Not a New Year resolution - Healthy Muslimah 2015
I'm not making a new year resolution.
This just happens to start in January 2015. Glad that we got that out of the way.
Well, to cut the story short, I fell off the wagon. Again. This is the story of my life.
After giving birth to Billy, my weight steadily increased again. Only this time I'm without a baby. So that's not good. I am cleared of GED but I know that I'm susceptible to it because of my weight and genes. I am not getting a gym membership. Nor do I have time for it. Plus I go everywhere with a toddler and that sort of limit my movements and activities. This is how women get fatter after birth. #TrueStory. The only thing I have time for is socialising - usually with a planned delectable menu to look forward to.
Food is comfort. Food is love. This is the mantra playing in my head whenever I miss home or when I'm tired and hungry (which is more frequent due to nursing a toddler). I do not have the time to source for better food or plan a better menu. I am usually a zombie half the day because of my owl-like sleeping patterns. I need to change this. I want to. But let me just get it off my chest, I'm weak on my own.
I wouldn't have been able to afford a nutritionist or dietician for that matter. I heard about those programs and companies that sent packed ready lunches to your doorstep - that would be ideal for me, it'll be like having your own personal chef- but again, it has a hefty price tag.
The road to being healthy, or choosing better food is definitely not cheap. Better food, which includes vegetables, fruits, lean meats are all expensive stuff. The wholesome wholemeal wholewheat or organic food line are all under one shelf of a supermarket. 'The don't go there' rack. If you want meat which are hormone free, grassfed - (which we would think to be the norm) that is also pricier than the family pack offers that you rather pick up at Carrefour. Thinking of going vegetarian? Nah. Never crossed my mind. I may be fat, but I'm not a lunatic. Pfftt.
Why do I want to lose weight? I need to dig deep inside myself and be clear about what I want to achieve. Well, for one, my body is starting to ache at several places. Knees and back especially. All these due to High uric acid and of course the weight I'm carrying. I am thinking of the Umrah the kids want to do soon, and whether I can cope with that. What about the Hajj that I've been dreaming about for years now? I'm just glad it has been delayed (due to other factors) because I don't think I'm physically fit for it. Other than wanting to be physically fit, I want to look good in my Abaya, looking tall and elegant, and not just a big round black blob in it. I want to be fitter for my kids, so that they can enjoy more outdoorsy activities as a family. My husband has been pestering us to walk with him (if not jog), or play tennis, but I always wiggle out of it and I noticed the kids are not too eager about it too. It would have been different if I was more active.
I am lucky to be included recently in a group called "Healthy Muslimah" spearheaded by a friend who is also a Nutritionist. She wanted to do something for the community and she couldn't have chosen a better candidate. Yesterday was our first session and already I became very inspired. We were asked to set our intentions, and be clear about our goals, as I had just done. Next, we were told to seek the knowledge/know-how. This, I believe is what most regular people are lacking. Without the knowledge, we would be jumping onto any fad diets of cabbage soup, juicing, tapeworm (eyeww, really?) and other strange pills. The results of these diets are not only short-lived but harmful in the long run. I mean, who would go carb-less and for how long? Being a nursing mother also means that I must continue to eat healthily and juicing just won't do it for me. For a start, we were told to implement a simple routine so as to prepare the body gradually. It is just a 5-7 mins routine to be done on alternate days. How simple right? We did the 7-step routine and already I was out of breath. It was a good slow start that I badly needed. On top of this routine, we should also walk for at least 30mins in a week.
We have started to also record our dreaded numbers. The weight, waist measurements and BMI results. I am startled by my BMI result. I'm already at Obese and this was unexpected. Looking at the numbers is a good way to know how far I still have to go. I'm at least 7 inches more than I should be on the waist measurements as well. Numbers don't lie, do they? The numbers have finally raised an alarm and I hope that these small changes I'm making will be shown in the next few months with the support of Healthy Muslimah group, InshaAllah. This is not an easy task for sure. But I can do it. Say you can too!
