"Long distance feels like spending days trying to fill up your time, waiting until you see each other again"

*Disclaimer*

Only those who are in it and have experienced it already, will understand.

It was just a word to me until I was put in the situation. 

Long Distance Relationship is already hard enough to think of, but if you are in the situation, you'll realize that it's a hundred percent much harder than you thought it would be. 

“LDR sucks! It doesn’t work” - yeah, I used to hear that… a lot.

I used to think that those people who utter those words were just bitter. They are the kind of people who don't believe on cliche sayings like “love can move mountains”… “love conquers all”. I thought they were just crazy lunatics who were just so sad about their lives and wanted to spread bitterness all over the country.

That’s what I thought until I actually have experienced being in it.

LDR SUCKS. 

Yeah. That’s me talking.

Seriously, it's sickening and draining. It's really just hard. Hard is an understatement. Most of the time I asked myself “Why am I even in this situation?” or “What have I done to deserve this?”. Seriously, it's one of the worst situation that I think any person wouldn’t want to be in. Believe me. I know. 

If you're in an LDR right now or you're planning to accept the challenge of being in this kind of set up in the near future, here are the things that you have to keep in mind. I'll give you a bird's eye view on what really happens when you are in a Long Distance RelationSHIT, I mean… ship.

1. Gadgets #1 Necessity in Life

Trust me when I say that you'll need your phone, ipad, laptops or anything that could be a  mean of communication more than ever. Your gadgets are going to be your best buds, along with the internet of course. Long Distance Relationships are more bearable today compared before, thanks to FaceTime and other apps, but still... It doesn't make the situation any easier. You'll go to sleep with your phone on your hand because you fell asleep talking to him on FaceTime and then you'll wake up the next morning still with your phone on your hand to inform him that you’re already awake and ready to start your day. You'll have your phone with you 24/7, because you don't want to miss any chance of talking to him because you know that it's not all the time that you’ll get to do that because of your time zone differences. Because of this, you make sure that your charger and power bank are with you all the time. These are your life savers.

2. Time Zone Expert

"So if the time right now is eight in the evening then it means it's morning there and I have to add three hours to the current time"

It sounds ridiculous, but wether you like it or not, you'll master his time zone. You won't need your time zone app on your phone just to figure out the date and time in his country, because you'll get used to it. Believe me... you'll master it.

3. You'll NEVER ask for SPACE

One of the benefits of being in an LDR is you'll never ask for space because you seriously have tons and tons of space. You don't have any problem on being too clingy or being too controlled on your choices because you have the freedom that most of the people who are in a normal relationship are asking. You have a sole control of your life, but at the same time still has someone who supports you in every decision that you'll make.

4. You'll get an award for being the BEST ORGANIZER

I think this award really suits me. LDR taught me how to be a good planner, most especially on my day to day activities. When you are in an LDR, you really have to be good at this. With all the requirements that you have to submit on school or work, plus the responsibilities you have at home, add into that the plenty of things that you still have to think about, despite all those - you still have to put a space on your schedule for you to talk to the love of your life and know how his day was. Considering the time zone and his schedule too, of course. This part is really stressful and challenging since you have to compromise and sacrifice things to be able to make this happen, but you won't mind it anyway. Because believe me or not, talking to him is the only thing that you'll look forward to everyday. He's bringing you stress, but more of a happiness.

5. Pictures are everything

Pictures will never go out of your conversation. Every time you or he goes somewhere, you'll never forget to take a picture and every time you take a photo you just can't wait to send it to your partner. You might think that it's too much, but you'll surely make an album consisting of the pictures that are related to the both of you. Even if you're miles apart, somehow by looking at the pictures and seeing the things and places that he has been to, lessen the loneliness and makes you feel that you've been there with him too.

6. TRUST - BIG WORD

It really is a big word. You must trust him 101%. Trust his words. Trust his actions. Trust that what you both have is real. Trust that he cares for you enough to not break your heart. Insecurities, doubts and other negative thoughts will surely pop up in your head even if you try to avoid it, but if you want to make your relationship work, you have to trust him. JUST TRUST HIM. 

7. Roller Coaster Ride of Emotions, Everyday

You love him. You want to be with him. You are sure that it is him that you want to be with  in every single day of your existence, but he’s not there. He’s miles apart from you.

