To Daddy

 

June 16, 2024

 

Dear Daddy,

 

I was rummaging through your things after you left and saw some black and white photos of you as a young man. You may have been in your 20s then, or early 30s. You looked different, but familiar at the same time. Different from how you looked earlier this year, but familiar because of the resemblance to the dad I knew as a young child.

I held the photos in my hands today, Father’s Day, and kept on looking, searching for something. I see that little smile with the happy eyes, and the smart determined confidence in the way you stand. Yes, that was you in the photos.

But that was so long ago. When I close my eyes, the image that comes to mind is of you on the chair by the window in the living room, frail but tapping your foot to kundiman I would play on Spotify, with eyes looking afar. You were 94. Just one more month and you would have been five years shy of reaching 100.

I was working at the office that day last March when I received a video call from those left at home. They were hysterical. I kept asking what happened but it took awhile before one of them calmed down enough to say you were not moving, not breathing.

I told them to bring you to the nearest hospital. They asked if they should call an ambulance. I said, “Hindi, kayo na magdala. Mauuna pa kayo sa ambulance.”

It seemed so surreal and the next hour was a blur. I went on informant mode, informing those who needed to know while talking to the ER on the other phone, and wait, the food app rider is downstairs calling me too. And wait, I need to book a ride to the hospital ASAP. Oh wait, here is the ride. Wait, I need to log out first at the bundy clock. Surreal.

Anyway, that was March, Daddy. It’s now June and it’s Father’s Day today. We were able to clean out your room, well, almost. Your files though – I still have two boxes to go through, and they’re still in the home office, have been so since end of March. In two weeks, the boxes would have been sitting there for three months already. Oops, sorry. Will find time. Within the year.

Sigh.

It’s been difficult without you around, Daddy. I feel the lack of your presence. Even our aspin dog Kobe feels your absence. But we’ll be okay. Don’t worry, we’ll be fine.

Sending you love up there in heaven. Have a great Father’s Day, Daddy, with our Heavenly Father. He picked the best dad for me, did you know that?

 

VERSE OF THE WEEK: “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8

A year spent teaching at Colegio de San Lorenzo

By Karen Galarpe

Wrote this in August 2022 and this remained in my draft folder since then. Decided to let it see the light of day today. :)

Sad to hear that Colegio de San Lorenzo in Quezon City is closing.

Back in 2005, I taught part-time at the college department of Colegio de San Lorenzo which was just a few minutes drive away. I taught 2 subjects per semester for a total of 4 subjects that year. These subjects were: Writing for Print, Print Media Principles and Practices, Business Communication and Correspondence, and Advanced Expository Writing.

I didn't really plan to teach. I just left my full-time job editing Smart Parenting magazine the year before, and was freelancing. But my grad school classmate Nancy Galang, who was then heading the Communication Arts department, called me to ask if I'd be interested. I laughed. I couldn't imagine myself as a teacher. She said, "Bakit ka natatawa? E may masteral units ka naman?" And I realized she was serious. haha

So I inhaled deeply and said a prayer before entering my first class ever and put on my game face -- a performance art for an introvert like me. The young ladies and gentlemen in their well-pressed uniforms hurried to their seats and looked at me expectantly. In turn, I looked at them. Ok, let's roll.

I'd be at San Lorenzo twice a week for a few hours. I would stay in the faculty room in between classes, mostly just keeping to myself and reviewing my lessons, computing grades, or checking papers. The pay wasn't much, but it added to gas money.

I dreaded entering the classroom every time, but would always come out feeling fulfilled. For there was always something so wonderful in seeing a student's eyes light up, a pupil's head nod, and a young person's face smile.

Since I taught English, I laid down the rule that only English will be spoken in my classroom. They complied, but I remember this one male student who clearly struggled while reporting, and said sheepishly, "Ma'm, i-Tagalog ko na lang. Ganun din naman sasabihin ko pero Tagalog lang."

Also, since I taught writing, I made them write. In class. That's so I would really know they were the ones writing, not some other person they could ask to write for them if it were a homework. I would discuss writing principles then make them write short essays on the spot. I picked topics that were familiar to them -- their favorite food, what they did last summer, stuff like that.

