Weight loss goal planning..

I will be blogging today about my weight loss journey till date since i started 4 months back and further plans...This blog is going to be a bit longer as i would brief you about the past journey and I hope u find it useful and something to take away if you are also looking to achieve your weight loss goals and stay fit..i had been writing a separate blog about my weight loss a few months back and you can find it here.

To begin with, I am a 5 feet tall full time (9 a.m to 6 p.m) working woman in my early thirtees, a mom to 4 yo son. My job is completely sedentary and may be i get up only to go to canteen or to the loo..

Before i was married,  i weighed 47.0 kgs (Normal BMI) sometimes going max up to 50 kgs (still normal BMI). The weight stated rising after i had a baby (common post pregnancy problem u may say!) but i do not blame my pregnancy for this at all..the culprit is...my lifestyle..It’s a purely lifestyle problem…..

I tried many fad diets but nothing worked for me..i even went to the extreme of starving myself only to feel lethargic and grumpy and cud not afford that when I am working ..i need the energy to work in office ..

My weight details / journey month wise :

September 2011:  59.0 kgs

October 2011 (mid): 56.3 kgs

October 2011 (end): 53.0 kgs

November 2011: 52.0 kgs (achieved 1^st weight loss target. But slow progress…irregular jogging habits)

December 2011: 51.0 kgs (slow progress, completely left my morning  and evening jog. Weight loss was due to high metabolism)

January  2012: 51.7 kgs (Completely no jogging and exercise. Back to irregular and unhealthy eating habits)

February 2012 (second week): 52.0 kgs (Now determined to lower this weight and get going to achieve my 2^nd weight loss target)

My weight loss Target:

1^st target: 52.0 kgs (from 59.0 kgs) – achieved on November 2011 in 2 months

2^nd target: 47.0 kgs (my BMI target is 20.0, still in normal range) further 5 kgs down

3^rd Target: Weight maintenance to 47.0 kgs throughout 2012.

Goal setting for weight loss: (since we are already in second week)

7^th Feb 2012: 114.4 lbs

14^th Feb 2012: 113.0 lbs

21^st Feb 2012: 111.5 lbs

28^th Feb 2012: 110.0 lbs

6^th March: 108.5 lbs

13^th March: 107.5 lbs

20^th March: 106.0 lbs

27^th March: 104.5 lbs

3^rd April: 103.0 lbs

(If I stick to these small targets, I can achieve my goal within two month’s time from now…sounds good…but I sincerely hope...It’s equally good to follow...and i know only exercise cannot achieve this alone..i have to keep my calorie intake strictly under control and supervision..

Earlier I used to follow my calories intake religiously along with exercise. I used the programme available here to monitor my daily calorie intake. This site had list of thousands of foods and their calories, most surprisingly, it has many Indian foods listed too which is very rarely available in other sites.

My current weight is 52 kgs or 114.4 lbs. I have calculated my daily calorie maintenance level from here which is 1587 calories per day if I have to maintain my current weight.

I have also calculated how much calories I need to consume to lose 1.5 lbs per week from here and here which comes to 837 calories per day. I have checked the box as sedentary. So if I start exercising too, I can eat much over 837 calories and still lose weight as calories burned during exercise are unaccounted for.

For this whole plan to work, I need to strictly stick to the schedule and religiously follow things which will not throw me off track...I will also be including weight training in the exercise routine…I had been easily able to shed off excess pounds earlier and still feel ca do it.. I need God’s and everyone’s support.. Whatever be the end results, i will be honestly updating every week on Wednesday my weight loss regimen I followed and my weight of the week  for you to read on..

Some of the few changes I did to get myself 15 lbs lighter earlier:

1) Getting up early in the morning at 6.00 am and going for a jog (there is a joggers park near vicinity where i go..) for an hour..and come back by 7-7.30 as i have to get my kid ready for school and i have to rush to office

2) Tea substituted with green tea
)
3) Lunch box is now one box of salads, one box for greens like cooked spinach or methi/fenugreek  or any lentils and chapati (occasionally). Sometimes i skip chapati. A glass of buttermilk as morning snack so i dont fill myself during lunch. evening snack is orange or apple..

