Friday, December 9, 2011

I am inspired by a post by melee  on weight issues. My post doesn't have anything to do with weight issues but on the dieting pain that I can now understand.

I do not need to diet. I have never had to diet. And I wonder how many people I doled out the advise to - "come on, just eat a bit less of this or don't eat so much junk etc". Careless statements, I know realise.

I have been told not to eat -

a) Pickle - pregnancy related, doc recommend. Apparently high on salt content
b) Fried stuff - same as above
c) Chocolates - doc recommended, caffeine and sweet
d) Pumpkin - In laws said not to eat
e) Mango - Mom said not to eat
f) Any sweets including ice cream - doc recommended as right now I have high sugar
g) Red meat - Doc recommended, Have no idea why
f) Chinese - Doc recommended, I guess because of the ingredient ajinomoto
g) Coffee - Doc recommended, caffeine

Now, a few months back, I would have scoffed at this list. What do I care about coffee? I am a tea drinker. Mango - who has so much mango anyway!! This is easy peasy.

Ever since I stopped eating all this, I crave to eat each and every single item on the list. I realised the importance of pickle in my life post becoming pregnant!! It brings so much flavour to same dreary home food that I eat everyday for all 3 meals. When I say dreary, let me also clarify - my cook makes same food almost everyday. Her repertoire is kind of limited. Everytime my mom comes over, she teaches her one or two new things to make. And I eat the same food for lunch as well as dinner. And many a times in the evening too when I feel hungry. She really cant make too many things!! My " food outings" are very limited these days!! You can imagine my plight. Pickle just instantly uplifts the flavours of everything I eat. Initially I didn't have pickle, but I have started it everyday now. I cannot live without pickle. Anyway, now that mom is here for a few days, I am eating interesting things - macaroni, sandwiches, mooli paratha etc!! And I am loving it. But the dark dreary days will be back again with a vengeance soon. :(

I love chocolates. I do not like sweets. I bought a pack of nutella. Its sitting on the kitchen shelf, forlorn. I cannot eat it as my sugar levels are high. How I want to cry everytime I spy it on the shelf.

Pumpkin is one of the favourite vegetables in my mallu household. Before marriage, my mom used to make it about 3-4 times a week. Post marriage, I used to make it a few times in a month. But now I crave for it. Because of random superstitions, I cannot eat what I love.

I cant say I love mutton. But the other day at Koshy's I fought with A on ordering a mutton stew. I salivate whenever I see mutton curries. And I have to eat its poor cousin - chicken curry :( am sick of it.


And these days, I love the coffee smell. Especially the filter coffee smell. Everytime we go to a South Indian joint, I am the only sitting duck, probably in the entire restaurant who orders tea!!!

I crave for the "forbidden fruit"!! Its only now I realise the importance of these things in my life. And next time, I wont be so free with my random advise on people's eating habits.

Gawd, its painful!! And my patience is fast running out.

I want to have momos right now!!

ps: I have 2 more crib posts. Sorry,  but thats how it is. After that, I will try to write to happy posts!!!! For now its grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Of course I am annoyed right now. My driver has decided to take a circuitous route to a meeting saying its a short cut. Just told him off. I am late and the roads are bad!!

7 comments:

Gobri said...

Boy, you are becoming quite cranky :)
If it is any comfort I do not get good mangoes or pickles here and just forget about filter coffee short of making it myself.
Yeah, but I can so imagine that your longing for each of the items is primarily stemming from them being 'forbidden'.
I thought the iron in the red meat is good for you, unless the worry is the large amount of artificial additives to cure the meat.

Ru. said...

the longing of forbidden fruit it is :)
now that your Mom is with you for some days, you can ask her to make some pickles for you with less salt and no additives.
If sweets and coffee has to go out of my plate,I will have a worse time than you :D if that is any comfort!

Moonshine said...

@Gobri Its been 7 months now!! And its tiring and trying!!! Red meat is fattening and may not be as hygienic in india. Possibly thats the reason why I cant have it.

Try putting up with some 10,000 free advise coming your way everyday and you will know what am going through. Combine it with physical aches and pains and lack of sleep, yes thats what is happening right now. I feel like clobbering people.

And all this besides the restrictions on my favourite food!!! You cant quit even if you want to!! And I can see you write the exactly same thing when you decide on becoming pregnant!! Hehe. I am just waiting for the day!!! :)


@melee I have already implemented that. Got her to make some amla pickle with less everything!!! :))

The weirdest part is that ever since I cant eat all this, people have been offering me this stuff almost on a daily basis - birthdays at work, lunches outside etc!!!!

Scarlett said...

Red meat, especially cold red meat used in salads & sandwiches, may contain some bacteria that pregnant women may sometimes not be immune to, since your immunity levels are lower when you're pregnant than otherwise. I think that's why docs advise against red meat when pregnant.

Why amla? Isn't that really tangy...is that good? You should've got your dad to make that amazing tomato pickle he makes :)

Moonshine said...

@Scarlett It is tangy. Mom makes good amla pickle. Thats why. This time dad had to go out of town.. so couldnt get him to make the tomato pickle!!!! :)

You are probably right on the red meat thing. No kind of rationalisation works!!!! :(

the-mommie said...

I hear you my dear! And I do feel your pain. The list of don'ts does increase exponentially and I seriously had a very tough time adjusting to my pregnancy b'coz of it. Add to that the fact that my hubby was PARANOID about anything I did / did not or even someone else near me did or did not do!! it was maddening. But the trouble with all first pregnancies is you really don't know wot to do or not do and you're afraid to ignore any of the 'advise' you get! I am hoping that if and when I do have a second kiddo, i am able to handle it a little better and enjoy it a bit more. :)

but enough about me! i know your pickle story and like i said before, my doc told me everything in moderation is just fine. don't eat it like subzi that's all 'coz it can cause acidity.

I don't know y ur doc banned red meat 'coz that was the only non-veg i could consume at the time. I would gag everytime i even saw any chicken! i was a mutton and lamb girl all the way and still am - that craving continues even today. Scarlett is right though, completely avoid cold cuts but well cooked meats are usually okay and all our curries usually cook everything out of the meat in any case.

also, certain types of fish are okay to have. you have to do a mercury level check on the variety allowed.

pumpkins i've never heard about but papaya i know has a scientific reason attached to it. apparently some chemical combination works to dislodge the sack from the womb if you eat the fruit.

coffee toh bhool hi jao baba for a long long time - i gave up all caffeinated stuff including colas (which i was addicted to) till i was nursing mr. V!

so, not a super happy picture but wait till u get that first smile from the tiny tot n things will feel a little better - atleast for a while. :D

Scarlett said...

1. Why is Mommie writing 'wot' for what and 'y' for why? :D

2. And watch as she doles out even more pregnancy advice!! :)))