How I Lost Weight – By Mayuri

First of all, I am extremely excited as this is my first ever blog post. I have been an avid reader of IndianWeightLossBlog and I am extremely honored to write about my weight loss journey.

Well, first things first – I have always been a chubby girl. Though I was really thin when I was a kid, puberty messed it all for me. Ah! Imagine I could flaunt my zero figure in those awesome cocktail dresses but growing up had to bring along curves with it 🙁 Nonetheless, I was never really comfortable with my body.

I remember getting into rigorous diets in school and college and then failing altogether. Frustration was an understatement for what I went through while growing up. I was always a foodie and staying out of home for my higher studies, increased my love for food greatly! Since I work in media, there aren’t any set work hours and my first job ensured that I stayed in the office from morning 6 am to sometimes 11 pm in the night. So, junk food and unhealthy dinners became a staple. This is how I used to look.

The turning point came when I gained almost 20kgs in two months. Stress, bad food habits, and hereditary traits induced hypothyroidism in my life (My dad has hyperthyroid, however, he is cured now). Look at the pictures below and you will understand how much I ballooned up! 

I went into depression and tried to control my eating habits but again went back to the same freaking ground. I was never thin but this baggage wasn’t my destiny either. I used to be so worried about the hair fall as well. Oh god! Thyroid literally plucks out all your hair. However, I managed to shed a few kilos and weighed around 94-95 kgs during that time. Here is a pic to give you a better idea. 

Then in April 2013, I had an appendix operation. Post-operation, my doctor advised me to lose weight as it wouldn’t be good later on as I might develop PCOS and other problems too. It was like a warning bell. I was actually taking my health for granted for a long.

I decided it’s time to lose all that extra weight and get into shape. Since then I have lost almost 20 kgs. I weigh around 75 kgs now. I am 5’7” tall and I need to lose another 8 kilos to reach my goal – 67-68 kgs. I know it sounds easy, especially when I have lost so much. But it has become a bit difficult as I have hit my second plateau it seems (I reached my first plateau at 81 kgs).

Also, being a Bengali, the period of Durga Puja – Diwali was like a culinary carnival. I was eating out and not caring a dime about the calories. But thankfully I just piled on 1 kg post all that, which I managed to shed as well. Here is a before and after pic 🙂

A few things I did to lose weight –

1) Had extremely filling and healthy breakfast

2) Completely avoided outside food.

3) Cut out carbs from my diet for the first two three months (I can count the number of days I have had bread on my fingers)

4) Completely give up soda (Even diet sodas)

5) Did not exercise at all (Since I was operated on, I wasn’t allowed to exercise for the first few months; however I have recently started walking 20 minutes 4-5 days a week)

6) No carbs after 8 pm. (I have salad/soup and fruit for dinner. I think I will continue this habit even after I reach my ideal weight)

7) Manage my diet if eating out. (If I have food outside I make sure I compensate the same by eating extremely light days after)

8) Had loads of curd, fruits, and peanuts.

9) Healthy snacking. I live on cream cracker biscuits, Marie biscuits, peanuts, and roasted papad, corn salad, Jhal muri (a Bengali specialty made with puffed rice, lemon juice, masalas, and raw veggies)

10) Completely give up vending machine coffee and tea. I have black coffee and green tea only.

Hope you liked reading my post :). Last but not the least; I have been very cruel to my body in my mind, which I regret. Now I have started respecting it. My best wishes to everyone who has embarked on this interesting and riveting journey of weight loss. It’s all in our minds. Where there is a will, there has to be a way 🙂