“A special garlic-lemon drink helped me lose weight”

Heera Nawaz was a whopping 98 kilos at the beginning of the lockdown last year. It was only when she got hospitalized did she realize the damage her weight had done. With the help of her family, Heera adopted a home-cooked, low fat diet and worked out religiously. Her story is a fitting example of where there’s a will, there definitely comes a way!

Name: Heera Nawaz

Occupation: Teacher, Writer and Poetess

Age: 60 years

City: Bengaluru

Highest Weight Recorded: 98 kilos

Weight loss: 12 kilos

Duration it took to lose weight: 4 months

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I have been overweight for much of my adult life, including the recent ones. Yet, I took all the jokes and comments on my weight in my stride. But jokes apart, when I lost vision in my right eye and had to undergo a brain surgery (which didn’t go through because oxygen saturation was lower than expected), I became breathless and doctors told me to lose weight to recuperate my health. It was then, my sister took charge of my health, who herself is very slim and health-conscious and gave me a pep talk about the benefits of losing weight. For me, who had majorly relied on high-calorie junk food and led a sedentary lifestyle, it was nothing less than a wake-up call. Old age wasn’t the time to play with health. Like my sister told me, “If Adnan Sami could do it, why not you?”

Thereafter, I took it up as a personal challenge and had a good hard look at the mirror. At that moment, I could hear back all the times I was reminded how bad it was to be overweight…the personal and health challenges.. I made a steely resolve to lose weight then and there and got to work.

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Breakfast: I have my breakfast after working out in the morning. However, I would have a special health drink prepared by my brother-in-law consisting of garlic, turmeric, honey, lemon juice and a sprig of tulsi leaves and workout.

Later, post that, I would have something light like cereals with some nuts, oats, and ragi malt. On some days, oil-free dosas with coconut chutney, bowl of fruits like apples, oranges and papayas. A glass of warm milk was also compulsorily had.

Lunch: For lunch, it would be phulkas or oil-free chapatis with veggies like greens, spinach, brinjal, beans. On some days, I would have upma or poha or low-calorie tofu.

Dinner: It would consist of salad with items like carrots, cucumbers, radish or beetroots cut into small pieces with salad dressings, like low-fat curd, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and a pinch of salt.

My Pre-workout meal was just a huge glass of warm water to keep me hydrated. And the workout was followed by the health drink and breakfast. If I did my workout after breakfast, it was followed by a cup of green tea.

Post-workout meal, as mentioned above, was my breakfast only.

Low-calorie meals: Salads, tofu, recipes made in less oil.

On my cheat days, I would love a chicken biriyani, appams with mutton stew, mushroom pizza or prawn pasta and ice cream with jelly.

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My workout consisted of fast walking on the terrace for half an hour followed by exercise cycling upto a count of 300 followed by 20 minutes of aerobic exercises with weights. The workout usually lasted for 45 minutes and I tried to make it a habit.

Fitness secrets I unveiled: One must be tenacious and determined and not give up what may come. There are no short-cuts to weight loss. You have to keep at it. It is a journey and not the destination, though in the end that matters, too! Fast walking looks like a simple exercise but when done with consistency it is more effective. Also, with fast walking, one tends not to regain the lost kilos, if walking is suddenly stopped.

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The initial motivation came through when I shifted my residence and started living with my sister and her family. They really uplifted me even on the days when there was no visible progress with their tips and tricks.

Now, every day, first thing in the morning, I begin by checking my weight. I analyze what I ate and how my workout went. I also pray and listen to motivational speakers.

Also, I keep a Health Digest, which records my weight, height, vital signs, oxygen level, pulse and number of exercises, like push-ups, jumping jacks and stretching exercises.

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Whenever I begin to lose focus, I think of my earlier years when I was obese and had difficulty moving around. Even the jokes, which were humorous, did hurt.

Now, I have transformed into a slimmer, yet, spiritual and self-motivated person. I keep a poem entitled, `DON’T QUIT’ on my cupboard and read it every time I feel discouraged.

What’s the most difficult part of being overweight? You become withdrawn, unsocial and develop low self-esteem. It makes you unhappy and feel a sense of inferiority complex.

How do you see yourself 10 years from now? At 70, I want to minimize my medications and be as healthy as I can be. I hope that I can walk without assistance- without a walking stick!

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I stopped using food delivery apps and on the positive side, threw my old wardrobe out and got some trendy clothes that were now available for my size! In fact, I don’t even visit junk food outlets now because I know how dangerous they are!

What was the lowest point for you? When, even though I was strict with my diet and sincere in my workouts, I couldn’t lose much weight and had reached a discouraging plateau.

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First off, weight loss is as much of an emotional and mental battle as physical one. Second, it really taught me the value of having a supportive family. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have the willpower to continue.

If you have a weight loss story to share, send it to us at toi.health1@gmail.com

DISCLAIMER

These views are not generic in nature. What worked for the writer may not work for you. So avoid following this article blindly. Find out what works for your body.

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