Celle's Toronto Adventures

Norwegian Lundehund

2012-02-11T20:08:00.000-05:00

My Fiance and I are looking to get a Norwegian Lundehund a year or so after we get married. We've discussed getting a dog for a long time, but we never really settled on a breed. Looking at dog breeds this evening though, we fell in love with the fox-like look and even-tempered personality description of the Lundehund. After subsequent research via Google and Youtube, we fell even more in love.

Too bad it's one of the rarest. There's only 2,000 dogs worldwide since it always got extinct during WWII.

Found some breeders in BC. I wonder how much that will cost...

We've picked colours.

2012-01-30T23:21:00.000-05:00

I can't wait to make it work! We have more than a year to drum up excellent centrepiece ideas and make it work.

Change.

2012-01-29T18:28:00.001-05:00

The importance of change management in any organization is slowly increasing due to the rapidity of change. Change in technology; change in economy; change in stability; change in leadership... As a recruiter, the number one motivation I hear for searching for other work is "restructuring" or "change."

There's a lot of changes for me - both on a professional level and a personal level.

Professionally, my role has been restructured. There's been a lot of changes in the office due to a launch of a new line of business and a new managing director; but the biggest changes for me have been more on an immediate level. My manager, my immediate supervisor, my discipline, and my colleagues have all changed. I feel like I'm almost starting a whole new job come Monday.

Whatever the cause, one must roll with it. End of the day, the actual restructuring of my role MAY be a good thing professionally and developmentally. It will increase my scope; I'm going to be doing less Business Development and more of what I actually want to focus on (recruitment); I will be handling greater volume; etc.

There are other sources of anxieties of course. My best friend at work will no longer be there come Monday. I will have a completely new team I will be dealing with on a day to day. My immediate supervisor will change. My immediate manager will change. I will be recruiting for a completely different discipline - one that I have had very minimal experience on.

I try to prepare myself for the last one. I've begun by meeting with a very informative friend.

We shall see tomorrow how I fare. In a month or two, we'll find out if I've found my ideal role or if things have just gotten worse...

No Business Development cold calls --- that's a promising start! I can focus my energy in something more results-oriented than metrics-driven.

The Engagement Story

2012-01-17T23:27:00.003-05:00

My BF asked me to marry him quite regularly for the past year. He began calling me his fiancee way before I really said yes. I would always tell him, "Of course, I'll marry you. But ask me properly!" It was never the right time too. He needed to stabilize his financial situation; so did I.

His strength is persistence. You know a man really loves you when he can keep that up for a really long time. He knew that one day, I would say yes and it would be the right time.

Last month, before I left for the Philippines, I finally said yes. It wasn't official enough for me to put it in Facebook though. Facebook defined things for us. Facebook made it "Public" and irrevocable. It also made it appropriate...Facebook played a big part in our relationship, so it only made sense that it would still play a big part for this new venture. (Welcome to the internet age.)

He had spoken to his mother and discussed the "ring" situation already. The only thing that was left was for him to formally asked my father.

While I was in the Philippines, I was on the phone with my BF when my dad walked into the room asking for my laundry. My BF told me to tell him, "I'm going to marry your daughter." So I told my dad, "Papa, he said he was going to marry me. Is that alright?" He responded with, "Okay. Where's your laundry?"

It was pretty nonchalant.

Saturday, my BF decided to call my father directly and ask. The driver's son picked up the phone - he couldn't speak English, so that conversation didn't lead anywhere. Sunday, my brother picked up the phone. My parents were out of town. Monday, my mother picked up the phone. My father was in a meeting... Was my father avoiding him?

And then today, I get a text. "Tell *** to call me now."

My BF wasn't home. When he finally texted that he was home and that he would call, I decided to busy myself with things online. I figured my BF would call to let me know how things would turn out...

Then 'lo and behold. A friend messaged on Facebook Chat to congratulate me. Confused, she directed me to my BF's Facebook status. My BF railroaded me into an official engagement!

It sounds like something my Dad would do. :)

This is my official proclamation. Henceforth, my BF will be referred to as my Fiance. Let the planning begin!

And 2 becomes 1

2012-01-17T20:03:00.002-05:00

We're engaged. :)

Blogosphere

2012-01-13T18:33:00.000-05:00

In an attempt to return to the blogosphere, I've decided to resurrect my use of Twitter. Whether I can actually keep up with it, we shall see.

