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Introduction Text Update (As on 28th December 2017) Weight in Oct.'08: 231 lbs Weight in Feb.'11: 127 lbs Weight in Dec.'16: 190.6 lbs 8 years have gone by, and some of those lost pounds have managed to creep back again. I have a gazillion reasons as to why it happened- I got caught up with MBA (where I was getting to sleep for a maximum of 3-4 hours per day), I got into a job post that which was physically exhausting and emotionally draining, I got into a relationship that was sucking the life out of me. But the truth is- I grew complacent. I was caught up in a rut of mediocrity. My dietary pattern yo yo-ed between squeaky clean to abysmal, my workouts dissolved into the background, and I gained weight. I tried to ignore it for the first couple of pounds, and I kept on spending on a new wardrobe; then I kept on making solemn promises- Next Monday, Next Month, Next year. Needless to say, those Mondays never came; not for 5 years. And I'm done. I would be starting from scratch again; and this page would bear the testimony of the hard work I'd be putting in 2017. Starting Date: Somewhere during the end of Oct '08 Starting weight: 231 lbs Current weight: View my tracker at the bottom of the page Goal weight: 121 lbs/weight at which I am comfortable with my body Starting waist size: 42 in Current waist size: 29 in Goal waist size: 28 in/size at which I am comfortable with my body "The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person who is doing it" I'm losing weight without having the need to join a gym or a slimming club, popping in diet pills or resorting to fad diets. And no, I'm not starving myself or forcing myself to eat something I detest. Who says food that is healthy can't be delicious? I'm not against gyms (In fact, I love working out on elliptical trainer and plan to join a gym during my summer break because it'll be sedentary without the long walks in the college campus) but the keyword here is 'CARDIO'. Jogging in a park is as much of cardio as jogging on a treadmill. I have always refrained from joining a gym because of my 'Treadmill Phobia' and the fact that I feel more comfortable when I'm working out by myself. A friend of mine had once told me (yes, I'll quote her :P) "You would never be able to lose weight without joining a gym" I can, and I have. Don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't do. If it is working for you: it works! :) The hardest part about weight loss isn't eating right or exercising; the hardest part is patience. The hardest part is accepting the fact that you won't reach your goal weight overnight. The hardest part is keeping your sanity intact in those moments where you feel like giving up. And you know why I love this site? Because when I feel like giving up, I realize that I can't 'stop' dieting because I'm not doing that in the first place. I'm going to eat healthy either ways! I love this site for making sure that giving up is not an option. Losing weight is NOT about starving yourself. The truth is that depriving your body of the fuel it needs will have an adverse effect on your weight loss. The point is to eat healthy! And no, healthy is not synonymous to banal, tasteless meals you have to force yourself to eat. Trust me, if these idiotic slimming clubs and the people who churn out 'miraculous' diet pills would FINALLY stop taking advantage of the lack of knowledge people have, obesity would no longer be an epidemic it has become. I'm 20 years old and I'm doing engineering from a university.I'm fed up of : 1. Being judged as someone who I am not, because people just slot you out in accordance to the way you look. 2. Holding back from doing things just because I'm self-conscious about my weight. 3. People calling me 'cute' or saying 'Oh! You have such a pretty face'. What they're actually saying is: 'Wow! Your face sure as hell doesn't go with your body' At the end of the day, I just want the person I really am to get reflected outside. I don't feel fat, I just look fat. And I want to change that. I'd also like to say that this is an awesome site! It has a million ways to motivate you and they don't charge a penny for it. I'd be lying if I say that I'm using this site to the optimum (I don't track food and cardio on here) but as far as any health related questions or motivational tips are concerned, it rocks. I'm glad to have found it :) ADVICE FOR NEWBIES I know how difficult it is to start out with weight loss, because we all hate changes in our lives. But at some point, we need to change those self destructive habits because "To become something you never were, you need to do something you never did" Here are a couple of tips for the newbies: 1. Don't think of it as 'weight loss', it is a lifestyle change. The truth is, you can lose your weight through any diet by torturing yourself emotionally and physically and/or starving yourself. But at the end of the day, you would end up burning a considerable amount of muscle and would pile on those 'lost' pounds the moment you return to your original lifestyle. Make a clear cut distinction about WHY you are doing it: Because you need to get rid of those pounds for a particular event OR you want to be fit and healthy? 2. Ease yourself into it. If you are hitting every drive thru that comes in your way and are gulping down soda like crazy, you won't able to change these habits overnight- and no expects you to. Start with swapping healthy meals with unhealthy ones every chance you get. If you HAVE to eat out, make sure it is once a week, then once a fortnight, then once in a month and so on. Trust me, by the time you're used to a healthy diet, the mere sight of greasy fries would be puke inducing. 3 Have exhaustive knowledge about weight loss Do you know the difference between simple & complex carbohydrates? Are you meeting your daily calcium requirement? Are you aware of the amount of calories that a can of soda has? If you can't answer these questions, you need to gather knowledge about these aspects related to weight loss. 4 Start tracking your food Keep an online journal or a food diary. Once you have a vague idea of the amount of calories your meals have, tracking becomes a piece of cake. Taking notes will keep you accountable and you would be less likely to binge and/or cheat. 