You are having a rough day. You need him. You want to hug him. You miss him so bad. You miss him so much. You cry yourself to sleep, praying… wishing, hoping that when you wake up… he’s there. He’ll be there. You’re not alone anymore.

You wake up. He’s still not there. It breaks your heart. It pains. It hurts. You want to stop your heart from aching. You want to forget him. You don’t want to long for him anymore. You just want your heart to stop beating his name because it hurts so much. It hurts so much.

But then he calls…

You hear his voice.

And you’re okay… again.

You’ll experience this everyday. 

Everyday you’ll see a reason to give up on him, because it’s easier… it’s more convenient. The universe will show you thousands of reasons why you should give up and let him go, but you’d still hold on to that one thing that’s keeping you going… and that’s the hope in your heart that you two would be together again someday. 

7. LDR IS HARD BUT POSSIBLE

Despite all those though, I still believe it's possible to work. It’s not easy. It will never get easy. You’ll just get used to that feeling, but that doesn’t make it any less difficult. You’ll have to sacrifice a lot. You have to put more effort compared to others. It’s riskier. You have a higher chance of getting your heart broken. It’s probably the least ideal type of relationship… but when you’re in love, none of those will matter. 

Long Distance Relationship is not for everyone. It will take two persons who are willing to 100% commit themselves to it, for it to last. It will take two right persons for each other to make it work. Because at the end of the day, if you’re meant to be together, no matter how far you are from each other, the universe will somehow make a way to bring you two together. And when that happens, all the waiting, lonely nights, longing and tears will be worth it. It will all be worth it. Because I always believe that with the right person, everything is possible. 

“Is it worth the risk?”

I can’t believe I would say this… it took me years to get to this point, but… yes, it is.

It’s worth it.

Somehow being stuck in that kind of relationship in the past had taught me a lot of things. It taught me the value of time, presence, effort and commitment. It taught me how not to take someone's presence for granted because it's not everyday that you'll get the chance be with the one you love. And most of the people tend to forget that. If only they knew how lucky they are…

This experience made me realize how capable I am of giving so much love… how much I could sacrifice, how could I be so selfless when it comes to love. It showed the parts of me that I never thought existed. It made me stronger. It made me become a better person. It made me who I am today.

So yeah. It’s worth the risk. It'll always be.

I used to be called as "the fat girl" of the family. The other members of my family don't really have any struggle when it comes to their body because they are all naturally slim no matter how much food they take in. I'm the only one who has a slow metabolism and really does get fat. I really didn't care about my weight and how I looked when I was in high school. I never really thought that I was fat until I entered college.

My love for food back then was greater than my love for anything except for my family of course, but my point is... I LOVED FOOD SO MUCH PERIOD. But I guess it came to the point when my insecurity became so much bigger than my love for food. That was why I came to the decision of taking care of my body. It was NEVER easy. Everyday is a struggle.

It's an everyday commitment to the goal of being fit and healthy. 

I never thought that I would be writing a blog about losing weight because I had never imagined that I could be this fit. It was really hard and I thought it was impossible, but because I didn't give up... I made it. And If I could do it, I'm sure as hell that you could too.

So these are the 10 simple tricks that helped me lose weight.

1. Don't Skip Breakfast

Most people thought that skipping breakfast is a great way to lose weight, but unfortunately this will only help your body to gain more weight. When you don't eat your breakfast, unconsciously you are letting your body eat more than you should for the next meals for the entire day. More over, your consumption on your breakfast won't really make you gain weight because you'll be able to burn those calories for the next few hours, assuming that you are doing productive activities.

2. Drink A LOT of Water 

This trick is really effective. I drink water after waking up because it makes our metabolism faster. I drink water before eating every meal most especially during dinner. I do that for me to feel full already even before eating and that results to a lesser food in take.

3. Drink Green Tea Everyday

Green tea cleanses your body and helps you remove all the toxins. I drink tea almost everyday and most especially when I have eaten so much. I think Green Tea makes me digest the food easier. I really don't know the scientific explanation for the green tea. My knowledge is limited, but I believe it helped me a lot in losing weight.

