A few years back, when I was super anxious about losing the thick layer of fat I had grown on my stomach and abdominal regions, I panicked to actually find a solution to the problem. Like every other teenage girl obsessed with attaining that much coveted perfect figure that was on display in entertainment and other related magazines featuring people who had attained a cult, celebrity status among the masses, I used to daydream of attaining body statistics which would be somewhat similar, automatically making me self-deceive myself into thinking that my body would cover up any other (insignificant) flaw that I had and make me perfect in the eyes of other people around me. After all, everyone is somewhat susceptible to receiving attention and flattery and I definitely do not consider myself to be an exception when it comes to that. I used to be a nerdy sixteen-year old who wore specs and studied hard, I was told like every other Indian kid by my parents that everything in life would be fine once I clear my board exams. And I did clear the two exams, in fact I passed with flying colours. Everyone around me seemed to be happy, they told me how proud they were of me. But, there was a major problem that kept on bugging me.

The problem was a significant one for a teenage kid. We all grow up having dreams, we keep on playing almost impossible scenarios in our head that seem perfect to us. In our chase for perfection, we often lose perspective and become selfish, even cruel at times. Our hunger and strive for being perfect is perhaps what ruins our lives in the long run.

There was a severe lack of sports, exercise or any other recreational activities in my life. I had taken Science as my subject and was under a lot of pressure since eleventh standard, being the average student that I was. Securing 95.5% with Science was no mere feat, however it came at a cost of sacrificing almost every other interest that I had. I had become fat and my food habits were rather unhealthy as well. We all have grown up with a regular supply of fast food, and that is considered to be one of the severely unhealthy things you can do to yourself, however most of us cannot help but have fast food owing to the hectic lifestyle that we have.

Schnell abnehmen, or building flat abs was one among many of my primary motivations post my final board exams in school and I joined the gym when I was in second year of college. Building a good body is no rocket science, it requires regular dedication, consistent hard work and of course eating healthy. I made sure to include more greens in my diet post this phase. I have lost above five kilos of weight today and I feel healthier and fitter than before. I am almost close to attaining the body I once only could dream of. Persistence is the key.