Just an hour back, while I was on my way to the Gym, a neighbour who was also headed to the Gym asked me, “Why are you going to the Gym? You look pretty fine to me … My case is different as I need to lose a lot of weight”.

Do you see the problem in his thought process?

For some reason, folks think that healthy diet choices and healthy lifestyle choices (like regular exercise) are required only when a crisis situation arises.

– You scored triple-hundred in the latest Cholesterol numbers from the Lab Tests?

– Family and Friends making snide remarks about your girth?

– You flunked the Fitness Test for Military enrollment?

Etc.

You get the picture.

My answer to my neighbour would have been, “My friend, thanks for the generous remark. But if it is true, it is all the more reason for me to work out regularly. Fitness is not a “on a whim” activity. It has to be a lifestyle activity requiring dedication. Maintenance of a fitness level is much tougher than attaining a fitness level”. Actually, in this case, I did not say anything. I just smiled and shrugged.

There is no “Destination” as far as fitness goes, in my opinion. You try and achieve a level and then comes the tougher job of maintaining that level. All this is assuming that the goal you are trying to attain is important to you. A lot of folks get momentary inspiration to “get fit” and that inspiration lasts for a few weeks and then the lifestyle is back to good old ways.

The primary question we should ask ourselves: Is being fit important to me? (Why should I be fit? Am I willing to make sacrifices? Am I willing to show dedication?)

If the answer to the above question is “NO”, that is a very understandable answer. Who am I to judge others’ decisions about their own fitness levels? But if we answer “YES” to the above question, then we should zone in and be disciplined.

Yesterday, while I was out for a drink and dinner with my friend, I had to have some Paneer Curry which was obscenely dripping in oil. Here is an example of my not attaining a perfect mental control yet. Need to keep plugging away …

One thought comes to mind: Is “Oil” the cheapest ingredient in the World? Why are people using it so much? It is quite frustrating to see every dish just dripping in (cheap?) saturated fat. Looks like the entire Food Industry wants us to stay unhealthy and overweight. Chips? Fried Snacks? Soda? Oily Curries? Buttery Pizzas? Chemical-filled Juices? Man, is the battle-line drawn or what!

Adios!