Seven years ago, my body mass index* was bordering on chunkiness. I blogged not being able to achieve size 0 or 2 ever in my life. I love food. When I'm stressed at work, I delight myself with calorie-laden cakes, pastries & other what-have-you's. I was never conscious of what I eat. I work hard so I have to fuel the machine, that was my mantra. I dread summer. Tank top is not in my dictionary. At least I'm fashionable, that's how I motivated myself.
Then I started to feel joint pains. Haunted with migraine. Harassed by acne. Self esteem at level 1.5. Boom! Self-pity kicked in. Suddenly, I became a gym enthusiast. Boxing, tae-bo, cardiofunk, belly dance, yoga, hiphop, name it I have probably tried it. Sad to say, none of these worked. After 6- diet, no carb, low fat, nothing worked. I lost two pounds and gained twice as much. So I went back to my old mantra- Eat and be merry like there's no tomorrow.
Fast forward to 2006. My job led me to work in a healthcare setting where I rallied the marketing group. I did some advocacy campaigns promoting kidney disease awareness. Believe me, this job opened my eyes to be serious about my health. Talking to patients first- hand is such an enriching experience. So what's the point?
Statistically speaking, obese people, with BMI (body mass index) of 30 or greater, are prone to diabetes, heart problems, etc. (You knew that already). Though these conditions are manageable with modern drugs, Chronic Kidney Disease or Renal Failure, which is a deteriorating complication of hypertension & diabetes is not. Yes the progression can be prevented with dialysis and transplant (if you're lucky enough) but dialysis patients will tell you that if they don't dialyze (I am devoting another blog about this), that's the end of the road for them. Scary thought!
But I love food still! How can I ever be healthy without depriving myself? It was a long journey, but so far I won the battle. This time I did not spend a fortune, neither broke a leg with gym routines nor engage in another yo-yo diet. I vowed to DIY! Do-It-Yourself. I devoted 15 minutes everyday, while watching TV, or upon waking up, to exercise. I bid goodbye to high-fat Mr. Porky. I prefer baked ,steamed or grilled over deep-fried. I eat three times a day, and yes, still delight my sweet tooth once in a while. Hallelujah! I wasn’t deprived at all. One time a colleague told me “You should eat more, why are you so conscious about your health? You’re still young to do that!”
You are never too young or too old to be healthy. But it's always better if you start early than be sorry later. So losing weight is never a vanity. Entiendes?
* Body Mass Index calculates body fat based on height and weight.
P.S. It's great to have friends who tell you straight than candy-coat. I dedicate this to all my fab friends who stayed with me, through thick and thin (literally!)
