Singapore
 

Hi, i was thinking of starting a thread for pp from Singapore who's on Atkins so tat we can exchange ideas abt wat food is permissible while eating out and on induction and where to find LC products, ketostix here and so on.. :)

I'm in Singapore too!
 

Hi BabyJJ

This is the first time I've posted on this board, although I've been reading it for a while.

I started Atkins 3 weeks ago, and thought was the only one in Singapore trying to follow it!

I'm British but have been working here in Singapore for about a year now.

I find eating out in the food courts here a bit of trial - I tend to just buy 2 meals (because it's quite cheap) and discard the rice/noodles element of each.

Would certainly be interested hearing about any ideas you've got for a support group.

Hello!
Me Singaporean now livign in japan. I'm going back to SG in Jan 2003 & i'm wondering if they sell low carb products in the healthstores now in sg?
Kelly

Singapore
 

Hi there, good to be in touch with you.

I've found a limited range of low carbohydrate foods available in on of the more 'expat' orientated supermarkets here - Jasons.

I've been able to get a few low-carb items (bread for example) there. I also found Crystal Light in another supermarket here - Cold Storage

You can of course get the diabetic foods (chocolate mostly) in some of the health food stores, although I've not bought any personally.

There is no provision (that I've found anyway) in restaurants here for low carb eating though.

Julie

Hello There!

Thanks for the info! How abt Splenda have u seen it in SG yet? Here in Japan the Foreign BUyers Club does carry it but only sell by the case so alot of foreign women like me share the purchase but most of them r living in Tokyo & i'm on another island which make sharing quite difficult. They have make pancakes, cheesecakes, waffles with low carb flour substitutes & Splenda. I heard it was really delicious hee hee. I'm also a yahoo member of lowcarbinjapan. MOstly foreign wives married to japanese really. Sometimes we look for local alternatives.

Yes it's kinda difficult to low carb if u eat out alot huh? I'm a housewife so that's no problem. the only problem is cheating!I'm on my 8th day of induction, the weight loss is not substantial & i've only myself to blame really!! but i do feel lighter, firmer & perkier which is good.

Oh u know the health chain store GNC? I juz received a reply email, they got some low carb products like drinks & bars. will check it out when i return. i'm positively raiding the supermarkets once i get back!
:D
Kelly

Singapore
 

Excellent, thanks Kelly, I'll have a look in GNC!

Julie

GNC
 

Hi Julie

So did u find any good low carb stuff in GNC? let me know!

:)
Kelly

Hello From Canada
I was in Singapore last year on vacation and just love your country.Good luck on your low carb ventures

Quiet Man

Hello Quiet Man

Oh u like sg? Cool! U have a favourite place?What food do u like? I havent been to Canada b4 hope to go there some day.

Kelly

Hiya~
 

Hi all,

I'm another Singaporean doing the low-carb WOE. Failed once but determined to pick myself up and try again! :)

I'm not sure if this thread is still active..But anyway,just to let you guys know Splenda is available in Singapore! I got a box(100 mini-packets) for around $9 from Liberty Supermarket at Jurong Point(Near Boon Lay MRT). There's another branch at Plaza Singapura, but I'm not too sure if they sell it. I will drop by and check it out when I pass by in the future!

GNC carries a number of low-carb protein bars and whey protein. But the prices can be pretty steep...especially the protein bars. If you decide to have them regularly,maybe you can ask the salesperson for those that are going to expire soon as they are much cheaper! Don't freak out yet...I had a few before and they are still edible..I think :D

Hope these information helps!

Btw,Kelly,which part of Japan are you in right now? I was at Tsuruoka some time ago!

Hello Mushroom!
 

Splenda in sg???yippee! i actually order splenda from netrition & after adding in shipping cost it cost more than
S$9! yeah i heard not many low carb stuff in sg.

i'm from fukuoka kyushu (the southern island). actually i'm coming back for CNY 25jan to 18feb. definately am checking out liberty & gnc stores man!

:cool:

I'm still wondering how did you manage low carbing in japan! Meat is pretty expensive there right? I remembered spending quite a bit on groceries while I'm there..

While you are in Singapore,try not to other food stuff/supplements from the internet. Somehow...I never received my orders! Perhaps the custom is too strict..Anyone else experienced the same headache?

