BNPGR’s weight loss project : photos credits: BNPGR friends

As discussed earlier, none of us are professional experts in weight loss. Deepa K talks to Radha Agarwal. She is a fellow runner, cyclist and nutritionist by profession. She was with her during IDBI marathon when they were the chosen ambassadors.

Radha willingly agrees to come and brief the runners on dos and don’ts of weight loss, especially from the point of view of running.

A checklist is prepared for a 1^st meeting of the group.

BNPGR Weight loss programme

Timeline and checklist: Saturday,16^th September 2017
6.00 am to7.00 am registration with weight and height entries. BMI entry.
7.00 am to 7.30 am Programme brief by Team Leader: Deepa K.
7.30 am to 7.50 am: Introduction: Radha Agarwal: nutritionist
Talk by Radha Agarwal.
Our final wind up time: 8.15 am

Requirements:

• 100 forms: must have: medical history section, disclaimer (on the back side??)

Name, Weight, Height, BMI

• 3 files ( each one for one group )
• 2 to 3 plastic folders
• 8 to 10 pens
• Measuring tape
• Weighing Scale with extra battery
• One standby weighing scale, in case of the main conks off.
• Torches: 2 nos
• Dos and Don’ts : 100 printouts.
• Breakfast ???
• Bouquet and or gift for Radha Agarwal
• Writing pads: 2 Nos.
• Permanent marker: 1 nos

Meeta does a good coordination and we do not miss on anything

All the participating friends are called on Saturday, September 2017.

During the week I am travelling to Mangalore and Bangalore so coordination becomes a bit tricky. During meetings and industrial visits, my phone is either in silent mode or many times in aeroplane mode. Once during one crucial meeting (which we had pushed hard), I had tried to take an incoming phone call during the meeting.I was sweetly reminded “Oh you were the guys pushing for this meeting and now it seems you have other important things.”

Our present coordination is only related to our own project related ideas and execution. It’s just within 6 of us. Starting this week we are opening the gates. Once gates are opened, everyone will be communicating. A huge surprise awaits us.
Saturday:

We all meet at the water station near the main ticket window of Borivali national park. Just behind the drinking water outlet, there is a small ground at a raised level where a lot of runners do warm up or stretching exercises.

Individual weights ( Deepa K has given her weighing scale and it’s going to be the weighing scale till the very end ) and heights are taken.These are the main reference numbers. Everyone has been requested to come empty stomach (if possible: no water intake). We have decided to keep similar pattern for next repeats of measurements over next 3 months.

Deepa K’ brief at the launch of the weight loss programme :

Hi Friends!

Thanks for the overwhelming response to BNPGR’s weight loss challenge programme.

Kehte hai upar wala deta hai to chhapar fadke deta hai. Almost 100 participants!

We hope ki hum ye programme achhi tarah se kar payen!( we hope we are able to meet your expectations )

Few of the important clarifications

1. We are not experts of any weight loss programme.
2. We have not gone through any professional course to conduct any weight loss programme.
3. We do not guarantee any assurance of any kind of results.
4. We can only show you the path, you have to help yourselves.
5. If you have any medical history or find programme guidelines and in built commitments against your basic medical requirements please consult your doctor.

Ye programme kya hai ??( What is this programme? )

a)Ye ek saazza programme hai, where in you all join to a common commitment programme.

1. b) general dos and don’ts for effective weight loss programme guide line print outs are being given to you.
2. c) These are the guidelines which will help you to achieve your own targets.
3. d) hum aapko ek common platform dene ki koshik kar rahen hai. Through this platform each of you will commit weekly targets. Har Saturday aapko agle week ke saat commitments diye jayenge. Aapko Sunday se agale Saturday un commitments ko poora karna hai . week poora hone par Sunday ko aapko khud apne aap ko marks dene hai. Apne marks apne group mein khud post karne hai.( every Saturday you will be given seven tasks for coming week. Your week will start from Sunday and end at Saturday. Every Sunday you will post your own marks in your own group)

On next Saturday night on 23 rd/ or by Sunday,24 th morning you will give marks to yourself

Group with highest number of score will be declared the winner for the week. As a group member you will inspire your group friends to stick to commitments as far as possible

Please remember “ We want the power of group , power of positive peer pressure , power of like-minded friends to achieve your own individual weight reduction targets.”

