Fatty Liver - MUST Lose Weight

What is the fastest way to lose weight?

"Don’t eat, but you will die very fast! Aggressive fasting will result in muscle wastage before fat loss.* - Dr Elias Tam, Eha Clinic

After volunteering for a clinical research on Chinese Females and their lifestyles, I found out to my horror, that I had “Fatty Liver”!

Fortunately, I had found out early, so reversing the condition is quite easily done - I just have to lose some weight!

I’ve tried all kinds of weight loss methods in the past, with varying degrees of success, but this time, I need to bring in the big guns, as I have never been this heavy before!

For my 1.63m medium frame, I had put on more than 20kg in the space of 6 years or so, tipping the scales at a massive 76kg, which puts me in the severely overweight category!

I need to see a doctor about losing weight! 

Remembering that I had gone to Dr Elias Tam of EHA Clinic for liposonix way back in 2016, I decided to take the medical route again this time, in light of the new findings that I now have fatty liver to contend with as well!

I had no idea I had grown so big, since I usually only take selfies and they are usually at a more flattering angle. But this is what it is. I am severely overweight, and I need to do something about it now!

A Chat with
​Dr Elias Tam

1) What happens in the first consultation for weight loss?
A proper history taking and physical examination to look for possible medical aetiology.
Blood test to exclude medical conditions like hypothyroidism, and to check for complications from obesity like diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia etc.

2) Can Duromine  be prescribed only if the patient is borderline obese?
Yes, Duromine is only for patients who are overweight, however, there are also other medications for weight control. We may prescribe an analog of human GLP-1, and acts as a GLP-1 receptor agonist, that helps patients by increasing feelings of being full and decreasing hunger in the brain. We may also prescribe fat blocker or carbohydrate blocker in conjunction to help the patient better understand his / her diet, and make the necessary changes.

3) What must the patient look out for and alert you about, if he/she experiences side effects from the medication?
Each medication may have possible side effects and we will discuss them with the patient accordingly. For some people, they may experience palpitation or insomnia with duromine. Most will be mild and tolerable, becoming milder with time. For those who cannot tolerate one medication like duromine, there will be alternatives.

4) Effective diet plan - how would you design it? 
There is no one dietary plan that fits everyone.

• Regardless of which plan, the key is reduction of calories to a reasonable level, with proper macronutrients, cutting down on simple carbohydrate, more fiber to slow down the absorption of carbohydrate, & enough protein to maintain the muscle mass.

• Timing of the meal is important too, so that we do not have to starve and end up overeating late in the evening before sleep.
• The most important key to a successful diet is that it must be sustainable. There is no value of a diet that results in excessive weight loss but is not sustainable, leading to a yo-yo diet, causing more muscle loss and fat gain.

5) Exercise: Walk!  I have a steps-tracker to ensure I do 10k steps a day. Is this enough?
Any exercise is better than none. Walking 10k steps a day will certainly be very useful. It is the persistent exercising on a daily basis that will produce long term results and benefits.
For those who want better results, focus on building the large muscles, especially the core-muscles.
​It can be in the gym or engaging in physical games.
​

I am exercising and moving more than before, and my face is naturally heart shaped, so I really had a rude wakeup call when I did the tests and weighed myself at the research center. I was 76.8kg!

When I arrived at EHA Clinic at Shaw Center, #15-01, Doctor Elias asked me many questions and did a physical examination to find out if there could be any medical reasons for how I managed to put on so much weight in just two or three years.

There are blood tests to take to further exclude medical conditions, but I decided not to take it, since I felt that for me, it is most definitely due to all the buffets I have been eating at! 

I told Doctor Elias that I have started taking Duromine after another doctor had prescribed it, but only for two days so far, and he gave me advice about it, and also shared about the other medicines available like fat or carbohydrate blockers, appetite suppressants and more.

Wondering what I asked Dr Elias Tam? Check out the summary!

After walking out of EHA Clinic, this is the plan that I embarked on, noting the results after thirty days.

This period of time includes the feasting during Chinese New Year, and I rationed my duromine when I had only seven pills left, eating one on alternate days.

I am quite happy with my weight loss progress, and I hope this account of what I am doing and eating in order to lose weight will be able to inspire someone else! I will continue for another month, hope the results would be good!

Weight Loss Plan

Exercise Plan
I will commit to walking 10k steps a day, and take up Health Promotion Board’s “National Steps Challenge” to motivate me to do so. I will also go cycling at least three times a week.

I’ll be updating this on a monthly basis till I arrive at my ideal weight, so wish me luck in my weight loss journey.

​For readers out there who are embarking on their own weight loss journey too, I wish you the very best, and hope that this article inspires you to keep going!

Diet Plan
I will be taking one meal a day in the afternoon with 2 parts vegetables, as little carbohydrate as I can manage, with any protein I want but seasoned with salt, pepper and herbs only.

However, I will be drinking as much black coffee, green / fruit / chinese tea without adding sugar / milk and sparkling water as I want!
I will however, avoid drinks with sugar, including fruit juices and alcohol!

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Diet and Fitness Updates
13th January 2022 
Started taking Duromine.
Weight: 76.8Kg

15th January 2022 
Met Dr Elias Tam and started following a diet and exercise plan.
Weight: 76.5 kg

20th January 2022 
Weighed myself after cycling for 4 hours, from River Valley to East Coast Park and back. Weight: 74.5 kg

29th January 2022 
Weighed myself after having a reunion dinner with my family. Horrors!
Weight: 73.4 Kg

2nd February 2022 
Ate three meals a day because of Chinese New Year Celebrations! Stopped taking duromine from 31st January till today so that I can enjoy the CNY goodies.
Weight: 74.8 Kg

3rd February 2022 
Cycled for 4 hours, from River Valley to Mount Faber and then to labrador park and back. Back on duromine and one meal a day.
Weight: 74.1kg

7th Feb 2022
Went cycling from River Valley to Marina Bay Sands and back. Good progress, I will persist!
Weight: 72.5kg!

10th Feb 2022
Cycled to Tiong Bahru, had dinner with my parents, and cycled back.
Weight 71.4kg

14th Feb 2022
Walked to Shaw Center and back. Decided to sleep early.
Weight 71.1kg

15th Feb 2022
Cycled to Tiong Bahru and had steamboat. Fell asleep super early at 10pm. Spacing out the duromine so I have been alternating the days. Weight 70.4kg

18th Feb 2022
Walked to Funan Center before walking to the national library and then back up Fort Canning hill before walking home.
Weight 70.6kg

20th Feb 2022
Weighed myself and was so sad! I finished my duromine today! Should I get another month's worth? After one month, I managed to lose a total of slightly more than 6kg! I found it bearable to have one meal a day, but cheated twice with alcohol. During the 15 day period of CNY, I cheated frequently with 2 meals a day.
​Weight 70.3kg

Back to Emceeing for virtual shows - this was on 13th Feb 2022, when I managed to keep the weight down to
70.2 Kg - 70.8Kg in the week.

You can see that I am visibly thinner, next goal is to be below 70kg, for my health's sake!