#58 - Challenge Yourself! Say No to Added Sugar

If you are serious about trying to lose weight and live healthy,

I dare you to take up this challenge for 1 month

Obesity is majorly contributed by over consumption of sugar, not fat

Why?

Because we are taking in huge amounts of sugar without realizing it

There are hidden traces of sugar in many foods we eat

Sugars are added to Low-fat foods to make them taste good,

to keep foods cheap and long lasting

Added sugar can have severe harmful effects on metabolism,
promotes inflammation and  building up of visceral fats that is fat that collects in the liver and around the organs,
much worse that fats that build up under the skin

This is why you can't judge that a skinny person is healthy 

Added sugars are sugars and syrups that are added to foods or beverages when they are processed or prepared
This does not include naturally occurring sugars 

such as those in milk and fruits

Reading the ingredient label on processed foods can help to identify added sugars. 

Names for added sugars on food labels include: 

anhydrous dextrose, brown sugar, confectioner's powdered sugar, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, dextrose, fructose, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), honey, invert sugar, lactose, malt syrup, maltose, maple syrup, molasses, nectars (e.g., peach nectar, pear nectar), pancake syrup, raw sugar, sucrose, sugar, white granulated sugar

major food and beverage sources of added sugars for Americans are:

Candy - duh
drinks - commercial coffee/tea, soymilk,
regular soft drinks, energy drinks, and sports drinksbaked food - cakes, cookies, pies, pastries, and donuts

fruit drinks - fruit juices, fruit punchdairy desserts - ice cream flavored yogurtsauces - barbeque, salad, thousand island, mayonnaise, pasta sauce, ketchup

jelly, fruit jams, peanut butter
supposedly healthy foods - energy bar, granola, instant oatmeal, dried fruit

Cold cuts - ham, bacon, smoked salmon, canned tuna

I simply can't list all the benefits of not having added sugar in your diet

but here are a few:

- Healthy Weight Loss, Maintenance

-Better energy levels

-Better complexion

-Improved Moods

-Stronger resistance to viruses

Warning:

At the start you may feel really down and deprived from all your sweet indulgences

HAVE A FRUIT, maybe something really sweet like watermelon

or just freeze an overly ripe papaya ^^

we are blessed in Singapore to have fresh fruits all year round

 But I hope you persevere on, stay on for 1 month

& I ensure you that you will feel the benefits of this new lifestyle

I personally have stayed off added sugar for 3 years, nearly 4

and witnessed this benefits myself

better complexion, energy, rarely ill

Now, regular sweet desserts are too sweet for my taste buds

I no longer crave such foods :)

tried a chocolate cake once and simply couldn't take it 

I would love to hear responses from those who really want this
and are determined enough to complete this challenge 

Till next time, Take care!

Good read: Our Year of No Sugar: One Family’s Grand Adventure

#57: Discipline is self-taught.

Received many inquiries during the past few weeks from readers 

seeking advice on how to be motivated to keep to their 'weight loss' regime.

I sincerely do not mind answering specific questions regarding nutrition and questions alike. 

However they were many generic questions, such as

#1: Asking for a comprehensive daily routine that I do 

Honestly, I have no strict routine.

I simply eat clean and stay active (not necessarily exercise).

No junk food, no sweet drinks, no snacking.

Eating loads of vegetables and lean protein.

Moderate amount of whole grains and healthy fats.

Drinking plenty of water and fruits for snacking.

#2: Asking how I am able to avoid temptation of guilty pleasures,

telling me that they are unable to do so and if there are alternatives.

I love my clean diet and I truly enjoy eating what I do eat.

Weight loss will never be sustained if you can't learn to love your new lifestyle.

Yes you can seek motivation from family and friends, and be inspired by others.

However, if you only rely on that external source of support only, you will never succeed.

Self-Discipline is key and crucial to achieving your goals.

It's an internal support system that is the strongest and never be broken. 

I can never be able to motivate you enough if you do not discipline yourself.

Adapted from Wikipedia: 

Self-discipline is the ability to control one's feelings and overcome one's weaknesses; 

the ability to pursue what one thinks is right despite temptations to abandon it.

