Goodbye, junk carbs

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THERE are times when I spend a long time inside a store in a mall to listen to their muzak which is usually beautiful.

But one day I entered a café and the muzak was Air Supply. I sat there, wondering if it was the cafe’s favorite music or the waiting staff. That question was answered when a friend, who followed me, and after I taught him the muzak, then asked a waiter why Air Supply was improving the sound system of the cafe. And he answered that it was his favorite. To save me and my friend from making the situation worse, I said, Oh! Air Supply is Dad’s favorite too!

And that’s true. We even memorized the lyrics of their songs.

However, the waiter got the message when my friend suggested that classical or jazz music would be more appropriate for the ambiance of the café. To which he replied that, yes, that is their muzak for the café, and they will switch to that once the customers start arriving.

There are so many cafes in Cagayan de Oro now, you need a list so you can try them all. Each of them needs a specialty to stand out.

In the past, there were only a few: Starbucks, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Bo’s Coffee, and other cafes. It’s a given that Starbucks always has its share of loyal fans, regardless of what’s on its menu. It’s the status symbol and not the coffee? Hmmm.

My favorite coffee used to be caramel macchiato. Now, it’s a Spanish latte or a vanilla cream latte.

Within a few weeks, I noticed that I started indulging in high-carb goodies again every time I ate out. And I always eat the free popcorn at the Director’s Club. And I wonder if I keep going back to Hap Chan for the sweet and sour pork or for its buchi. And I order Buchi when it’s on another restaurant’s menu.

Of course, I gained weight while in the high-carb state. Lesson learned. This low-carb-fasting diet is forever, and not just for reaching the goal weight.

When the side effects of the carbs got worse, I decided to go back to a clean low-carb diet, but with the latte as my one and the rest of the sweet indulgence. More croissants at MiMo Café. Yum! Yes, they should be worth the carbs.

Goodbye, popcorn. Goodbye, Buchi. Goodbye, junk carbs. Sigh.

So, where do I go from here? Hmmm. Eat at home as much as possible. There was a guy who went on a diet that didn’t eat out or attend parties for a year to lose his weight. At the time, I thought, how crazy is that? But now, yes, it is the wiser choice. But not for me. I need my weekly Artist’s Dates, I need to see family and friends, and these bonding moments include food. As long as I only order low-carb goodies from the menu, I’m fine. Be careful.