About Me

My photo
Kathmandu, Nepal
At 24, she claims herself to be just an ordinary someone who is trying to find her place in this world, in search for her true calling. And along the way, as her life happens with people and situations coming and leaving, she pens down some of her thoughts & emotions here...

Thursday, July 10, 2014

From Fat to Fit !

as published in the June 2014 FITNESS special issue of WOW (World of Women) magazine ...

 I have always struggled with my weight. For several years, my weight kept fluctuating because of the umpteen number of unhealthy crash diets I went on. And although I was active with my workouts, I never saw results as I wasn’t eating right. I was the kind of person who would get all pumped up to start a new diet plan or an exercise regimen, only to run out of motivation and patience in just a few days. 

My turning point came last summer when I saw a picture of myself that left me shocked and disgusted. I’d blown up to almost 80kgs, to the point where my stomach made me uncomfortable while sleeping. I knew I had to take immediate action so the first thing I did was to set a goal, calculated how many calories I needed based on my activity level and made a diet plan accordingly. Since I was already attending Cardio Kick Boxing classes, the only change I had to make was to do it more seriously. I did every bit to keep myself motivated -  posting motivational quotes all over my room and waking up to alarm messages like ‘You can do this’ on my mobile.
 
I was very committed. I trained my mind to say 'No' whenever someone offered me something unhealthy and I wouldn’t miss my trainings even during exams. With that, I easily lost 6-7 kgs in the first two months. The rest of the weight loss slowly followed. Of course there were times when a cheat day would turn into a cheat week or month, but I would re-motivate myself and start all over again. I would add more workouts like a morning run. Throughout this journey, I was fortunate to have a partner who kept pushing me and gave me all the emotional support I needed. 

Today, eight months down the line, I have already reached my target weight of 65 kgs. I feel content when I stand in front of the mirror. I would love to come down to 60 kgs but I’m in no hurry. For now, I just want to focus on being more toned, especially around my abdomen.

Being fat my whole life, I see this as a blessing in disguise. Because if I weren’t overweight, I would have never stepped into the gym and realize the importance of being fit.   


 5 WEIGHT LOSS TIPS
  1. There is no shortcut. The only way it works is by exercising and by eating right.
  2. Have a strong willpower and learn to push yourself out of your comfort zone. More than your body, it’s your mind you have to motivate.
  3. It's not going to be easy. You will fail many times. But don't lost hope and immediately get back on track.
  4. Eat after every few hours. That will prevent you from eating a huge meal later. Prepare your lunch and snacks from home if you are on the go.
  5. Remember, every small effort counts; whether it’s doing one more rep or eating one less cookie.

MY DAILY DIET 
 
Early morning – hot lemon water with sugar free crackers
Breakfast – a small bowl of oats or dal and a boiled egg
Lunch – 2 rotis with veggies and egg
Pre workout snack - banana or apple
Post workout snack - 1 tablespoon peanut butter
   Dinner – home made chatpatey with lots of cucumber and tomatoes or whole wheat noodles with chicken 

 I would like to share my Before and After pictures here :)


BEFORE

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER



Thursday, June 19, 2014

Mustang Memories

Having mixed bittersweet emotions as my trip comes to an end.
While I'm happy to be back home with my family, a part of me is still there tranquilizing amidst the mountains and rivers.

It was my first. Before this, traveling was never a thought in my mind. Even if it did sometimes, the only picture I had was that of exotic foreign locations, shopping malls and hotels with pools and spas. Completely opposite from what I just experienced.

But I'm blessed to have two special people in my life who corrected my thoughts and taught me the real meaning of traveling; that it has got less to do with where I go and more to do with what I see, feel and experience. Teachings of traveling, and of valuable life lessons like learning to adapt outside my comfort zone, learning to make friendly connections with strangers without judging them, and so much more. And I'm glad that along the journey, I also met a few individuals who unknowingly inspired me to find satisfaction and happiness in whatever more or less we have been granted with in life.


I simply went for an escape from my hectic everyday life, but I came back with memories and lessons to last a lifetime.
It was my first but it surely isn't going to be my last. :)



12/06/2014 - 18/06/2014