Monday, June 14, 2010

The Happy Weight Loss Family

We all have heard this so many times, educate a woman educate the whole family. A woman always has the capability to change the outlook of the family. One step that you take towards healthy lifestyle, your family and your kids take a leap forward in terms of healthy life.

In a health magazine, once I read about an overweight woman who lost lot of weight. She said that when she was fat, she always used to ask her kids to buy packet of chips. Chips were a constant feature in her life and her kids life. When she shifted to healthy eating so did her kids.

I have seen it myself. There was once a time when my husband stood at 96 kgs and I at 86 kgs. I had a pantry full of fried snacks and instant pasta and noodles. We would chomp off a large pizza together accompanied by large servings of garlic bread and cold drink.

Movie at home will be watched only with 2 large bags of butter pop corns (I had all the flavored packets, 1 box had 6 packets and I at a time used to have 6 boxes at least).

My freezer always had a bag of french fries (what if guests come, there should be something to serve them but month after month it was us who finished those big bags), outside frozen quick meals and outside frozen parathas (made of white flour), pizza dough.

Pizza dough was a constant feature in my freezer. We always used to stock up of the dough and mozzarella. So, whenever we wanted to have something different (which was most of the days in the week), all we had to do was pile sauce on pizza dough, some cut veggies and lots of cheese and in it will go in the oven. Me and my husband use to have 2 medium size home made pizza each.

So, what happened when I changed my outlook towards food. My freezer now has paneer, corns, spinach,peas and beans, home made rajma and daal makhni. You will not find any pop corn bags in my house neither will you find loads of friend snacks nor any frozen outside quick meals and pizza dough.

Both me and my husband have started moving towards more whole grain diet which includes lots of veggies. A young life which will step into our house will follow our way of living. When our relatives look at us they try to make changes themselves, thats the beauty of healthy life, people always appreciate it and they tend to adopt it.

So, here is one member of IL who did it. She not only made a difference in her lifestyle but she made a difference in the lifestyle of her whole family. What an example she is.

She is Radha. Good show girl, you showed us that if one person in the family changes her outlook towards life the whole family follow suit. Remember, how I keep telling you people that if you give up outside food the weight will drop, she sets a good example of giving up outside food and benefiting from it. Read her story and see how she made the difference.

Dear Shiva,

I am silent reader of your blogs. I was 52kgs when I got married 5 years back, but somehow it jumped to 58 kgs in 5 years. I was trying to loose it but was never regular. I gained few more kgs(5!!) as I was an medication last year for my TTC journey. Life was quite hectic and sad last year as I was trying juggle between work and TTC. I read your blog in Jan 2010(Fat chic goes slim) and I made up my mind that I am going to loose weight and not going to concentrate on anything else.

I started in Jan 2010 and till date I have lost 8 kgs and in the verge of losing last 3 kgs. My DH got impressed seeing my weight loss journey and set up a Gym for me at home. I have a trainer who comes home and trains us(DH is my weight loss buddy, weight watcher everything) in weekends. I have forgotten my TTC journey and left it to my gynec and god.

As I was working only on weight loss ,not only I lost weight but there are other great benefits I got. As I was in hectic TTC journey romance was missing between me and DH and now we are like 'just married' for last few months. My acne in the face is cleared and my skin looks more healthy.

Yesterday I attended a function and met few people who were our neighbors 10 years back. They are seeing me after 8 years I think , they said wow, you have not changed in 10 years, you look the same. DH was thrilled when he heard this comment. It would have been different comment if they would have seen me 6 months back!!

My MIL is a sweet heart and she kept saying me and DH about weight loss, which we never bothered to listen. To make my food yummy she started making Jawar dosa, Soyabean idli, Lapsi khichdi etc., so that we don't feel deprived of food as we are dieting. We used to eat out on all weekends religiously and order all high calorie desserts before. But as I started my weight loss in Jan 2010 and dh is my buddy, we stopped eating out and my DH lost 4 kgs just because we stopped eating out.He lost few more when he started exercising. One point to mention is our credit card bill reduced considerably else Evey week we will have an entry from Domino's,Pizza hut or any food joint!!

