Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
With F1 fever finished and having said farewell to our visitors it’s time to get the family back into a routine.
Having family and friends visit over the holiday period is wonderful, exhilarating … but it’s also exhausting.
Luckily, our house is continually a hive of activity, mainly due to the youngest child’s compound posse, so the empty nest feeling hasn’t occurred but our recent visitors have reminded us of all we have left behind.
But, no time to dwell, as shockingly it’s only five weeks until Ramadan, five weeks until the start of end-of-year exams and four weeks for me to drop at least a dress size until for my brother’s chic London engagement party.
I have pretty much tried most diets, the most bizarre being the Cabbage Soup Diet topped only by the Maple Syrup, Cayenne Pepper and Lemon Juice. Shockingly, I probably was two dress sizes smaller when I embarked on these diets a few moons ago.
So this time, older and wiser, I have decided to avoid fad diets and will just write down what I eat, be strict on portion control and continue exercising.
Sounds simple.
Unfortunately, my occupational hazard is eating my kid’s leftovers. I hate seeing food wasted and I tell myself it’s because I am conscientious of the environment and of all the starving children all around the world.
Plus, there are no calories in eating whilst standing or eating off somebody else’s another plate, and why does food always taste better when it’s come off somebody else’s plate?
For food nicked off another person’s plate is not a meal, it is contraband and has no calories in my dreams. When you glance at that plate of chips your companion has, they look especially crisp and golden. No matter how hard you try, you can’t escape the idea that they would taste better than any of the many chips you still have on your own plate.
So I shall be making the biggest effort not to eat any leftovers or to take food off my husband’s plate. Instead over the next five weeks, whilst I jot down everything that passes my lips, I shall be found staring contemptuously at people munching away on chips, pain au chocolat, pizza and other deliciously carb-loaded delights.