4. Use Smaller Plates

This sounds weird, but it is effective. When you use smaller plates, you tend to put lesser food on your plate. The hard part in this trick is when you finish your food and still not satisfied, you have a tendency to go for a second round. Just control yourself to not ask for another cup of rice. 

5. Cut Off Your Rice

This is the hardest part of dieting. As Filipinos, we eat rice every meal. Rice is part of our system. We can't live without rice! But rice also contributes so much on your weight. You really don't have to get rid of rice, just lessen it. It won't be easy, but do it step by step. Don't just cut it off, because you'll end up craving even more and eating more.

I used to eat three cups of rice every meal, but when I started dieting, I cut it off to two cups of rice. Then after a week, I cut it off to just one cup of rice. Until my body got used on having just a cup of rice and started to get really full by just finishing it.

Now, I can already go for a week without eating rice. I sometimes challenge myself to #NoRiceChallengeForAWeek and I don't find it that hard anymore.

6. NO SODA, NO JUNKFOOD, NO SWEETS

This is also the hardest part, but just like what happened on cutting off of rice, I survived this. I do drink sodas, eat junkfoods and sweets, but I do eat these rarely. I managed to cut them out of my system. For example I'll be ordering on Mcdo, I'll never order the SODA even if it comes with the meal. If ever I can't remove the soda from my order, I'll only take a zip of it and I'm done.

7. Have a Cheat Day But Not Everyday

You are allowed to have a cheat day once a week. On cheat day you are allowed to eat the forbidden foods, but also in a controlled amount. Don't overeat when you are having your cheat day, because you'll just waste all the efforts you've made in dieting in just one sitting. 

8. Tell Everyone That You're on Diet

It sounds ridiculous, but this trick really did help me. When you tell everyone or your close friends or even your family members that you're trying to live healthy and starting to work on your shape, unconsciously you are asking them to take care of your body too. If they know what you are doing, they would be more likely to remind you or help you to achieve your goal. 

9. HAVE A FITSPIRATION QUOTE AS YOUR LOCK SCREEN / WALLPAPER

When you are undergoing a big change in your life, you constantly have to remind yourself why are you doing this and for whom you are doing it. The path that you're going to take is not easy and you will surely commit mistakes a lot of times, but you have to overcome those trials to reach your goal. For that to happen, you need a reminder and it would really help if that reminder is with you all the time.

10. Go to Gym and Sweat Your Ass Off

Most people want to skip this part. Some would rather go through "NO EATING HELL DIET" than to go to the gym and exercise. But this is the most effective way of losing weight. You won't lose weight by just sitting the whole day. If you don't have time to go to the gym, do fun activities that require body movements. You have to find a way to exercise at least thrice or four times a week. Cleaning your room or doing household chores could be a way too.  

Just find time to SWEAT, for short.

So here you go! These are just ten out of the hundreds of ways that you could do to lose weight. There are millions of them in the internet, but these what worked for me.

Losing weight is never easy for girls like me who has a slow metabolism. Sometimes I think it's really unfair because some girls really don't have to exercise just to have a nice figure. Some girls could actually just eat anything without thinking that they are going to get fat.

I thought it was really unfair until I realized the benefits of what I am doing. At first, I was just doing it for my figure. I just wanted to be slim. But now, I'm doing it for my health. I realized how this healthy living changed so much about my life.

It changed my perspective on the word "Sexy".

I believe that no matter what shape your body is, as long as you love yourself and you're confident about it, you could be called "Sexy". I believe that the society's standard of sexy which was based from the measurements of the body is a total trash. Being thin doesn't actually make you sexy. What makes you sexy is your self confidence and your love for who you are as a person.

Loving yourself comes together with taking care of your body and the non stop craving for self improvement. So if you have been eating unhealthy for the past years of your life and you know deep down that you have to change this unhealthy lifestyle, then what's stopping you? If you're afraid of failing, don't be. Because even athletes failed so many times before they got to be in the position of where they are today.

The best advise that I could give I think is that 

"Don't do this because of the figure, because if you do, you'll never be satisfied. You'll end up disappointing yourself until you decide to just give up. Figure must be just secondary, your main reason must be your health. Because if your health is your goal, you'll never be disappointed because you'll see improvement every time you workout until your body asks for more and just get used it. It will result to a nice figure in the long run anyways"

I hope you get inspired by reading my blog. I'm not an expert on this field and everything written here is solely base from my experience.

