Diet Hacks for the Working Pinay
Almost all (if not all) diet plans are either unrealistic, expensive or unsustainable especially for the modern working Pinay. It requires too much commitment, money and effort preparing.
Before anything else, let's define the term WORKING PINAY: 1. She is practical and considers quantity over quality. 2. She has very little or no time to prepare her own healthy meals and exercise. 3. She works in a mentally and physically demanding work environment. 4. She requires a lot of energy for her daily work routine. 5. She is a hard worker. 6. She doesn't like spending too much time and money on food because she needs to save up and pay for other bills. 7. She wants to be healthy and fit but has no idea on how to do so.
After getting that out of the way, here are realistic diet hacks for the working Pinay that requires very little effort and money.
1. Fast Food
If you're the kind of girl that depends on the food availability of the nearest 7/11, Ministop, Family Mart, Jollibee or the nearest carinderia, then we're on the same page.Go for selections that are not fried, preferably roasted, steamed or grilled like siomai, hotdogs, etc. For rice meals that has Filipino ulams, go for the ones that you think require less oil and seasonings and has more vegetables in them. Don't go for the selections with gata, pork and too much soy sauce. Also opt for fish, chicken and egg viands. Refrain from getting the combo meals with powdered juices and soft drinks. The best option for your drink is always water but if they have pure unsweetened high-fiber juices as part of the meal, then by all means, go for it!
Although this is not a recommended kind of lifestyle, it's very hard to veer away from this especially when you don't have time to cook and prepare your meals. As someone who shares this kind of lifestyle (and who eats a lot), I know how it feels but it doesn't mean that you have the permission to be unhealthy. It can't be an excuse.
2. Baons
There are days of the week when I prepare my baons. Preparing a healthy baon doesn't really require too much time. In fact, the less seasoning, the better. The less rekados, better also. I usually cook my baon either boiled, steamed or roasted. If you have a convection cooker at home, make it your best friend. You can roast your chicken breasts and cream dory using your convection cooker or if not, use a turbo cooker. You can also boil some eggs and potatoes or cook mushrooms with a lot of garlic. For the garlic mushrooms, you can cook it in 10 minutes and for the steamed and roasted viands, you can leave it while you're taking a bath or doing other chores at home. You can also go for sandwiches with cheese, tuna or liver spread. These meal plans actually takes less time to prepare compared to a garden salad that are not really going to make you feel full.
3. Drink Green Tea
Green tea is not only good for your diet and metabolism, it's also good for your skin because of its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It also makes you less prone to infections and health risks such as high blood pressure, various types of cancer, and high cholesterol levels. Aside from healthy skin, healthy digestion and healthy insides, it is also proven that it helps you improve brain function and make you smarter.
Make it a habit that you make green tea a part of your daily regimen. It's as easy as preparing your daily 3-in-1 coffee (it's actually even easier).
4. Drink lots of water
You may have seen this on most diet sites but I'm reiterating it because it's true. Most of our body is composed of water and if you're too scared to drink a lot of water because of "water weight", then you're just plain stupid because if you aim to remove all of the water in your body, then you're planning your own suicide.
Drinking water has a lot of benefits especially when you're working. It makes your organs function better. It makes you think faster.. and better! Plus, it also makes you full most of the time.
5. Use ONLY a fork I am a fast eater and everyone who knows me can testify to this. The faster you eat a meal, the higher the tendency for you to eat more especially when your officemates are still eating. I have the tendency to buy more food when the people I'm eating with are still eating. I've tried eating slow and it's frustrating so my solution to this problem is by using a fork or chopsticks. There was a time when I used chopsticks to eat shredded corn. It was frustrating but usually when I eat it with a spoon, I would require more food to eat after finishing the initial plate but when I used chopsticks, I was full already by the time I finished the whole bowl. I know it's kind of stupid but hey! It worked for me! Trying to make yourself eat slower can help you improve your digestion. It gives your body more time to process the food.
6. Eat your calories instead of drinking them Juicing is the biggest trend these days and it's actually okay but not on a daily basis. You'll go crazy if you do this daily. It's only recommended to do it in a timely manner like once a month or twice if you feel like you need to detox because of some hardcore partying. So instead of aiming to juice every single thing in the planet, eat it. It makes you fuller. Besides, it has the same number of calories in them.
7. Make everything spicy
Sri racha, hot sauces or chili pastes can do you good. Not too much though! I was told that it makes your metabolism faster. The reason why I love making my food hot and spicy is because I tend to drink a lot of water so by the time I finish my meal, I am more than full because of all the liquids I consumed.
8. Watch your salad If you still think that salad is the best way for you to go, then here's a tip: Don't use mayo-based dressings. Go for vinegar-based selections. It's less fatty and more tasty. A lot of people can only enjoy a salad because of its dressing so they put a lot of it to hide the taste of the plant they're eating. That's the only way they can only tolerate the leafy diet. To be honest, putting too much mayo-based dressing kind of disregards your diet plans because it's too high in calories. Aside from dressings, some people also incorporate additional toppings to make the taste more tolerable. If so, put on some cream dory, tuna in brine or grilled chicken to make your salad tastier. It's always best to make your own salad just so you know what the ingredients are.
These diet hacks will not limit your food intake. It will only guide you on your food choices and techniques to help you not deprive yourself from human food.