Last Updated on July 23, 2017
The motivation that led me to start this blog thread is to record my journey of realisation of the dangers of sugar. I started my new way of eating ‘officially’ on 26 April, slipped off in May and came back again on early June. After that major slip in May (when I went to Penang and can’t get over the high carbs and fatty food), there have been several small slips here and there, but nothing major- I learned ways to bounce back. And I could bounce back easier because my plan does not involve major changes in my lifestyle.
The book by Elizabeth Somer (mentioned in my previous post) is really good. She explained why most women cannot succeed in fad diets such as low carb, no fat, grapefruit or some diets that demands for bizarre eating ways such as food combining, eliminating all fats, carbs or protein. If it involves depriving ourselves of foods that we love, strange eating methods that makes it sustain, lots of discipline and if the plan demands 100% adherence, it’s very difficult to stick to it. And once we felt we slipped out, we felt like a failure and will drop off the plan.
To date, I have lost 4kg. Even if it is only 4kg, I felt I had lost mostly from fat and gained some muscle weight. Exercise helped me to regain more energy and strength. Now, I felt I have a stronger core from a balance of yoga based exercise- it’s easier for me to engage my stomach muscles during exercise. This morning I took a tape measure to measure my waistline and discovered that I had lost 2.5 inches. I’m surprised and happy with my achievement.
From the start of my new eating plan that I intended to stick to it for life, I could never adhere to any “fad” diet in particular. Partially it could be attributed to the difference between Asian and Western diet- that made it a bit impractical to prepare according to recipes found in the books. . Still, I find that with a little bit of creativity, it’s much easier to convert many Asian dishes into a healthy equivalent of less sugar, salt, MSG and fat.
I read a number of books, researched the net on eating and exercising, tried a couple of theories, and learned to listen to my body and heart on whether it is working. Throughout these few months, I have modified and changed my approaches. Now I realise that moderation is the key- never go to the extreme in any diet. Listen to your body. Listen to your heart- if your heart says it’s wrong, then stop.