Fantasy

2012-01-12T22:02:00.001-05:00

It's not the nasty R-18 type of fantasy.

Today, a colleague and I were talking about the genre. I find it remarkable every time I meet other women who are as keen on the stories of dragons, magic, and valour.

Why do I love it? Why do I seek out these thick tomes when there are many easier (and some would argue, more realistic) books to read? I suppose it has something to do with the epic quality of it all. It's always this big adventure where "not succeeding" brings about the destruction of all that is good --- so they always succeed. It might not be in this volume or the next, but when the series concludes, there is an end that is in essence good.

I want to get back into writing fantasy fiction. It's the only area where I feel truly honest. When I write about "the real world", I think about how I'm supposed to put something "Filipino" into what I write, because that is my heritage. When I do splash a bit of my culture or understanding into contemporary fiction, I feel less motivated because that's not what I wanted to write about. I feel like I'm cornering myself into the Asian genre.

Fantasy is a safe haven for people with ambiguous cultural self-identities. My hero/heroine doesn't have to be any nationality that exists. Man as a species, elf, sorcerer, undetermined being... There's freedom in it.

If I only had the discipline to finish something.

2nd Day

2011-12-23T23:11:00.000-05:00

Nothing much has happened yet today. I woke up at 6AM; I watched some shows on TV; I made breakfast for the family... I was seriously craving red egg with tomatoes and onions AND chorizo bilbao. Yum! I've had two cups of coffee already too. I expect I'll need more as the day gets later. I think 6 AM is far too early considering how late tonight is bound to get.

Christmas Eve everyone! I'll be seeing all my mother's family today - we're having a big reunion here at home. My biggest thing is seeing my nephew after a long-ish hiatus. He was here 3-4 weeks before I was, so I haven't seen him for awhile. I lived on videos alone. The thing with young toddlers is that development can be hyperspeed. Just by missing out on 3-4 weeks of his life, I would have missed a lot of developmental highlights - new words learned, new perspectives, etc. Apparently, he's been clingy and he would play favourites though. Ohhh...such a precocious age!

First day here was a success considering I got to meet up with at least one friend and her hubby. Today's all about family; tomorrow's all about family... 26th, we have a lunch with friends, but I'm hoping I'll get to see more friends in the evening. 27th will be fantastic! I'll be seeing my Filipino-Chinese group here...some of them I haven't seen for a year; others I haven't seen for a few months.. It's easy to miss them though. We're sadly depleted in Toronto now.

...

Hot...I feel sticky and icky. Ech. The land of the double-daily showers! Sticky, hot, polluted... Luckily, where I live is protected from the hustle and bustle of the crazy outside world.

Here in the Philippines!

2011-12-22T23:27:00.000-05:00

I'm enjoying myself so far - even though nothing's happened. We took business class on the way over, so it was a stress-free flight. Remarkable how few people use the toilets in business class... Less people in the cabins due to one seat taking up two spots' worth.

The Philippines, as much as I had missed it, is the crazy, harried, sticky place it's always been. There's way too many people; it's far too hot; and, sadly, there's not as many choices in the supermarket. But then again, there's the positives. I.e., I am about to have a manicure and pedicure done at home right after a massage in my bedroom...

I'm hoping to see my friends soon. Family and friends - they would be the highlight of my trip.

Lovies, don't be surprised if I've gotten a bit fat.

2011-12-19T22:57:00.000-05:00

What are the best things to come out of the UK?

2011-12-19T22:46:00.001-05:00

Top Gear
Doctor Who
Downton Abbey
Pride and Prejudice
David Attenborough
The Batmobile
Prince William
Range Rover
Rolls Royce/Rolls Bentley
Aston Martin
The Stig
The Oxbridge Accent
Afternoon Tea
Tea with Milk
Shepherd's Pie
Pubs
Guinness
The Legend of King Arthur
Shakespeare
"Mind the gap."
The River Thames
Tower of London
Buckingham Palace

Things I don't particularly like, but they give the UK a particular flavour:

Climbing up to the golden dome in St. Paul's Cathedral... I was scared for my life despite having done a similar climb to the cupola of St. Peter's Basilica. Ahh... But to say I've done it once.
Narrow streets and tiny cars -- It's hard to get used to the cars being on the "wrong" side of the road (or "right" side of the road, depending on how you look at it)
Incredibly steep escalators at tube stations.

