From Fat to Fit !

as published in the June 2014 FITNESS special issue of WOW (World of Women) magazine ...

 I have always struggled with my weight. For several years, my weight kept fluctuating because of the umpteen number of unhealthy crash diets I went on. And although I was active with my workouts, I never saw results as I wasn’t eating right. I was the kind of person who would get all pumped up to start a new diet plan or an exercise regimen, only to run out of motivation and patience in just a few days. 

My turning point came last summer when I saw a picture of myself that left me shocked and disgusted. I’d blown up to almost 80kgs, to the point where my stomach made me uncomfortable while sleeping. I knew I had to take immediate action so the first thing I did was to set a goal, calculated how many calories I needed based on my activity level and made a diet plan accordingly. Since I was already attending Cardio Kick Boxing classes, the only change I had to make was to do it more seriously. I did every bit to keep myself motivated -  posting motivational quotes all over my room and waking up to alarm messages like ‘You can do this’ on my mobile.
 

I was very committed. I trained my mind to say 'No' whenever someone offered me something unhealthy and I wouldn’t miss my trainings even during exams. With that, I easily lost 6-7 kgs in the first two months. The rest of the weight loss slowly followed. Of course there were times when a cheat day would turn into a cheat week or month, but I would re-motivate myself and start all over again. I would add more workouts like a morning run. Throughout this journey, I was fortunate to have a partner who kept pushing me and gave me all the emotional support I needed. 

Today, eight months down the line, I have already reached my target weight of 65 kgs. I feel content when I stand in front of the mirror. I would love to come down to 60 kgs but I’m in no hurry. For now, I just want to focus on being more toned, especially around my abdomen.

Being fat my whole life, I see this as a blessing in disguise. Because if I weren’t overweight, I would have never stepped into the gym and realize the importance of being fit.   

 5 WEIGHT LOSS TIPS

1. There is no shortcut. The only way it works is by exercising and by eating right.
2. Have a strong willpower and learn to push yourself out of your comfort zone. More than your body, it’s your mind you have to motivate.
3. It's not going to be easy. You will fail many times. But don't lost hope and immediately get back on track.
4. Eat after every few hours. That will prevent you from eating a huge meal later. Prepare your lunch and snacks from home if you are on the go.
5. Remember, every small effort counts; whether it’s doing one more rep or eating one less cookie.

MY DAILY DIET 
 

Early morning – hot lemon water with sugar free crackers

Breakfast – a small bowl of oats or dal and a boiled egg

Lunch – 2 rotis with veggies and egg

Pre workout snack - banana or apple
Post workout snack - 1 tablespoon peanut butter

   Dinner – home made chatpatey with lots of cucumber and tomatoes or whole wheat noodles with chicken 

 I would like to share my Before and After pictures here :)

BEFORE

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER

Mustang Memories

Having mixed bittersweet emotions as my trip comes to an end.
While I'm happy to be back home with my family, a part of me is still there tranquilizing amidst the mountains and rivers.

It was my first. Before this, traveling was never a thought in my mind. Even if it did sometimes, the only picture I had was that of exotic foreign locations, shopping malls and hotels with pools and spas. Completely opposite from what I just experienced.

But I'm blessed to have two special people in my life who corrected my thoughts and taught me the real meaning of traveling; that it has got less to do with where I go and more to do with what I see, feel and experience. Teachings of traveling, and of valuable life lessons like learning to adapt outside my comfort zone, learning to make friendly connections with strangers without judging them, and so much more. And I'm glad that along the journey, I also met a few individuals who unknowingly inspired me to find satisfaction and happiness in whatever more or less we have been granted with in life.

I simply went for an escape from my hectic everyday life, but I came back with memories and lessons to last a lifetime.
It was my first but it surely isn't going to be my last. :)

12/06/2014 - 18/06/2014

Why i chose to say goodbye ...

Leaving is never easy. Whether it's moving away from home, from a relationship or from a job, there are feelings and memories involved. And where such happens, it is always difficult for the human soul. Emotions filled me as i told my listeners a couple of hours ago that it was the last episode of my show, Stupid Cupid. 