Self-discipline and self-control give you power over your life

You can only save yourself from your inner-demons obstructing you in your journey.

I believe this not only applies to losing weight but also, almost every aspect of life.

With Love, Kylie Y.

#56 - Kylie's Eating101: Breakfast

You probably heard it countless times that breakfast is the most important meal of the day

A misconception is that if you skip breakfast, you save calories 

and thus yay weight loss! right? NO.

Firstly, majority tend to eat more later in the day 

and snack on unhealthy snacks in between to make up for missing breakfast

Secondly, by missing breakfast, your metabolism isn't able to function properly

After a long night of sleep, your metabolism has considerably slowed 

and it needs to have food in the stomach to 'wake up'

so by missing breakfast, you're foregoing calories that can be burnt by metabolism

Thirdly, without breakfast means less energy means less moving 

thus foregoing potential calories again

any morning exercise will also be affected 
because you are not performing at your optimal level

so I strongly urge you to have breakfast despite being in a rush or simply not hungry

A recommended breakfast would be about 300-400 calories 

and consisting of both carbs (for energy!) 

AND protein and some healthy fats to help the fullness last longer till lunch.

here are some ideas:

these can all be made the night or a few nights before 

for those who have no time in the morning

#1 oatmeal (original rolled not quickcook not instant)

with low-fat or skim or soy milk

add fruits as toppings to sweeten things up!

and you can vary fruits daily to add some excitement

personally I like berries, little nutritional powerhouses ~35 calories / 100g

and who say oatmeal has to be sweet?

it's a perfect substitute for rice and I even eat it with leftovers from dinner

I buy Quaker's Whole Rolled Oats from NTUC

130 calories for 35g of raw uncooked oats

try to stick with portion sizes approx 5 spoonfuls is good

#2 yoghurt with fruits

stick with unsweetened unflavored yoghurt

#3 EGGS - universal favorite

easy to find nearly everywhere

soft-boil (just skip the dark soy sauce yeah)

hard-boil, poached, scrambled, sunny side up etc. watch the oil

add in some vegetables e.g. mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach...

contrary to popular belief, egg yolks are good for you 

most of the protein in eggs are in the yolks, not forgetting an important nutrient, Choline 

&1 egg only has approx 65 calories try to stick to 2 a day

#4 sweet potatoes - personal favorite 86 cal per 100 gm

steamed approx 30mins  or baked approx 60mins or more

just pierce a fork through to determine if its cooked

if it pierces easily, means its done!

add an egg or drink some milk for protein alongside :)

p.s. invest in a food weighing scale if you are really determined on tracking calories!

I have a cup of black coffee (no sugar no milk) in the morning  daily too just to perk me up

EAT YOUR BREAKFAST

Kylie Y.

#55 - Kylie's Eating101: Basics of Healthy Eating Habits

I'm not sure if you have read this but recently I was featured on 

NTU's and inSing's facebook page

“If you freeze a very ripe papaya, it will taste like ice-cream.” 
NTU business undergrad and pageant winner Kylie Yuen tells HEY!
how she went from being a heavyweight of almost 100kg to a svelte 45kg today. 

Firstly, I wish to correct an unintentional error in the statement posted: 

I'm actually 54kg & I lost 45kg

and I am indeed within the healthy, acceptable BMI range

so I do hope viewers out there don't read too much into the weight issue 

and please always place health as top priority

I indeed feel blessed to be given such an opportunity to share my story to the readers out there

especially to the ones who share the same problems I used to have

I have blogged previously regarding my weight loss journey here:

#4: How I lost 45 kg, from the very beginning...