Going back to the Philippines!

2011-12-19T22:35:00.000-05:00

It's too bad I haven't been updating my blog all that often --- I think I might try to update it even more when I get back to the Philippines in a few days. Life would be so atypical that it would just make sense to update it then.

Although, truth be told, life is anything but typical. Something's always going on. For instance, work has had some major developments. New boss, new team situation, and new scope in role. I try to manage stress as best I can with Starbucks non-fat Tazo Chai, frequent full-body massages, and stress-relief body wash. Now though, I find that I have a calmer perspective because of exactly that - a change in perspective. Work is so much easier that way, despite the added workload.

I'm up for vacation though. A very extended one! Almost three weeks off - well, truly, just two weeks and a half. I'm looking forward to it though. There'll be a lot of family-oriented things to do like visit my grandmother, play with my nephew (who's been in the Philippines a few weeks and he's enjoying it incredibly), and have tons of family reunions. In addition, there's a lot of friends-oriented things to do. I have my Filipino-Chinese group to spend time with (we've been sadly depleted with all the "balikbayan"), my high school friends to see, my University friends to touch base with, and random individuals I've grown up with. I also have visits to the parlour and a lot of shopping planned.

I think this will be the first time I get to truly enjoy a trip back to the Philippines. All the other times, it was a bit of a mess because of certain situations, but this trip is solely focused on me having fun.

There's a downside as with all things. My BF's not coming with me this time. He has work and stuff to take care of. As with all things, there will come a time. We're having our own Christmas celebration when I return from the Philippines; he's had all sorts of plans for my gift as well. Apparently, he'll be setting it up in my condo before I get back to Toronto. I wonder what it can be...? He can be so thoughtful with his gifts! Will truly miss him terribly. I don't think we've been away longer than a week and a bit.

A second downside - I'll be missing Christmas morning with his family too. His mum was really thoughtful though and opened my gifts to them earlier on so she can thank me before I left (sweet thought... that's why I love her). She also made sure that she sent my Christmas stocking with my BF last weekend when he stayed over so I can open the presents I got from them.

A third downside - I will be missing an incredibly fun New Year's Eve party. My BF does know how to throw one. I can only hope that people will think to take some pictures.

I AM itching to leave the country for a bit though. The weather's gotten a bit depressing. There's barely any sun when I get to work; there's definitely no sun by the time I get out of work. When I get back, however, the shortest day would have passed and things should get brighter by then. I don't mind the cold so long as it's bright! Weather's been odd though... We haven't had much snow even though it's already December. I expect it'll start much later in the season... This is EXACTLY what David Attenborough's warned us about in Frozen Planet!

......................Unrelated, but I'm wondering. Am I going home to the Philippines? Is it truly still home? I still have a bedroom there, to be sure. A lot of my crap's still there. But honestly, I prefer my solid, stable, independent life here in Canada. I'd always felt that I stuck out a bit in the Philippines.

Anyhoot, it's 10:32 PM. I still have some clean up to do, and I want to finish watching old episodes of Top Gear. Which makes me think.......

Twitchy Eye

2011-11-13T02:03:00.000-05:00

What causes twitchy eyelids? Lack of sleep, eye strain, and electrolyte deficiency are the top three I can think of. For me, it's probably all of the above.

Sleep - I tried to get more hours of sleep last night, but I woke up pretty early. I had to do laundry.

Eye Strain - I stare into a computer all day long at work, then I come home to stare into my laptop watching movies, TV shows, blogging, Facebook-ing, answering e-mails... When I'm not doing that, I'm looking at my Blackberry playing solitaire and chess, BBM-ing, checking Facebook/e-mail at real-time... When I'm not doing that, I'm reading using my Kobo...

Electrolyte Deficiency - No surprise there. I still haven't gotten into the habit of drinking fluids like I ought... Unless it's coffee, or tea, or alcohol, or juice, or... Well, whatever else that's NOT water.

...

In other news, I read that the Pac-Man's won again, but by majority decision. If the decision was come about fairly, then you're still a winner.

Downton Abbey

2011-11-07T21:47:00.000-05:00

I can never have enough of it! I watch each episode with so much devotion --- it's exactly the kind of show I love watching. I just love that period! Gosford Park, Easy Virtue... It's a time of change for the aristocracy when they try so hard to hang on.

