The Pregnancy Diaries 3: The highs. Weight slides off magically

Time Travel - and we are back in 2007

Looking back, I can safely say that pregnancy was an exciting and enjoyable phase. Other than the rather overwhelming bouts of nausea, pregnancy was both smooth and trouble free.

To begin with, I lost weight. Easily. As you can imagine, this came as a rather unbelievable shock to someone who has been pleasantly plump - maybe a tad too pleasant, but never too plump, of course! -  for the better part of her life. For the first time, I was adhering, albeit unintentionally to the Golden Rule that every dietician espouses.

“It’s really quite simple,” they say, as they peer at you, shuddering inwardly at your weight while outwardly managing to look completely politically correct and non-judgemental about your weight.

“Quite simple, your Output must be more that your Input,” They say.

Has it struck anyone that it isn’t really quite that simple? Has anyone noticed that stated Output, typically occurs once in morning, whereas Input can happen several times in a day?

Ah Inputs…they can take the shape of a fluffy white dosas or perfectly fried bacon and sunny side up eggs in the morning.

Ah, Inputs…they can take the shape of a juicy roast chicken with potato on the side with freshly made gravy or a lightly spiced Bengali fish curry with a heap of soul-quenching white rice. Did someone shriek calories?

Ah Inputs…what better way to have a sinfully sugary and milky Indian tea except with some perfectly cut sandwiches or tangy chilly sev puri, fresh off the road, infused with a tasteful helping of germs?

Inputs for dinner? Typical home-cooked vegetables, a light dal spiced with panch phoron (a favourite Bengali spice with which many dishes are whipped up!)  followed by a succulent mutton curry. The kind of curry that’s spiced, but a little sweet and all in all…groovy.

Mid-night snacks could be anything your heart desires. That’s why they happen in the dead of night. Secretly. Silently. As you raid the fridge!

If you are person who eats with the heart and soul and who equates mental well-being and happiness with food…you can see how Inputs cannot possibly be less than Output!

Exercise, I suppose, could be a viable option. If dreaming about good food burned calories, I would be size zero. Alas the jogging, dumb-bell pumping types, I am not.

So there you have it – I am always going to be a tad too pleasant…but never too plump!

Except. During the pregnancy. Nausea ensured that I could not eat - hence, reduced opportunities for Inputs.  At the same time nausea meant that I spent significant parts of the day throwing up - hence, increased opportunities for Output!

So there I was, as pregnant as can be, glowing, gliding and losing weight.