My Journey
What you think, you become ~ Gautam Buddha
Mekhala Ramprakash• Registered Associate Nutritionist and Member – Nutrition Society of Australia
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For me, weight loss has been a long, long journey with lots of trials and tribulations. I remember dieting and exercising from as early as 17 years of age. I would jump from one weight loss programme to another, never analyzing the science behind it. I could never sustain any one programme for too long and my weight kept yo-yo-ing. At various stages, I either reasoned with or punished myself, gave up on sugar, carbs, alcohol and various other foods. It always ended one day, with me saying “What the heck, I want to enjoy my life too”. And to make matters worse, I am a foodie! I like good food and have a palate for different cuisines. Does this sound all too familiar?
I would look at all the slimmer ladies with envy and think “What do these people do?” Even if I lost weight, I could not keep it off. I subsequently developed heel pain, knee pain, my legs felt like lead and I had no energy. My husband steadfastly maintained that I was not over weight with a poker face! My daughter opined that she loved me a little chubby. I guess it was their way of trying to perk me up! I had hit what I perceived as my life’s all-time low, with hypothyroidism and menopause. Everything was pushing me towards putting on more weight. The quality of my life was pretty dismal.
One fine day I stood on my weighing scale and got the fright of my life. I was a whopping 83 kilos (that was my weight when I was pregnant). My blood tests also showed high cholesterol and triglycerides. I took a deep breath and thought to myself, “Enough is enough”. I have majored in food and nutrition, I have a scientific mind, a certificate in fitness management, I am a yoga trainer ………. Why am I not able to put my knowledge into practice? I had to take charge of my life.
I swallowed my pride and sought professional help in losing weight. To start with, I have to confess that the weight loss journey was a bit of a struggle. Looking back, I now have a proper appreciation of how important this helping hand was in guiding me through. I understood and accepted that I had to make some changes to my life style and eating habits. I shed those extra kilos. My cholesterol and triglycerides came back to normal levels. My energy levels were unbelievably high after a long time. My husband grudgingly admitted that he was struggling to catch up with me during our walks! On my recent trip to Paris, I climbed the Eiffel Tower to the highest allowed level on foot. I wouldn’t have even dreamt that I could achieve this before shedding the extra weight. I felt energized, empowered and ten years younger. And the added compliments from family and friends never hurt. My life had finally done the “U” turn I had been dreaming of!!!
But the trick was really how to successfully keep the weight off. I did not want to go backwards, repeating past mistakes. I systematically started analyzing my food habits and its effect on my body. It then dawned on (struck) me that I could trick my mind and body into keeping trim, whilst enjoying my life and not having to give up any foods. DIETRICKS was born!!!.
Contributing to your fitness, and guiding you in sustaining this, is my passion. Assisting my clients in their weight loss journey and knowing that I have made a difference in their lives has been deeply enriching. My aim is to see a Happy world with Healthy people.
I have successfully kept the excess weight off and want to share all the benefits that I have reaped in my journey, with all of you. Come, join my bandwagon and trick your body into working for you!