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31 August, 2011

Attachment vs Detachment

Learn to be detached. Detachment brings stability. It is important. For every step ahead in life, one has to be detached with the one left behind. If the baby did not want to detach from its mother, it would not be born. If you do not detach from your everyday life, you would not be able to sleep and would have insomnia. After finishing one work, you have to detach yourself from it to be able to do the next work. If you are washing hands, you cannot continue to do that. You will have obsessive compulsive disorder then. You have to detach yourself from that job. Detaching does not mean lack of emotion or love for a person or activity. As a parent, you have to detach yourself even from children. This does not make you less attached to them. But to keep your own sanity, learn to detach. God chose to cut that umbilical cord from the very first moment. That was the first act of detachment while still being attached.
Body gets attached and brings us expectation and frustration. Soul gets detached and brings us inner joy.
Many people think that attachment is same as love and devotedness. They also mistake that detachment is being indifferent or neglect.
When you are detached and do not care about the fruits of your actions, the Supreme rewards you in His Supreme way.

Stay strong on your journey to weight loss


Try to understand that whatever has contributed to you gaining weight in the past will contribute to you gaining weight today and again in the future.  That is, if you don't change it.  You must identify where your weakness are.  For instance, you could be a "stress eater" that munches or gorges on food when life gets difficult are you a "reward eater", rewarding yourself for having a good day or accomplishing something great?  Are you a boredom eater that just eats because there is nothing else to do right then?  Perhaps you feel like you always must be chewing something because of nervousness.  Are you a "social eater" who goes out to a rib restaurant with your friends and gorges on the main entrĂ©e but then forces down a dessert (even though you're not hungry) just because it looks good or your friends are having some? 
    Your first step to overcoming weight loss is to identify what the problem is.  You need to identify what motivates you to eat other than normal hunger.  Stress, depression, reward eating, social eating, boredom eating, nervousness, anxiety etc. all contribute in a MAJOR way to weight gain.  Identify what the problem is and replace the behavior with something else.  For instance, the next time you're stressed and you find yourself heading for the refrigerator say to yourself "This is stress eating, I can't do this!"  Then replace the behavior with something like going for a walk or reading a book, etc.
 They can't make you eat it!
Our lifestyle centers on food. How many of us use food for reasons other than fuel? Most of us eat because of reasons unrelated to hunger; it may be "time to eat," or perhaps you eat because you're anxious, depressed or stressed. Do you eat when you're bored? Do you eat because someone tells you to? Many people feel guilty if they don't eat something that a family member or friend made "especially for them." In India specially, loving is synonymous with feeding. Mother, wife, girlfriend would cook and make you eat to shower their love on you. Dating is again synonymous with going out and eating together. Watching a movie together is incomplete without popcorn and cola. It is considered that “a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”. Why can’t we leave the EATING part alone? Dating could be jogging together in the park. Girlfriend could knit instead of cooking. Boyfriend could get a monthly membership to a gym for his girlfriend instead of a box of chocolates. On a business meeting, instead of “catching up over lunch or coffee,” you could catch up in the gym on a treadmill or bike or perhaps go trekking or biking together.

I recently read an advice column in the newspaper; it seems a friend has become the "enemy." This friend is constantly baking sweet treats for a girlfriend, who is now gaining weight! With friends like her, who needs enemies, as they say? You've all been in similar situations; a birthday party, a family celebration, a holiday dinner and the host has made all your "favorite" foods, "especially for you." You come into the situation with your resolve strong; you're going to politely refuse, and exit with your weight intact. Then you come up against an impossible obstacle, your mother, your friend, your boss… is making you eat!

How to stay strong

Maybe you're trying to take pounds off or have reached a weight that you want to stay at! Are there any people in your life that seem bent on sabotaging your success? You need some snappy comebacks to comments like:

"Come on, one bite won't hurt."
"Oh cmon! Live a little."
"It's not healthy to eat so few carbs."
"If you lose too much weight, your face will look wrinkled."
"It is my party (Birthday/ farewell, etc). You can't diet today. Diet from tomorrow or workout extra tomorrow. Today you got to drink with us/ have my cake."

