Dieting

I've never really felt the need to go on a diet. I'm certainly no Mr. Rogers who kept his weight the same low 143 for the last 30 years of his life, but I never gave it too much worry that my waist size went up or down some. I'm usually between sizes anyway so it's not that big a deal to switch back and forth between them. Things changed when Angela recently started a weight loss treatment program at an Ayurvedic http://www.punarnava.net/, center near our flat.

In part to support her and in part because I some of my pants are a little snug in the waist , I decided that I would follow along with her. I’m not restricting my intake as much as she is and I’m not taking all the powders and elixirs that she mixes before and after each meal. My usual breakfast of fruit, toast, and tea didn't need to change although I try to use a little less butter. At lunch I have the same plateful of buffet fare that I’ve eaten for the past year. Dinner is where things are different.

As Angela is eating no meat during her treatment, we have a vegetarian dinner. In India where the majority of the population is vegetarian, you would think this wouldn’t be too hard. However, since we don’t know what half the available vegetables are much less how to cook them, we are struggling. It’s also hard to cook without using any oil or butter. Stir fried veggies just aren’t the same without some sort of oil.

After a week, her daily treatments are having an effect. They weigh her at the center and said she was lighter. We’re both sure she has lost some weight, but since they have to zero the scale before every weighing, she doesn’t really trust the quantitative results. Qualitatively, I can see and feel changes in both of us. The only downside is that we both go around a little hungry. Otherwise we are doing OK, and given the results so far, I guess it’s worth it.