Food frenzy: Living life lusciously

Bridesmaids in yellow dresses. Picture: AFP PHOTO

With my friend Dina’s wedding around the corner, operation slim-down-for-bridesmaid-dress is under way. Seeing that the wedding pictures will end up on Dina’s wall at home, and I plan to visit her for the rest of our lives, I would prefer not to cringe every time I walk past them.

Having said that, I am beyond the stage in my life of fad and crazy diets. My lifestyle is way too fun and indulgent and I am far too mature to judge myself by the scale. Unless you gym like a machine or starve yourself something stupid, most of us need to be wary of what we do and don’t eat. C’est la vie. I blame the sixties and Twiggy.

But willing to have a healthier lifestyle – at least during the week and apparently live longer as a result – I tried out the community recommended dietician. In other words – everyone has seen her – which means all my friends and their friends and the overall result is success. That is barring the few who she told to stop wasting her time and their money.

On arrival, I inform the said doctor that I am prepared to alter my diet as she sees fit but not when it comes to red wine. Expecting a lecture about whether or not I’m serious about kicking off the extra kilos, I was most surprised and delighted when she replied – “absolutely”. A big fan of vino herself, she fully understood. I knew we were going to get on.

Her modus operandi is less diet and more lifestyle plan. The problem with general dieting is that by the time you’ve lost the weight, you’re so desperate for the “bad” foods that you eventually fall of the wagon – and you fall hard. And then you’re like a bull in a China shop and heaven help anything or anyone that isn’t stapled to the table.

So it’s week two on the new plan and it’s going well. Certain foods are limited and portion control has been implemented but most importantly I’m not dreaming about swimming in a merlot fountain or yearning for carbs.

Being incredibly busy at the moment also helps. Had I known that being this active could distract one so successfully from chocolate cake, I would have worked harder much sooner.

And when your friends and family are plodding along down the same road, well, then it’s even easier. It seems that my loved ones – well, some of them at least – have also decided to adopt healthier lifestyles and no one rolls their eyes when I ask for dressing on the side.

It’s like we’re a secret little healthy club. Cue the cheesy Brady Bunch tune.

And it all gets better. This plan comes fitted with dedicated eating out options. Which suits me fine. I would hate for my social life to suffer at the cost of a smaller waist size. I’m feeling upbeat and energetic – not enough to run on the treadmill or something silly like that, but at least to walk the dogs. Lovely.

Having tried a couple of diets in my more tumultuous teen years, I can say with confidence that this new lifestyle guide is doable and easily maintainable.

Life’s far too short and way too fun to be miserable and deprived. L’chaim to that!

And if you’re platsing to know who the dietician is, then drop me a line.