12:15 . 23 Jul 2024

What happens when your job is at loggerheads with your health? Ananth, a pastry chef at a reputed cafe couldn't help wondering about this conundrum when he was diagnosed with uncontrolled diabetes.

He loved his job as a pastry chef, taking pride in creating new flavor combos and whipping magic with sugar. When he started having problems with his sleep, he consulted with a sleep specialist who advised him to shed weight and make changes in his lifestyle. The blood reports came back with a Hba1c of 11. He was now a diabetic too.

Ananth weighed 119 kgs and had a BMI of 36.7. So far, he had not been too serious about losing weight and managed an occasional walk or run around the nearby park to keep fit. But now he was diagnosed with diabetes and it was going to affect his job. He had to take some action.

His doctor suggested that he join the t&e CARE program for 6 months to control his sugar levels and reduce his weight. He was plagued with doubts - how could a pastry chef not taste his own creations? How could he eat and sleep on time when he was expected to work late hours and had erratic meal times?

It was a slow journey towards losing excess kilos, but with the support of his Nutritionist, in 6 months he was down to 95 kgs. Intermittent fasting, tips on tasting his sweet creations without causing a sugar spike, managing portion size and balancing his meals with complex carbohydrates and proteins, were some strategies that worked wonders for him.

“I was facing a job loss just 6 months ago. Today I have gained health, dropped those kilos and have my job.”