There's this magazine editor who ALWAYS greets me, without fail, everytime we meet each other in functions: "Liz, you're so thin! You lost so much weight!" Every. Single. Time. Even when I've gained weight, or even when I haven't actually lost any. There's also another acquaintance of mine who says the same thing every time we see each other. I'm not sure if they're being sarcastic, but I've given this a lot of thought and have come up with three reasons these people open their interactions with me this way.

1. They're just making idle, safe conversation - in their minds, anyway. Opening a conversation with a compliment is a great way to get things going. I myself do this a lot, but of course I am sincere in my flattery. But I don't just mention ONE compliment every time. I compliment what I like as I see it; I don't have a standard opening line.

2. They want me to also notice that they lost weight, too (even if they haven't). It's subtle prodding for a similar compliment.

Can I just say, it's hard to feel beautiful when your back feels like an 60-year old's! I'm always hunched in front of the laptop so my neck and upper back sometimes feel stiff. Last week, the stiffness has evolved into a dull ache. It's not really that painful but I can feel the muscles all knotted up!

Then I remembered that I just got the Zenutrients All is Well Salve (P88/20g and P225/50g) in a press kit. I blogged about some of my fave Zenutrients stuff before, and I really liked the Ginger Rx for muscle aches. Perhaps this salve can do the same, or even better?

It did! I rubbed some of the salve on my neck/upper back and sure enough, the muscles felt less tight and achy after an hour. I couldn't believe it. Maybe I'm giving it a placebo effect? I tried it again the next day and I got the same positive results. Placebo effect or not, it helped my back feel better! I'm not going to argue!

Zenutrients is not your typical beauty brand. Aside from hair care and body care products, Zenutrients has these nifty troubleshooters that can get hasten the relief of headaches, body pain, skin irritations, and insect bites, among other things. 

Health and wellness is at the core of the brand. The ingredients are herbal in nature, with a local heart. Think virgin coconut oil, gugo, ginger, and essential oils!

I have a couple of body care and ginger-infused balms from Zenutrients and I really enjoyed using them. ^_^ Let's start with the Zenutrients Organic Opaque Herbal Soap in Blueberry, Vanilla, Milk & Caramel. I don't have the price right now but it should be around P100 to P150. This is a yummy smelling soap that lathers wonderfully. It doesn't dry my skin too, which is always a good thing to have in any soap.

My bathroom always smells good when I use this! Downside though, this runs out easily. It becomes gooey quickly too so you need to cut the soap up in segments before your first use.

When I started practicing yoga, I told myself that I didn't want to be one of those people who endlessly talked about it to anyone within Tweeting distance. I wanted to be cool about the whole thing, like, sure it's awesome but you're not going to hear it from me. But I find that impossible to live by. I think yoga is amazing and if you haven't tried it yet, you must! I tell you this with all eartnestness.

It's been a month since I started yoga and honestly, I've never felt better. I actually haven't lost that much weight (only three pounds I think) but like I told you guys earlier the weight loss goal has sort of fallen by the wayside. Yoga helps me clear my head and find the strength to push myself in places that I didn't know existed within me. I feel lighter, more alert yet calmer.

...and okay a bit leaner.

I took my first yoga class last Wednesday, with minimal expectations. Well I expected to struggle (I did quite a bit of that since I went for hot yoga on my first try) but I didn't expect the feeling of lightness and calm after the class. I felt happy, focused, less worried about all the things I can't control. So I went back, and today I've already gone through my fourth yoga class this week!

Yoga helps me clear my mind and challenge my body. I have the flexibility of a wooden plank but that doesn't stop me from trying. ;) It feels good to stretch and stretch until I can't go further, and then try another day to see how my body has improved in that span of time.

I love yoga because it gives me a workout without making me tired. I tried it with the sole purpose of losing weight, but now it's not a priority anymore. The huge burst of energy and overall feeling of well-being after each class is more than enough for me! Okay let me list down all the other reasons I'm into yoga right now:

• It makes me sweat SO MUCH. After each hot yoga class, I'm dripping wet as if I took a shower. The sweat is a great way to remove impurities from the body, moisturize the skin, and unblock pores on the face. Now that's natural skincare!

Some weeks ago I had a crazy candy addiction. Whenever I'm out I'd buy a bag of candy and just chomp until I feel sick of sugar. Predictably, my weight shot up, so I'm a hundred thirty pounds now. My ideal weight is 120 pounds and 115 if I'm gung-ho about it - but 120 is the just about right. I'm not anorexic and I know that my current weight is still right for my height. I just dislike being bulky and looking terrible in my clothes!

