Lighter at the end of the tunnel!

This is my story. A true story. 

A story of will and determination.

At age 11, I fell in love. Not puppy love, not celebrity crush love. I fell in love with food. At the tender age of 11- this boy committed the cardinal sin of Gluttony! 

I would feast on every kind of food. Bread, butter, cheese, rice, roti, fried, non-veg, soft drinks! If it couldn't eat me, I ate it! I was literally on a "see food" diet. Everything I saw, I ate! And in huge quantities.

Needless to say I was obese, my weight grew like a quick fire Kohli ton and by the age of 15, I had breached the 3 figure mark. Yes, 110 kgs at 15! 

Sloppy at all other sports, I naturally ended up as captain of our tug-of-war team in school and we proudly won the coveted title for a couple of years.

Then in 1992, at the age of 17, something hit me like a ton of bricks. Pun intended. 

Suddenly, I had this burning desire to get into shape. I kept visualising myself as lean & healthy. Fitness was my new mantra. 

The driving factor? 

Teenie bopper love. Puppy love. Crushes. Undergrad life. And all that jazz - being a teenage guy in the '90s.

For the first few weeks, I started walking in the mornings, and then alternated it with swimming. 

I'd plonk my 110 kg self into the pool every other day and watch the others swim. I'd ask them for advice to learn their stroke. I was weightless in water, so I was more agile. 

Over the next 3 months I had started running for 20 minutes and I had gotten the hang of swimming freestyle too!

Voila! The transformation had begun! And I was loving it! 

But not McDonald's style! 

Soon came that magical moment when someone said "You've lost weight!" I can't tell you what a thrill it was to hear that compliment; and for me it was the first time in my life.

I was ecstatic. 

My grit and determination went into turbo mode, and there was no stopping me after that.

Around that time, I had heard rave reviews about a yoga class in the neighbourhood. Yoga in the 90s was a rarity, and still gaining traction. I hopped on to the 2-month beginner's course and followed it to the T! 

It was life changing. From suryanamaskar to standing, sitting, forward bends, backward bends, spine twists, inversions headstands, handstands and more, I religiously followed each bit of advice on yoga and diet, and continued thereafter.

Within 12 months, this magical combination of running, swimming, and yoga helped me shed over 40 kgs. 

Cut to 2019...

I've hovered around the 75kg mark now for over 25 years, and I follow some form of workout every day - running, swimming, or yoga.

I try to eat as healthy as possible, although I cheat on the odd meal here and there. I'm a foodie after all! 

I believe each person should have a fitness mantra that's unique to their goal or capability.

And mine is this…...

Dos

- Eat any amount of fruit for breakfast 

- Salad and good lunch, one helping only

- Light dinner, no carbs 

- Exercise 6 days a week in a natural environment and without the AC. 

- drink at least 3 bottles of water a day. Especially a bottle of water when waking up

- make your workout the most important meeting of the day with the most important person in your life.. you! Make it fun, happy, and engaging - that's the secret to sticking to it! 

Don'ts: 

- No fruits after a meal. 

- No workout after a night of half baked sleep. 

- No sleeping immediately after dinner.

- No sugar and dairy

I'd be glad if my story helps even one person achieve a healthier lifestyle....

Share your stories or advice, maybe we can make a difference in someone's life!