Why aren't you losing weight?

You work hard. You gym harder. You've lost the extra kilos but it's just the last two that refuse to budge. You cringe every time you're about to step on to the weighing scale because the needle makes you feel you're just not doing enough.

Being healthy doesn't only mean losing weight and no, you don't have to be a fitness freak to fit exercise in your routine. Three women show us how they stay in form even with demanding work schedules while fitness expert Leena Mogre, director, Leena Mogre's Fitness and Dr Rachna K Singh, psychologist and lifestyle expert at the Artemis Health Institute, Gurgaon, fine tune their efforts.

Sharmili Rajput, 39, marketing director at Oriflame India kick starts her day at 5.45 a.m. with a digestive biscuit and a cup of coffee. She then heads straight for an 8 km run. A self-confessed running junkie for the last 10 years, she's now preparing for a half marathon. Mogre suggests, "Use a good pair of running shoes especially if you're running on the road and try to run uphill to build stamina and strengthen muscles."

Despite her busy schedule of meetings and presentations through the day, it's not work that stresses Rajput, it's trying to maintain the work-home balance. But once home, she forgets all her worries when she sees her two-year-old daughter, Ivanka. "I call her my stress-buster."

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Whether it's dal makhni, butter chicken or sweets, she is fond of Indian food. She gives diets a miss and concentrates on exercise. "I once went on a diet and like Garfield dreams of food, I would dream of paranthas," she says. On a day off, she tries to head to a spa and spends the rest of her time swimming or playing with her daughter.

Like Rajput, 39-year-old rescue management expert Angeli Qwatra too loves to swim and play outdoors with her sons, 15-year-old Ayush and fouryear-old Shiv. Her fondness for fruits keeps her naturally healthy but her husband is a foodie so she tries to balance her lifestyle with a little indulgence. "He claims I'm missing out on the pleasures of life," she says laughing. "Here she needs to let the others eat what they want, though they should not, but she must stick to her healthy diet," says Mogre.

Qwatra founded her NGO Philanthrope four years ago while researching a project on urban villages in Delhi as a lecturer at Delhi University. She says, "Illegal structures flouted basic safety norms while people had no idea of medical rescue." She now holds workshops at organisations, schools and colleges to equip people for disaster preparedness.

An avid reader of books and articles on nutrition, her doctoral research on ageing women only reaffirmed her attitude towards a healthy lifestyle. "My work keeps me active as I have to stand for two-three hours during the workshops." Not only does she practice Sivananda yoga, she makes sure she exercises her legs by elevating them for three-five minutes to aid circulation after long periods of standing.

However, stress is something that affects her to the extent that it begins to interfere with her work. For a person whose job is to handle emergencies and train people for it, Qwatra feels she's very emotional. "When I was younger I wasn't so sensitive but with age, even a rude remark is upsetting and people's problems can keep me distressed for days."

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Singh advises that a five-10 minute meditation routine with some breathing and relaxation exercises everyday will help her get rid of negative feelings. "It's probably because of the nature of her work which is mentally taxing," she says. Surrounding herself with positive people destresses Qwatra as does her new found love for hasya yoga or laughter therapy. "Whenever I feel tense or sad I have a couple of friends on speed dial who immediately lift my mood. Hitting the gym too rejuvenates me and the music there peps me up," she claims.

Echoes freelance photographer Bonny Hazuria, "Even if I'm tired, post exercise I feel refreshed and it's a good break during the day." She works out five times a week for 45 minutes to an hour with a mix of cardio and light weights. As a photographer, she has to make sure she's fit to carry her equipment around at shoots as well as be able to spend hours editing on the computer. "At work, my back takes the most physical stress and I've had problems in the past so I do a lot of stretching and sit-ups." Mogre says in cases like these yoga helps and she should ask her trainer to strengthen her lower back and core.

For Hazuria, age is an important factor too. At 45 she has to be careful of the exercises she does so that she doesn't injure herself. When she was younger, she once tried the 'fit for life' diet but soon gave up. "I wanted to be really thin. It worked but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone for you might read 100 books and think you're on a diet but all that weight is going to come back," she says, adding, "the key is to try something moderate, something doable."

That she says is logical eating and a certain amount of will power. Singh reiterates, "Reading a self-help book for perspective is fine but one has to consider that every body type is different and have realistic expectations from your body. It's best to consult a certified expert or physician."

In the past few years Hazuria has discovered meditation, that has helped her cope with the stress that comes with deadlines. "It teaches you the knack of staying relaxed under any circumstances. I feel I should've found it earlier," she says.

Travel is an integral part of work for the three that makes their routine go haywire. But unlike Rajput and Hazuria, who find it hard to watch what they eat when travelling, Qwatra says it allows her to focus on just this. "I have more time and mental space to be concerned about what I'm eating, I also tend to exercise more as that time is only mine," she says.

While they're trying to strike the right balance between home and office, health is not exactly the last thing on their minds. "Work-life balance is something that's very hard to achieve and can't be done every day. There will be days when family takes priority, say when your children have exams and then there will be others when the work load is high and you can't make time at home. But what's important to remember is that you don't blame yourself," says Singh. It's all right to give yourself a break even if the weighing scale doesn't agree.

Reproduced From India Today. © 2011. LMIL. All rights reserved.