Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against fat people… as long as I don’t have to share a seat with them. They are usually a jolly good species and can devour buckets full of fried chicken minus the guilt pangs. An extra inch or two blends in harmoniously with their wide girth. The truth is, I secretly envy them. It’s me I have a problem with. You see, I was born with a manufacturing defect. I have wrists so thin that bangles slide down my arms like an avalanche in a hurry. Europe doesn’t make shoes my size. My dainty frame allows me no concession for extra kilos. And, to make it worse, that stupid gulab jamun I sometimes succumb to makes its way to my cheeks!

Imagine your embarrassment when a more than well-endowed aunt of yours sizes you up and says, “Aahh, P has become fat!” Secretly you are sputtering with rage and dying to bellow, “How dare you call me fat! When was the last time you checked yourself in the mirror, you stupid Cow!” With your appetite buried deep underground, you barely touch anything at the party, while your dear aunt’s face is strategically hidden behind the mountain of Biryani she’s gobbling.

I wrote these lines to justify my passionate love affair with fitness: Why my life seems incomplete if I don’t get to run on the treadmill; why everything seems pointless if I don’t raise my toes to the ceiling; why I think I might die if I miss even one day of my fitness regime. I have tumbled down the stairs and still gone for my morning walk. A bleeding knee, an aching back, a neck that scarcely moves—nothing discourages me from huffing and puffing.

My family insists that even if our house is on fire I will rush to the gym murmuring, “Darlings I will be back in 45, I’m sure you can manage till then!”

A bleeding knee, an aching back, a neck that scarcely moves—nothing discourages me from huffing and puffing

I wasn’t always a fitness fiend

Twenty years back, had someone gazed at the crystal ball and predicted that I will be a fitness fiend, I would have laughed at her face. Physical exercise and I could never see eye to eye. In school I made sure I bunked all my physical education classes. I played badminton just to shut my sports freak dad up. I was more into activities that did not disturb the rhythm of my assorted body parts—reading, music, yakking with friends. My brother would take care of my cardio. All I had to do was crack a joke at his expense and he would make me run all around the house. My mum’s eardrums would reverberate with my loud shrieks.

That girl who could demolish a box of chocolates in one sitting, the woman who had to have ice cream everyday during her pregnancy, is a stranger to me now.

Do I curse myself for favouring a healthier lifestyle? Not really, in fact I am quite proud of it. And it’s not as if I munch on carrots and seeds all through day and barf at the sight of ice creams. I still can’t live without my daily dark chocolate fix and binge on weekends.

Twenty years back, had someone gazed at the crystal ball and predicted that I will be a fitness fiend, I would have laughed at her face

I’m OK, you’re OK

What irks me is, when your close ones, who are well aware of your aversion to oil drenched delicacies, will still insist on plying you with it. Myths are woven around your so-called diet and you are projected as a fat-hating ninja. Dear God, now that you’ve had a pastry, will you be running for an hour on the treadmill! You smile even as you are trying to shove that sickeningly sweet cream in your mouth. Be damned if you do, be damned if you don’t.

And what I don’t understand is why certain people project their cholesterol loving and exercise shirking ways as an act of bravado. I am glad you can devour half a dozen bhature with chole for breakfast and still be alive and kicking. It’s great that exercise bores you and your idea of cardio is walking to the fridge to get yourself a beer. But don’t tch tch when I tell you I prefer yoghurt with fruits for breakfast and sigh in sympathy at my yoga-loving ways. I am old enough to decide what’s right for me and don’t need your unsolicited advice.

I fail to understand why most of us are so eager to project ourselves as the coolest and insist our way is the right way. Should your self-esteem always be at the cost of someone else’s sense of self-worth?

Yes, I suffer from guilt pangs when I reach out for another slice of brownie. I can’t remember the last time I had a samosa but I don’t miss it. But at least I don’t crib about my extra kilos as I tuck in yet another helping of aloo kachori. And don’t you worry, I will be the last one to call you fat. I don’t have the need to make you look bad to feel good about myself.