One time, one of the big guys in class who usually sat at the back went up to me after he submitted his food essay, and told me, "Ma'm, parang nalasahan ko ulit yung kinain ko." I said that's the essence of food writing, and he smiled.

For finals exam in advanced expository writing, I asked my class to write an essay about the life lessons they have learned. These students were aged maybe 17, 18, 19, 20 then. They were so quiet during the exam. Then someone started to cry quietly. When they turned in their papers and I read them at home, my heart broke at reading a couple of them. One said his father was never there for any significant event in his life -- birthday, graduation, even his circumcision. And he said he didn't need the money his father would send from abroad. What he wanted was his father's presence. Another student, a female, also poured her heart out writing her final exam, saying she grew up with her grandmother because both of her parents were OFWs. They left for abroad when she was still a baby. The life lesson they both learned -- material things cannot compensate for the absence of a parent.

Then I remember I had a student in my business correspondence class. I asked him during the first day of class to introduce himself, maybe talk about what he plans to do someday. He just gave his name, and then, pressed for his future plans like what he wants to be or do after college, he just shrugged. Sometime later that semester, he got into an accident playing basketball and hit his head on the concrete wall. He fell into a coma and we visited him at the ICU at Veterans Memorial Medical Center. It seemed he just waited until his mother arrived from working abroad, as he died a day or two after she reached his bedside. Maybe he kinda knew early on that sem that he need not think about the future at all.

There's this one time I was asked to sit as member of a thesis panel. It was to be held on a Saturday morning. I didn't have money anymore then so I resolved to just say I'll go home after the thesis defense, in case one of my co-panelists would invite us all to have lunch. Anyway, during the defense, I noticed that part of the thesis wasn't original. It was copied. I raised the matter, and as a result we told them they had to redo their thesis. One of the students defending the thesis cried right there because she knew what it meant: they wouldn't be able to graduate on time. Tough. But well, we can't bend the rules. Before I went home, I was given a letter envelope which turned out to be compensation for being part of the thesis panel that day. Wow. May pang-grocery na, thank you, Lord.

The following year, the new department head called to ask if I can teach again business correspondence. They weren't going to offer the writing subjects anymore though, due to a change in curriculum. I said oh but it's the writing subjects I want. The department head asked me to consider teaching again even just the business correspondence class since they only invite back the teachers who got good feedback from students. I thought about it but decided to let go of the opportunity. I wanted to do more writing.

Anyway, so those are my memories of San Lorenzo. It was a good year well spent. Thank you for the memories.

BOOK OF THE WEEK: I've had "One True Love: To Have And To Hold" by Dr. Grace Shangkuan Koo on my bookshelf for some time now but didn't read it coz parang hindi ako maka-relate. :) Only recently though did I pick it up to read it. It turned out to be a wonderful book discussing what it means to have a "forever" kind of love, with examples from both the lives of the author and her parents. It also devotes some chapters on why some relationships fail, and why for some singleness is bliss. A great read, good for the soul and the heart.

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

November thoughts

By Karen Galarpe

And just like that, it is November. November 11 to be exact. 😀

It now seems a lifetime away when things were more hurried and fast-paced, when workweeks meant going through EDSA traffic and trying your best to arrive in time for your shift, no matter if it starts at 5 a.m. when most countrymen are still fast asleep.

My OB said the COVID-19 pandemic has given us a gift -- the gift of slowing down and appreciating the passage of time.

I agree. The past 20 months saw us slowing down, working from home, spending more time with family, counting our blessings, and simplifying life. While others may have been itching to resume normal lives, I think I am one of the few who enjoyed the community quarantine and thrived in this setup. I've had more time to read books, declutter (an ongoing lifelong process), meet friends though not in real life but online, sing (hello, WeSing classmates 🎤), and ahem, shopping online -- for needs like groceries, furniture, and clothes, and wants like books...and more books.

One of the books I bought on Shopee recently is Heart On My Sleeve by Em Guevara (yup, one r). I know Em, as she was my classmate in grad school in UP. I would also see her around during press conferences and media trips as we both covered the lifestyle beat for years. So I know how deep and fun she could both be. She had the best jump shot in Thunderbird Resort by the way when we were there a long time ago.

