Living to eat?

I was never bothered about the weight issues; I was a skinny 45 kg, before I had my son. After I had my son, I was 62kg. I didn’t think about the extra pounds I was gaining until one day. A comment from my mil changed my life . I was coming back from a shopping trip and my mil, looked at me and said- you look like you are 6 months pregnant! That was the turning point. She said, yes i am serious, you do look like that. I didn’t like what I heared but I liked that she said it. I decided to take things seriously from that time. Found a health club in the next couple of days and started going there. It wasn’t a full-fledged health club, it was a beauty parlor and part of it was used as a health club with only a couple of exercising machines. It didn’t help me much but that set me on the right track, I felt.
But after coming here, it became harder. Especially with all those different varieties of breads, buttery croissants, etc etc. I used to eat a box of 6 croissants within couple of hours, easily. I never thought about adjusting my food habits, and kept on eating mounds of rice and anything that will not bite me back. I didn’t know how to solve the problem of this weight issue.
Then, I asked husband’s help. He is a very health conscious person who has not an ounce of extra fat in him. Controls what he eats, don’t enjoy junk food, like I do, (of course once or twice a year he enjoys KFC chicken..) Visits gym, everyday etc. So, I decided to appointment him as my personal trainer.
I was weighing 146 lbs and I wanted to reduce it to at least 135lbs.
I told him, I couldn’t give up on any food I am eating. I was used to eating a plate full of rice, with very little curry. I am a carb lover. The smell of freshly baked bread is heavenly for me. I can easily eat a small loaf of freshly baked bread, in one sitting. In Trivandrum there is this bakery called Eastern bakery. They have fresh bread if you go there around noon. It is the best in the world. I would start eating on the way back itself and it would melt inside the mouth. That’s so so tasty. I found a similar bread here, French sweet loaf, and I would eat half of it in one sitting. okay, so anything that’s carb, I can eat and eat and eat, I can eat 12 idlies even now. But only when I am in India and is served with ulli sambar my mil makes. I would take four at a time, and then four and then four. .
So when I was told to cut down the portion of rice I take for lunch, I thought I don’t want to do this.
Then I thought let me try this for a month and if I don’t like it, I can always stop and eat whatever I want.. Since I could eat anything, I want, but in smaller portions, I felt I could give it a try. In addition to cutting down the portion of food I take, a visit to the gym was included, for an hour. Alternating with strength training. Anyway, slowly but steadily, I started loosing those extra pounds.
Within the next 12 months, I came down to 130lbs. I couldn’t believe it but I did it. The feeling was/is great. When you don’t feel bad in wearing a good pair of jeans, or wearing a sari ( without sorting them out on the basis of how well they could cover those tiers or not,chiffon goes out,cotton comes in etc). And from personal experience, it gives me a confidence, that helps me a lot in life.

It also means being healthy. The less you eat the more you woud be healthy. It doesn’t mean you should starve yourself. I cannot do that. For me this is a healthy way of reducing weight and staying as healthy, I can. I can only say, as healthy, because I do these drastic changes sometimes, which isn’t good. I also have this very bad habit of adding extra salt in my food. I need to stop it, but for the time being, I am not going to.
I am not a vegetable lover. I hate salads. So I don’t eat them. One thing I love to eat as a mid day snack, is a bowl of cooked moongdal, add some yogurt, small green chili chopped, and onions too and sometimes finely chopped carrots and add salt.
Sometimes, I would stop all these controlling and would start eating a lot. I would eat, chocolate bars, my favorite, peanut bars ,often. But whenever I eat like this, I can see the weight coming back. Then I would go back to my controlled eating. My husband would say don’t do this to your body; this roller coaster ride is not healthy. But wellll i am happy this way. I am able to keep the weight between 130 and 136lbs until now.
I’ve heared many women says, my husband has no problem how I look. He isn’t bothered about the way I look, so I don’t need to do any workouts. I agree, the love will not change no matter how your partner looks. The question is, are you happy with what you see in the mirror? If you are, then that is more than okay. If you are not, there is no need to live unhappy in the same way. You can change. Smaller changes here and there could go a long way and get you good results.
Everything-
Changes once we are back in India.well, at that time I really don’t care about what I eat. As my husband says, in the end, happiness is what matters the most. So once I am back home, I leave my diet aside. I enjoy whatever my mil makes; my mother makes and enjoys visiting Eastern bakery almost once a week. And my mil’s brother brings sweets from Nandini sweets, mixed fruit halwa:) I eat that, and as much pappadams as I can, as much palpayasam as I can, the list goes on and on. Once in a year, I can afford to be a little carefree:) besides; our sari is there to do rest of the job well, if I go overboard:)

Everybody’s body is different. What works for one may not be working for the other. What I do might seem appalling to some who are very health conscious, as I go through these sudden changes sometimes. But it works well for me, I am keeping the weight under control and eating whatever I like too:)that means a lot to me..