We want group members to remind each other to stick to commitments so that their group leads the BNPGR in healthy lifestyle.

So please aap jab ek doosare ko jahan mile , jab mile ….ek dusare ka hossala badhaeeye. Keep interactions alive. Keep inspiring each other.

Once a month we will all come back here for physical check and review. All individual progress will be noted and documented.

We will have open discussions to learn from each other and move towards our common goal…weight reduction, healthy life and finally improvement in our running !!

Teen mahino ke baad, 12 weeks ke online interactive commitments ke baad , final scores will be made.( We will be interacting for next 12 weeks and at the end we will do the scoring )

Commitments fulfilled vis-a-vis actual weight reductions will be measured.

The selection of winner : ye percentage method se hoga.( which gets modified as the programme evolves )

Aapka wajan kya tha? Aapne kitana ghataya ? percentage tulanamak mapdand mein aapka reduction dusron ke samane kitna raha ?

( what was your weight ? how much you have reduced? What is the percentage reduction as compared to others?)

Example : initial weight : 50 kg. reduction : 5 kg : % reduction : 10 %

Initial weight : 100 kg . reduction 7 kg : % reduction : 7 %

Winner : 10 % reduction , so someone reduces from 50 kg to 45 kg will be winner as compared to someone who reduces from 100 kg to 93 kg ( haan ye baat alag hai ke 100 kg se 93 kg wala , apni upalabdhi par khushi khushi hum programme coordinators ko party de sakta hai !! )

{ Later on we change/add criteria for the winners to make it more inclusive }

Soon we all gather to verbally commit 1st week’s commitments.

Deepa K allows me to conduct a kind of oath ceremony. This is also first of the kind. A group oath taking is unique and I have my little apprehensions .Fortunately I am proven wrong as everyone repeats all the commitments after me, quite sportingly.

1st week’s commitments :
Self Commitment no 1 : Main is ravivaar se agle shanivaar tak roz apna dinner 8 baje se pahle le loongi/le loonga( I will finish my dinner by 8 pm every day , starting tomorrow till next Saturday )

Self commitment no 2 : Is poore hafte main kisi bhi prakar ka bakery product nahi khaoongi/khoonga ( throughout the 1^st week I will totally avoid bakery products of all kinds )

Self commitment no 3: During next 7 days I will do 5 work outs on any five days. Each work out will be minimum 45 days.

All the participants repeat…….

( clarity : work outs can be running , cycling , swimming , strength training . they can be in BNP , gym , home , in hotel room during travelling )
Self commitment no 4 : I will not take refined sugar in any form for next 7 days

( clarity : sugar in fruits etc is ok. )
Self commitment no 5 : I will drink at least 3 litres of water every day during the whole week.

Self commitments no 6 : main is week mein kisi bhi tarah ka packaged food nahi khaoongi/khaoonga ( I will not eat any kind of packaged food during the week )

( example :chips, nachos, even ready to cook food items , chocolates, trophies , anything which is packed /wrapped )
Self commitment no 7 : I will eat at least 3 fruits every day for next 7 days .

( clarity : recommended fruits list is already given ).

Overall the mood is” let’s do it!”

Yes there are and there will be questions. We also know as the programme evolves there will be many more questions which even we have not envisaged !!

{As a creative person (irony : how wrong one can be about himself? It’s like self branding ?) I have my own problems. When you conceive some project, you are able to visualise certain things which your team members may not able to see. You know they have solid apprehensions, but due to friendship and/ or respect, they may not be very vocal. You have to read between the lines. You have to remain alert. As you move on you must be very clear about evolution. Yes it is good to have an open and evolving programme, but it should not derail and leave the main path.}
……………up next chapter 4: week 1 of BNPGR ‘s weight loss project : the journey begins!!………………….