My Own Version Of Losing 13 Pounds In 3 Weeks

February 2010. I randomly thought of cutting rice from my diet just so I would know how it feels like. My rules were simple.

My meal was composed of a sumptuous viand (lutong pinoy meat viands ), fruits (mostly apples or grapes, bananas or oranges) and lots of water. I also had yogurt in between meals. Never had that "starving" moment as I usually gobbled on something healthy in between meals (no sweets. no softdrinks. Just.meat.and.fruits). 

I then thought of adding some spice into my whole endeavor. A day or two from starting the  "no-rice-but-don't-starve" diet, I spent 15-30 minutes using the elliptical exercise equipment. Initially, I did not have enough stamina to go beyond that. I had to stop, or I might have turned blue!  So my elliptical routine was composed of 5 minutes of slow movements, just like walking at the park followed by 3-5 minutes of fast movements like i was running chasing a snatcher (no, i did not experience that). :D  I repeated the cycle for about 30 minutes or less. Surprisingly, after approximately 10 days, I survived keeping my toes on the elliptical for 45 minutes to an hour. 

P.S. Watch a good TV show or a suspense/action movie OR play some Lady Gaga music while using the elliptical. The whole experience becomes more fun and less of a work. 

I did this when I was on a 3-month leave from work. That means I should have gained more weight during that time. Obviously, I did not. After weighing a day before my flight back to the Philippines, I got so excited with the results! From weighing 45 kilos (99 pounds) 3 weeks back, that day I weighed 39 kilos (86 pounds). Suhweet! At least, I figured out what works for me. 

And that's it.  How i was able to do it daily and religiously for 3 weeks? I simply challenged myself. I wanted to know if I'd accomplish something like it. Keywords: challenge, curiosity, discipline and mindset. 

To the cups of rice and to my beloved chocolates and candies, you will be on leave soon after the Christmas holidays. I'll miss you and till we meet again!