Dr. L. Ramakrishnan
Moderator
(Note: This post has been written in the context of India; probably this is applicable to other countries too; for those words that do not appear in any dictionary, please "google" to know more)
For the last almost five months I have been on my own. Initially it was only taking care of my food; I enjoyed cooking all sorts of food.
Last month I sacked the servant maid who was taking me for a ride by not present on days when I wanted her and taking off whenever she wanted; this in spite of my giving her more than 15 days off every month due to my travels. She used to come late, making me to go to office late everyday - i.e. when I was in town. Oneday, last month, I lost my patience and told her to stop coming for work.
From that day my daily schedule has changed. After getting up, morning coffee, and spending time at the most peaceful room, I do the vacuum of the flat (I bought the vacuum cleaner after sacking the maid servant); then I do the swabbing (again swabbing stick bought after sacking the servant maid) on alternate days. Then I go for tending my plants, more than 100 in number; if required to water them (say once in two or three days) - on Saturdays and Sundays I spend more time with the plants. I also sweep the open terrace once in a couple of days and wash it on alternate days. After taking bath, I go for making the breakfast...Idli, Dosai, Adai, Poori, Upma, Rava Idli and so on...depending on the availability of the dough and the mood. By the time I prepare and eat the breakfast it is time for leaving for office. My driver is always on time; all the delay is due to me.
On the way back home, most of the days I go to Central to buy either vegetables or other items like idli rice, pulses, oil, cleaning agents, toothpaste, toothbrush, soap etc. I reach home normally at about 18.30 hrs.
Now a days, I go to Indsearch on Mondays and Tuesdays for the lectures in the evening directly from the office. By the time I return home it is almost 9.30 pm. I go for some quick dinner on these days. On other days I cook at least one curry and either sambhar or rasam. When there is a mood, I do have appalam / vadam also fried. By the time I finish my dinner and clean the dishes it is almost 11.00 pm.
In between I have to manage milk for coffee as well as for curds. I have to manage washing the clothes, drying them and folding and keeping them. I have to dust the windows and furniture often - at least once in three days.
I enjoy doing all these things....the result is:
I cannot wear the new pants .....my waist has come down and I go for old pants which I had kept in a corner ...for years
My weight has come down by 8 to 9 Kgs......in the last five months.
My stress test was fantastic!!! MY doctor was surprised that I could take the stress test without any problem in spite of my not doing any regular exercise or walking !!!
My blood pressure is under control ! (without taking any medicine)
My sugar is under control !! (I have stopped taking direct sugar with coffee and tea and in any other form..on a regular basis...there are exceptions when I felt like taking it for taste...Whatever Sugar my wife left in the small container is still there).
Overall the health seems to be in good shape !!!!
I enjoy doing what I am doing now ....without any extra effort my health has improved. No wonder housewives keep their body in shape !!!! (except for the effect of the menopause)...my prescription to husbands to be healthy and trim...do part of your wife's daily chores....you don't need to go for jogging or to a gym to reduce your weight...you will be healthy and your wife will be happy (but then she may put on weight...because her work load comes down!!!!)
06 May 2009: My wife returned to India in February and we have appointed a servant maid from March. I don't carry out any of the household chores that I mentioned above now. The result is (proving the converse) that I have put on weight and reached my earlier weight in less than three months !!!! It appears (with respect to body mass) that the rule is: "Whatever goes down has to come up (faster)"
For the last almost five months I have been on my own. Initially it was only taking care of my food; I enjoyed cooking all sorts of food.
Last month I sacked the servant maid who was taking me for a ride by not present on days when I wanted her and taking off whenever she wanted; this in spite of my giving her more than 15 days off every month due to my travels. She used to come late, making me to go to office late everyday - i.e. when I was in town. Oneday, last month, I lost my patience and told her to stop coming for work.
From that day my daily schedule has changed. After getting up, morning coffee, and spending time at the most peaceful room, I do the vacuum of the flat (I bought the vacuum cleaner after sacking the maid servant); then I do the swabbing (again swabbing stick bought after sacking the servant maid) on alternate days. Then I go for tending my plants, more than 100 in number; if required to water them (say once in two or three days) - on Saturdays and Sundays I spend more time with the plants. I also sweep the open terrace once in a couple of days and wash it on alternate days. After taking bath, I go for making the breakfast...Idli, Dosai, Adai, Poori, Upma, Rava Idli and so on...depending on the availability of the dough and the mood. By the time I prepare and eat the breakfast it is time for leaving for office. My driver is always on time; all the delay is due to me.
On the way back home, most of the days I go to Central to buy either vegetables or other items like idli rice, pulses, oil, cleaning agents, toothpaste, toothbrush, soap etc. I reach home normally at about 18.30 hrs.
Now a days, I go to Indsearch on Mondays and Tuesdays for the lectures in the evening directly from the office. By the time I return home it is almost 9.30 pm. I go for some quick dinner on these days. On other days I cook at least one curry and either sambhar or rasam. When there is a mood, I do have appalam / vadam also fried. By the time I finish my dinner and clean the dishes it is almost 11.00 pm.
In between I have to manage milk for coffee as well as for curds. I have to manage washing the clothes, drying them and folding and keeping them. I have to dust the windows and furniture often - at least once in three days.
I enjoy doing all these things....the result is:
I cannot wear the new pants .....my waist has come down and I go for old pants which I had kept in a corner ...for years
My weight has come down by 8 to 9 Kgs......in the last five months.
My stress test was fantastic!!! MY doctor was surprised that I could take the stress test without any problem in spite of my not doing any regular exercise or walking !!!
My blood pressure is under control ! (without taking any medicine)
My sugar is under control !! (I have stopped taking direct sugar with coffee and tea and in any other form..on a regular basis...there are exceptions when I felt like taking it for taste...Whatever Sugar my wife left in the small container is still there).
Overall the health seems to be in good shape !!!!
I enjoy doing what I am doing now ....without any extra effort my health has improved. No wonder housewives keep their body in shape !!!! (except for the effect of the menopause)...my prescription to husbands to be healthy and trim...do part of your wife's daily chores....you don't need to go for jogging or to a gym to reduce your weight...you will be healthy and your wife will be happy (but then she may put on weight...because her work load comes down!!!!)
06 May 2009: My wife returned to India in February and we have appointed a servant maid from March. I don't carry out any of the household chores that I mentioned above now. The result is (proving the converse) that I have put on weight and reached my earlier weight in less than three months !!!! It appears (with respect to body mass) that the rule is: "Whatever goes down has to come up (faster)"
