I signed an oath at the beginning of March this year to become an active participant in our clinic’s obesity programme. This program has gone into its 2nd year and I am one of the 24 people selected by the committee member to join. I have a BMI of 28.3kg/m² which makes me Obese as per Asian standards. The goal is to lose 10% of our initial weight over 6 months. This means that my last weigh-in will be in early September. That gives me enough time to look good in pictures for my birthday in August, (hopefully) my graduation at the end of the year and of course my wedding anniversary.

In our first session, we calculated our daily calorie intake. The key phrase in any weight loss program is ‘calorie deficit’. So regardless of what diet fad one chooses to take, as long as you are in a deficit, it is fine. It is a bit challenging for me though because I am petite. My calorie deficit theoretically is less than the minimum required for every human being. Thus, like it or not, I have to incorporate exercise into my weekly routine. By just exercising 3 times/week, I could increase my calorie intake a bit to allow a deficit to happen. I hope that makes sense.

So far, we’ve had sessions from the dietitian and physiotherapist team. All of us were given a Food Diary and encouraged to share our journey in the WA group. Members who are diligent in attending the sessions and also interactive on WA are given merit points. The committee members have lined up lots of activities throughout the months and I really look forward to them. These activities are aerobic exercises, aqua-aerobics, hiking, walking at the park etc.

It has been a great and motivating start so far. I hope to achieve my goals at the end of this 6 months.