Chubby to bikini athlete: How fitness changed my life

We'd asked you, dear readers to share your inspiring fat to fit stories with us.
Here, Bengaluru-based fitness coach Lalitha Lakshman, 28 tells us how she went from a chubby girl to an aspiring bikini athlete.

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I grew up as a fat kid with absolutely no interest in sports or any extra curricular activities.

I hated the day they checked our weight at school. I was always 10 kg higher compared to the girls in my class.

The weight gaining phase had finally reached a point where I had no other option than turning towards exercise as a solution.

Like every girl who joins a gym, I too spent hours and hours running on the tread mill. I spent 4 to 5 hours sticking only to cardio.

Eventually I realised that the results were not sustainable.

After some research, I stumbled upon the fact that weight training would provide more sustainable results in losing fat.

It's been 10 years since I started some form of exercise. I took up swimming and aerobics and eating mindfully of course, which was the actual game changer.

I did this for almost 5 to 6 years. The initial stage involved a lot of trial and error since I was doing all of this on my own.

I lost weight, became fitter and managed to bring my weight down to 55 kg.

Looking back, I wish I had a coach or trainer earlier because the actual transformation happens when you are accountable.

Besides, there are so many myths about fitness that it's always better to learn from the people who have more experience under their belt.

Diet

Initially I avoided junk and processed food. But as I read more and gained experience, I started adding a lot of protein in my diet.

I included eggs, chicken, fish, reduced intake of processed carbs and avoided sugar altogether.

Now that I am an aspiring bikini athlete, my nutrition needs to be on point.

Literally everything I eat, 90% of the time is quantified so I know exactly how many grams of food I am consuming on a daily basis.

Workout

I work out 1.5 to 2 hours every day.

For me, workout is the fun part, but what you do the remaining 22 to 23 hrs in the day like your diet and sleep are just as important.

I work as a full time fitness coach with SQUATS, so my life revolves around fitness.

I don't think it's tough to stay fit. I have enjoyed the journey and loved seeing my body change on a daily basis.

Although I lost weight pretty fast, I keep striving to get fitter than yesterday.

Lessons learned

I have learned that getting fit doesn't mean losing weight.

Aesthetics is a byproduct but the feeling of becoming healthier and fitter is something every human needs to experience.

It's extremely important to enjoy the process.

You might get thinner in 12 weeks but there's no short cut to getting fit; it's a life long journey!

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

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