As a teenager, I engaged in swimming, basketball and baseball. I ate like a horse and never worried about gaining weight.

I guess my metabolism was on high gear. After swimming, I could eat a whole loaf of bread with ham and egg as filling. One time, as a student at Cornell University in New York, I devoured three Big Macs and a fish fillet in one go.

Today, I have to watch what I eat. My metabolism has slowed down significantly. I exercise almost every day, play badminton or brisk-walk. I hardly take alcohol, and I don’t smoke.

When in control of my diet, I usually just have boiled kangkong without seasoning, and 100 grams of chicken for protein.

But when I’m taping for my Lifestyle TV show “Foodprints,” all diets are off. There are times I have to eat three meals in one morning. But no matter how full, when I taste a delicious dish, I get delirious.

My Canada-based sister has recommended a 45-day
diet in which you’ll never go hungry and will make you lose at least 10 percent of your body weight. She herself lost 15 lbs.

Supplements plus exercise

The diet, said to be designed by Canadian nutritionist Harris Mac, consists of supplements. But you have to exercise.

Most diets prohibit exercise because you have no energy. But here the supplements provide the energy—one supplement will burn fat even during sleep.

After taping “Foodprints” in Bangkok and Singapore, I tried the diet. It was tough in the first three days, especially since as I continued playing badminton. There were times, in the middle of the game, I would stop briefly because I felt a bit woozy.

After 45 days, I had lost almost 15 lbs. I noticed I moved better in badminton, felt lighter and always in a good mood.

I also learned to eat properly. And even after doing a Japan Hokkaido food tour and pigging out, it took only three days to get back to my desired weight.

Before this diet, I had a blood test and the results were normal. And after the diet, everything dropped further, and my cardiologist, Dr. Eric Pascual, gave me the green light to continue exercising.

Would I recommend the diet? Most definitely. Mac says that people with different weight issues must first consult him before going on the diet so he can prescribe the proper supplements.

Consultation is free, but you buy the supplements from a company. I spent around P15,000 but it was well worth it.

Harris Mac will be in Manila Sept. 25-27. E-mail me if you’re interested to talk to him at [email protected]

My Japan food tour schedule: Fukuoka/Hiroshima/Osaka, Nov. 5-10; Hokkaido, Nov.
19-25; Okinawa, Dec. 10-15