4) I come back at 6.00 from office post that at 6.30 i leave for a walk at the nearby park for about an hour..

5) Comeback by 7-7.15 pm and work on getting dinner ready.. i do not have any special diet meals but whatever i cook for other i have the same but the only difference is half the portion i used to have earlier..i do sometimes overindulge during particular occasions and feel guilty later so I am working on my will power..

6) i have started counting my calories and am maintaining a calorie tracker in my mobile appln provided by this website and jot down everything i eat and try to not exceed the weight loss goal calorie..

SO guys, ALL THE BEST TO ME! I may go for a walk today evening after I am back from office…

Menu Plan of the week

SO, finally its the Menu Plan day of the week..(i had to post this blog on Saturday as per my blog activity for the day, but due to some issues and unavoidable reasons, i was not able to do it....my apologies..)

I am having a veg menu week today.. as me and both my hubby have a lil stomach upset so cant have the heavy non veg food..

Sunday: Egg Pulav

Monday: Red Lentils

Tuesday: White peas curry  + Potato cutlets combo

Wednesday: Noodles -veg

Thursday: steaming idlis with sambhar (yummy!)

Friday: Rajma curry

Saturday: Spinach-Red lentil rice with soya cutlets 

Feeling depressed? steps to overcome it...

had been feeling depressed lately...on professional front.. had few petty issues going on in the work front which really made me depressed and also had to postpone my blog writing..(i am a very sensitive person and react to things very easily..)


During this, i read some articles on how to get over your depression and really found some few simple but amazing tricks which has worked wonders for me and was able to relieve my negative thoughts..so if you are feeling depressed lately over any issues my be, read on , this article is just right for you.  i had read this in one of the stress management articles and am sharing it with you..you can try any or multiples of this..and see for yourself how wonderful it is..

·         Get a pet! 

·         Take a friend’s dog for a walk

·         Try gardening - very relaxing

·         Write a weekly timetable (daily list rest/activity/work etc…)

·         Get outside and walk daily (great way to get an endorphin boost)

·         Do a daily crossword

·         Paint (by numbers or freestyle)

·         See friends weekly (gets you out of your own shell)

·         Stick post-it notes with positive quotes on your bathroom mirror

·         Blitz old clothes/clutter and head to a charity shop & have a potter round

·         Be open to medication (5 antidepressants failed and the 6^th worked!)

·         Find a relaxation/exercise class (easier to be motivated in company)

·         Visit an elderly/ill relative (it can help a great deal to focus on others)

·         Browse the self-help section at your local library or book shop

·         Arrange to meet a friend for coffee/walk

·         Avoid recreational drugs & alcohol (masks and exasperates depression)

·         Eat ‘good mood’ foods e.g. bananas, fish, broccoli, seeds

·         Write poetry (very cathartic!)

·         Wear clothes that boost your self-confidence (even when all you feel like wearing  trackers)

·         Give yourself permission to say ‘No’ to people (exhaustion is not helpful)

·         Rent some comedy dvds/buy online

·         Go out to the cinema

·         Sell your old books/dvds on amazon (use the money to spoil yourself)

·         Try a multivitamin/omega 3 supplement

·         Use a Lightbox on winter days (a real help-makes winter bearable)

·         Find a CBT therapist or learn CBT skills (recommend CBT for dummies)

·         Read ‘Depressive Illness: The curse of the strong’ by Dr. Tim Cantopher - useful for dispelling myths about the illness…

·         List activities you enjoyed before becoming ill and reintroduce them

·         Buy aromatherapy oils and enjoy a soothing bath

·         If your depression is mild, ask your GP about St. John’s Wort

·         Write a letter/card to an old friend

·         Head to a garden centre and wander round; stop for a coffee

·         Subscribe to online daily motivational quotes (get sent to your email)

·         Join an internet support group (or see if you have a local mind group)