Anyway, back to Em's book which she published herself. It's a collection of her columns for various publications. I like how Em takes us through the phases of her life, from EMerging to EMphatic, EMboldened to EMpowered. Reading it, I feel like she's just in front of me making chika about her precious fur babies Matilda and Shakira, or her crummy date with that guy who wanted to put popcorn in her mouth on their first date. 😝 It took me awhile to finish the book, even though it's just a slim one, because I would read only a chapter a day after work or during lunch break. It was good to just listen to someone making kuwento about anything and everything after my mind has been processing hard news all day. But yes, just one chapter a day, so there would be Em again the next day making kuwento, this time about heavy stuff like grief and why choosing not to forgive will eventually let someone hold power over us.

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Another book I got this pandemic season is Where Is God In a Coronavirus World? by John C. Lennox, published this year by Church Strengthening Ministry. What a timely book, right? To date, over 250 million worldwide have contracted COVID-19, and more than 5 million have died of it. These statistics make you wonder indeed -- why is God allowing this, and where is he?

Lennox, a math professor at the University of Oxford, does not lecture in the book, but with the reader asks the same questions. And then he puts a name to our feelings, looks at past pandemics and disasters, talks about what pain does, and why things are the way they are. He then says that as a mathematician, he knows some questions may never be solved, and maybe we should be better off asking a different question. There is more to this little book (just 67 pages including endnotes) and I highly recommend this for reading.

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Anyway, so what have you been thinking about and reading lately?

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. Proverbs 12:25

A delayed appreciation for vitamins and other supplements

 By Karen Galarpe

One, two, three, four, five. I counted the tablets and capsules in my hand this morning after breakfast. There's vitamin C, zinc, multivitamin, fish oil, and vitamin D3.

Growing up, I took vitamin C or a multivitamin daily as my mom was worried I wasn't getting enough nutrients. I was thin, and was a picky eater too.

When I started working after graduating from college, I would sometimes buy vitamins -- not just a multivitamin but vitamin E as well for good skin.

But when I became a single mom, sometimes funds would be tight that I didn't buy vitamins anymore. I would only take them when my sister based abroad would send me some.

So that became a habit -- just take vitamins when there's a supply. They were not on my regular shopping list.

More than a year ago, a college classmate said she was selling vitamins and asked if I would like to buy some at around P1,300 per bottle. I said isn't that expensive? She said it would only amount to around P11 per capsule. So I bought some, but in my mind, it was only to help her make a sale. 

Last April, I tested positive for COVID-19 (I'll write about it sometime. That deserves a longer separate post). My doctors suggested I take the following supplements during the course of my illness, on top of other prescription medicines:

• multivitamin/multimineral
• vitamin C
• zinc
• quercitin
• probiotics 
• vitamin D3
• omega 3 (fish oil)
• melatonin

Post-COVID, here are the supplements my attending doctor said I should take:

• multivitamins
• vitamin C with zinc
• vitamin D3

So these are what I am taking now, the three post-COVID-19 supplements, plus I added fish oil supplement because I like it. As for quercitin, it is hard to find. For probiotics, I turn to yogurt instead. 

Another doctor said I should take selenium to boost my immune system but I haven't gotten around to ordering it yet.

So there, I now take vitamins and supplements every day. Although we could get nutrients from our food, sometimes a little boost from supplements would be a great help. What supplements are you taking? ☺ If you're not taking any, maybe it's time to take some, especially with the current COVID-19 pandemic.

BOOK OF THE WEEK: I'm almost done reading This Season of Grief, a collection of stories, prayers, poems, and information on dealing with grief. I realized I am drawn to reading books about grief such as Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking, Dr. Ernie Santos' The Big C: From Cancer to Christ, and Paul Kalanithi's When Breath Becomes Air. Though the content of This Season of Grief may seem sad, there is hope in each story, each poem, each chapter.

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VERSE OF THE WEEK: I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations (Psalm 89:1).

