Yes, I was no longer the petite girl I had been during my college days. I could no longer wear body-hugging blouses. I had gained a little weight. But surely I was not fat. Or so I thought, till this mean old (albeit skinny and looking like a 40 year old despite being in her 60s) lady burst my bubble.
I wish I could say that this was when I decided to join a gym, eat healthy, and get a fabulous body. Though I had silently vowed to flaunt my toned body during Dashain that year, life isn't a Hindi movie, and it took me another year before I finally decided to do something about my creeping-on-me-weight.
I took great pains to make sure I steered clear of this lady who had so blatantly said 'Chyaa' at my face during Dashain that year because with no exercise and a diet consisting mostly of junk food, I had put on even more weight. And I did not want to have my self-esteem crushed again.
When I finally decided that I should do something about my spiraling-out-of-control body, I invested in a weighing scale and stood on it for the first time in years. I was shocked to discover that, at 5'2, I weighed a staggering 74 kilos. No wonder my favorite blue jacket ripped in the arm when I tried it on after finding it squashed at the bottom of the big tin box I stored my winter clothes in. And I thought the moths had had a go at it.
After the much need reality check, I was on a mission to lose weight. I made a silent promise that starting the very next day I'd give up all the things I loved to eat. On top of my list were Fanta, Kurkure, Mars bars, and processed food – sausages, ham, bacon.
Now this was not easy considering how I used to guzzle a bottle or two of Fanta a day and how my staple diet consisted of rice and sausages. I would abstain for a day or two before deciding to reward myself and eating everything I was supposed to stay away from. This vicious cycle continued for a while.
My dieting spree would be accompanied by exercises too. Too lazy to go for a run early in the morning, I'd skip or jog on spot in my room. I would decide to walk to work before hailing a cab or hopping on a micro bus (depending on how rich or poor I felt at the moment) halfway there.
Looking back now, the problem was that I lived in an era of instant gratification. I expected results instantaneously. I now know that's the mistake many of us make. We exercise for a day or two, at the max a week, and then expect to see a whole new self. And when that doesn't happen, we lose focus.
That's what happened with me. For another year I did my yo-yo dieting and sporadic bursts of exercise thing, making new goals and plans with every passing week but failing to stick to any as the scale refused to budge from 74. In the meanwhile, I avoided family gatherings and made silly excuses to dodge taking pictures when out with friends. I vowed to be a better version of myself and then make up for lost time.
And then just like that, in the middle of a glass of bubbling Fanta, I realized that life was passing me by and I was letting it. I was 28 years old and not getting any younger. Waiting to lose weight and then live my life, I would one day look back and be filled with regret. This realization stirred something in me and I decided enough was enough.
I gulped down the rest of my Fanta and googled the nearest fitness center. I'd sign up for aerobics or kickboxing or any other form of cardio exercise. I would also make a diet plan without completely depriving myself of the things I loved most. And I'd do it now, before it was too late.
You won't lose weight unless you really commit yourself to it. There are no shortcuts to weight loss. Planning in one thing, but sticking to it is a whole new ball game. So I decided to take it slow and then gradually incorporate fitness and healthy eating into my lifestyle. That sounded like a much more doable idea and believe you me, it was.
In the six months that followed, my weighed dropped to 68 from 74. And I didn't feel like I had killed myself in the process. I will be talking more about how I managed to accomplish that over the next few weeks, till then I leave you with this thought: How badly do you want to look and feel good?
The writer now weighs 51 kilos and gets complimented on her fit figure.
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