THE first piece of good news this book brings is the revelation that extreme dieting actually makes you fatter. It makes you sick. It makes you revert to your original diet and that is when the kilos start piling up again, only faster this time, because you have just experienced a food shortage and your body will store up as much food as possible in order to survive the next “famine”.
this is not a deprivation diet book. There is no need to revert to normal eating because you will be eating normally, in fact better! This is a book for food loving and mamak stall-frenzied Malaysians.
It has been acutely observed that no Malaysian in his or her right mind would want to live on a “foreign” diet of salmon and asparagus. So author Jayden Chen has come up with a local solution to a very local weight problem. He believes we can still enjoy our chicken rice, nasi lemak, and roti canai if we make some minor adjustments.
We are told to aim for consistent progress rather than perfection. So by choosing the healthiest options 80% of the time, we will keep those kilos away permanently and ensure ourselves a lifetime of health and fitness.
Chen, who holds a law degree from Britain, is a health and fitness expert specialising in weight management. Because of the challenges he faced as an overweight teenager, this book has been a labour of love for him. That is what makes this book especially appealing. From his expert knowledge, endless research, his passion, acute observations and personal experiments, Chen has compiled very compelling and doable advice on losing those unwanted kilos and keeping them away.
The Ideal Portion Size System that he has devised is such that you no longer need to weigh your food or count those confusing calories. A good look at your fist, your palm and the ability to count up to three will tell how much you should be eating. Dieting should be simple and this book makes one of the most difficult things in life easy.
And at the end of this book Chen has whipped up 26 simple yet delicious and nutritious recipes that are very appealing to the Malaysian palate.
Chen offers clear and logical explanations and insights on why Malaysians are overweight, what causes them to overeat, what local foods make us fat and how to shed off all those kilos. It is a pleasure to read not only for those who want to lose weight but for those who want to maintain a healthy lifestyle.