The post Yes, I’m a fitness freak and I’m not ashamed to say it appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

I recently went through a really long and painful breakup. It was quite a tough and strenuous process but I can say that I’m much better off now. I broke up with my fat and it’s been a year since we’ve bumped into each other. That’s the problem, whether you have GF [good fat] or BF [bad fat] they are eventually part of the same family and it’s imperative that you break up with them for good health.

Love at first bite

14 years ago, fat and I first met. For us, it was love at first bite and we just couldn’t let go of each other since. A year ago, I was 86 kilos. A feat I had accomplished while living on a diet of cheese, ghee, butter and every other fattening food item that a child needs to develop his chance of succeeding at having a heart attack.

For a long time I was in utopia. I didn’t care about my weight nor did I care about my looks. As long as I did not remove my shirt, my friends were happy to be around me and I never hit on any woman… because I was in a committed relationship—with my obese body. One day I ran up a slope and I ended up panting and sounding like Darth Vader having an asthma attack. That’s when I realised how tremendously unfit I was.

Gym… what’s that?

I knew I needed to break up with my fat and move on. It all changed the day a gym opened up near my house. Proximity triumphed over laziness and I decided to try out a little exercise. So far, the only marathon I had ever run was the dream run, where I would dream of running someday.

Now, I don’t like going to a gym and hanging out with men who are way better looking and fitter than I am. I think, secretly they’re trying to prove to each other how their big muscles are good enough to compensate for their smaller… um… brains. Yet, I put all my prejudices aside and pledged myself to a cycle of furious exercises with the help of a personal trainer.

For all those who don’t know, a personal trainer is just a human alarm clock and counting machine to help you lose weight. All you need to do to become a personal trainer is know how to count till 10 in English and then offer encouraging words such as ‘come on’, ‘you can do it’, ‘my mother has bigger muscles’ [I think my trainer had issues].

Having the ‘talk’

It’s a year down the line; I am 18 kilos lighter and as fit as I could ever be. Losing this much weight was like breaking up with a really stubborn girlfriend, because she’s not going to let you go without leaving a few marks.

To elucidate, breaking up with my fat went something along the lines of:

Me: Hey we need to talk.

Fat: Just a minute, do I look good here or should I move to your shoulder?

Me: You don’t look good anywhere. Listen, I think we need to talk. It’s high time we take a break.

Fat: Not now. I am depositing myself around your chest. Have you considered buying a bra?

Me: No. I need some space. You’ve been sticking to me for far too long. I think I need to start seeing healthier food items.

Fat: Don’t you dare abandon me! Cheese and butter for life—that was our motto when we started. What’s her name? It’s salad, na? I thought you had a thing for her. I noticed it the other day when you came home and you had a ranch dressing stain on your shirt.

Me: It’s not that, baby.

Fat: Listen, just because I’m baby fat, it doesn’t give you the right to call me that.

Me: Well, it’s over. We’re done.

Fat: Fine, if this is what you want. Go ahead. Live your life. You will go the gym and see me crying. Maybe I’ll go away. But remember… I will always be there just waiting for you.

Fat people are cannibals

It’s kind of a disgusting thought but that’s what I believe sweat is, just my fat crying every single time I try to remove it from my life.

Being a fat guy was tough. I used to hate other people because everyone feels that it’s their right to make fun of you. This one time I was sitting in a bus and there was a father and his small daughter sitting opposite me. The daughter was making a lot of noise and the father looked at me, then his daughter and said “Beta, be quiet or else! Do you see that uncle over there?”

At this point of time I was preparing myself to look as menacing as possible so I could scare the child… until her father said those shocking words “That uncle will eat you up.”

Eat her up? What do you think I am? A cannibal? I’m not one, and even if I was, I’m Indian so I would be a vegetarian cannibal [not quite sure how that would work out though].

Life post the breakup

Now that I’m thin, it’s the reverse. Every single day is filled with compliments from people telling me how great I look. I hear things like “You’re looking so good” or “You’ve lost so much weight. Wow! That is so awesome” or “You are so handsome” to which I always reply “Thanks mom”. [But apart from my mother I do know at least two women who have called me handsome!]