Be a hope bearer

By Karen Galarpe

When times are uncertain, such as what has happened since last year when the COVID-19 pandemic hit us, it is understandable to be nervous, afraid and pessimistic. After all, everyone is affected, and every business, every company, every school and government is faced with a challenge we haven't met before--the coronavirus. 

Children are no exception. And while they may not voice it out much, they have their worries and concerns too.

My five-year-old grandniece, for instance, frets that she could not go out to visit us or her favorite mall where her favorite toy store is located.

Other kids lament that they could not see their classmates, and it's been harder on those whose schools had to close.

One of my favorite Bible verses is Jeremiah 29:11 which goes: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I take comfort in the fact that no matter how bleak or difficult my circumstances can be, God sees everything and is there with my best interest at heart; He is my hope and my future.

Wouldn't it be good to spread such message of hope to others, even to kids? Church Strengthening Ministry recently published "Hope Bearer: Lessons of Hope and Courage in Times of Crisis and Change" with this same motivation.

The book is actually a compilation of modules or lessons one can teach kids aged 4 to 12 in Sunday school or at home, online or in person.

It serves as an easy-to-follow guide for parents and teachers and even aunts and uncles to teach Bible lessons which can impart hope to children especially during these times of uncertainty.

Each lesson has an activity which may be an art project, as well as a Bible passage and memory verse, and discussion questions to guide the child in applying what he or she has learned.

My fave Bible verse (Jeremiah 29:11) is discussed in the book's Lesson 2 (God wants to give us hope and a future). Using the Bible story of Moses' birth and how he ended up being raised as the son of Pharaoh's daughter, the lesson brings home the message that no matter what, God looks out for His children. The art project called for is a pyramid to be made using paper, crayons or paint -- so easy and apt for the lesson.

May we be hope bearers ourselves and inspire others around us, even children, of the hope they have in God. 

VERSE OF THE WEEK:  Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14

'Unchanging Grace': Mini musings for each day in 2021

by Karen Galarpe

This year 2020 is such a challenge, isn't it? No one saw a pandemic coming and the things that go with it: lockdowns, social distancing, community quarantines, travel ban, business slowdown, even job losses. It disrupted our lives and our usual routines. Over a million people have lost their lives worldwide. 

Many people have expressed exasperation on social media, saying, "When will 2020 end? Quota ka na." I believe though that there's a reason for everything and there's something to be grateful for in every situation.

Well we have just a little over two months left in 2020 before the new year 2021 rolls in. 

This early, I am already looking for a planner that I could use for the coming year. It should have monthly and weekly pages, be big enough for me to write my schedule and things to do, and be light and thin enough so as not to make my bag heavy.

I'm also looking for devotionals -- little books one can read for every day of the year -- that I could use and give as gifts to friends. I find devotionals very helpful as they give me a moment to be calm during a busy day and remind me of what's important.

Some of the devotionals I've used over the years are Our Daily Bread by Our Daily Bread Ministries, My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby, Finding Refuge and Strength by Harold Sala, and Encouraging Words for Women by Darlene Sala.

This early, Church Strengthening Ministry just released a new devotional entitled "Unchanging Grace" by Pastor Jose "Joey" Umali. It comes in five different covers showing the country's natural tourist spots. Handy enough to fit in my hand, it's lightweight and can be easily tucked inside my bag.

There's a Bible verse, about four or five paragraphs of reflection, then a short prayer on each page. Going through each day's entry will just take five minutes or less, but each one is "malaman" and meaty.

Here's an example of what Pastor Joey wrote in one of the entries: "Faith is to the soul like the pupil to the eye. Faith opens in dark times such as the crises of life. Faith gives us the power to see beyond the darkness. Even if the future looks grim, our faith makes us see in the dark."

With eyes of faith, let's look forward to what 2021 may bring.

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Something new to read next year: "Unchanging Grace" by Jose "Joey" Umali published by @csmpublishing #devotional

A post shared by K Galarpe (@kgalarpe) on Oct 8, 2020 at 8:03pm PDT

VERSE OF THE WEEK: By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me -- a prayer to the God of my life. Psalm 42:8

Feeling like 'Miss Philippine' in Bangkok

By Karen Galarpe

Note: This has been in my draft folder for the longest time (2010). Just discovered it again today. Posting now to share this funny incident wherein I felt how it was to be a beauty queen for a few seconds. haha!

