January 1, 2025 vs. December 13, 2025

Since I finished my academic year and other commitments, I promised myself that I would focus on self-care. I remember juggling one part-time job and one full-time job, leading a feasibility study and working in a school organization. Please include my responsibilities here at home and school. That’s why I decided to finally focus on myself and become the best version of me. However, I didn’t expect something to happen that almost cost me my life.

January 2025 - Bloated Face

I took this photo on the first day of January. As you can see, I had many dark spots and gained a lot of weight. If I remember correctly, my weight gain started around August. That was the time I accepted a part-time job from my virtual friend to fund my educational tour. I also joined an organization that I never planned to be part of. On top of that, I worked on our thesis where I acted as the teacher, manager, and editor of the group.

Eating a lot from holidays and birthdays also contributed from it since I admit that I don't have discipline. I ate a lot of chocolates and drank iced coffee while reviewing. As someone meticulous about grades, I relied heavily on chocolates. I also loved drinking Kopiko Lucky Day because of its high caffeine content. Personally, I don’t believe in Gingko Biloba for intelligence. You just need to eat those foods and science backed it up with evidence.

At the start of 2025, I felt like the world was on my shoulders. I had 2 jobs, leadership in research, being involved in a school organization, and academic responsibilities. Yes, I got accepted on another job and this time, full time. Before meeting my research groupmates, I often stayed at Jollibee or McDo to work due to limited time. Take note that I still need to travel 1 hour just to meet them since I was still from another city. After class, I still managed to finish tasks and reviewed until 3 a.m., then woke up again for my 7 a.m. class.

Eventually, I let go of my two jobs because of two different reasons. I realized I was being greedy, thinking doing a lot of work equaled financial freedom. Maybe if my grades were lower, I wouldn’t have pushed myself too hard. Looking back, I was already near the finish line. During that time when I was working, I managed to save money. This led me to invest in skincare and diet before starting my OJT. Let’s start with skincare.

April 2025 - Start of Self-Care Era

Skin Care

I used Ozecure Serum in the morning and Ozecure Power Mud before sleeping. Sorry, that’s the only photo I had on my phone. For sun protection, I used Barefaced Illuminating Sunscreen. Being consistent helped lighten my dark spots and reduce breakouts. When our freezer was still completely operating, I also used an ice roller for its skin benefits. If I earn three digits daily in Philippine pesos again, I would definitely invest in it.

Diet Routine

For my diet routine, here’s what I did:

Intermittent Fasting

When I was thinking on how would I reduce my food intake, I chose intermittent fasting. This method limits eating to a specific time window. I followed a 16:8 fasting schedule, eating only from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Even when hungry, I forced myself not to eat. My mother usually prepares food beyond the eating window, but I politely refused. I communicated it with my parents and they're somehow adjusting.

Walking With My Dog

At the start of my academic vacation, I walked my dog every morning. We covered around 3.6 km daily, and I noticed my skin burned easily. My parents eventually stopped me because they worried about my dog, who tends to scratch me when she wants attention.

This is my favorite exercise as its enjoyable and I love music. I’m not good at dancing, but I enjoy how interactive it is and how it serves as cardio. I usually burn 300 to 400 calories per hour, but sometimes half if I only do 30 minutes. So far, I'm not getting bored since I only do it if I don't have any errands.

Why It Almost Killed Me?

If you take a look at my routine, it requires high level of discipline. Imagine forcing yourself to consume under 1,500 calories daily. Moreover, I also burn up to 400 calories whenever I exercise. This approach helped me drop from 80 kilos in February 2025 to 70 kilos by May 2025. However, I couldn’t always refuse food during family celebrations.

Within three months of consistent diet, I also get LBM three times. The worst was having to go to the bathroom every two to three hours. I remember having fever dreams and recurring diarrhea. I also experienced back-to-back fevers where I felt fine briefly after I took medicine, then sick again. My mother firstly thought that I had a dengue due to my recurring fever. During that time, I remember that all I wanted was to lie down and sleep. I was awake for only about six hours a day, spending the rest sleeping, eating, and repeating. It was exhausting and hard to endure.

That's why I stopped doing that routine since it almost killed me. Maybe I’m exaggerating, but that’s how it felt. Forcing myself pushed me to stop dieting that way. It was effective in the first place, but it wasn’t effective for me in the long run. Now that I’ve finished my OJT and have fewer cravings, I’ll share a healthier diet approach that doesn’t cause stomach cramps anymore.