Friday Five 27-April

1. What was your favorite toy as a child?
I honestly don’t remember. Maybe I didn’t have “a favourite”? I know I had a plushie raccoon (Rocky Raccoon) that I still have today, but I don’t remember playing with it as girls on TV shows would (tea parties, taking it around). From a very young age my plushies are just sitting there collecting dust.

2. What did you name it?
I didn’t have to name it. It came named.

3. Who gave it to you?
I don’t remember. It was just always there.

4. Do you still have it?
Yes.

5. If not, what happened to it?
It’s still here.

The (rare) weight loss post

I don’t normally post much about my weight loss as, you know, I don’t really take it seriously. Not ever. Except when around 2 years ago I had a one-piece dress that I bought in Singapore and I couldn’t zip it up. It's usually because I'm not flexible and I couldn't reach it, but my mom helped and couldn’t zip it up either.

I wasn’t morbidly obese or what, though I thought I’d pretty much stayed constant with my weight. I could still fit in most of my clothes, though I have to say I couldn’t get my work trousers through my thigh (another warning bell).

For a while I just let it be. Work trousers don’t fit? Don’t wear them. That’s why in recent years you’ll see me more in skirts than whatnot because that’s what make me not have to think about getting my thighs and arse into some kind of trousers. Though, I must say, regular skirts got shorter as because of my belly, the top of the skirt had to sit higher up my waist, away from my hips. Because, well, I gained weight.

Anyway, then one day I weighed myself and wow, I got a shock. I was 10KG over what I always thought I weighed. Again, it wasn’t morbid, and I basically still looked the same, maybe a rounder face and stronger arms and chest and belly. But it was time to work on that. I did not want to be 10 KG over what I always thought I was.

Like everyone else, I tried dieting, eating specific things, calorie counting. But the thing with calorie counting over here is, it’s not a “trend” so you can hardly find calorie information on restaurant dishes. (For canned and packaged products, it’s there, yes, but if you’re in a restaurant, the menu doesn’t say anything about that). Protein shakes to substitute breakfast, blended veggie smoothies, no carb, I’ve tried all that. But nothing seemed to stick.

In the end, in the beginning of summer 2017, my parents went on their annual Europe trip. So I took the chance and made an overhaul to my habits. I adopted the 8-16 thing. Eat all meals within 8 hours and fast for 16. I also started running. I can’t run every day (my knees) but when I’m feeling diligent I run every other day.

Essentially, the 8-16 thing shouldn’t work for me. I actually can’t cram all my meals within the 8-hour period. That practically meant I had to either skip breakfast, or dinner, in order to make that 8-hour thing. In the end, I worked it out to not exactly 8-16 but a 9-15 thing instead. I have my usual breakfast as late as possible (so either 8.30am or 9am even), I have a hearty lunch (if it’s a running day, get carbs; if it’s a non-running day, get salad or light food). And then have a light snack before 6pm, and that’s it for the day.

Yes, essentially I just cut out dinner. Which annoys my Mom to no end as that’s the time the family sits together around the table. But I also noticed when we sit around the table there’s not much talking going on, as my Mom would watch the TV, my Sis would be on her iPad, and my Dad only has eyes for the dogs, so let’s not hedge around, there’s no family interaction at that time anyway, so I figure it’s just as well. If I have something to share I’ll sit with them but I don’t eat. My Dad tries to tempt me with crazy outrageous dinners sometimes and I’ve been diligent… mostly! (I lost to his crazy burger night with a nicely raw-yolk sunny side up egg).

Well, if there’s any family or friends get-together for dinner then I will still go and join them and eat, on those days I try to skip breakfast.

I also have my Saturday Yoga and Pilates sessions, which I really doubt if those contribute anything to the weight loss (I don’t think so, that’s like 100 calories burned max), but it helps me keep my mind thinking that I’m doing something for it.

Aaaand I’m glad to announce, I’ve shaved those 10 KG off already. In some angles, I really see the weight loss, but otherwise, I still look pretty much the same. My work trousers fit (I tried), but I’ve grown accustomed to skirts as… I don’t have to iron them LOL. Now, I’d like to shave off an extra 3 KG, but that’s not essential, so that’s pretty much “if it happens then good, if it doesn’t happen then it can go hang”.

These days have not been nice for running, it’s like drizzling lightly and such, and Mom is now suddenly hogging the bike so I can’t go on the bike either. I’ve been trying to work on my downward facing dog pose. I can’t seem to land my heels when I do that (and many other things with regards to yoga and stretching, but I have noticed I have a slightly improved reach and flexibility. Well, there’s this dress that I couldn’t reach my arm over to zip it up. Now I can! Apparently my weekly yoga sessions are bearing some fruit!