DIET, INTERRUPTED

34-24-34… So it figured. 6 years ago, my petite frame, standing only 5’2 in height, was practically paperweight at 89 pounds.

Add 11 pounds to that, post pregnancy.­ (Sound bite: John Mayer singing. “I worry, I weigh three times my body.”)

Since then, everyday has become a battle against calories --- these tiny little creatures that creep through the night and shrink my clothes. Gone are the years when I’d naturally and effortlessly stayed thin despite a 3 huge meals and heavy snacking. I could wolf down 3 large orders of McDonald’s fries for a midnight snack, and wake up feeling light and showing no signs of excess baggage. But now, with my busy schedule at work and at home, I rarely find the time for any significant calorie burning activity other than graceful strides around the mall, muscle toning action by pulling out clothes off boutique racks, and sporadic weight lifting of my growing 5 year old daughter.

The Mediterranean spread at Cafe Marco (clockwise): Prawn and Scallop St. Tropez, Bouillabaise,  Paella Alicante, and  Cordero Asado with Pormesco Sauce.

Cochinillo Asado with Cinnamon and Apple Tarte Tatin

Friends think I freak out about weight too much. I beg to differ. Don’t get me wrong, I’m far from being an anorexic. Body conscious, to me, is a better label. Being a mother does not automatically translate to an I-don’t-care-anymore-how-I’ll-look kind of living. I try to watch my figure and what I eat, given my perspiration-denied lifestyle. Counting calories gained and burned ain’t my thing. After all, I was never good in math. Numbers give me nausea. I try to stick to my morsel diet as much as I can, whenever I can. I get a bit of everything and try to eat less at the strike of 6:00 PM. Weekends are cheat days when I’d give myself the liberty to pig out and enjoy the saccharine joys of chocolate and everything caloric. On special days, when we have events at work, I dine together with my writer-friends and give in to the irresistible temptation of our buffet spread. Plates wiped clean, my friends would leave to sweat off the calories in the gym, for their regular dagdag-bawas routine post dinner event, whereas my short frame would swear off carbs and oil for the next 3 days to resume to my pre-dinner event shape.

Steak Town in Tagaytay, owned by the Enrile family

March was a bountiful month for me, food-wise. The Mediterranean festival at Café Marco marked the prelude to my month-long calorie fest. Friends Pretend I’m a model talking --- If I were dreaming to pose as cover girl for April, my figure on magazine print would show a lot of curves. Yes, curves and bumps on my tummy that were the product of countless dinner get together with friends, majority of which were with NFF (new found friends) and BFF’s (boyfriend’s friends) in Manila. My morsel diet turned into Super Size Me pig out’s in between appointments, courtesy of my boyfriend (who disapproves of my diet regimen). Manille, my own hometown that never sleeps, became the land of Oz for a brief period with series of munching, added with teeth action, broken promises, and shattered dreams of achieving a Blake Lively bod. “Tomorrow is another day to diet” was my usual excuse whenever temptation would win over determination.

Machiavelli Chocolatier in Rustan's Makati

Davao's pride: Harold's Cheese Bar by Machiavelli Chocolatier

I tried to control the little bites I had in between, on top of my heavy meals, but it didn’t help that my family, friends, and boyfriend were such avid fans (and followers) of food. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner with the boyfriend’s family demanded a lot of vacant space in my stomach as their English speaking cook was known for her legendary fried chicken, sinigang, and gourmet concoctions. There’s also an endless choice of food at my family’s place, which came to my daughter’s advantage. My family, making up for lost time, granted all of my daughter’s wishes and cravings. Regular night out’s with friends Sherwin, Norby, and Lia saw hefty amount of bite size delicacies on the table, some of which were Lia’s homemade kitchen wonders. A sidetrip to Tagaytay on one sunny weekend added more meat into my flesh with a special treat at Lia’s restaurant, Steak Town.

A phone call from my friend Raul Matias, the Machiavelli Chocolatier himself, became my ticket to chocolate heaven, a few days after our coffee date in Rockwell with friends Harold Geronimo and Cecile Van Straten.  

Just when I thought I was only picking up my friend’s order of chocolates bars in his shop at Rustan’s, Raul surprised me with a paper bag full of his gourmand chocolates. His generous box of colourful pralines sustained my little snacker in the plane enroute back to Davao.

Tatiana, bored with crackers and water served on board, snacks on gourmand pralines
by Machiavelli Chocolatier. Thanks for the gift, Raul!

Back to Davao, back to reality, and back to my diet. So I tried. And I still do. The main agenda was to get my porker of a belly back to the only existing size in my closet, figuratively.

The weight loss challenge was back with revenge. Tummy, don’t fail me now.

What satisfies my tummy now: Hot and Sour Soup from Lotus Court

Oh, did I mention we’re opening our Japanese Cuiscene at Café Marco this week? Sushi, sashimi, tempura, teppanyaki, and ramen galore --- irresistible delights from the land of the rising sun. Well, I guess I’ll sacrifice a bit this weekend so I can enjoy every delectable bite come opening day. After all, there is not fat much to worry about with Japanese food. Still, I’d gladly cut my appetite in half and swim through the spread with any willing and able body.

Care to share the calories, anyone?
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Story published for my weekly column, Metro Mom, in Edge Davao newspaper.
Vol. 5 Issue 26, 11 April 2012