A week ago, I stood on the weighing scale – after a very long time. Not many people in the health industry are upfront about how stressful it is to stand on that little square that digitally tells you how much you weigh. Because those numbers, somehow, tell a lot about you.
I started my weight-loss journey on the first of July this year. I weighed 112 kilograms – that’s about 246 pounds. And yes, I had all the wonderful complications that came with it: insulin-resistant Type II diabetes. Now, I’m writing this on the 28th of October, here in Hyderabad, India – and I weigh a cool 96.6 kilograms.
It’s not something to boast about, yes – because I’m still obese, yes. But do you know why I’m so happy? The last time I weighed anywhere near that, I was a teenager. Now, I’m 27 years old. It means it’s been nearly a decade since I last saw double digits. And my diabetes? According to my specialist, it’s officially in remission – I’m now classified as prediabetic.
I’ll be honest here. I’ve never been stringent with my diet – I don’t measure portion sizes or count macros and micros. I’ve always been truthful about that. I do occasionally indulge, but my healthy-to-unhealthy ratio is roughly 85–15. Any stricter, and I’d have gone bonkers and long abandoned this path. I still feel the aches, the stiffness after a hard workout – but my shins have visible muscle. I don’t even have to flex! And my biceps? Harder than ever. Clothes from years ago now fit me again – and that feels incredible.
But before I continue to regale you with the sexiness of gaining muscle and losing fat, let me tell you about the other side – the ugly side – of going from obese to fit, especially as a woman.
I’ve always been curvy, even at my fittest. Now, I sag in places I’d rather not – especially at 27. My abdomen has loose skin (a lot of it), and I suspect it will soon become a hygiene issue. I live in the tropics, and I sweat more than the average person. My arms jiggle. Luckily, I don’t have cellulite – at least that, I can be thankful for.
So, you’re stuck in a paradox – you look good, you feel good… but you’re still scarred underneath it all. Weight loss might seem straightforward – diet, exercise, discipline – but the truth is, not all sides of it are discussed. Your skin follows the laws of elasticity, and once it stretches beyond a certain point, it can’t simply bounce back.
The Scientist's Corner 