Tadi pagi dateng kartu Natal dari simbok di Blitar. Dengan ejaan yang banyak salah, tulisan miring dan beda2, simbok menyampaikan doanya "semoga ibuk sekeluarga diberkati Tuhan yang pengasih dan simbok juga baik-baik aja sekarang sudah tenang sudah tinggal di rumah karena anak2 sudah punya rumah sendiri2" (yup, tanpa titik koma, begitulah!).

Mbok Wasinah memang selalu penuh perhatian. Sejak dia tidak bekerja lagi di rumah Surabaya, dia secara rutin mengirimkan surat atau kartu Natal. Waktu tau mama sudah lebih lama tinggal di Jakarta daripada di Surabaya, dia pun mencari alamat kami lewat saudara yg menempati rumah kami di sana.

Kemarin malam anak perempuan mbok Wasinah (aku lupa namanya) menelepon mama dari tempat kerjanya, international call straight from Singapore! Dan itu hanya untuk mengucapkan selamat Natal pada mama. Padahal sebagai seorang pembantu rumah tangga, mungkin dia harus menggunakan telepon umum untuk melakukan sambungan internasional itu ke rumah.

Mama jadi sentimentil dan mengulang2 cerita itu pada semua orang yang bersedia mendengarkan. (Dan berhubung di rumah cuma ada papa & aku, gampang ditebak toh siapa yang harus sediain telinga???). Kartu Natal simbok dipajang di ruang tengah.

Waktu aku cerita ke adikku, dia ketawa. "Coba pas di Surabaya, mama ngomel mulu karena simbok makannya suka banyak gak kira2". Keindahan memang lebih nyata lewat jarak. Karena itu juga mungkin kita kerap hanya bisa mengingat kebaikan-kebaikan orang yang sudah meninggal, hehehehe...

Liburan perayaan memang berefek jelek buat berat badan, apalagi berat badan-KU yang emang sudah bikin timbangan bete, hehehhee... Makanan di mana2, dan orang memaklumi kalau intake lebih besar dari outflow hehehe...

Mungkin tips dari MSN Fitness ini bisa berguna (iya kan, paling tidak gw udah berusaha mencari tips ini!).

Eating Tips

Good things come in small packages. Here's a trick for staying satisfied without consuming large portions: Chop high-calorie foods like cheese and chocolate into smaller pieces. It will seem like you're getting more than you actually are.
(Comment: This hardly worked. I felt less guilty eating more of them bcz I kept thinking that they were in smaller portions!)

Don't give up dips. If you love creamy dips and sauces, don't cut them out of your diet completely. Just use low-fat sour cream and mayo instead of the full-fat stuff.
(Comment: Definitely a "failer", because I don't like sour cream and mayo. I LOVEEEEEEEE cheese!)

Get water-wise. Make a habit of reaching for a glass of water instead of a high-calorie snack. It will help your overall health as well as your waistline. Add some zest with a twist of lemon or lime.
(Comment: iya, yang ada juga kembung!)

Herb it up. Stock up your spice rack, and start growing a small herb garden in your kitchen window. Spices and herbs add fantastic flavor to foods without adding fat or calories.
(Comment: yeah, but they increase the tendency of EATING more!)

Slim down your soup. Make a big batch of soup and refrigerate it before you eat it. As it cools, the fat will rise to the top. Skim it off the surface for reduced fat content.
(Comment: good idea. is it also applicable for cream soups?)

Doggie-bag that dinner. At restaurants, ask the server to put half your entrée in a doggie bag before bringing it to your table. Putting the food away before you start your meal will help you practice portion control.
(Comment: it's way easier here to ask for two plates, and we simply put half our entree on that other plate! but will it look impolite/etiquetteless?)

Listen to your cravings. If you're craving something sweet, eat something sweet - just opt for a healthier nosh, like fruit, instead of a high-calorie one. The same goes for crunchy cravings - for example, try air-popped popcorn with soy sauce instead of high-fat tortilla chips. It's just smart substitution!
Ease your way into produce. If you're new to eating lots of fruits and veggies, start slowly. Just add them to the foods you already enjoy. Pile veggies on top of your sandwiches, or add fruit to your cereal.
(Comment: adding veggies on top of ubi goreng doesnt sound right... cheese is a more perfect choice! hehehe...)

Look for high-fat hints. Want an easy way to identify high-calorie entrees? Keep an eye out for these words: au gratin, parmigiana, tempura, alfredo, creamy and carbonara, and enjoy them in moderation.
(Comment: what if these words were written in chinese alphabeticals????)

Don't multitask while you eat. If you're working, reading or watching TV while you eat, you won't be paying attention to what's going into your mouth - and you won't be enjoying every bite. Every time you sit down for a meal, sit down. Chew slowly and pay attention to flavors and textures. You'll enjoy your food more and eat less.
(Comment: chew slowly, pay attention to flavors... what flavor? the longer you chew, the worse it tastes, actually!)

Taste something new. Broaden your food repertoire - you may find you like more healthy foods than you knew. Try a new fruit or vegetable (ever had jicama, plantain, bok choy, starfruit or papaya?).
(Comment: papaya is like fruit de la fruit in our family. I hate it. Other family members love it. Yuck.)

Leave something on your plate at every meal. One bite of bagel, half your sandwich, the bun from your burger. See if you feel satisfied eating just a bit less.
(Comment: no comment)

Get to know your portion sizes. It's easy to underestimate how much you're eating. Don't just estimate things - make sure. Ask how much is in a serving, read the fine print on labels, measure your food. And learn portion equivalents: One serving of pasta, for instance, should be around the size of a tennis ball.
(Comment: who would have time to make this long list????)

Make a healthy substitution. Learn to swap healthier foods for their less-healthful counterparts. Find a substitution that works for you: Use skim milk instead of whole milk; make up a batch of brownie mix with applesauce instead of oil; try a whole-grain bread instead of white.
(Comment: yeah, but the fattening ones taste better!)

Bring lunch to work. Packing lunch will help you control your portion sizes. It also provides a good alternative to restaurants and fast-food joints, where making healthy choices every day can be challenging (not to mention expensive).
(Comment: only if you pack healthy food)

Have some dessert. You don't have to deny yourself all the time. Have a treat that brings you pleasure, but this time enjoy it guilt-free - be sure you're practicing portion control, and compensate for your indulgence by exercising a little more or by skipping your afternoon snack.
(Comment: skipping afternoon snack? ... er... well...)

Ask for what you need. Tell your mother-in-law you don't want seconds. Ask your sweetie to stop bringing you chocolates. Speak up for the salad bar when your coworkers are picking a restaurant for lunch. Whatever you need to do to succeed at weight loss, ask for it. Make yourself a priority and assert yourself.
(Comment: does this mean we have to have a "sweetie"???)