But it's not just a matter of aesthetics. Because of all the sugar and carbs I find myself so sluggish during the day, and a lot more easily tired than when I was eating right. It's a toxic, stressful feeling.

This dress can fool anyone, I swear. It's from Forever 21 btw!

So, I've decided to work out. Dieting is not enough to make me lose weight anymore since I don't have time to prepare the food. :/ I used to have that time, which is how I at least managed to maintain my diet last year, but now I simply don't have an hour to spend in the kitchen. Exercise it is, then!

One of the most popular posts on this website is about how I lost weight with CarbTrim. I've noticed that a lot of people get to this website via the "carbtrim" keyword (need to lose all that holiday weight? Going to the beach soon?) too, so I thought I'd post an update on this juice!

I've been drinking Carbtrim on and off for the past 10 months. The most important thing I learned about it? If you don't want to lose weight then it's not going to happen. You have to commit to a diet first and use Carbtrim to make it easier for you to follow that diet. You can't drink Cabrtrim and hope it will magically make you want to eat less! 

I wanted to talk about how shorts are a staple yada yada but I'm sure that everyone else has exhausted the topic. To summarize: we live in a tropical country. Shorts are part of our national identity.

On a completely different note - one phrase has been running in my head repeatedly this morning. "If you want to lose weight, EAT LESS." It's like a freakin' mantra. But how less is less, and at what point do we need to eat more? I've been on a no carb diet for the past three weeks and it's consuming me. I do cheat once in a while, of course, but I make sure to make it up in the next meal.

Ferretti bag / Forever 21 knit top and blazer / Bench shorts / Pinbox headband and bracelets / ZARA heels

I recently got new contact lenses since the pair I was wearing has expired. I bought two sets, one in my normal color which is a light brown (Cinnamon), and another one which is rimmed in brown with flecks of violet in the middle (Amethyst). Here is the latter in action!

If you have inflamed or overly sensitive skin, it's best to stop using normal drugstore shampoos with creamy textures. That's not a professional opinion ha. It's just common sense. :) Most drugstore shampoos are formulated to be aggressive with too many active ingredients that may or may not be hypoallergenic to you. Better bet on a clear shampoo specifically tailored for sensitive skin such as the VMV Hypoallergenics Essence Clark Wash (P800)!

The VMV Clark Wash is a hair and body wash for those with medically-managed conditions (such as psoriasis, rosacea, and dermatitis) or those who have easily irritated skin (acne, random rashes, itchiness, etc.). I used this for a few weeks and it worked pretty well for me! I didn't break out (of course) and it made my hair soft and manageable - compared to similar shampoos that is.

I have always maintained that a healthy diet and exercise is the best way to lose weight. Eat less, move more, is what I'm sayin'! But - there's always a but. Not all of us have the will to exercise or regulate eating, which is why we may need a bit of help in the dieting department.

Recently, I've taken to drinking CarbTrim (P144 for a box of 6 sachets) regularly - about two months now. A friend who lost a lot of weight said that it worked for him so I thought I'd try it.

One sachet is good for a huge glass like this. I drink it once or twice a day, before meals.

Before anything else, know that I am not connected to CarbTrim in any way nor have they contacted me to write about them. I buy CarbTrim regularly because, believe it or not, it worked for me. I have lost 6 pounds in the last month, when I started drinking everyday and eating less. The month before I was just drinking it every other day and eating a LOT.

WHAT IS THIS SORCERY

CarbTrim is a juice drink that claims to reduce the absorption of carbohydrates in your body. Basically, it's supposed to block carbs.

Hand sanitizers are a dime a dozen these days, but have you come across one that's is dispensed as a foam and turns into a light lotion? I don't think so! That's what makes the Snoe Fizzy Clean Hand Sanitizer line relatively unique. It cleans hands while moisturizing them at the same time. It's a little sticky at first, but once it dries, the stickiness disappears.

I like the green tea scent - it's subtle and a little sweet, like herbal candy. Packaging-wise, it's basic and a bit haphazard, but for hand sanitizer, who minds?

I love me a brand that innovates and constantly tries to improve on its past products. Human Heart Nature, for instance, never sits on its laurels. It recently released three new products for organic lovers out there. Check out the latest goodies!

 Kids Natural Shampoo & Body Wash with Protein Care System (P139), 100% Natural Lip Balm(P70), and the Mineral Eyeshadow in Enchanted Evening (P275)

I am super intrigued by the new eyeshadow palette, if only because of its lovely packaging! I particularly like the box, but other than that I think the dusky violet shades are quite classy and wearable.