·         Enrol on an adult learning course or perhaps an online course

·         Snap an elastic band around your wrist when your mind starts ruminating

·         þ      When you feel overwhelmed write in big letters every emotion you’re experiencing

·         Play loud, upbeat music and sing along at home/in your car

·         Avoid large social events (especially in the early stages)

·         Try to postpone making any major, life-changing decisions until you are stronger again

·         Learn to listen to the messsages your body is giving you (if you feel tired, don’t be ashamed to rest)

·         Try to get into doing jigsaws (they use both sides of the brain - a great means of distraction)

·         Find a voluntary job (if you feel up to it)

·         Keep a memo card with uplifting quotes/poems with you

·         Write a letter to someone who has hurt you, then burn it

·         Go outside and listen to the birds (sounds corny but very relaxing!)

·         Go with a friend to get a manicure or massage (pamper yourself!)

·         Chat with old friends or make new friends online

·         Create your own website or start an online blog

·         Call a crisis/helpline and talk to someone anonymously

·         Write a letter to God (or perhaps to yourself in the future)

·         Phone a relative or old friend that you haven’t heard from in a while

·         Go to the park and feed the ducks (or find a nice place to just sit and people watch)

·         Make a scrapbook for photos and places you’ve visited

·         Write about what you’ve done in a diary (useful to look back on& see how far you’ve come)

·         Dig out your favourite book and have a good read

·         Write 10 things you have achieved (eg school, college, uni, jobs) and read it often

·         Make a list of 10 things you would like to do before you die (also research how to do them)

·         Go and see a play or musical with a friend

·         Memorise the words to a song you like (or poem)

·         Plan a holiday, go to the travel agents and get some brochures to look at

·         Find an activity you really enjoy (swimming? Aerobics? Tennis?)

·         Go to a craft shop and choose something fun to try (e.g. glass painting)

·         Buy a simple cake-mix and bake some cakes/muffins for a snack

·         Get a punch-bag and let your anger, frustration and pain out (hitting duvet/pillows also helps)

·         Make a ‘crisis’ list of people you can call when you’re in a bad space (keep it to hand e.g. by the phone/on a notice board)

·         Look at houses for sale in your area (living in Guernsey, looking at all the million+ houses is quite fun!)

·         Go on facebook and look at your friends’ photo albums.

·         Play computer games (e.g. spider solitaire, minesweeper) 

do keep coming back for more..do like me if you like my blog..

Top 15 Ways to Save

As a pert of blogging, i do read other blogs and then there are few blogs which have such beautiful articles that you just want to read over and share it..infact this inspired me to start my own blog so i could get to read and share and connect as well to all the beautiful blogs..and then i can have all these blogs collective together in one place to read over them again..

i recently came across one such good blogger mrsascouponorganizer. you can find the blog here . One fine artcle, i came acrooss about saving and iam reproducing the same here to read on and enjoy!

Top 15 Ways to Save

1. Don’t pay interest. Most of us must for a house. But even this can be minimized. Debt service is money down the drain.

2. Live in a house that meets your needs but don’t get carried away. Keep it neat and attractive and you’ll be satisfied.

3. Drive a car that is economical, reliable, and safe, but affordable. After a house, this is one of our major expenses. Don’t get lured in to a big payment.

4. Develop a budget whichs keeps you living within your means and helps you achieve your financial and lifestyle goals.

5. Don’t spend on a credit card unless you can pay it off monthly. No debt service.

6. Plan shopping trips based on your budget. Follow your shopping list to avoid impulse buying.

7. Obtain coupons for anticipated purchases.

8. Organize your coupons in a true organizer where you can see all coupons at once. This way, you don’t miss using a coupon, and they don’t expire. (I really love coupon organizers. They are one of the purchases that return far more than their cost)

9. Invest money wisely and in diverse ways. Interest coming to you is a good thing. Have a year’s supply of savings, if possible. Otherwise, crisis could force you in to debt.

