It was immensely agonising for me to resignedly sit and stifle my hearty appetite for those few minutes. The wafting delicious aroma was increasingly, painfully punishing. However, I had to put my foot down. How could a Pav Bhaji joint run out of butter and serve me without the garnish of a dollop of my favourite melting yellow greasy goodness? Did I look like someone who would settle for that?

This was me, few years ago. Food was my biggest comfort and solace. It was the one friend who embraced me irrespective of my appearance and never judged me for my shameless gluttony. I ate when I was happy and when sad, I ate more. Every time I dug into a samosa or a cake I was beyond any care or concern in the world. Our fulfilling relationship made my life perfect!

Why and how did I comprehend breaking away from this ‘match made in heaven’? Evidently, age, maturity and mild hypochondria arising due to lifestyle diseases running in the family are bad for old flames. After witnessing family members going through the grind of taking insulin shots, pining for traditional greasy food, being cornered to the bed and feebly dragging their unwilling feet for doctor-advised walks, I was suitably spooked.

Just as non-vegetarians wonder what vegetarians consider good food, indulgent foodies consider calorie-watching a sacrificial exercise in futility. Having Missal without oil running from its sides or diving into Daal baati without smearing our hands with ghee is sacrilege! Are we even allowed to call the dry, baked and raw stuff we choose to have, food? Does it have any taste at all?

‘We are what we eat’, and rightly so. Honestly, the transition from greasy to healthy food wasn’t quite difficult for me. If you follow my blog you’ll know about the many healthy recipes I’ve shared with my readers over time. My tongue might’ve lost the battle with my heart but it is one insistent fellow, I tell you! With few changes I managed to cut the calories in half while retaining most of the taste. Few accommodating tweaks were all I needed though.

Wherever possible, choose whole wheat flour over refined flour. 

Sugar is completely replaceable, if we can accept the change in taste. Use jaggery or honey instead.

What we can bake, air fry or shallow fry, we needn’t deep fry. Simple!

Snacking in a healthy way is possible. Dry fruits, dates, khakras, popcorn, baked chivda, etc. are good options.

Natural sugars are the best. All fruits, in moderation, are good for us.

Carbs and good fat are important in our diet. Keep a check but never cut them out completely.

Eating in small breaks is better than stuffing up at once to keep our metabolism high.

Additionally, seeds like sesame, flax, carrom, etc. must be included in our diet in some form.

Finally, my favourite one. Dark chocolates are good for your heart. Have a small bar without the slightest guilt! 🙂

Here, this was my big secret! Didn’t seem like a sacrifice now, did it? Of course, I also maintained a regular workout schedule along with this diet pattern.

Unfortunately, call it human tendency, we fall prey to laziness or temptation and give in to our instincts occasionally. Missing a workout will make you feel sluggish or loose but won’t aid in weight gain immediately. However, if you have a body like mine, giving up your eating habits can make you gain in a day too. Eating right, hence, is more important than we think.

Thank you, friends and readers, for the overwhelming response to this series. Honestly, I feel humbled, and somewhat proud, to share my journey with you. Do stay with me for the coming posts, pretty please, and don’t forget to add your thoughts about this post. 🙂

This post has been written as a part of the #MyFriendAlexa activity by Blogchatter.

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