When 2% means a hell lot of work

Everytime I whine that I am fat, the kind souls around me will say “Please! You are not!” Tactful ones will say “Well, you are not fat but you are not slim either”.  Apart from the fact that I am a girl, the reason why I keep whining that I am fat is because I really am. Fine, my clothes cover my tummy and I can try (very hard) to ignore my thunder thighs and huge butt, and conveniently forget that I often can’t even fit into L-sized pants…but numbers do tell the truth.

I did a very detailed measurement of my body composition in the gym in March. They had this machine called “In Body” whereby you could measure everything from body fat percentage to strength of arms & legs. My results were abysmal. I was told that I have an ideal BMI but beneath the deceiving BMI, I am actually slightly obese. My percentage of body fat amounted to 30.3%, girls of my weight and height should have body fats of about 23% to 26%. My arms are also weak in terms of strength (my arms say goodbye to people) and my posture indicates that I tend to shift my weight to the right when standing. Upper body to lower body ratio was also unbalanced. So the not- so- shocking truth is, I really need to watch my diet and lose weight.

On hearing that, the disciplined peeps out there would probably race straight to the running machines and start running like a hamster on a wheel, but not me. I was shocked into inaction instead. It was more like, what’s the point? I won’t succeed anyway. I just love eating junk food too much to give it up.

The gym people tried to motivate me by promising me a “gift”. If I lose 2 % of body fats by mid-June, I get to receive a present. (which I am guessing is a towel printed with the gym logo) No, that carrot is not enough for a greedy donkey like me. For the entire month of March and April I just continued with my snacking habits.

Sometime about 3 weeks ago, I tried on a pair of pants in a boutique which was labelled L. The size was big and the cut was loose. I think men and skinny women out there will never understand the shock you get when you THINK you can fit into something but end up coming out of the fitting room feeling disappointed. I found it almost embarassing to return the pants to the salesgirl and say “I think it’s ok.”

So I tried to really watch what I eat. Websites suggest monitoring your daily calorie intake and then start out by subtracting 500 calories per day. My first day’s calculation told me that I ate 4000+++ calories. How is that possible?

Well, my school lunch is about 850 kcal. (I know it because it’s written in the menu). After I get home, I have dinner. After dinner, I just rot in front of the TV and start snacking. One pack of chips is about 400- 450 kcal. I eat 2 packs in a row when I watch TV, so that’s nearly 1000kcal. After finishing the chips , I decide that I need something sweet to dilute the salty aftertaste in my mouth, that’s when I reach out for something like cookies & cream ice cream which is also about 300 kcal. At times I make cheesecake and finish the whole darn cake by myself. One slice is about 470 kcal, one cheesecake should amount to 1000++kcal. At night I have supper, maybe pizza or something. Gasp. Horrors of horrors, my life is junkfood life!

All these plus the fact that I hardly visit the gym even though I pay a hundred dollars for it every month. I am beyond redemption.

I tried to cut down calorie intake but realised it requires tremendous willpower. I followed a reduced calorie routine for a few days but ended up breaking it.

It’s going to be mid-June soon. 2% of body fats….that’s hell lot of work. How do I do it?