Do u LOVE food? Do you LIVE to eat? Are you too LAZY to exercise? Do you absolutely HATE going to the Gym?

If that’s you, then this post is for you! Read on..

So back in the days when I was still in my twenties, I had an absolutely awesome Body Metabolic Rate. I ate like a pig, yet I never gained any weight! I had so much of Coke/Pepsi that my friends used to say, my blood group should be ‘Pepsi +ve’! I was envied for my huge appetite and yet slim body..  To make matters (around my appetite) worse, I belong to a crazy type of a foodie family, who think about what to eat for lunch, even though we would still be sitting at the breakfast table .. and make plans for dinner before clearing away the lunch dishes! I never ever HAD to exercise (other than the P.E training in school :P, and we all know how enthusiastic we were about that!). And to top it all, our family history is loaded with cases of Heart disease, Diabetes and Hypertension.

So basically in all these years, I never took care of my diet or my health at all.. The first time I got a reality check was when I got Gestational Diabetes in my first pregnancy, and then in the second and then in the third one too.. So that makes me a high risk candidate for Diabetes, anyways. Now in my thirties, the metabolism has slowed down and I have started to put on weight.. This year I had two episodes of unstable blood pressure as well … so finally I decided that it’s time to stop and take care of my body and health.

Having the crazy foodie gene in me, I cannot STARVE myself at all! I hate diet plans because I have to have good food to satisfy my tastebuds..  I cannot live on boiled or grilled stuff.. Therefore I have done a few ‘sustainable’ lifestyle changes..

1. No Soda (except for weekends or with biryanis and bunkababs)- I have stopped bringing Coke with the groceries..It’s only a weekend treat for me. I cannot quit it completely because I know if i do that.. I’ll relapse into it soon enough and would be begging my husband … “Zalima Coca Cola Pila De..”
2. Lots of Water – I try to drink as much water as I can.. I keep a bottle with me even at home..
3. No Skipping Breakfast – A healthy but hearty breakfast!
4. A Big Bowl of Salad – before lunch (thats what I did during my Gestational Diabetes days). The salad usually fills me up and I automatically eat less carbs (bread/rice). I put whatever salan/gravy I have cooked on top of it as my dressing.. (A brilliant tip I learnt from my Sister In Law – keeps it light and the taste buds happy!). 
5. A Very Light Early Dinner – usually just fruits.
6. And last but not the least – Exercise! – Yes! (My friends just died of shock right now! )

By the way, this is not the first time, I have tried exercising, but those attempts failed.. Heres why:

1. Gym: I once tried going to the gym, but for me, its too much work to get dressed, go downstairs at the Community Gym (though its free!) and that too without a gym partner! (I NEED a very motivated gym partner to keep me going!). And then even if I somehow managed to reach the gym, I would feel like crap looking at such fit people around me.. It made me very self conscious and therefore it didn’t last that long.
2. Zumba: Yep, I have tried that too! It was just downstairs at the Community Room, but the effort required to get dressed (looking socially acceptable!), go down, pay for the class and then jump around feeling like an idiot ! I would stand in the last row, to avoid people to see what a total fool I looked like, trying to catch up and dance along with the instructor with my uncoordinated dance moves. Hence Zumba, died a natural death as well for me!

That is when I gave up on exercise. But then, my cousin lost about 12 kgs in a few months time and curious to know what the hell did she do.. I asked her.That is when I found about the Leslie Sensone 3 Mile Walk At Home program. 

So what is it? Its a workout program in conjunction with The American Heart Association, comprising of indoor walking exercising programs: a one mile “gentle” (15 minutes) walking program and a two mile (30 minutes) and a 3 mile(45 minutes)”Brisk Walk”. Each walk is hosted by Leslie herself who keeps the aerobic style exercise  “easy” to follow but effective in results! Designed with “walking based” moves so that all fitness levels, all ages, all walks of life, can do it! There are just 4 basic moves (Brisk Walk, Kicks, Knee Lifts and Side Steps), so no need to worry about learning the dance moves or doing it wrong..Its just walk.. You can’t do it wrong! Basically you just have to walk in place, to the beat of the music! It starts off with a warm up walk and ends with a cool down walk. And it does get brisk and sweaty in between! (trust me!)

You can buy the DVDs, or use their mobile app or simply just find the workouts on Youtube!

The best part is.. its so easy to incorporate in your daily routine..

• You don’t have to get ready and go anywhere..You can do it in your home clothes.. (I do it in my pjs!). Just put on the right walking shoes!
• No Gym/Fitness Class fee.
• No embarrassment of how stupid or unfit you look! You can do it in the privacy of your room!

This is what I do now..once the kids are off to school, I have some fruit, put the lunch for cooking and while the food is cooking, put my walking shoes on and do my 3 mile walk. By the time I am done.. the food is ready too! (And then I message my cousin, that I have done it, and she does the same when she has.. that keeps me motivated!)

I started off with a one mile walk and gradually worked my way up to the 3 mile walk. I must confess that I absolutely LOVE it! Its such an amazing workout.. so do-able.. pretty brisk, yet in the privacy of my own room and without any fancy gym equipment or fee!  I have started this routine since I came back from the Summer holidays and have been loving the way I feel after doing it. Have never felt better!

It’s the perfect workout for all the lazy bums like me! Try it out.. No one is watching! 🙂

As Leslie says..

Walk. Walk.Walk.Walk… Walk Your Way To A Healthy Heart!

Just keep walking…. Until next time!