From flab to present:a self-experiment!

Hi, how are you? Hope you are doing great. This story is about me; yeah,I could sense, you started wondering whether this guy thinking himself of that high, a megalomaniac, putting himself on paper. Of course, answer is emphatic no! After much deliberation I take some time off to sit and put down this notes, thanks to many people who saw me few years back and on observing me now again, curious enough to ask how I have become like this-a thin and lean machine and, huh, whether I am afflicted with some debilitating illness!!Ha ha ha ha….So that is the stimulus. I know, it’s not an ideal attempt, and you are all kind enough to excuse, nor to make someone to believe in, but more about ordeal (really? now I don’t think so) or better say some physical self-improvement (is it all that?) I tried for.

Hey, becoming overweight, you know, it’s like entry of a rat into house. No one knows initially what the wrong is when few things are missing or on finding partially chewed food strewn in kitchen; yet over a period of time the damage goes on unhindered, before final realization. Story of mine starts with the year 1996, year of carelessness, internship. Piling on weight, with time, I jumped to 74 kg in 2003 and by 2010, was moving bear like, heart desperately pumping up an 83-kg frame .I was seeing the bulging waist line, but didn't attach much importance. By 2004 itself, if I remember correctly, someone was baptizing me as “duck”, but unfortunately did not mind it too! You know, even God is helpless to save a man who has no introspection. Over time my personality too has gone awry-getting ire at little things, obsession with money, flirting and what not. One fine day shopped an apparel selling shop along with a friend, Gandhi, who too was a big man. Thinking waist line was 34 inch, I tried to sample the same. The sales man was little bit surprised, but following his taught dictum-customer is always right handed over it. To dismay, i could not wear it and next size 36 was perfect! That’s a triggering point, me reflecting back for a while, what is happening .Yet brought those 36 inch trousers. Over a period of next 2 days, its more and more, something out of blue, my inner mind, so far lost for somewhere, almost for a decade descended on horizon asking me this is not the way you want or live, see how you are profusely sweating by climbing 2nd flight of footsteps, and what is that breathlessness; what about your 2nd hour post glucose of 131 mg/dL done some time back? For a while it seems i was on path of self-destruction. On 3rd day night, past 7 pm, strolling along Gandhi,i expressed my intention to lose weight. With sheepish smile he asked-why have you decided so and how? I have told him just don’t know exact, but feeling something going wrong within. Ok, he gestured, lets together try. Next thing we did is stopping our daily visiting to shop selling "Shrikhand" which was one of my picks. Few days have gone by, and by 5th day, i was able to ration my breakfast, cutting down from eight idlies to three. Quantity of rice at lunch was made half and started putting more of boiled curries & curd. Rice was strict no-no at night; taking 2 roties with lot of dhal. It all happened over a period of 2 weeks. At the end of 1st week, it was terrible, hunger like a demon telling me to stop all this nonsense and go back to previous. Do not know, still, how i managed that, purchased Marigold biscuits and started drinking plenty of water. At same time stopped eating noodles or other junk as soon as i come back from work in evening. By 3rd week, I have lost 3 kg and was coasting. One fine evening while walking leisurely, suddenly i felt giddiness and whole world started trembling. Then I brought a can of diet coke and it made me back into shape. That was a new beginning. Ever since i have been drinking almost 2 liters of water in a day. By the end of one month i have been on almost 4 diet cans per day, one always in fridge as a reserve just to save me from the hunger demon lurking somewhere! While attending social gatherings/parties i would eat in advance at home and arrive with one diet-coke in hand. This time i have been researching internet and books about calories and exchanges; an example being taking Suji idlies in place of usual ones. Now it is well past first month, i started noticing another side effect-constipation which on verge of becoming obstipation. Straining made me to scream and streaks of blood started appearing. Hence opted for bulk laxatives, that too sugar free which did not make it any better. Finally ingesting osmotic laxatives made it to come; but at cost of being careful not to spoil my office! By 45 th day or so,it was 75 kg and now it was time for a week trip to Japan. Many and I felt it a much deserved break and either I didn’t care much about diet there. To my surprise, on returning the scale was tipping towards 73 kg! Then I measured my height and done some calculations to derive so called ideal body weight which was hovering around 68 kg. Aah, still more to go, my brain tweeted! Let me try. By that time, friends, started advising me to stop this chore, of course in good sense only, as for them I am looking emaciated! Same is the situation at hospital where I used to work, staff wondering silently what the hell going on with this guy! I could see it on their faces. Relatives and neighbors pose an awkward yet curious look at me to find ‘it’ out; some started asking whether I got my specialty disease diabetes! Oh,no..ha ha ha!! No doubt, bet someone might have even thought of me suffering from cancer or AIDS or some other such debilitating illness which, poor I am could not tell openly!!One relative finally dared to ask-is there any problem at home. I told no. He persisted. Then I acknowledged -yeah, there is a very big problem. Shall I tell you if you dare to listen? Then he stopped pestering! Of course, I was not getting angry by this time so easily. Also was able to climb to 4th floor without break with miniscule sweat droplets, that’s all!!No more breathlessness .Negative feelings-jealousy, greed and proud begin to vanish and I was returning to a state which I have certainly experienced in my childhood, but lost unfortunately there after. I again started loving my body there by losing the lust. Sure, it’s a double sundae. I started seeing world altogether in a different view, a positive, vibrant and friendly. What else can I say?

