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I chanced upon this quote today, “I'd much rather eat pasta and drink wine than be a size zero.” Sophia Loren 1965. And thought we need to dispel this diet myth. I'm all for body positivity, loving yourself and setting realistic body goals but! Who ever said that enjoying our favourite foods and keeping our health in check have to be mutually exclusive? It’s misconceptions like these that sometimes stop people even starting a healthy lifestyle! Psst! Our cookbook even contains pasta recipes! 🤣 Everything can be enjoyed in moderation and anyone that tells you otherwise is not providing accurate, science-based information! Now let's address the elephant in the room. Can we have the best of both worlds? Of course! There are many ways to bio-hack the hell out of our body mechanisms and get the most mileage out of our meals. One way is making use of the metabolic loophole, the Thermic Effect of Food to help you ch eat your way to attaining those weight loss goals faster and easier, without lifting an extra kilo. In a nutshell, the thermic effect of food is the increase in your metabolic rate after eating and is the highest when consuming.... Protein! Let's explore the concept and explain it in monetary terms. Now let's say, we see calories as currency and our body as the wallet. Every calorie is a dollar and we have a budget of $1000 to spend everyday. Overspend and you'll gain weight, underspend and you'll lose weight! When you spend $1000 on protein, you'll receive $250 to $350 back as rebates! So technically, you only spent $700 to $750! However, if you spend the same amount of money $1000 on fat, you'll only receive $20 to $30 worth of rebates. All in all, you spent $970 to $980 on fat. Pfft! What a bad deal. The savings are the highest when you spend on protein! The more you stay in budget and save, the more you will lose weight in the real world! With the extra savings that you enjoyed from spending on protein, you'll always have extra cash in your wallet to either spend on other foods you enjoy, but you'll maintain your current weight, or not spend it at all and lose weight - whichever your goal is. Let's bring it up a notch. Okay, now on top of eating more protein, you decide to incorporate resistance training into your routine and you gain muscle along the way. Whoa! That's bio-hack x2! Hear me out. Muscle tissue consumes a lot of calories, which literally means you can eat more without putting on weight and that it can eat away at your stored fat! This means this wallet of yours has now turned its SGD1000 (Singapore dollar) to USD1000 (US dollar) , a stronger currency! Now $1000 can buy you EVEN MORE FOOD without compromising on your current health goals. With more muscles in your body, you have more calories to spare for your favourite foods! You'll probably also be losing weight even when you're at rest and doing nothing at all. So don’t worry about muscles making you look bulky, your muscles will help to remove the fat that is already making you look bulky in all the wrong places! I hope my explanation above can help you see the bigger picture. Our body is an amazing machine that already has everything well thought out for you. From its nervous, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular systems, etc - every system is designed to perform in the most optimal way, until you mistreat it with bad lifestyle habits. There are many research studies that have shown that exercise is literally like preventive medicine, reducing the risk of developing premature health problems. Regular workouts not only improve your energy levels but your overall quality of life, mental and physical well being. So where do I start you ask? If you want to give your health a chance, our health and nutrition Power Plans are here to guide you every step of the way. We cover hot topics like whether you need to do cardio on an empty stomach, is keto the best, why calories still count but more importantly, we show you clearly how to structure your nutrition and training in-depth, with references linking you to the latest and most relevant research, all presented in a way that everyone can understand. I know going to the gym may sound intimidating for some of you, we also have home workout plans that will show you how you can use household items, bottles of detergents, backpacks and trusty resistance bands to train wherever you are, whether you’re at home, on a future holiday, business trip, whatever your location, your location becomes the gym! Of course, if you already understand how your body works and have a comprehensive plan on how you want to attain your body goals, you don't have to purchase our plans. All I want for you reading this right now, is to be as healthy and health-conscious as you can so we can improve the quality of our lives and be there for our loved ones. Don't neglect your health because of work, social or other non-health related commitments. If you lose a job opportunity, you can probably find another one eventually. But if you lose your health, it's not reversible, you cannot replace your body and your good health is never going to come back. It's the beginning of a new month. Set new goals and do right by yourself. Good luck my friends! Your friend, Juliana

