Live Experience by G.K. Sethi
In 2009, at a ripe age of 37 when you want to enjoy and reap benefits of years of hard work, I put on 20kgs post stressful family and work circumstances. And as they say in Hindi ‘ jab miltahai to chapparfaarkemiltahai’ (viz when u get something, you get it amply exemplified)! So I also got acne…at an age you want to enjoy the last remnants of youth…
Since I worked in a hospital, I was surrounded by medical advice and was diagnosed to suffer PCOD with insulin resistance…not that I understood any of it. I was put on metformin, next came BP meds followed by all nutritional supplements – everything seemed deranged in my body – while I looked nicely plump!! So came the ordeal for the glutton who had refused to share family size pizzas, to give up junk food…I hated my doc friend who suggested this and didn’t speak to her for a week till she asked me out for dinner to my fav restaurant.
She picked me up from home, having asked me to wear comfy shoes…strange request I thought to myself. The car stopped and she said we have reached. I looked around and said – this is not my place. She quietly said this is Lodhi garden and we will walk down to Habitat. Well…3 rounds of the garden preceded my date with my fav dinner…thus I was initiated into the world of lifestyle change.
A few years later, despite dietary changes, I could not get off metformin, I could not loose weight. I would go down a fewkgs, but then would be back in a jiffy of celebration. Finally frustrated, I gave up medication – was back to being nicer plump with more problems. Pushing my feet to the endocrinologist, was told that this med stays lifelong, that let alone loose weight, I should be happy I can maintain it.
A few more years later, continuing with my self help health initiatives, I was almost depressed with my diagnostic results. I now had high uric acid and protein deficiency, to add to all the earlier stuff. I was upset as this was happening to a healthcare professional who had access to the best of care.
Finally, I remembered Priti, my classmate from school, who I knew had started something on wellness.
4 months down – I am free of most medications, am in a step down for metformin, I sleep well, am more energetic, and 9 kgs lighter. And guess what – I eat more!!!
My journey with Mediskool started withwith a big bang tussle with the doctor and the nutritionist – Dr. Priti went through my medical reports with an instruction that we can deal with this provided I be disciplined for the next few months. Then came the nutritionist with her list of dos, could do a bit and absolute not to dos – needless to say the shortest was the do list. After a bit of negotiation with her, we agreed on a plan. While I also decided to cheat a bit, Dr. Priti insisted on educating me alongside of effects of food I eat – and this I think is the best part – I learnt to cheat safely, if I may say so, about 5%! Well with my erratic routine and continuous travel, simply following out a laidout chart by the nutritionist was difficult. However the team helped by educating me not only on why I needed to do things, effects of different food, but also to teach / handhold me to skirt around these issues. While I travelled abroad, they were with me on whatsap to guide me. The first 3 months took getting used to a lot of things in my diet – for one I had to eat more, however the order and things to eat were defined. The results were very visible –my BP normalized and I went off the medication, I no longer needed the food supplements, I slept well, pain in my feet was no longer there. Surprisingly my midnight food cravings vanished. And there was a happy side effect – I was 9 kgs lighter!!
Look forward to talking to you soon once I have achieved my key target of being medication free – my motto – I WILL. And my message – so can YOU!