It's been exactly a year now since i started this love show on Radio Kantipur. Never had i the slightest thought that it would come this far, and this good too. People loved my show! I had fans writing in to me every now and then about how much they enjoy listening to my voice, my style of presenting, my chosen topics, the songs i played and the show as a whole. I was fairly recognized despite doing only one show. Not trying to be boastful here, but who doesn't love getting all that attention? Especially from people I didn't even knew existed! ;)

But as they say that all good things must come to an end, my journey with Radio Kantipur ends here for real. And this time around, it was my own decision, not theirs.The only reason why i returned back the second time was my unquenched thirst for radio. I still wanted to do more. I was still driven by the amazing fact that i could enter the studio, put on the headphones, talk in front of the microphone and get connected with thousands of lives at once. I had dreams of going a long way and making it big in this self-chosen career.

Turns out, life doesn't always go the way we plan it to. I don't know what went wrong but I wasn't happy there. My interest and continuous requests to do a couple more shows went ignored all the time. I constantly felt left out from situations big and small. All these things mentioned (and unmentioned) slowly piled up and started demoralizing me more by the passing day. And i could never seem to find a reason behind all that injustice as i know that i am a good radio presenter. The only time i found myself happy was during that one hour on air while hosting my show. Off air, i badly wanted to get out of there.

An optimist, I gave it time and kept convincing myself that things will eventually get better soon. But nothing changed. And after months and months of battling it out between my heart and mind, i finally decided to get out and move on. I HAD to do it, although it was very tough to come to this unwanted conclusion as i loved my work as a presenter. I certainly had not foreseen this day. 

But the most difficult and heartbreaking part between all this decision-making phase was to not get the support of even a single person. Trust me, not even a single loved one with whom i had shared my affliction with, stood by me in this decision. My family, my close friends, my contemporaries, even my best friend and my boyfriend! Everyone had that same excuse, "But it's Radio Kantipur, one of the biggest media house. You should just cope with it and stay put."

Is a big name really everything? Is it that important to continue working in a place where you don't want to, just because it's a big organization? These questions screamed inside me. But I don't blame any one of them as i do understand they are saying that just for the betterment of my future career. But then, i also cannot deny the fact that i really was badly hurt. No one understood what i was going through, how this was easily affecting my mood almost everyday. No one saw how much guts it took to take this big step, without a single support. 

Lesson Learnt !

I have no idea if what i did was right or wrong, but one thing's for sure is that i won't ever regret this decision later in life. Cause only i know how i felt then and how true it was. All i did was trust my feelings and my instinct, which i don't think is a wrong thing to do.

As a budding teenager, i had dreamt of being a RJ, and i did it! I can proudly say that i lived one of my many dreams. And maybe this is God's way of telling me that it's now time i reach my hands out for the other things i have always wanted to try. As i finish this certain chapter of my storybook, i feel a rush of excitement to see what the next chapter has in store for me. I stand more stronger than ever, ready to spread my wings out for new things in life. :) 

To the entire team of Radio Kantipur, i apologize if i have unknowingly offended you in any way with my statements above. Please know it is clearly unintentional. Thank you so much for everything. For the recognition, skills, knowledge, oppurtunities, new bonds, fun times, life-long memories and what not!    I will forever be grateful for it all. :)

Waiting for my new Hello :)

Blessed to be Loved :')

To being constantly betrayed over and over again, to feeling that fear of falling in love again, to taking that risk of giving away the heart once again, to slowly learning to trust someone again, and to finally waking up one morning and realizing how being truly loved, respected, and cared for actually feels like... 

I love you with all my heart and soul, baby. To find you right by my side every single day, through all my thick and thin, I feel genuinely blessed.
 I don't know what tomorrow might bring, but what I do know today is that I am happy and you are the sole reason behind it. :')

And what I also do know for sure is, you were clearly worth the risk. ;)

Beyond happy :)

Let there be justice first...

Let there be justice for all those women who were trafficked, for all those women who were sexually abused, for all those women who suffered domestic violence, and for all those women whose lives were taken due to such. And then only, let there be a celebration for Women on International Women's Day. 

Dear Men, if you really cannot respect Women, then at least please don't disrespect them too!