CNY...another headache!All the goodies...yummie! But then again, I wouldn't trade my waistline just for some satisfaction again! :nono:

well i've been on & off the diet. the problem with me is when i see my weight drop, i get tempted to try normal food again!

yes meat can be expensive but actually it can be cheap too! it depends on where u buy them from. meat from famous department stores in the city tend to be more. supas in the suburbs r cheaper. there r supas that r known for their low prices.

the netrition site is safe & they work fast!! i got my order within the week. Yes perhaps singapore customs r very strict on what u can import, it's best u check with the customs b4 buying those low carb thingies! we were able to order vitamins,shakes, chocolate bars with no problems.

generally speaking those low carb pastas,chocolate bars etc can be a letdown. & since they r expensive it's best to find other alternatives!!

:rolleyes:

I wish I had checked out these supas while I was there. My diet was mainly pasta and canned mackeral(Bought from 100 yen stores) then!

I think it's better to stick to real food since most are these bars and shakes are expensive and some taste really weird..and most importantly,they contain hidden carbs! I haven't tried low-carb pasta though. I don't see any in Singapore as yet. All I can see is Breadtalk(A famous chain bakery) opening store after store..everywhere here.

oohhh breadtalk huh? yeah some of the bread very nice lah. i miss char siew bao in singapore(HK style). the japanese bao taste like shit!! If i can mass produce char siew bao like what it's suppose to taste like i think good business for me here hahahaha

oh not suppose to talk abt high carb here!?!

yeah can understand the canned mackeral thing, last time when my father went to japan in early 1990s, he brought along many cup noodles for his training trip!

did u try horsemeat while u r here? taste good actually. serve with special soy sauce & grated ginger. but i think is only a specialty in kyushu region & nagoya. initially i very squeamish abt eating horse but now used to it. dun eat often lah. once in a blue moon really.

Ahaha...I think we can still chat about carb stuff here! Except that we must condemn them..heh,just kidding :p

Bringing instant noodles to Japan was one of the advice given by one of the relatives too. I grew up eating cha kway teow,satay,laksa etc...so I got bored of the variety of food in Japan rather quickly.

Nope, didn't get the chance to try horse meat. Sure sounds good though! My favourite food then was the dessert of course! Forgot what it's called...but it's something like smooth, not-so-sweet red bean paste(Consistency not unlike that of soup's) with mini glutinous rice balls? Gee...thinking of that during induction is dangerous! :D

Kelly,

Some bad news..dropped by Liberty at Jurong Point and can't find Splenda anymore! I'm not sure if they just ran out of stock or they don't intend to sell anymore :(

Hope they still have it at the Plaza Singapura branch!

Hello to the folks in Singapore. Hope someone is still reading this thread. As you can see by my stats I'm a BIG person so don't quite know how that will go over in Sing. My company will be transferring me for about 6 months probably around June. As I am also diabetic I'm concerned about being able to get low-carb food. Not necessarily the bars and such, but equal or splenda etc. Should I bring some of that sort of thing with me? I'd appreciate any advice you all could give me as I am worried about it. I hear the food is quite good, but will have to steer clear of the noodles and rice dishes :( too bad, I could eat noodles every meal, which is probably part of the reason I'm in the shape I'm in. :eek: I will be checking back here and hope someone has posted. Would love to know the best places to shop for low carb. Will I be a total freak in Singapore? Are there any fat people there? Please don't be offended by my questions I'm just worried. Thanks so much. Ellen (aka LNGIRL)

you are right Ingirl......i will never notice abt the existence of this singapore thread if u never mentioned it.....hahaha and discovered there are actually many singaporeans here in this forum........hallo sgeans!

i think for a start it will be good that u bring some of your bars or low-carb foods along....coz u will need time to settle down and know what's low-carb around you.

if you are game for pork rinds, go to Lucky Plaza (3rd floor and above) where they sell it for the filipino maids....but they are just plain ones....not that exciting as what your home country has.

for daily meals, as i suggested on the other thread it will be best that u cook your own meals ....but occasionally u may see some foodcourts selling western food......and there are many fast food outlets you can go to....Mac, KFC, BK....

i suggest u try sashimi in those sushi joints (e.g. Sakae Sushi) coz they offer them at cheaper prices....

Newton Centre is another tourist area due to its proximity to town area....though the prices are more expensive...but it's a place where u can eat a lot of local food....seafood too...

