WEIGHT LOSS STORY: BY DOING STRENGTH TRAINING AND WALKING 15K STEPS DAILY, THIS WOMAN LOST 30 KILOS

Pavitra Vij Abott (29) was always a chubby kid who dealt with hormonal issues in her grown-up years. “I wanted to lose weight, but the constant body shaming made me somehow averse to losing weight,” she shares. Always hard pressed for time, Pavitra took the plunge of losing weight during Covid-19 pandemic. “It was during the pandemic when I was at a loose end, I decided to do something about my weight,” she says. From weighing 90 kgs, Pavitra was able to bring her weight down to 60 kgs with sheer dedication and consistency.

On facing body shaming

Pavitra shares that she was a bright student throughout, but her peers and others always neglected her achievements and mocked her for being obese. “I was good at academics, would participate in seminars, but all that got attention was my weight. It was confusing at first and distressing later on,” she says.

When today people walk up to her for weight loss tips, she smiles at herself, giving herself a pat on her back for coming this far. “I never thought people would come to me for diet and weight loss tips. It feels surreal,” she says.

Also read: Weight Loss Story: This Man Added Strength Training To His Running Routine To Avoid Injuries

Diet she followed during her weight loss journey

After trying many crash diets, Pavitra decided to keep it simple and sustainable. “I avoided sugar, fried and oily food completely from my diet,” she shares. Her diet plan consisted of 50% carbohydrates, 30% fat and 20% protein. From not eliminating any food group from her diet to eating nutritious food at all times, Pavitra believes one needs to be mindful of what they’re feeding one’s body. She has also taken up the ‘No outside food and no sugar’ challenge in the past. "This is for the fourth time in a row that I have taken up this challenge and I can say with confidence it has changed the way I look at nutrition," she shares. She also believes that drinking 4 litres of water daily helped her during her weight loss journey.

Workout she did to shed off 30 kilos

Pavitra made it a point to complete 15,000 steps on a daily basis. “For the past year, the average of my step count has been 15k and it has clearly helped a lot,” she shares. Apart from this, she also did strength training to tone her body. “When one sees ‘before’ and ‘after’ images of me, one thing that becomes clear is that strength training played a key role in the way I look now. I feel so much more confident in my skin today,” she says.

Also read: Weight Loss Story: "I Never Cook My Meals In Oil And I Follow Intermittent Fasting!"

On overcoming weight loss plateau

Pavitra shares that when the body gets used to the same diet and workout, it becomes difficult to lose weight. “For around 6 months, my weight didn’t reduce at all. It was only when I introduced HIIT to my workout mix and started taking more calories for a little while that I was able to bring my weight down again,” she shares.

On advice to people wanting to lose weight

Pavitra says that people who measure their progress by the number on the weighing scale should simply stop doing that. “What I used to do was click my pictures from time to time and compare them. That gave me a better idea of the progress I was making. Besides, one can also gauge from the fit of one’s clothes, sleep cycle and digestion to see if there’s any improvement,” she opines.

Complete meal plan she followed during weight loss journey:

Before breakfast

Jeera, ajwain and saunf water

Soaked walnut and almonds

1 dry fig

Breakfast

A bowl of oats or 2 eggs and 1 paratha

Noon

Any seasonal fruit and coconut water

Lunch

Any protein-rich sabzi, 2 chapati, salad (on days she would go to office)

Moon or besan chila, soya chunk dalia and curd (on days she would be at home)

Evening

Green tea

Makhana, black chana, dry fruits

Dinner (Rich in protein and fibre)

Salad which included black chana, white chana, rajma, mashed broccoli and other vegetables

Or chicken

2024-04-22T08:15:09Z dg43tfdfdgfd