I am a very happy bunny today. I really am. At first I was nervous: today was my appointment with my KBS doctor. I was really nervous about what the weighing scale was going to say, and what my blood results from two weeks ago were going to show.

I was thinking that if I postponed breakfast until after I was done with the appointment, I would be lighter. Not much, but it will be something. I ended up having my usual breakfast, Honeycombs cereal, washed down with a mug of tea. Left the house, and ended up being 15 minutes early to my 8AM appointment.

Before the doctor came in, I had to weigh myself. My weight is still undisclosed to people I’m not close to, but I lost 7kgs in the span of 10 weeks. If I remember correctly, in the paper, for the quick-fix, slimming things that cost a bomb, will let you lose about the same amount in those 10 weeks. Luckily for me, I didn’t get to pay a thing, and I feel lots better having to have lost the weight naturally.

I’m not posting this just to gloat or brag about what I have achieved, but I am really happy about it, that is why I shared. Like, if I ever become a millionaire one day, I will share it, because I’d be happy about it. And in this instance, I am. :P

Anyway, I’ve been asked what my secret was. Here’s my secret: There is none. If you want to give it a try, I’ll share a thing or two with you.

I have been told by the resident dietitian at KBS that for normal grown-ups, calorie intake is 2000. If you want to lose weight, you need to reduce it to 1500 (give or take 100). Now.. As for food proportions, refer to the food pyramid. The good ‘ol Wiki is best for this, but if you’d like you can grab the nearest Jacob’s Crackers tin.

To start off, in no particular order: Carbohydrates. This is as important as any other food category. Forget Atkins Nutritional Approach (a.k.a. the Atkins diet), because you need a lot of this for your energy. Minimum of six servings per day. What I did with my meals is that with six servings, here is how I break it down; Two servings for breakfast, two for lunch, and two for dinner. Simple. Servings, for example, would be;

  • Two slices of wholemeal bread, or
  • A slice of white bread, or
  • Two serving spoons of rice (not heaped), or
  • Two potatoes each the size of your fist, or
  • Half a cup of noodles (including glass noodles) or pasta, or
  • A cup of cereal.

Next food category I’d like to touch on is Protein. My most favourite food in the food pyramid. Only have two to three servings of protein per day. It is important that you ensure you consume only ONE type of protein PER MEAL. For example, if you are having chicken, you cannot have meat, fish, or tofu. An example of one serving of protein would be;

  • One chicken drumstick, or
  • Half chicken breast, or
  • One serving spoon of meat (not heaped), or
  • A portion of fish that fits from your wrist to the top of your middle finger.

So far it’s easy to take in, right? ;)

The next one I’d like to touch on are Fruits and Vegetables. You have to have two to three servings of fruits and vegetables. That means, two servings of fruits, and two servings of vegetables, and not two servings of fruits and vegetables. Comprende? ;) For your fruit intake, it is enough to have one banana or an orange per meal, because they contain natural sugars. As for vegetables, per meal, if you’re having cooked vegetables, you’ll need half a cup. If you’re eating raw, then you’ll need a cup. Personally, I eat a cup of stir-fried vegetables per meal.

The most important food group that most Bruneians tend to forget about is Dairy. Like protein, fruits, and vegetables, you will need two to three servings of dairy products per day. It is quite easy to fit in dairy, however. An example of one serving of dairy food would be;

  • A pot of low- or non-fat yoghurt, or
  • A glass of low- or non-fat milk, or
  • A slice of low-fat cheese.

How I incorporate these products to my meals, is simple. Milk for my breakfast cereal, cheese to be eaten with my mashed potato, and yoghurt for dessert. There are, of course, other ways to incorporate dairy produce in your food if you don’t know how to drink milk or yoghurt. You can put low-fat milk in your curry dish. If you’re lactose-intolerant, I was told that soy milk is good.

What else have I missed? OK. Fat. You eat this SPARINGLY. Any kinds of oil is 100% fat, so avoid frying your food, even if it tastes better than any other cooking on this planet. I was informed by the dietitian that a teaspoon of oil is actually enough for four people. Best way is to stir-fry your food, actually. Personally, my maximum number of times per week that I eat fried food is one. If, for some reason, I’ve had two servings of fried food per week, I will try not to eat fried food the next week.

There is a lot more that I can share with you, but this is getting to be a long post, and I am very sure that I might have it wrong in here somewhere, but this is what I have been practising for the past ten weeks or so.

For some sort of guide, below is a sample of what I eat in a day.

BREAKFAST

  • Half cup of Honeycombs cereal
  • Half cup of low-fat milk
  • Tea (with less to no sugar)

MORNING SNACK

  • One bottle of typical mineral water (600ml)

LUNCH

  • A cup of stir-fry mixed vegetables (celery, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, etc.) with glass noodles
  • One piece of chicken drumstick (grilled, curried, roasted, etc.)
  • One pot of non-fat strawberry yoghurt
  • One Dole banana
  • Three glasses of water

AFTERNOON SNACK

  • A glass of water

DINNER

  • A cup of stir-fry mixed vegetables (as above)
  • A serving spoon of meat dish
  • One boiled/steamed potato with one slice of low-fat cheddar cheese
  • One Sunkist orange
  • Three glasses of water

There you have it. My ‘diet’ plan. I don’t personally call it a diet, because this is what we’re supposed to be eating anyway. I’ll share in the next post with regards to exercise. Yes? :)

Oh, I forgot to mention that it is OK to reward yourself once every week. You can go out with friends for sushi, or ambuyat, or sweet, sinful desserts.. It’s OK to order a box of Sasbrownies with vanilla ice cream on top (but don’t finish a box on your own in one sitting!), and it’s OK to eat fried food. However, limit and control yourself to once a week. Just think of it as a reward for job well done.

Keep in mind that weight loss does not come without a lifestyle change, and the will to scarifice. Happy trying! :D

P.S.: To dietitians out there, please correct anything that is wrong in this post. Only positive feedback and constructive criticism is welcomed here. Any negative comments will not be tolerated, and will be deleted without question. Thank you!