Here's a tongue-in-cheek summary of an average lady's wants.
- Ideal number of bags: Just one more
- Ideal number of pairs of shoes: One pair more
- Ideal weight: Three kgs less
It is sometimes jokingly said that dieting is a woman's life-long endeavour. And there's no wonder why, especially in Singapore, where food is an integral part of socialising. It is easy to put on 1-2 kilos at Chinese New Year, and again another 1-2 kilos at Christmas. Minimally, that's an average of 2-4 kilos that women have to lose on an annual basis, if they are to keep up their appearances. And this is not including the weight that they may gain from the office snacks, TGIF drinks, and buffets/high-tea.
Miles of articles have been written about cultural, media and societal influences that lead to women's obsession with being slim. A less-than-perfect figure can cause stress, anxiety, loss of self-esteem, depression... i.e. Plenty of unhappiness. It has caused women to protest and develop their own counter-cultures, centered around fat acceptance and crusades against fat-shaming. Or more ironically, skinny-shaming.
Sidenote 1: Some of the more insidious individuals are trying to unite the fat acceptance agenda with the body acceptance agenda. The former is about dealing with societal expectations, the latter is about regaining a sense of normalcy despite bodily ordeals and deformities. Let's not mix them up.
Sidenote 2: For the people from Singapore, remember the TAF (Trim and Fit) club programme from primary school? The programme didn't differentiate between genders; obesity is a thing for both boys and girls. Similarly, the need to stay trim still applies to adults of both genders. Especially with the cultural changes (read: gender equality), and a growing pressure for men to look good too. So, while I may write from a more lady-oriented perspective, I think the points I raise below will apply for both genders.
Why I am all for weight-loss
Having tried a few diets in my life, I understand the frustrations associated, and it can be tempting to go along with "fat is beautiful" crowd. However, I personally refuse to give up and resign myself to what could be a lifetime of passive dissatisfaction and regret. Because, there's no replacing that satisfaction and confidence you feel when you love what you see in the mirror. No matter how many times a loving partner or a supportive friend says "Oh, you're just classically beautiful, like Yang Guifei."
There is a sense of catharsis when you see the weight fall off you, and can fit comfortably into clothes that you couldn't previously wear. It is a therapeutic change, and can encourage you to seek further improvements. (To amplify this effect, schedule in a few weekends where you spend the time spring cleaning, and completing unfinished projects.)
In general, a BMI of 18-20 is considered attractive. (Here's why.) Meanwhile, the average Singaporean has a median BMI of 23.15.
Here's a quick handy chart to show what this means, in terms of height.
Of all the positive qualities that a person can have, a good physique is something that can be gained only through hard work, commitment, and self-esteem. Given that the average Singaporean is 8-10 kgs off from the supposed ideal, that's a lot of people who would have considered (or tried) some form of weight management. Who would thus understand the process behind it. To me, this means there is now a visual way to immediately demonstrate good personal qualities to a large proportion of people.
I think it is much easier to show what I'm made of, than to write endlessly about the tribulations I have survived.
Why I'm working on my weight-loss now
While I've always been mindful of what I eat, I am currently working on it more intensely. There are 3 major reasons for this:
- In general, everyone's metabolic rate drops after they hit 30, partly due to loss of muscle mass. Meaning, in two years' time, it will be an even more uphill task for me to try and lose weight. Thus, I'm keen to get rid of whatever I can before that date arrives.
- Every diet under the sun has one thing in common: Portion and/or nutritional control. Now that I'm in between jobs, I have more time to control what I eat, and reset my eating habits. Which means I now have the best odds for success.
- Remember your new year resolutions? Yeah, I wrote a few too. I looked at my list the middle of this year, and discovered that I was on track for only 3 out of 7 goals. If I could lose 7 kilos by end of this year, that would be 4 goals achieved. A passing grade by my standards, at least. So I opted to go with it.
Why I'll share about weight-loss tips next
On a very positive note, I'm back on the weight-loss journey, because I have hope. It helps that I have gently lost 4 kgs thus far, but it is the result of researching a fair bit about the topic. Along the way, I was sold too many fad diets and deluged by too much information. It took some effort to make sense of the conflicting opinions, and thus I thought it will be good to share.
Anyone (regardless of gender) who has embarked on a weight-loss regime will understand that it's not quite as straightforward as exercising and eating half of what you usually eat for a month. (From someone who has done that: Please don't do that; the month will be unusually arduous, and your weight may start yo-yoing.)
To achieve any sustainable effect, it's about changing habits, countering the food industry's tricks, even fighting addiction. Yes, we can all scoff at the ongoing war against diabetes in Singapore, but sugar addiction is real. Don't believe it? Try going sugar-free (not carb-free) for a week with a Malay/Indian friend, especially if they are from India, Indonesia, or Malaysia. Bonus points if they program or code for a living. Feel free to share with me about the withdrawal symptoms you feel from Day 3 onwards.
I have considered the reasons why I have put on weight, and figured out how to deal with various contributing factors. And yes, weight loss can be achieved with minimal costs and suffering. In the follow-up post, I'll talk about the things I'm doing, explain logic behind them, and list the options you have to fix each problem.