Argh. The season's done. What do I do now...?

Weekends

2011-11-06T23:01:00.000-05:00

I live for the weekends now. The stresses of the weekdays float away come Friday when I know I'll be having two days worry-free with my BF for company. I'll handle the issues that come up on Friday come Monday. Saturday and Sunday are personal time!

Weekends can vary. We've decided to alternate between my BF's hometown (where he still lives) and Toronto (where I live). It usually depends on what plans have already been set. During the summer, more weekends were spent out of town since there were lots of fun to be had cottaging in Parry Sound or having barbecues, pool parties, and hikes through the forest outside of the city. Now that Fall is here, there's been more activity set for downtown with the various entertainment to be had.

Downtown, Friday starts with my BF's arrival and our assessments regarding dinner. If we don't have plans with friends, we tend to order out. We like Szechuan right now! My BF used to cook more often, but he's been too tired from work to cook. I haven't cooked for a long time either... my job takes a lot out of me.

Most Saturday mornings would be lazy. We try to figure out what we'll be doing for food, maybe make ourselves coffee, and watch a few episodes of this show or that. Saturday nights, the plans can vary from watching a movie with his friends to hanging out in somebody's house to hitting a bar for a few drinks. As much as I would like to see my friends uptown, it costs too much money to taxi it back when we stay too late and the commute takes too long with weekend construction.

Sunday mornings, either he sleeps in and I go to mass alone downtown, or I (or we) make my (our) way uptown for mass and lunch with my family. If we both stay downtown, we'd sometimes have brunch at a favoured diner near my church and walk home...a nice brisk 20-30 minutes. I look forward to seeing my whole family for lunch too sometimes. Especially my nephew! Each Sunday brings a new surprise with his development.

Some Fridays, I would take the bus to his hometown, a few kilometres outside of the city. It takes me an hour and a half and I get there pretty late, but he's usually got dinner ready by the time I get to his house. We catch up with the TV shows we watch together (Boardwalk Empire, American Horror Story, and Grimm are our top three that we religiously share) and spend some time chatting with his family. Lately, we've been calling it an early night. His work's pretty vigorous, and mine's pretty stressful.

Saturdays would start relatively early compared to our Saturdays downtown. He wakes up early, whereas I would try to sleep in as long as I possibly could. When I hear the house bustling with activity, I usually get enough energy to rouse myself from sleep, get showered and dressed, and head down to the kitchen for my first cup of coffee. My BF knows how I like my coffee, so half the time, he would just prepare it for me.

Saturday afternoons would be spent running errands like trips to the grocery store or the Walmart. My BF always has some project on the go, so we go hunting down the items he needs for the project-of-the-week. When we finish with that, we see what his friends are up to and come up with the plan for the evening.

Some Saturdays are more lazy, especially come winter time. We watch movies, drink tons of cocoa spiked with Baileys, and cuddle up on the sofa until we're too tired to stay awake.

He would drive me to church on Sundays. When he didn't have a car, he would walk me -- it's a pretty long walk, but we appreciated the exercise sometimes. Sometimes we'd go somewhere for lunch after. We used to love going for all-you-can-eat sushi! The eggplant there is fantastic!

... When you think about it, nothing too exciting really happens on a weekend, but I always appreciate them. They're the best part of my week!

...

This past weekend, I went to the horse races for the first time. It wasn't the best day for betting, but it was the best day for hanging out with friends.

I noted how Woodbine Racetrack was filled with such sketchy people -- it was obviously not the Queen's Plate at that particular time. Most of the patrons were grizzled people who look like they take the races far too seriously. :P

Progress...finally!

2011-10-26T00:16:00.001-04:00

I finally finished studying for my midterm in HR Planning. I can't say I gave it that much time - I wish I did, but the crux of the matter is, I have a lot of things going on in addition to full-time work. Luckily, the instructor provided us with chapter notes and summaries.

I've just finished reading the chapters. I've downloaded the notes onto my phone to finish the review process during lunch and in the subway. It's funny how technology has changed the way we read and study!

...

Busy day at work tomorrow. I have two interviews and six phone calls scheduled. I have a few deals on the go too --- I'm hoping I'll get them closed by tomorrow.

...

Now if I can only make my way to the dry cleaners.