Hi Fumhi
Thanks for the info, I do like pork rinds and hadn't even thought to ask about them. They sure help when you need a snack. I am looking forward to lots of good fish dishes, but sashimi isn't cooked is it? I'm a bit of a wimp about raw fish, but will get brave and try it. Thanks so much. Ellen :D

Hi everyone! I'm a newbie to LC --3 days -- in Singapore.. I can say it's not gonna be easy cuz of all the looks on my friends' faces when I discard the rice/noodles/fries! :(

Can somebody tell me whether those chinese rice stall dishes like stir fried chicken and veggies are okay? Cuz when u r outside and wanna eat on the cheap (ie: no western meals involving meat) these are the best options. I understand that a lot of "unknown" sauces go into these dishes.. so I wonder if they are ok. Also, the coconut milk that goes into the malay curries. I'll try to avoid the sauce, but the meat, issit okay being soaked in curry?

I can't really cook either :D So any good options in Singapore I can look forward to?

Thanks everyone.. happy low carbing!

Living In Singapore
 

I have just discovered this link and so hope that it is still considered active. This is my first time doing something other than reading posts by others. I am having my annual physical exam on Thursday and want to talk to my doctor to see about getting the excess pounds off. I tried Atkins some 20 years ago and had some great success with it. It's time to get back to what worked. Living in Singapore I find that I have been eating much healthier than ever before in my life with the exception of all the rice and noodles. Perhaps all of us living in the Asian cultures can be an encouragment to one another. I plan on getting starting officially one week from today with Arkins. I'll be seeing you on the boards!
Debbie

Hi Debbie! Great to hear from someone at last.. I've been on Atkins for about two weeks now and I definitely have lost some inches off my thighs, waist and arms! Woohoo! I've done all sorts of stuff before, like the Cambridge Diet.. that was pure torture n the pounds came back anyway.

So far I've gotten around the LC problem by ordering from places I can more or less cutomize my food. For example, in coffeeshops, I order a vegetable and fish soup telling them to cut the sugar (using the diabetes excuse yes). At restaurants I just get the meat dishes with a lil common sense.. at the uni cafeteria I'll get the western chicken chops and/or salmon without the sides. It's been great so far but my boyfriend is seriously alarmed at the amount of fried food I've been eating! But I don't have much other choice.. so issit okay?

I read abt all sorts of LC desserts etc on this website. Any idea where we can get that kinda thing in Singapore?

low carber in Singapore!
 

Hi Debbie and Fairday,

I've been trying to get in touch with LC'ers in Sg but doesn't seem like there's alot. Anyway, I'm happy to see your posts! I've been low carbing since mid April this year and even though initially I find it very trying, it gets easier after the first 2 weeks (Thank God!). I find that I am not really a carb addict. I don't crave for rice or breads or pastas or sugar. I think this makes it easier for me. Even when I have dinner with my family (at home or in a restaurant), I just eat the other dishes while everyone eats rice. I was never tempted to put rice into my mouth again (heehee).

I usually make my own meals. This way I know what goes in my food. Ohh, one good thing about LC is that I start eating (and liking) veggies. I think in this past month, I've eaten more veggies than I've ever eaten for the past 29 years! In the beginning, I eat salads, with dressings and stuff. But now I prefer my veggies raw (fresh and crunchy). I eat LOTS of fish and chicken moderately. I don't like red meat too much so I don't have alot of that (unless it's cooked in a nice dish). I'm a Muslim, so I don't eat pork. Below is my typical daily menu:

B: 2 - 3 eggs (scrambled, omelette or devilled), chicken/turkey ham/bacon, sometimes with cheese, Protein shake or sometimes black decaf tea/Chinese tea
L: Grilled/pan-fried fish or chicken, big cup of salad (raw)
D: Same as lunch or stir-fried shirataki noodles

I don't snack ('cos I'm always full!) and I drink ALOT of water.

Exercise: 4 - 5 times a week on average
Aerobics: 2 - 3 times a week
Weight training: 3 - 4 times a week
Cardio: 3 - 4 times a week

I join Amore Expressions (all-ladies gym and aerobics classes) and try to put in 2 sessions a week. Besides that, I try to spend an hour, 2 - 3 times a week at the gym at work. I drink the protein shake (~2g carbs in an 8oz serving) so that I can recover quickly from my heavy workout and also build lean muscle mass. Muscles burn calories even when we are not working out so it's good :). This WOE really gives me alot of energy and vibrance and I LOVE it!