These "friends" probably aren't malicious, but they surely do need a lesson in life! You can't just say,"she made me eat it." No one can make you bite and swallow.


We've all heard many times


That breakfast is important right?  Well, it's true!  Your metabolism doesn't really kick in until you eat something in the morning!  That means that you burn fewer calories in the morning and earlier afternoon hours if you don't eat breakfast.  Also, don't go most of the day without eating.   It is better to eat small meals every 2-3 hours during the day than it is to eat three big meals.  The reasons for this are several folds.  First, eating every couple of hours will stabilize your blood-sugar levels.  This is very important to your metabolism being optimized and in controlling hunger.  Second, the longer you go during your day without eating the fattier the foods you will crave when you do eat.   Starving yourself most of the day usually results in eating junk when you finally sit down for a meal.  Also, when you go most of the day without food you'll probably end up gorging on food and eating FAR more than you should have or would have otherwise.  You'll be amazed at the difference you'll see on your waist if you eat 5 or 6 small meals during the day. 

If weight loss is your goal then you need to take in fewer calories than you burn off.  Said in reverse you simply need to burn off more calories than you consume.


Unfortunately there is no magic bullet when it comes to weight loss. Let me illustrate what I mean with an example.  Suppose you went to the gym and had a 10 minute warm up, followed by an hour of hard lifting weights, and then went for a 6 mile run on the tread mill.  That would be a very good work out for 99% of us.  But what if you followed that work out by driving to McDonald's and eating a quarter pounder with cheese and a fillet of fish meal (super sized of course).  What do you think you just did to that great work out you had?  Obviously it went down the toilet. You MUST have balance in your life.  Take a regular exercise program, drinking plenty of water, and sensible eating habits and you'll find that 1 + 1 can actually equal 3!

Centuries ago when men lived in caves and tents we didn't have drive up windows.  There were no drive-up windows, preservatives, fat-free, and certainly not processed foods.  The majority of the foods that were available were vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.  Because these foods have bulk inherent to them the consumption of such foods was naturally controlled.  In this new millennia we are subjected to a variety of nutrient lacking foods.  Things like chips, popcorn, crackers, cake, cookies, ice cream (and on and on) have no significant physical bulk so it is easy to consume hundred of calories without the least feeling of hunger satisfaction.  Eat REAL foods.  Eat fruits and vegetables and whole grains and you will (by their nature) stop eating when you are full and have had enough.

Sometimes our friends and family want us to stay the same as well, and their behavior can create obstacles not easily seen nor solved. Why would someone act this way? The simplest answer is that they may actually want you to remain overweight. For example, your partner feels less threatened about rejection or abandonment as long as you're thirty pounds heavier. Or, your weight problem serves as a convenient distraction from other problems in the relationship, so there's motivation for your weight to hang around. Finally, your partner or friends may be unmotivated to address their own weight problem, and, feeling shamed by your success, do things to derail your efforts.
It's true that when we change, things change, and some of those around us may not be ready for those changes. Weight management is hard enough as it is; avoiding such people is one way to even out the battlefield.
Here's a short list of tips for handling them:

1. Tune in to your support network and identify true friends and foes.
2. Ask for what you need and don't need.
3. Limit time with others if their behavior is a hindrance.
4. Avoid saboteurs who won't change their ways.
5. Keep focused on your personal goals.
6. Seek support from others facing similar weight challenges. 

LBD- Little Black Dress

A little black dress, specially the one that accentuates the waist is chic option to wear in the evening.
Every woman must have at least 1 LBD in her wardrobe if not more.











Happy Birthday Navjot

Today is Navjot's Birthday. Ever since I have closed the comments, he has emailed his beautiful, precious comments everyday on every post of mine. Thanks Navjot for sticking on. Read his wonderful blog here. 
And wish him. Happy Birthday Navjot.

This is how we Tango







All pictures are shot by Kalpana.
The pictures above (except the last three) are taken from Kalpana's blog here.
Thanks Kalpana for taking such lovely shots and posting them.

