Looking at the weighing scale tilting to the extreme right is undoubtedly a ghastly sight. You straight away get transported into the world of depression, sensing the gravity of the situation. You tend to search various websites for sure-shot and miraculous remedies that would bring you back in shape as quickly as possible. The Himalayan mission of fat to fit enshrouds the conscious mind and holds you hostage. The gripping force makes you see the same objective in almost everything.
Since childhood, I had been body-shamed for being obese. It did embarrass me at times but I learnt to live with it. I was a ferocious eater, a glutton in the real sense of the term. Food and TV meant the world to me. Sitting on the couch the whole day savouring delicious delicacies was my favourite pastime. It appeared that the term ‘couch potato’ was coined with me in mind.
It was in my 20s that I decided to get rid of obesity. Filled with enthusiasm coupled with an urge to look presentable, I hit the gym for the first time in my life. The gym instructor asked me to warm up. I mounted the treadmill and started at a leisurely stroll. After five minutes, that leisurely stroll turned into a struggle. I got off and wiped the pearls sweat on my forehead. Perhaps it was the first time I had realised that I perspire even.
The following session of aerobics took a toll on me and laid me low. I reached home gasping and trudged up to my room. It was just the beginning. The aftermath of the first day at gym was yet to be felt.
The next day I woke up to realise that every single muscle and limb in my body had become stiff. I felt as if my entire body was paralysed. All the enthusiasm and exuberance was drained out and I bid the gym an ambivalent farewell.
A few years lapsed and I started having some severe breathing issues. The doctor advised me to lose some weight, else it would aggravate the problem. I did not have any choice but to comply with the doctor’s advice.
Seeking help from my dietician friend, I made up my mind to go on a diet. He gave me a detailed diet structure. The first few days made me feel miserable as I could not relish the food that my taste buds adored. But once my body was completely detoxed, I could see the needle in the weighing scale inching towards the centre.
With the passage of time, the mirror that once mocked me started complimenting me. The visible change and the loss of inches added to the elation. I was on cloud nine as for the first time in my life I was fit as a fiddle. That sickening breathing issue also became a thing of the distant past.
Till date I am in a constant battle with my weighing scale, and if it misses the centre-point, that will give me the nightmares. My dieting blues are forever.
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