London-based Kelly Patto is a 29-year-old website editor in the travel industry. She does more than her share of exercise (well done!) and eats well… but wishes she drank and smoked less. In:fact spoke with Kelly about how she manages her health.

Infact: Do you consider yourself healthy?

Kelly: Yes. I do. Kind of. I do smoke. Sometimes I drink too much. OK, healthy in terms of food and exercise.

Infact: How much do you smoke?

Kelly: Only about 40 a week. Sometimes less. It’s mostly social smoking.

Infact: How much do you drink?

Kelly: On the weekend, maybe a bottle of wine. Sometimes I have a big night.

Infact: Do you actively look after your health? If so, what do you do?

Kelly: Yes. I exercise to look after my health and I watch what I eat. I do it to be healthy, to keep my weight down and also to release pent up energy after work. Sometimes I really need that.

Infact: How often do you exercise?

Kelly: Four times a week.

Infact: What kind of exercise?

Kelly: I run most of the time and I do the occasional combat or spin class. I need to get up a good sweat.

Infact: How often do you weigh yourself?

Kelly: Once a week. It’s a ritual. I did Weightwatchers a few years ago to lose two and a half stone (35lbs or 16 kgs), so I still do the weigh in. I still use the points system too and I still write down the point value of everything I eat every day. I’ve been doing it for four years and it’s the only way I can keep an eye on it.

In my early 20s I drank loads of beer and ate whatever I wanted and I didn’t think about it. Suddenly I realised I had to get on top of it and I have been ever since.

Infact: How do you feel when you are about to get on the scales?

Kelly: I always know if I’ve had a good week or a bad week. But if it’s the latter, getting on the scales spurs me on. If I see a number that is too big, I know I have to work harder to get it back down. You can’t avoid it by not getting on the scales.

Infact: Does your weight yo-yo, stay the same, increase, decrease?

Kelly: It’s stayed roughly the same for the past year.

Infact: If you feel you are getting a little bigger, what do you change (if anything) to address it?

Kelly: I cut out alcohol and exercise more. It normally takes care of it pretty quickly.

Infact: Do you buy special foods to manage your weight? If so, what?

Kelly: Not really. Well, I buy low-fat foods. I’d like to buy organic but it’s too expensive most of the time. I seek out fair-trade foods where I can. And I have just started to try to grow my own veggies.

Infact: Do you diet much?

Kelly: It’s become a lifestyle. I am not really ‘on’ a diet, rather I am careful about what I eat all the time. So saying, I do indulge. I just compensate for it later.

Infact: Are you a member of a gym?

Kelly: Yes I am, but I run outside if the weather is good. If it’s bad weather, I will run in the gym or do a class. I much prefer outdoor exercise.

Infact: Do you ever take any kind of herbs or supplements to help manage weight or health?

Kelly: No.

Infact: Do you think men or women are healthier in general? Why?

Kelly: Women think about it more.

Infact: Does that make them healthier though?

Kelly: Yes, I think it does. They tend to be more conscious of what they are doing.

Infact: Do you eat whatever you want, whenever you want it?

Kelly: I wish! I let myself indulge occasionally, but I do compensate for it.

Infact: Do you eat fast food ever? If so, why?

Kelly: Once every three weeks or so as a treat. My boyfriend has a takeaway at the start of every weekend. For him, it’s not the weekend unless he has a takeaway, so I have had to be quite disciplined to not join him all the time. I love cooking, so often if he wants a curry, I will make us a low-fat version instead.

Infact: Do you eat junk food when you are down?

Kelly: I used to, but I got out of the habit. Generally I can stop it now. It’s much harder to not have a cigarette if I am down or had a bad day. And a glass of wine. A glass of wine and a cigarette.

Infact: Do you eat certain foods in certain moods?

Kelly: If I’m hung-over I have to have bread or anything stodgy. It’s a good reason to try not to be hung-over!

Infact: Do you wish you exercised more?

Kelly: No, I am happy with the amount I exercise.

Infact: How do you find time to exercise?

Kelly: I find time. Before work or after work, whenever I can squeeze it in. I prioritise it. If it means not going out drinking on Friday night so I can get up early on Saturday morning to go for a run, then I will do it.

Infact: Does exercise make you feel better? What does it make you feel better about?

Kelly: Yes. It makes me feel better about my weight, my health. My mood is better. I am pleased with myself. I run 25-30kms a week at the moment.

Infact: I tend to exercise to compensate for other bad habits (wine!)… do you operate in a similar way?

Kelly: Yes, very much so.

Infact: What is your relationship with food?

Kelly: It used to be bad. When I was younger I tried all the crash diets and binge drank and ate, all of that. Now I enjoy it. I enjoy cooking. If I eat something bad for me, I enjoy it and I run tomorrow.

Infact: How would you describe most of your peers and their health habits?

Kelly: My Mum has had a struggle with food my whole life and my sister is the same. I try to get her to exercise with me. I’ve got it right now. My sister and I are quite competitive, so that’s kind of good… we spur each other on with exercise.

Infact: What about friends and colleagues?

