The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.111)

2019 • 06 48 ellness Losing Weight the Right Way Whenever my jeans feel a little tight, I would instantly be alerted to the possibility of weight gain. I believe most people in the same situation would buy themselves a new pair of jeans and set aside the old pair until it fits again post-diet, but I would choose to reflect on my recent lifestyle choices and resolve to start exercising regularly instead. Translated by Peggy Lee M y heart was brimming with anticipation as I walked into a cafe and ordered a latte, before settlingmyself in a cosy corner to wait for an old friend whom I had not seen in years. Webecame acquainted tenyears agowhenshe was seeking help from physicians and nutritionists to reduce her Body Mass Index (BMI) to a healthy range. We later developed a close friendship as we bonded over our shared passion for the Chinese language and similar outlook on life. Within five minutes of waiting, I noticed someone approaching me with her right hand extended. At the sight of her, I offered my right hand, while attempting to stifle a gasp with my left. “Oh dear! I wouldn’t have recognized you if I were to bump into you on the street!” I exclaimed. Indeed, it had been eight long years since we last met. Imagine the extent of my surprise when my friend, who used to tip the scales at nearly 100 kg, stood before me in her much slimmer 68-kg self! “Tell me, how did you manage to lose over 30 kg?” I prompted as a conversation starter. My friend obliged, and I found myself listening in rapt attention to her recounting the ups and downs in her weight-loss journey. At one point, she credited me as the key figure behind her success, to which I denied with a smile: “All I do is provide advice on nutrition to my patients who intend to lose weight. Not all of them could manage to drop a jeans size or two after consulting me though.” But my friend asserted, “You are the one who guided me, step by step, in finding the root cause of my problem!” My friend and I are comparable in terms of educational qualifications, and as avid readers, we would surely have picked up our fair share of information related to weight loss. Most people tend to perceive a weight loss regimen as revolving around dieting, portion control and regular exercise. However, our body does not function like a machine. Exercising control over our dietary intake is not as simple as pushing a button that inhibits our desire to eat. My friend’s parents have instilled in her since young the virtue of not wasting food. Hence, she has developed the habit of polishing off leftovers at meal gatherings. “I remember you mentioned that seeing food go to waste would upset you, so you would insist on finishing every dish served on the table, down to the last morsel,” I recounted to her smilingly. The impulse to not let food go to waste is exactly herAchilles’ heel. Therefore, after deciding to lose weight, she turned to packing lunch from home to be eaten in the office to avoid consuming excessive calories. This spared her from the dilemma caused by the urge to finish the leftovers when dining out with others. A homemade lunch also ensured an adequate intake of fresh vegetables, prepared with lower quantities of salt and oil. “How do you tackle leftovers at home? Do they end up in your spouse’s belly?” I asked out of curiosity. “We learnt to plan our meals carefully. We would prepare food in moderate portions just enough to feed the family. If we did have leftovers, we would eat them for breakfast the following day,” my friend revealed.