Leaving Temptation Behind, One Day at a Time

Sometimes, it is not the miraculous, law-defying achievements but the little, everyday victories that put us on top of the world. Here's a little story about the guy next door and his "ordinary" achievement.

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I see people talking about great things that they have accomplished, milestones they have achieved and triumphs they have earned. The one good thing that I have ever been a part of was a blood donation drive back in college. I’d like to believe that I am an achiever of great feats, but the truth is I am just another ordinary woman, barely keeping it together while living an ordinary life.

Ever so often, we get so caught up in looking for greatness in great things that we miss the greatness in little every day things. Maybe I never achieved something magical or socially acknowledged but I have learnt that achievements aren’t just that. They can be incredibly simple and deeply personal and yet, the impact they have on a person can be very profound. Wondering what’s making me say all this? I’ll tell you what. A person, very close to my heart, has undertaken a task that is very tough and excruciating for him. And I see him standing up to it every day. Its not a one-shot to glory. It’s an everyday duel and I am proud to say he’s never faltered.

No, this is not some big dramatic life event. My boyfriend and I have always been food freaks. Hard core foodies, we barely ate at home. We just had to be out every day, checking out some new restaurant, searching for the new favourite thing we like to eat. For me, it was just something that we liked to do together but for him, it was an addiction. As expected after we were past the crazy college days and settled into our jobs, the lifestyle began to take its toll. He gained weight, and kept gaining weight till he barely resembled what he was. Since it did not affect us, neither of us thought we needed to change.

One night we just decided to go out for a walk by the beach. We were walking our way to the water from amidst the crowd, and suddenly he accidentally bumped into a guy carrying a camera. The guy fell, dropped his camera and yelled, “Watch where you’re going, FATTY!” The words left a mark on his mind. He fell quiet and kept brooding for days to come. About a week later, he comes home and tells me, “I am gonna lose 15 kgs in a month. I’m going to get back in shape.” I told him there is no need, but he just said that he needed to win this thing.

I had my doubts about the diet until I saw him saying no to cheesecakes, giving up butter, walking to his office, walking some more, running in the park and even give up sugar. It was tough for him, I could see. Acceptance is no encouragement. I never motivated him to keep this up, instead I asked him to give it up and eat all he wants! Even I couldn’t break his resolve. It wasn’t that he wanted to be thin. He just couldn’t see himself not being able to do what’s good for him, his health. And he couldn’t take the feeling of being helpless in front of food. He would see something that he loved eating, and I could see a giant balloon of drooling temptation forming in his head. But never for a moment did he give in to it. He steeled his control even further and shunned everything out. Every day. Throughout the day.

Gradually he started getting fitter and his strength to say no to food grew. We now take walks around malls where I try to tempt him into eating something really fattening, or any junk food and believe you me, he ENJOYS saying no to things now. He has this new thing now, this sense of triumph over temptation, and he keeps putting it to test just to see how far he can go. He says he feels better than ever. He’s fit and in control. He feels in charge and it reflects in all things that he does. He says he actually feels alive now, and I quote him, “Alive is awesome”.

I would agree. We’re happier than ever.

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(URLs lead to Cinthol's Alive is Awesome campaign. Story courtesy: SS)