Another day of love :)

And even after more than twenty four hours later, here i am, still thinking about yesterday. The sound of their giggles and the smiles on their faces, still as fresh as ever! Yesterday has without a doubt been printed as one of the most memorable pages in my book. A day i know i'll cherish forever. A day i know will be hard for me to forget. Well also because the date is easy to remember - 14th February! Haha! :P

Valentine's day for me had always been just another ordinary day, every year. The only memories i had of this particular annual event was watching my sisters wrap romantic gifts for their guys before 'the' day, the pretty girls in school/college receiving all the red-roses-attention and also, listening to the 'awww' post-valentine stories of my girlfriends. Not sure if you would believe me but i seriously had never celebrated a single 14th Feb ever in my life. Well, that was until last year when a sudden idea of celebrating love with the un-loved on the day of love popped into my mind. And i did it! If you scroll way down or maybe a few pages back, you can see how i spent 14th Feb 2012 at Aishwarya Children Home, Baluwatar with beautiful children and a few friends. I was so glad at the end of the day that i knew this was something i would love to do on every 14th Feb from then onwards. :)

And so exactly after a year, with bags and boxes full of yummy treats, we went to FreshNepal Orphanage, run by Mr. Dev Ram Tamata and his wife Mrs. Dhana Tamata at Gwarko, Kathmandu. But it wasn't my first visit to FreshNepal yesterday. I'd been there twice before with my mum, once on an ordinary day and the second time on my 21st birthday. In fact, this was the first ever orphanage i'd been to in my life. And i guess that was why i felt like going there again. A friend had suggested me to try out a different orphanage but something just pulled me there. And as i laid in my bed at night, thinking about the beautiful moments spent there, i found my answer.

We arrived there at 4:30pm, which was the perfect time cause the kids had just returned from school, all famished. So we quickly served them the chicken burgers we'd got from Makoos Bakery at Jawalakhel, home made french fries and prawn crackers. With dips of tomato ketchup and sips of Coca Cola! :) Seeing them gobble it all up in no time, we were sure and satisfied that they had enjoyed each bite.

After that, it was Dancing time! From Bollywood item numbers to traditional Kollywood songs, those kids could shake their hips and legs to any kind of music. Damn, you should have seen their wowing moves! ;) Plus they were not willing to stop dancing even after almost an hour, so you can pretty much imagine how much they dig dancing. Haha! What more, some of them even offered to come up and give solo vocal performances themselves. Such a bunch of talent! It was only when the lights went off at 6pm that they stopped dancing, just because they HAD to, cause there was no music. Haha! We then announced the 'best dancers' winners from both the girls and boys category each.

Following the prize distribution, it was then time for the second yummy treat of the day - Cupcakes! We got them from Cafe Hessed, also at Jawalakhel. Chocolate flavor for the boys and strawberry flavored ones for the girls. Twenty three cupcakes for the 19 children, for Mr. and Mrs. Tamata and also for the 2 volunteers residing there - Greg from England and Maria from Portugal! It was lovely meeting them too. :)

As i sat there chit-chatting with the kids circling all around me; some playing with my hair, some analyzing the rings on my fingers, i realized, all these children want is to be loved. How happily they loved us right back when we gave them love! And i thought about how unfair it was for them to be in an orphanage when they deserved to be at home with their family, showered with love and care. :(

Hearing her, a little one say, "Didi najanu na, aja tapai etai basnu na," as she held my hand, it was really difficult for me to leave. When i replied i'll be back another day, she quickly added, "Bholi hamro bida cha, bholi aaunu na hai." And i know that these words are the very reasons that i will go visit them again, sooner or later. :')

Relieved, satisfied, proud and happy were the emotions we were left feeling with as we made our way out. The day turned out even more finer than we had expected. Although this was planned nearly a month ago, everything had seemed to slowly fall out of place as the day neared, with some backing out at the last moment, plus with me being super busy at work regarding the deadlines. But he made it possible! :) When i thought of dropping it all off, he said, "Even if no one else joins hands, we'll do this. You and Me! We will make this happen." :')

My Valentine's day this year seemed like the entire package of the previous valentines' i had never celebrated before.  From getting beautiful red roses and a card with meaningful words that melted my heart, to sharing love and laughters with the children, to finally spending some time alone with him at dinner... i couldn't have felt more loved! :)

P.S. - Thank you Sumit dae and Bhupesh dae, for being a part of this. :)

Here are the pictures! Enjoy :D

striking a pose while cooking :P

french fries !

busy serving ...

smile :D

enjoying the food ...

girls doing the 'munni badnam' step

dancing heroes !

the best dancer winners :)

dancing along with the kids :)

excited and happy :D

cupcake is the best !
the kids with Greg and Maria

big hug :)

group pic 1

group pic 2

dinner :)

<3

I am in Love :))

I once told someone that when i fall in love, i will happily shout out to the whole world. So today, here i am beaming as i write in big bold letters,

I AM IN LOVE :)

Cheers to being in this beautiful thing called Love !!!

