Day 8

What? I didn't miss day 7. I just figured you're supposed to rest on the 7th day so that's exactly what I did.  

But lets not waste our time discussing that.... I've got news... and true to my style you don't just get the end. You get the whole narration. Ready?

I just got out of a movie and was in a good mood. The movie was hilarious and entertaining. I got into the car and put on radio. Again it was playing really upbeat songs and I couldn't resist the temptation to sing along (with my windows rolled up, of course..) I started tapping my hand over the steering wheel slowly releasing the hidden rockstar in me.

Came across a signal and temporarily stopped my singing and dancing so people didn't think I was possessed. While waiting for the green I noticed something weird on my left hand as it was resting on the steering wheel. It looked like a little lump jutting out. "What's that?!" I thought to myself. I let go of the steering wheel and moved my wrist up and down to check if it hurt. It didn't. 

Honk!!! Honk!!!! I heard everyone honking at me. I started driving again.

I reached home. Retired on the couch and looked at my wrist again. I tried to feel the lump with my right hand. "hmmmm..." I checked the other hand to see if there's anything similar. 

"OMG...! Silly Tulsi... It's a bone...!!!!!!"

It was hidden for so long I didn't even realise it was there. Don't remember the last time I saw it. But who cares right???? I can see it now..... yooohoooo...!!!

Did you just check your wrist for the same bone? Hahaha... of course you did.... (even if you didn't then, I'm sure you did now..) Smile...:) I'm glad I've done my good deed for the day too now by putting a smile to a face.

So that's my happy story for today.... I'm going to celebrate by bragging about it again and again to my mum till she tires of me... :)

See you tomorrow.... real soon...!

Day 6

I'm in a fix... I'm not sure whether I should tell you about the lovely compliment I received recently or should I talk about working out..? I've spent an hour trying to pick one and decided to just type away. Hopefully my topic for today will pick itself and flow naturally.

So here's what happened last weekend. I accompanied Mum to a physio for treatment. As we took a seat Mum pointed out a sign that mentioned weight reduction services being offered there. It got the better of her attention and so when she was called for her treatment I'm guessing she started inquiring about what sort of services were being offered. When she was done the physio walked out with her and came to see me. 

Physio: "How much weight have you lost?"

I had the look every kid has when they realise their parents have been discussing something about them to a 3rd party without their consent. Somewhere between embarrassed, surprised and sort've expected (she had after all pointed out the sign to me) I just quickly made my peace with it and replied, "Around 20 odd kilos."

Physio: "You've done that by attending the gym?"

Me: "Yea"

Physio: "What sort've diet do you follow?"

Me: "I eat everything. Idli, Upma, Parathas, Rice, Bread" I made sure I stressed on the carbs. I love seeing that look on peoples faces when they hear you eat carbs and still lose weight.

That warranted more discussion and I happily obliged. After a more detailed discussion and fun and jokes he asked me my age. I was surprised and replied, "29" *rolling my eyes*

Him and his assistants looked surprised. So I asked, "Why? How old did you think I was?"

They replied, "19 or 20"

I thought it was because I was making funny jokes and being silly. So I asked, "are you trying to flatter me?"

He laughed and quickly said, "No! You really look very young. Usually when people lose such huge amounts of weight their skin gets dull. They develop huge dark circles. They look tired and worn out all the time. But you don't seem to have any such problems. Also you're still chubby and its hard to guess your real age."

Now, I was blushing...! Gotta admit I was a little embarrassed too so true to my style I said, "thank you, thank you" fluttering my eye lashes and started to get ready to leave.

I wanted to share this not so much to brag about the compliments but to stress about how important it is to eat right to lose weight. After all, we're doing it to look and feel good and when the insides are happy and good, it will automatically reflect on the outside.

Food is VERY important for all your body functions. Please don't deprive yourself of it and eat away for a more Fabulous You...! 

*I sincerely hope I don't have to add a disclaimer here about eating away. When I say that obviously I mean.. eating right.... ;)

 

Day 5

Do you ever dream about things that seem really impossible? No, I'm not talking about those dreams where you see yourself as an alien with super powers that make world domination a possibility for you..! I'm talking about those that you see during the day. Those that sum up your aspirations.

Well, I read a beautiful quote today and felt so inspired so I felt like dedicating today's blog to the same.

"For the cynics & the skeptics, I'm sorry for you. I'm sorry you can't dream big and I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles." - L. Armstrong.

Its more powerful because it comes from a person who was told her didn't have long to go on this planet. He didn't give up and shut himself down. Instead went on to create a world record..! I mean.......(speechless)...! How then can someone like me who is completely healthy ever contemplate giving up on their aspirations? That'd be a shame.

My attitude towards my weight loss in the past may not have been the right one. Its no wonder I haven't gotten to my goal yet. Along the way, I probably lost credibility with the people who thought I'd go on to achieve my goals. Gave birth to one too many skeptics this time around I guess. But that's not going to stop me and I'm resolved to plow along.

Hopefully I have my own Armstrong moment one day... :) and wish you the same too... :)

Day 3 & 4

Since I wasn't been getting any results lately I was forced to do a bit of reflection to figure where I was falling short. One thing I did differently earlier was I recorded everything I ate. So its no surprise then that what I did next was go to a book store and buy myself a fancy little journal. Why? Just to make sure I enjoy writing.... Yes. I'm a little like that.... :)

What I decided to do was write down everything I did during the day. Right from what time I woke up, what I ate, drank, my activities during the day etc. Sort've like a reflection journal I guess. 

Its been 5 days today since I have been doing that and I've discovered a few facts already.

a) I always thought I was eating every two to two and half hours. Not true. Sometimes I had gaps as long as 5 hours between meals. That's one of the reasons why people often over eat or reach out for foods that are high in sugar. To avoid such situations its important to eat at regular intervals.

b) My water intake has automatically increased. Since I'm tracking the number of glasses I drink I am more conscious about how much I'm drinking during the day. Its no secret how drinking water helps flush out toxins, keep the skin hydrated (very important in this heat) also keeps the skin clean clear (No need for expensive creams and scrubs) and most importantly smooth tummy function... ;)

c) I feel more focussed. Every time I enter details in my journal I automatically start day dreaming about achieving my goal. That sort of day dreaming I'm told is very very important. It helps you stay on track and determined to go after your goals. 

And of course, needless to say it also helps me discover a new topic to share here. Earlier I kept neglecting my blog because I kept feeling I didn't have any topics to discuss here. Not anymore..:)

Just like you brush everyday a dose of daily motivation is necessary so your maintain the same level of focus towards your goals. If there's something you really want to achieve and are having problems staying focussed (just like me) why don't you try maintaining a reflection journal. Write down anything and everything you're doing everyday that's taking you closer to that goal. I promise you will find it very beneficial. But don't be a snob and please share your experience with me too.

Till I hear about your experiences....write your way to those great big achievements you dream of everyday.

Day 2

Not even been two days since I've decided to sleep early and I am faced with the mother of all temptations. A newly released film on a Friday night....! Its tempting because I'm a complete movie buff. I have this special ability to watch any movie and enjoy it. There's definitely a few people who can testify. I love movies. Everything about them fascinate me. My part-time day dreams are always about being a movie star.

Wait, are you wondering what my full-time day dreams are? It is to lose these extra kilos, duh..!

Anyway about the movie. Not only does my bbm start buzzing with messages about my friends making plans to catch the movie today but my dad comes home early and says he wants to go watch the same movie...! That has not happened in ages. My parents always wait for reviews or a little bit of my emotional blackmail to come watch a movie with me. I'm convinced that the universe is truly testing my dedication.

Surprisingly, I didn't even consider the possibility of watching the movie tonight and in a totally unprecedented move today I refused to go watch the movie. Instead I made plans to catch it on Sunday during the day. So proud of myself.... :)

So now with both my full and part time dreams in my eyes I'm ready to sleep and dream away.

Till we meet again tomorrow, good night, shaba khair and shubh ratri.

Adeus xo

Day 1

Yes, I have shared my predicaments over waking up early in the morning especially when I've been sleep deprived. I guess the fact that this topic makes an appearance again just goes to show how difficult and equally important that first step is, everyday.

So having decided to pull myself together and get back on track I figured the first thing to do was go back to sleeping early and having early starts. Thats way I can fit in a morning walk and space out my meals to fit in breakfast. (I'm usually sleeping through breakfast time and then struggle to find the time to include all meals)

Anyway, with that in mind I put my phone on silent, switched off the telly and lights and tucked myself to bed by 11.00 pm last night. I was happy that I'd get the complete recommended dose of 8 hour sleep. I didn't realise then that my body had other plans.

At around 1.00 am I realised I was still fully awake.  I had been up trying to prepare a list of things I'd like to do on my upcoming holidays. (mentally, of course)  My goals and how I was going to get there and other such thoughts kept me occupied. I realised I had to sleep so I tried counting sheep, focussing on my breathing, pretending I'll be shot if I moved and even got up to have a warm cup of milk. The tryptophan in milk helps induce sleep. Our great grandparents knew this ages ago...! (Probably didn't know the name of the amino acid, is my guess)

Did all of that and the last time I remember looking at the time was 3.00 am. Next thing I recall is hearing the alarm go and hitting the snooze button. Before I knew it I had "snoozed" for almost an hour. That's when I thought I may as well switch off the alarm and sleep properly. I had missed my morning walk time anyway.

Now, choosing sleep over morning walk especially when you are sleep deprived is very easy. I am not in the military or any such place that demands a high level of discipline. I am my own monitor. I can easily convince myself that I'll go for a walk in the evening or make up for it with extra time at the gym. That will probably allow me to sleep guilt free. With similar thoughts playing on my mind I decided to switch off my alarm and sleep.

Must've slept all of 2 minutes when I started hearing everyone get ready for breakfast. I found myself talking to myself. "If I sleep in now I'll wake up late. Again tonight I'll be chasing sleep. Tomorrow again I will be sleep deprived. I will have another day of disrupted eating patterns. If I've decided to change that, I have to change that from today, from now!" With that final thought I got out of bed and washed my face.

At the breakfast table I was greeted by surprised faces all around. No one was expecting me to wake up on my own. I felt great about myself. I was even more awake now. After breakfast I had enough time to finish my daily chores, reading and even had time to learn how to make a cold cake-ish dessert with my mum. Whether it can be called a cake is totally questionable.... ;)

While I reflect over todays events I realise how we are given the choice of which attitude we are going to adopt daily. Our choice can have a cascading effect throughout the day. Like mine did today.
Ok, so I missed the walk but I ate right, drank plenty of water and even managed to fit in exercise.

Now I'm looking forward to the sweet sleep I am going to enjoy tonight.

Till we meet tomorrow, choose wisely... :)

Procrastination's a _ _ _ _ _

In my bid to maintain a 'G' rating of the content on my blog I'm trying to keep away from using swear words. I couldn't find a better title for this post so I just decided to let you come up with a word that could fill the blanks... ;)

Moving on....

Have you ever thought of doing something and caught yourself saying, "it can wait"?
You go back to it and think, "Maybe tomorrow"?
Multiple such tomorrows later you are now telling yourself, "I've delayed it so much now that it doesn't make any difference when I do it."

Before you know it a considerable amount of time has lapsed and you've either totally scrapped that task from your 'to do list' or its still making an appearance at the bottom of your priorities. In my opinion, if it's still making an appearance in your thoughts it means it's bloody important and about time you give it the attention it demands.

I'm sure with me back in this space you've already figured what I'm talking about. For those not clued in yet, my last post was in March! March! Can you believe it?! and this is despite the very public commitment to keep posting about my progress. Seriously, March...!!!! And it's almost June now!!!

Not a single day has gone by when I've not thought about posting about my progress or lack of. Not a single day has gone by when I've not felt guilty about not honouring my own commitments. As a natural human, I've cooked up many excuses to explain this lapse.

Now, if there's one thing I've learnt about setting goals and going after them is that you do not allow room for excuses. You recognise excuses and nip them in the bud. Excuses are a way of convincing yourself that the goal is not worth the effort and giving up on them. So in my effort to be at a zero tolerance level for excuses, I'm going to trash all the excuses I've cooked up and not offer a single one for the negligence on my part.

Anyway,  in my previous post I promised a progress update and here 'tis;

Weight loss since March:      Zero
Inch loss since March:          8.5 inches overall

Not totally ecstatic about the results but still I've moved forward.
Hoping things will get better from here on.

So, is there something you've been putting off for later? What excuses are you making to avoid it?

Before signing out, I'd like to share a quote I came across earlier today.

"Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly"


Till we meet again, adios. xo