My FIL was seeing me and DH and MIL(she is always health conscious, never gives up her Yoga, Yoga for an hour is compulsory for her) and started his weight loss journey. All this while he was saying he can't sleep if there is no rice in night and will hungry in the middle of the night, but for last 2 months he is just eating 2 Roti's with subzi and glass of butter milk for dinner. He has lost 4-5 kgs so far. He is 65 years and he has changed his habit (eating rice in night for 64 long years) and started his weight loss journey. My MIL says this is the 8th wonder of the world as she never knew her hubby will give up rice and believe me she was trying for it for almost 20 years!!

Now its all only healthy food at home, we do break it once in a while but go on light food for next couple of days.

I started my posting my diet in weight loss buddy and Alpa gave her comments and helped me a lot. It was difficult for first 5 kgs after that its reducing constantly :). Last but not least we have a cook at home and now she is trained to make healthy food which is less spicy less oily and she comes up with her own healthy recipes!!

We are 'Happy weight loss' family now.

I am now guiding my SIL who is trying to loose her pregnancy weight. I owe a lot to you for writing the blog and helping me start my weight loss journey.


I really appreciate the efforts of Radha's MIL. Classic example of one woman standing up to help the other. Both women brought the family on track to healthy eating. Radha and her MIL both deserve a standing ovation. Both of you are great examples. Kudos to both of you.

All you have to do is stand up for yourself and your family will stand up too.

All you have to do is take a step forward and your family will walk forward with you.

So get up and make the difference now.


This article was also published on Indus ladies forum where I have a similar blog.

7 comments:

  1. Shiva....This is really inspiring.Though I prefer gymming outside becuase I some how get lot of motivation there by seeing people struggling to lose weight..Girls slimmer then me trying hard ..It inspires me a lot...

    Thanks for such a motivational post..:)

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  2. Dear Anamika,

    Thanks so much for appreciating the article. I guess to each his own. I too like to go out and work out in gym, its more motivating for me to see other people working out.

    Hey Anamika, you are back dear. I was missing you. I am just used to you on my blogs.

    Have a great day ahead hon.

    regards

    Shiva

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  3. thanks for one more motivational post. I do almost everything...like using less oil in cooking, having multigrain rotis and bread, no tea in morning, light meal at night, etc. But the biggest hurdle is eating out. I seriously don't know how I can meet my friends/family at a pub/eatery and not drink/eat. Invariably every saturday is a party (sigh).

    ReplyDelete
  4. thanks for one more motivational post. I do almost everything...like using less oil in cooking, having multigrain rotis and bread, no tea in morning, light meal at night, etc. But the biggest hurdle is eating out. I seriously don't know how I can meet my friends/family at a pub/eatery and not drink/eat. Invariably every saturday is a party (sigh).

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dear sccribbles,

    You can have a light lunch so that you even out the heavy dinner. Just sit and figure out how you will do it and make small changes. Soon you will be walking proudly towards your target weight.

    Lots of love

    regards

    Shiva

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  6. Dear shiva,
    am nisha who writes to u on IL.(sreenidhishar).
    u truly are a standalone winner. i can see that clearly fromur blogs and what u share with others. i see a lot of similarities in us fromwhat i just read here-my freezer used to be like urz and only now am trying to take healthy foods.
    ur posts and blogs r so inspiring shiva.
    Hats off to u and here iam bowing humbly to ur IAM THE WINNER attitude.
    weight loss is an achievement---kudoos shiva.
    u r my role model and i ll be happy to get to know u better.
    -----Nisha.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dear Nisha,

    I am so happy to see you here. If you need any help or any doubt feel free to ask.

    Thanks a lot buddy for your appreciation. You made my day honey.

    Have a great great day ahead.

    regards

    Shiva

    ReplyDelete

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