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Jakarta Post

Urban Chat : No pain, no gain, no vain

“You’re just like my sister

Lynda Ibrahimc (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sat, June 6, 2015

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Urban Chat :  No pain, no gain,  no vain

'€œYou'€™re just like my sister. You order salad or an appetizer, but then you nibble on my steak. Get your own steaks, girls!'€

A man once exasperatedly said that to me during a dinner out. I rolled my eyes defiantly, for that'€™s what any self-respecting girl naturally does in such situation, but deep down I knew he wasn'€™t entirely wrong. I do do that, just as his sister and many other women do. And the most common reason cited by women committing such epicurean crimes is that we need to keep our health ['€¦] and our figures.

Counting calories, refraining from certain foodstuffs, or forsaking meals altogether '€” scientifically or superstitiously '€” women worldwide have been known to go to extreme lengths in the pursuit of health and hotness. In the modern era of celebritydom enhanced by magical airbrush software and perpetuated by 24/7 mainstream and social media machines, where flawless and preternaturally beauties grace center front stage, the pursuit is now often engaged in by mere mortals in the name of vanity.

Yes, I'€™m allowed to cast the first stone, for I'€™ve gone down both roads.

Growing up rather plump, I earned cheek pinches wherever I went, but that plumpness didn'€™t serve me well once puberty kicked in. All my adult life I'€™ve been battling the stealthy and cruel monster I dub '€œthe predisposition to automatically gain seven pounds after consuming a few hearty dinners while skipping several exercise classes'€. I inherited Mom'€™s pear shape and Dad'€™s sweet tooth, to make the matter even heavier, pun intended. Diets? I'€™ve tried all sorts and met with both success and failure.

First, the zero-meat diet. Yet as my blood pressure is naturally low I almost fainted after three days on veggies and steamed potatoes. It was clear from that point on that I'€™d never become a vegetarian.

Then came the Atkins a.k.a. tiger diet, where very low carbohydrate intake is intended to push the body to convert stored fat for energy. I did lose a couple of kilograms before constantly suffering from low blood sugar while my cholesterol level hit the roof. I came to the realization that, unlike real tigers, I didn'€™t boast sturdy muscles, nor did I roam the jungle to burn off the extra protein I consumed to compensate for the lack of carbs.

And let'€™s not forget the college days where I'€™d just eat nothing but crackers for 2-3 days. That, coupled with tequila shots, eventually landed me in hospital twice for stomach ulcers and liver problems.

Fast forward to the present day, tests recently indicated that although my Body Mass Index was still normal, the visceral fat level, loosely defined as fat tissues enveloping internal organs, exceeded the normal range and hence posed certain health risks.

Added to this is the pressure from appearing weekly on TV for the past year, where I learned that the camera does indeed add ten pounds; it didn'€™t help that the anchorwoman and weather girl I share the frame with are enviably slim.

Just as luck would have it, I stumbled into a clean-eating catering service. I was skeptical at first since similar diet caterers I'€™d tried before delivered blah-looking, bland-tasting meals that killed my appetite long before I lost any weight. But I'€™m very pleased to discover that this caterer sends gourmet-looking, balanced meals that somehow still taste well with low salt, no sugar and no frying at a total of 800 calories for both lunch and dinner. The plan still provides carbs (brown rice spaghetti, anyone?) and carefully-measured, fat-stripped red meat, so I didn'€™t feel starved or too weak to go about my daily business, including exercising. No more picking from a man'€™s plate.

Have I been shedding pounds? Yes, gradually. But I'€™m more pleased to discover that the visceral fat level has slid down, in addition to the overall percentage of fat. Another change is my palette. When I had to travel and ate freely I noticed how fast I got full. Some dishes are now just too salty or too oily for me. I suppose, just as any other part of our body, the stomach and tongue can be trained. Thanks to this catering, I think mine now have been.

Haven'€™t I been tempted to cheat? Sure have. Especially upon work deadlines, when my good old sweet tooth suddenly craves chocolates and donuts. So I have cheated, and predictably felt bad afterwards. The difference is this time I know a bag of healthy meals will still arrive the next day for me to return to, preventing me from straying further with a bag of fried peanuts, thinking all has been lost.

The clean-eating catering plan doesn'€™t come cheap, and each time I see the bill I ask myself if I am paying for my health or ponying up for my vanity. In all honesty, I think it'€™s a bit of both. Physically I feel lighter, which makes me feel more motivated to move my bum to exercise. Mentally I feel better, like I'€™m being more responsible in my well-being. Looking leaner in white jeans or on camera is a welcome bonus after all the hard work of watching what I eat and pushing myself at the gym. No pain, no gain, no vain, no?

Now it'€™s your turn to share about your body issues and conflicted relationship with food. Promise I won'€™t nibble on your steak.

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'€” Lynda Ibrahim is a Jakarta-based writer with a penchant for purple, pussycats and pop culture.

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