#FatToFit: How I lost 26 kilos in 12 months

Vinod Kumar, 34, a professional from New Delhi, weighed 130 kilos in 2014.

In 12 months, he lost 26 kilos. Inspired much?

Here's his incredible weight loss story.

Since childhood, I have slightly been on the heavier side.

I had the advantage of height -- I am 6 feet 2 inches tall, so I never looked too fat. 

I was 94 kilos when I was in Class 12 in 1998.

Gradually I became 107 kilos when I got married in 2008 and by the end of 2014, I weighed 130 kilos.

The clothes I always wanted to wear didn't fit me 99 per cent of the time.

My friends always asked me to lose some weight, and I'd say, "It will happen in my next birth"

In 2007, when I travelled to Thailand with friends I couldn't go paragliding, as I weighed more than 100 kilos.

In 2011, when I was on my way to Vaishno Devi, I was asked to weigh myself before getting into the helicopter that took devotees directly to the sacred shrine.

I was 120 kilos and only two of us could go in that helicopter. It was very embarrassing.

I decided to do something about my weight.

I hit the gym. I went for walks and jogs too. But I wasn't very regular.

I used to go to the gym for two months and then quit. I did this for at least 10 to 15 times.

l ate everything -- from Indian, Chinese, Italian cuisines to junk food like rolls and pizza, cold drinks -- as I thought only exercising would help me lose weight.

Well, exercising just made my weight constant, and once I stopped going to the gym, I started putting on more weight.

I also tried Ayurvedic pills for losing weight that were being sold online. But the pills gave me an unusual feeling. I realised that they are very harmful to the body.

Around early 2014, when I hit the gym again, I was quite motivated. This time I don't know what exactly inspired me.

I did cardio training and weight training for at least an hour every day, which I still do.

Along with it, I took care of my diet.

In the morning, I used to have dalia, poha, sprouts or paneer sandwich.

After that -- in a while -- I'd have a cucumber and tomato.

For lunch, I took three rotis with a sabzi (vegetable curry) cooked in canola or olive oil and curd.

In the evening, I'd have tea with multigrain biscuits or diet namkeens.

When I went to work, I took a bottle of ice green tea with lemon to keep my body hydrated, instead of water.

In the night, I'd have a seasonal fruit (like papaya, watermelon now in the summer) along with egg whites.

Whenever I went out with my friends or colleagues, I'd have chicken, but I'd opt for roasted chicken instead of the fried ones.

I am a big foodie. So on my cheat days -- that come every 10 days -- I have paratha with a bit of Nutralite butter on it. I avoid ghee which I used to have earlier.

I like Indian sweets. I have them at times.

But I never eat pizza or consume cold drinks. It's been three years that I stopped eating junk.

In fact, I avoided parties and functions where I knew I would end up eating junk food.

And whenever I have such kind of food, I avoid my next meal and have a bowl of fruits.

In 12 months, I lost 26 kilos. I weigh 104 kilos now.

Here are few tips for my fellow readers from my own experience:

• While you workout at the gym, you will find like-minded people who are also trying to lose weight. This will inspire you to keep going.
• Avoid fried food, rice and other junk food items as much as possible. I settle my cravings with a plate of golgappe instead of pizza or samosa.
• Keep small targets, like losing two kilos in month. Check your weight once every week.
• Be regular to the gym or park where you go for a jog. It will help in keeping the calories in control.
• Avoid socialising -- like going to parties -- for the first six months. It will avoid you from indulging in fast food.
• Remember 70 percent of your weight loss depends on your diet and only 30 per cent depends on exercising. So better control your cravings.

Now I aim at losing another 8 to 10 kilos. But my trainer thinks losing another 5 to 7 kilos will work best for me, as I need to keep my height and weight in proportion.

I would like to thank my wife Sonal and my friends for bearing all my tantrums.

And thanks to Rediff as well for giving us this platform to share our stories and inspire others.

ALSO SEE

How I lost 36 kilos in 7 months

How I lost 25 kilos in 6 months

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