Fingers in symphony

July Writing Challenge-Day 23

So, I’ve been working out for a while, like five to six days a week regularly but I’ve remained unsuccessful in losing the fifteen kgs I gained during the lockdown period, it was a sudden weight gain which took my BMI to the overweight bracket.

I have been restricting calories, as much as possible, barring the luteal phase where all junkfood is celebrated.

Annoyingly, my husband who had a Hba1c in the almost diabetes category, started working out four months back and has lost weight like it’s money.

I have been insanely jealous of all the compliments he has been getting while trying to figure out what’s wrong with my weightloss plan ( and my body). My thyroid test came back fine and blood sugar as well. I read up on how BMI is a nasty piece of work and a sexist because it doesn’t take into consideration female bodies and how waist to hip ratio is a more effective piece of weight policing.

But I can see myself in the mirror, and I know I am overweight. It feels so gut wrenching when you do the work and follow the diet( okay maybe some of the diet) and still can’t get the weight to revert. I have also been feeling sluggish and battling  slow digestion.

Then I read up more, found out about insulin resistance and did an insulin resistance test( HOMA IR) and found out I have moderate insulin resistance, which could be the culprit as insulin resistance impacts your weight loss efforts. I went for a consultation and have been put on medication.

I do feel relieved and satisfied that I went the extra mile in finding out what was wrong.

And, I just want to say that…..

It is worth it, women. Our bodies and their unique workings have been royally ignored by the medical ‘fraternity’. Women remain underrepresented in studies on metabolic health, even when we may be more vulnerable to metabolic diseases and have a higher mortality risk in illnesses like diabetes.

And therefore, we need to be more vocal about what’s not working for us.