My close friends know I have to eat on time. If not, I would either get hyperacidity or hypoglycemia, wherein my hands would get cold and clammy, my heart would palpitate, I would feel faint, and I would just curl up, be quiet and need a piece of candy as a lifeline until the episode passes.

That is why I always have some emergency food with me: candy and crackers, mostly. Once, when I pulled out some crackers, tea, and some more crackers from my bag, my seatmate at work said, "Ay, ang daming baon," then we both laughed.

Last month, I found myself in Bangkok to cover an event for the online publication I work for, and I stuffed my bag with some emergency food.

I'm glad I did, because the ride alone from the airport to the hotel was about an hour through Bangkok's famous traffic -- "worse than Manila's", someone said -- and I haven't had my afternoon snack. So I gobbled up one candy after another while the rest of the media people I was with slept in the van.

The next day, we were supposed to ride a tourist bus to take us to Chao Praya River where we would dine in a ferry boat while navigating the river, passing by important landmarks such as the King's Palace, etc.

So I had a snack before the 5 p.m. call time. I ate fruits from the welcome fruit basket, some crackers, and even the bread roll from the plane which I tucked in my bag "for emergency."

Things were OK until we got caught in Bangkok's famous traffic. I was eating crackers and candies already on the way, but could feel the hunger still.

It took us almost 2 hours to reach the pier, and by then my energy was at a low point.

We were having buffet -- hurray -- that means faster access to energy-giving food.

Alas, we were escorted to a small air-conditioned function room below deck. Though the ferry was big, one could feel the boat swaying and I felt I would throw up anytime soon.

So I ran out, told my hosts I am getting dizzy, and they said they'll put me in a taxi which would take me back to the hotel. I just nodded while one of them  talked in Thai to the driver.

On the way back, I was just praying that I wouldn't faint. I was in an unfamiliar place and the driver could only speak Thai.

I munched on some more crackers, had some more candy. Traffic, as expected, was again bad, though it was worse on the way to the ferry earlier.

Midway back to the hotel, I was already curled up in a fetal position and just eating the crackers like a mouse (I can't eat as I felt like throwing up, so I would eat it little by little). I knew I had to put something in my stomach for the energy and to prevent hyperacidity.

We reached the hotel, finally, at around 9 p.m. I was surprised I could still walk. I headed to my room and promptly called room service for a cup of hot soup and a ham sandwich -- the lightest meal I could see on the menu.

In my pajamas, I just curled up in bed. Had no appetite at all anymore.

Then the doorbell rang and as I opened the door, the room service man greeted me with, "Good evening, Miss Philippine! How are you today?"

For the first time in 2 or 3 hours, I smiled. But of course, how can you not smile when someone equates you with Venus Raj? hahaha

So I said, "Oh, I'm sick. I don't feel well."

The man said, "You don't feel well? You go to the doctor?" He sounded concerned, while wheeling in a cart which serves as a table, topped with a pretty red rose and my order under a silver cover.

I shook my head and said, "I'll be OK."

And he parked the cart in front of the TV, took the silver cover with a flourish just like they do in the movies, to reveal [drumroll] ... tadah! My ham sandwich. The consomme soup was in a pretty little bowl with a cover too, and seeing everything look so nice made me feel a little better already.

He said he'll come back later when I'm finished. I thanked him.

Since it was already 9:30 p.m.  by that time, I couldn't eat much anymore -- nalipasan na ng gutom. I finished the soup, took 2 little bites of ham sandwich, and nibbled on the french fries, smiling to myself. "Miss Philippine!" hahaha

Tomorrow would be a better day for this Miss Philippine, I thought. But first, rest and beauty sleep on the agenda.

Have a great day!

BOOK OF THE WEEK: Reading these days "Gilda Cordero Fernando Sampler", a collection of some of her essays, short stories and speeches. Her writing was so flawless, and her essays are my favorites. Such a talented writer. I've seen her in some events before, and now regret not having the guts to have had a photo taken with her.

