January 2026 arrived quietly however with a weight that I couldn’t ignore. The Christmas lights had vanished. The New 12 months’s hangover lingered like a shadow on the partitions. Weeks of indulgence had left traces that the mirror and digicam each demanded I confront.
Within the final quarter of 2025, rice had been consumed with out restraint. Sauces had been poured with reckless abandon. Desserts had been far too candy, and my physique introduced its verdict: the weighing scale registered greater than I wished. It was not catastrophic, but it was sufficient to name my consideration.
I stepped away and waited. Day 1 had simply begun.
The journalist that I’m, I logged each meal, together with an approximation of every entry’s energy, with unflinching rigor. The reality was all that mattered. Each meal, each snack, each sip was entered into the digital ledger. Bananas had been logged. Pork was logged. Eggs had been logged. Rice was logged. Every part I drank was logged. Even occasional indulgences had been documented.
The primary week felt like surveillance. Each chunk was beneath investigation. Nothing may escape scrutiny. I noticed that recording my selections was an act of reality in addition to a dialog with my physique in plain sight.
The numbers shortly grew to become allies and adversaries. I aimed for a protected every day calorie deficit with out deprivation. I wasn’t going to punish myself. Quite, I adjusted meals consumption and exercise to hit my every day calorie goal.
Different days indulgence crept barely above the plan however remained inside a protected vary. From this I discovered that modest deviation shouldn’t be failure, management doesn’t demand tyranny, and consistency mattered greater than perfection.
Each day energy had been rigorously tracked. Protein got here from eggs, hen liver, lean pork, and even air-fried beef. Meals had been measured, snacks crammed the gaps, and protein consumption was monitored to protect lean mass.
On the thirtieth day, the file informed me the story with readability: I had shed round 4 kilograms.
I had been driving my mountain and street bikes lengthy earlier than 2026, meant merely as a stress reliever. Weight reduction was by no means the first intention. I didn’t trip to burn energy or chase numbers on a scale. But I got here to appreciate that these acquainted rides had quietly completed their half, accounting for roughly a 3rd of the month of the load loss.
Some rides stretched to round 30 to 40 kilometers. Others barely reached 11. Each mattered greater than I had assumed. The wind on my face grew to become a witness, and the paths grew to become my confessional.
Many others my age haven’t been so lucky in evading issues with sugar. I’ve no such analysis, but I’ve no excuse for what I typically devour. These are cravings, and I supply no justification for satisfying them. As I’ve said, I’m not out to “punish” or deprive myself of easy pleasures.
For instance, my morning espresso remained sweetened as I appreciated it, however every cup was halved. I drank solely half. By doing so, the brown sugar and creamer had been mechanically lowered by 50%. Every sip felt like a small victory, a measured concession within the ongoing effort to reclaim management.
There have been occasional breaches, in fact. Processed meats had been consumed. Pizza was eaten. Halo-halo was sampled. These weren’t crimes. However they had been regulated and all had been accounted for. They had been contained.
Greens, fruits, and fiber had been included wherever potential. Micronutrient steadiness was preserved. Lengthy-term hurt was prevented. Each alternative felt like a puzzle piece in a bigger plan.
Upkeep versus goal isn’t just arithmetic. Upkeep is the baseline – the quantity of meals (energy) your physique wants to remain on the similar weight for those who do nothing in another way. For instance, in case your physique wants roughly 2,000 energy a day to keep up weight, that’s your upkeep.
Goal is the plan for change. It represents motion, intervention, and management. In case your goal for fats loss is 1,500 energy, consuming a little bit extra — say 1,600 or 1,650 — doesn’t imply failure. You’re nonetheless beneath upkeep, and progress continues. However consuming above upkeep, as an example 2,100 energy, would halt fats loss. Understanding this distinction allowed me to make good, versatile selections with out guilt.
(A phrase of warning from my nutritionist-dietician daughter Bujie: Upkeep and goal aren’t the identical for everybody. They fluctuate in accordance with age, weight, peak, exercise, metabolism, and any medical situations. So, at all times seek the advice of consultants.)
Thirty days later and 4 kilograms lighter, the size was not my solely measure. My pants match extra comfortably, shirts draped extra loosely, muscular tissues had been extra outlined, and vitality felt steadier. Meals that when triggered guilt had been now eaten with intention and management.
Would muscle be misplaced? That is the place correct protein consumption is available in. So, my dialogue with my physique had turn out to be each analytical and sensible. I analyzed and weighed the implications earlier than consuming something.
There was no shiny transformation after 30 days. It was merely correction and recalibration. I used to be in management. Each pedal stroke, each measured chunk, each ledger entry grew to become a part of the story. At evening, after every final meal, trying on the numbers, I felt the joys of proof in my fingers.
In a world hooked on on the spot fixes, the lesson is evident to me. Do it sooner or later at a time. Depend what issues. Observe protein. Thoughts micronutrients. Permit occasional small pleasures. Perceive baseline and motion. That’s progress that endures, survives scrutiny, and can’t be faked.
As I write this, I’m on the ninth day of the second month, and day by day nonetheless counts. Now, I’m about to take my subsequent measured meal. The story continues. – Rappler.com
