'Live a simple lifestyle where you eat well, sleep on time and take care of your body.'
Can quitting rice, carbs help you lose weight?
Is it possible to starve a few hours or days and get in shape within a month?
Absolutely not, says actor Aditi Gautam who made her Bollywood debut in Sanju in which she played Priya Dutt.
'A diet that includes rice, roti and bread can make you lose weight?? If this was told to me a few years back I would call it a scam, but I did lose 16 kg by eating all of it,' the 26-year-old actor posted on Instagram while sharing her weight loss journey.
After identifying herself as an overweight kid, Aditi also spoke about her past struggles and failed experiments at losing extra weight as a teenager.
"I have tried no carbs, doing strict high protein diets, tried crazy workouts like 500 squats, 500 push-ups but I could never lose the weight," Aditi -- who has a key role in the Telugu film Pakka Commercial -- tells Divya Nair/Rediff.com.
Were you always overweight?
I have always been an overweight child.
I did lose weight in between when I turned like 16 or something, but that was with the most unhealthy diet possible.
I used to starve myself completely that time -- no carbs, nothing.
I was on dal pani and stuff like that. That's why I gained the whole weight back again.
I have never been a thin girl and never thought I could be one. But I am so glad I have reached here.
Did being overweight affect your career?
It did affect my career because I used to get a lot of casting calls and they used to always tell me, why don't you lose the weight a little to fit the role?
I don't blame them because you know, there is a definition of beauty in the entire society in the world that you have to be of a certain size to fit a particular character.
When I started (my career), there was no accepting of plus size or no accepting of curvy bodies at that time. So initially, yes, I did face troubles when it came to getting good roles.
But as time passed, and as the whole norms started changing in the society, people started accepting plus size (women) and curvy bodies. And that kind of changed my game.
I started getting roles. In fact, when I did Sanju I was a big girl.
Similarly for Pakka Commercial, they wanted a girl who was big so I've got casted because I was big.
When did you realise that your weight is not healthy?
Some time in January 2021, I was going through major gynac pain and it kept increasing to a level where it became a little unbearable for me.
When I went to the gynaecologist I came to know that if I do not take care of my weight issues right now, I will develop PCOS or PCOD.
Frankly, I had always avoided the weighing scale before that so I never knew how fat I was. I would always live in denial.
But that day I realized that Oh sh**, I'm 74 kg! That's when it hit me that 'Oh my god, I am THAT fat' and it's absolutely not healthy to be where I am today.
I have tried no carbs, doing strict high protein diets, tried crazy workouts like 500 squats, 500 push-ups, but I could never lose the weight.
When I got the pain and visited the gynaecologist, he said 'I don't know how you'd do it, but if you have to be on soup and salad, you got to do it and lose weight.'
By then I had already starved myself so I knew it wouldn't work. I was heartbroken when I discussed all of this with a friend.
I said I have tried and nothing seems to be working so I will maybe go for liposuction. That's the last and only option left.
That's when she suggested I meet dietician-nutritionist Pooja Makhija in Mumbai. I followed her diet for 6 months.
What changes did your nutritionist suggest that helped you?
After consulting Pooja Makhija, in the first month itself, I lost 3 kg and there was no looking back.
She told me she'd get me to my ideal weight based on my height, body and age which is 59 kg.
I started eating small meals a day which is rice, roti, bread in a gap of two hours with portion control in the most healthy way.
It's been more than 8 months since I visited her now.
I know what works for me which is basically eat right, balance yourself.
It's not like I have cut down on carbs and fries. I eat everything in moderation and I know how to balance it out.
The idea is to live a simple lifestyle where you eat well, sleep on time and take care of your body.
What was the most difficult part of losing weight?
I had lost most of my weight in the pandemic. But since I couldn't step out, I was stuck with home workouts and after a period of time, it became monotonous.
Pushing myself every day was challenging. I had to wake up every day and tell myself to workout, not cheat on my diet, stay focussed on my weight loss programme.
The challenge was to stay consistent in the whole process.
When did the transformation begin?
In the initial month I lost 3-3.5 kgs, but after that I was only losing say 2 kg a month.
I started seeing actual results only after 3 months.
I realised I wasn't fitting into my old clothes and that feeling was just amazing.
How did you stay fit in the pandemic?
I did the entire weight loss programme in the pandemic.
Since I wasn't stepping out or seeing people eat or doing it myself, I think it worked well in my favour.
No one was ordering food from outside so I had to eat home cooked food. In a way, the pandemic really helped me stay fit and lose weight.
How many hours did you work out?
When I started my journey, I used to work out between 45 minutes to an hour every day. Sundays I'd rest.
What exercises helped you lose weight?
Since we were in the pandemic, I'd mostly work out at home. I started with yoga, mostly surya namaskars.
I was a self-learner and learned yoga through YouTube videos.
Apart from that, I'd do cardio every day by watching videos on YouTube. I'd put on some music and set a timer of 30 minutes.
Were there days when you felt disappointed, lazy? How did you motivate yourself to keep going?
I did go through a phase where I felt lazy and didn't want to do anything.
I just wanted to eat something different. But the weighing scale that I had to step on every 15 days was the biggest motivation.
Also when I stepped out and people started noticing me and compliment 'You look different.' That also helped.
What is the greatest myth about weight loss that is not true?
The biggest myth people believe is that to lose weight, you have to eat less, ditch carbs and go on a high protein diet. That's not entirely true.
In order to lose weight in a healthy way, you must change your lifestyle. You can't do these crazy diets and then go back to eating rubbish.
The day you switch -- and I know you will, because it has happened to me before -- when you go back to your normal lifestyle, you will put on and gain all the weight that you lost.
That is when it will hit you.
That's also why I keep saying 'do it the right way' so it doesn't come back to you again.
What is your fitness schedule now?
Now my schedule is not as rigorous as it used to be. I try to work out 3 to 4 times a week.
I still do a lot more of yoga, because it helps in toning your body. My focus now is to shape my body to look fitter and tighter.
Tell us about your daily diet.
I eat small meals every two hours. Breakfast would be Poha, Upma or eggs.
Lunch is two rotis, sabji, dal or rice/roti with chicken curry and a little sabji.
For dinner, I mostly have rice and dal/chicken curry. I must have rice for dinner.
A quick healthy recipe you swear by
It has to be eggs. I make eggs the way I like it -- scrambled or omlette. I think it's one of the healthiest things you can have every day in your diet.
Do you have cheat days?
Oh yes. I eat fried food thrice a week. Or I add cheese to whatever I eat.
I love cheese, so I make a cheese omlette or indulge in a pizza once a week.
What have been your greatest learnings from this transformation?
I'm someone who always believed that any size is acceptable. That you should be confident about yourself, your body in whatever shape you are.
To be honest it is important to feel positive about your body, especially for some people who are facing health issues.
For me, when I reached my actual weight, I actually feel healthier. So now it is not so much about the weight loss, it is about what I feel after losing weight.
I feel lighter in my feet and healthier from within. So I want to tell people: Push yourself as much as you can till you get there.
