NEWS!

Sat, Jan 03, 2009
Mind Your Body, The Straits Times
Bride on liquid diet lost 9kg
by Dhany Osman
Just as every bride-to-be wishes to look good on her big day, so did Ms Shirlene Tay, who got married in October.

Ms Tay, who was 56kg at 1.52m tall, was eager to shed some weight before her wedding but did not believe in diet pills nor could she find the time to exercise due to her hectic work schedule.

So, in February last year, the 34-year-old chiropractic assistant sought advice from Nu.Reflections Medical Aesthetics clinic.

She was recommended an initial three-day detox diet programme that involved a liquid meal replacement made from organic maple and palm tree syrup. This was to be mixed with fresh lemon juice and distilled water.

Ms Tay said she drank about eight to 10 glasses of the mix each day to replace all her meals.

For the first half of the diet, she said she felt the common side effects of slight headaches and feelings of grouchiness from being hungry. 'After that, my body got used to it and I started feeling better,' she said.

She signed on for subsequent rounds which got much easier to handle as her big day drew closer.

Between May and September, she would go on such three-day stints during the first week of the month. For the remaining three weeks, she would go on this detox diet one day per week.

Altogether, she lost 9kg, dropping her weight to about 47kg in half a year. Her husband, sales executive Alan Fam, 35, also tried the detox diet and found himself losing around 5kg, she said.

It was not easy sticking to a diet plan over the months but it all paid off in the compliments the couple received at their wedding reception. 'People said my husband and I looked good,' Ms Tay recalled.

Since the wedding, the couple have both stopped dieting to give themselves a little breather. As a result, Ms Tay has regained 2kg.

Still, she said her eating habits have changed and she does not find herself eating as much as before.

'I think I used to over-eat. Now, I still go back to my favourite foods, but I feel more in control,' she said.

The couple have made plans to go back on the detox diet at some point and are aiming to do it once a week.

Ms Tay said she knows she should be exercising too and has been thinking of finding the time to do so, despite her 10- to 12-hour work days.

She said that, overall, detox dieting has benefited her.

'I feel more energetic and better able to handle my stress,' she said.


This article was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times on Jan 1, 2009.

*SOURCE*