The story of shedding those extra pounds-Part-II

Continued from....The-story-of-shedding-those-extra-pounds

Those frustrating days!

After the sweetness of my initial success, my weight not budging for the next two months really frustrated me. I didn't understand why i was not losing more weight. What was i possibly doing wrong?? 

Courtesy: letsgettoned

I thought i needed to step up my workout strategy. Walking alone did not suffice i assumed. I decided to join the gym. I tried to workout in the gym atleast for 1 hour, 4-5 days a week. Mostly concentrated on cardio exercises. Did the group activities like Zumba which were fun for me. One month down the lane, i still had not lost weight. I could not digest that fact. I was sweating it out and feeling fit, but why didn't it really reflect on the weighing scale?! 

The Weight Watchers era

Courtesy: Amazon

Then once, i came across a program called Weight Watchers. It is an online program in which one has to record the food consumed everyday in the weight watchers online diary. Every food item has points, except for fruits and veggies which has zero points. You would be given a budget within which you can use up the points per day. However, since fruits and veggies have zero points, you could consume them at any point of time during the day leaving your budget unaffected. Every time you ate something, you had to record it in the online diary and it calculated the number of points you have consumed and how much you have left for the day. It was an interesting concept. Seemed more like a game to me. And being a scientist myself, i am one of those persons who loves to experiment. So i decided to use the trial version of the weight watchers diary for a month. 

So the following month involved eating within the budget of points and my regular workout 4-5 times a week. Since fruits and veggies had zero points, i realized i was eating more of them during my hunger pangs and feeling victorious that i still have my points safe to be consumed for dinner! It didn't mean that i did not eat any sweet stuff. But limited quantity of it. For instance, a piece of milk chocolate accounted for 3 points. If i had 2 pieces, then i used up 6 points, subtracting it from the points i had left for the remaining meals. So it was up to me to decide if i wanted that two minute pleasure of eating that chocolate, or a larger meal! It was a mind game. But i followed it sincerely to obtain genuine data for my new "experiment". I could also enter my own recipe, like rajma masala or dhal or sambhar and it would calculated the points it accounts to. 

And yes, one month down the lane i was 4.5 kilos lesser!! My joy knew no bounds. After some months of frustration, it was finally a feeling of fulfillment. 

Those internal system changes!

Hence, one more month of the same routine and gymming followed and another 4 kilos were lost! So 6-8 month down the lane i was almost 19 kilos lesser!!! It was indeed a great sense of accomplishment.

- I stopped using weight watchers as by that time my appetite had reduced on its own, i was satisfied with small portions of food.

- Fatty food made me feel heavy and didn't give me so much satisfaction or joy. 

- I felt great craving when i saw fresh fruits instead. 

- I got addicted to working out. three days continuously not working out would make me feel somewhat dull and depressed.

-So many sustainable changes took place internally. 

- My skin was more radiant and looked younger.

- My hair-fall was under control.

- I rarely got sick

- I could fit into dresses which i only dreamt of wearing earlier

- Even during stressful times, i got into a good mood post- working out

- I felt fitter, healthier and just very very content!

Courtesy: FB page Gold's gym Adyar

WHAT NOW?

So now, here i am,  one year down that lane since i started this challenging task.....So is that it? Have i reached my destination? Nope. My weight got stuck after losing 20 kilos. I am maintaining the same weight for the past four months without following any particular kind of a diet. Just eating what satisfies me. And I of course have my "Cheat days" eating out. It is again frustrating not being able to lose weight easily again. But this time i know that i can go on and break this point too. It is only matter of my mind how much i want to push it. I am also concentrating a lot on toning my body and getting rid of the loose skin. I Started doing and enjoying weight training at the gym which i hated before. My new love, is....Pilates! What an amazing workout. I think it has helped me sculpt my body better. I really am able to visualize the difference.

But....Nevertheless, i am still some kilos away from my target and hence plan to start my Weight Watcher's type diet again come this new year!! 

Looking forward to the challenge!

Then & Now! The difference!!

Readers Take home message

A. There are no short-cuts to losing weight. A regular workout and a proper diet is the key to success.
B. It takes time to lose weight. Hang-on there. Trust me, you are not alone in that situation.
C. Don't give up mid-way...cause you may never get to experience the contentment you would get when you reach your target! It is the sweetest feeling.
D. Get addicted to the feeling of happiness post-workout (Find that pleasure in the pain)!
E. Yeah, right it is because of the release of the happy hormones. So who needs any other substance to get you high?!
F. A healthy lifestyle makes differences inside and outside...and Yes, you deserve to experience that!

JUST GO FOR THE KILL, YES, YOU CAN DO IT!!

Have a holiday Wishlist...and live life bountifully!

I am incredibly excited to write this blog. Cause the topic is something which lights up a 100 Watt bulb in my mind and soul. Imaginations go racing in my head as i sit and dream about travelling. Yes, that's it, that's the topic.... My holiday wishlist!

I have a good old connection with a website called AIRBNB (https://www.airbnb.co.in/). The first time i used it was back in Spring of 2012, when some of my colleagues and i had planned a trip to Edinburgh, in Scotland.A friend of mine introduced me to this website. We were initially skeptical when we had arranged for an apartment which claimed to have enough beds to accommodate the six of us who were travelling together by car from Cambridge to Edinburgh. But to our great relief and surprise, it was indeed an excellent apartment, just as described in the website. It was neat and clean, had a huge furnished kitchen and three double beds which accommodated all of us comfortably. The heating worked perfectly in the cold and there were sufficient bed linen to cuddle into. There was also the parking space which we required. The best of all was the price we had to share was very very reasonable for all this comfort. I fell in love with the place for sure, but more so, i fell in love with this website. And i recommend it to all those who wish to travel around the world. Do check this link......(AIRBNB-REFERRAL).

