I'll be on holiday until thursday when I return to work, due to the golden week holiday. So far I havent been sleeping late. I still wake up at 7am when my alarm goes. Its just I dont have to stuff some breakfast down. I could take my time to do the morning routine and then head out either downstairs or next door for breakfast.
Yesterday I ordered my before-I-started-work usual breakfast of "Mee Pok" plus coffee. The surprising thing is that I couldnt finish all of it. Previously during the 'training' period I used to make myself eat breakfast, I would even order up to a large one. I have noticed this slight drop in appetite. Not that I am going into extremes to lose weight. Its more like my body does not want to finish it. In fact I am already full.
I have noticed that the portions that I eat for main meals is going down especially for lunch and dinner on weekdays. Not that I dont get hunger pangs. Its just after breakfast, by lunch time, I am somewhat hungry. After lunch to dinner, not too hungry. Though at times, the stomach is a bit empty then munch a musli bar/plain crackers. Also the gym workout reduces my appetite. Initially felt hungry after gym, gradually moving to eating just enough to get me through to breakfast. Guess this is a better life-style change with overall benefits. Also I have more energy to last through the day even though the mind is stoned at times. The body is up to it.
Weekends I try to really watch what I eat. I do still eat a breakfast on Sat. Its a light one of bread. Then eat out for lunch and at times dinner. I would try to make sure I eat moderately (not high calorie-laden food) for both meals taken outside. Also have to make sure not to exceed total calories of 2000 for females. If each meal is about 500 calories, then definitely can have deficit. I dont really go all out to count specific calories, I cant do that without a calorie-counting guide book which I also dont really refer to. Its more based on the general understanding of which food types are high in calories.
But generally I try to avoid eating food like Laksa, Curry, Chicken rice, fried kway tiao and others very high-calories. Even fast food. But at times IF I cannot avoid, I get a Coke Lite/Zero and eat very few or no fries at all. Think I am still not a soupy food type person but I dont mind eating rice. So the good o'le Za Chai Fan is good enough for me. I dont subscribe to the Atkin's diet at all. Those who abused it by taking it too literally ended up with multiple coronary by-pass. Also my argument against it is that IF I eat my carbs (rice with veg and meat) for dinner and I make sure that I am full and wont have a tendency to eat dessert after. Then the Overall calorie count is still lower than one who eats the veg and meat, omits most of the rice, then later eats desserts after. I rather go for the obvious lower calories in rice on the whole than the calories-laden dessert and sweet drinks. Overall is also good for the life-style change of not eating extra after say 8pm.
Sunday I do without breakfast at times though recently I am making myself eat it also. If head out for lunch with family, I also try to make sure I eat moderately and also have a lighter dinner. The lighter dinner is possible cos my fixed gym work-out is on Sunday. Anytime on Sunday before the gym closes. So say 2-3hrs after lunch, 3-4pm, finish about 6-7 then come home to eat light dinner. Of course at times tempted to get some hawker food etc but I remind myself that I dont wanna put back those calories so easily through the mouth. So I would drink more water and make my way home for dinner. FYI, home cooked dinner is definitely lower calories than outside food unless your mom whips up curries,大鱼大肉 for every meal.
Managing the taste-bud aka the mouth is really a challenge. Its so easy to be tempted. What works for me is to translate that food that I am tempted by into duration of work-out and that can put me off. Of course I do give in now and then but I try to balance out the daily calorie or if not weekly overall calories.
Eg IF I had eaten breakfast of bread (300 calories) with coffee (100 calories) and for lunch I ate mee goreng (600 calories) with drink (100 calories) then dinner wise, I would need to eat a light one of generally rice with veg and meat to balance out (400 calories) 300+100+600+100+400 = 1500 calories. Of course have to make sure NO dessert or Sweet drinks to add more. That's 500 calories deficit. If I had chosen to eat something equally filling but less oily than the mee goreng, I can make a bigger deficit.
If for the whole week, I have been eating generally like above, then a dessert say on a Sat evening, wont do too much damage at all. It just meant, there is a lower calorie deficit for me for the week.
So to make it easier for me, I am seriously trying to cut out the place of desserts and especially sweeten drinks from my diet. Also trying to train my taste-buds to adjust to blander stuff gradually. I would think that this weight loss would still take me a while. There is really NO instant cure short of those invasive surgery but what I want is to be able to maintain and keep it up for a much longer term.
So far this is the 27th consecutive week of going to the gym dilligently without a break in the routine. Looking through my earlier blog posts, I am glad to see the drop in weight, more toned look, more stamina. Also the feel-good factor. Yup reduced stress especially after workout and added satisfaction. Though I did start out the gym feeling jelly after the first few work-outs. Now after a routine, I still come out feeling a bit sore but very at peace with myself.
Let's motivate each other to continue with this weight management effort and continous gym workouts.
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