Alone we can do so little
Together we can do so much!
Helen Keller
This just happens to start in January 2015. Glad that we got that out of the way.
Well, to cut the story short, I fell off the wagon. Again. This is the story of my life.
After giving birth to Billy, my weight steadily increased again. Only this time I'm without a baby. So that's not good. I am cleared of GED but I know that I'm susceptible to it because of my weight and genes. I am not getting a gym membership. Nor do I have time for it. Plus I go everywhere with a toddler and that sort of limit my movements and activities. This is how women get fatter after birth. #TrueStory. The only thing I have time for is socialising - usually with a planned delectable menu to look forward to.
Food is comfort. Food is love. This is the mantra playing in my head whenever I miss home or when I'm tired and hungry (which is more frequent due to nursing a toddler). I do not have the time to source for better food or plan a better menu. I am usually a zombie half the day because of my owl-like sleeping patterns. I need to change this. I want to. But let me just get it off my chest, I'm weak on my own.
I wouldn't have been able to afford a nutritionist or dietician for that matter. I heard about those programs and companies that sent packed ready lunches to your doorstep - that would be ideal for me, it'll be like having your own personal chef- but again, it has a hefty price tag.
The road to being healthy, or choosing better food is definitely not cheap. Better food, which includes vegetables, fruits, lean meats are all expensive stuff. The wholesome wholemeal wholewheat or organic food line are all under one shelf of a supermarket. 'The don't go there' rack. If you want meat which are hormone free, grassfed - (which we would think to be the norm) that is also pricier than the family pack offers that you rather pick up at Carrefour. Thinking of going vegetarian? Nah. Never crossed my mind. I may be fat, but I'm not a lunatic. Pfftt.
Why do I want to lose weight? I need to dig deep inside myself and be clear about what I want to achieve. Well, for one, my body is starting to ache at several places. Knees and back especially. All these due to High uric acid and of course the weight I'm carrying. I am thinking of the Umrah the kids want to do soon, and whether I can cope with that. What about the Hajj that I've been dreaming about for years now? I'm just glad it has been delayed (due to other factors) because I don't think I'm physically fit for it. Other than wanting to be physically fit, I want to look good in my Abaya, looking tall and elegant, and not just a big round black blob in it. I want to be fitter for my kids, so that they can enjoy more outdoorsy activities as a family. My husband has been pestering us to walk with him (if not jog), or play tennis, but I always wiggle out of it and I noticed the kids are not too eager about it too. It would have been different if I was more active.
I am lucky to be included recently in a group called "Healthy Muslimah" spearheaded by a friend who is also a Nutritionist. She wanted to do something for the community and she couldn't have chosen a better candidate. Yesterday was our first session and already I became very inspired. We were asked to set our intentions, and be clear about our goals, as I had just done. Next, we were told to seek the knowledge/know-how. This, I believe is what most regular people are lacking. Without the knowledge, we would be jumping onto any fad diets of cabbage soup, juicing, tapeworm (eyeww, really?) and other strange pills. The results of these diets are not only short-lived but harmful in the long run. I mean, who would go carb-less and for how long? Being a nursing mother also means that I must continue to eat healthily and juicing just won't do it for me. For a start, we were told to implement a simple routine so as to prepare the body gradually. It is just a 5-7 mins routine to be done on alternate days. How simple right? We did the 7-step routine and already I was out of breath. It was a good slow start that I badly needed. On top of this routine, we should also walk for at least 30mins in a week.
We have started to also record our dreaded numbers. The weight, waist measurements and BMI results. I am startled by my BMI result. I'm already at Obese and this was unexpected. Looking at the numbers is a good way to know how far I still have to go. I'm at least 7 inches more than I should be on the waist measurements as well. Numbers don't lie, do they? The numbers have finally raised an alarm and I hope that these small changes I'm making will be shown in the next few months with the support of Healthy Muslimah group, InshaAllah. This is not an easy task for sure. But I can do it. Say you can too!
Alone we can do so little
Together we can do so much!
Helen Keller
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