Overhauling the old biddy

This picture was taken as a lark on my 62nd! Gosh I almost look botoxed and caked with make up and believe me I do none of the above. Let us blame it the light, angle and other technical glitches. But the picture did its trick as I shrieked when I saw it and wondered what had gone wrong. It is true that over the past ALMOST 2 years now I had surrendered myself 100% to the choking embrace of Sir Hodgkin and rarely even looked at myself in the mirror or bothered about what I wore as long as it kept me warm/cool whatever. My exercise regimen was cathartic and varied with the intensity of my angst. I could spend an hour on the treadmill stomping my worries away or could simply find a million and one excuses not to set foot on it. And even for the past weeks when things have got better, I was not in the mood to start looking at myself and doing the needful. When my lovely yoga teacher came, I found myriads of excuses and often landed up treating myself to an acupressure session and some stretching at best and because I could not send the poor boy off. And each time I did it was with a promise that I would begin earnest tomorrow, a tomorrow that never dawned.

True there have been changes often triggered by new information gathered for Ranjan the latest being turning vegan, at least as far as one can. However this picture was an eye opened and brought to light the fact that extreme measures had to be taken. The quasi lymphatic state I had allowed to sink myself into as I shared Ranjan's lymphoma had to be bid farewell to now.

So I signed up for Pilates classes and I am off to my second one now.

Back from round 2 and survived it just by the skin of my teeth! Today was workout with the Swiss ball and I just managed to keep my balance. I only realised today how bad my balance it. I guess this is a true sign of ageing so more balance work for me in the coming days.

It is not vanity that is urging me to overhaul the body believe me. Far from that. This rather is emergency repair to avoid falls and other avoidable mishaps as with what I have learnt in the past months, there is one helluva of a lot you can do to avoid many if not most of the ailments that lurk in the corner. We do not need to have our ribcage sawn and our heart exposed - takes out all the romantic aura associated to this organ - to get some artery fixed. According to many doctors it is not the arteries that are the problem. If you have 90 minutes to 'spare' to learn more and hopefully make the needed change then I urge you to watch Forks over Knives. It may change your life but may also spare your children as you age gracefully and in good health and remain the support you have always been. We do not need toxic chemicals pumped into us with alacrity and impunity though one size fits all protocols made to keep you sick and your doctor rich. You do not need to swallow innumerable pills that your poor body has then to eliminate by making your liver and kidneys work overtime.

But there is one thing you HAVE to do and that is to make a commitment to yourself and ask yourself  whether you are worth it. If the question is yes then you are a winner all the way. Is it tough? Well nothing comes easy my darlings but let me remind you that habits are made in 66 days and that is all the time you need your willpower to stand by you. I guess one can do that at our age.

Wa have started, Ranjan and I, a plant based diet, nothing with a face to a mother, and are quite happy and feeling good. Actually we were almost vegan though there was the occasional egg or piece of fish  the first having a mother and the other a face. To me it is giving up two of my all time favourites: cheese and eggs but when I look at the equation, there is no option.

Joining classes means I have to go through the whole regimen as I cannot manipulate the teacher as I did in my one-on-one classes. Actually after two classes I am feeling good and tomorrow is treadmill day.

Now I will only take a picture of self when I feel I look like a human being!