She had type 2 diabetes. As she was walking in, I could preempt a weighty discussion on “weight”, but put a stop on my thoughts. I decided to just listen to her, to get an idea about what she wanted from this interaction. She turned out to be a very aware and disciplined patient. A little increase in HbA1c has got her quite concerned. I asked her about her routine and after initially going on with grace and poise, a mention of lauki broke her down. She was crying like a child that she doesn’t want to eat lauki ever again because that’s what she was having for lunch and dinner. She wanted to eat normal roti, but every morning a look into the mirror makes her terribly sad and guilty. Her being overweight makes her feel that her life is worthless. All her hard work to lose weight has been in vain.

The cruel mirror and the deceptive images it shows us. This is unfortunately not an unusual story. The figures on the weighing scale weigh so heavy on one’s mind, that all the good things they do and they are, seem insignificant.

Weight is a complex biological issue, regulated by many hormones. Its important to shift the focus away from weight to things which are in our control. If we are working hard and making effort to make small small changes in diet, that is something to be happy about and congratulate ourselves. We cannot allow the figures on the weighing scale to swing our emotional pendulum. Psychologists tell us that feeling rejected and ego-depleted lowers will power to control temptations and motivation to exercise.

So stay happy, recharge your ego and make your own definitions of beauty. Most importantly, relish the food you eat.

After all this talk she said-you know what I love most in life is a tea time gossip with friends and snacks. Way to go girl- enjoy your tea times!

Mirror mirror on the wall,

Beauty is not something you can judge

Because beauty is something more than you can see

So if someone asks you next time

Say – how can I compare

When there’s so much beauty in all!