A Lipstick or a Smile - What you wearing?

I am not a Lipstick person. I love colors. But somehow, I don't like it much on my lips. It is said that they can tell a lot about you from your Lipstick Color. Well, what can they tell if you are not wearing any? Let me guess, "LAZY?"

I have always wondered how the lipstick stays so perfect and intact for some people. Do they eat or drink? Do they breathe?  If I put on a Lipstick and I promise myself not to smack my lips or get tempted by the fruity flavors to lick my lips, I can make it for an hour. After that, I always wondered, "How it gets vanished?" If it disappears totally, I feel better. But for most of the time, it stays there half naked to mock my inefficiency. So, my answer is 'don't wear a Lipstick if you can't pull it off'.

However, I get attracted to the lovely display of colors at the Makeup aisle in the stores. I don't wear it often. Still, I get drawn to those colors. I always wondered "WHY"? I think a Lipstick is the best way to fake fancy. A little color on lips can speak a volume. This weekend, I stopped again in one of that colorful aisle in a store. But, this time, my soon-to-be-three-year-old girl accompanied me. She was way more excited than me, seeing all those pretty shades of pink and purple. She assumed that we were doing crayon-shopping for her.  She loves colors. For a few days, she is doing a lot of paintings. Oh Yeah, if you can call this an art!

She was running up and down the aisle choosing colors and I had to tell her that it’s not for her, but for Mamma. She was surprised and disappointed. She narrowed her eyes and asked, “ You want to do color Mamma?”I replied “No, this color is not for paper. I will put it on here” and I touched my lips.Assuming that I touched my teeth, she inquired wide-eyed “This is your toothbrush?” I was busy looking for some lip color and I just replied “NO” without paying much attention to her. She poked me and asked again “This is your toothpaste?”

I just snorted and that did not discourage her. She thought for a moment and asked again “You are going to eat that Mamma?” 

I understood that unless I answer her inquisitive mind, I had no rescue. So, I showed her a picture and explained: "See, I have to put this on my lips like this". She assimilated the new piece of information and asked with all her innocence "Why Mamma"? I opened my mouth to answer and I stopped uncertain. Shall I tell her "to look pretty" when she believes that she has to wear a smile on her lips to look pretty? 

Hundreds of thoughts, questions, and answers clouded my mind in those few seconds when she was looking at me for an answer and I was all silent. Finally, I gathered all my wit and responded nervously and expecting more interrogations "Lipstick is like a Lollipop for big girls. It can bring a smile on our face even when we are sad. A smile is all that is needed to look pretty". She just nodded her head and replied "Oh! Okay" with a smile, as if she knew that answer long before and went back to her own world of running down the aisle. 

I felt so relieved getting off the hook from my daughter's series of questions. I smirked to myself as I realized "Why I get drawn to those colors when I don't wear it often".

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Why I am so hungry...ALWAYS?

I bought my  Fitbit Charge2. I had set a target of 8000 steps daily and I was meeting that target almost every day. I reduced sugar! I walked a lot and Boom! I lost 4-5 pounds. I was exhilarated and even inspired. I checked my weight daily in the early morning and there was a loss of at least few ounces each day. My weighing scale was all happy and grateful until one day when I realized my weight is stuck. I  followed the same routine. But there is no more change. "What went wrong?" I wondered. I checked for a few more days, but nothing much changed. 

I checked if I missed out something:

8000 steps daily  ✅

Drinking 8-10 glasses of water ✅

Lemon-Honey water in empty stomach in the morning✅

"What's next"? I questioned. The answer came rushing from everywhere "Restrict your food intake". Yeah, that's right, the process is usually known as "Dieting". But I had checked that word off my dictionary long back. I recall reading a phrase like "First Name HUNGRY and Last Name ALWAYS" and I just shouted all excited "Ohh, that's me!" So, to cut on my food was always my last choice. But, when I tried out all of my options and nothing seemed work anymore, I thought of giving it a try.

The first day I decided to go easy on my meals, I tried Salad, a super big bowl of veggies, adding sufficient cheese, dried cranberries, and nuts. I made a face, chewed for long and when I finished eating, the lettuce was still there glaring at me. 2 hours from lunch and I was hungry again! I felt the strong urge to nibble on something. "How am I going to reduce weight when I am so Hungry!" I pondered. Then I did what I usually do, I googled. I just wanted to see if it's only me. I felt better seeing that I am not alone in this. I got to know that there are products in Market which can actually reduce your appetite. Seriously?! I have to eat something to reduce my urge to eat something. Well, that is ironical. I checked for reviews, price and searched for side effects. I was not convinced.

There were some suggestions out there that we can confuse our appetite for thirst. I liked the idea. I had a glass full of water. 30 mins down and I was again hungry.So, I took another glass of warm Lemon-Ginger Tea. By 4:30, I had a sour mood and was annoyed. Why I am so hungry...always like that Very Hungry Caterpillar? I had to eat something and I end up with some cookies. Bad Idea!

Next day, I avoided Salad deliberately and ate some grilled chicken and veggies. I had a hard time saying "No" to fries, but I did.The day went better. I was feeling good that I didn't give up to fries and besides I was not that hungry.So, I decided, I will continue eating what I ate before, will reduce the portion. It worked for me! Slowly, I reduced the portions and in between, I had plenty of water and tea. It was not that difficult.

