Weight-Loss

by: Tara Bangalore   

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Anu and I had been together during the three years of college and in the two years after college there had been no noticeable change in Anu's weight, but finally, after all these years, it looked like Mumbai ka 'hawa' had struck her and had greatly influenced her to slim down. Or was it the busy life of a working woman that had finally shape her up? Oh, if only I knew what it was that had made her slim down! Then I could try it out in America. If it was the city-air, then I too had the advantage because I was going to a very busy city in America. If, on the other hand, it was the working that had caused her to shape-up, then I had to wait for at least 6 months as it would take at least that much time before I could get my work-permit.

Of course, it also struck me that her weight-loss could be attributed to a combination of the above factors.

But it could also be that she was attending exercise classes and was into 'work-outs' and all that that goes with such stuff!!

If so, I was into real trouble because I had never been able to 'work-out' during the past few months, when I had tried real hard to burn some of that fat from around my hips and thighs, in order to impress my husband who was coming to India.

A month ago, I had greeted my husband at the airport, with those extra pounds still on me. He reacted to the vision that met his eyes by commenting that he now had a personal shock-absorber!!!

All this thinking and debating and guessing made me very hungry. I was happy therefore when the friendly air-hostess (who was very slim herself but then that was one of the reasons why she was what she was and where she was) served us hot Indian food, with a smile, of course.

I settled down into my new home during the next few weeks. One evening, I reluctantly unglued my by-now huge frame from the TV couch and called up Anu. You see, I had still not gotten over the shock that my friend's beautifully slim'n lithe frame had given me weeks ago. After the initial greetings, etc, I got straight to the point. I asked Anu the 32-28-32 frame question without dilly-dallying. After all, I was paying in dollars!!

"Anu", I asked," tell me how did you lose all that weight? How many months did it take you?"

There was a long, long pause at the other end of the line and I was just debating whether the line had disconnected or I had said something sensitive when Anu finally breathed into the phone and cleared my mind of the other questions and guesses that were faxing through it.

"Tanu, it isn't like how you are thinking at all! I did not lose weight because I wanted to!! My husband and I have just enough money coming from his job for us to have rice and soup three times a day, nothing more, nothing less!''

Needless to say, I was speechless. And although I now know her secret formula for weight-loss, I will never be able to try it, simply because there is so much food stocked in my house all the time. No other reason.

Now you know the secret too. Want to give it a try?