Weight has always been a sensitive topic. It has been a constant struggle between my love of food and ever increasing waist line. Trust me, I've lived with this my whole life. I know how it feels and it's not fun being pudgy in the skinny world. Plus, I've always been worried about health problems relating to an unhealthy lifestyle.
So what did I do?
Firstly, are you over eating?
We are not conscience of what we put in out mouths and by the end of the day. We only calculate our meals and ignore the calories gained from snacks or sweet drinks. I've had a nasty habit of binging on snacks like chips, never knowing the actual amount of calories I take.
How I tackled this?
Check the amount of calories you require per day. You can google it and there will be calorie calculators. For example, I require 1350 per day. It will be good to keep track and stick to the required amount. DO NOT STARVE OR EAT TOO LITTLE. It might work if you want to shed off 1 to 3 kg but from experience, you might start binging because of hunger pangs and cravings.
If you are an Iphone user, try downloading Myfitnesspal (linked the website for reference)
(an example of the app)
It states
- Goal of the day
- how much food you take
- Exercise ( you can select several types of exercises and it will deduct calories accordingly)
- Net (Food intake minus calories burnt from exercising)
- Remaining (amount of calories left)
It will state the amount of calories you require per day to reach your desired weight. The best part is that it's database includes local food as well! Making it so much more easier as it is more accurate and less frustrating for Singaporeans!
How did this app help me?
I included EVERYTHING I consume. Be it, snacks, meals and even drinks. This may be tedious in the beginning but it educates you about the amount of calories in different types of food! (Did you know Mcd's Big Breakfast is 700+ calories? That's almost HALF of your daily intake!)
It has formed into a habit. I check the amount of calories in food (if possible) because I want to know if it is in my quota of the day and make it a point to avoid food that contain high calories.
Lastly, it creates AWARENESS!
If you're the type that's unaware of your own bingeing tendencies. This app will eventually shed light on it! Even if it's a small pack of chips or a famous amos cookie, JUST KEY IT IN. Being aware is the first step in changing your diet!
If this is too tedious, you can try these few tricks I use
1) Always eat until you are 75% full
Remember, you don't need to eat until you feel bloated. It always ends up with you feeling like shit.
How to gauge the 75% rule? Eat until you are no longer feeling hungry and STOP. Don't stuff in more food!
2) Eat half a portion
Half a meal equals to half the calories! Share with a friend. This includes all types of foods and drinks (eg.bubble tea)
3) Cut down in carbs
Stop eating rice / white or mix grains bread / yellow noodles and etc
It took me 2 years (truth) to totally stop eating rice or any types of carbs for dinner and it has become a habit for me. Futhermore, I've stopped taking rice when it comes to eating at the Economical rice stalls. Eat more dishes and lesser rice. Your stomach will slowly adapt to the decrease in food intake.
If you can't start cold turkey or crave for some (sometimes, I do too :( ). Don't ignore what your body is telling you to do. Because it may make you unhappy and from prior experience, lapse back to old habits. Try eating half of the noodles or rice. Don't finish carbs because it is high in calories. If you find it wasteful, ask for lesser noodles / in dishes such as, ban mian.
4) Snack healthily
Eat fruits such as, berries, bananas or apples if you feel like bingeing. Stock up the fridge with healthy foods and put them at eye level. So it's the first items you will grab for. Always check if the snacks are ACTUALLY healthy because I've made major mistakes by assuming cereals and health bars such as, Quakes or coco crunch were healthy (sadly packed with loads of sugar and calories)
5) Balance your calories per meal
It's okay if you're eating a heavy lunch. Just make sure your dinner is light (salad?) and vice versa.
Best to eat high calorie meals during breakfast and eat light during dinner.
Current exercise regime
Started by exercising once a week (for 2 months) and increasing the frequency as my stamina grew.
I dislike running and going to the gym. So I found an alternative by exercising everyday for 30 minutes to a DVD by DPP YOGA. It is good to find a sport or exercise you enjoy because it makes the weight loss process more tolerable. Preferably, a sport you can do alone, like skipping? (did it for a month before switching)
At this moment, I have lost 7kg and aim to lose another 9kg. Hopefully, I am strong enough to continue the exercise regime and eating habits! :)
Hope it helped and wish me luck!
Nicole
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