How I Eat

Someone suggested me to write about my daily eating habit and so I finally did. I tried making it as concise as possible but this is the best I can do.

The rundown:

1. I wake up around 5-6 am. Before I get a glass of water, I pee and then weigh myself. Always weigh yourself in the same condition; first thing in the morning before you eat anything and without clothes/footwear.


2. Breakfast: I like eggs for breakfast. I usually eat up to two scrambled/pouched eggs accompanied with a slice of baked whole wheat bread. Pumping up my protein earlier in the day keeps me full longer. Another breakfast combination I like is oatmeal cooked with skim milk+banana (no sugar, the banana should already sweeten it enough) and one hard boiled egg. If I want to drink coffee, I'll drink it black with no sugar.


3. 10 am: 1-2 servings of fruit. *Tip: eat your fruits raw, not juiced. Juices are usually packed with sugar, especially bottled/packaged juice.


4. 12 am: for lunch, I usually have lean meat like chicken breast (baked, not fried), some salad or "sayur" and brown rice. I also sometimes eat fish/shrimp. DON'T DRINK SWEET ICED TEA right after you eat (here's why); a lot of Indonesian people do this out of habit.


5. 3-4 pm: I consider this my snack time. Yoghurt with strawberries will do it for me. I also like to have some bubur kacang ijo at this hour but I would substitute the white sugar with palm sugar.


6. 7-8 pm: no rice for dinner, just fish/lean meat and veggies. My favorite is beef teppanyaki with lots of veggies. Soups are great, too. Google low-calorie soup recipes.

beef teppanyaki, credit: http://www.yelp.com

Notes:

• I cook/prepare my own meal most of the time because then I will know how much exactly I eat. If you eat out, you have no control of what (and how much) they put into your food.
• I drink plenty of water to keep me hydrated throughout the day especially during my workout days.
• I never skip meals and I always have a good, satisfying breakfast.
• I try to incorporate more organic produce into my diet.
• I stay away from white rice, white bread, sugar, sugary drinks, and processed foods in general (yes, this includes fried foods). This doesn't mean that I cut these foods out completely from my diet though. I still eat them but very rarely and in small quantities. Instead of eating the whole bag of chips, eat half... that sort of thing. I'm not a big fan of chips but I do love ice cream! Ice cream is my kryptonite.

A few tips if you want to start eating healthy:

• If you're busy, have your meal prepared the night before and put them into meal boxes so you can just heat them the next day.
• Plan ahead what you're going to eat for the whole week. It makes things a whole lot easier.
• Don't antagonize particular nutrients such as fat. Your body needs it. You just have to know which fat is better and which is worse. Trans-fats are the worst. They are commonly found in processed foods. Basically, if you eat like I do, you instantly trim down your trans-fat and sodium intake which will be good for you in the long run.
• Don't feel guilty about the food you eat and/or have a negative mindset towards food. "Ohh I eat this, it's so bad." No. Just be grateful for the meal you just had and move on. Remember, a lot of people have to starve because they can't afford food. Food ain't bad. The act of abusing them is.
• Most importantly, educate yourself about food; what's in them, where they come from, how to process them the right way... everything. It's worth it to learn about food because they are essential to our well being. I highly recommend Michael Pollan's books for a start.

So that's it. Hope that helps. And here's a bonus picture of Rob Lowe strumming the air banjo just for the sake of it:

you're welcome.