Also keep reading to learn a surefire way to attain sustainable weight loss. 😉 I feel the need... to lift. I'm sorry guys, I just saw Top Gun: Maverick and absolutely felt the need to do this. 😜 Anyway, just in case you're wondering what's up with the band around my arm in the picture above - well, when I'm working out at home, there's an understandably limited choice of weights, compared to our gym. I make sure I can still stimulate muscle growth by employing the Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) training method where I increase metabolic stress on my muscles safely with a tight band around my limbs. As the saying goes, Where there's a will, there's a way.😉 After I started our mobile clinic, RESCU , I found my 'will' to maintain my fitness objectives over the past few years stronger than ever. This is surprising for someone like me who used to hate PE (Physical Education) in school. One of the key services offered at our clinic is health screenings. On many occasions, I realised that patients' less-than-ideal blood test results are mainly attributed to their poor lifestyle choices. But the puzzling thing is that even with the poor results and less-than-pleasant treatments prescribed, many are still not inclined to change their lifestyles. Instead, seeing their predicament motivated me greatly and when I realised we can possibly out-exercise these bad health ailments, I stepped up my fitness routine instantly. After talking to some patients and our loved ones who were unable to lose weight even with their health scares, we realised the reason was simple. Their routines are just not sustainable . Recently, a fitness client of ours showed us his personalised one-month fitness plan from his previous PT and in my opinion, it was way too strenuous and unsustainable, some might even say it's absurd! One-Month Fitness Programme from a client's ex PT: * I removed the PT's company name for privacy reasons.* It basically suggested the client to do jumping jacks, crunches, squats and push ups, increasing the intensity every day for an entire month. The only humane thing the programme suggested was that the client rest on Sundays. Still, this is extremely dangerous. These are all high impact exercises that require ample rest in between so your muscles can recuperate. At this rate, you may suffer an injury which will decimate your fitness journey. The programme also suggested that the client drink three litres of water (and nothing else), avoid carbs at night (Why only at night? The time of day for meals usually doesn't make a difference to your daily calorie count) and 45 minutes of cardio training everyday on top of the exercises. Now I completely foresee the beginning of failure - eating less, exercising more without consideration for recovery, your food preferences, current lifestyle and schedule is just not sustainable. You can lose weight and stay that way, even without trying so hard. Did I mention this PT said consume 3 litres of water a day and nothing else ?! Oh come on! Let's be realistic, who can do this for the rest of their lives? If you answer you can, good for you! You're a rare disciplined gem. Well, for the rest of us, we'll probably be misery guts for a long time and possibly a candidate for revenge eating and drinking in the future. Some of you may argue that this programme is doable. Well, the only times we did see actual weight loss results with such programmes are when there's a self-imposed finish line such as a wedding, Christmas/Chinese New Year gatherings, photoshoots, etc. Usually after the stipulated deadline is over, old habits tend to kick back in. It's almost like seeing sprinters run during a competition like their lives depend on it and after they cross the finish line, you don't see them sprint anymore, instead we usually see them throttle back and just walk/jog on the track. The thing is - there's no finish line in fitness journeys. In order to have long term weight loss results, we need to treat this like a life-long leisure walk in the park. Slow and steady will win this race. Over the years, I learnt that health scares, major events and even others' positive/negative opinions don't motivate people enough to keep up with their fitness routines in the long term. But! Sustainable fitness and nutrition plans do! Remember it has to feel like a walk in the park. So where do we go from here? Firstly, I want to ask you, were you ever at a point in your life where you were happy with your weight and lifestyle? If you did, what did you do then that you're doing differently now? For you lot, the method may be quite simple - you could just trace back your steps to see if you could replicate the same lifestyle habits? Same methods, same happy results! A lot of folks I’ve spoken to want to get back to a body weight they once had. The funny thing is that when I ask them to think back to what they were doing, they realise, like a light bulb moment, that they weren’t starving themselves and they weren’t exercising 24/7! It doesn’t have to be so hard! It’s the gradual accumulation of a little here and there that overtime, repeated again and again, brings you where you are and in the same way, just a little here and there can get you back to where you want to be! But in the same way, the weight gain didn’t occur over night, you won’t lose it over night either, it’ll take some time but you bet it’ll be easier than scammo programmes that say you can do this in just a few weeks, counting on you to fall for their quick fix, instant gratification scams! Thankfully, you’re smarter than that! For the rest of you, if you're still looking for a sustainable programme, Bobby and I have come up with a comprehensive programme with a menu of exercise routines and recipes with calorie info included so you can plan your routine more realistically and healthily. If you think I’m trying to blow our own trumpet here. That may be true but it's because we truly recognize the problem and we’ve already done all the research for you, calculated the nutritional info and created an exercise plan that will not tire you out in minutes. With our evidence-based fat loss programmes, we hope we can help you become your own celebrity coach, personal trainer, nutritionist and motivational speaker. Of course, if you prefer to engage your own fitness instructor, I highly recommend it too. Just make sure it's not an unrealistic programme like the one above. You know the red flags. 😏👆 If you want to lose weight, it has to become your daily lifestyle and habit. Saying you're going to cut out a food group or macronutrient completely is not sustainable. If you do choose to use our plans, I have to emphasise that the books do not mince words. It is not a one-week plan to become a Victoria's Secret model kind of programme. Well, you know that already too. 👆 All you need right now is a little perseverance, a mindset change and some elbow grease to be able to achieve your fat loss goals and keep the body of your dreams. I could do this all day! Check out our Flow Fysique Factory Power Plans here - 3f.energy/powerplans (Don't forget to download our free ebook!) We also have a blog and YouTube channel where we address the misconceptions and debunk the myths about weight loss on a weekly basis. Alright, thank you so much for being here. Let me know what you think about what I discussed in this post in the comments below. Talk to me, boos! Hehe! I'm sorry - I just had to do it. Have fun and keep sparkling, belles and beaus! 💪✨ Your friend, Juliana

