Please, I'm Flabulous

The struggle to fight the podge is nothing new, especially to an aspiring foodie. Jessica Chan takes on the fast-growing diet trend of intermittent fasting and discovers some personal demons she needs to fight.

- Jessica Chan

I ’ve done it all. Atkins, Cabbage Soup, Macro and the silly egg diet; the latter had me downing up to eight tasteless, boiled eggs a day. What these diets had in common were how short they lasted. A bowl of spaghetti cacio e pepe with copious shavings of Pecorino Romano (and a glass of Chianti Classico, please) would always win out in the end. It comes as no surprise that my weight yo-yoed over the years. Nothing, however, weighed me down more than my obsession to be thin.

Joining the publishing industry was a dream come true for me, yet it presented an additional hurdle. The numerous work engagements aside, my social circle narrowed to those in the same line. I couldn’t risk whispering the word “diet” for fear of being sneered at. I was spreading word of how amazing a restaurant was, but, internally, I was filled with crushing guilt. It went beyond gaining a few pounds or having to give up wearing those bodycon dresses the Kardashians can’t seem to leave the house without. Adding calories in my body made me feel like I had done something wrong; something to be punished for. Ironically, I’d indulge even more to bury my unease. It was a vicious cycle. I needed a way out.

Old habits die hard. I jumped onto another fad diet.