I look forward to...

2011-10-25T22:43:00.000-04:00

Weekends. My BF and I see each other then -- now that we're "long distance" again, that's the only time we get to spend time together. Luckily, ever since he started his work (closer to his hometown), we've made it a point to ensure our weekend schedules match. Friday night to Sunday night, we're either at his place with his family and friends or at mine. Eventually, he'll move back to the city. Maybe North York! I would love to move back to North York!

New Episodes of Boardwalk Empire, Downton Abbey, Criminal Minds, Flashpoint, House, Grey's Anatomy, Dexter, Castle, Law and Order SVU, and American Horror Story. For this season, at least! Other shows I patronize are Doctor Who, White Collar, and Suits. I try to keep up with a whole lot more than that, but there's just soooo little time...

New books to series like Game of Thrones! When is the next book George R. R. Martin?

Trips like my upcoming Philippine trip, a return trip to the UK (which is discussed but as yet unplanned), and possible trip to Calgary to visit some friends.

The prospect of my own home. One day, when I am financially stable (hopefully by the time the condo's built), I will be living (hopefully married with the BF) in my own place with my own furniture and my own space. Ech. Paying my own bills too.

Another one of those rare posts...

2011-10-23T23:48:00.000-04:00

Life's good! It's gotten much better actually! I'm stressed with work expectations, but who isn't? I'm really hoping to make bonus on January.

...

In other news, things are moving along quite nicely. I'm looking forward to the condo being built in 2013; I've fixed my bank accounts (hopefully to yield good results in terms of upping my savings); I've set up an appointment with the financial advisor to set up investments; my BF's making appointments with different banks to improve his financial situation as well; my Philippine vacation has been set; I have a new phone; and I've continued with school this semester.

There's a lot of things going on, but I believe we're moving towards the right direction.

Hello World

2011-09-28T00:02:00.001-04:00

Yes, it's been awhile. I've been busy - work's been challenging, but I like the people I work with. Benefits will be kicking in in a few weeks (Woot! Massages are covered!); I'll be going off to my BF's cottage for a few days for Thanksgiving; and my BF and I have plans to go visit Toronto Island this weekend.

Life should be good. It's not perfect, but life is never perfect. One day at a time, right?

All things considered, I'm a happy person. I bought my first ever smartphone. I finally decided on a Blackberry Torch, the older model with the keyboard. I know I'm pretty behind the times, but I'm glad I finally caught up to it. Sort of. I don't doubt that it would run away from me yet again.

...

Also, I'm going back to the Philippines after three years. Last time I was there was December 2008. The next time will be December 2011. Hopefully I'll have a great time there. A lot of my Fil-Chi friends have moved back, so no doubt I won't lack for company. Between them, my high school friends, and my university friends, this coming vacation is bound to be much happier than 2008.

My-oh-my, how times have changed!

TOO EXCITED!

2011-06-16T12:29:00.001-04:00

So many things going on right now...

My BF's got his own good things.

As for me, I've got a new job. I'm excited about it. It's a big step up financially and career-wise. It was slow progress getting to this point, but I believe I'm on my way.

I still have about a week and two days left here in my current job (I'm really going to miss the people!), then I've got about a week off. My focus before my new work starts is two-fold:

1. Make new connections.
2. Get into the right frame of mind.
3. Buy clothes --- image is important in this business. I have three suits already...cost me a fortune, but I need at least two more. Sigh.

For the third item on my agenda, I'll be going with sis-in-law to the US for her sister's bridal shower. We'll have some time to hit the outlets. For my week off before the new job, if I'm still lacking clothes, I'll be continuing the shopping spree in TO.

YAY! Shopping!

The Hike

2011-05-14T22:42:00.000-04:00

Today was a good day. Despite a harrying start to the weekend (I had to commute to my BF's place; it took me two or so hours, and it didn't even drop me off at the right place. Luckily, my BF's friend N. was able to pick me up! We hung out at N's house for the night, and proceeded to walk to my BF's house. Long walk when you're close to passing out from exhaustion!), I would call it a success based on today alone.

My BF, N., two more friends, and I hiked the Humber Valley Heritage Trail for about 8-9 kms. Wonderful! I'm tired, my knees are achy, my muscles hurt, and my clothes (and shoes) are horribly soiled, but we got to take in some beautiful landscape, got lots of exercise, enjoyed the rainy weather (haha), and saw lots of deer! Whee!

