Weight Loss Program (yes, I'm serious)

Last night I went through my old copy of Dear Nestle Diary - A Healthy Start Begins Today. It contains articles, recipes and tips for a healthier lifestyle. Initially I thought I didn't want to bore my blog readers (ehem) with the details, but seeing that IWA and Nida are interested to compete with me (*panic mode*), I think it would benefit them if I share some pointers mentioned in the Diary here.

Firstly, Malaysian women require between 1,600 and 2,000 kcal per day. The wide range accounts for different factors such as age, height, weight, activity level and body composition. For me who never bothers about calories before, this means that I have to start watching what I eat, not just how much. For a start, I've begun to record what I eat at each meal.

The Diary gives some helpful meal suggestions, which total up to less than 1,600 kcal a day:

Breakfast
Option 1 (275 kcal): 2 pieces of toast with pineapple jam, 1 half-boiled egg, 1 cup of coffee with 1 tsp sugar.

Option 2 (290 kcal): 2 slices sardine sandwich, 1 glass of Omega milk, 1/2 apple.

Option 3 (318 kcal): 1 bowl of Nestle porridge, 1 cup of Nestle Bliss Yoghurt.

Lunch
Option 1 (418 kcal): 1 cup rice, 1 red snapper cooked in tamarind, 1/2 cup sawi, 1/2 cup cabbage, 1 apple.

Option 2 (426 kcal): 2 slices tuna sandwich, 1 cup nestle Bliss yoghurt drink, 1 apple.

Option 3 (434 kcal): 1 plate chicken rice, 1 cup Nestle Bliss yoghurt drink, 1 slice papaya.

Tea
Option 1 (131 kcal): 1 cup Nestle Bliss yoghurt

Option 2 (187 kcal): 1 Nutren cereal bar, 1 cup hot milo.

Option 3 (255 kcal): 1 curry puff, 1 cup hot milo.

Dinner
Option 1 (389 kcal): 1 cup rice, 1 piece steamed chicken, 1/2 cup kailan, 1/2 cup spinach, 1 pear.

Option 2 (519 kcal): 1 plate chicken & mushroom spaghetti, 1 slice papaya

Option 3 (562 kcal): 1 bowl mee soup, a pack soya bean milk, a cut pineapple.

Looking at the suggested meals above, I realise that it's doable. At the same time, I realise where I've gone wrong. My meals comprise a lot of fried stuff - fried chicken, fried fish, sometimes even fried squids and prawns. I also tend to overdo it at tea time. Instead of eating 1 curry puff as suggested, I would usually wallop three! And then I top it off with 1 full mug of white coffee. Oh, and I do love sweet drinks. I have tea in the morning, coffee at tea time, and another drink (tea/coffee/milk) after dinner. And I love tidbits too - nuts, chocolates, crisps. It sure looks like I have to overhaul my entire diet.

The Diary mentions that the best time to weigh ourselves is in the morning after we've gone to the bathroom. This is when we'll get our 'true weight'. Throughout the day, our weight fluctuates by as much as 2.5kg due to food and drinks, wet hair, and clothing.

Of course, a weight loss program wouldn't be complete without exercises. I'm aiming for at least 4 half-hour exercise sessions every week. It's not much, right? For me, the key word is variety. Otherwise, I'll get bored easily. So, here are the options that I can think of so far:
1. Cardio exercise (DVD)
2. Strength exercise (DVD)
3. Climb up and down the stairs
4. Book Maintenance Manual exercises
5. Dear Nestle Diary exercises
6. Jogging/brisk walking at the park
7. Play badminton with DD/DH
8. Exercise sessions with DD (yes, she's interested to be my fitness coach)
9. Go to the gym

The Diary mentions that a healthy weight loss is around 0.5 to 1 kg per week. Is it doable? Yes!!! Welcome to the ARAM Club.