It's still not too late to start your new year's resolution this 2018.

It's still January... Start the year by sweating! You can do it girl!

Watch the video version of "10 Tricks To Lose Weight" on my official Youtube Channel.

I've been writing blogs and doing vlogs about my skin care routine and I've been sharing with you the the life changing transformation that I had not only in my physical appearance but also in my personality as it gives me confidence and reason to love myself more.

In this blog, I'll be giving my top recommendations for body whitening. All the products that I'll be stating are from MAPS Lavishly Whitening. I've been using this brand since I was in high school and I can guarantee that you'll get the dream skin that you want as long as you commit yourself to it.

"I've also done a Vlog about this too so you can click this video if you don't want to read the article. Make sure to subscribe on my Youtube Channel to be updated on my Vlogs"
​

Let's get started:

1. Super Whitening Body Cream Lotion

This is the first Body Whitening lotion that I used back when I was in high school. This lotion has the highest whitening content compared to other lotions of MAPS. It's the reason why it was and still is the best seller since the company started in 2004. After a month of using this lotion, people started to notice that I became whiter in a short period of time. I was so morena, but because of Super Whitening Body Cream Lotion, my skin got whiter in no time.

​2. Ultra Intensity Body Cream Lotion

This body cream lotion has the second highest whitening content in MAPS. It is also a best selling lotion since its released in 2013. After using Super Whitening Lotion, I changed to Ultra Intensity Body Cream Lotion because besides on the fact that it's a lot cheaper than the Super Whitening, it gives a great result too. I've been using this lotion since I graduated from college and until now it's giving me the best skin that I've ever dreamt of.

3. Firming Moisturizer Pure Chitosan Body Lotion

Though Body Whitening Lotions are important and recommended to be applied every night, there are days when I choose not to apply a whitening lotion, but put on a moisturizing lotion instead. This is probably the best moisturizing lotion that I've ever tried. I love how it is absorbed by my skin and how it makes my skin smooth and moisturized in no time. As the tagline of the company says, "Iba ang maputi... sa flawless!". That's why it's a must to moisturize your skin every once in a while.

4. Sunblock 125 Sunscreen Protection​​

I always make sure that I'm protected from the sun wherever I go. I use sunblock 125 for 365/365 days in a year. Taking care of your skin is not just about applying the right products to improve its color or texture. It also means applying the right products to prevent it from being damaged. It really is a must to put on a sunscreen protection most specially when you're going to be exposed to the sun. You don't want to waste all your efforts on skin whitening in just a matter of minutes, do you?

5. Body Toner​

This is also one of the best sellers of MAPS. It doesn't only cleanse your skin, it is also a great contributor in making your skin whiter. I usually apply Body Toner when I don't get to shower at night. I put on Body Toner on my skin first before applying whitening lotion.

6. Milk Pearl Scrub

This is one of my favourite scrubs of MAPS. Besides on its super lovable smell, it makes my skin very smooth after taking a shower. I love using this during night time for twice or thrice a week.

 7. Tretinoin with Vitamin C Soap & Milk AHA Moisturizing Soap

Though these soaps are can be used separately, I believe they work better when used together. Tretinoin with Vitamin C Soap is the best selling soap of MAPS since 2004. It contains a whitening ingredient that lightens the skin and also has a micro peeling effect that extinguishes dead skin. I love using Tretinoin Soap for my face as it prevents and removes pimples, black heads, white heads and other unnecessary spots. Using Tretinoin Soap can cause dryness on your skin at some point that's why I recommend to team it up with Milk AHA Moisturizing Soap. While Tretinoin Soap provides you the right ingredients on making your skin lighter or whiter, the Milk AHA Moisturizing soap on the other hand is capable of giving you a smooth and flawless skin.

Here you go!

These are my top recommendations for body whitening. Everything written here is solely base on my experience on the stated products and I guarantee you that this feedback is nothing, but honesty and willingness to help all the girls who would want to have a life changing skin transformation just like what happened to me.

Before ending this blog, I just want to say that achieving your dream skin is not an overnight process. No matter how great these products are, it won't give you a transformation overnight. This process requires commitment, patience and right products to achieve the skin that you've always wanted. It might look impossible at first but if it happened to me then it could happen to you as well!

