Saying What You Mean...

One of the hardest things to control for me is blurting out exactly what I mean, and sometimes what I don't really mean as well. I have been bestowed the title of 'mulut takde insurance', something that is sometimes fair, and sometimes not.

Last night, after dinner, I couldn't help mentarbiah someone to lose weight. Yeah, right, when I sendiri struggling to lose 3 stupid kilos. I looked at her face and knew she must be thinking, "Amendeee la minah ni. Orang belanja makan mahal2, dok suruh aku lose weight la pulak."

But the truth is, I grew up among people who tegur each other, without being mean. My Mak Long always pesan, "Jangan makan nasik banyak2. Makan lauk lebih tak apa. And no Maggi. Kalau malas sangat, nasik dengan telur goreng pun boleh." My tailor said exactly the same thing. My uncle is always obsessing about the amount of sugar in his tea. And some friends have pointed out bad habits I have, like wolfing down that bit of fat floating in my bakso instead of banishing the offending item.

And in the wake of those press conferences drilling in the fact that over half of Malaysians are clinically overweight, and its link to terminal illnesses, especially diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases, I have started to be more aware of my unhealthy lifestyle and acknowledging the truth.

Maybe I'm just trying to find more healthy living buddies. I need to exercise more. Been ages since I hit the pool. Right now I'm counting the hours I spend tottering from parking lot to office, parking lot to train, and train to event venues. PLus runnning up the stairs to collect something I've forgotten. And housework. Obviously it's not enough, but you gotta start somewhere...

As for food, I'll never give up nasi lemak or roti canai. I just eat them less often. I'll still eat rice. I think it's silly to limit the types of food you eat, and skipping meals is a no-no. The only concession I'm willing to make is to make healthier food choices (which is why my weight loss is so darn slow, la).

But as I go along, I realised how much easier it is to make healthier choices, because over time, it has become a habit. I now understand why kurus people cringe at the sight of me over-eating, or taking too much fat-laden foods. The problem is, unless you have the similar standards, it's hard to accept such personal criticisms. Just how much is too much, right? Consulting the professionals might help. And I'm not even thinking of being drop-dead gorgeous. I'm thinking more in the lines of being healthy.

I guess the only difference is WHY they're even mentioning the fact the you're overweight. A lot of people ridicule your 'big size' because they're mean and want to put you down a notch. On the other hand, there are people who love you and want you to live a healthier, happier life.

So sis, I'm sorry if I offended you, but I belong to the latter category. Thanks a million for the scrumptious dinner. We'll go do that dim sum thingy next, ok? Muahs!