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Will reread in honor of one of the best Filipina writers, Gilda Cordero Fernando. I love her writing. She will be missed. 💔#gildacorderofernando

A post shared by K Galarpe (@kgalarpe) on Aug 26, 2020 at 10:20pm PDT

VERSE OF THE WEEK: As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person. ~ Proverbs 27:19

Getting fit at 50 and beyond

By Karen Galarpe

Up. Down. Up. Down. I watched my friend Anna Carlos-Alegre lift what looked like four liters--two liters on each side--of water or vinegar or cooking oil. She did it effortlessly, and I couldn't help watching her do it again and again.

"Been NEAT-ing to keep moving lately, and mostly in the garden. Today was a cooler, windy day and it was perfect for a quick lunch workout!" she wrote on her Instagram post.

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Been NEAT-ing to keep moving lately, and mostly in the garden. Today was a cooler, windy day andnit was perfect for a quick lunch workout!

A post shared by a.c. alegre (@femmefitall) on Jun 25, 2020 at 9:19pm PDT

So there she was doing this in her garden during her lunch break, lifting liters of suka and water. Under the noonday heat. At 50-plus years old. She's my FITspiration!

"That's actually 4 gallons plus 20 lb barbells in my hands. hahaha," she told me later.

Anna, who was my classmate in UP grad school, in an email interview shares she wasn't really your healthy kid growing up.

"I was a fat kid, and for the most part, I didn't mind. When I became a teenager, my mom gave me a book about fitness. I forgot the title, but it was a diet book. haha. That just tells you how concerned she was about my figure," she said.

That got her thinking about the importance of eating healthy and working out. At 14, she got into aerobics and started watching what she ate. At 18, a doctor told her she had scoliosis. "It was slight, but the doctor advised me to do a few back strengthening and stretching exercises," Anna said.

She then enrolled in a weight training class for P.E. in UP Diliman and "got hooked." Thus began a regular exercise routine of a combination of cardiovascular activities (kickboxing, spinning) and weight training at the gym.

"For diet, I did portion control, and for the longest time, that was how I controlled my weight," she said.

Anna moved to the US in the 90s and worked as a grade school teacher in California. In 2000 though, she took a break from teaching to go into fitness training. "Why not? It was always part of my life," she said. Anna then became a certified fitness trainer with the International Science Sports Association (ISSA). She also worked for two gyms in Los Angeles. 

After a year though, she went back to teaching grade school students. "I missed it too much," she said.

In 2012, Anna and her husband moved back to Manila. She continued with her work in education, at one time heading a preschool. Today she works for an international organization committed to education.

Before she turned 50, Anna discovered she was prediabetic. She then became more serious about getting fit and eating well.

"I went on a ketogenic diet and have moved on since to a low-carb and non-processed food way of eating," Anna said.

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August vs December 2018. The journey to 5 unassisted #chinups

A post shared by a.c. alegre (@femmefitall) on Dec 4, 2018 at 4:51pm PST

How she became a recertified fitness trainer is a story worth sharing.

"In 2017, I was on a plane and sat beside two brothers who came from the USA and were on their way to Bacolod. One of them was an online coach, and the other, an Olympian! So we talked about--what else--fitness and pursuing dreams. I told them that I was thinking about getting recertified but I was 49. And the coach said, 'Do it. If you fail, so what? At least you won't look back on your life regretting that you didn't even try.' So I did! And I passed! I got certified by Fitness Edutraining Asia and ACE (American Council on Exercise)," Anna said.

I've always wanted to ask Anna why it's hard to lose weight, can one get fit after 50, and many other questions you might have too, and so here's my Q and A with her. Hope this would inspire you as well.

Q: Why do people gain weight? 

Anna: There is not one reason why people gain weight, but, barring medical conditions, it is generally this: Calories in, calories out. If you take in more calories than you burn, you gain weight. If you burn more calories than you take in, you lose weight.

It gets harder to lose weight when you're older because around the age of 30, men and women will lose half a pound of muscle a year, especially if they have a sedentary lifestyle (not having any sustained, intense exercise for more than 30 minutes a day or at least 200 minutes a week).


