A month ago, when I met two friends in Sakhalin, they looked at each other and laughed. They weren't laughing at me in the strictest sense, but instead were thinking of a bet they made earlier in the day- "Will we see a thin version or a fat version of Ajay?" Apparently, neither of them won the bet since I was a medium version of myself.
I have gone from being overweight to the point my rib cage hurts to being a marathoner and cross country skier. My weight changes with where I live. In Russia or Hong Kong, I am usually leaner and more energetic and in Bombay, I gain all the precious weight I lost, back.
So, what's the connection with the city and excess weight? It may just have to do with my mother's wonderful cooking, but maybe not. When I am home, I am comfortable, very comfortable. I turn into a couch-potato editor and writer. The most relaxing position helps me concentrate better, or so i thought until I watched a webinar about metabolism.
There were 4 interesting points:
1) Sitting causes weight gain, so the longer I sat, the less calories I burn
2) Walking 30 minutes in the sun regulates weight- I can easily manage this
3) Processed foods and vegetable oils cause weight gain-- I will stock to olive and coconut oil.
4) Blue light! That's right. Light from computers, televisions etc after dark, apparently causes weight gain - I need to find anti-blue light glasses when I use computers after sunset.
I honestly believe though that the key to releasing weight is standing. For the last four days, I have been writing and editing while standing. It's too early to comment on the results since I am not obsessive when it comes to checking my weight. The person who conducted the webinar also said that people should stand while using public transport- another great idea.
There's been a lot of medical research on standing. This article from the Daily Mail cites Dr Mike Loosemore from the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health as saying that standing three hours a day every year is equivalent to running 10 marathons!
Another article based on a study says standers burn 50 more calories per hour than sitters. Say I stand for 5 hours a day, 5 days a week, that would mean burning 1250 extra calories a week, and this almost adds up to 1 kilogram a month. So, in a year, it means 12 kgs are off my system. I will gladly take this..
Note: I wrote this post while standing.
I have gone from being overweight to the point my rib cage hurts to being a marathoner and cross country skier. My weight changes with where I live. In Russia or Hong Kong, I am usually leaner and more energetic and in Bombay, I gain all the precious weight I lost, back.
So, what's the connection with the city and excess weight? It may just have to do with my mother's wonderful cooking, but maybe not. When I am home, I am comfortable, very comfortable. I turn into a couch-potato editor and writer. The most relaxing position helps me concentrate better, or so i thought until I watched a webinar about metabolism.
There were 4 interesting points:
1) Sitting causes weight gain, so the longer I sat, the less calories I burn
2) Walking 30 minutes in the sun regulates weight- I can easily manage this
3) Processed foods and vegetable oils cause weight gain-- I will stock to olive and coconut oil.
4) Blue light! That's right. Light from computers, televisions etc after dark, apparently causes weight gain - I need to find anti-blue light glasses when I use computers after sunset.
I honestly believe though that the key to releasing weight is standing. For the last four days, I have been writing and editing while standing. It's too early to comment on the results since I am not obsessive when it comes to checking my weight. The person who conducted the webinar also said that people should stand while using public transport- another great idea.
There's been a lot of medical research on standing. This article from the Daily Mail cites Dr Mike Loosemore from the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health as saying that standing three hours a day every year is equivalent to running 10 marathons!
Another article based on a study says standers burn 50 more calories per hour than sitters. Say I stand for 5 hours a day, 5 days a week, that would mean burning 1250 extra calories a week, and this almost adds up to 1 kilogram a month. So, in a year, it means 12 kgs are off my system. I will gladly take this..
Note: I wrote this post while standing.
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