Life Right Now ..

IT IS NOT EASY. To come up with good/presentable articles before the deadline whilst running around here and there every day to cover events. And at the same time, think of ways on how to improve my radio shows along the anxiety of not wanting to be left behind in the ‘invisible yet visible’ competition with my contemporaries. IT IS NOT EASY. To balance the time between 2 jobs that I’m equally passionate about, plus time for college, for gym and time for my personal life. My family and friends seems disappointed with me for not giving them time these days, and I cannot even blame them, for it is true. Come to think of it, I haven’t even had a ‘me’ time in a very long time. I've not even been writing for myself. My blog seems estranged. IT IS NOT EASY. To want to be a fairly good employee at both workplaces and yet be the same nice ‘Pretty/Sara’ that all my loved ones have always known me as.

I have cried and broke down many times amidst all this chaos. I have even thought of giving it all up. But with every mistake I've made, with every tear I've wiped, and with every person who has tried to pull me down, I have only convinced myself to stand up again, continue fighting and show it to them.

Sure it is easy to leave all this mess and just go home, relax under the sun, watch all my favorite TV shows that I've been missing and just do nothing at all. I can easily do that, but I choose not to! As difficult/hectic/crazy/stressful as it is for me right now, I choose to continue struggling. Cause I believe all this is happening for a reason. I am an optimist who ‘foolishly’ believes that God is making me face all this hardship today just so that I can become a more stronger, more better and a successful person tomorrow.

They say, “An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. So when Life is dragging you back with difficulties, it only means that it's going to launch you into something great. So just focus, and keep aiming.” 

Focusing.. Aiming.. Fighting..

Stay ..

I know Love comes and goes,
but maybe, just maybe,
this Love will stay...

:')

Our First Kiss :)

Our first kiss was not where I had always imagined it to be.

 I was thinking maybe under the late evening stars, where in the middle of a conversation, you would shut me up by surprisingly placing your lips on mine, and i would even forget what i was blabbering about. 

Or maybe inside a warm silent room, where you would pull me close towards you, and you would look deep into my eyes, gently touch my lips with yours, and i would even hear the throbs of my heartbeat.

Our first kiss was not where I had always imagined it to be.

With Vodka running all through my veins, I wobbled my way there. I knew you were right behind me, to catch me just in case i fell.

 It felt so good I actually wanted to purposely skip a feet. :)

I reached the washroom. And with sleepy eyes and a cheesy smile, i told you to wait outside for me. 

But just as i was about to close the door, you leaned over and you kissed me.  

You kissed me our very first kiss, at a washroom door!
Haha :D 

Our first kiss was not where i had always imagined it to be.

But our first kiss was exactly the way i had always imagined it to be.

Shy,Soft,Sweet

Scary yet Surreal

Sealed 

<3

What an idea !

Just saw this randomly on a site and got instantly inspired. Damn, if only i had started this on the very first morning i ditched my sleep for an hour of puffing & panting. Well, obviously not in dollars but at least a hundred rupees per session would have saved me money for maybe 3-4 new outfits by now. But i guess better late than never! I am soo doing this soon. ;)

Yes, I've been jogging these days. Not every single morning but we (me and my fitness instructor cum good friend) try to go whenever we can wake up in this torturous cold weather. But on an honest note, despite the exercise, i have not been watching what i eat. (You should see how much i eat -..- ) Maybe that's the reason why there are still no changes in my body. But then again, if the leg of my half-a-decade-old bathroom scale is still healthy enough, i might have gone about a couple of kilos down. :P

But i swear on the post-jogging super-duper-awesomely-awesome goooood feeling that YOU also should seriously start working out !! Any kind of exercise will guarantee you that heavenly feeling i feel after every workout. It does not necessarily have to be jogging. Remember, it may be difficult. It actually will be; especially in the initial days. But hey, nothing comes easy right? Especially not when it comes to shedding fats. I have only now understood that there are no easy way out such as slimming pills or magical slimming belts. Not even hours and hours of emotionally-blackmailing prayers to God. The only way it works is by exercising and by eating right - which again is off course easier said than done -  but not impossible !

