Gaining 10lbs In…

As I've mentioned before, I've gained 10 lbs since I started an office job in January as it had been a constant struggle trying to keep up with work, blogging, modeling and my usual workout routines. I found myself too tired after work to go to the gym although at least I still made it to muay thai classes every Tuesday and working out on one of the weekends. It just wasn't enough. All the unhealthy snacking and occassionally drinking coffee to keep myself awake after lunch time took its toll on me.

You might say 10 lbs (5kg) isn't much. Hey, that's only about 1kg gained each month? If I kept going at that rate, would I be 12kg heavier by the end of the year?

Probably.

And what do I have to say about that? HELL NO. I wasn't going to let that happen. Work was going well (although at times was quite challenging) and I couldn't ask for a more fun bunch of colleagues but I realized it was a lot harder to juggle my full-time graphic design job, modeling and blogging. I enjoyed doing these things the most but it wasn't balancing the way I had hoped it to. I want to dedicate more time on my blog and learn more about health and fitness so I can share it with everyone. It's something I enjoy doing and see myself doing in the long run. So, I resigned from my full-time job and my company has now hired me as a freelance designer so I am now able to be more flexible with my time.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying you have to quit your job if you think you've been gaining weight just because you're desk-bound. That isn't the main reason why I resigned anyway. During the first 3 months, I was still going to the gym 3 times a week and eating healthily. I was adamant about drinking coffee because it stains your teeth and is so bad for in so many levels (I'll share more on this soon). I'd pack my own lunch sometimes and made sure I didn't have to consume it with my eyes still glued to the computer. Like I said, work was going well. But what happened with me? I got complacent. I got lazy and I started not to like my daily routines. When your mind has decided on something like that, you know you're going to do a half-ass job - not with work, more importantly, with your life.

My eating habits were terrible. 'Just 1 packet of cream crackers' turned out to be 'Aw man, I just had 3...'. I stayed up until 2, sometimes 3am because I needed some down time after getting home from work to catch up with friends or download new music for my workout playlist. The extra 10 lbs didn't show up immediately of course. My jeans started to feel tight and uncomfortable at first and then I realized it felt better to leave it unbuttoned after a while.The first signs of trouble. Always. Take. Note...

I don't have a weighing scale at home and rarely do I ever weigh myself at the gym but just 2 weeks ago, I became curious. And yeah, that's how I found out. It was almost like finding out you're pregnant (no, I've never actually experienced this but I would think it'd be similar emotion). I couldn't believe it!

Just to prove my point, here's a photo of me in my ideal weight taken in Oct/Nov 2009:

And this is me, now:

It may not be a dramatic change to some people but it's not a good change for me and I am extremely unhappy about it...

Anyway, enough with all the oh-my-god-I-can't-believe-this-is-happening... What you need to know and what I, ultimately, would like to share is what needs to be done NOW. Over the next 12 weeks, I'm undergoing my workout split 1 - which is called the 'Explode' program. No, I do not have the desire to look like the governor of California. It's called the Explode program simply because... it sounds cool.

Some basic rules of this program on my next post. Hang in there