First a confession: I am the worst candidate on earth for a diet plan. The moment I think about regulating my food intake, I start craving for chocolates and pizzas.
So, for me losing weight has always been something that needs to be achieved through exercise and not diet modulation. However after my baby, for a long time, I did not find myself with the time and energy left to burn any excess fat in the gym or at home.
I was trying to eat healthily but the weighing scale was not tilting where I wanted it to. Since I was also breastfeeding, eating healthy was an obvious choice.
But despite that sitting all day nursing and watching an infant also meant a that I was leading a sedentary though exhaustive lifestyle. And it was around this time that a nutritionist friend suggested a remedy that literally changed my life.
I wanted a simple, effective and desi solution
Now everyone equates diet management with something that needs to be done with precision and planning.
When I see celebrities posting pictures of their well-balanced diet charts and platters of steamed basa with asparagus or a breakfast of blanched broccoli, I always feel that scouring the farmers' market for superfoods and spending hours preparing those curated dishes on your plate is an exercise in itself.
Admittedly, it was something that wasn't my cup of tea (and did I mention, I like my tea extra sweet!) I wanted a plan that was simple, effective and as desi as it could be.
And voila, I found this wonder fruit
Just in time I followed the suggestion of a dear friend and just added one fruit in my diet without altering anything else. And this wonder fruit was a watermelon.
I ate watermelon twice a day. But before you thought that I began substituting my lunch or dinner with watermelon, which is a big no-no for a new mum then let me tell you that I did none of it.
I continued eating (or perhaps gobbling would be a better word) everything that I could lay my hand on. But I just had an egg followed by a big bowl of watermelon for my breakfast. My evening snack was again a bowl of watermelon.
Sometimes, to add crunch and variety I would throw in soaked almonds and walnuts into the bowl and munch away. And yes, since I am human and I would sometimes get bored with repeating the same breakfast bowl, I would on some days substitute it with muskmelons or papaya in the evening.
It helped me detox too
Watermelon not only helped me regulate my weight within a month; it also worked as an excellent detox diet for my body. I was looking better, my skin was better hydrated and I felt that I was glowing.
The medicinal benefits of watermelon are something that we are all aware with.
The magic fruit is 90% water and comes up to only about 50 calories for a big bowl. If it is mostly water it is also packed with essential nutrients and serves as an excellent cleanser for the body.
I felt lighter and my digestive system felt much more on track. It has been long since I shed my baby fat and every time the stubborn fat rolls back on my tummy the first thing I do is reach for a bowl of watermelon. Needless to add, it is a constant in my home.
Read: 8 incredible health benefits of watermelon for your kids
