25th January 2010 dinner time, I started the so called 'THE LIST' (below) diet.
Though my 'sifu' would consider today as my only second day, I would like to claim that today is my THIRD day. Well, my life starts at night, okay? hahaha.
The 'very limited choice diet' does present me some problems (anyone for that matter!), not only that there are only three types of fish to choose from for my supply of protein, there is only ONE choice of vegetable too!!! Spinach!!! What?!! I even have to forget my love for green tomatoes?! I am not Popeye The Sailorman you know... The worst is yet to come, I cannot even get my hands on any 'talapia' or salmon let alone other type of berries other than grapes. Even that is hard to find around here. So, not only that it is rather difficult to get hold of these stuffs, they are also expensive. Or should this be the other way around? Never mind. Grapes are RM18 a kilogramme while grape juice is RM5 a carton (not that I am ac-counting). Maybe, I would slim down after all, if not my figure, my purse of course ;)
I really do not know hong long I would last, the most that I am targetting right now is at least ten days, if not the full twenty-eight days (oh, sifu, please don't put a curse on me for saying this). To me, even if I last a week, that is good enough. Victory in its own right! At least, this would teach me some discipline. Talking about discipline, THE LIST's diet has definitely given me some lessons in discipline and to have a paradigm shift (in view of food that is):
1. To be more active:
I say this as I have to be up and about, like going to the bank to withdraw some money, go to the market to get 'all' (whatever that I could get anyway) the stuffs needed for my new menu, come home, soak the catfish in vinegar, then clean them using flour, by the way, cleaning a catfish takes a lot of hardwork what with the slime and all. Luckily the 'killing' of the beasts was done by the fishmonger, otherwise I would have died first trying to chase the fish before I could eat them! I would then have to marinate them and of course the process goes on, and on... Anyway, I would have otherwise just gone to eat at restaurants or 'ordered' a takeaway from my husband, if I was lazy that is, which is mostly... most of the time! heheh
2. To stay focused:
I find that I am more focused on what I do, other than blogging (which is very rare) and of course what I do best, Facebooking haha.. No, seriously.. I can focus on my work (yeah, right!) as I don't need to think of the menu for dinner, get myself all excited, salivating for the dinner dishes-to-be!! So, I don't have to waste my time on thinking of varieties of 'what to cooks' or, to worry if there is any food left at the school canteen as I am usually there at 10.00 am. When there isn't I would usually get mad and throw tantrums like I own the damn place! :P
3. To be economical, a non-shopaholic:
It has also taught me to be less spendthrift!!! This is true! Though the diet consists of some expensive items that has not been my everyday food, fruit or drink, it helps me to stay focused (again!) on just these few things. I would have otherwise gone to the market/supermarket and bought anything and everything that caught my eyes, or tastebuds for that matter. I would, literally! I would have bought three or four types of chillies alone. 'Cili padi' for example; the green type, the white type (yummily hot and spicy), the Siamese type and sometimes the big fat type! I would also buy all kinds of 'ulam' or salads which would all come to waste as I would let them rot in my fridge. Not that I don't eat them, I do, but I have definitely bought too much for my family's food intake, even if it is just for a week.
4. To be creative:
The only fish that is easily available in this kampung is 'keli' or catfish. In order to eat the catfish alone as a dish, as opposed to complementing the rice, I decided to marinate it the Italian way (haha ;P ) instead of just the usual tumeric and salt. It turned out to be truly delicious and satisfying actually. I even made a catfish sandwich for yesterday's lunch.. Yummy!! Though I imagined it as tuna sandwich, it really was not too bad. Seriously.. You should try it.. I'll post the recipe some other time. It's just simple really.
5. To be not blotted :)
Hahahah I usually eat as much as I want and that goes for my beloved husband too. In our eleven year of marriage I have gradually gained twenty-five kilogrammes! This is not because of bearing children, don't blame them (because that is another story) but this is solely due to our lazy lifestyle and our habit of eating. We would seriously eat and enjoy our food without any guilt. A pot of rice each and sometimes a whole chicken just between the two of us! That is not even counting the fast food restaurants that we go to every weekend!
I have therefore declared some of the lessons that I have learnt out of this twenty-eight days diet (though I am only on my third day). I am sure each person would feel the same or perhaps would go through a different experience altogether depending on location, situation and most importantly, your own self-determination!
Let's try and enjoy this twenty-eight day adventure!!!
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