See, one of the major differences of being in your late twenties is that your metabolism suddenly slows down. No, I am not saying this from my personal experience, I am NOT on the wrong side of twenty and I can definitely wolf down a dozen pancakes without overnight bulges in all the wrong places of my body and, not to mention terrible stomach upsets the next day. However, I am saying for all the elder didis out there who might be struggling with this problem.

I know-I know….you did start off your year with the “I would be healthy” resolution but it is just that you do not find time (and let’s face it the motivation and energy at the end of a long day at work) to work out and take those extra steps for that overall healthy bod.

Make it one of your personal KRA goals this year
No not the generalized, half-hearted one that you made at the beginning of this year (and if you are like me, at the beginning of EVERY YEAR). Don’t just promise yourself “I would get healthier” or “I would lose/gain some weight”. Be specific. Your targets should be SMART.
Let’s say, like this: I would lose/gain 5 kilos in the coming 2 months by going for a brisk walk for 45 minutes every day and by flowing adhering to an appropriate diet as advised by my doctor”.

Write it down and schedule your work out and meal timings
My mom’s a Math Teacher. (No, chill, came back here, I will not ask you the value of pi. I know it is 25/7…or is it 23/8? Anyways leave it). My entire life, she has made a point of sticking my exam schedule on one of the panels of my wardrobe, so that I could see it very single day. Her thought behind this was not only to make me know the schedule by heart, but also to make sure that exams were there at the top of my mind-always. So I would schedule all my other activities and interests around it. Take a cue from my Ma, and write down your aspirations of being healthy. Type it, write it on a beautiful notepad, or make a huge chart of it-do anything. But have the written thing in front of you most of the times.

This helps in 2 things:
1. Having to write the points down will force you to be more articulate and specific about your fitness goals. No more will you have a vague idea that you need to be healthier.
2. This would always be at the top of your mind, and you are least likely to stray because “you forgot”.

Get a buddy
This could be your Mum, your best buddy, that hot guy’s not-so-hot sister or mother, padosvale Khanna Uncle, or even your dog. Get a buddy. It will help you to avoid boredom and be regular-ish with your schedule.

Treat your body with respect
Look, you honestly don’t think that if you work out and eat clean the entire day and party (and by party, I mean drink 56 tequila shots and 15 large pizzas), your body can take the load of it all. Treat your body with respect- how you expect your friends, boyfriend(s), boss, and everybody to treat you. How would you like if your friends talk nicely to you and trash talk about you behind your back? Similarly, show your body some love and treat it right. Occasional treats, like the fights that you have with your friends are okay.

Know that abs are made in kitchen
You can’t expect to be healthy if you only work out and then don’t eat well. 90% of our bodies are made of what we eat. So, don’t commit the age old mistake by working out for 3 hours and then spoiling everything by eating wrong.

1. If you don’t have one already, get a customized meal plan for you from your doctor or dietician. A good meal plan should be made up of food items that you like to have, that are easily available, are in your budget, and the plan should go with your lifestyle. Now stick to this plan.

2.Learn to cook a couple of good and healthy dishes, which you can whip up in a jiffy on those evenings when you are super tires and cannot afford to make an elaborate meal. Remember, you cannot even AFFORD to eat junk every other night.

1. Have a breakfast-EVERY.SINGLE. DAY. And no, Chai and biscuit is not a proper breakfast. Oatmeal is a breakfast. Cereals and milk also make a good breakfast.

2. Carry your lunch to your work. It is healthy and cheap.

3. Eat mindfully. Slow down while you eat. Enjoy the food. Chew carefully.

Get the “good enough” mentality
Picture this in your mind. You are halfway the week with your “Healthy raho” workout and meal plan and all. Suddenly on Thursday afternoon, the boss decides to take you all out for lunch (I said IMAGINE). You went and ate like the true glutton that you are. Now what? Is your entire week’s work gone to the drain? Answer me READER1 THE NATION WANTS TO KNOW!!
Calm down! Don’t think that you have spoiled everything. Come back. Take a big breath. And start all over again with your campaign. One meal cannot and should not throw you out of the track.

Move a little
You sure understand that working out is not only for those who want to lose weight. It is also not only for those who want to gain weight. In today’s world, where we all have majorly sedentary lifestyle, workouts make sure that we keep a constant healthy body weight. It also helps in our metabolism-which in turn makes sure that our skin glows, our hair gets the maximum nutrition from what we eat etc. Most importantly, working out makes sure that all out fittings and fixtures a.k.a joints work smoothly for longer. Working out also helps to………… I mean more on that some other day.
For starters, even a 45 minutes brisk walk with your dog (even without your dog actually) can do wonders.

See, being healthy is not about being of a certain body weight or shape. It is about feeling good, and no, you don’t generally feel good if you are not healthy. Just ask someone who has problems like constipation because she does not follow her self-professed steps towards a healthy BOD….again just saying, not from any personal experience….Nope!!

Follow these and stay fit! If you know more tips, post in the comments.