I have always envied those skinny people who could wear anything and everything and yet look pretty. I kept dreaming of achieving a skinny figure. But I was under the impression that to achieve a skinny body I not only have to give up my favorite foods but also regular meals. In other words I thought I needed to eat very little, and basically starve. I thought this is “dieting” and the very thought of dieting depresses me. I am a foodie and giving up food is so tough!
However, I decided to try my best and thought that I must set a healthy lifestyle example for my daughter. Initially, I was very confused, as to which way I should go,and after some thought i decided to experiment on myself.
Experiment 1: Diet— I started on a crash diet. I stopped eating regular meals and snacked most of the time. I was mostly on liquids. I did not exercise. I think I didn’t like the feel of it although it felt much easier to eat less. I kept telling myself that unless I stay hungry, I won’t lose weight.
Result: I soon realized that I felt weak and had no stamina. I lost a few pounds but for a very short time and obviously my dream of achieving a skinny figure remained a dream.
Experiment 2: Exercise— I geared myself up and decided that I will not give up. I started exercising. I had always heard people say that they exercise so that they can eat everything and this keeps them in good health and shape. I followed this path. I must say I felt stronger; I developed lot of strength and energy. I felt happy most of the time.
Result: When I stood on my weighing scale the scale didn’t move at all. Not losing weight was a bummer because there are certain health issues that are purely weight related regardless of how physically active you are. My BMI was quite high and I really needed to lose weight along with gaining muscle mass through exercise. Moreover my dream of achieving a skinny body still remained a dream.
Experiment 3: Exercise Plus Diet: This time my determination was even stronger. I introduced a combination of exercises and healthy eating practices in my routine. I took to NO Equipment Exercises and focused on all body parts. I also started exploring healthy foods. I ate a balanced diet that included good carbs, good fats, protein, veggies and fruits. I limited my sugar intake and eliminated white carbs from my diet. I included more fiber. And all this process made me realize the importance of cooking at home too (that was a bonus!).
Result: After few months, I started getting some compliments from friends and family. But I still had no expectations due my earlier failures. Half heartedly I stood on the weighing scale and I screamed out in excitement. I had lost tons of pounds. That encouraged me to go for some shopping and in the dressing room I discovered that I had lost 2 dress sizes. Woooooohoooo! And guess what, I did not become skinny at all!
I continued my health routine for a year and in the process I realized that health does not mean that one has to become skinny. Healthy means having good strength, lots of energy, a normal BMI, a balanced nutrition intake and exercises to tone the muscles.
I am still not skinny. But, more importantly I have a normal BMI and I fit into my dream dress size. I am a Healthy person with no ailments and no sickness. I am always positive about life and everything else around me. I am a happy person.
In my journey towards understanding the difference between being healthy and skinny I actually learnt that the most important aspect of life is HEALTH and that is real WEALTH indeed, and to be healthy one does not have to be skinny.
I am super happy with my healthy and strong body. Skinny is neither healthy nor necessarily beautiful. I was wrong earlier. I think I have set my little daughter a good example.
Health Tip of the Month
“Stay Healthy, Eat Healthy and live Healthy”.
Great.