A Sweet Journey Of Weight Loss...

The season of festivities which had started from Ganesh Chaturthi had finally and as usual sadly, come to an end with Bhaubeej. As we were busy putting away the lamps, lanterns and festoons, we heard a sudden shriek from one of our colleagues. It sounded as if she had sighted a ghost, although i would attribute it more to sighting of a cockroach. We all ran towards her, only to find her horrified and staring down at the weighing scale...."Oh my God!!! I have put on 7 kgs in the last 3 months!!!" she gasped. Who wouldn't, after all those sweets and savories that found their way into our tummies!!! 

There was an instant deja vu to my own reaction after last Diwali. Exactly a year back, I had mustered up the courage to step on to a weighing scale....and what i saw, was a number that wouldn't let me sleep in peace. My husband had been selected for a Fellowship Training in BARIATRIC AND METABOLIC SURGERY(surgery to treat obesity and diabetes)  which led us to discuss at length about weight gain. It was then that I realized how I perfectly fitted into the definition of an obese person. Although I had been trying to avoid facing the fact for quite some time, there it stood...not just ringing my doorbell, but literally banging on my door!!!!

The few things that constantly told me that  Iwas piling on extra kilos were...

• Constant tiredness, laziness and drowsiness
• Feeling low leading to depression (This depression often lead to eating more to get over the feeling leading to a vicious cycle).
• My clothes had gotten tighter (I didn't want to accept it)
• I could not do as much work as I used to do earlier with ease 
• Walking for long distances caused pain in my feet and joints
• Breathlessness on climbing stairs (it was just 3 floors!!!!!)
• I had gone from size L to XL (Again, I turned a blind eye!!!)

But it was high time and I decided to put my feet down.....This lead to my NEW YEAR RESOLUTION for 2016...."LOSE 10 KGS IN 10 MONTHS"

The journey wasn’t going to be easy but "Where there is a will, there is a way!". After umpteen discussions with my husband, dietitians and innumerable internet searches about how to go ahead, I started off on the path to loose weight, which led to a happy feeling. I discovered a few un-debatable facts:-

DIET forms one of the most important pillars to good health....only a healthy, balanced diet will help you lead a fitter life.

EXERCISE is as important as diet. Even 30 minutes a day of exercise will help you go a long way, in maintaining fitness.

REST... without which your body cannot cope with the stress of daily life.

STATE OF MIND...Most important of all is to keep a positive state of mind and be regular and persevere in achieving your physical goals.

DIET

A few things that I followed and that helped me discover the pleasure of healthy eating.

• Breakfast has to be the largest meal of the day as it prevents hunger pangs later on. All meals have to be taken at regular intervals of 3-4 hours.
• Dinner should be had, as far as possible, by 8 pm. If not, at least 3 hours before going to bed.
• Count your calories and avoid overeating
• It is best to have a balance of all nutrients (carbs, protein, fiber, minerals & vitamins)in every meal.Having a larger proportion of protein compared to carbs is recommended.
• It is very beneficial to have a large portion of raw veggies & salads prior to every meal. This not only gives you a good source of dietary fiber, but also fills you up, limiting consumption of excess calories.
• Sugar (refined, as well as that hidden in processed foods & beverages) should be struck off your list completely.It is this excess load which silently adds on calories( and you don't even realize it!!!). 
• READ LABELS before buying processed foods & beverages. 
• STAY OFF SWEETENED CARBONATED BEVERAGES.

Limit intake of carbs (esp. rice).A small bowl is acceptable, but not a large heap.

Although one is free to try slimming products like green tea, slimming tea, etc. I did not try any of these.(I did try having green tea, but could not be regular at it)

Celebrate a "BINGE DAY" every fortnight, when you can gorge on the stuff you stopped yourself from having during the week...Believe me, if you are dedicated, even on this day you end up eating healthy... hahahaha....

Most important of all, DRINK lots of WATER.....drinking 2 -3 liters of water daily at regular intervals, not only keeps you well hydrated, but also helps you lose weight. An added advantage is that your skin glows like that of a baby!!!!

EXERCISE

• It is always best to choose a form of exercise that you are passionate about, whether it is yoga, running, cycling, dancing or swimming.Your passion for it helps you maintain regularity.
• 30-45 minutes of exercise a day is more than enough to keep you going. 
• It not only increases your basal metabolic rate(BMR), but also keeps your hormones in check.
• Exercising helps you gain vigor and keeps you active throughout the day.
• It releases ENDORPHINS, which are hormones that help us feel good & happy.
• It will keep your joints and muscles from getting stiff & rigid with age.
• It is best to enroll with a trainer or an exercising group who will keep you motivated to continue your routine.Consider it an investment which will give you good health in return.

REST

It is as important to give your body adequate rest, as it is to exercise. Sleep for at least 7 hours at night. This is imperative as this is the time when your body undergoes "Repairs". Without good maintenance, normal functioning is difficult.

Pamper yourself with a body massage or spa treatment once in a month to relieve you of all the aches and pains caused by exercising.

STATE OF MIND

Unless one has a positive state of mind, it is difficult to maintain physical fitness and at the same time fitness leads to a positive attitude. You can choose to meditate for a few minutes or just unwind by listening to the music you love. It is helpful to be mentally peaceful and approach life with a positive attitude.

Finally, we only have to do our best and give our 100%. The key lies in being regular and consistent. I can say from my own experience, that it is this consistency and perseverance that took me from the weight of 77.5KGs in Jan'16 to 67.5 KGs in just 6 months.

"Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity". These are the words of the famous John F Kennedy.

SO,MY DEAR FRIENDS, EAT HEALTHY, STAY FIT, THINK POSITIVE AND LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST!!!!!!

PS: All images, courtesy Google image search!