Tips on Weight Loss Diet

Eat on time : Skipping meal time will lead to overeating. When a person skips
breakfast for instance, he / she tend to over-eat lunch due to hunger or even
compensation of what was missed during breakfast.

Watch your portion size : Going large just because its cheaper, can lead to
expanding waistline. Aim to fill half you plate with vegetables, of plate with lean
protein dishes and another with wholegrain carbohydrate.

Drink plenty of fluids : Plain water is the best! If you must have your sweetened
beverages, opt for kurang manis or O version. Diet sodas and isotonic drinks
provide lesser calories than regular sodas or carbonated drinks.

Increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables: add on vegetables

whenever possible. Addingfrozen peas to instant noodles makes few minutes
dish richer in fibre.

Choose whole grain cereals: Make half your grains whole. Be adventurous to
try brown rice and add legumes to your dishes.

Share the dessert: if you must have your tiramisu cheesecake. Split if with your
friend. Half the dessert, half the calories, twice the enjoyment!

Can you lose weight while eating out?

You definitely can, just be sure to follow the tips below:

Reduce gravy as gravy often contains saturated fat and loaded with salt or
even sugar. Eg, in chicken curry, take the chicken pieces and reduce the gravy

Opt for soupy based dishes such as asam pedas, masak singgang compared
to masak lemak/ deep fried

Learn to make demands for healthier meals eg fried rice with extra veggies,
fried noodles with no eggs.

Opt for plain water instead of sugar laden drinks

Changing to a better diet

Sometimes, you may find it hard to start letting go of your favourite Char Keoy Teow or
Roti Canai Banjir.
Well, chances of success are slim when you try to turn your diet 180 around!
Aim for a small change every day.
Drastic changes will likely cause stress and you wont be able to adapt to the changes
comfortably. Start by changing just 1 meal; for example instead of having 2 teaspoon of
sugar in the coffee; have 1 teaspoon alone. If you must have your roti canai, aim to
have it with dhal and not mutton curry. Dont forget to get support from your loved ones
and friends. You will likely eat healthy if your surrounding people adopt healthy eating
habits. Healthy eating is all about eating well balanced diet which consists of all
nutrients in balanced portion. Do not completely avoid any particular food as it may
cause binging.
Below is an example of a low calorie Malaysian diet which provides between 1200
1500 kcal. Up your fibre intake by increasing vegetable portions in the dishes and
including whole grain products such as brown rice whenever possible. Drink plenty of
plain water in between meals to increase satiety level.

A day to day menu to lose weight the Malaysian way!!

Day 1
Breakfast : 1 bowl of Keoy Teow Soup (ask for extra veg & chicken slices) + 1 glass of
Chinese tea
Lunch

: 1 teacup of rice + 1 piece tenggiri fish in assam sauce + 1 cup of ulam + 1

glass of plain water

Dinner

: 1 piece of Capati + cup mung bean curry + 1 glass of low fat milk +

small mango
Day 2
Breakfast : 2 pieces whole meal bread + 1 boiled egg + 1 glass skimmed milk
Lunch

: 1 chinese bowl of rice + 1 bowl of vegetable soup + 1 thigh of chicken in

black pepper sauce + cup of stir fried kailan + 1 slice of papaya

Dinner

: 2 pieces of string hoppers + 1 cup of dhal curry + 1 whole guava

Day 3
Breakfast : 4 tablespoon oats + 1 glass of skimmed milk + 1 teaspoon honey + 1
tablespoon kuaci seeds
Lunch

: 1 chinese bowl of wantan mee kicap (request extra veg) + 1 slice

watermelon
Dinner

: 1 teacup of rice + 6 pieces of stir fried prawns + cup blanched mustard

greens + 1 piece of orange

Day 4
Breakfast : 1 steamed chicken pau + 1 glass low sugar barley drink
Lunch

: 1 teacup of rice + 1 slice fish curry + 1/2 cup stir fried ladys finger with dhal

+ cup stir fried spinach + 1 glass plain water

Dinner

: 3 slices of bread + 3 tablespoon tuna canned in water + 3 lettuce leaves, + 4

slices tomato and cucumber + 1 glass low fat milk

Day 5
Breakfast : 1 cup smoothie (1 glass low fat milk + 1 banana + 2 tablespoon oats)
Lunch

: 1 teacup of rice + 1 bowl of meat + vegetable tom yam soup + 1 fried egg +

1 glass plain water

Dinner

: 1 bowl sup ayam berempah + potatoes + lots of vegetable + 1 slice papaya

Day 6
Breakfast : 2 pieces idli + cup legume curry +1 glass fresh milk
Lunch

: 1 teacup of rice + 1 piece grilled mackerel (kembung bakar + air assam) + 1

cup ulam kacang botol

Dinner

: 1 medium plate fried meehoon (with extra vege) + 1 apple

Day 7
Breakfast : 1 chinese bowl Rice porridge + mixed vegetable + 1 glass Chinese tea
Lunch

: 1 bowl soto ayam + nasi himpit + extra taugeh + 1 glass plain water + 1 slice

honey dew melon

Dinner

: 1 teacup rice + 1 piece steamed fish with ginger + 1 bowl chinese cabbage

soup + cup stir fried French beans + 1 glass plain water

Healthier Diet, Healthier You!

This informative write-up was prepared by Ms.Kanimolli Arasu who I first met when
she was the Senior Dietitian and Head of Dietetic Unit at Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur.
She was an asset to our services there but later realized that her true calling in life was
teaching. She is currently attached to the International Medical University (IMU) as
a lecturer and Programme Coordinator for the Dietetics and Nutrition BSc programme.

Learn more about her

Ms Kanimolli Arasu

BSc (Hons) Dietetics (UKM), MSc Health Sciences (Nutrition) (UKM)

http://www.imu.edu.my/imu/images/stories/download/dietetic-with-nutrition-brochure.pdf