Kalpana's post

Kalpana is a great person/friend/blogger/writer/mother/dancer, etc etc.


She has written a great post here. And shared some of my pics too. Do check them out.

30 August, 2011

Purvottasana or Upward Plank Pose


Sit in Dandasana (Staff Pose) with your hands several inches behind your hips and your fingers pointing forward. Bend your knees and place your feet on the floor, big toes turned inward, heels at least a foot away from your buttocks.
Exhale, press your inner feet and hands down against the floor, and lift your hips until you come into a reverse tabletop position, torso and thighs approximately parallel to the floor, shins and arms approximately perpendicular.
Without losing the height of your hips, straighten your legs one at a time. Lift your hips still higher without hardening your buttocks. Press your shoulder blades against your back torso to support the lift of your chest.
Without compressing the back of your neck, slowly drop your head back. Hold for 30 seconds, then sit back down in Dandasana with an exhale.



Benefits

  • Strengthens the arms, wrists and legs
  • Stretches the shoulders, chest, and front ankles

Watchpoints

Make sure your hands are directly under your shoulder blades. 
Make sure when your hips are lifted up, the whole body is in one straight line from head to toes.
Make sure the toes are touching the floor.



29 August, 2011

Passion in Life

We have family, friends, relatives, work, career, colleagues, pets, hobbies, etc.
Do you have a passion in your life? Find your passion in life that keeps you going. It could be workout and fitness, cooking, gardening, blogging, photography, painting, fashion, dancing, caring for environment, skiing, sports, golf, tennis, etc.

If you do not have any passion or pursuit, your life becomes boring and meaningless. 
Give meaning to your life. 

Tango heels

These are my pictures from recent Milonga (Tango party) that I attended.
In Tango, heels are very important. This is one thing I noticed in Buenos Aires. If a woman is not wearing good/pretty shoes, she would not be asked for dance. People judge your dancing skills based on how nice shoes you are wearing. You are considered a better dancer, if your shoes are pretty.
There is a lot of role and play of heels in adornos/embellishments by the follower (woman).


Expectations

If you try to meet up/match up expectations of others, you waste so much of your positive energies. Be yourself. Do not try to please anyone. Do not change anything in yourself for others. Do not try to live with the so called norms of the society. Love yourself the way you are. 

Do not have any expectations from others too. Accept people and situations the way they are. Expectations kill joy.

It is easy not to be bothered by the opinions of people whom you are not close to. But sometimes it may be someone who is very close to you, who is pulling you down. Your parents, your children, spouse, in laws, siblings. These are the people who really matter in your life. You may have probably done everything in your life to please them. Yet, if they turn around and be judgemental, tell you that they find you wrong (when in your heart and mind, you know that you are right). That is the time to be strong. Do not get hurt. Do not get upset. Do not give them that power. Draw power from within yourself. Have strong conviction.





28 August, 2011

Beat the blues



Weekend was spent with friends. Lots of dancing and chatting. 
Few pointers that came out from our chit chat

1. Love of own self is the greatest romance on earth.

2. One is answerable only to one's own moral conscience and nobody else.

3. Kuch to log kahenge. Logon ka kaam hai kehna. (People/society will say something or the other. It is their job to say. Do not be bothered by other's opinion. Do not be a football of other's opinion).

4. Kabhi kissi ko mukammil jahaan nahin milta. Kabhi zameen to kabhi aasman nahin milta. (Nobody gets a perfect world of happiness. Life is not a bed of roses).

5. When you bump into your X, let your X remain X. Do not make him/her your XYZ.

6. Does a single compliment make you happy and a bad comment make you unhappy. Do not let this happen. Be in control of your own happiness. If your happiness or sadness is controlled by external factors/people, it will be short lived. No one should have the power to upset you or make you happy. Nobody- howsoever close.




The Eagle Pose- Garudasana

Eagle/Garuda, is supposed to be the king of all the birds. Lord Vishnu rides on it. According to Hindu mythology, Garuda could consume all the rays of the sun (Kiran).


