How’s it going guys?? Today’s topic is very close to my heart. It’s something a lot of people have asked me about but I was just waiting for the right platform to share. Oh and this is a long one, so make yourself a cup of tea! :)

First, it’s disclaimer time – I’m not a fitness expert and I’m not claiming to be an expert in health and nutrition. Please check with your doctor, nutritionist or trainer before you start any fitness routine. These are just some things that I’ve learnt from experience and have worked for me, and everyone is different so do what works for you. OK, so now that’s out of the way, let’s get started!

I’m calling this my fitness journey, and not my weight loss journey and there’s a reason for that. From my before/after pics, the only thing that really stands out is that I’ve lost a lot of weight. Yes I have (about 11-12 kgs!), but there’s so much more to it than losing weight. There’s been a mindset change, a lifestyle change and most importantly a change in my attitude towards food, exercise and life in general.

As a child, I was always 'the chubby one'. I’ve grown up having my cheeks pulled by my uncles and aunts, even random passers-by (yeah, creepy). Anyway, around 9th grade, I suddenly lost all that ‘baby fat’ and started getting super skinny. Throughout my early 20s, I was skinny as hell (think xxs!) I never really paid close attention to my fitness and health, because you know, I was skinny so somehow I thought I didn't need to exercise. I didn’t know any better, and moreover most of the gym ads at the time featured overweight people (thankfully this has now changed!)

When I was around 25, I went to the US to do my masters, and pizzas, fries and beer became my staple diet. I’m not particularly proud of that, but you know, it is what it is - I must say I had a blast! As you would expect, I put on loads and loads of weight. By graduation time, there was a wedding date set in the diary! Obviously I was super excited, but at the same time I was majorly panicking because I now had to lose all that weight, and quickly! So I started doing all sorts of diets and crazy cardio routines. For about 4-5 months, I made myself miserable but I managed to shed all the extra weight. But was I healthy? Was I fit?

Years went by and I became busy with work and life in general. In my early 30s, I had my baby boy. It was the most wonderful, challenging and stressful time of my life. Throughout my pregnancy I was really particular about my diet and exercise – I signed up for yoga, I think I did most things right. I didn’t actually put on too much weight through my pregnancy, which was good I thought – easier to get back into shape! But once baby arrived, that’s when I started piling on the pounds. I still didn’t take it seriously – there were far more important things to do. Plus, it was OK for new moms to carry a little extra weight.

The ‘before’ picture you see was at my sister’s wedding almost 3 years back when my baby was 4 months old. Weight-wise I was at my heaviest; fitness wise I was at level 0 (or negative even). For those of you who can relate to this, you know it’s not an easy place to be or even accept. It wasn't so much about how I looked or what my weight was - yeah maybe to some extent, but it was more about how I felt. I really struggled to get through the day. That constant feeling of being tired all the time was so frustrating, I just wanted to sit. I knew I had to do something, but I didn’t know where to begin. Around this time, we moved to Singapore and my life changed completely. I wasn’t working anymore and was officially a SAHM. This role was harder than any of the roles I had ever done before, both mentally and physically, but soon enough I got used to it and started getting comfortable in my life, in a new country. I went to the gym ‘whenever I had time’, which was almost never. I tried doing all the things I had done before plus some others – like no sugar, no carbs, high protein, salads and soups (you know the drill). But nothing seemed to work and I felt miserable as hell!

It's only when we moved to Dubai last year, did I really start taking my health and fitness seriously. Maybe it was the fact that I was going to enter my ‘late 30s’ very soon that did it for me! I had given myself enough excuses, and it was now or never! So, I went to my local gym, signed up with a trainer and started making little changes to my lifestyle - and I’ve never looked back. These are some things that I learnt and that kept me motivated throughout the process and they still do!

Baby steps, Be realistic!

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and you’re not going to see results overnight. I’m not saying don’t be ambitious about your goals and targets, but there’s also a practical and realistic aspect to all of this. If you want to get fit the right way, it will take time. Period. So have patience. Give it at least 6-7 months of regular activity to see a difference. Is your exercise/diet plan consistent? Is it sustainable? These are the questions you need to ask yourself. If you’re a rice eater (like me), are you going to be able to give up rice? If the answer is no, then don’t set such unrealistic rules for yourself. You’ll just feel miserable. If rice is your thing, make little changes by eating rice only in one meal, and controlling your portions. Diet is important, no doubt about it, but a sustainable diet is even more important.

