DIET!

Ever since I started law school, I stopped going to ballet training and stopped going to the gym because of the lack of time and conflicts in schedule. Because of this, my dancer's body is gone and I am now full of flabs and fat (ok, maybe that was exaggerating). I used to think it's ok, I'm not that fat anyway, and I am not obese. But right now, it's not funny anymore. It takes me a longer time to get ready in the mornings because a lot of my clothes don't fit me anymore. I am a US size 6/UK/Euro 34 for tops and dresses, and a US 8/UK/Euro 36 for bottoms. But I do not fit in some of my clothes anymore!!! And the constant reminders of how fat I've become coming from my parents and my brother isn't really helping. This makes me very sad and frustrated. So now, I am so determined to get back into my dancer's body.

The main problem in my lifestyle is the lack of sleep, or the erratic bedtimes. I always have to adjust my sleeping hours depending on my law school workload. Getting full 8 hours is out of the question because I have to study/revise every night. But now I am trying to work on regular sleeping patterns. I usually get home early on Mondays and Tuesdays, so I get a bit more free time than the rest of the days. Going to bed at around 9-10 pm and waking up at around 3-4am works for me, I get at least 5/6 hours of sleep. On Wednesdays-Fridays I get home a bit later, also when there are footie games (yes, I must watch, they are non-negotiable lol) so I have to adjust the sleeping hours and maybe get fewer hours of sleep, but my main target is to get at least 5 hours. I can function well with that amount of sleep anyway. When I wake up, I drink water, sometimes skim milk, have a bit of breakfast (usually a toastie or two pieces of pan de sal), and a cup of coffee. I study for a bit, then at around 7/8am, I do 30 mins of Hiphop Abs (amazing workout program!!!) and 30 mins of yoga. When I get home from law school, I do another 30 mins of yoga to relax. On the weekends, maybe I shall go jogging in the afternoons after school, or maybe find a dance workout class or boxing class where I can enroll in. Or maybe just workout at home. I should buy a Pilates DVD.

As for the diet, I need to work out on something that will help me survive during the day. I need to have carbs because I am constantly walking and studying throughout the day, so a no carb diet will not work. So I am thinking of eating a fair enough amount of carbs in the morning, like a sandwich, then for lunch, I can skip the carbs. Or maybe half a cup of rice or pasta at the most if I am lacking sleep, just for an energy boost. I need to limit my dessert/sweets intake though, and I am working on that, because I really love desserts. I don't usually eat snacks, but maybe I should take small snacks before dinner so I won't go entirely hungry. Then for dinner, I should just eat a piece or fruit, or a piece of whatever is for dinner, like a piece of beef/meat/chicken and veggies. Or maybe a salad. My mama (my nan) is the one preparing our meals at home, and she also watches what I eat. Also, just as my bitch/diet mentor Elena says, the key to the diet is WATER!!! I have a water bottle that I bring with me to school, and I constantly refill it so I won't forget to drink lots of water. 8-12 glasses of water is the target!

Also, J and I usually eat out and try out new restos when we go out on dates. We should cut down on that. Or if we do eat out, we should order less fatty stuff, and order more healthy stuff. Maybe we can have a cheat day, like on the weekend maybe.

That's what I have so far. I have yet to see if this shall work. I hope it does! I need to get my body beach-ready anyway for April. I must make this work! I am really determined, and I know my mentor Elena will help me on this anyway. My friend Olivia from law school is also on a diet and she keeps on encouraging me. She even watches what I eat and guilt trips me when I want to eat unhealthy food (yes, she loves me that much lol). So yeah, with the help of my friends and my determination, I know and believe I can make this work! :)