Diet Week 12: Time flies when you're slimming

On April 29, for the first time in my life I found myself eating lettuce at 6.30am, wondering how I would survive the next 12 weeks.

Twelve weeks later, I'm still wondering how I managed to survive. But it makes me happy that the deprivation and exercise have actually done me good. After losing 13 kilos, I may not be as thin as I wanted to be but I am definitely less fat. And though I don't see that needle on the weighing machine moving down any further for some time because of my upcoming vacation, STEPS has reinstated my confidence that it can happen. If you put your mind to it, that is.

One question I have often been asked is whether I will be able to sustain this weight loss. Is the programme actually worth it? Well, no weight-loss programme come with that guarantee. It all depends on individual determination and control. And Dr Javed Hingora has always said this programme is only to help people reconnect with the healthy way of living — to help us relearn what we already know. If you decide to let yourself go because you've managed to control yourself for some time, you will obviously pile it on again. So do what you need to — in moderation.

Somebody once told me there are three kinds of people in this world. One, those who will do it. Two, those who will try to do it. And three, those who will not even try to do it. If you try, there's always a 50 per cent chance of winning. But if you don't try at all, it's a 100 per cent loss. I'm glad I tried.

Dr Javed Hingora says: "Losing weight and maintaining it is all about re-learning how to live and eat in a healthy way. Most people look at it as a short-term mission. It is not. It's like an athlete wanting to improve stamina, working at it for three months and then stopping all physical activity and hoping he will maintain the stamina all his life! Good health is a perpetual quest and one must follow the natural laws the body needs to function efficiently. There are no short cuts.

"People gain weight usually because of a wrong lifestyle and eating the wrong kind of food. STEPS is a metabolism-enhancement programme designed to make people learn about how their bodies function, unlearn the wrong habits and learn a new way of living. Education is the first step and the key to losing and maintaining the right weight."

— For more information on STEPS, log on to www.stepsuae.com or write to Dr Hingora on drjaved@stepsuae.com