After the hike, my BF and I had lunch with N., hung out in his house again where N.'s parents gave lots of good advice, and came back downtown... N.'s got a bachelor party tonight so he's off, but he'll be coming back. For the rest of the afternoon, my BF and I just relaxed, watched a show, planned my upcoming trip to London, UK, drank wonderful Creamed Earl Grey tea, and did some grocery shopping.

My BF's making our dinner right now. Sausages, garlicky and buttery and cheesy mushrooms, and rice. Oh the life! My BF spoils me so.

...

London trip's coming up. That was a bit of a whirlwind plan. I asked my parents what we would be doing for May 24-weekend. I brought up going to London in a half-joking way, but in the end, it worked out. My mum got excited! Neither of us have ever been to London. We've been to Edinburgh, Orkney Islands, and Northumberland, but never London. I wonder if I'll be seeing the Queen...?

2nd Year Anniversary

2011-05-08T23:17:00.000-04:00

My BF and I celebrated our two-year anniversary this past weekend. We decided to go past the one day and make it a whole weekend's worth of celebrating, which worked out better for us. On top of a dental emergency, we were both really tired.

It was a wonderful anniversary weekend, I have to say! We were together, we were happy, and it reminded me of the reasons why he's such a great guy:

He makes me feel special. He made dinner both Friday and Saturday night. Friday, we had meatballs with spicy sauce and ice cream. Saturday, we had "jalapeno popper" sandwich for lunch (his creation). For dinner, we had a bottle of my favourite white wine (Gewurtzraminer), hardboiled eggs, pepperoncini, brie cheese, mango and ginger cheese, crusty bread, and chocolate cake with a chocolate-syrup decorated cake -- all of which he prepared while I soaked in a hot bubble bath while reading a book.
He is also part of my mundane life. We fixed up my room, got rid of a broken chest of drawers (Oh Ikea... You don't always treat us right!), and cleaned up the condo.
He does things for me he doesn't always want to do. He watched a sappy romantic comedy with me Friday night. Today, he went with my family to mass even though he's not a Catholic himself.
Our lives flow together... We went out with my friends last Wednesday, and his friends today.

For our upcoming third year anniversary, I pray for better things for the two of us. I hope that our efforts on working towards our future pays off.

The Goings On Around The World

2011-05-03T00:07:00.002-04:00

John Paul II Beatification:

I'm not surprised that it's one of the fastest. I had such deep love and respect for him, for a person I never knew.

Royal Wedding:

Prince William weds Kate Middleton, producing the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Prince William is third in line to the British AND Canadian thrones, as well as many other countries. It's relevant to me... As much as Canada's discussing abolishing the monarchy, it's still here, and (as a Canadian citizen) I am a loyal subject of Wills..err..the Queen.

Obama bin Laden:

Dead? He may be dead; he may have died recently or a long time ago. I don't trust the US Government and their announcements. I guess there's been too many movies with government conspiracies. I'm hoping that the Islamic nations would choose not to retaliate...

We live in a dangerous world.

Election Day, 2011:

It's the first time I've voted here in Canada. Before ticking the box beside my chosen Member of Parliament, I began to second guess my choice. Conservative? Liberal? NDP? I didn't really count the other parties as valid options. Who looks more trustworthy below?

Challenges

2011-04-20T00:13:00.000-04:00

Life comes with a lot of challenges, trials, and temptations. It's hard to avoid it. It's part and parcel with a beating heart and a functioning mind.

It's easy to feel dejected. It's easy to feel discouraged. It's easy to feel like things can't get better. But they do. They always get better. You just have to be patient, and you have to remind yourself why life is good right now. Because life IS good. It will be better; it can be better...but there's a whole lot to appreciate now.

Prepping for a Run

2011-04-17T21:33:00.000-04:00

I'm joining my BF's friends for a charity run. I haven't run for a LONG time, so it felt good to do it today. I wanted to benchmark my abilities. I ran for 3.2 miles after a long sabbatical from the gym --- I still had enough energy to run more than that too! The actual run's no more than 6 km. It shouldn't take too long.

I think if I plan benchmarks in terms of performance instead of weight loss, I'd actually be more effective with working out. After all, I want to be fit and healthy. Sexy will have to be a bonus! ;)