Charlane Pereira e Rebello
A few pounds of extra unwanted flab and I have to answer a series of questioning looks from people. Some dared to ask me if there was any good news. I felt like quoting my hubby’s famous reply, “Why don’t you read the Good news Bible for a change?” Others wondered about my overweight figure. I sat in deep serious thought and put it down to a sedentary lifestyle, a lifestyle that can lead to future cardiovascular diseases.
Achh! I need to flex my muscles and exercise those joints, besides cutting on sweet and oily edibles. I would rather find it difficult to do the latter knowing how I delight in more than the occasional pastry and my favorite besan ladoos. How could I forget to mention the umpteen times that I have devoured fried eggs, croquettes, prawn rissois and yummy beef samosas that the joint in the heart of Navelim caters. Yes, oily but definitely tasty and sometimes a quick meal when I hate to cook sumptuous meals yielding to my lazy whims akin to a feline.
Oh! The sad news is that I can’t squeeze myself into some of the finest dresses that my cupboard is proud to own. How in the world am I supposed to go back to my original slim size? The flowery printed dress and the other dark pink peplum dress sit patiently atop the cupboard shelf as they wait to adorn its rightful owner. The golden raw silk boat necked gown misses being worn. The blue stretch dress with a beautiful silver colored pin, and the beige home-tailored outfit with its huge buckled brown belt caress the corners of the cupboard amidst fragrant camphor balls. And many more lie there waiting to see the bright rays of sunshine and blue skies….
Ah! I will be just fine if I knock three kilos off my frame. How will I manage this unimaginable feat? With pouring rains, brisk walk in the nature is mission impossible unless you are madly in love with the monsoons or desperate enough to leg it outdoors regularly. Should I buy a treadmill? Instance response is a yes-yes. The second thoughts and the third thoughts signal altogether a different tale. Treadmills end up gathering dust when the owner feels like taking a perpetual break. That could happen to me! So big NO to the trendy treadmills or one of the stationary cycles that work out your muscles to the point of aches and pains….
Fashion experts often advise the overly or slightly overweight to drape themselves in darker shades of blacks or blues. Claims of thinner visions, the darker apparel make great attempts at disguising those bulges and bellies. Dress sense varies for pear shaped and apple shaped figures.
I don’t need fashion advice nor would I like to see all darker shades adorning the hangers. A passionate lover of bright shades and always eager to experiment with fashion, I felt the need for pantaloons. Time for shopping! As I expressed my desires to hubby dear, he vanquished them with a single sentence, “Honey, you are just right. But if you wish to knock off a few kilos, then you can exercise.”
I looked deep into his eyes. No humor lines on his face, the man meant just what he had said.