It was ending of May and I moved to Hyderabad. Trying to understand my daily stuff carrying a two- liter water bottle along, it was nearly 2weeks since I last checked onto a weighing scale. One morning standing on it ,I could not believe my eyes, wow, success, the words my heart cried; I could not stop seeing it over and over; double checked with another scale and it was same-it was 67 kg! I messaged to a friend who promptly replied congratulating me and advising to stop any further loss. By this time I think I have gone into state of some compulsion with this program me; decided to lose to 64,a arbitrary figure, assuming as a safe guard against if suddenly I put on weight because of some reason, still it would not cross that beautiful figure of 68!!By mid July I was catching up with the new count. Enough, it’s time to begin weight maintenance diet for this new context and again pondered through net & books. To my surprise, now I have got lot of choices to eschew. With this new array of events, constipation got disappeared. On flip side, because of this over 5 month steadfastness, I lost up to 60 kg before limping back to 64.Now for past 8 months it has been constant. Listening to my mind all that is what I followed & follow-a typical day menu is like this-4 idlies as breakfast, plate of rice with curries & curd in afternoon and 2 roties with ½ cup of curd rice as dinner. Guys, I bet, taking fruits make you damn good. Now a days I make it sure not to miss an apple or orange or a seasonal fruit for even a single day. Somehow I don’t like bananas! Also I would like to tell my experience with non vegetarian items. In those days of weight losing ceremony, I used to take a piece of chicken/ 2 pieces of boiled fish once or twice in a week. Prior to that I was big fan of Biryani & fried items like kababs and you might have found me around good hotels and restaurants at least once or twice in a week. At present, I have lost that craving, though, I take them, once in 2 months or so, difference being taking till what I feel is enough and stopping it immediately, Bawarchi, Paradise or Riaz whoever’s it is !Also I feel a sense of heaviness, being sloth after taking “excess” meat .Taking it in moderation including fish seems ok, otherwise. Hey, try to compare the post eating scenario when you take a fruit versus meat. Sure shot, you might find the difference, what makes you feel good and what not. It is also essential to mind what you take while at social eating like tea-breaks at work place or post- work dinner, which you attend. Just follow what your mind says. Often, we find ourselves limiting that contact frequency yet maintaining good relationships, in fact a dose of certain improvement. Of course, a relationship is based on mutual understanding, not on cuisine!

Also I felt just “being enough” does not make the body fit; even old age catches us with some involuntary weight loss. Few months back my legs tend to ache after sitting for 2 hours together and overall health is not that what I feel was enough to carry on daily routine unbridled. It made me to think of exercise and again began pouring myself over many things, joining a gym, jogging on roads or going to a park, which in Hyderabad has become a distant luxury; just imagine commuting 4 kilometers daily to KBR Park, sheer waste of time again on road. I really hate running along nearby Hussain sagar savoring its smell! After much inner debate felt it’s better to run on a treadmill at home rather than in smoke and on roads littered with spitting, and moreover to suit my life-pattern . Boss, now I am sure after 2 months of exercise, if you try to do it on daily basis, you will end up doing at least 5 days in a week! And finally you will feel can’t stand a day without doing it ,feeling either depressed or lost something when you are forced to skip. Now with vanishing of aches, I feel quite refreshed after doing it. A much better wholesome package! Of course, this is not an end in itself. There are many vistas still to be explored. Always there is enough room for improvement.

With best regards

Chanukya