It’s-a me, Mario! (And me, living my best childhood dream!) We’re reporting live from Jewel Changi Airport, where the highly anticipated  Nintendo Pop-Up Store has officially landed and it’s everything we ever wished for! ✨ Brace yourselves: over 500 Nintendo goodies await, including 150 new and exclusive merch items you literally  can’t find anywhere else outside of Japan! (Cue the fangirl/boy screams.) Relive the magic with iconic fan-favourites like Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Animal Crossing. Walking into the store, I swear I felt like I had hit a warp pipe straight back to my childhood. 🍄 Mark your calendars - the pop-up is here till 24 July 2025, so don’t sleep on it! But wait, the adventure doesn’t stop there! 🏎️ Channel your inner racer at the Mario Kart Jewel Circuit Challenge! We zoomed through six amazing installations featuring Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, and the whole crew. (Pro tip: Bring your most comfortable shoes because you’re gonna want to explore every inch!) And omg! It’s one of Jewel’s biggest installations EVER. Standing there, I honestly felt like I had jumped inside  the game itself. The life-sized characters! 🍄 Bonus Level: Complete all six stations, collect stamps on your game card, and win an exclusive Mario Kart sticker pack ! (Yes, I’m proudly sticking mine everywhere.) A huge thank you to Jovet  for sponsoring my outfit for the event . I felt stylish, comfy, and 100% adventure-ready! We had an absolute blast! So grab your friends, family, and fellow Nintendo lovers, and join the Mario crew for all the epic fun at Jewel! Ready, set, GO! Your friend, Juliana

I could seriously live in these Alice + Olivia  pieces forever (like, move in, set up camp, and never leave. 🤪) Everything from their SS2025 collection is chef’s kiss - pretty, playful, and made for spring flings (and floral things).  Here’s a peek into my little floral diaries , shot at their stunning new store in Raffles City with my bestie Melissa . Huge thank you to Lilac Summers for the blooming surprises, and to Alice + Olivia for having me. Now go on, keep scrolling and join me on this petal-powered adventure! 💐💃 Alice + Olivia 252 North Bridge Road, #01-27 Raffles City Shopping Centre Singapore 179103 Yup! More florals, more joy! Hope you enjoyed my little garden edit. Now go give yourself a floral moment too. You deserve it! 😉💐 Your friend, Juliana

