Like bread

Yesterday I went to the gym for the first time since...well, I haven't been to the gym since before my trip to the States, so about a month ao. My trainer said that my muscles have softened to a bread-like consistency. I'm imagining soft Hawaiian sweet bread or dinner rolls, not a crusty baguette. Alas, the wedding is two months away!

Sheng-Hong's plan: increase my gym attendance from 1x/week to 2x/week at minimum. He recommends doing both cardio and strength at least twice a week, and said that if I went straight to the gym after work to do cardio for 30 minutes, it shouldn't take that much time.

As for diet, the Taiwanese have what they call a 5-3-2 philosophy: eat a substantial and balanced breakfast, have 3/5 (60%) of the breakfast amount at lunch, and 2/5 (40%) of the breakfast amount for dinner. Try to avoid starchy foods like rice and bread. A serving of meat is okay for lunch, but at dinner, meat should be a flavoring, not a main course. Many Asian dishes follow this concept - rarely is meat a stand-alone dish like steak in Western cuisines. Instead, it's mixed with vegetables or tofu (like ground pork in dry stir-fried green beans).

Oh, and try not to snack in the evening—eat dinner as early as possible so that everything is well-digested before bed. This is sensible advice for anyone, not just a bride whose hoping to be more toned for her wedding.