Weird, baby, weird!

The last few days have been weird, to say the least. A cold wave has hit Bahrain, and the desert is feeling brrr like never before. I am wearing socks at home. And I don't even wear socks in India when the North is covered in fog! Everyone around me is sneezing, and even though I have an immunity of an elephant, I have fallen prey to the phlegm.

Immunity of an elephant? - well, I just thought they are strong and happy animals.

Now when I fall sick, it doesn’t seem like I am sick. My phlegm usually stays inside and gets out from sources I don’t understand. So when people ask me what happened, I have to tell them specifically that I have cold and that I am very sick.

Although I wanted to lose weight even in sickness, the Boy told me to take rest. His one wish became my command and I ordered soul-food a.k.a. kadhai paneer from my favourite restaurant. I ate it for two days straight. It was complimented with some rum, some biryani, some parathas and lots of tea. Being sick was a great excuse, but I think I crossed a calorie-laden line.

I am dreading my weighing machine tomorrow. I have already bought myself gifts for reaching January targets even though it is not January 31^st. Talk about positivity!

Amidst all this, the Boy had to leave me for 2 days and travel to India. I literally had tears when he was leaving because I have not lived in Bahrain without him in the last 5 years. But thankfully my friends took care of me really well and I just felt blessed. Three more hours and he will be back, I cannot wait.

Oh another weird thing – a little girl came to our house on Christmas eve and gave us a balloon that said Merry Christmas. It has been 36 days, that balloon is intact. She did have long, unruly, blond hair like a ghost.

I take part in a lot of lucky draws. I feel very childish and desperate but since I win, I just take part. So I won a brunch at a 5-star the day Boy was leaving. I didn’t want to go without him. So like a good Samaritan, I told the guys on twitter that I don’t want it to go waste. They happily agreed to postpone it and still give it to me.

Two 5-star brunches in one month – I must have done something good in my life to deserve this. Or maybe, God is testing me how strong I am at eating salads at a lavish buffet!

So no other weird thing except these. Maybe just one more really weird and somewhat confusing one, but I’d rather stay mute on that. I love mystery. And I even love 'Dear Diary' posts like these. Enough meaningful stuff goes around the blogging world, let me just stay how I have always been - weird!

Eat hard, Exercise harder

So I think my weighing scale is lying. Not because it is telling me I am over-weight, but it is telling me I am less than what I thought I would be! You would say I should be doing a happy dance, but I am a paranoid girl who goes crazy when it comes to her weight.

Weight. You are going to hear a lot about that word this year. I have vowed, like umpteen times before, to reduce. Most of you know that my body cannot take the pressure of excess kilos. At 52, I was advised to reduce by 2-3 kgs. Now the doctor was the best in the country, so I didn’t take him seriously. Fast forward 11 years, I think he was right and all my basic instincts were false.

I hit my all-time high in December, thanks to yummy Diwali food at home. It showed. Things that were easier before were becoming harder. One evening it hit me hard. I decided to do something about it. It has been 1 month, yes, 30 days, and I have been the best student in my class!

The fact that I don’t have a teacher works best for me. None of my friends or the Boy gives me a hard time when I fail to achieve certain goals. They are all so supportive and loving. I read myself, I plan myself, I do myself, basically I am my own motivation.

Well, almost. One day I was watching this show on TV where the dietician said that even if you can’t do much, do atleast 10,000 steps a day when you want to lose weight. I have this friend living in my building whom I know since two years but hardly ever met. One day I just casually mentioned that we should walk in the mornings. She agreed. That day and today, we’ve become walking pals! She is the sweetest thing and keeps me motivated.

Then there is Instagram and Twitter. I have started following motivational people for a thought or two each day. I have downloaded one book so far and reading another paperback to keep me on track. I am trying to eat right, rest right and basically do everything that I have learnt in all the past few years of trying to stay healthy.

Two other companions in my journey are Netflix and my maid. I laze around at all other times I am not exercising. It is crucial for my health. So these books and constant support from a TV series is keeping me happy. My maid does basic work in the kitchen and so it hardly takes me any time to cook sumptuous, healthy meals each day. 

The only thing I am missing is writing. Even this is a distraction in a few ways and so I don’t want to open my laptop on most days. And since I am hoping that I would stick to my schedule for a few months now, I don’t know how much I will be able to come here. This would be a first in so many years. I feel bad.

But I feel good too! I am bang on my January targets and I cannot be happier. Things are not all that great but I am sure I will get there. The weather is perfect for all that I want to do. And I won a spa and brunch day at a 5-star today!

So you see, even God is smiling at me. Hope to keep in touch!

P.S. The abrupt brunch bit was just to make you jealous like I always do. Hugs!

2015 - The Year That Was

I am not the biggest fan of 2015. I didn't give it my best; neither did it do anything great for me. But as they say, you must count your blessings and look forward to the new ones. A new year is an opportunity to start all over again so that you don't have any regrets. Was 2015 that bad? I guess I will change my mind if I write down how it was different than others. Lets give it a shot:

1. Got high for the first time in Amsterdam. On mushrooms.

2. Was blessed with twin nieces and then another one.

3. Trekked on the best hills of the Black Forest.

4. Bought a flat.

5. Drove around the country like never before.

6. Read a couple of books that touched me in different ways.

7. Learnt how to make Chettinad Chicken and thought it was delicious.

8. Bought a new, swanky laptop.

9. Oh, won an iPad.

10. Gifted my FIL a laptop and my MIL an Air-Fryer with hard-earned blog money.

11. Joined a charitable group that distributes Biryani to migrant workers.

12. To make up for all the wrong doings and lack of exercise in 2015, vowed to dedicate 2016 to health. What started on 20th December is going pretty well.

Ok. So that wasn't bad! God has indeed been kind. I wish and pray that we live a healthy and happy 2016. Wish the same for you as well.

So how is your resolution coming along? Mine is doing pretty well!