10. Stay healthy. Those who don’t pay a small price daily for health will one day pay a great price.

11. Don’t buy something just because it is on sale. Determine if you will use it and if it fits your lifestyle, health, and happiness goals.

12. Buy generic when feasible.

13. Buy in bulk.

14. Buy and eat bulk, whole grains and legumes.

15. Plant a garden and eat from your harvest. Preserve that which you can.

Don’t buy what you don’t need. Take a deep look at yourself. Do you buy to mood alter? Living within one’s means provides a peace greater than the excitement of a purchase if it leaves you with the stress of debt. This list could be much longer. It was an exercise for me to see what I could think of off the top of my head.

Hope you find this interesting and something to think over...

Just a thot_are we really celebrating Ganesha or making a mockery of HIM?

So finally, Ganesha is arriving, after a year long wait! It is such a rich festival for us hindus..and i literally mean the word "RICH" here..

In a few days, we will be reading in newspapers, so and so affluent person had offered so many thousands of rupees as offerings, sometimes even running in to lacs and some take a step ahead and offer Gold and even diamonds and we read all about them in the paper. What i do not understand is what are this people trying to prove? are they trying to show their love towards HIM by doing this? do they really think, god will be please with all the money and gold they offered? are they humanising HIM?

corruption had influenced us in such an extent that is has formed a new DNA sequence in our system and become a part of our genes.. so what other justifiable explanation can be given than this that whatever material things pleases us will please God too. We also will be reading about many other people and how their wishes were granted by HIM and to thank him they are offering these wealth...seriously, do you feel HE requires your money and Gold in return of HIS blessings and do you think HE does not have it so you are giving it to him..

Can anyone explain me why we need to give money to GOD! why you forget He has only given you this and you thank him by offering him HIS money back? Sometimes my thinking runs a little wild (ok, fine, many times), now me thinking, If God were human and he had blessed you with all the money and you thank him with same money he had offered you, HE would have laughed and said "If i wanted this, i would have kept it with myself" and after more laughs (remember HE does not get angry, even in his human form) "meri cheez mujhe hi wapas karte ho". lolz...what is it with us?

Why cant we donate these money who actually requires them like the orphanages, old age institutions or even the poor destitute sitting outside in the rains if you really want to thank HIM? Pass his blessings forward with your deeds and help towards others and not backward and please do not make a mockery of HIM...and did i mention, even few make money garlands and make HIM wear it throughout...Ridiculous, Ridiculous, Ridiculous! my god what are you thinking? when there is so much of misery, should HE smile for your garlands?...

Wonder now as anna has won, will there be no more corruption? so what about VIP passes for these little peek of the GOD, are these not a type of corruption? or are we just looking at the bigger pictures and invariably ignore the little one's....since they are no more corruption but our culture itself..

  

Weekly Menu Plan

Its Sunday again! The week seems to have passed really very quickly...Its the Menu plan day of the week and i have yet to write down the menu's for this week's dinner..

My office has started working on Sunday's and now we are having our weekly off's on Friday (I hope this is kind of temp arrangement due to some power shut don on Friday's), so now gone are the days when i could grab a pen and a paper and sit on the couch planning my menu in my own sweet time thinking if any of the recipes are repeating too much and even sometimes asking Hubby if he would prefer any specific food which i can fit in the busy week.

Now i have to be quick and just note down and finalize the list in few minutes flat...(I am planning to do the Fortnightly Menu plan now, so i don't have to sit and think over it every Sunday!)

So chk out what for dinner this week at home.. (This will be had with Rice or either Wheat Chapati in addition to Salad and Yoghurt as an accompaniment)


Sunday : Neer Dosa (Thin soft rice pancakes) and Chicken curry in coconut milk (Yummy, south Indian delicacy) (I make these in the morning itself for lunch and leftover for dinner, so Sunday evening can be free for me to relax and have an evening out with Hubby and my 4yo)

Monday:  Sambhar + Boiled chickpeas

Tuesday: Dal Palak Khichdi (Yellow Lentil and spinach rice) + Alu wadi (Indian snack made from taro leaves)

