If you read my past posts on my journey to lower my cholesterol levels, you will understand how hard it is to keep to the regime. I must say the journey has been worth it. In the process of lowering my cholesterol levels, I have lost weight and I proudly say I can wear size 8 pair of pants and top. There is no secret to achieving my mission. It all boils down to discipline and strong self-restrain.
Truthfully, it is hard to exercise my health mission at work when I eat at the common table with colleagues. At a glance, my colleagues bring more appealing looking lunch such as pasta, rice with curry, left over roast etc. On the other hand, my lunch looks simple and bland which in reality is not. A few of my colleagues cannot comprehend how I can eat simple low calorie meals in the form of sandwich or wrap day in and day out. Funny thing is, they don’t know how tasty my sandwich/wrap filling is. The trick is to flavour your ingredients, a topic I will cover in my later posts. I usually bring a wrap or sandwich to work. I prepare the filling before hand and chill it in the fridge. It makes it easier for me to prepare my lunch at 6 am in the morning as I have to leave home by 6.15 am to catch the bus.
I usually prepare delicious tuna with hummus or shitake and bean sprouts or chilli tofu before hand. Stay tuned for the recipes. This filling contains low calories and is tasty. It is also so quick to prepare.
Despite putting up with colleagues’ disapproval and disbelief and also perhaps some ridicule behind my back by younger colleagues who have not yet faced the issue of high cholesterol levels, I persevere and stick to my regime. Because my lunch is pretty light, I make it a point to have a more filling dinner in the form of pasta, rice or a baked dish.
Weigh yourself every day
At present, I weigh about 50.5 kg before breakfast. By dinner, I weigh about 51.4 kg. That is about right for me. I always make it a point to weigh myself every day to see if my weight maintenance is on track.
Eat high fat, low carbohydrate
In a recent book I’ve read entitled ‘Smart Fat’, Steven Masley and Jonny Bowden assert that high fat, low carbohydrate intake is recommended to lose and maintain weight as well as lower LDLs (bad cholesterol) and increase HDLs (good cholesterol). Smart fat comes in the form of olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocado, fish and dark chocolate. I’m contented to know that I take these on a daily basis and am on the right track to better health. I make it a point to take fresh fish once a week or on a fortnightly basis. I tend to resort to canned tuna which is the second best option which I prepare with onions and chili and then mixed with hummus. I have this in my sandwich for lunch which has become my almost daily ritual. I munch almonds and walnuts as well as pumpkin seeds each day in between lunch and dinner. Masley and Bowden also propose that dark chocolate over 70% is recommended. This is in line with my daily regime of consuming a square or two of 78% Lindt’s dark chocolate after dinner.
High Fiber
Masley and Bowden also recommend a high fiber diet. Foods rich in fiber come in the form of vegetable and fruit, chia seeds, beans and legumes and oat. My diet comprises rolled oats and chia seeds with fresh berries and milk for breakfast. I make it a point to include vegetables in my sandwich or wrap for lunch and in my meals at dinner. Speaking of oats, steel-cut oat is a better option than rolled oats as it tends to have slightly fewer calories by unit volume and may have more fiber. The down side is that steel-cut oat is more expensive. I get my fiber from fruit and almond milk smoothie as well. Blending fruit is better than juicing as the fiber is intact and its natural goodness can be enjoyed, pulp and all.
Here is a list of what my daily weekday meals consist of:
Breakfast
Oat and chia pudding with fresh berries and unsweetened dutch chocolate milk ( I cannot take in white milk unless it is with coffee)
Brunch
Banana or apple
Lunch
Tuna sandwich or vegetable and cheese wholemeal wrap
Snack
Nuts and seeds and brown rice crackers with chipotle hummus dip
Dinner
Vegetable fried rice/tomato based pasta with vegetables/vegetable bake/baked fish with vegetables and brown rice
Dessert
78% dark chocolate squares
Eating the right breakfast keeps me satiated till lunch and I make it a point to have healthy snacks before dinner. If I’m making a sandwich or wrap for lunch I make sure to add spinach and tomatoes as well as low fat cheese like Kraft light cheese. Knowing that I eat right helps me stay focused each day. Till next time…..