When I first embarked on my portion control diet, I was vigilant about my weekly weigh ins. Every week on the same day, I would get on the digital scale at the gym before eating or drinking anything at the start of the day.

digital bathroom scale

I lost about 9kg over the vigilant weeks.

Then I took it easy. Stopped the weigh ins and was more liberal with my diet, thinking the added exercise from dance classes and runs will make up for it.

Boy was I wrong.

After about a month or two, I got on the scale. To my horror, I had gained 3kg of the hard lost weight.

By not weighing myself weekly, I failed to notice the weight creeping back. Got complacent. Undid the good from the disciplined weeks.

I should have gotten a bathroom scale and weighed myself weekly, to keep track of my weight all the time, so I wouldn’t have ended up gaining so much.

Wish me luck :p

You could spend a fortune on diet pills to lose weight or you could turn to a healthy and affordable option.

Plain water.

water as an alternative to diet pills

Water as an alternative to diet pills

A simple cup of water

• Has zero calories
• Makes you feel full
• Flushes away the toxins.

You can really cut down your calorie intake by drinking plain water instead of coke, soft drinks, juices or any sweet drinks. Skip alcohol because your body treats Tat like fat.

Drink a glass of water when you wake up every morning,
When you feel like snacking, drink water.
Just before your meals, drink another glass of water.
That will make you feel full so you end up eating less.

Your body needs water. Kidneys work better when there’s lots of water to flush out the toxins. By drinking more water, you detox your system as well.

All this add up to help you lose weight. All you need is .. Water.

Want to lose weight the fun way?

Belly dance!

Just look at the amazing shape Shakira is in. Belly dancing enhances a woman’s curves.

My belly dancing instructor lost 8 kg in 8 months when she learnt belly dancing.

Some of the moves really shape the waist.

Some girls noticed their waists curving in more as they practiced certain hip movements.

• Lift the right hip
• thrust outwards to the right
• lower the hip
• bring it back in to standing position
• Lift the left hip
• Thrust outwards to the left
• lower the hip
• bring back to standing position.

Here’s another video of Shakira belly dancing.

Here are the basic belly dance techniques

Pills for post partum depression

I went on medication for depression.

To cut the long story short, I fell sick last year and had to be hospitalized. I was down for 2 weeks but as I tried to get back on track, exercising again, I fell pregnant.

No vigorous exercise. My weight loss plans were postponed as I prepared for my bundle of joy.

I miscarried and fell into depression.

I told the doctor about it and asked for medical help. I was put on fluvoxamine for a few months but it had side effects. I gained even more weight.

Told the doctor about it but he said 5kg weight gain is normal. He put me on mirtazapine. I really ballooned out.

I switched hospitals to get a second opinion. The specialist was surprised I had been given such a high dose of. Fluvoxamine and that I was given mirtazapine subsequently. She would not give mirtazapine to a woman suffering with post partum depression which is what I have.

By then, I had ballooned to 79kg. For my height, that’s morbidly obese. I was breathless just talking. Where once I ran 10k regularly, just climbing 1 flight of stairs had me panting for some time.

Since switching meds to paroxetine, I stopped ballooning.

Though I don’t have the time to run due to my job situation, I have started on a diet.

So far so good. I have lost 3kg since. I have a long way to go to reach a healthy weight but I am making decent progress.

From biological warfare to our food supply. Aspartame has come a long way.

I chanced upon a disturbing news article from The Huffington Post. I know it is old news. All that controversy about  aspartame has been around since its introduction as a sugar substitute. It tastes like sugar and is calorie free, hence you’d find it in those zero calorie diet food and drinks for the calorie counters.

At the same time, it is used to sweeten food and desserts for diabetics, enabling those with a sweet tooth to enjoy their sugar-free treats, sweetness and all.

When aspartame is metabolized, it is broken down into 2 amino acids and methanol.

FDA reviewed a study on whether aspartame causes cancer and issued a statement on 20 April 2007.  FDA does not support the conclusion that aspartame is a carcinogen and stands by its earlier conclusion that aspartame is safe. CBS news The Early Show interviewed Dr Marshall about that study done on aspartame safety.

Dr Joseph Mercola begs to differ. According to him, aspartame is an excitotoxin – it excites brain cells until they die. This can lead to neurodegeneration. Side effects of this artificial sweetener include migraines, brain tumours, depression and hallucinations. It is also known to cause gastrointestinal problems. 

The ironical thing according to Dr Joseph Mercola’s article, is that aspartame use may actually lead to weight gain by stimulating the appetite. The very thing many people going for zero calorie options are trying to avoid.

A friend of mine who has diabetes uses artificial sweeteners as they are the lesser evil considering her condition.

Personally, I’ve been wary of artificial sweeteners. I use honey or at least, use less sugar if I want to be more careful about counting calories.

At the end of the day, it is your life, your decision.