There are several reasons not to develop a paunch, and definitely not to maintain one if it already exists! The issues are not cosmetic; they’re about health, comfort, and wellbeing. Please think on a practical level — when you sit down, doesn’t the paunch put pressure on your heart and lungs? Can you feel the squeeze? When you stand up, isn’t it a struggle, especially if you’re sitting on a low seat? Carrying a paunch puts so much pressure on the spine and the heart, doesn’t it? Breathing is not as effortless as it should be — it’s not deep, nor rhythmic; it’s rapid, like you’re always winded or stressed.

Become a fly-on-the-wall at your workplace: Observe for a whole day a person who has a big paunch, and how he/she operates. You’ll feel concern at the uneasy movements, the waddle in the walk. It will jerk you out of your complacence. A dear friend recently called to say she’d taken her first half-hour walk on the seaside after five years of being sedentary. The reason? Her weight has shot up from 68 to 91 kg. It’s a sobering thought — if you don’t take care, the kilos just pile on. She said she had ‘gynaec problems’, but didn’t elaborate. The extra fat does carry you into illness territory.

What is worrying, as I said earlier, is not the sight of a paunch, but what lies beneath. There’s visceral fat at a deeper level in the abdominal region, forming a coating around the kidneys, liver, and intestines. These organs are slowly, very slowly, being smothered. And this is not because of destiny or heredity — it’s because of an unthinking lifestyle, lack of good habits, and a stressful way of responding.

Sure, at the physical level you need food, but overindulgence shows a certain amount of heedlessness, or an undue craving for the wrong stuff. As we have three kinds of cravings — physical, mental, spiritual — it’s time to ask what the mind or spirit wants that is not being fulfilled, leading to excessive physical craving as compensation. Work to fulfil the mental or spiritual desire.

Your habits could be fuelling the craving too. If you watch violence or sob-stuff on TV, the negative stimulus destabilises you. You then reach out for comfort food. Instead, wisely fill your belly with a good laugh by watching a sitcom, or with soul-food (such as a meaningful film). You’ll feel different, for sure. I’ve learnt from personal experience that to enjoy should not be the goal; instead, aim to feel good. If you’re limber and able to move around easily, run lightly up the stairs, and breathe easily, you will enjoy life in a big way. To indulge in excess food is to enjoy in a very small and limited way.

If you want to live life thegrand way, follow these three steps:

Don’t add fat. Stop adding to your visceral fat. No, don’t diet, simply say ‘No’ to all the extra nibbles that come your way — wafers from your thin colleague, birthday cake, prasaadam -ladoos, chocolates from an NRI relative… Eat regular, moderate, healthy meals. Include fat-fighting foods — beans, turmeric, cinnamon, mustard seeds, black pepper, spinach — in your diet. Occasionally, be content with a fruit-vegetable chaat , and probiotic buttermilk as a thirst quencher.

Subtract stress. As far as possible, avoid stressful people, situations, films and TV programmes. Stress spikes cortisol levels. Cortisol breaks down the lean muscle that burns fat. And the fat stays put. Whenever you feel stressed, sip water slowly and imagine that you’re taking in this sweet, purifying, transparent wonder-fluid that’s cleansing away all toxic emotions and calming your nerves.

Burn the excess fat. Doing crunches strengthens the stomach muscles, but doesn’t burn abdominal fat — walking does. A wilful patient consulted a doctor about his bulging stomach, indigestion and lack of appetite. The doctor took him for a drive in his car. On the way, oops! the doc dropped his wallet and asked the patient to fetch it. When the patient — who’d pleaded he had no time to walk — got off, the doc drove on! The patient followed so that he could return the wallet. When he’d walked for 30 minutes, the doc took him back into the car. The patient was now hungry and keen to go home and enjoy the simple meal he’d grumbled about earlier! And, yes, thereafter, he walked regularly, ate healthy, and reduced his paunch.

Live thoughtfully, mindfully, actively. Become aware of your excesses. Meditate for at least 15 minutes to fill your mind with healing silence, your spirit with harmonious peace, and your body with a beautiful stillness. Exercise your willpower and decision-making ability, especially in what you eat. Decide that you’ll avoid late-night binges and stick to that decision like a leech. Remember, your best friend is your own good sense.

The writer is co-author of the book ‘Fitness for Life’.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW