Weightwather's Guide To The Galaxy

Dear One,

Alright, I am facing weight issues off lately and it's blowing my living day lights away. It's not that I have transformed into a huge flesh barrel of sorts, but me ain't so much in shape either. Being a die-hard "Riceaterian" the repercussions have caught up with my age at last. Coming from a typical south indian household, rice is an integral part of my diet, in fact the only part of the diet. The rest of the dishes are plain accompaniments to help you savor the rice better.

Yeah, I know I should switch to wheat a.k.a. Rotis et. al., but you see my mother is a die hard fanatic of rice and rice products. So I can't afford to counsel the Home Minister herself, for the fear of losing my existing idlis and dosas, no matter what shape or sizes it may come across to me (Thank God! My mom does not follow my blog). Now, don't even think of suggesting me to get married for the sake of eating hot, fluffy rotis everyday. It ain't a good bargain at all. Just kidding.

I am a cusp between a Mesomorph and an Endomorph. Don't wonder much, as these are body types. There are by the way, 3 body types that most of us fall in. The Ectomorphs, who are blissfully lean and thin; Mesomorphs, who are athletic and muscular and finally there are Endomorphs, who are plain fat and chubby. So as I was saying before, I am a hybrid Meso-endomorph, who easily gain weight, but it doesn't show much on my broad body frame. Thank God for that, but that doesn't change the fact that I am indeed putting on weight.

Tell this to my mom, and she puts me off with a smirk of disgust, and reiterates that's it's all in your mind. In a way she is right. Recent studies have proved that you gain or lose weight by merely thinking about it. You mind plays a vital role in your quest for gaining or losing weight. They say, while eating food if you constantly nag yourself of the fat content or the calories intake, it is bound to show on your body. Whereas, if you just eat (chew it thoroughly and don't swallow) with a calm mind and do your daily dose of exercise, you will remain slim to tell your tale.

Diet and exercise go hand in hand. But for people like us who love to eat with both hands, exercise is the only saving grace. Diet if you must, but we both know it's going to fly out of the window in  few days. Stick to a daily dedicated regime of exercise. Keep it light and fun, as you tend to get bored with it as days go by. Try walking for a few miles every alternate day, as it's a great stress buster too. A great indoor workout is Surya Namaskar. It facilitates and conditions every part of your body and helps you to lose weight and also helps in toning the muscles too. I read somewhere that Kareena Kapoor is a great votary of Surya Namsakar, and that she does 100 S.N everyday to get that envious size zero figure.

On the other hand, these days the obsession to look good is verily on the minds of everyone. I know people who spend lakhs every month in the pursuit to look good physically, let alone mental or spiritual development. To stay fit is relatively very simple indeed. Eat right, sleep right and exercise right. That's all there is to it.

One simple regime, I reproduce here below for your benefit. Try it and let me know if it works for you.

Morning: (7.00 A.m - 11.00 A.m)
- Wake up/Ablutions
- Drink 3 glasses of tepid water
- Do 3 sets of 10 Surya Namaskars (http://www.medindia.net/animation/Surya_Namaskar.asp)
- Have breakfast (Idlis are the best you see and avoid white flour)
- Water, water and more water

Afternoon: (12.00 P.m - 4.00 P.m)
- Lunch with loads of fresh vegetables
- Yogurt and Buttermilk
- Power nap for 15 minutes (If you find time, that is)
- Munch on roasted lentils (Soya, wheat munchies etc.)
- H2O, H2O, H2O

Evening: (5.00 P.m - 8.00 P.m)
- Try and squeeze another 3 sets of  Surya Namaskars
- Supper of milk shake or milk and nuts
- Fruit smoothies
- Light dinner of boiled vegetables with brown bread
- Eat nothing after 7.30 p.m
- End the day with water, the only elixir that is exempted of all restrictions

To sum it all up, don't let exercise become an obsession. Ensure to eat right and get your daily quota of 7-8 hours of sleep, take less stress and lesser sodium (salt), keep yourself hydrated, laugh your lungs out, exercise regularly and pray a lot.

All's well that ends well and that's the recipe for a healthy, happy and wholesome life.

In peace,

S.R