My Health-Conscious Routine

Most IT professionals receive two gifts throughout their careers. Stress is one, and weight gain is another. Hours of sitting are required for them to finish their work. A single priority call can sometimes need 4-5 hours of sitting. But what should you do if you are hungry or exhausted during this time? Simple solution! Bring some chips and cookies with you. If you don't need to converse for a while, keep munching. I am not an exception to this custom either. When I started working in IT, I weighed 40 kg, and five years later, I reached 65 kg. It was definitely a warning sign to me. I, therefore, made the decision to stop accepting these gifts from the IT sector.

It was January 1st, the start of a new year. I woke up at 10 am (As I had a party last night and had lots of cakes, cold drinks, burgers and of course a DJ. I was exhausted as a result. Otherwise, I wouldn't have woken up so late on January 1st, especially considering my new resolution.) On the first day, I promised myself that no matter what, I would lose weight and learn how to deal with stress. For this, I decided to join a gym and do 10 minutes of meditation every day after my workout. So, I went to the gym and paid for three months of membership on the same day (As it was cheaper than paying every month). I realized That I needed good shoes and clothes for my new goal since I couldn't go to the gym in my old shoes and regular dresses.

Ijjat ka sawal hai bhai!

Most gyms are full of people at the start of the new year. So, I went out and bought a new pair of branded shoes and some clothes for the gym.

 The next day, I went to the gym right at 7 a.m. It was the first time I had ever been to the gym. Before that, I had only seen it in movies and TV shows. The gym trainer showed me how everything works and made me do some warm-up exercises. It was sufficient for the first day. When I got home at 8:30 a.m., I sat down and closed my eyes for meditation. But I was a little tired because I wasn't used to getting up early. So, I put two pillows against the wall and settled against them. I didn't mind at all, since it was the first day. When I opened my eyes after a while, I was shocked. I didn't know that meditation could be so relaxing that it would send me to a dream where I was slim and trim. Since it was already late, I got ready quickly, ate lunch, and got to work. I was already late, so I had to work a few extra hours that day.

The next day also I reached the Gym exactly at 7 am. After I did some warm-up exercises, my gym trainer made me do 15 minutes of cardio and then a few sets of bench presses and dumbbells. I was so tired that day that I decided 10 minutes of Shavasana would be better than just meditation. So, when I got home, I laid down for Shavasana, but when I woke up again, it was already after 12 noon. This cycle went on for another two or three days. I finally decided that working out at the gym is not my thing.

But I was adamant that I would not take these horrible gifts. So, I thought, instead of going to the Gym and hurting myself, I should go for a morning walk. In this way, I will get a walking exercise plus the fresh morning air will help induce more oxygen in the body and reduce stress. So, I began going for a walk in the morning. When I first got to the park, there were a lot of people there. With the birds chirping, I could hear people chirping as well. But even so, it was still better than sleeping at home.

 I walked a few rounds in the park. I started feeling thirsty and hungry after 2-3 rounds, but there was nothing outside the park to eat or drink. After looking for a while, I finally found a guy selling bitter guard juice on the corner. I had a glass full of bitter guard juice. I drank it in two sips, even though it tasted awful. I was really happy with myself. That day, when I got home, I thought that since I had already taken a few walks and had a glass of bitter guard juice, it wouldn't affect me to have some cookies and coffee. After all, I had to keep myself energized. I said to mother, "Mom, for breakfast today, make aloo parathas. I did a lot of rounds of walking and drank some bitter guard juice. I need to keep up my strength."

I did this every day for two months. I was proud of myself and happy with how steady I was. " I’m such a disciplined lady. I never miss the routine", I thought.

 Gradually my stress started getting reduced. After two months of hard work, it was finally time to see what had been accomplished. When I saw the result, I was so shocked that my eyes remained wide open. I muttered, "Congratulations to me for gaining 10 kgs."

And what about the other present? After seeing these results, it came back to me.