I have always been fat and a foodie. Bred on Shiraz's biryani and Badshah rolls - no food was too high on calories nor too heavy to digest. Thums up flows through my veins like blood. Don't get me wrong- I was happy . While other girls in my college were dieting to get into the latest LBD, I never lacked for male company despite my girth. It helped that i had a nice creamy cleavage and a great sense of humour!!
Cut to present- on the face of it I have it all great family , fantastic career and general bonhomie. Every weekend is a blast and sometimes on a weekday, my hubby and I sneak away to catch a matinee show. So why am I standing in a gym on a Saturday morning feeling like a new recruit in school? Well, I'm 40 and not in the pink of health. I have the usual thyroid, BP and diabetes combo and I think my body parts are all in general decline. But thats not brought me to the door of this sweat hell. Its my son Saieesh .
He innocently said, "Mom, you stay home and read a book, Baba and I are gooing to the club to play badminton." And suddenly , I saw the rest of my life just fly past me- me sitting on our flowery divan reading a book, with my sleek specs sitting on my nose and about 40 kilos of fat sitting on my hips. I would probably need a maid to move from the divan to the chair in front of my system. Believe me , it was not something that I aspired for. I always laughed and made fun of people dieting, exercising, watching weight; they were sucking the fun out of life, I said. Its better to eat rather than abstain. I mean what if I died tomorrow - my soul would yearn for the kalakandh i could have had. People envied me for this attitude of mine - but I was wrong.
So I am losing my mind about how to lose 40 kilos. I weigh 97 kgs. Its a long haul and I know myself . I will go for a walk maybe for a week and then just give up and go back to sleep. I am good at falling off the wagon. Hubby backs me. He's a health freak anyway so he can't wait to recruit me on his team. Maybe he will succeed this time.
So the search for a gym starts. I go to a neighbourood one evening with great enthusiasm. I walk in into a small dingy room and all the janta actually stops what they are doing and stares at me. Somewhere in the background, Sheila ki jawani is blaring and I guess my dhalti jawani is attracting a lot of unwarranted attention. Hubby walks in and everyone goes back to benching in great haste. A really fat guy materialises and introduces himself as the trainer. And I am like, 'Really!! This fatso wants to give me advice on losing weight. No way.' I need a rocking trainer whose going put the fear of fat into me. This guy does not stand a chance with me. Hubby is of course thinking in his mind,"Please God! Get my wife get out off this gym- this is a fish market."
The second option turns out to be much better. Its a government-run facility and is huge. I walk in and stare at the people running on treadmills. They look like a bunch of out of shape robocops. A small five feet tall girl glides to me. "Come and join in," she says. I look at her in total disbelief. She is just 18 and she is for some reason is not sniggerring at my fat. "Will I survive here?" I ask her softly. "Of course, lose bhi karoge madam!" Like the faith though not sure it will happen but my curiosity got te better of me.
So did I survive there- will fill you guys in on Day 1 tomorrow!!
Cut to present- on the face of it I have it all great family , fantastic career and general bonhomie. Every weekend is a blast and sometimes on a weekday, my hubby and I sneak away to catch a matinee show. So why am I standing in a gym on a Saturday morning feeling like a new recruit in school? Well, I'm 40 and not in the pink of health. I have the usual thyroid, BP and diabetes combo and I think my body parts are all in general decline. But thats not brought me to the door of this sweat hell. Its my son Saieesh .
He innocently said, "Mom, you stay home and read a book, Baba and I are gooing to the club to play badminton." And suddenly , I saw the rest of my life just fly past me- me sitting on our flowery divan reading a book, with my sleek specs sitting on my nose and about 40 kilos of fat sitting on my hips. I would probably need a maid to move from the divan to the chair in front of my system. Believe me , it was not something that I aspired for. I always laughed and made fun of people dieting, exercising, watching weight; they were sucking the fun out of life, I said. Its better to eat rather than abstain. I mean what if I died tomorrow - my soul would yearn for the kalakandh i could have had. People envied me for this attitude of mine - but I was wrong.
So I am losing my mind about how to lose 40 kilos. I weigh 97 kgs. Its a long haul and I know myself . I will go for a walk maybe for a week and then just give up and go back to sleep. I am good at falling off the wagon. Hubby backs me. He's a health freak anyway so he can't wait to recruit me on his team. Maybe he will succeed this time.
So the search for a gym starts. I go to a neighbourood one evening with great enthusiasm. I walk in into a small dingy room and all the janta actually stops what they are doing and stares at me. Somewhere in the background, Sheila ki jawani is blaring and I guess my dhalti jawani is attracting a lot of unwarranted attention. Hubby walks in and everyone goes back to benching in great haste. A really fat guy materialises and introduces himself as the trainer. And I am like, 'Really!! This fatso wants to give me advice on losing weight. No way.' I need a rocking trainer whose going put the fear of fat into me. This guy does not stand a chance with me. Hubby is of course thinking in his mind,"Please God! Get my wife get out off this gym- this is a fish market."
The second option turns out to be much better. Its a government-run facility and is huge. I walk in and stare at the people running on treadmills. They look like a bunch of out of shape robocops. A small five feet tall girl glides to me. "Come and join in," she says. I look at her in total disbelief. She is just 18 and she is for some reason is not sniggerring at my fat. "Will I survive here?" I ask her softly. "Of course, lose bhi karoge madam!" Like the faith though not sure it will happen but my curiosity got te better of me.
So did I survive there- will fill you guys in on Day 1 tomorrow!!
You will, dear girl! Keep the faith, and the vision of you missing the fun of playing badminton intact!! Exercise is the only way to ensure that you'll get to eat whatever you want!! Leena (Venugopal) has taken up running long distance so that she can eat what she wants!! In face she was running the half marathon last weekend!! You'll do it! And we'll also get some entertaining anecdotes on the blog about your experiences there! All the best!!
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