Monday, December 11, 2006 . 2:10 AM

I had a bit of technical difficulties yesterday when I tried to update. Apparently the color of photos will come out awry if you try to upload a CMYK format picture onto the Internet. It took me 1 whole day t figure out that I have to change all formats of my photos to RGB format before the tomato soup stops turning blue.

Once again, I think technology can be such a bitch. Which is why I did not attempt an IT course in Poly.

Enough gripping, I'm getting back to the topic of the day: Dieting.

I've always been what you call plump. When I was a kid, adults thought I was adorable. But when I entered my teenage years, suddenly, it wasn't cute to have all those baby fats on me. And thus, I began my bitter battle with the bulge.

Alas, it was a losing battle. Up till I graduated from Poly, my baby fats refused to acknowledge the fact that I wasn't quite a baby after all and clung on for dear life, much to my exasperation. Of course, it didn't help that I had a bunch of friends whose favourite past time was eating. It was with them that I attempted to cramp 8 slices of pizza, 1 bowl of soup, 2 servings of lasagne plus gallons of coke down my long-suffering throat.

Needless to say, I didn't feel too good after the meal, but I'll always look back at those days with fondness. How wonderful it was to be youth and to have high metabolism rate. If I tried to at like that now, no doubt I'll be twice the size I was back then.

Anyway, stories of my food-loving days have to be recounted in another entry.

It wasn't until 1 year of my entry into the workforce that I realised that I have to beat the bulge or be forever condemned as The Plump Girl. Let's face it, there aren't a lot of clothes designed for plump girls. And I want to wear nice clothes, damn it!

And so, the battle begins again. I wiped chocolates from my diet, which is the hardest thing I had to do. And next goes the carbs. Bye bye mashed potatoes, rice and noodles. I was never a breakfast person, so it was no problem for me to skip it. Lunch was a must-have, otherwise I'll faint from hunger. But dinner was a luxury. Sometimes it was 1 potato chip. Yes, 1 chip, not a whole bag. Or it could be a salad.

I seriously have no idea where I found the strength to stick to such a gruelling, inhumane diet, but I did. For almost a year. And I lost 9kg for my efforts.

My motivation, other than nice clothes, was this guy I liked back then. He likes skinny girls. And since I'm far from skinny, I decided to attempt to get skinny. When, apparently it didn't work. Both getting skinny and getting the guy. But I really have him to thank for helping me lose 9kg.

Make no mistake, I might not be skinny, but I don't think I'm plump. Alright, maybe several days a month I feel like a pig, but on other days, I feel... good. Though I secretly hope to lose another 2-3kg, but doesn't every girl?

Though my dieting days are more or less over, my friends have embarked on their own journey. Mine was the cheapo and rather unsafe method, whereas theirs are more medically approved. It's an acupucture thing (it's not cheap!) which is supposed to help you lose weight faster than usual and of course, you have to do your part by eating less and more healthily.

Which is why on my latest outing with Mel, she ate so little I kind of suspect the real Mel has been kidnapped by aliens.


We ordered a set meal, which comes with soup, main and drinks. I ordered 7-up (unhealthy) and Mel had tea with only 1 packet of sugar. This is a lady whose favourite drink is coke and she drinks it like plain water. Now she's having tea. I am amazed.

Then, our tomato soup came and she took 2 sips and declared she was done.


Compared that with how much I drank. I am a pig.

Then came our main course: a juicy steak. My mouth still waters at the thought of the tender steak. At least she finished the steak. But. She did not touch the potato wedges at all.


Mel once told me that she could never go on the diet because she cannot resist food. She thought I was insane for completely cutting carbs out of my diet. And here she was, 2 years later, doing exactly what she thought she couldn't.

Never say never, Energizer battery is right.

I am fully convinced that Mel can attain her ideal weight soon and on the contrary I have to stop pigging out at home. I think I'm gaining weight from all the food I've been indulging in. But before I attempt to lose another 2kg, perhaps I can have the heavenly chilli crab I had last Thursday?