It’s the compliments that motivate me to stay thin. Every single compliment that I get makes me realise that I made the best decision of my life. Once in a while when I’m eating a cheese sandwich, I think about the old days and smile. Then I put the sandwich down and prepare myself to run on the path of good health. I may not make it till the end, but at least I know I won’t sound like Darth Vader having an asthma attack!

This was first published in the September 2014 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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When it comes to obesity more often than not we blame our hormones, insomnia or lack of time. We look for quick-fix methods, hoping to lose weight either through crash diets or weight-loss medications.

The truth about weight-loss drugs

Let’s face it—there is no magic pill for weight loss. If it existed, all of us would be on it and not reading this article. Since the 1930s, there have been at least 10 drug classes introduced for weight loss, most of which attempted to suppress appetite. Of all the weight-loss drugs, only one remains on the market today—orlistat, which works on reducing intestinal absorption of fat that is consumed. The other drug classes had to be banned due to serious safety concerns.

My take: From my endocrinology background, I know that the simplified version of appetite regulation involves over 20 chemicals [hormones and neurotransmitters] and over 10 genetic pathways. Why did Mother Nature spend so much DNA storage capacity of the genetic code on regulating appetite? Because it helped humans survive, adapt and become the most intelligent species on earth. The phenomenon of appetite regulation is a miraculous creation. Do we really think Nature will allow a single tablet to block our appetite? No way! I am convinced that Nature will adapt and find a way to bypass the drug block, because the momentum of evolution’s design to ensure our survival always triumphs. No wonder then that we face dangerous side effects when we try to block one of the strongest survival mechanisms that kept us alive through famine: the drive to find fuel. Tough luck that most of the readers of this website aren’t living in conditions of famine or energy shortage!

As for orlistat? It causes a slight weight reduction to the extent that the excess fat gets eliminated from the body as sticky greasy stools. I’d much rather modify the way I eat and reduce the amount of fat that goes in my tummy. Orlistat does nothing for the behaviour or lifestyle that is causing the extra fat to be consumed.

Crash diets

I don’t prescribe diets because I feel they distract from where the main focus needs to be: lifestyle change. Mindful eating is the way to go.

Want to eat something greasy? Go ahead, but do it mindfully.

Feeling hungry all the time? Mindfulness will help you decipher true hunger from sensations commonly mistaken as hunger.

Getting hungry sooner? Meals that are loaded with carbohydrates create an insulin rise-and-fall that stimulate hunger hormones more frequently. A meal with adequate protein will keep hunger hormones in check for longer.

My take: I’m against typical diet plans/diet charts/crash diets/rigid rules/lists that separate foods into ‘good’ or ‘allowed’ versus ‘bad’ or ‘not allowed’.

I believe that we all know how to eat in a way that is right for our body, and we need to relearn that inner wisdom. Dieting is not sustainable over the long term and all foods can be taken safely [keeping in mind any medical diagnoses] as long as they are eaten with  awareness. The more something is proscribed, the more we crave it and end up overeating. The tragic aspect of this is that once someone gives into that ‘craving’, society makes them feel guilty as if they have committed a grave sin. This is a huge disservice to the individual, because the fault lies in the non-sustainable diet approach. Most rapid weight-loss plans cause loss of precious muscle, bone and water, while most of the fat remains intact. Most weight regained after a crash diet ends is in the form of fat, resulting in a slower metabolism.

Whether you’re someone struggling with your weight, cholesterol or diabetes, let nutritional information be a tool, not a weapon or a set of handcuffs. It’s all about balance, variety and moderation.

Once we learn to eat in a mindful way, the extra weight will go away. Besides, we are meant to savour delicious flavours and use food as a part of celebration, pleasure and love. That’s why we have taste buds on our tongues, not our stomachs.

Thyroid problems

Only a significantly raised level of thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH], a condition called hypothyroidism, causes weight gain. Most people struggling with weight have normal TSH levels that establish the innocence of the thyroid gland.

