I've lost 2 kg!

Yes, I have actually lost 2 kg. In a little under two weeks, I now weigh in at 68.5 kg from 70.5 kg since the start of February. Two down and three more to go before I can go back to my original 65 kg., the weight that I had sustained for a long time.

My surgeon, noticing my weight gain, had advised me to cut my carbohydrates, sugar and explained to me the two types of fullness. First being getting 'stuffed full' and the other being 'satisfied full'. 'Stuffed full' is when you stuff yourself with rice or noodles giving you the bloated feeling. 'Satisfied full' is when you had enough without feeling bloated. I was told to eat more meat. Red meat will still be restricted to a moderate level for the sake of the heart. Anyway I cannot afford to have steaks every time. Whenever I looked at my BMI, I always thought that I was too short for my weight.

So now I have to think before I eat, a feat that requires brain power, which in turn needs nourishment to think. A vicious circle! How do I cope? Muesli for breakfast with two slices of multi-grain bread and Horlicks since I have to avoid caffeine. If rice or noodle is served, just 1/3 or half portion. I have had breakfast problems because my good friend Denis would always order me breakfast in the market. Porridge and noodles = carbohydrates. Now I have to tell him of my strict diet. Even my wife, so far, has aboded to my diet by reducing rice or noodle portions. When Denis invited me to his birthday buffet lunch, I had a soup and salad starter followed by the various meat without rice or noodle, finishing off with fruits. A glass of red wine and water and I was 'satisfied full'. Just what the surgeon ordered!

How do I feel after all this? Hungry! No kidding, I feel hungry after about two hours or so and I start looking forward to my next meal. But the positive side is that I feel very much lighter and better and I do not get the bloated feeling. I get the urge to snack but I have to discipline myself from reaching for the biscuit or cake. Discipline plays a big part. I have already cut my sugar out of my decaf tea and half spoon of raw brown sugar in my decaf coffee to reduce the bitter taste. There is not much bitter coffee taste with decaf but on its own, decaf coffee is bland, and a little raw brown sugar gives a bit of body to it. Going to a food centre, people normally order chicken rice, char siew noodles, bachor noodles, economy rice and more rice and noodles in various form. So far I have managed to reduce my carbohydrates by eating yong tau foo without noodles, (despite the fact that you get 95% flour to 5% of fish meat in the fish balls these days), and dumplings in soup. When I had economy rice, I asked for one meat and two vegetables portion but without rice. The hawker always get surprised with my order. Eating at hawker stalls, I now have to go round looking for something suitable, which makes me think.

At the end of the day, I am feeling a lot better and lighter. I now have the courage to actually look at myself in the mirror and notice that my abdoment has reduced somewhat. A friend of mine actually commented that I have lost weight. Maybe some ladies might take a second look!

Till then....