So, my take on this is food and eating is a habit. To change a habit drastically can be traumatic. But what we can try is to change that old habit into a new one. It may take some time, but it is easy to follow. I eat a whole breakfast and go easy on lunch and then eat my dinner early. In between, I nibble on some nuts or fruits with lots of water. It took some time. But, it helped to reduce additional 10-15 pounds and soon enough my weighing scale showed the difference.

Before

After

A BEFORE and AFTER picture is mandatory and here is mine. But I am not quite sure if this is enough to justify my point. I stopped taking pictures when I was not fitting in the frame anymore. I have reduced the frequency, the portion, and the cravings for food. And, yes I am no more hungry. But today, after reducing a total of 20 pounds, my weighing scale is stuck again! Now what? Do I need to win my another fear and hit the Gym? How to improve my metabolism? Will I be able to write a post some day on how I reduced another 10 pounds by working out in Gym? Well, that is still a dream, a dream that I may wish to live.

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Kids Fitness in Bay Area - My ideas to ensure well-being

It is rightly said, "Physical Fitness is the basis for all other forms of excellence." 

Every child is different and so is their ideas of having fun. But what is common to all these kids, is the requirement for a Fit and Healthy life! But, to engage a child in a physical activity is difficult, unless it is entertaining.

A baby learns through Play. For the first time when they turn their head, they see a huge world out there. They crawl for the first time and they discover how capable they are to explore on their own. When they walk for the first time they learn to move ahead and not to stop. So, for a baby, everything is new and exciting and any activity is amusing and discovering.

When a baby grows up, they get lured by the digital world. A Smartphone or a Tab or a Laptop or just a Television can keep them occupied for hours. I remember, as a child when I was growing up in a small town in India, we did not even have a Mobile Phone, forget about a tab or a laptop. We had a Television but there were very limited shows and the telecast timing was also restricted. So, my childhood was gadget free.

Honestly, I was never an adventurous kid. I never broke a bone or hurdled through the desks in school like many other kids. As far as I remember, I participated in a 100-meter race once and I was the last one to reach the finishing line. We used to have a PT (Physical Training) class in school. On one particular class, everyone had to try some Throws and then select any one of them to participate in the Sports Tournament, that year. I tried Javelin, then Shot Put and even Discus Throw and then my teacher told me to take a seat and some rest . Yeah well, the result was hilarious and I was excused to be mortified in front of the whole school. So yes, I was not into sports either. However, I was active. I used to walk with my dad or mom to the nearest market. I used to ride a bike to school. I learned Indian Classical Dance(Kathak).We used to play Tag in school. By night, I used to get exhausted and craved for some sleep.

Coming back to now, I still get exhausted at night and my soon-to-be-three-year-old daughter is all energized. I always look for some ideas to drive the little one's energy in the right direction. Here are my tried, tested, succeeded or failed options so far.

Park - The most popular choice among kids: My daughter too likes going to park. But, when the kids her age or even younger, climb, slide, jump or run around, she prefers to sit in a safe place and watch them. Sometimes, I lose temper and push her to give a try to the slides. But then, I realize that she got my genes after all. She still enjoys going to a park, occasionally kicks a ball or slides when she is convinced that no other kid will push her.

Dance - All time Hit: Be it Hip-Hop or a Ballet or just swirling around in a pretty dress, a dance can lift one's mood anywhere, anytime. At Sunnyvale Community Center, I got a couple of interesting classes for kids. The list is here and is extensive. I booked a Hip Hop dance class for her and she was super happy. Some music and tapping on the rhythm are sufficient to call it a dance.

Swim - A Summer Must-Have: Splashing and kicking in the water on a hot summer day is an absolute Bliss. Swimming is an essential skill that everyone should learn. I just love water and so is my child. When she was not even one year old, I took her to a warm swimming pool in a floater and she was super excited. After she turned two, I was looking for a swimming class for her. But here, the outdoor pool is cold throughout the year. So, I was looking for some indoor options and I got Daca Swim School. It is a perfect place for her. For the kids below 3 years of age, parents are allowed to get into the water. The Trainer is wonderful and my daughter just adores her. She sings she plays with the kids and she inspires the kids to swim - a perfect blend.

Animal Walk - Simple and Fun: A Bear walk or a Frog jump or a bunny hop, these exercises enhance the balance, core strength and agility. Top it up with some appropriate animal sounds and see the magic. For my kid, I booked a Gym class at Sunnyvale Community Center.On the first class, I realized it was not for her. The only exercise that she could do was the "animal walk" and she still does her penguin walk and tippy-toes walk that she learned from the class.

Race - Bond while screaming and giggling: A Bunny-Hop race, a Tippy-Toes race or a traditional run or a bike race is a fun way to build up their leg muscles and their stamina.

I am still looking for more amusing ideas to make Fitness as our lifestyle. Until then, I will stick to the usual ones like a walk with me or up and down on the stairs, splashing in the water. I will try not to hand her a mobile and miss out the fun of chasing a butterfly, or follow the trail of ants or watch a snail crawling.

Let me guide her to take the first step to Fitness and walk to a whole new bright future!

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