I admire people who can just give up things like carbs or sugar etc. I cannot do that and it's not like I haven't tried. I suppose I want to have my cake and eat it too! And this isn't about what's right and what's wrong - I'm not qualified in that area to comment on that. Ultimately, it's a matter of choice and what works for you. I haven’t really given up anything drastically (except for soft drinks, juices and biscuits) – I eat my share of carbs, desserts, ghee, the occasional Maggi even. But I eat smaller portions throughout the day and I eat home cooked whenever possible. I actually enjoy dining out and I'm a complete dessert person with a massive sweet tooth. So while weekends are spent eating out and trying new restaurants, weekday meals are almost always home cooked and in controlled portions. Also, I try not to binge eat/drink. That works for me. I've tried having tea without sugar, but I hate the taste. So rather than beating myself about having that half a spoon of sugar in my tea, I just go for it and enjoy it – guilt free! But on the other hand, I have stopped eating that piece of chocolate after my lunch and stopped eating biscuits. That’s realistic for me - I can live with that! So what I’m trying to say is, do what’s practical, realistic and sustainable for your lifestyle rather than follow some diet rules. Obviously if you have any medical reasons, then just listen to your doctor!

Set your targets wisely

I started working out properly in November 2017 with the help of my trainer. We worked out a fitness plan and set some targets. After a month or so of working out, I saw an increase in my weight! Can you imagine my panic?? But my trainer (bless her!) explained everything in detail – I was gaining muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. I just remembered all those years of studying Biology! This is so basic, and also, phew what a relief! Since then, my perception of 'weight' has completely changed. It is important to understand that weight is not everything. You can be overweight and still be fit, the same way you can be skinny and highly unfit. Also, there are so many different ways to determine your ‘normal’ and ‘healthy’ weight that you need to look at a whole bunch of factors and parameters. There’s BMI, Waist-Hip ratio, Waist-Height ratio, Muscle-Fat ratio, Percentage of body fat etc. So do yourself a favor, and get the complete picture! Don’t just stress yourself over a single number.

Choose a buddy

If you’re like me who needs a lot of motivation, pick a gym buddy. It really helps. My husband is my gym buddy and I’m so glad we have each other to stay motivated. He is completely self-motivated, whereas I need an extra push once in a while so I suppose we complement each other ;). We also have our own little competition going on the side – who runs faster? who does more push ups? who can hold the plank longer? It's so much fun! It can be a long journey, so pick a friend or partner or a family member – can be anyone! Celebrate little wins and milestones and encourage each other. You could also join a fitness group and stay motivated – there are so many exercise groups and running groups you could join. It just helps to know that there’s someone else sailing in the same boat as you!

Make it fun

Exercise doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, the more fun it is, the more likely you are to stick with it! So find out what’s fun for you. I personally hate the treadmill and the cycle. I just find them too monotonous. So instead, I do Zumba and Kick-boxing a few times a week for my dose of cardio and it’s so much fun! By choosing to do things that you like, exercise doesn’t feel like a chore, and that for me has been my biggest learning. If you like swimming, include a swim a few times a week as part of your exercise schedule. Or pick up a sport if that’s how you roll. Nowadays there are so many different types of fitness classes to choose from. Five or six different types of yoga (maybe even more!), dance workouts, martial arts – I’m sure you’ll find something that you like! Remember to also include strength training as part of your exercise routine, it is important and it will change your life. Just make sure whatever it is you choose, it’s challenging enough for you. If a particular workout feels easy-breezy and you hardly break into a sweat, it basically means you need something more intense.

Listen to your body and your mind

Our body is just amazing and it sends us so many signals from time to time. We just need to be a bit more aware. Did you know our brain sends us a signal when we are full? Yet, we completely ignore it and continue eating. Perhaps we are too busy watching our favorite series on Netflix! I'm guilty of that! Similarly, our body tells us when we are stressed, when we need to slow down, when we need more sleep, when we're dehydrated – so tune in, and listen to your body and mind. If you’re too tired and sore from exercising, you’ll just know. If it's too painful to lift a glass of water to drink, that's probably a sign. Take a break. It’s important to exercise, but it’s also important to rest and recover otherwise you’ll just burn out. So do vary your workouts and rest your muscles from time to time to get the most out of your workout.

Finally, there will be times when you feel overwhelmed, when a particular craving gets the better of you, when you just want to take a break, when you feel really lazy and want to order takeaway or have an extra cheat day (I personally don’t believe in cheat days, but still!) - don’t be too hard on yourself, you’re only human. We can’t be programmed like robots to follow a certain path. That would just be boring! What I’m trying to say is - minor setbacks are all part of this journey, and what’s important is to never lose sight of the main goal – which is to be a stronger and fitter version of yourself!

So that’s it from me this week! I still have a long way to go but I’m getting there. Good luck to all of you who are on your fitness journey. For those who want to start, it’s never too late and if I can do it, trust me anyone can! So until next time…

xx

Kirti

My Fitness Journey