SHE SHRUNK MY PLATE!

 

Last year, I visited a renowned cardiologist at a local hospital in Mapusa and discovered that my pressure was high. Boy, did that shake me up! I was getting uneasiness, cold sweats but I used to get these when my pressure went low. If I get too tired or stressed out, or if I hadn't slept many nights properly, I would break out in a cold sweat, feeling dizzy. A little sugar and I would be fine in an hour or two. So it came as a big surprise, this high BP complication. 

He put me on meds immediately and I was content with that. Since I had actually gone to him for swelling on the knees and ankles, he diagnosed it as early signs of osteoarthritis and asked me to REDUCE MY WEIGHT. 

My weight at that time was 77 kg. According to my height, I should be 55 kg. I had a great deal of fat to shed. 

Unfortunately, at our next appointment, the same cardiologist got miffed with me for forgetting to bring my prescription papers and gave me a proper dressing down. Mortified, I decided not to go back to him again but instead, we went to another renowned doctor, practising at Gomes Catao. I am under him at present.

 He too confirmed the pressure was high. Added to that, I also had borderline cholesterol so he kept me on a lower dose of high BP meds and added Liponorm for the cholesterol problem. And yes, he too stressed that I should REDUCE MY WEIGHT. 

I was told by him not to put stress on my knees by squatting, climbing stairs or slopes. Well, it looked like my life was almost over. We live in an area that has slopes everywhere. And we live on the second floor, no lift. 

Then, like a miracle, the previous owner of our new flat in Bastora, said she was ready to start paperwork. Within months, we exchanged keys and started renovation work. 

BASTORA is a village with winding roads, what we in Goa call snaky roads. It is on level ground. Our flat is on the ground floor. The village church is a five minute walk on level ground. The trip to the Mapusa market and to my bank there will take me twenty minutes, again flat ground. 

The walk to MBBS, where my husband works, is almost two kilometres on flat ground. Snaky, yes, but flat. And if I really feel adventurous there's the full circuit from home, to Hotel Green Park via the highway and back via the Bastora creek.  

The village has many vaddos and many houses in each of them. Village people are usually very friendly and hospitality is their plus point. I look forward to meeting, greeting and walking with some evening enthusiasts. 

Besides exercise, diet is very essential to REDUCE WEIGHT. 

So, my doctor recommended a dietician to handle that end of the stick. For the past three months I have been following a low sodium, low fat diet. Below is my diet plan written for me by my dietician:

Morning Routine

Ajwain tea first thing in the morning.

A gap of one hour, then breakfast of one chapati or dosa with some pulses or dal. No processed food, no sugar.

 No snacks except a fruit at 11.30 am, whatever fits into one katori. 

A glass of lime juice, freshly squeezed one hour before lunch which is at 12.30.

Lunch is usually a piece of chicken or white of egg or pulses with salad, no mayo, no curds.  Wrapped up in two chapatis. 

Afternoon Routine 

No biscuits, no snack with evening tea. Skimmed milk in tea or coffee. I use the tetrapak. 

Evening Routine

Dinner is at 7 pm. Again same as lunch but lesser quantities. I could have a soup too but I don't. If I do have a soup, it has to be without noodles or macroni. 

After dinner, nothing till my last drink at night before I sleep - AJWAIN TEA again. 

No rice at any meal. No sugar so no sweets. No processed food. That rules out cheese, noodles, cakes, etc. 

The chapati is made with wheat, soya and ragi powders in the ratio 4:1:1. 

I thought my life had ended when she wrote down that diet plan. I remember exclaiming "NO RICE?!!" in disbelief. 

But, after three months of survival, I can happily say that I do not need all the things I thought I couldn't do without. 

I lost 3 kg in 50 days and I will be completing 100 days soon. Not checked my weight yet but I can tell you one thing - 

MY PLATE HAS SHRUNK.