Following Dr Atkins' recommendation, I also take a multivitamin (everyone should!). I got the one from GNC (Women's Mega). Don't be alarmed if you find that your pee is bright yellow, it's just the B Vitamins in the multivit (I was shocked the first time that happened). GNC also has a low-carb nutrition bar by EAS (Myoplex Low Carb, cookies 'n cream flavour). It has only ~1g net carb per 70g bar and tastes pretty good! I have it when I don't have time to cook but I try not to eat it too much.

Someone from another LC forum told us that shirataki noodles are almost 100% carb-free. I was esctatic! (I love noodles). Shirataki is almost 100% fibre (made of tuber root) so it's safe to be used even during Induction. You can easily find these noodles in most supermarkets, especially the Japanese run ones (like in Taka). These noodles are kinda rubbery (but not nasty rubbery, just chewy) and has no taste of its own. It absorbs flavours VERY well so however you cook it, it's delicious! One thing though, make sure you boil the noodles for a few minutes and wash before cooking. The noodles is packed in some sort of liquid and it may smell nasty for some!

Geez, I've been chatty! I can't shut up about this wonderful WOE!!!! Please do continue this thread so that we can discuss and share our stories between SIngaporeans. It's always easier to interact with people close to you.

LC, LC all the WAY!! :D

hey jewel........glad to know a new member that's based in sg.....

keep us updated.....you are doing really well and steady..... :thup:

Hi,

I am very glad to know these tips from you... i having been trying to find Splenda in Singapore... any ideas where to get it??

Splenda in Sg
 

Hi Rina,

Nice to see more Singaporean low carbers. Hopefully we can share more stories, tips, recipes, etc etc. About Splenda, unfortunately we can't get it in Sg. I've searched everywhere to no avail. Forget NTUC Fairprice or Cold Storage. They don't carry it. I've been to Jason's & Liberty Market, both don't have it either. My boyfriend is in the US and he recently sent me a box of Splenda. I expect that he'd be sending more boxes regularly at least until he gets to Sg.

Recently I discovered diet Snapple (peach tea) drink which is really good and low carb (only ~2g per bottle, if I'm not wrong). I found it at Taka. Another drink I found is Swiss Miss diet hot cocoa drink. One satchet (add to ~7oz of water) has about 3 - 4g of carbs or lesser. Maybe it's not good to have these too much on Induction but sometimes they can be a nice treat :).

I find that exercising helps ALOT with the weight loss. That and drinking alot of water. It's good to change your workout routine often so that your body doesn't get used to a particular one and stop exerting. Challenge your body to a different workout but always remember to be careful and check with your doctor before starting any exercise routine. Stop exercising if you feel breathless, dizzy or faint.

Just want to check with everyone, do you notice how weird your sweat smells? Not really nasty, just weird. I guess that's just the smell of the ketones.

Hi jewel,

hmmmm.. I noticed this diet swiss diet recently also.. sigh..have been trying to find splenda but cannot.. Do you know abt soy flour??? wonder what can we do with it? Can't seem to get alot of Atkins products in Singapore.. have you tried ordering online? If yes, is it expensive to order it into Singapore?

when you say the sweat is weird, what do you mean?? I never go and notice my sweat smell so far... please enlighten me...

Hi jewel,

hmmmm.. I noticed this diet swiss diet recently also.. sigh..have been trying to find splenda but cannot.. Do you know abt soy flour??? wonder what can we do with it? Can't seem to get alot of Atkins products in Singapore.. have you tried ordering online? If yes, is it expensive to order it into Singapore?

when you say the sweat is weird, what do you mean?? I never go and notice my sweat smell so far... please enlighten me...

pai seh....i do agree there's a whiff of ketones .....on the sweat. in fact i have to be more careful about it.....esp singapore has a very hot weather now! ermmm abt 28 degrees celcius nowadays...or even higher......literally hot still air.

i hardly take those sweeteners nowadays......probably i'll have some orange juice but not much......or occasionally coke light...or teh kosong.....

wow it will be great if someone residing in the States can send things over coz a lot of local foods here aint low-carb. i have a friend over there and i kept asking her for pork rinds. she doesnt agree to my diet and so she doesnt send. but she sent me beef jerkies and popcorns...i am hardly into popcorns and the beef jerkies have turned mouldy....whats worse....i can buy them at cold storage....