How a 2-yr-old inspired her father to lose weight

Rediff reader Mahesh Shirodkar from Goa tells us how his little daughter inspired him to get fit and adopt a healthy lifestyle.
You too can share your weight loss journey with us.

I was a foodie and started gaining weight gradually after my marriage in 2001.

A few years into our marriage, I weighed 75 kg. By the time my daughter came in our lives in 2013, I weighed 90 kg.

Both my mother-in-law and wife pestered me to lose weight, but nothing motivated me.

I wouldn't fit into my favourite t-shirts.

My friends, who'd earlier call me Aamir Khan, started calling me Amjad Khan.

Still I enjoyed my food without a care in the world.

Motivation to lose weight

With my daughter's entry, life looked promising again.

My attitude towards life changed and I wanted to get fit to run after her on our weekend trips to beaches. I started feeling responsible for her.

I found I was not fit enough to keep pace with her moving everywhere all the time.

In January 2015, two years after my daughter was born, I resolved to reduce weight and become fit again.

My weight loss journey

I searched the Internet for various diet plans and got the GM diet plan (General Motors diet). I followed it religiously every week and lost approx 2 to 3 kg every week.

Additionally, I joined a gym and started exercises with the help of a popular weight training website.

Besides my routine of GM diet and work, in the evening, I'd attend a Zumba class.

I did this for three months. By April 2015, I had lost 22 kg.

The first week was tough. But I started losing approx 2.5 kg in a week.

It became fairly easier for me to keep up with the schedule. I had to achieve my target BMI and a weight of 66 kg eventually.

I used to run for 30 minutes, gym for about an hour followed by Zumba for another hour.

How I stayed motivated

Ranbir Kapoor is my daughter's favourite actor. So I wanted to dance on a popular song from Ranbir Kapoor's movie for her third birthday party.

I had told the instructor about this when I joined my zumba class.

He used to teach me the steps of Batameez Dil (from Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani). I mastered the steps and gave a thumping performance on my daughter's birthday.

The resolve to being fit for my child and to dance to the song of her favorite actor kept me motivated all along.

My diet plan

Day 1: I ate all varieties of fruits except bananas and drank at least 8 to 10 glasses of water.

Day 2: I ate all varieties of vegetables including potatoes. I had GM diet wonder soup for lunch and dinner.

Day 3: I tried combination of fruits and vegetables. No potatoes or bananas on this day. Minimum 10 to 12 glasses of water.

Day 4: A combination of bananas and milk -- milk and bananas for breakfast with wonder soup for lunch and dinner.

Day 5: Brown rice, tomatoes and curd. Chicken or a cup of brown rice or a cup of Indian cheese (paneer). For meals, I included tomatoes with cucumbers.

Day 6: Brown rice and vegetables. NO potatoes on this day too.

Day 7: Brown rice, fruit juices and vegetables. I used to have 2 cups of brown rice with vegetables and fruits. Apart from 8 to 10 glasses of water, I also had some fruit juices for breakfast and mid-morning snack. I avoided sugar in the juices. I'd have them natural for better results.

I followed the above for almost nine weeks with a 3-week rest in between.

I now weigh 73 kilos.

Lessons learned

Weight loss is mostly all about the diet and regular exercise.

Advice for readers

Don't go for extreme weight loss like I did. Each one's body is different.

Go slow, let it be gradual.

Earlier in this series: This IT guy went from 87 to 73 kg in three months

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