Wednesday: spring onion Noodles

Thursday (Yippe, it is Ganesh festival here) : South Indian veg delicacies eating on Banana leaf. Mostly Chana masala + green moong curry + payasam + some few more if time permits..(i am Looking forward to this day as will have a continuous three day week off from work. No Nonveg this day as it is an auspicious day for us Hindus)

Friday: Dried Prawns curry in coconut milk  with grilled potatoes (i have a stock of coconut milk cans which i want to finish off)

Saturday: Dal fry + kothimbir wadi (Little spicy Pancakes made from Cilantro and Chickpea flour)


I only make recipes which i can churn out in a span of few minutes to not more than an hour. so they all are invariably in my own quick style. Honestly, I try to stick to these recipes as far i can, unless something other priority comes up wherein i have to be out in the evening for long, so in these cases we end up ordering food from outside or its just plain Dal (Lentil soup) and Rice, if i feel like it, which i get get on the table with in half an hour flat. These are few of my cooker recipes i love for their quick turnout. Also I do not follow the old tried or the elaborate methods chalked out on Internets, yet they taste great!. As they say, cooking is no rocket science..

What is with us women?

 Yes, precisely i want ask this...to all the Indian women, more appropriately the Indian Wife ....why, why we have to take all these ...

why we have get up early much before our husbands and feel good about it?

why do we drudge in the kitchen getting food ready  while our husband gets up only to get ready, have breakdaft and zoom and not even giving a second thot that we too have to get ready for office too and we are completely o.k with it?

why do we feel so proud about knowing how to cook?

why we take the bashing and hitting by our husband and the next moment we serve him dinner as if nothing happened?

why if someone shows concern, we refuse to acknowledge it in the name of family matter?

why we are the ones who are responsible for saving family grace and name?

why we take crap from Mother in law and then say it happens everywhere, so no big deal?

why do we get upset when our husbands compares us to his mother and you try to please him by becoming like her?

why we are supposed to like or care for our in-laws even if they talk and behave like bitches and dogs?

why is serving hot rotis to your husband  for lunch/dinner more important than your own breathing that you gasp for breath running to and fro the kitchen getting the hot rotis from the tawa and you get immense pleasure when he burps even of he doesn't care u had ur lunch or not or would never imagine to do this to you.

why we are most happy when we have sons and never ever teach them cooking unlike daughters?

why we get so upset when someone points to us that we cannot cook good?

why a comment on how good you cook and clean the house makes you more happy than getting a raise in your office for your good work?

Why we do not mind sister-in-laws visiting un invited and uninformed?

why we always keep quiet when we ought to speak up?

why we always talk in low voice?

why we give virginity so much importance and never mind if our husbands were not?

why we always have to be ready for our husbands?

....

....

Have you ever thought why our advertisements are all filled with families with wives running in the kitchen and husband reading newspapers?... i have to stop here....My question to all the Indian wives...(yes, i am too an Indian wife and do many of the things above). Why we do it? is is because we have been told to, we have seen our mothers do it, our husband want us to or we do not want to offend our husband or any of in laws?


Many would be mentally bashing me while reading this, some name calling me..and some even saying this is crap and not an Indian thinking ...But i just want all women to give it a serious thot, do in the name of love, family, tradition and sacrifice, do we all have to endure this?

Now you may say that if women don't follow these, this may lead to a rift and differences and can lead to fights, separations and divorces. So women have to sacrifice many things and be tolerant.. Just thinks, is it really worth it? I understand many women in India are dependent on their husband earnings so have no choice but what about others? and moreover, the thinking your husband has, who has imbibed it?

when it comes to money and earning, we all want our children to go to US, UK and other western countries and work but what about imbibing few good things from the west like sharing responsibilities, household chores . Seriously, eating out once a week is not a crime..

Dear women, just give it a thought.. tomorrow your lil daughters and sons will become the wives and husbands and it is up to you how you would want them to be..

and please Indian men, i too agree that all men are not same and many respect and care for their wives. I am too blessed with such a husband. Sayonara!