 There have been many readers sending me emails and asking me in the comments

for tips on how to lose weight and various problems met with your own weight loss journey

I must say that we are all different physically, genetically and thus our body function differently

Some of us gain/lose easily, some of us find it difficult 

and some gains muscle mass at a rate much faster than the average person

Some of us likes exercise, some doesn't

some of us live to eat, some eat to live

We all have our differences so there is no 1 for all miracle solution to solve everyone's problems

and most importantly, ask yourself if you really want to do it?

are you willing to give up whatever is stopping you from achieving your health goals?

if you say yes, then yes, can others help you as well 

Self-Discipline and Perseverance are the key drivers to losing weight

It won't be easy but once you get the hang of it, 

the new habits will become part of you

I'm quite an avid health article reader so I'll try to post as often as I can

about interesting new reads and facts :)

But to start off, here are some basic tips:

#1 - Exercise

Many asked me for my workout regime

Not everyone is a exercise-holic and we should respect that

by forcing yourself to do something you don't enjoy, you wouldn't last long

However this doesn't mean I recommend you to laze around and watch TV

Do still make an effort to walk, move, climb stairs and 'be active' in a sense

Maybe some group sports? I personally prefer badminton, swimming, cycling

Sports which I can do with my peers. Definitely boosts my endurance.

Currently I intend to take up some swing yoga classes 

with my girl friends once summer break starts :)

and for weight loss, it's definitely 80% diet, 10% genes and 10% exercise

so don't force yourself into the gym and plan a hardcore workout routine if it isn't your style

#2 - Eat Clean

i.e. Eating whole foods that are as close to its natural state as possible

vegetables, fruits, meats, seafood, whole grains

with that, I don't mean eating them raw

cooking is definitely fine! steam, boil, stir-fry, bake just not deep frying

Try to eat at home so as to keep track of what goes into your food

however if that is difficult, being Singaporeans, we are lucky to have food courts 

where real food are served affordable compared to the limited fast food outlets in some countries 

whether we make good choices or not is another thing

one suggestion is to reduce carbs and fill up more on vegetables and meats

#3 - Skip the Processed Stuff

avoid the man-made stuff, sugar substitutes, fortified, preservatives, flavorings

limit anything that has unpronounceable words in the ingredients list 

try to avoid 'convenient food' and snacks, sweet drinks

these things wasn't meant to be naturally disintegrated by your body

many researches are showing that these stuff have potential weight gain 

and additive effects, making you wanting to eat them more

such as zero calorie sugar substitutes, supposedly good for weight loss

but studies show otherwise

Making good eating choices not only helps with your weight

but also your mood, energy levels and complexion

Eating clean has improved my attention span, sleeping habits

& my friends compliment me for my glowing complexion

no foundation, just good lighting and eye make up

Your body is a temple so maintain it by eating clean as much as possible

a little treat occasionally isn't disastrous

& when you do decide to treat yourself, don't beat yourself up and give up previous efforts

just go back on track and you'll be fine, trust me :)

On a side track, school is really busy

Summer break starts in May and I really can't wait for it!

will be planning a charity event called Treasure 8 to raise funds for an old folks home

and also, to organize NBS pageant 2014 for the incoming freshmen

in between, I hope to slot in some time for personal holiday trips..vietnam?

p.s. feel free to ask me questions in the comments, I'll try my best 

take care, lots of love: Kylie Y.

#54 Los Angeles - Santa Monica Pier, Korean Town

Spent the last day in LA (christmas!!) at the popular tourist spot

Santa Monica Pier!

Along the boardwalk, there was stores, food, and most importantly A THEME PARK

Rides are paid on a per-ride basis at the ticket counter

I totally dig the pirate ship

Sat at the last row, held on to dear life and screamed my lungs out till the ride ended

Moving on to the beach...

Though we spent the entire day at the beach, 

the time spent was relaxing, calm and worry-less, 

a luxury we rarely have nowadays in our bustling city

After a whole semester of mugging in school both in-campus and at home,

I truly appreciate every minute of my trip

It was really sunny and warm despite being Winter

Everyone was in summer clothes!

Bring some extra clothing though, the day-night temperature differential is quite huge

Singaporeans showing off their American football skills ^^

BAYWATCH LIFEGUARDS?!!

surprisingly no, the lifeguard wasn't very baywatch-ish 

much to my dismay

The sun sets and it's time to leave the beach before it gets too dark!