5 Exercise No one expects you to run a marathon and do 500 crunches a day when you start out. When it comes to exercise, something IS better than nothing. The good news is: if you are heavy, out of shape and a novice to fitness, you would burn MORE calories than your fit counterpart. If you can't bring yourself to exercise continuously: break off your exercise routine into manageable chunks. And NEVER do something that you don't like doing. Exercise shouldn't be a chore. If you don't like walking on a treadmill, plug in your IPod. If you find working out by yourself boring, find a workout buddy or join a group activity. 6 Aim for persistence, not perfection There are going to be weeks when the weighing scale won't budge, there are going to be days when you would binge like crazy and then there will be days when your plans would go haywire. But that is OK! You don't become a loser by falling down, you become one by not getting up. 7 DON'T STARVE YOURSELF It has to be the biggest diet myth of all time. No, eating less is not equivalent to instant weight loss (Not long term anyway) All you would lose is muscle, your confidence and your sanity! Eating less than you require will slow down your metabolism, it'll leave you irritable and cranky and your body will succumb to starvation mode at a certain point. Aim for a minimum of 1200 calories, and even 1200 is a small amount as bare minimum if you have an active lifestyle. Be logical: *You are eating less to lose weight *Eating dangerously less leads to starvation mode *Starvation mode halts weight loss *You won't lose weight You don't have to be an Einstein to figure out that eating less can be damaging. Here is the most beautiful quote I have ever come across: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you NOT to be? You are a child of god. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as our children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people the permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others" Update: I AM HALFWAY THERE! 19/2/2009 I have lost half of my extra baggage and it feels amazing! Right now: 1. I no longer HATE (ok, detest) looking in the mirror 2. I'm not conscious of walking in the mall (or anywhere, for that matter) worrying that some jerk might just say "you're FAT" 3. I can FINALLY buy clothes from a normal store. No more huffing and puffing to get the biggest sized jeans buttoned up OR choosing from a meager selection of oversized T-Shirts 4. I can actually outwalk and outclimb (ok, they're not words, but you got what I mean!) my stick thin friends. Tee Hee! There are a million other changes that happen everyday and they're not lying when they say that: Weight loss is not about the destination, but the journey you are taking to reach there! I never thought I'll be where I am. Hell, I never thought I'll actually lose even an ounce of my original weight. I was lazy and I used to eat every morsel of food within my eye range. I had flashes of every eating disorder discovered by mankind. I wasn't actually a full blown bulimic or anorexic but looking back, I had surely done something resembling their symptoms at one point or the other. I was obsessed with food. And you know why I was obsessed? Because people expected me to be obsessed about food! I don't know why we let the people we couldn't care less about manipulate us like that! But one thing I do know is, I'm not letting that happen again! When people ask me how I'm doing this or compliment me on my weight loss, that gives me the biggest high imaginable. (Of course, sometimes it feels like its all people want to talk about) Here are some of the things I'm doing: 1. Drink 8 glasses of water daily It doesn't have to be '8' glasses. It can be 7,10,12 or any number in accordance to your activity level. The point is to keep your body hydrated. Water flushes out toxins from the body, reduces water retention, eliminates thirst induced pseudo hunger pangs and it has ZERO calories. 2. Indulge in cardio! I love the definition of cardio. It means keeping your heart rate elevated for a specific amount of time. Which means I can dance my calories off! And believe it or not, I'm not a great dancer. I have never taken professional training or even performed in front of anyone. But I just put on some fast music and keep on moving! Besides that, I love brisk walking. (I'm trying to move on to jogging), skipping rope and even DVDs like Turbo Jam and 30 day shred now and then. 3. Strength Training You have to love it!It gives faster results than cardio, tones up your body and I LOVE the soreness! 4. Be active: Standing up for 5 minutes, taking a slightly longer route or climbing an extra flight of stairs may not torch calories but these little things add up to give BIG results. So keep on moving and shaking throughout the day! 5. Remember that tomorrow is a new day: Never EVER forget it! Did you eat a 2000 calorie meal today? Did you spend the whole day sitting around and watching TV instead of doing your usual workout? Did someone pass a rude comment? Do you think your goal weight is too far out of reach? Trust me, we all have had these days and so can you! No one expects you to be perfect 24x7. But that doesn't mean you cannot strive for perfection every day, or the next day! Live each day and get it over with. Don't carry the extra baggage you won't need!! If you created a blunder, make a fresh start. If someone made fun of you, it is because they have their OWN insecurities (I have never come across a person who was comfortable in his own skin passing rude remarks) If you had a binge, incorporate 15 minutes of extra workout each day and remain active! Learn to forgive yourself. If you are your worst critic, learn to be your biggest fan too! 6. Find healthier options: Don't ever say that 'healthy' wasn't an option at a so-and-so party or restaurant. You can always skip the mayo, butter, have something that looks less greasy or simply refrain from over stuffing yourself. There are a million things you can do to save the day. The pleasure of having a greasy burger will last as long as that bite stays in your mouth. It will be followed by guilt and regret. (if you are anything like me, that is) There are always better options out there: *Taking stairs instead of elevator *Standing while waiting for something or someone *Replacing one helping of carb with veggies *Having frozen fruit instead of ice cream The list just goes on and on. Even if you eat out, take your time and savor your slice of pizza (if you ARE going to eat it) You'll end up in eating just about right. 