Please let us keep these resolutions

The season’s madness is getting over and it’s time to think. About getting back into shape, among other things. 

Let us make 12 resolutions together for the 12 coming months. They look simple, and familiar, but don’t be deceived.

They are tough to keep. But if you do, yoohoo. You get a New You.  

• Let us solemnly resolve to not have second portions. Please, not even that second hot jalebi, that second scoop of ice cream, or even a second tandoori chicken. It hurts. Yes. But let’s do it.

• Let us not heap our plates. It looks ugly, for one thing. Second, the sight of someone’s jaws working endlessly is also ugly. Let us keep it light: let us not overwhelm our plate. We will have everything, but in small, decent, gentle portions. Let’s go Japanese. 

• Let us have fixed meal times. Even if we have breakfast at the time of lunch, let us stick to it. 

• Let us take 15 minutes out, every day, for exercise. Let us increase it by 2 minutes every month. By December, we should be exercising 37 minutes every day. Let us make it a round figure: 40 minutes!

• Let us walk small distances, whenever possible, instead of hailing the appcab.

•Let us not buy that pair of jeans. We don’t like that waist size anyway. Let us buy a pair of good exercise shoes instead. Or just save the money, to buy jeans one size smaller in two months!

• Let us weigh ourselves every Sunday and keep a record, without being too harsh on ourselves. 

• Let us not buy packaged food. As much as possible.

• When there is an option between fried and non-fried, let us go for the latter. 

•Let us give ourselves a good oil massage and a scrub bath, as often as possible. It detoxes the body.

• Let us reduce the butter on our toast, the ghee on our parathas. A little butter always helps our cheeks to glow, but let us not overdo it. Same for carbs.

• Let us stick to tea and coffee without sugar.

• Do not cheat, for you cheat yourself. We will meet each other again here at the end of the year.