Marking Mass & Momentum, Selfie Interrupted — IMRAN®

Marking Mass & Momentum, Selfie Interrupted — IMRAN®

I was about 175 lbs at age 25, when I first came to America in 1987. The lessons and laws of physics asserted themselves on my life: as the momentum of an active, exciting life grew, time seemed to accelerate right along with it.

But unlike the differential equations about rockets losing weight as they burn fuel — equations I had taught myself as a pre‑teen in Karachi from those fabulous yellow‑and‑black Teach Yourself books by Hodder & Stoughton — the opposite was happening to me. The faster my life moved, the more mass I accumulated around my waist. 😄

Over the decades I added the almost formulaic ten pounds per decade. Whenever I managed to reverse the trend, the formula was always the same: switch Pepsi to water, and practice portion control. It worked every time. At least three times in the last decade I brought myself back to 179 lbs — the weight I was when I started at Columbia Business School in January 1989. But sooner or later, after a late night of work, I'd find myself popping open a can again.

The daily Pepsi and ice‑cream habits kept the trajectory climbing, and late last year I hit 205. The only way that number would've been good was if my bank balance had been "worth my weight in gold," but that didn't happen. So I returned to my tried‑and‑tested routine: portion control, less eating out, and completely cutting soda and ice‑cream purchases.

The shockingly unaffordable grocery prices — and the ridiculous cost of Pepsi and Coke 12‑packs (almost a dollar a can!) — actually helped. Temptation became too expensive to indulge. I'm also dealing with many other complications in life that I keep to myself, but through it all I remain perpetually optimistic and eternally grateful.

Yesterday, while getting ready, I was taking this selfie to mark my gratitude for getting back down to the weight I was in 1987 at age 25… when I was interrupted. Whether I can maintain it through 2027 and beyond remains to be seen. May God help me stay healthy, happy, and active for whatever destiny awaits me here on earth. Your prayers are appreciated.

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