My take: Too many people are given flawed forecasts that once they become a thyroid patient they are destined to be overweight. This is not true. Once your TSH is in the normal or sub-clinical hypothyroidism range [whether via thyroid hormone replacement or otherwise] your weight gain is coming from someplace else. Hormonal causes of obesity are extremely rare.

Insulin resistance

In India, we are losing too many young people to complications of insulin resistance. A majority of this epidemic is caused by worsening lifestyles and imbalanced nutrition. To add to that, Indian genes are prone to insulin resistance. The most reliable way to estimate insulin resistance is to measure glucose levels and glycosylated haemoglobin.

My take: Many people with diabetes and PCOS are on more medication than they truly need—all because they are not making the required lifestyle changes. Unfortunately, a large proportion of Indians have resigned themselves to that bulge around the middle, and it is due to that bulge that diabetes and polycystic ovarian syndrome [PCOS] worsen. The fat around the waist directly prevents our body’s own insulin from doing its job. So as a doctor, shouldn’t I help the person restore their own insulin sensitivity by reducing their tummy girth and building muscle, rather than pushing up one medication after the next? And no, liposuction doesn’t remove the offending section of fat.

Has someone advised you to stop eating pulses and to start taking allopurinol for your slightly high uric acid levels? Uric acid levels go up due to insulin resistance. Reverse the insulin resistance through lifestyle change and the uric acid will improve. By stopping lentils, you might be falling short of your protein requirement and hamper your muscle composition.

No muscles

Muscular development is ignored in India. Protein intake is drastically below the required 0.8 gram per kg per day in most Indians. Having toned muscles that are of gender- and age-appropriate bulk are major insurance policies against progression of diabetes and PCOS. This means reducing the carbohydrate intake, increasing protein in our diets, and yes, cardiovascular plus resistance exercise to build muscle.

No time to exercise? Time won’t arrive gift-wrapped in a box. We all get 24 hours. We all have jobs, families and homes filled with drama. You have to find a way.

My take: Mindfulness will help you see where you are spending time which, instead, needs to be diverted towards your health and wellbeing. Besides, mindfulness also helps you realise that exercise is not some punishment for eating or some form of barbaric torture. Exercise is a way to enjoy the experience of an active, fit and energetic body.

Sleep deprivation

Disturbed sleep or night-shift work worsens struggles with weight and increases the chance of diabetes. Undiagnosed sleep apnoea causes significant cardiac and metabolic risk. There are delicate hormone systems called orexins that connect appetite and the day-night cycles of sleep.

My take: Sleep deprivation makes weight-loss attempts harder and also increases appetite. Remember the extra hunger after pulling an all-nighter or the extra weight gained during exams? Our bodies aren’t designed hormonally to process food efficiently after it gets dark outside.

Good quality sleep is essential for metabolic health. But night-shift workers for instance can’t quit their job. They need their incomes and society needs them too. If you get up feeling tired, get tested for sleep apnoea when you can. Do you feel unable to fall asleep? Or, if you wake up at night, are you unable to fall back asleep without eating something? Undoubtedly there is something wrong with your sleep process. Nearly always, food is not the right answer. You need to diagnose what is really going on when you sleep. Let food have the place in your life it deserves.

Emotional eating

Eating helps temporarily sooth negative emotions just like it allows us to celebrate a happy occasion. The hormonal changes that happen after eating something pleasurable increase our ‘feel-good’ chemicals by stimulating the reward centre in the brain. Foods rich in fat, sugar, salt and caffeine, are all very potent at this.

My take: In moderation, there is no problem with eating any food. But when it becomes a pattern of seeking short-term relief from unpleasant emotions through food, then it starts to take on an addictive quality and then the only solution is mindful eating.

My message

It is possible, necessary and rewarding to take charge of your health. Just by being more mindful of your lifestyle choices, you can reduce—and in some cases even reverse—metabolic disorders, and cut down medication. Isn’t that worth a try?

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