As they say, the rest was history. I used this website many many times more after my first wonderful experience. I explored some of the lovely cities in Europe like Como, Heidelberg, Mannheim, London, Cambridge etc and used this website to book excellent accommodations. Needless to say, i also recommended it to many of my friends. They have an interesting tool called the "Wishlist", in which you can explore the website for the places you would like to visit and save them to your wishlist. I love this tool, as it lets me open up my imagination about the cities i wish to visit and help me visualize the places i would like to stay in those cities. I made my own wishlist of five places and would like to share it with my readers! Check out this link (MY DREAM HOLIDAYS- AIRBNB).

1) Shanghai

Shanghai Skyline (Source: Travelerarea)

I fell in love with New York city during my visit to the USA in 2012. I loved the big city atmosphere, the hustle, the bustle, the choice of restaurants and most of all the incredible skyline...When i thought, this was it, my favorite big city...Someone just told me," Hang on, not so soon. Wait till you see Shanghai. New York would seem so old!"....Really?  Shanghai is better than NEW YORK??.....I couldn't believe what i had just heard. I knew it that moment. I had to visit Shanghai, China's biggest city!!

Hence i added it to my wishlist on AIRBNB. I picked up a compact, neat and clean apartment close to the city center and public transport lines, with excellent reviews.  It also has a kitchen which is convenient for a vegetarian like me, as China is not too veggie friendly. More so, the reviews said that the hosts were very helpful and friendly. What better way to start to explore Shanghai, than to get some tips from the locals!

2) The Grand Canyon

The Colorado river flowing beneath the Grand Canyon

Yeah, strangely enough i am leaving glitz and glamour of China's biggest city and going as close as possible to mother Nature, in all her natural marvel and splendor. Grand Canyon is a place which captured my heart at first sight. I once drove with my cousin from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon and hiked down to the camping site along the bright angel trail. I was totally unprepared for what came upon me. The whole two night-two day trek, which we took down to the Colorado river and back was closest to the nature i have ever been! As painful and sore as  my muscles were, i, for the first time in my life had the sense of great accomplishment when i completed the trail successfully.! Meeting several fellow trekkers and sharing experiences with them was an experience of a lifetime. And suddenly, when we were driving back to Las Vegas, it left me craving for more. I wanted to go back to the Grand Canyon and feel that peace i felt  in the middle of the humongous work of nature, despite all the body pain!

Hence, i picked that as the second place on the AIRBNB wishlist. I picked up a lovely place close to the Grand canyon south rim. The room looked very cozy and entire place was very well lit. The reviews suggested that the place was also very close to nature and the host was excellent. More so, it looks like an comfortable place to come and tuck-in after a exhausting trek down the Grand Canyon!

3) The Italian Alps

Italian town around Italian Alps (Source:italy_travel_guide)

Italy is a country which is very versatile, with its world-renowned cuisine, breath-taking cultural hubs, its seas and its mountains. According to me, its a must-visit country. The Alps is spread across many countries. Picture perfect sights, turquoise lakes, lush greenery, medieval castles and the snow-capped mountains. But i chose the Italian alps for the very reason that it carries with it that unique Italian flavor, say for eg. the smell of the classic italian espresso! 

I added an bread & breakfast place in a small italian village called Veneto to my wishlist. The place had that coziness to it, to take a break away from the stressful work life. For me, it seems like that perfect place to unwind, explore the breathtaking alps and take a short skiing break!

4) A Grecian island

An island town in Greece (Source:Greece wall papers)

I fell in love with Greece, when i watched the 2008 movie 'Mamma Mia'! The traditional Greek buildings along the crystal clear deep blue seas. The history, the geography, the traditions and the nature..everything about the Grecian islands captured my imagination. I knew at that moment i watched that movie, that i had to go to this gorgeous country!

Hence, i picked up a nice bread & breakfast place in the pretty island called Amorgos in Greece. This accommodation is as close as possible to the mountains, seas and has gardens surrounding it. Needless to say, the reviews suggest that the hosts are helpful and friendly people! (Not that i expected anything else from the Greeks...

5) Barcelona

City of Barcelona (Source:worldlunghealth)

Barcelona O Barcelona...What a rich and vibrant city. It has takers having varied interests. Art, history, architecture, football clubs, beaches, parties, the young and the old. It is the city which makes the Catalonian's proud! I personally love the Spanish culture and the Spanish language (Well i am aware that they speak Catalonian in this region..but nevertheless!). It is a city i have decided that i must visit in my lifetime. And i picked up a nice accommodation to stay on AIRBNB,when i indeed do visit the city! I picked a place with a balcony, close to all the major sight-seeing places in Barcelona. It is a city to be explored by foot and the city center is the place to live in! All i need is a little cozy room to come and crash at night and i think i found my perfect match!

The five places i added to my wishlist got my imagination running. The world is huge and yet somehow small. Life is short! So make your own wishlist and live life bountifully. I wish you all the best for your good wishes to come true! 

Godspeed and adios!