Benefits
  • Strengthens and stretches the ankles and calves
  • Stretches the thighs, hips, shoulders, and upper back
  • Improves concentration
  • Improves sense of balance

People with knee injuries should avoid doing it. In Yoga it is generally sequenced towards the end of the standing asanas.

Birthday

This is my second year of putting my Birthday pictures on this blog. 
Below is the picture of my yummy Birthday Cake.



My Birthday could not have been complete without dancing.


My Birthday dress was decided and chosen by my sister. She might be far but very close to my heart.




Here is gifts galore. Yeah!!
Thanks to all the wonderful people around me.


Thanks Kalpana for taking these pictures for me.

24 August, 2011

Swirl Around

I had worn this Vero Moda dress earlier here in this post.
Wearing it bit differently in this post.
It is Birthday of Yours Truly today. The post and pictures were shot earlier. Not today.
What I did on my Birthday? Stay tuned in to know.






My fashionable sister.

My sister has a very fashionable wardrobe too. Check her in red shirt worn with golden tights.



Similar worn by Aroon Shivdasani.


My sister below wearing a desigual dress. Similar one being worn by Koel Purie.
She is passionate about dancing. Is trained Indian classical dancer and runs her very own very successful Bollywood fitness classes, which are very popular in US. She is a qualified engineer. And has a high profile job. Dancing is her hobby/passion/love.



Fitnesolution- Corporate training

 Corporate Fitness training, that Fitnesolution does, has been published in The Telegraph here.
This is what it says-


The new corporate mantra
The television commercial for the Hutch Delhi Marathon announces that all of Delhi, including Pinki, Bunty and Malhotra uncle, are going to run this month. Literally. Hutch — the main sponsor of the marathon — has signed up a city-based fitness trainer to give professional fitness and long-distance running training to its employees. “About 300 Hutch employees have signed up for the training programme,” says Kiran Sawhney, proprietor, Fitnesolution, and fitness trainer for the Hutch employees.
Sawhney explains that the Hutch marathon initiative is one of the many ways in which companies in India are introducing fitness in the employee’s work life. “Companies are recognising the importance of having a physically healthy workforce,” says Sawhney.
Like Hutch, Sawhney’s South Delhi-based fitness centre has a number of corporate clients subscribing to the employee fitness package on offer. “Companies are discovering that the huge funds spent on an employee’s medical expenses can be cut by investing in corporate fitness. Physically fit employees are also more productive,” adds the fitness expert.
Fitnesolution offers a specially designed corporate fitness package that includes fitness management, de-stressing, meditation, power work, soft skill management, and — considering the ergonomic problems of the corporate workforce — a postural programme. “It’s a complete package,” says Sawhney. Fitnesolution also takes care of in-house gyms in corporate offices.

20 August, 2011

My Interview

Check my interview here on yahoo home page.

It says-


The best in the business reveal what you should know about losing weight...

What's the difference between a healthy diet and a dangerous one, a workable one and one that sees you secretly stuffing your face with chocolate cake just two days after you promised not to. Tried and tested expert advice, that's what. So, in honour of that little black dress you've been dying to fit into, we asked 6 diet and nutrition experts for their top tips on getting rid of those extra kilos. And no, there's no carb-hating or mealmissing involved...





Kiran Sawhney, nutritionist
1. Consistence, dedication and strong willpower in following a fitness regime is what works. We are disciplined for a bit, and then tend to binge, which ruins the entire rhythm. Build your willpower by achieving small missions every day.

2. Adopt a variety of fitness regimes, on different days. If you do kickboxing one day, try pilates, walking, swimming and aerobics on other days of the week so you don't get bored.

3. Cardio is very important as it tones up your system. Exercise is a great way to cut flab, but you must get a personal trainer, who will teach you the right techniques to aid weight loss. They may be expensive, but they are worth it.


18 August, 2011

The blogs I like the best

A mention of the blogs, I love the best, these days. It is a delight to read them.



These blogs have the best pictures, best content, best template and I must say, both these bloggers are very pretty.

Glittery dress version-2

In my previous post, here, I had shown one way of wearing your glittery dress. Here is a second way of wearing it.


Here is where the inspiration came from.