Weight loss story: “I focused on eating protein and simple carbs and did Pilates to lose 58 kilos”

Mac Singh struggled with weight gain after he underwent a slip disc due to an ACV injury for which he was bedridden. He weighed a staggering 120 kilos, which became quite concerning. Not only did he stop fitting into his old clothes, but the people around him started to pass comments. This made him change the course of his lifestyle. With the right foods, physical activities, exercises and healthy choices, he was able to lose 58 kgs. Here’s his inspiring journey:

Also read: Weight loss story: “I had hot lime water early in the morning and ate a low carb diet to lose 63 kilos”

Name: Mac Singh

Occupation: Dietitian & Health tech entrepreneur, Co-founder Fitelo, fitness app.

Age: 35

Height: 170

City: Chandigarh

Highest weight recorded: 120.6

Weight lost: 58.6

Duration it took me to lose weight: 1.5 yr

After an ACV injury, I experienced a slip disc, which is why I was totally bed ridden. I gained a lot of weight during this phase, which is when I decided to shed some kilos.

My breakfast: Eggs, sprouts along with complex carbs and fruits

My lunch: Chicken or a veg protein like paneer with complex carb

My dinner: Simple carb and try to have a gap of 4-5 hr between sleep and dinner

Pre-workout meal: Soaked nuts along with some fruit or banana and 500-800ml water

Post- workout meal: Any protein rich snack like boiled eggs or sprouts

Low-calorie recipes I swear by: Kiwi slush for summers and pumpkin soup in winters

I indulge in (What you eat on your cheat days): I have a sweet tooth, which is why I am used to eating sweets. But I exercise portion control like having a scoop of ice cream or a few pieces of chocolate. Rest, I aligned my three days with outing days in case I am meeting my friends or going out to eat, but in a restricted manner. I however made sure I enjoyed with my friends, without letting them know that I was trying to lose weight.

I indulged in calisthenics and pilates along with sprints.

Fitness secrets I unveiled: We say it’s 70% diet and 30% physical activity, but I will see it as 50% mindset, 30% diet and 20% workout. If you are not mentally focused about achieving your goal, it is very easy that a piece of doughnut in front of you has the potential to destroy your entire day’s work out.

How do I stay motivated?: It is impossible to stay motivated all 365 days a year. It’s only discipline which can make you stick longer to your goal.

How do you ensure you don’t lose focus? I used to track my results on a continuous basis and I have divided my goals into mini milestones. After achieving every milestone, I used to celebrate. Like if I lost 8kg, it was a mini milestone for me.

To start was the biggest obstacle for me. Initially, I was skeptical whether I would be able to lose weight. I was kind of embarrassed going to the gym thinking that people would laugh at me but once I started with my fitness journey, I never looked back.

What was the lowest point for you?: Third lowest point of my life was when my weight pounced back and I became very under-confident. Most of the clothes that I used to wear were not fitting me and I was bullied and harassed because of my weight during my young days.

What shape do you see yourself 10 years down the line?: 10 year down the line, I will be 5 years shy from my 50. Looking good is just the tip of the iceberg. What I want to achieve in the next decade is to be disease-free, meaning not just physically healthy, but also mentally strong.

More than diet or exercise, I still believe that I have made a lot of lifestyle changes by focusing on hydration, eating my dinner early, sleeping early and by being more active throughout the day rather than just restricting my physical activities to an hour at the gym. Still don’t know to what extent it contributed, but I was really fascinated by the concept of circadian rhythms and I tried to follow my body's biological clock while consuming food.

Lessons learnt from weight loss: There are so many ways to lose weight. You can do extreme cardio, go for miles replacers or do a crash diet, but weight loss is about habit building and lifestyle changes. Until you’re successful in changing your lifestyle completely, your weight will eventually bounce back. So we need to focus on building healthy habits and discipline.

If you have a weight loss story to share, send it to us at toi.health1@gmail.com

These views are not generic in nature. Weight loss results vary for individuals and the views shared in this article offer no guarantee of specific results. The content is not intended in any way as a substitute for professional advice.