Fat to Fit: How I lost 23 kg without a trainer

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Mahima Seth, 25 who works as a financial consultant tells us how she lost 23 kg in just 10 months.

• EARLIER IN THIS SERIES: How I fought fatty liver and lost 16 kg in 75 days

The turning point

I was really disgusted by the fact that my BMI was way above normal and people were calling me all the names like golu, chubby, motu and fat shaming me.

I weighed 73.5 kg.

I had stopped looking into the mirror.

My fondness for shopping or trying new clothes had reduced.

I was low on confidence.

When you are overweight, you feel low self-esteem. There is always a part of you telling that you are an under-achiever because you don't feel good about yourself.

One day, I said to myself: Let me put sincere efforts in being the best version of myself.

I started reading about nutrition online and found (actor) John Abraham's take on nutrition very fascinating.

I lost 23 kg in 10 months without the help of a personal trainer and dietician.

Diet

I learned that sugar is poison. But because of our addiction, it has now become a billion dollar industry.

In fact sugar is more addictive than cocaine.

So I quit sugar and maida.

I consume natural sugar, eat healthy, home-made food every day so I can achieve my goals. 

Breakfast: Oats, eggs, sprouts or baked chicken/fish. I have no indulgence in any artificial source of protein, vitamins or any weight loss pills.

Lunch: Roti, dal, vegetables and salad

Dinner: Roti, dal, vegetables and salad

On cheat days: Baked chicken, khakhra and idli

As part of my diet, I swore by these two low-calorie recipes:

Veggie Oats (Roast oats and garnish it with a lot of vegetables and black pepper)

Baked Chicken (Marinate chicken and bake it with yoghurt and black pepper)

My workout

I workout five days a week.

Four exercises I swear by: Planks, push ups, squats and lunges.

I also do weight training along with leading an active lifestyle.

Fitness tips

1. Start exercising, it makes it easier to follow the diet. 
2. Follow a sustainable diet. 
3. Don't eat just because someone is asking you to. Say No to compulsive eating or drinking.
4. Use a calorie counter app
5. Don't skip meals. I tend to eat more if I skipped meals and it messes up metabolism.

Life is about creating 'feel good factors'. Staying healthy is a feel-good factor.

The efforts I make while working out makes me cherish every grain of the food I put in my mouth.

I follow a sustainable diet.

I never indulged in crash dieting or fad diets.

I have customised a diet which I can happily follow for life without comprising on my work or other important stuff.

My aim is to get fitter with body fat percentage lesser than 20 per cent.

Lessons learned

Being overweight can be depressing at times.

You don't have to smarter than anyone else. You have to be more disciplined than others to achieve goals.

No matter how fat you are, you have a fairly good idea that you can lose weight if you really wanted to. But achievements come with execution.

Remember, consistency is the key.

• DON'T MISS: Inspiring Fat to Fit stories on Rediff

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