In the final segment of our Eat Right series, we go for our final weigh-in and reflect on the food program

In the final stretch of my four-week Eat Right meal plan, I could really begin to feel the difference in the lifestyle changes I had made and the physical changes that were occurring. With absolutely no need to think about planning meals ahead of time and an almost foolproof guarantee that my meals were healthy and tailor made for my needs, I found that I had more time to focus on making my way to the gym or catching up on my favourite TV shows. I could turn in for bed earlier and have enough energy to catch my evening bikram yoga class. With three weeks behind me and only a few days of the food program left ahead of me, I was dreading having to return to my former life of consciously thinking about fueling my body.

If you didn’t catch us at the start of our program, check out our write-up here

The meals that arrive at my office and home each day are always excitingly different. I realise that I have suffered from severely poor imagination when thinking up healthy food recipes and have relied a little too much on websites such as Food Gawker and Pinterest. Martin Lorentsson, owner and creator of Eat Right and it’s food program, has decided to level out my caloric intake for that week, as I have promised to work out at least several times in the final stretch, something that a part of me dreads as exercise has not been a main component of my life for quite some time.

My fourth week in terms of food is a definite extension of my third. The heartiest meal of my day is lunch, with Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes or whole-wheat pasta paired with tofu, chicken and a wide array of vegetables. My breakfasts are a bit monotonous with strawberry yogurt topped with bananas and a homemade granola mix or oatmeal with dried apricots, but I remind myself that breakfast is difficult to become creative with and my wide range of lunch options is spoiling me. My dinners are always the smallest meal of my day, usually consisting of spinach leaves topped with either some chicken or beef; occasionally some salmon makes its way into my dinners as well. No carbohydrates are usually involved in my final meal of the day and even though I know that’s the way it’s meant to be, I can’t help but dream of the pasta and rice of my dinners past.

If missed out on our second week, make sure you check it out here

Reflecting on the food in terms of taste and variety, I think back to a comment Lorentsson made during our first meeting. His aim was never to be a five-star chef with a gourmet restaurant; his aim was to educate people and make them see how to eat healthily for what their bodies require. Lorentsson shows people that eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring and dull and that it’s not always what you eat, but how you eat it that can make a difference. He is right after all, the food from my meal program was never going to compare to Gagnaire or Robuchon’s gastronomic delights, but it did the trick and I was always left satisfied with the variety my meals that made their way to my doorstep each day.

In the run-up to the final weigh following my last week, I decided that instead of just dropping some kilograms and not altering the make-up of my body, I would try to turn a bit more of my visceral fat into muscle. I made my way to the gym at least five times that week, alternating between cardio-filled workouts with cycling and weight-focused strength training. I managed to add one or two bikram yoga sessions into the mix for good measure. With the combination of my healthy foods and my willingness to step into a gym, I felt that I had more energy than any of the previous weeks and I began to feel that I had done good things for my body.

I walk in for my weigh in on the last day of my program and confidently step on the scale. My smile is momentarily wiped off my face when I see that my weight has not changed, but happiness is restored when I realise that muscle mass weighs more than fat mass and my results show that I have indeed changed the make-up of my body as I had intended. My overall results from week one to week four show that I’ve reduced my body fat percentage by more than two percent, my body’s age has been reduced by four years and I have dropped over two kilograms in just fat mass.

Want to know how we felt during our third week? Read about it here

Sitting back and reflecting on the weeks that are now behind me, I can honestly say that I’ve not only been educated about how to fuel my body, but I’ve also learned a lot about the importance of balance in life. In terms of my education on food, I’ve learned that I don’t need to dismiss all the foods that I love to lead a healthy nutritional life. I’m allowed cheat days and allowed gravy on my mashed potatoes, but it should all be within reason and in moderation. In regards to how to eat my food, I’ve learned that breakfast and lunch should always fuel your day and consist of a good measure of carbohydrates, proteins, fibres and occasionally dairy, whilst dinner should serve as almost a small snack or light way to end the day. In terms of finding balance in life, the food program allowed me to revisit some of my passions and has taught me that, with the right time management skills, making time for the things you love is extremely important.

For those interested in enrolling themselves in the four week meal program, please contact Martin Lorentsson, founder and creator of Eat Right by calling +852 6197 5820 or e-mailing martin@eatright.com.hk