To begin with....

Date - March 23rd, 2015

Weight - 84.2 Kg

The first question that comes to mind when you decide to take control of your weight, and lifestyle.... is, where to start. And my experience with counselling tells me one cannot make drastic changes in the beginning, they are not likely to last. As a weight-loss client, I am myself very difficult to convince about changes in my routine.

Technology to the rescue: Since one cannot imagine life without smartphones today, I decided to take the help of my smartphone for my weight loss programme. I installed a Pedometer app, called "Accupedo", and set a target for myself of 6K steps daily. Then I installed another app, called "Noom weight loss coach", so I could keep a track of what I was eating throughout the day.

You would agree with me if you have a first hand experience, logging every bite that goes into your mouth is a great way of beginning to develop healthy eating habits. You log a chocolate, and the calorie count shows you have consumed 500 calories. You log a whole apple, and it says you have consumed 86 calories! If you have set a calorie budget for yourself, then logging each food item eventually teaches you how to make smart food choices, how to eat within your calorie budget, while not starving yourself.

I have set a daily budget of 1200 calories for myself, and decided to take an at least 30-minute long walk daily.

Wish me luck !!

A shock to kickstart weightloss !!

You have been looking for a suitable job near your residence for almost three years, finally a great offer comes your way...the job is not perfect, but you know you couldn't get anything better provided your conditions and gap-in-service. You send across your resume and start waiting eagerly to hear back. You are informed by the recruiter that your resume is among the top shortlisted ones, and you would be asked to join within a week. You are so happy you want to tell everyone about your new job, suddenly you get another call from the recruiter. What is your weight and height doctor? You can literally see the opportunity slipping away - laughing at your face !!

Um..mmm... I am 5 ft 3 inches tall, and I weigh 83.6 Kg. You are told that you would have been their first choice, but they cannot hire you because you are overweight. You are angry, and humiliated....but you cannot blame the recruiter, they are hiring for a chain of weight-loss clinics :-))

Now you start to wonder - how can a corrective lifestyle consultant, who has helped so many people lose weight and adopt healthy lifestyles, end up piling an extra 30 kilos???  I would love to answer that - years of inactivity, not-so-healthy eating habits, small baby, time for everyone in the family but oneself.

Does it sound familiar?

The result of all that happened above, is my decision that enough is enough, I would now like to take control of my life. Sounds simple?? Well, it is not quite. When you consider yourself an expert on corrective lifestyle counselling and advice, you generally do not want to register yourself to any established weight-loss programme, you think there is nothing new to know, that you know it all already. So what to do now????

I decided to use my corrective lifestyle counselling on myself, and come up with a unique, tailor-made routine for myself. After all, that's what I would have done for any other client of mine.

The beginning of a new you....

I am a firm believer of the age old dictum - Prevention is better than cure. And that is what my five and half years of education in Ayurveda has reiterated over and over again. 

The best way to prevent diseases is to follow a healthy routine. I agree that it is next to impossible for most of us to get up in Brahma-muhurta and start our day from there, but what we can easily accommodate into our busy schedules a few practices which would ensure that we stay on the right track.

Eggless Date and Walnut cake

                                    Eggless Date and Walnut Cake

Here is a recipe that is a favourite with my son and everyone in the family. A perfect one for winters, this was the first cake I learnt ,around 9 years back.Thanks to my friend Chanchal who taught me how to bake cakes.

Here goes the recipe-
You’d require 200g of deseeded dates. Soak them overnight in milk, just enough to cover all the dates . Now seive 2 cups flour with 2 teaspoons full of Baking soda ( Sodium Bicarbonate ). Add 1/2 a cup of coarsely crushed walnuts to the flour mix. You can add more dry fruits if you like. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 a cup of regular cooking oil( you can also use butter, but I prefer cooking oil as it is lighter on the heart !) Add to it the date and milk mixture ( you’ll have to blend it beforehand). Now fold in the flour and walnut mix. The batter has to be of dropping consistency, you can add a little lukewarm milk if it is stiff. Put it in a baking dish and bake for about an hour at 150 F.

Tada...you're ready with the cake. Shall be posting an excellent recipe for homemade brownies shortly, so keep in touch !!

Give your health a chance

Hitaayu is about respecting your existence....realising the importance of the " YOU " in you. Life is much more than being the perfect figure, just the right weight, the correct size & stunning looks.... it is about being your healthiest and happiest best for your loved ones !!
Lifestyle related diseases like Diabetes, Hypertension, Obesity, and perpetual indigestion are on a global high...... the ones who are at risk are also the ones who know they are.....so please stop neglecting your health and take charge...TODAY !!!!