Kelly: A couple of friends are very healthy. And a few love wine and cheese and chips. When I’m with the healthy ones, it’s easier to order a salad. When I’m with the others, I am more likely to indulge. I guess I adjust to who I’m with. I’ve adjusted to my boyfriend - and he to me.

Infact: What do you believe is the main cause of obesity?

Kelly: Not being educated. Parents not being educated. Kids inside on computers and not outside playing.

Infact: Have you ever done anything that you now consider silly in the pursuit of health or weight loss or a great figure?

Kelly: Silly? Yes. When I was younger I would try to get through the day on one piece of toast. I tried crash dieting.

Infact: What would you change about your health or weight management if you could?

Kelly: Smoking. And I would try to stop binge drinking.

Infact: What is the smartest thing you do in order to stay healthy?

Kelly: The way I manage my exercise and food.

Ankush Bhanot is a 35-year-old senior manager, working for Aviva Life Insurance India and living in New Delhi. His busy work life with many business trips leaves him little time for exercise or looking after himself, but like many of us, he is trying! In:fact had a chat with Ankush about his lifestyle and health choices.

Infact: Do you consider yourself healthy Ankush?

Ankush: No.

Infact: Why not?

Ankush: In the past year, I have put on some weight. I believe I am around three to five kilograms (7-11 pounds) more than I should be. I have really indulged in non-healthy outside food much more than ever before, mainly due to extensive business travel. Plus I am not exercising at all.

Though I have not had myself checked out, I am sure that this lifestyle would surely be affecting my health in an adverse way.

Infact: Do you smoke?

Ankush: No, I quit 15 months back.

Infact: Do you drink alcohol? If so, approx how much?

Ankush: Yes, two drinks maximum in a week.

Infact: Do you ever get the chance to exercise?

Ankush: I don’t have an exercise programme at the moment. I want to start soon though.

Infact: What do you think you will do for exercise?

Ankush: Jogging and running largely, plus cycling. Maybe even going to the gym and the occasional game of tennis.

I have not started. As yet. I should start hopefully soon… in one or two weeks. I hope.

Infact: How often do you weigh yourself?

Ankush: Every week.

Infact: How do you feel when you are about to get on the scales?

Ankush: Embarrassed.

Infact: Does your weight yo-yo, stay the same, increase, decrease?

Ankush: Other than the extra 3-5 kilos in the past year, it generally stays the same.

Infact: So why are you wanting to change now? What has been the catalyst?

Ankush: The three to five kilos! At 35, I now need to be much more careful than ever before with my health.

Infact: If you feel you are getting a little bigger, what do you change (if anything) to address it?

Ankush: I have started to control my diet...I am trying to cut down on junk food and increase fruits in my diet.

Infact: Do you buy special foods to manage your weight?

Ankush: No.

Infact: Do you ever take any kind of herbs or supplements to help manage weight or health?

Ankush: No.

Infact: Do you think men or women are healthier in general? Why?

Ankush: Generally, women in India are healthier… they eat less junk food, smoke less, drink less alcohol and do daily household chores, which is good physical exercise in itself.

Infact: Do you eat whatever you want, whenever you want it?

Ankush: Yes, I have so far always given in to the temptation of good taste.

Infact: Do you eat fast food ever? If so, why?

Ankush: Yes, because I really enjoy the taste.

Infact: Do you eat junk food when you are down?

Ankush: I am never down.

Infact: Do you eat certain foods in certain moods?

Ankush: No.

Infact: Do you wish you exercised more?

Ankush: Yes...I plan to start.

Infact: How do you feel about exercise?

Ankush: I want to start exercising immediately as that would be the key to staying healthy as I grow older.

Infact: What is your relationship with food?

Ankush: I am a foodie as I enjoy lots of varieties of food. Although, I am not the kind who is living to eat only.

Infact: How would you describe most of your peers and their health habits?

Ankush: Most of my peers and friends are in good health as they follow good and structured exercise and eating habits. They are another reason for me to be inspired towards keeping a check on myself too.

Infact: What do you believe is the main cause of obesity?

Ankush: Fatty food and no or not much exercise.

Infact: Have you ever done anything that you now consider silly in the pursuit of health or weight loss?

Ankush: No.

Infact: What would you change about your health or weight management if you could?

Ankush: I have just started a controlling diet - reducing junk food to twice a week and including more fruits in my food, so I hope this habit lasts. Secondly, I want to start exercising… gymming, jogging, running, cycling or whatever...but I must immediately.

Infact: What is the smartest thing you do in order to stay healthy?

Ankush: Starting this controlling diet.

Infact: What is the hardest thing about starting?

Ankush: By human nature, most of us will procrastinate doing important but difficult things as much as possible.

Normally all of us only tend to address only the issues/problems that are not important but urgent also. Trying to stay healthy at 35+ sure is important but doesn’t have any urgency attached to it. So most of us never follow our exercising resolutions seriously or don’t even start unless we are shown urgency and advised the same by some medical practitioner.

To develop a good habit of exercising - taking oneself out of bed early in the morning to exercise, to run 2-3 miles and get tired and sweaty and to give up or reduce eating tasty food that you just love and take to healthier not-so-tasty food - is not that great a motivation.