We’re soooo  in LOVE with how our Disneyland adventure shoot turned out! We dreamt up the theme just a few days before the trip - think Indiana Jones, Jungle Book, Tarzan, and a dash of Jungle Cruise magic. And Chatty from Sweet Escape brought it all to life perfectly  through her lens! 📸 Keep scrolling… things are about to get wild! 🦁🐘🦓🌴 What do you think? We’re absolutely whipped  (like Indy’s lasso 😂) for how this Disneyland adventure shoot turned out! This shoot isn’t sponsored -we just genuinely want to give a HUGE shoutout to Sweet Escape and our amazing photographer Chatty . The photos were ready in just one day , and she’s honestly the sweetest human ever. 🥹 She made us feel so at ease and even knew all the hidden gems around the park - like having your own Disneyland guide and hype squad rolled into one. If you’re planning a trip and want memories that belong in a museum (Indy would approve), book your own shoot with Sweet Escape. You’ll have so  much fun, I promise! Your friend, Juliana

Am I Not Good Enough? A girlfriend of mine whom I personally think is incredibly intelligent and open-minded said this during one of our recent gatherings. I was shocked, because I’ve always found her to be one of the fastest thinkers among us. She picks up complex ideas in a snap. But then I realised… this was the  Dunning-Kruger Effect  at play. She had just started a new job and was overwhelmed by the steep learning curve. That’s when I recognised it: she was in what we call the  Valley of Despair . If you’ve ever doubted yourself the more you learned, or watched someone confidently get things totally wrong… keep reading. What Is the Dunning-Kruger Effect? The Dunning-Kruger Effect is a psychological phenomenon where People with low ability in a certain area tend to overestimate their competence. Those with high ability tend to underestimate themselves. Or more cheekily put: The less you know, the more confident you feel. The more you know, the more you realise you don’t know. Where It Shows Up In the workplace : That one colleague who talks like they know everything… but barely scratches the surface. In school : When you think the exam was “so easy” and then… 🫠 On social media : "Experts with unknown credentials" sharing definitive life advice. Looking at myself... haha! Why It Happens People who lack knowledge or skills also lack the awareness to recognise their own limitations. Meanwhile, people who are actually skilled are more likely to see the nuances, gaps, and complexities so they become more humble (or even self-doubting). This feeling of knowing more but feeling less sure sometimes even overlaps with Impostor Syndrome , where capable people doubt their own abilities despite clear evidence of success. How It Often Looks Here's a classic confidence vs. competence graph: Peak of Mount Stupid  – “I know everything!” 🙋‍♀️ Valley of Despair  – “Oh no… there’s so much I don’t know.” 😩 Slope of Enlightenment  – “I’m learning and improving!” 🧗‍♀️ Plateau of Sustainability  – “I know a lot, and I also know there’s more to learn.” 🤓 My Real-Life Lessons 1. A Confident Colleague I once worked with someone who had years of experience in a similar environment, while I was relatively new in that particular setting. Naturally, I assumed they’d know more than me and could guide the way. But I started noticing small inconsistencies, mistakes kept happening, and this individual would downplay them, saying it was just part of the job. Even with my own experience, I found myself second-guessing what I knew. She sounded so sure of herself - maybe I was the one who didn’t get it? Looking back, it was a classic Dunning-Kruger moment on both sides. Her confidence likely came from familiarity, not necessarily depth. And my doubt? That came from underestimating my own instincts and experience. When I gently suggested we explore more training, the response was: “Why should I? I’ve done this for years. No one else ever asked me to do more.” Eventually, the gap between confidence  and competence  became clear, not just to me, but to the rest of the team as well. The lesson?  It’s not about how long you’ve done something. It’s about how open you are to keep learning, adapting, and growing. 2. Trusting the Wrong People When I started a business, I brought in teammates who seemed super confident about managing finances and strategy. I had run businesses before and handled accounts myself, but because these folks were so vocal about how “great” they were (even though they hadn’t built anything of their own), I deferred to them. Big mistake. Their overconfidence led to poor decisions, ignored feedback and ultimately zero growth. When they left (and took their poor management practices with them), our revenue jumped by 50%. The most ironic part? I was already aware of the Dunning-Kruger Effect… but somehow, I still fell for it. A Reflection on Confidence Recently, I asked my husband what first drew him to me 12 years ago. He said, “I liked how confident you were.” Funny thing is… I barely remember what that version of me felt like. Even some long-time friends told me I’d lost my spark. And I started to wonder what had changed. I think it's because I can just see how much I don’t know now. And honestly? I don’t want to make a fool of myself. Looking back, I was probably standing proudly at the Peak of Mount Stupid when I was younger. 😅 But as I’ve learned and grown, I’ve gotten quieter. More cautious. I told myself to listen more than I speak. Finally... Please don’t get me wrong - I’m not saying we shouldn’t be confident. But if you’re feeling unsure… if you’re doubting yourself… if you’re wondering, “Am I not good enough?” Maybe you’re just in the Valley of Despair . And if that’s where you are? You’re actually further along than you think. Because the hardest part of growth is learning when to stay humble and when to own your brilliance. These days, I tell myself - I do know a lot. But I can always learn more. And truth is - the Dunning-Kruger Effect can creep in anytime we start learning something new. So don’t be surprised if it shows up again and again, in different areas of your life. It’s completely normal. That’s why I believe I’m now at the Plateau of Sustainability   where confidence and curiosity finally live in harmony. I hope this post has been useful. What stage do you think you’re in right now? Leave me a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts and cheer you on in your journey too. Your friend, Juliana