Famished we were at the end of the day

With the recommendation of a friend, we headed down to a popular spot known as Korean Town

Lots of Korean specialty stores and restaurants in the area

Skewers - Scallop, Mushrooms, Chicken Gizzards and Shrimp!
wanted to be adventurous with the gizzards but they were so hard to chew :(

US-influenced large portion sizes *_* 

Stir-fry Octopus

Beef Bulgogi - this was good!

Kimchi with Tofu and Chicken

Seafood Pancake - BEST
Very Generous with the ingredients!
The ones I see in Singapore are always mostly flour

With this, we had our last meal in LA.

TOMORROW WE HEAD TO LAS VEGAS!

i believe it was a 4-5 hours drive :0

thank god I don't have a driving license yet 

#53 Los Angeles - Premium Outlets, Xmas Eve dinner at Gordon Ramsay's [+ a message for ❤ ]

Day 2 is Xmas eve and also SHOPPING DAY at the nearest premium outlets to LA

2 hour drive to the nearest outlet!

There are lots of such outlets locations throughout the states

Do take some time off both ladies and gentlemen, you'll definitely go wild

at the crazy cheap prizes of branded goods

such as Coach, MK, Kate Spade especially US Brands

Tip #1: be diligent and leave early! then you can grab the goodies and avoid the crowd

especially the traffic congestion and long queues

We left at 8am :>

-->> http://www.premiumoutlets.com/ <<--

Find the nearest store to where you are staying and the current promotions going on at that respective outlet

& maybe read up some reviews too (on Yelp or tripadvisor)

so as to better plan which outlet and which stores in the outlets is worth visiting

1 day is never enough to ravage an entire outlet trust me

Tip #2: Visit the customer centre and grab the voucher booklet

basically you pay about $5 for it and it consists on discounts which you can use at the various stores

very worth it despite the already crazy price slashes!!

Tip #3: Wear COMFY SHOES and clothes easy for removing 

more time-efficient when trying on clothes haha

both guys and girls will go crazy really

Lots of shopping and walking made us famished during the evening

and it was CHRISTMAS EVE so we decided to go all out

nice-guy Joel reserved a table for us at  Gordon Ramsay's restaurant in West Hollywood

it was about SGD150/pax for a 3-course meal 

if you are a fan of Hell's Kitchen, you probably would know about the famous GR Beef Wellington,

fillet mignon, scallops which constantly appears on the show

portions were small but the execution were pretty commendable

Appetizers

Charcoal Roasted Scallops

This was great! Scallops were absolutely not rubbery like how chef Ramsay would say

the pear chutney on the left was flavorful, aromatic and perfectly complemented the dish 

Black Winter Truffle Risotto

Can't go wrong with truffles and mushrooms 

fungus-lover :)

Main Course

Buttered Poached Lobster

Don't worry there's another chunk of lobster hidden underneath the shell

DELICIOUS. but it was a bit tough cutting the lobster in the bowl it was served in

Black Angus Fillet Mignon

Best of the Night.

The portion was pretty substantial and cooked just right to medium-rare

Tender and high-quality meat looking at you right there

Dessert

 

English Sticky Toffee Pudding

You can't go too wrong with chocolate, ice cream and sweets I think

the table said this was good but not mind blowing

Eggnog Creme Brule

I give praise to the pretty cookie but hearsay the eggnog was a weird variation to the original 

not a fan of desserts so no value-add from me ^^"

dang would have been really worth the $$ if Gordon Ramsay was there but that guy has 

too many restaurants and I doubt he would be working on xmas eve anyway

Nevertheless it was a great day spent with great company
& ticked 2 things off my bucket list!

- 1st Christmas Eve spent in USA

- Eat at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant

our first selfie together :) 

 didn't have the chance to take one before he flew off for exchange

I confess it was pretty awkward at first after not seeing each 5 months

hahaha but awkwardness never last long with 2 jokers :P

p.s. Happy 1st Month Anniversary

Thank you for taking such great care of me in US and even after we're back in S'pore

I'm so lucky to have a pillar of strength who exactly understands what I go through in school

by being there accompanying & providing guidance to me every day

School has never been lovelier

Hope I can continue and always be that ball of joy & calmness for you to rely on 

Love you Yuhua,

Kylie Y.