My lifelong fight in the Battle of the Bulge suffered a terrible setback when I happened to read an article on Time about how exercise is simply not the way to go when you are trying to lose weight. I love to exercise and I hate dieting, which had the mixed result of my not losing weight but being secure in the mistaken belief that I was doing something to keep the fat demons at bay. The article was an eye - opener and stripped away the comfortable myths I had surrounded myself with.
Consequently, I had lost the motivation to haul myself out of bed and work up a good sweat. And to make things worse unlike my first pregnancy when I was into butter beans, greens, and drumsticks this time around I find myself fighting an insane craving for chocolates and ice cream on an almost daily basis. In fact, I have mutated into the chocolate monster. Today, I needed a sugar fix so bad, I actually considered stealing my daughter's Kinder Joy while she was sleeping. But I was stopped in my tracks when I saw the tempting goodie clasped tightly in her hands almost as if she sensed the threat to it even in deep repose. (Veda is wise beyond her years).
Things have never seemed darker and I am terrified that the day is not far when this junk food junkie, chocoholic, and fallen- from -the- fitness- bandwagon loser will be sold to the circus, having been mistaken for an elephant. While I was torturing myself with images of myself playing Jabba the Hut, I read the letters to the editor section in Time. Readers of the esteemed publication where almost unanimous in lambasting the exercise - is - useless - for - weight - loss article and dismissing it as irresponsible journalism. And I found myself agreeing with a reader from India who said it was better to exercise and eat than just eat and not exercise.
My new mantra for the duration of my pregnancy is to be fat but fit and I guess I'll focus on that elusive size - zero body a little later in the day. Have whipped out my forgotten prenatal exercise tapes and am going to start walking again. And now that I am back on the fitness wagon, hears to hoping that I don't fall off anytime soon.
