As crazy as it sounds it was hard NOT to gain weight in Liberia. Despite living in a country where food was scarce and unaffordable for the majority of the population, we were well fed on the ship.
I suppose the thinking is if you are sick then you can't take care of the sick. On the
Mercy Ship we had 3 buffets a day. It was good food and there were always endless options for picky eaters, vegetarians, children, and the taste-bud challenged.
After
losing 30 pounds 6 years ago, I managed as a single person to pinpoint my weaknesses. I come from a family of snackers and if the food is there, I eat it. My coping mechanism became not having the food there at all. If I craved something I would only get enough for that one moment.
So with all the food served on board, plus a snack bar (chips, chocolate, drinks, etc), a ship shop (with all your baking needs, cookies, and ice cream), and a coffee bar (aka Starbucks), I was in serious trouble. I ran like a banshee in the mornings or evenings. But for anyone who has calculated caloric burn, running doesn't burn that much. A half hour of sweating doesn't even burn off your Mars Bar. I did gain 10 pounds although, being tall, it was well hidden. In the end I banned myself from any junk and drinks and I only ate a salad sandwich for lunch, keeping to the minimum of the Canada Food Guide.
As Canadians, I realize we are lucky to have the
Canada Food Guide (pictured above), taught in schools and available to the public at large. Now that I am back in the UK, back cooking my own food and analyzing the British way of eating, I see instant meals take up a huge portion of the grocery stores. Other than the National Health Service's "5 a day"adverts (5 fruits and veg daily), how are people supposed to know what is best to eat? How best to stay healthy?
The other shock for people is portion size. Four tablespoons of peanut butter is all the protein you need for a whole day (plus a whole load of fat and sugar). Three cups of pasta is all the bread/grain product for a whole day.
I remember talking to a thin friend of mine who said she hates the feeling of being full. Well, I love the feeling of being full. It is comforting and homey. One of my favourite things is to curl up with a good book under a blanket with a snack. Bliss!
When I lost all the weight 6 years back, I had lost my love for food and eating, so it wasn't too difficult. But when I gained that love back, it was a battle. Until Nigel came along and introduced me to a whole new way of eating.
Most people think Nigel has great metabolism and can eat anything and stay skinny. Since living with him, I don't think that is the case. I call it the Nigel Diet and it is a lifestyle. He points out to me that I am an "all or nothing" personality. Previously, if I ate too much junk I would start again the next day and live it up for the rest of the current day. I would try to run every day. I would try to eat junk food only one day a week.
The Nigel diet is just eating healthy, moderately, and consistently. Yes, I now have dessert every night. No it isn't fruit! I eat a simple breakfast (Wheatabix or porridge with banana, skim milk, and raisins); lunch (for me) is a salad (no sauces) with beans and a fruit; and dinner is a any new vegetarian meal from one of our many cookbooks (sometimes with a side vegetable if the dish doesn't provide enough). We try not to eat a huge second helping. Following dinner we eat a dessert every night...but not big. Half a cup of ice cream with sauce or Onken yogurt and usually several squares of chocolate. Nigel explained that particularly for diabetics, but also the rest of us, sweet desserts are okay in moderation if tagged on at the end of a meal so your blood sugar doesn't shoot up. There is no snacking in between meals (okay, very occasionally).
I remember picking up a pamphlet on losing weight by a nurse at a street booth in the UK. It listed the top 10 ways to lose weight. I knew them all except one. That one surprised me and was opposite to what most North Americans are taught. EAT 3 MEALS AT THE SAME TIME EVERY DAY. Nigel confirmed medically that your body is best when you eat at the same time every day. I had always read that eating 5 small meals a day was best and nothing about timing.
It isn't as drastic a plan as I was used to. I might not have eaten for a day if I had had a bad day previously. But I was surprised to find that even without exercise I consistently lost weight eating like Nigel. In fact, it is a lot easier than my old method. I even get a really nice non-diet meal every evening.
Liberia is near the equator and therefore extremely hot and extremely humid. These two elements combined makes one want to faint after being outside for more than 5 minutes. The shade is not much cooler, but has the advantage of not getting you burnt. Skin is always wet or sticky with sweat. One just tries to get used to it while there and grabs a ride to the beach whenever possible.
We decided to get up before dawn to begin our running regime. We imagined running in the dark would be considerably cooler. Waking up was difficult (I am not a morning person) as we put on our running clothes and headed for the exit door of the air conditioned ship (the air conditioning is essential otherwise the ceilings start dripping with water which destroys operating room machines and becomes a huge health hazard for the hospital).
We stepped outside in the dark and were literally hit by a wall of humidity. We were stunned. In fact, it felt hotter than in the day because there was no breeze. I wasn't sure I could run.
I staggered slowly, much to Nigel's dismay. I am not a natural runner. I didn't like running in school, particularly long distances, but started about 5 years ago to feel better mentally (think endorphin "drugs"). I run for 30 minutes and no more. I don't want to start avoiding running because it takes up too much time. Nigel on the other hand only started running in Liberia and is obviously a natural runner. He is faster than me and has far more stamina.
We regularly did 6 laps from the end of the long dock all the way up the UN road to the main highway outside the port. We sweated profusely. It was about the same amount of liquid as if we had stepped clothes and all into a shower. Eyebrows that were meant to funnel off water from your eyes, were sweat-logged and we were continuously wiping sweat out of our eyes. I could feel a steady stream of perspiration filtering down my spine.
By the time the last lap came around I was usually feeling overheated and a bit nauseated. I desperately insisted on walking for a minute just to cool down while Nigel ran on ahead.
Then we were finally done as we walked it out for several minutes while the sun began to rise. We walked up the gangway and stepped back into the air conditioned ship which felt like bliss. If we were really desperate we would stand right in front of the big outflow fans at the entrance which blasted cold air. I always suspected the stomach ache I got from doing that must indicate I was moving from hot to cold too fast. Hmmm.
To end the whole experience and to make sure our body temperatures came down properly (because sometimes they didn't) we would jump into a completely cold shower. It was a shock at first, but after a few seconds it was nice.
