I have been
sharing my journey to get healthier and lose weight each month through my word of the Year for 2016: Health. January was
about taking stock and trying to understand what the task ahead of me was: my
good habits, the habits that needed attention, what was helpful and some
reflection on my mind-set.
February was summed up in a word: unimpressive – I
fell back on bad habits: not walking enough, eating big portions, eating out
and making excuses. I did two things, firstly I started monitoring my steps and
food intake using the MyFitnessPal app so that I could see objectively what I
was doing. Secondly I started thinking about how I could inspire myself through
learning about food and good health. I also decided I would not guilt trip
myself and would focus on the things I love about myself, like the way my body
has served me.
Papri chaat from a friends party, tasted amazing, but how on earth do you work out the calories?
In March I finally got weighed properly and found I was above my
ideal weight. I found that tracking my food intake was an eye-opener and helped
me to make better decisions, so I managed to cut down significantly on junk
food and reduce my portions and started to see a difference in my weight.
The last month has been a case of working to embed better habits.
I am still tracking my food and steps. I like that I am competing against
myself rather than others and always trying to improve on my own best
performance (my best is 18,000 steps in one day so far). I have buddied up with my
friend Z at work and we walk every lunch time together for about an hour. Every
time one of us is craving junk the other talks her out of it, so that has
really helped us both when fast food beckons.
I managed to cut down junk food and snacking significantly in
March and then in April the cravings sneaked back (that beloved cad chocolate of course).
I am obsessed with food at the moment – I have been watching
Chef’s Table on Netflix and lapping up cook books and books about food. I am really
enjoying learning about food and health in different cultures and sharing it
with my children. I don’t want to diet and I don’t want food to be a source of
guilt and punishment, so this feels right.
Something else I have done is get rid of all of the unhealthy food in
the house – no biscuits, chocolate, fizzy drinks, sugary juice drinks or
crisps. They kids have complained non-stop that there is nothing to eat and
they are starving, but over the weeks they have been making themselves eggs and
toast, home-made cakes and even giving the fruit a second glance. Every now and
again, I will get us crisps or chocolate, but avoid storing packets and tubs of
them in the house.
I found by the end of the month I had lost a few pounds and then
slowed down in losing weight. It feels sooooo good. I can fit into clothes that
I was ready to throw away. Hubby seems a bit impressed. I can look in the
mirror and not think about losing weight. It’s great motivation to keep going.
It feels like I am at a point that I could become complacent and start eating
lots again or feel this is too much effort. So my next task alongside
continuing to track my steps and food, is to keep reminding myself about why I
started this journey and why it is important for me and my family.
My fitnesspal also has options for desi food. Type in papri chat. It shud work. Theres nihari, biryani and other desi food, whose calories are listed
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