When did we start counting the calories ?

If you have grown up in India and moved to the all glorious United States of America i can vouch that the word "calorie" adopted a whole new meaning. As a matter of fact, for a few of us, it would have been one of "those" words that suddenly found its place in our dictionary when we stepped into the USofA.

It wasn't that when i was in India i wasn't conscious about how much i weighed or how i looked or trying to see every once in a while if i was still able to fit in my skinny jeans. To add to that i was having 3 square meals a day, starting with my dad-fed breakfast ( yes, my dad used to feed me ), a nice lunch with friends or colleagues and dinner. I used to eat a lot of junk as well, the evenings primary dominated by visits to the "bajji" shop. And yup, i never did work out , as in i was just plain simple lazy.

Its been three years in this place that i now call home. My 3 meals a day had reduced to 2 or maybe even 1 and i kept thinking, there is no way i can gain weight. On the contrary the scales failed my theory.Within the first year i had gained around 17 extra pounds ( Pounds - thats another one of those words that finds its way into our dictonary) and looked like an overfed overgrown pig. Literally. Thats when the word calories took a whole new meaning. How much calories is that, what's the % of sugar it contains, is it fat free - i pretty much ask these questions a thousand times every single day. And i count them, right from my morning milk ( which transformed into organic skim from 2%) to the last ounce of food i put into my mouth. I remember asking my mom last year, when i went back "Do you happen to know how many calories this would be" ?

I cant help but make a comparison. I am sure i ate more than the 2200 "recommended" calories back in India and I refused to exercise. Inspite of all the ghee, oil and fried stuff missing in my life, how did i gain weight here, when i could stay balanced in India. And you cant help wonder, is it because this aint home ?