Wrapped up romantic February with my dearest Angie and Audrey, who also took these lovely shots for me! We spent the afternoon at Cultivate Cafe , a plant-based café inside Maxwell Reserve that honestly looks like it belongs in Beauty and the Beast. Think British library vibes, cozy corners, and so many photo-worthy spots. Thank you Angie for introducing this gorgeous place to me! Now I’m usually a steak-loving carnivore 🙈, but the food here really surprised me! The Pad Thai with baked tofu was sooo good, and those crispy kale leaves? Honestly better than chips. Even the desserts were a total win. Everything’s vegan, gluten-free, and made with organic ingredients from small farms but it doesn’t feel overly “clean,” just super flavourful. Good food, dreamy ambience, and lovely service, what’s not to love? I’ll definitely be back! Your friend, Juliana

On Wednesdays, we glow in pink! If you’ve followed my beauty journey with Celevenus Wellness & Aesthetic Clinic , you’ll know it’s not just about what goes on the skin but what goes in, too. I’m super prone to freckles and pigmentation (like, sun = instant freckle), so Celevenus recommended this skin-loving supplement packed with glutathione, L-cysteine, and EstheWhite Tomato extract. Think antioxidants, hydration, and even a little UV protection from within! Yes, you heard that right - some ingredients like EstheWhite Tomato extract have been shown to offer mild internal UV protection by helping your skin defend itself against oxidative stress caused by sun exposure. It’s not a replacement for sunscreen, but it gives your skin an extra line of defense from the inside out. Plus, it’s vegetarian-friendly and proudly made in Singapore! 🇸🇬💪 Here's my skin, no filters, just many hours of makeup wear and a lot of glow. 🙈 You can purchase these supplements directly from Celevenus Wellness & Aesthetic Clinic if you’d like to give it a go! Hope this was useful for you!! Happy Wednesday! Your friend, Juliana

Looking out to the ocean, I realised… it’s been a while since we’ve had such a calm, serene afternoon. Feeling incredibly grateful for my husband, my family, our amazing SingMedical team, my dear friends… and especially Angie, who popped by my clinic twice before our flight just to pass me these gorgeous outfits! 🥹 This one’s from her Jovet Isetan Scotts branch, and I’m absolutely obsessed. Thanks to her, I’ve felt confident and put-together every single day on this trip. The dress I’m wearing is comfortable, flattering, and perfect for the season and setting - the fabric feels luxurious, cinches at the waist in all the right places, and honestly… I feel like a Disney princess in it. 👑✨ Psst! Jovet's Spring collection at TANGS is out now too and it’s on another level. Fresh, flattering, and so easy to style. Angie poured her heart into these pieces, and it truly shows in every detail. Go check it out! You’ll fall in love. 💐 Happy shopping! 💕  Your friend, Juliana

Woohoo! Welcome to Part 2 of my Hong Kong Disneyland adventure! This one’s extra magical - I promise! 🌙 Witness the most breathtaking Disney castle at night 🎄 Watch Santa Goofy light up the Christmas tree 🍽️ Join us for an amazing hotel buffet dinner with Mickey, Minnie and Pluto! 🎹 And don’t miss the jaw-dropping piano performance at the end! (Trust me - it’s worth it!) PLUS, I do a little merch showcase AND Bobby surprised me with the most beautiful Disney-themed gift to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary! 🥹 This trip just keeps getting better and better. Come experience the magic with me! 💕✨ Your friend, Juliana