50 kg

It’s after CNY, umpteen Penang goodies later, and then I remembered I forgot to keep up the weight updates. Remember posts like Not Quite The Biggest Loser? And this:

Pre baby weight: 53kg

Pregnancy weight: 73.1kg

When I first got back from hospital: 67kg

So anyway a quick update that I’m around 50-1 kg now. I first hit pre-baby weight when Little Miss was around 5 1/2 months, and then a few bouts of coughs/colds later realized I’d overtaken that. I am now trying to maintain my weight around 52-53kg; it’s not a good sign for me when my weight keeps dropping, it means I’m getting rundown.

I’d be happy to take on a few of your pounds if there was some way we could swing it, rather than eat more cookies. I actually hate butter cookies. (I only like the pineapple filling in the traditional CNY ones). Am embarrassed to say the whole time I’m finishing up the remaining Penang goodies, the anal in me is saying “HOW bad is the oil/ butter/ whatever they use to make the pastry?” this is the really junky stuff they traditionally use to make these things right, which is why I usually don’t like to take more than a couple, the entire new year. And as for “sweets”, I only buy dark chocolate. (Y-eah not sure it counts, it’s not really sweet).

Never really had an “eating habit”, and then I got another idea ages ago from my unc and aunt who, being doctors, eat incredibly healthy – one day they remarked they couldn’t walk by a KFC without feeling nauseated. That got me thinking, because I have always thought the smell was quite yummy. But their remark really drove home how you can train your body not to want the bad stuff. Not wanting what you shouldn’t have too much of sounded like a great idea. Better than limiting yourself.

The other part is genetic – my mum at 66 and just under 5 ft 8 inches (yes the nickname my parents gave me, at just under 5 ft 7 inches, is “Shorty”) still drinks mostly full-fat milk several times a day and eats quite a few cookies because periodically she thinks losing too much weight makes her look gaunt. She had a metabolic rate so high when she was a teenager that her hands would shake from hunger in between meals, during growth spurts. Mine is not so bad (dad used to struggle with weight gain so it’s not like I only have “thin genes” in me, but ever since he turned my old room into his gym he’s quite the fitness nut) – if I wanted to put on, I’d just go eat KFC. (And so to this day I recommend NOT eating fast food esp KFC if you are trying to lose weight; btw soft drinks are probably an even bigger culprit… and um, I’ve never liked soft drinks either.) Except I really don’t think it’s healthy.

Therein lies the thing – I don’t like the majority of sweet things, nor do I like rich sauces (my KFC order is Zinger burger, no mayo. All my life I’ve loathed mayo. Decided that was a plus when I first learned it wasn’t good for you, so made a point to carry on hating it.) My only real vice is french fries/ potato chips, which I can still do without for months at a time without really noticing, and the occasional beer.

I should probably also mention in my late 20s I had my diet checked out (actually I might have mentioned this before). Back then I was a real Steak Girl – I grew up on steak and various other meats – and was also taking lotsa full-fat milk like my mum does. I went to see a dietician because I was still getting hunger pangs all the time. Planet Smoothie peanut butter shakes in between meals didn’t help. My weight? 54kg thereabouts. Finally I had my diet checked, and this is what they came up with:

No sugar (well d-uh, as little as possible – not too difficult for me but I insist on half a teaspoon with coffee; no Sweet n Low n what-not)

No dairy (this is a problem because I worry about Osteoporosis and love cheese but do limit intake)

No meat (to a former steak and burgers girl this was the toughest)

As many eggs as I want

As much seafood as I want (including oysters, shrimp)

This has something to do with my body specifically being able to handle foods that normally make your cholesterol shoot through the roof, but not being able to digest meat that efficiently.

So when I feel rundown/ tired, I inhale eggs. Lotsa eggs. NOT egg-whites, actual eggs. I can take like, 10 eggs a week, no problem. Yes I’ve had the blood tests done post-pregnancy and also for insurance purposes, results are alright (touch wood), eggs and all. Come to think of it my mum added 6 eggs and a very large glass of milk a day to her diet when she was pregnant with me. She was still underweight and I was a small baby.

Anyway the point (besides an update I promised ages ago about my baby weight) was, I totally recommend getting your diet habits checked out. I probably take in fewer calories today than I used to (except for the eggs) and I still don’t get hunger pangs. They don’t always tell you you can’t have anything. And they might tell you something very surprising about how your body metabolizes certain “no-nos” much better than others.

And don’t hate me, please – I’m married to someone who said to me during Rockstar’s pregnancy:

“Yes you are fat. How? Don’t want you loh. I go China find another one.”

(I know. You guys understand it just never occurred to Kings how that remark could be taken right… It’s like we have to be together, because if he’d married someone else, charmer that he is, by now he would, quite simply, be dead :D)

Random pic of 5.75lbs worth of weight loss at delivery

ps: My reaction to such weight-related comments is Wow. You Are In So Much Trouble If You Put On Weight, My Dear Husband. And last I remembered, you put on way easier than I do.