The DIE in Diet

The problem with diets is that they never really end. It’s a “lifestyle change”, people say. But what kind of lifestyle doesn’t involve Lindt chocolate, a Big Mac or a slice of cheesecake every now and then, huh?




I remember how it was when I used to go for weigh-ins at Weigh-Less. Once, I admitted to eating a piece of sausage. Big mistake. “Sausage, now there’s something you should just cut out of your life all together,” said the team leader, Evelyn. But I just called her Evil-lyn.

I ended up confused as to how to strike a balance between losing weight and living a care-free, spontaneous life. A wise man once said, “You only live once (YOLO!)”. Actually, it was Drake, but let’s not get hung up on the technicalities. So do I take his advice and just eat what I want to (because who knows; if I get hit by a bus tomorrow, I wouldn’t want my last meal to have been dry rice cakes)? Or do I listen to Evil-lyn and never eat another boerewors roll for as long as I live?

I figured, the best way was to balance out the two. So I’ve started a calorie-counting programme, which is a completely new experience for me. I can still have my chocolate, but that means less rice for supper or a salad instead of a sandwich for lunch.

I eat about 1 600 calories a day. To give you an idea of how things can add up, here’s the approximate calories in a few types of foods:

An apple: 83 calories
A slice of wholewheat bread: 115 calories
A cup of white rice: 230 calories
A chicken breast: 214 calories
A Kit Kat chocolate bar: 230 calories

Which reminds me: I still have enough calories left for a cupcake and a cup of tea. Later!

Leila