How I fought back negativity and became healthier!
Like a lot of people, the lockdown was the real turning point for Roshni Kapoor who realized that her stress eating habits had turned her from being chubby into battling obesity. Worried about getting terribly sick from coronavirus, she broke away from her poor lifestyle and started working out religiously! Her story is motivational for all those who not only want to lose weight but also want to maintain a healthy lifestyle
Name: Roshni Kapoor
Occupation: IT professional
Age: 26 years
Height: 5 feet 3 inches
City: Jammu
Highest weight recorded: 89 kilos
Weight loss: 30 kilos
Current weight: 59 kilos
The duration taken 24 weeks (approximately 5 months)
What was your turning point?
I have been on the chubbier side since I was a child and honestly, it never bothered me much...until it turned into obesity. For the past so many years, I have contemplated losing weight so many times, but it never did happen. I was a foodie working in the IT sector and gave me no time. But, the turning point for me came during the pandemic when ordering food from outside just did not feel right and safe. There was a point though, where I indulged in cooking and baking and ate everything to kill boredom but it also ended up with me weighing 89 kilos!
I started thinking about my own health and was worried that how this virus will affect my body as I am already not in good shape. From here, I only had two options - either I start stress eating ( which I have done my whole life) or I get up this time, take a harder path and start working for my body and give it its due respect which it requires. And for the first time, my body and mind together pushed me to overcome my biggest fear and helped me lose 30 kilos. This weight loss cannot be quantified in numbers but should be taken as a journey to a path which I will quote "Lifestyle as a medicine".
Diet
My diet choice has always been natural and sustainable. It was clear that I don't want to follow anything fancy that I won't be able to follow my whole life. Keeping this in mind, the only thing that I completely cut from my diet plan was refined sugar and fried food. I started having my tea, coffee sugar-free but whenever I make any dessert, I substitute sugar with organic jaggery, honey or crushed dates for sweetness. The goal in mind is to have a calorie- deficit meal. So, as long as you are engaging in some form of working out, occasional binging is fine. After all, you don't have to kill the foodie inside you, just tell it new ways of enjoyment!
Here's an example of what my daily diet plan looks like now:
Breakfast - Green tea + Nuts, Poha, Vermicelli, Fruits or Eggs.
Lunch - Lots of vegetables, Salad + 1 multigrain Roti.
Snacks- Fox Nuts, popcorns, Suji Appe or Besan chilla.
Dinner - Saute vegetables, Tofu, Grilled fish or Boiled chicken.
Cheat meals (On Sunday) - Whole wheat pasta, Suji based Pizza, Suji spaghetti or Multigrain bread veg sandwich
Workout and fitness regime
My workout routine is simple and the mantra is to just move your body every day. My fitness journey started in the lockdown, so frankly, there were not enough options for me like going to the gym, running, cycling. So, I started exercising at home, opened Youtube and started to exercise as per follow-along workouts. I started by doing 15 minutes of yoga and 15 minutes of HIIT.
Fitness secrets I unveiled:
Remember that your workout regime does not have to be monotonous. There are so many options available such as Zumba, Agility, Pilates, Bhangra etc. Now, I swear by HIIT after getting marvellous results and from that day I haven't turned back. I still consider myself a work in progress and working out every day now gives me immense happiness. For beginners, I will advise a 21-day rule - Just push your body for 21 days continuously ( Sundays exempt) as you need muscle repair as well and it will become a habit for you. Also, keep it constantly changing with a planner of your choice as it will not become a boring task for you and your body will also be in constant shock and will lose more weight.
Some of the Youtube channels that I personally recommend are Sydney Cummings, Heather Robertson and Caroline Givran . They post workout videos with all different durations, intensity and modifications and the best past - all the workout routines are free.
How do you stay motivated?
Seeing constant reminders of your goals and progress will push you to break limits. This is not just limited to weight loss but works when applied to all parts of life. It's also important to have gratitude towards your body for everything it does for you rather than punishing or chiding yourself.
How do you ensure you do not lose focus?
Positivity over negativity always. Channelize all your negative thoughts into a positive aura and work harder than you did a day before. You will definitely achieve your goal by being consistent. Consistency is the key to your journey because if you are tired of starting over again, just stop giving up.
What's the most difficult part of being overweight?
When I look back and reflect, encountering the repetitive feeling of helplessness and constant void in your mind about being overweight and not able to do anything about it even if you desperately want to, makes a person under confident about his/her ability to achieve something. I constantly felt the urge to give up on things because I knew I am already failing in my weight management.
Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
I don't have any weight goals but with the lifestyle that I have adopted now, I see myself constantly pushing my mind, soul and body and becoming the best version of myself.
What was the lowest point for you?
I went for a regular medical health check-up which reflected that I was on the borderline of becoming a pre-diabetic patient and my thyroid levels were also up. That was an eye-opener for me and that moment I promised myself - I will start giving my body respect and will not treat it like a dustbin and won't stuff it with all the junk.
What lifestyle changes did you make?
Weight loss was one of the many benefits I achieved by changing my lifestyle. Here are some key changes I made, which helped me get to where I am today:
1)More positivity and gratitude towards life.
2) Balanced and healthy eating with portion control along with good water intake.
3) Inclination towards more fresh and organic produce and products.
4) Daily workout for body and mind wellness.
5)Constant improvement and push to break limits.
6) An attitude to never give up or quit midway.
Lessons learnt from weight loss
The biggest lesson that I have learnt is don't give up until you have not reached the finish line. Appreciate yourself for all the milestones you have achieved so far and constantly push yourself to achieve the best version of yourself. Have patience because quitting things will just pile up for you and even a step taken towards solving your problem is the progress made and one step taken ahead towards your target.
If you have a weight loss story to share, send it to us at toi.health1@gmail.com
DISCLAIMER
These views are not generic in nature. What worked for the writer may not work for you. So avoid following this article blindly. Find out what works for your body.