My love affair with food
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I have always been a foodie all my life. One of the worst things I have had to do to lose weight was give up on the things I loved the most. I had to say bye-bye to Fanta, Kurkure, pasteries, and chocolates. I have to admit that saying no to junk food was a healthy lifestyle choice but complete abstinence only made me crave for these things even more.
But I knew there was no shortcut to weight loss and if I wanted to be able to fit into a size 28 jeans (which I do now) from a size 38-40, I had to cut down on the consumption of empty calories that were packing on the kilos. It’s not been an easy journey and today I want to breakdown my experience, and the lessons I’ve learnt along the way for you all hoping it’s going to change your relationship with food.
I used to eat out almost four days a week, and that is not counting the snacks during the lunch breaks at work. I skipped lunch and had sandwiches, momos, or katti rolls instead. Dinner was some French fries, or the rice bowl at KFC. I knew eating like this wasn’t healthy but I did it anyways, always promising myself that after that one, last rice bowl I’d start eating rotis. But, like they say, tomorrow never came. The effects of eating out were aplenty. From constant digestion problems to weight gain, the battle with the repercussions continued on a daily basis.
When I decided to lose weight, I made a deal with myself that I’d only eat out on special occasions, or once in two weeks. I’d try a restaurant I hadn’t been to already and make ‘eating out’ an experience rather than just another thing I did. And so far, it’s worked wonders. Now eating out isn’t a regular thing anymore. It’s an occasion.
About packed lunches
For those of us who work, eating right is forever a challenge because we are constantly out and that, in a way, forces us to eat all kinds of stuff. For five days a week, I’d eat anything and everything – from samosas and chats to burgers to pizzas. If you eat these food items on a daily basis, sooner or later (always way sooner than later) it adds up and no matter how active a lifestyle you have, you are bulging in all the wrong places.
My solution to this was carrying food with me. I know most of you will probably balk at this idea. It’s too much effort, who has the time, we’re not in school anymore, you might think. But if you compare the pros and cons, the pros outweigh the cons. You’ll be eating healthy, losing weight, saving money, and feeling good about yourself if you decide to pack lunch from home instead of heading to the nearest fast food joint when you are hungry at work. And it doesn’t even take much time and effort. Try it once and you’ll see. You can also keep small nibbles like walnuts and almonds, or some chunks of cheese in zip lock bags in your purse and take them out when you feel hungry.
Carrying water with you
When I started my dieting/exercising program, one of the things I decided to do was drink more water. Since I was a Fanta fanatic, I would drink so much of the fizzy drink that all my water needs were being supplemented by it. After I cut down on Fanta, reducing my intake from one to two bottles a day to one to two bottles a week, I needed something to keep me hydrated. And so I began my day with a glass of water and ended it with another glass of water. Between that, I carried a bottle of water with me and kept sipping on it every now and then.
We’ve all heard about the glorious effects of water, and how we should drink it before we feel dehydrated. It’s easier said than done and especially in the winter months this can get a little tricky. But I have discovered that warm water with a dash of lemon carried in a hot flask can be a good way to make sure you keep sipping water during the day. In the summers, you can try infusing water with cucumber or other citrus flavored fruits. Water also works as a hunger quencher. Sometimes when you think you are hungry, you are actually only thirsty and a glass or two of water can delay your snack time by a few hours thus significantly reducing your calorie intake.
Discipline vs. indulgence
Weight loss is a matter of extreme discipline. But when you abstain from certain food items for long you crave them even more. What works for me is limited indulgence. I let myself go once a week. Throughout the week, I follow a healthy diet plan, with yes, plenty of fruits and greens, and then on the weekend, either Saturday or Sunday, I give in to my cravings. That one day, I’ll have anything I want – chocolates, mithai, pizza, bacon, and even Fanta. I don’t refrain from anything. But it’s just one day. And I have also been advised to supplement that with a day of detox every week. So once a week, preferably on a weekday, I go on a fruit and water diet. My digestion has never been better and I feel much more energetic than ever before.
The writer has dropped down to 51 kilos from a staggering 74 kilos and finally gets complimented on her fit
figure.
