My diet
Personally, I do not like “diets”. Diets are restrictive and rigid, no matter the name, be it Atkins, South Beach etc. What’s better is to have a way of eating that you can stick to forever.

After reading books like The Insulin Resistance Diet and Get the Sugar Out, I have a designed a diet that goes like this:

• Limit my sugar: No soft drinks or any sugar water of any kind, not even diet soda.
• Low glycemic index: I mostly eat foods that are low in GI, such as steel-cut oats, or certain vegetables.
• Limit my rice intake. Sometimes to just once or twice a week. I get quite lethargic after eating rice, especially white rice. I usually take stir-fried vegetables with protein for lunch. I am always alert after that, and satisfied too!
• If I want to eat anything High GI, I make sure I pair it with protein to keep my sugar levels from spiking.
• I eat 5 small meals a day instead of 3 big meals. Helps keep sugar levels steady, and keeps me full too. That means bringing a lot of apples, vegetables and cheeses to work!

With this diet, I still eat out at restaurants! I just have to consciously avoid sugar and high GI foods. So far, I’m showing good results.

My exercise routine
I subscribe to the “20 minutes a day first thing in the morning” rule.

Because I have irregular hours at my job (sometimes working to midnight or later!), I have to do my exercise first thing in the morning before all distractions come in.

Often, I end up exercising more than 20 minutes.

I “encourage” myself to add another 30- to 40-minute session later in the day. I treat it like a “bonus”. One must approach exercise with a positive attitude, not treat it like a punishment, that’s what I learned through my very long years of trying to get fit.

Because I get bored easily, I vary my workouts a lot. What I do:

• Exercise on a stationery bike while watching TV at home. (Probably my most favourite thing to do because it’s so convenient and fun!)
• Taking aerobics classes at the gym. It’s fun and I like the energy that the instructor and participants have. Favourites: Body Pump, Body Combat and Body Balance.
• Put on aerobic DVDs
• Weight train in the gym.
• Bike around the neighbourhood doing chores.
• Swim in my apartment’s pool

Basically, I take every opportunity to move my body.