Q: Please share your 5 best tips for people to lose weight and get fit in mid-life -- tips you yourself have followed and proven true.

Anna: These are what have worked for me for the past 3 years. I have never kept my weight off AND stayed this healthy (my family has diabetes and cardiovascular disease on both sides):

1. I lift heavy weights to fight the natural loss of muscle and bone density.

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Was a bit anxious about being "AWOL" for almost 2 weeks, and began my routine the way I usually do, with #deadlifts ... But this time with 60kg 10x2 to warm up and then test 80kg 2x2. Refilling water dispensers at work seems to work for me 💪😂 #fitnessafter50 #fitafterfifty #after50fitness #womenwholift #80nutrition20percentexercise

A post shared by a.c. alegre (@femmefitall) on Jan 24, 2019 at 4:28pm PST

2. Even without the gym, I try to incorporate the 'big five' movements every day for at least 30 minutes: pushing, pulling, lunging, squatting, and strengthening my core (people usually say 'abs' but abs are made in the kitchen). 

There are 35 muscles that give you core strength: the abs is the most superficial one. The rest are back muscles, trunk muscles, and hip muscles. All those muscles keep you stable and resistant to injuries. When they're toned, they also make you look lean.

3. I found the way of eating that works for me: low carb, IF (intermittent fasting) on weekdays. 

I began with keto to lower my triglycerides and bad cholesterol, and my blood glucose, but it fixed a lot of things, including my craving for carbs.

Abs are made in the kitchen. You can do 300 situps a day and plank 5 minutes, but those muscles will only come out if you lose both visceral fat (the kind that surrounds your organs and is more dangerous, especially to the liver) and subcutaneous fat--the one under the skin.

When you cut excess carbs and calories, the very first to go is visceral fat. That's the fat that makes your belly area big or thick. Subcutaneous fat or that jiggly fat under the skin, is harder to burn. That's where a lifestyle of exercise and healthy eating is essential. 

4. I try to move around a lot to be in 'NEAT' -- Non-exercise activity thermogenesis. It means all the energy burned for everything that is not sleeping, eating or exercise. So when I walk, I walk briskly. When I sweep and mop, I do big, fast movements. During ECQ, I began gardening. Rakes are amazing NEATers! hahaha

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#covid19fitnesschallenge #nogymnoproblem #nogymnoexcuse #quarantineandchill

A post shared by a.c. alegre (@femmefitall) on May 12, 2020 at 5:42pm PDT

5. I stay accountable. I post my progress, my failures on social media so that if I succeed, I succeed publicly. But if I fail, it's more embarrassing because I also fail publicly! And I pass on my knowledge to others. But I can't teach if I don't live what I teach, so it's a wonderful cycle. =)


So there, getting fit even beyond 50 is doable. We may not get to lift weights as much as Anna does (well, I can't, haha), but we can take little steps to put in at least 30 minutes of exercise daily. Here's to good health!

BOOK OF THE WEEK: I'm reading now this little book Kain Tayo! by Beng Alba-Jones, which I bought at the @omflit bookshop at Il Terrazzo when I had to wait for someone and realized I had no book to read while waiting. I bought it because it was cheap, lightweight, and easy to read. Well it turned out to be a fun read too since the author shared little anecdotes revolving around food (her hard-as-rock first cake ever, her being called rice lady in the US, among others). There are heartwarming words of wisdom as well and recipes too.

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I picked up this little book entitled “Kain Tayo!” by Beng Alba-Jones at the @omflit bookshop at Il Terrazzo when I had to wait for someone and realized I had no book to read while waiting. I bought it because it was cheap, lightweight, and easy to read. Well it turned out to be a fun read too since the author shared little anecdotes revolving around food (her hard-as-rock first cake ever, her being called rice lady in the US, among others). There are heartwarming words of wisdom as well and recipes too.

A post shared by K Galarpe (@kgalarpe) on Jul 8, 2020 at 9:23pm PDT

VERSE OF THE WEEK: "Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!" Psalm 34:8