All of these products are available at MAPS Lavishly Whitening. You can visit their site by clicking http://www.mapslavishlywhitening.com and you can also follow them in instagram : @mapslavishlywhitening and like their facebook page: MAPS Lavishly Whitening.

If you find this article helpful, please do share and subscribe. I'll be writing more blogs about beauty and fitness so stay updated!

                 As requested by many, I decided to share my MAPS Journey with you.

I am frequently asked if maputi na daw ba talaga ako noong bata pa lang. Well, I will tell you honestly... my answer is and will always be "NO". I was the kind of girl na talagang hindi mapapansin.

Maitim, mataba, maliit, peklatin and baduy. May maidadagdag pa ba ko sa description ko sa sarili ko noon?

I wanted to enter showbiz before. I wanted to become a singer and an actress. But I was always rejected. Yes, I have the voice but when it comes to my appearance... sobrang hindi ako qualified. My mom is a beauty consultant kaya sobrang pang Diyosa talaga yung ganda niya. Most of her clients ay nagtataka kung bakit ang layo ko sa kanya. Yung feeling na para akong pulubi pag tumabi sa kanya? Nakakatawa kung iisipin pero totoong nangyari yun.

The picture on the right was me and my best friend. We were on our freshmen high school having our excursion. Chinese yung best friend ko kaya naman maputi talaga siya. Kaya pagdating sa pictures namin, talagang naiiwan yung kulay ko. Sobrang negra lang kasi talaga ako. Actually ang nickname ko sa bahay namin e "Negra". Ganun kalala yung kulay ko.

I was on my second year in High School when my mother let me use the "SUPER WHITENING BODY CREAM LOTION". After one to two months of using it, her clients started to see the big change. Pumuti daw ako bigla. 

That was me. The girl with a palayok sa ulo. Pumuti na ako diyan. Ang dami nang nag cocompliment sa skin ko. Madaming nagulat talaga sa changes ko. Ilang month pa lang ako gumagamit ng "Super Whitening Body Cream Lotion" niyan pero ang laki na ng binago ko.

Naalagaan ko na yung skin starting second year high school. Though hindi laging "Super Whitening" yung gamit ko. My mom made sure na tuloy pa din ako sa pag gamit ng MAPS. Consistent ako pagdating sa Tretinoin with Vitamin C Soap.  That soap is probably the best whitening soap ever! As in, wala akong masabi sa Tretinoin Soap. Nakakaputi, nagpapakinis at nagpapabanat ng mukha. I really love that soap.

Maputi pa din naman nung 4th year high school kaso hindi sobrang puti kasi nagkaroon kami ng CAT. May mga times na nabibilad sa araw. Tsaka pabaya pa kasi talaga ako sa skin ko that time. Hindi pa talaga ako masyadong conscious. Pero malaki na pinuti ko compared nung hindi ako gumagamit ng whitening products.

When I entered College, EVERYTHING CHANGED!

Sobrang nangitim ako at na stress nung nag start akong pumasok sa UST. Commute lang kasi ako eceryday from Cainta to UST. Kaya talagang nabibilad ako sa araw. Then every lunch time, nililibot ko buong UST para kainan lahat ng kainan. Then nag ka PE pa ko ng outdoor. Napunta ako sa PE na Volleyball and yung schedule e 1 pm to 3 pm ng tanghali so bilad na bilad ako sa araw. So sa kasamaang palad, sobrang naging negra ako. 

Nanghihingi ako kay mama ng whitening kaso ayaw niya kong pagamitin ng mga lotions na mataas ang whitening content. Sayang lang daw sakin kasi nga lagi akong nabibilad sa araw. 

So tinanggap ko na lang na talagang mangingitim ako hanggat hindi pa tapos yung PE ko na subject. Isang sem yung Volleyball PE ko so isang sem din akong maitim.

Then nung mag dedebut na ko which was nung second year college, my mom told me na mag start a ulit akong magpaputi para maganda na ko sa debut. So I started using again pero dahil nasunog skin ko sa Volleybal nung previous semester, di ko magawang pumuti agad. Kasi nag cocomute pa din naman ako and naaarawan. So hindi ko talaga magawang pumuti ng sobra.