.

Image: Premier Surfaces

2. Made Exclusively In The United States - Did you know that almost all the countertop products rivaling quartz are mined and fabricated elsewhere and then shipped to a warehouse, suppliers and vendors everywhere in the United States. Not only does this help a lot of resources and overhead shipping costs but it also helps to keep the dollars at work in our own country. There is a quartz countertop called Cambria which is made in the United States if you wanted to go that route. While you’re looking at specific quartz countertops, I would suggest visiting a showroom in person so you can see them in real life with access to various staff who are knowledgeable in this area. One company, Premier Surfaces offers a wide range of products with quartz countertops as an option.

There are several designers to help answer any questions you have including, Lindsey Frost of Frost Designs, Inc. She personally loves using cambria quartz countertops in a particular color called carrack. It’s a charcoal grey that looks like concrete but it matches perfectly with pale blue and grey cabinets which is a stunning and unique feature to give to a kitchen or bathroom. If you’re thinking of adding a farmhouse design or an industrial feel to your home, this would be the perfect thing to make it pop.

3. It’s Not A Natural Stone - While this may sound like it would be a natural countertop, similar to chatting about it not being 100% quartz, using various pieces to blend together. For this reason, it’s considered a manufactured countertop. Quartz can be molded into more genuine shapes creating curves or unique dimensions that isn’t possible for other countertops such as granite or marble. This is why quartz is perfect to add for kitchen sinks or bathroom sinks due to being able to curve this stone.

4. You Can Use For Slabs - As a homeowner, you think of having quartz in your bathroom or your kitchen but did you know that the majority of this stone is actually used for things like airports, malls or flooring? No really! You may have not have even noticed it because the first material that was invented by Marcello Toncelil was developed with hand poured mini slabs of it, cut down and then used for flooring tables. The countertop idea did not come about until years later!

Image: Premier Surfaces

5. Cheaper Prices For Granite - Of course quartz countertops are extremely popular but more than ever, people are choosing granite over choosing quarts. The fortunate side effect who wants to install granite is that it’s a lower price due to the lesser demand. Granite prices have really declined over the last few years which makes it more making the material more widely available for everyone to use within their home and in various rooms.

There are several other things you may not know about quartz countertops but to understand more, I would suggest visiting a showroom to help answer all your questions to make sure you are making the right decision before you install these countertops within your home. As I stated before, Premier Surfaces offers locations nationwide to help you look, feel and enjoy learning more about this particular stone or others if quartz may not be the best option or you and your dream kitchen or bathroom countertop. You’re always in good hands with a reliable company such as this so regardless of your choice, you’ll be satisfied and can’t wait to show off the choice you made.

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Tefal Frypan Review

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After years of waiting and delaying, finally got my dream frying pan from Tefal.

Hurray! Really, I am so happy because it was in my "to buy" list a long time ago. But I have to set it aside muna because it's not cheap.

This Tefal frypan (30 cm) is Php 3,350.00 less 100 because I got it in straight payment through a credit card. I told you  it's not cheap but super sulit because first, it has Titanium Pro coating grade. It's nonstick and has that Thermo-Spot® that turns full red when the frypan has reached the ideal temperature for perfect searing.

The Tefal frypan has a comfort handle.

The Tefal frypan handle is screwed very well so it doesn't move in time.

It is compatible na with induction cooker.

Most of all, the Flippin Fantastic Nonstick Pancake Ring I bought many months ago fit into this 30-cm Tefal frypan.

My son loves pancake that's why I also oblige to buy this Tefal frypan already.

Looks perfect in the photo below but it still has a little problem because the pancake sticks, not on the pan, rather on the ring. Maybe I should brush some oil before using it.

Tried the pancake ring with eggs but it turned out like this. Expectation versus reality it is, haha.

Needs more practice I guess. But you can still make a perfect sunny side up egg without the ring with this Tefal frypan.

Again, is this Tefal frypan sulit? I would say YES, it is a good investment. Unlike other cheaper pan, Tefal frypan is sturdier, mabigat sya just to warn you also. You can fry with minimal or no oil because it's really nonstick. Because of the Thermo-Spot® that turns full red when the pan reach the right temperature, you will not overcooked or over-fried your food. Healthier right?

Remember that health is wealth so investing on high quality and health-friendly kitchen appliances (like Philips Airfryer), cookwares and multi roaster is very important. They aren't cheap yes, but with the right planning and budgeting you will be able to afford buying them one by one.

What's your dream cooking pan?

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Hanaro Square Multi Roaster

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Since Samgyeopsal is so uso and I am so kuripot (haha!), I bought this Hanaro Square Multi Roaster.

Seriously, it's not just Samgyeopsal and being kuripot that I bought this Hanaro Square Multi Roaster. I am really looking for a stove top roaster or griller because we like roasting and grilling. We love cooking at home kasi.

So when I saw this  Hanaro Square Multi Roaster at Lazada, I bought it right away.

I bought it at Php 1,259.00 + 50 shipping fee. The size of  Hanaro Square Multi Roaster is 32 cm or approximately 12.5 x 12.5 inches. It is coated with quadruple PTFE (Poly Tetra Fluoro Ethylene) and is double layered for better heat efficiency. 

Hanaro Square Multi Roaster has has a hole at the center where you can discharge the excess oil.

You don't need oil because it's non stick. You can also use it to pan grill bread, like garlic bread or pizza.

You can use it on stove or portable stove. 

Hanaro Square Multi Roaster is perfect for samgyeopsal and home grilling or roasting!

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