A few weeks of not being careful with my diet and absolutely no exercise except taking the stairs to my first floor office and I started looking a little chubbier, and my newly bought pants felt a bit tight too. At first I refused to believe that I had gained weight but the scale didn't lie. From 74 kilos, I had come down to 68 and then to 63 and finally 57. I was feeling a lot thinner and fitter than ever before.
And then, all of a sudden, I should say, the scale showed 65. I was devastated. I had worked so hard to get rid of it all and now I was back to square one. Well, not exactly square one, but at the rate I was going I'd soon be there. I decided I would have to become a lot more disciplined and stay on track if I didn't want to become my fat old self.
But deciding on something is always the easy part. The hard part is putting it to action and getting down to work. And so it went for another month or so, at the end of which the scale showed 67. I knew I had to do something before all my hard work went down the drain.
A lot of us struggling with weight know that while losing weight is hard work, putting it back on is easy and that's disheartening. You feel like you are on the right track, and all these good clothes finally start fitting you and then wham, out of nowhere, your life spirals out of control and you're back to wearing bulky, loose fitting clothes to hide your love handles.
This happens to almost all of us during our weight loss journey. And it's simply because we are lazy and think there's no need to put in any more effort, that our thin selves are our real selves and we are destined to stay that way. But the hardest part when we are trying to lose weight is the bit where we have to work extra hard to keep the weight off. It's when we start losing weight that we also start losing the motivation to keep at it, mainly because we tend to think a slip here and there won't matter.
For me, when I finally fit into the dress that I had bought for the thin me, I think my subconscious mind just told me to take it easy and enjoy the glory that came with a slim figure and I did just that. Sipping on calorie heavy drinks and munching away on French fries day in and day out I was trying to prove that despite eating anything and everything I could still have the body I wanted.
Because I exercised, I didn't start putting on weight immediately. But then I cut down on my exercise too, reducing the number of times I frequented the gym and taking the bus to work and the effect was noticeable instantly. In a matter of just a week or so, my fat bounced back to me. It was as if it was silently lurking just around the corner waiting to come back home. The very people who once commented on my slimming figure started talking about how I was looking like my old self. I smiled and said it was a vicious cycle that I was caught up in but inwardly, I felt like shit.
Then just like that I joined the gym and started eating better once again. The weight loss, this time around, wasn't easy. It seemed as if my body had realized that it was going through the old routine, and like bacteria resisting antibiotics when you don't complete the entire course, was refusing to get back in shape. It took double the hard work and determination to keep at it and finally the scale started tipping.
What I have realized is that it's much easier to follow a disciplined lifestyle, and eating plan on a daily basis than it is to struggle with weight loss. A healthy body (and mind) naturally follows a good lifestyle. But slack on it and you are bound to suffer from mood swings and feel awful about yourself.
Once you embark on your weight loss journey, you shouldn't slip back into your old routine. However, know that it's completely natural and normal if you do. And it happens to the best of us. The thing is you shouldn't let it go on for too long. Restart your diet and fitness plan without a delay. It's most likely that you'll have lost a little motivation and plan to start again 'tomorrow' but remember: You said tomorrow yesterday.
The writer weighed 74 kilos and has now dropped down to 50 kilos. If you have any questions regarding her experience, write to her at sharmaditi374@gmail.com and she will try her best to guide you in your weight loss journey.
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