So don't think much and just start! Find an exercise buddy and hit the morning streets. Or join classes like aerobics, zumba or even better, kick boxing. They say an hour of intense kick boxing can burn up-to almost a thousand calories. Oh Yeah, you heard me right !

Well since the holidays are soon gonna be over, i guess i will sadly have to put an end to my morning running sessions as college starts early at 06.30 am. But with all that i put in my mouth, i cannot 'not' exercise at all. Even if i don't lose the kilos, i certainly don't want to gain more. So i'm planning on attending cardio-kick-boxing classes in the evening at my neighborhood fitness center. What about you ?? 

Go ahead and work your ass off to feel good and also to look good. Trust me, hard work does pay off. Cheers to your great new start !! And do not forget to put some money in the jar after every successful attempt. Cause by the time you have a new body, you will also have the budget to treat yourself with a new wardrobe you'll definitely need. ;)

Till my next post, Eat-Pray-Love-Exercise !
:D

Prove me Right !

They all left
Said they wouldn't
But eventually did
Made me feel bad 
For being me

But last night
For the first time
Not a wee bit of fear
In his eyes i saw
While i cried

But last night
For the first time
Not a wee bit of guilt
In my heart i felt
As he watched

They all left
Said they wouldn't
But eventually did
Made me feel bad 
For being me

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************

But
Hey you
Thank you
For letting me
Lighten my heart
And not burden it back

Hey you, i know you're different. Prove me right !

I think i miss you ..

There is just something about this wait ..

Never thought i would, but i think i miss you ..

I miss how you strongly take my hands ..
I miss how you gaze deep into my eyes ..
I miss how you give me that pretty smile ..

I should have dared to hug you that night ..
Maybe that would have lasted me this while ..

♥ . ♥

His eyes, when he smiles ..
:')

the day when Love died ..

 

 

Remember the day when
In that small corner we sat
How bitterly the clouds cried
As you blandly kissed my tears

Remember the day when
Under that umbrella we stood
How suddenly my soul ceased
As you blandly shoved my body

 

Remember the day when
Love died

Ooops !

Is it OK to have a crush on someone you're not supposed to?
o.O
 

Me and My Magazine Dreams !

"Don't get fascinated by the pictures alone, read the articles too." I clearly remember my elder sister raising her sharp voice at me as i flipped through the glossy pages of one of those hundreds of thick Cosmopolitan magazines she owned. She was a fervid magazine reader and it didn't came as a surprise when the habit was passed down to me. Initially it was just the glamorous photographs of surprisingly beautiful actresses/models and the stylish apparels that had my eyes glued. But after that day, the articles started getting my attention too. And slowly, this habit turned into a passion. A passion deep enough to make me hear my inner voice declare "Yes, this is what i want to do.'' at the last page of every monthly edition i read. Looking back now, i guess her scoldings were a blessing in disguise. A gift from one sister to another. :)
 

There is no doubt that i am a very lazy girl. (My family would be the first ones to agree on that.) But despite my weakness, i have dared to dream. On many dark nights, I've not let my mind rest for such long hours, sending it to brainstorming mode just to come up with interesting new ideas and concepts for my future project. Yes, i have actually visioned myself launching my own magazine one day. Fingers crossed ! 

And so, with a strong determination to make my desire a content reality, i confidently walked my way into that newly furnished office for the interview. When asked about why i was there, my honesty immediately voiced, ''I am here to learn. This is what I've always wanted to do; where I've always wanted to be.''

And this evening, i got a call with the lady on the other line saying that that i could join WOW (World of Women) Magazine from tomorrow. :) Yes, that is the name of the magazine i will be working for. After a couple of rejections from other print media houses, I'm glad that I finally have a company that believes in me. Now all that i have to do is to repay their kindness by working hard for them. And as for me, i just want to prove it to myself that, ''If i can dream it, i can do it.''

Here's to moving on to the next chapter of my life. To being one step closer to my dreams. And also to hectic days ahead. 

Till my next post, Eat-Pray-Love !
:D