1. My acne situation is a little better. I’ve gone to a dermatologist at The Medical City and I’ve been religiously following every advice she’s giving me. I’m currently taking Accutane and I have a strict skin care routine. I have also been undergoing several procedures on my face since my case is hormonal and can’t just be treated with topical treatments. I’ve been spending a lot and it’s waaaaay out of my budget, but I have to do this ‘cause I have a client-facing job. Huhu I’m currently dealing with acne marks, so if you have recommendations, I would greatly appreciate it!
2. My skin ~looks~ and ~feels~ healthy! I mean, beyond the acne marks, I can feel that it’s so soft and smooth. Moisturizing really does pay off! I’ve also been trying to drink more water despite my unhealthy habit of just drinking one glass a day ‘cause I don’t like the fact that it’s tasteless, lol. I’m also trying really, really hard to quit smoking so I can help my skin out.
3. I’m in school again! I’ve been mulling over the thought of going back to school but during the first few years of my working life, the schedule was very challenging. When I transferred to a different company, I was purely having fun enjoying work-life balance that I completely forgot about it. But now, back to my goals of finally pursing a master’s degree. I’m currently only taking pre-masteral classes, but hey, it’s a step towards achieving this old dream. <3 p="">
4. I’m getting better at make-up! I used to be that girl who can go to the office with just cheek and lip tint on because I’m lazy. I’d rather sleep than deal with my face, lol. But when I started having acne and acne marks, I had to conceal them ‘cause every time I’d go out I’d feel like people were staring at me (even if they didn’t!). I’m not a pro but I’ve achieved this level of expertise where I can go out looking normal and people wouldn’t notice my marks so yay!
5. Successfully hosted another company event! Prior to joining my current company, hosting never, ever crossed my mind even if my job as a learning specialist entails me to talk in front of people all the freakin’ time. When I stand in front of a crowd, I always feel like puking my guts out which is why I have to be drunk first before proceeding, but thankfully, I haven’t been getting drunk lately before doing my hosting stints, lol. Slowly getting there!
6. Being more receptive to change. In the past few months, so much has happened at work and in my personal life that I was quite unsure how to sort my feelings out. Good thing I was mentored by the best manager I’ve ever had that I was able to adapt and channel my energy into something positive. Because of this, I had the guts to cut my hair short which is something I haven’t done since 4th grade, lol. Same manager also left the company but I’m proud to say I was able to handle it pretty well. I’m now well-adjusted and in sync with my new boss, so safe to say every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.
7. My sister graduated from Uni! Aaaaaand, she did so with flying colors and latin honors and I couldn’t be more proud. I was telling her I think I’m the kind of sister you wouldn’t want to bring to your graduation because I’ll literally scream my lungs out as your name gets called on stage then bawl my eyes out as you walk back to your seat. I was the all-out supportive stage sister that my Mom was starting to get embarrassed off, lol.
8. Same sister also enrolled in law school! Now you might be wondering why I’m sharing things that are not necessarily ~about me~ but I assure you, these things are entirely who I am. These are the things that make up the pivotal experiences of my being, so there’s that. Anyway, we enrolled at San Beda Law School and I was thrilled to have toured the campus and seen their moot court since I also want to take up Law someday. Law school is fucking expensive as crap! I’m helping send my sister to school so I feel the entire heavy load financially ‘cause private schooling is no joke but I know every penny is worth it because my sister is pursuing her dream so all good. I miss UP tuition though!
9. Doing a ~little~ workout. I’ve never really worked out in my whole life so I was glad when one of my closest friends in the office (Hello, Dennis!) asked me to be his gym buddy. I was honored since I usually just go to the gym to tease my friends with food or to be silly around the equipments. He taught me the ropes, like how to use a machine and which part of the body the machine targets. I had fun on my first try but I also realized it’s pretty expensive so I just try to make sure I also do a ~little~ yoga at home. I don’t intend to have abs. I just want a lifestyle that’s not as sedentary as the one I have now since I smoke and binge drink a lot, huhu.
10. I’m currently doing the ketogenic diet! I won’t be going on into the details but you can read more about it here. The good things about this diet is that I started drinking less since beer it is one of the no-no’s if you’re on the program. I also saved a lot of money since I would do meal prep because most of the food in our cafeteria is not keto-friendly. The best things about this diet is that I get to eat bacooooon, whuuuuut! I’m on my 3rd week of eating bacon almost every day but from 50kgs, I’m down to 45kgs thanks to a little discipline. To be more realistic about this, I still drink almost every day but I make sure I don’t spike up my carb intake since this is a high fat-low carb diet. The hardest part about this is not being able to eat rice (huhu Filipino food), noodles and dumplings. So far, those are the things I’m missing but still, this is one of the best diets I’ve ever tried.
And there you have it! I know it's a lot, got a bit tired trying to remember everything too, lol. I won't promise to make this a weekly thing, you know what, I'll just make it happen so I don't disappoint you guys with false promises. Whatever happens, I'm pretty sure there will always be something to be thankful for. Have an awesome weekend, my loves!
Ochi is a twenty-something Corporate Trainer who loves to cook, take photos and videos of her food, eat and travel. On weekends, she's either drunk or snuggling in bed watching her favorite crime drama. 
