...work, the diet, the grindstone in general. After a hiatus from the eating plan, and putting on 2kgs as a result, it's time to get back on that horse. I've decided that I had been taking too rigorous an approach to my food and have been thinking about how I did so well to start with. I think a lot of my initial diet success while I was in Vietnam was due to the fact that I didn't actually have to do a lot. Apart from breakfast, I had grilled fish and salad at my work cafe 5 days a week for lunch, made my own salad-based dinner about 5 times a week and pretty much ate out for the rest. Since then, I've been trying too hard, which has left me jaded about the whole thing. I also have a much more civilized schedule this term with no evening classes so I've decided to basically do what I did in Vietnam, but in reverse.
Breakfast and snacks aside, it will go something like this. As there is no cafe at work and nothing that's both suitable and cheap in the vicinity, I will make my lunch most days with maybe the occasional restaurant trip. Then, due to my latest finish being 5.30pm, I will go somewhere for dinner most of the time. There are plenty of places around town that do excellent and reasonably priced salads, as well as interesting, low fat starters that can be accompanied by a side salad or vege platter, and there's always the local sour fish soups which are very low fat and one of my favourite things to eat. It shouldn't be difficult to keep within plan with a bit of self control, is what I'm trying to say
On top of that, I'm going to walk to work, as long as it's not monsooning down, and walk to as many things as possible on the proviso that it's not dark out, and therefore dangerous. I have been very lazy in this seeing as Phnom Penh is eminently walkable especially in camparison to Ho Chi Minh City which just isn't. I decided to test the walking waters yesterday and ended up doing a 3 hour trek around the city; mad dogs, Englishmen, and all that. I felt I had to walk until I couldn't anymore, which did get rid of a whole lot of negative energy and reminded me that exercise is not just about losing or maintaining weight, but is also essential for good mental health. As I have been dealing with a certain level of frustration lately this was a timely reminder. I'm also going to try to swim 2 or 3 times a week although this may be a little hit and miss what with all the pools being outdoor and entering the heaviest part of the monsoon season. I don't much fancy being struck by lightning whilst doing the breast stroke.
A further incentive to get the diet cranked up again came from a wham-bang-thank-you-maam shopping trip to Vietnam. It was reasonably successful but would have been more so if my bum didn't get in the way of a number of purchases. There's nothing like the misery of trying on beautiful clothes that won't fit, no matter how much I want them to, to light a fire under that same fat ass to do something about it!
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