If you are not someone who's grown up battling obesity, a sudden yet continuous spike in your weight can be attributed to stress induced cycles of overeating or a major life changeone that has completely detached you from your erstwhile active lifestyle.
22-year-old Anumey Jain tells us that in his case, the latter caused him to tip close to a 100 kgs on the weighing scale and shocked him. During my school and high school days, I used to be a very fit individual but once I started studying to become a CA, I gained a lot of weight, very rapidly."
"And, suddenly, I was 97.4 kgs and couldnt shop (or find) my new correct size from any of my favourite brands," he says.
"I also started feeling very health conscious. I didnt want to drive myself into an obese state as obesity can lead to many irreversible diseases. That, coupled with the fact that I started looking ugly in all my pictures became a very big motivator for me to lose weight, he adds. And, luckily for me, I didnt have to go searching too far and too wide for a kickass weight loss inspiration story to guide me on this journey as my own beautiful mother had recently lost 22 kilos by following a strict dieting system, he quickly quips.
I remember thinking that if she can do it, I most definitely can too! And, in a years time, I lost 20 kgs by following the below weight loss plan.
After investing a considerable amount of time researching various body types, forms and weight loss plans, Anumey says that he understood that our diet has a far greater impact on our body than anything else. I made it a point to control my diet and eliminate all unnecessary food items by following a strict Intermittent Fasting routine. After all, what a person puts in their body is more important than how they decide to eliminate it.
Intermittent Fasting is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. It doesnt specify which foods you can or cannot eat. It only focuses on when you should eat them. There are many IF plans and patterns (12:12, 16:8, 5:2, Eat-Stop-Eat, etc.) that you can follow, but the most effective one, according to studies, is the 16:8 IF diet. The 16:8 IF diet entails one to observe a 16-hour fasting period, followed by an 8-hour eating window.
QUICK READ: Is intermittent fasting really worth It?
Along with setting a new diet plan for myself, I learnt that exercise and general fitness activities can and will help me avoid having any loose or hanging skin, once my body starts shedding pounds. But, given my hectic schedule, it was tough for me to find the time to exercise a lot or join a gym. Thus, to combat these hindrances, I downloaded to the Nike Training Club app on my phone and followed the below simple exercise regime for half an hour, daily, to tone my body.
The apps simple exercise regimens included strength training, bodyweight training and intense aerobic workout sessions. It also involved yoga routines. Many a times I combined these routines with running and cycling to get a complete body workout to burn fat."
QUICK READ: How running a little bit every day for two months changed my life
"This is what my general workout schedule looked like" -
Monday: Strength Training Workouts through body weights as well as dumbbells.
Tuesday: Running and Intense Workouts
Wednesday: Yoga and Cycling for at least 10 kilometres
Thursday: Strength Training Workout again through body weights as well as dumbbells and exercise ball
Friday: Running and Intense Workouts
Saturday: Yoga and Cycling for at least 10 kilometres
Sunday: Rest day
I usually indulges in only 1 rep for a 30 minute-duration because, frankly, that was enough for me.
Most of the exercises in strength training were just an improved versions of existing strength training exercises such as lunges turned into dumbbell lunges or squats turned into deadlift squats. Basic bodyweight strength training exercises could be modified with gym equipment to get a better effect on the body. Burpees, pushups, chin-ups were some other exercises present in the strength training regimens. Not to forget crunches and core muscle workouts. Additionally, the Yoga routines helped the body to relax and stretch at once. It also helped ease off the pressure of strength training workouts whilst being a carb buster at the same time."
QUICK READ: Benefits of Yoga: 10 reasons why men should do yoga
As a part of my weight loss plan, I set a dedicated daily routine and meal plan for myself to follow."
"This is what my daily routine looked like along with meal timings -
6:00 AM: Wake up and drink a glass of warm water
6:30 AM: Workout for half an hour
10:00 AM: Heavy breakfast and lunch combined i.e. to say "brunch" where I ate white rice, beans, lentils, daal, salad, papad, and roti. (After that, I didn't eat anything until the sunset)
6:00PM: Usually, I had my last meal of the day in the evening 1 hour prior to the sunset. This meal included light-weight foods such as upma, idli, salad, roti with paneer, etc.
I didn't eat anything after my last meal until the next morning. This plan ensured a 12-hour fasting window between his first and last meal of the day.
I have been able to maintain my current weight by making it a point to exercise daily for at least half an hour and avoiding any marketplace junk foods. I have also made it a point to stay away from any food items that don't provide any benefit to my body and merely serve the purpose of taste.
The only thing that matters on a weight loss journey is the commitment you've made to yourself to lose weight and the discipline required to follow it. Here, to help you get started, these are the commitments I made to myself to help lose weight:
1
Eliminate fast & junk food
2
Remove sugary carbs from the diet
3
Eat natural & less artificial
"Id also recommend following a strength training regimen to lose weight as its proven to be very effective and also helps tone the body and build muscle."
Disclaimer: The diet and workout routines shared by the respondents may or may not be approved by diet and fitness experts. GQ India doesn't encourage or endorse the weight loss tips & tricks shared by the person in the article. Please consult an authorised medical professional before following any specific diet or workout routine mentioned above.
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Excerpt from:
How to lose weight like this guy who lost 20 kgs without stepping foot in a gym - GQ India - What a man's got to do
