Still Overweight But Trying 2
Still Overweight But Trying 2
A personal lifestyle journal about rebuilding healthier habits
To be honest, after Part 1, I stopped running altogether.
The excuse was “I’m too busy with work.”
But let’s be real — it was mostly just laziness.
The result? My weight quietly crept up another 2–3 kilos
(about 4–6 pounds).
And what bothered me most wasn’t the number on the scale — it was the soft, sagging fat and a belly that looked about seven or eight months pregnant.
(A self-deprecating exaggeration — not meant literally.)
At some point, I realized I had to start again.
At the very least — I needed to distance myself from sweets.
That decision led me back here, writing Chubby but Trying — Part 2.
Trying Again
Where effort exists, change can follow.
One day, it has to work — as long as I don’t give up.
I told myself out loud:
“Fight again. Take back control. Defeat the fat.”
(A dramatic pep talk I give myself — half serious, half humorous.)
Still Overweight But Trying 2
Today is Monday, February 16. I began by managing my diet — not drastically, just sensibly.
Breakfast
Water
Black coffee
(Is that enough? This reflects my personal habit — not nutritional advice.)
Is that enough?
Honestly, I’ve never been much of a breakfast person.
Research offers mixed opinions — some say breakfast is essential, others say skipping it isn’t necessarily harmful.
(Scientific perspectives vary, and individual responses differ.)
For me, this is something I need to test myself — listening to how my body responds and finding what works best.
Lunch
Fried chicken basil rice
(a common Thai dish: stir-fried chicken with holy basil and chili served over rice)
1 banana
1 blueberry yogurt
Unsweetened green tea
I usually eat lunch around 10:30–11:00 a.m.
(School schedules here start early, so lunch comes sooner than in many countries.)
Most of my food comes from the school cafeteria, so I choose options that are affordable, accessible, and filling.
The banana and yogurt were partly to satisfy a sweet craving — and partly because dinner often isn’t until around 7:30 p.m.
So I try to eat enough to stay full longer.
I noticed something interesting:
Before, eating only rice meant I’d feel hungry again around 4–5 p.m.
Adding fruit and yogurt helped me stay satisfied longer and slightly reduced sugar cravings.
My plan is to keep this combination as a daily experiment — to see if it prevents evening snack attacks.
During the day, I resisted temptation.
A colleague shared tamarind coated in sugar — visibly coated — and I had to decline.
(A popular Thai snack that can be quite sugary.)
Instead, I told myself:
Hold on. Dessert will come later — tofu pudding tonight.
Dinner
Cherry tomatoes (one box)
(pre-packaged convenience store portion)
Rice
Stir-fried pork with green chili
Sweet tofu pudding with stevia
(a soft soy dessert sweetened with a sugar substitute)
No bread or extra desserts
The stevia-sweetened pudding helped a lot.
My cravings eased, and I didn’t feel frustrated.
Small Wins That Matter
Today marked my first real step toward cutting down on snacks and sweets.
I even managed to skip the sugary tamarind — a small victory, but meaningful.
I kept reminding myself:
This is about long-term health.
The Sugar Battle
Inside my head, a voice kept repeating:
“I want sweets… I want sweets…”
I distracted myself with mildly sweet fruit or ginger tofu pudding without sugar.
It helped soften what I jokingly call my “sugar withdrawal.”
(Not a medical diagnosis — just my playful description.)
I refer to it playfully as Sugar Blues —
mood swings, irritability, lack of focus, craving dessert after meals.
Jokes aside, unchecked habits lead to weight gain, diabetes risks, and other complications.
That’s exactly why this series exists.
My Current Strategy
I choose reduction — not elimination.
When cravings hit, I switch to lower-sugar fruits like:
Guava
Dragon fruit
Rose apple (a tropical fruit common in Southeast Asia)
Watermelon
Orange
Usually about 6–8 pieces, max 10.
(Portion estimate rather than precise measurement.)
Sometimes I prefer sour fruits:
Tamarind
Green apples
Kiwi
Berries
(Not ideal for sensitive teeth — but I enjoy them!)
These may be small steps — but they’re intentional ones.
As long as I keep trying, this journey continues.
I also plan to allow small treats on Sundays —
because too much restriction can backfire.
(A balance strategy to avoid burnout.)
I’m a foodie.
Food heals many parts of life for me.
So I won’t starve myself — I’ll simply make better choices and move forward in my own way.
A Small Extra Goal
I plan to eat one box of cherry tomatoes every evening.
They’re rich in lycopene, vitamins A and C, and antioxidants.
(Nutritional benefits commonly associated with tomatoes.)
Beyond weight loss, skin health matters too —
I’m not getting any younger.
(A lighthearted reflection, not a complaint!)
See you next Monday.
I’ll return with a weekly summary of how this eating experiment goes —
in case it helps anyone else trying to adjust, reduce, or slowly change their habits… even if quitting completely isn’t possible yet.