7. Don't let anything come between you and your goal: Trust me, you don't want to spend your life mulling over 'what-if's' Do you want to know what you'll look like 30 pounds lighter? How you'll look with a flat stomach? How you'll look in a short skirt? How you'll feel when someone tells you how gorgeous you are? If you really want to know it then find out!! People are going to try and bring you down but at the end of the day, the choice is yours. No one (And I mean NO ONE) has the damn right to tell you what you can or can't do. Its your life! Live it your way! 8. Split your goal: I divide my goals, so that it doesn't get too overwhelming. If you start thinking that "Oh my god! How on earth can I lose 60 pounds", you'll just freak yourself out. Always remember the big picture at the back of your mind but deal with things you are capable of dealing with. One step at a time One meal at a time One pound at a time One day at a time And you'll be there :) Update 2: PLATEAU BUSTER(S) Plateau reached on:8/3/2009 Plateau broken on: 30/3/2009 I finally broke through my plateau and it was such a relief to finally see the weighing scale move! Even though the plateau was a setback, it has done nothing but increase my determination. It taught me things I probably wouldn't have bothered to read about had I been busy in the euphoric state of having constant weight loss. Like they say: You have only failed when you fail to learn the lesson. I have learnt my lesson and would like to share why plateaus occur and what we can do to avoid them (or break through) 1. Don't eat bare minimum!! You know how I broke through my plateau? I was sitting at 2 am in the morning, mulling over why the heck my weight loss was stalled when I was having high calorie-low calorie days, shuffling my exercise schedule, and even doing NOTHING. (In short- doing everything by the book) Then I remembered reading somewhere on here about a gal who had broken her plateau by eating pizza! I hardly had any means to order a greasy pizza at this late and there wasn't a single thing that was loaded with calories at home. So I took an assortment of nuts (Almonds, walnuts, pistachios) and ate to my hearts content. I dropped 1.5 lbs the very next day. Our body types differ widely and so do our bare minimum caloric need. The 1200 criteria (which I was religiously following) won't work for you if you have an active lifestyle AND you workout. Our metabolism slows down considerably when we adopt the habit of eating less, so we can't comprehend when our body is 'starving'. Eating more than you require isn't the only issue, Eating dangerously less will hinder your weight loss too. 2 Don't overexert yourself It is great if you are working out through sore muscles (I find that my soreness gets worse if I don't atleast move around), hectic schedule, term papers, demanding kids, insane jobs but there IS such a thing as overexerting yourself. Take a day off (or two) and have a breather. If these off days make you feel guilty, then do some low intensity exercises (I love walking because you can always adjust your pace in accordance to your need), indulge in strength training, dance or play with your kids. (Or clean your home!) It may not sound as hectic and challenging as jogging or Elliptical but it will give you sufficient caloric burn to ward off those guilt pangs. 3 Catch up on that Sleep!! I find it impossible to get good night's sleep (being a college student) but on the days I DO manage to catch up on my MUCH needed sleep, I feel fresher, I exercise with enthusiasm and things just seem brighter! If you are exhausted and sleep deprived, your body is likely to show erratic results. 4 Try new things Your body has a tendency to adapt to your regular workouts if you stick to it for too long. Instead of subjecting yourself to the same old boring stuff everyday, try something new! Join a dance class! Try sprints b/w your walking routine! Buy a fun workout DVD! Try a sport! I just bought an aerobic stepper and its not just fun but my legs are killing me (I actually couldn't walk when I woke up this morning!) New workouts don't just keep boredom at bay, it makes different muscles of your body work! (hence, toning up your body)

*To have a toned body *To have a well balanced healthy diet (DONE) *To find an exercise I actually enjoy (DONE-I heart skipping/jump rope) *To stop being self conscious about my body *Increase endurance and stamina *To love life! :)

1. Brisk walk/Jump Rope 4x a week. 2. Be active! 3. Drink ONLY water! 4. Choose healthier options. 5. Keep a track of my weight, calories taken, etc 6. A no guilt approach. Taking days off from workout is OK when you need a breather.

I'm from India. I'm a complete movie buff and I love watching TV. I love love love reading! I love music as well (Always makes me workout extra hard) I think that I have been overweight my entire life (until now!) so it still hasn't sunk in. I love writing about random stuff. (And saying random things, apparently) I'm kind of a loner but definitely not an introvert. If I truly believe in something, I'll do it- no matter what anyone says or thinks. I have a tendency to write long winded replies (Like I said, I love writing ;))



Add a Link Sannah India "Just Do it" ~ Nike
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