Beats me.
That’s what I always tell people when they ask me how come I look as thin and wiry as the undead extras in The Walking Dead, what kind of diet do I follow, and the reason how come I haven’t ballooned up despite the slowing down of metabolism due to aging, an epic intake of beer, and a sloth-like life. (Working in front of the computer, marathoning a TV series — Lost — not being talked about anyone anymore, gorging myself on a buffet of bad carbs and brew, dreaming I were Iggy Pop while not doing jack sh*t, typing these thoughts down, etc.)
It’s a mystery to me.
A good mystery.
Two (well, two and three-fourths to be exact) of my friends are waging a losing battle against the bulge. They’ve tried everything. You name it, they’ve eaten it — or not. Bought the machines. Signed up for memberships. Recalibrated dietary philsophies. Did the whole nine yards (or the 5k). Different beginnings, same ending. Dizzy spells, zombie-like pallor, sickness unto dread, with the fats exacting their sweet revenge later on. One of them is — with apologies to Aerosmith — back in the bingeing saddle again. (Poor horse.)
I tell them in jest that the best way to lose weight is to take a vow of poverty. Can’t get fat when all you can eat is enough. Of course, that’s better said done. Modern life is a garden of earthly delights. All you need is… pun intended... dough. Glazed donuts of our dreams. Gourmet ice cream bars. A tower of Babel of burgers. The only dish not yet available in Manila is a donut with another donut in the middle instead of a hole, ad infinity. But I could be wrong.
When it comes to dieting and staying fit and healthy, maybe we should heed the words of Woody Allen channeled through Larry David: whatever works.
HSBC recently gathered a group of individuals who have fought that lonely battle against being overweight as part of its HSBC Coffee Talks: “Hot Summer, Hot Diets.” And these people had a lot to say about their stint in the frontlines. Some of them have already triumphed. Some of them are still toughing it up. But all of them have found something that works for them.
Art Mendoza from The Biggest Loser was there. So was Rescina Bhagwani who lost 65 pounds on the Cohen diet. JL Martinez who lost 120 pounds on the controversial HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) diet. Lala Agregado who swears by the CrossFit workout. Kat Azanza who co-owns Juju Cleanse. STAR columnist Jessica Zafra was also part of the panel, playing devil’s advocate and asking the most pertinent questions.
My friends should’ve attended the HSBC Coffee Talks so they could’ve imbibed those different viewpoints that made a lot of sense, learned from the panelists’ dietary war stories, as well as partook of the Starbucks coffee.
“Coffee and conversation are an unbeatable combination, whether you’re in the city, the countryside, the airport or even the beach. This is what the HSBC Coffee Talks are all about, allowing our customers to have great conversations over great coffee — on us,” said HSBC SVP for communications Johanna Garcia.
The talks started around two years ago, covering a wide range of topics — what to expect from the newly-elected President, newsmakers of the year, and fashion forecasts, among others.
Garcia explained, “(In the latest episode of HSBC Coffee Talks) we have learned that it’s easy to lose weight, but the maintenance part is where the problem lies. The key is to make changes in one’s eating habits, be able to follow through, and thus maintain a healthy lifestyle.”
One advocates the Cohen diet, which uses one’s blood profile as the blueprint for coming up with a personal weight loss plan. Another endured the HCG diet of restricting himself to just 500 calories a day in 40 days. One champions juice-cleansing to rid the body of toxins and fat. Another said she got her gorgeous figure by following an exercise program that the Canadian Forces and the Royal Danish Life Guards follow. The key, a panelist philosophized, is to have a healthy body image of oneself.
In the end, as we learned from John Locke in Lost, the body is nothing but a husk. True, true. But this husk is what we’d call home for so-so years, so there. And, besides, it’s the one who wants to gyrate like Iggy Pop.
* * *
Consumers can still have great coffee and great conversations with the new the HSBC Starbucks Rewards Program. They can get their favorite Starbucks drink for only 250 bonus points with their recent spending until May 31. HSBC credit cardholders can present a charge slip with a minimum purchase of P2,500 at any Starbucks outlet nationwide in exchange for instant bonus-points redemption and a tall handcrafted beverage of their choice or a three-pack Starbucks VIA. The redemption period will run until July 31 only.
For details on the HSBC Starbucks Rewards Program, visit www.hsbc.com.ph.