I’ve gotten hideously fat lately as a result of Ramadan and vacations and office mates who prod me to eat. I can find nary a pair of trousers that fit me anymore. Because of my stubborn Egyptian pot belly (you know it has a name? it’s called a siwwa) when I put on a meager kilo all my tops start rolling up in objection to being expected to hang on to a slope. I’m constantly pulling down tops and skirts that want to move up to the comfortably valley-like waist area. It’s a source of serious annoyance to me, and was the primary reason why I went on a diet in the spring (because otherwise I’m fine with my weight).
Big news, girls diet all the time and why should you give a shit, especially those of you blessed with the Y chromosome? Cos it was a kickass diet that will appeal to those of you who think that two wrongs DO make a right.
It was called the Shangi-la diet, and basically it is this: you find a two hour period during the day when you consume nothing but water. In the middle of that two hour period, you eat either 1-2 spoons of sugar, or 1-2 spoons of extra-light olive oil/grapeseed oil/canola oil. That’s it. I don’t quite remember the “science” behind it, but basically consuming flavourless calories is supposed to lower your set point, in effect postponing the point at which your body feels hungry.
I told M about this at the time and he nearly fainted with distress at the recklessness of my actions – but it worked. After a couple days of taking the oil (the sugar only made me hungrier) I just felt…full. I could only eat a few bites of food per meal. And so, I lost weight. Of course, this diet doesn’t work for those people who eat out of boredom or pure gluttony…that you’ll have to deal with on your own. I want to go back on this diet, but I can’t find any of the allowed oils here in Egypt. The oil has to be flavourless. I think I saw linseed oil at Spinney’s once, and so I will try that. Let you know how it goes. It also kind of gives you diarrhea, but I guess pooing twice a week instead of once won’t exactly hurt.
forsoothsayer
Unnecessary and not very diverting musings 
Faisal
November 9, 2006
So…Not to burst your bubble, but you obviously didn’t have some of that stuff yesterday……did you?
Arima
November 9, 2006
Just a thought….it’s probably placebo. As you’re supposedly on a “diet” you pay better attention to what you’re eating so eat less and more healthily????That’s my thought on the subjects anyway 🙂
Forsoothsayer
November 9, 2006
no, i haven’t bought the oil yet. anyway i ate very little yesterday! it may be a placebo…but as long as it works.
tom
November 10, 2006
Cant find extra virgin olive oil in Egypt? Or canola oil?What types of oil do people use for cooking?Is there an international market for the imported goods?Good grief! I thought being so close to Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Syria bottles of olive oil would float across the Mediterranean and clog up the Nile.
tom
November 10, 2006
Sorry, I just re-read and you need “extra light” olive oil and that is much different than virgin. Actually that may be hard to find as its the lowest quality of olive oil and generally not fit for human consumption. You’re right it is basically tasteless as is Canola and Hazelnut oils.
Forsoothsayer
November 10, 2006
yeah they usually use corn and sunflower oil for cooking here, or ghee. there is extra virgin, but not extra light…so i’m using linseed oil, which i barely found.
KT
November 26, 2006
Hey, I found linseed no problem at Metro Market. But no canola, no extra-light olive oil…so weird. Are you still trying this? Is it working out?
Forsoothsayer
November 27, 2006
no, i cut it out because the linseed oil tasted so damn awful that i couldn’t go on. anyway, it’s not supposed to work if the oil has taste. next trip out of egypt i’ll bring some better oil back.