He used biochemistry to lose weight fast

Like many youngsters, college-student Ajit Kumar’s lifestyle was made of poor sleep patterns, junk food and poor eating choices and minimal time devoted to exercising. The lockdown made him further put on more weight. He remembers gaining an added 10 kilos within the first 10 days! That’s when it really hit him, the bad shape he was in. He made a vow to reverse his lifestyle problems and slim down in 10 months! The dedication and results are absolutely applaud-worthy!

Name: Ajit Kumar

Occupation: Student, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi

Age: 23

Height: 5 feet 5 inches

Highest weight recorded: 82 kilos

Weight lost: 24 kilos

Duration it took me to lose weight: 7 Months (May 2020-November 2020)

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I have always been on the chubbier side. When I entered college, my lifestyle changed completely. Sleeping late at night, bad eating habits, no brisk physical activity made me fat. When the lockdown due to the pandemic was imposed in march 2020, life became more pathetic. I can remember my weight had gone up by 2 kg in the first 10 days of lockdown due to the high calories intake. My face looked fluffy, BMR got lowered and I suffered severe panting even after going downstairs to buy some groceries. And then I realised that now something concrete needed to be done. I turned lockdown into an opportunity for myself and used it for my fitness journey.

In our 5th semester, we had a paper on Nutritional Biochemistry. After going through the subject, I knew how our body utilises food and how we can help ourselves in becoming fit by just adopting a few minor changes. I realised that I should invest my knowledge for my betterment.

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I followed the principles of Intermittent Fasting for weight loss. I used to maintain a 16-hour gap between my dinner and brunch and then, a 6-hour gap between brunch and dinner.

My breakfast: I only have two glasses of warm water in the morning.

Even now, when I have achieved 4% body fat, I still follow the eating pattern, it’s like a ritual for me. I feel it’s the best way to keep our metabolism in shape, without starving or avoiding certain foods.

My lunch: I had to lose a considerable amount of fat so I had to keep a strict regime on my calories intake. With the knowledge of nutrition, I calculated that I needed 1500kcal/day to achieve the goal. So, I took 750kcal from my lunch and 750kcal from my dinner.

It consisted of 2 chapatis, 1 cup daal, 1 cup of green vegetables and 100 gm of unpolished rice. I never believed in the concept that carbs are harmful for weight loss. Each macro is important and equally beneficial, we just have to create a balance in our input.

My dinner: 2 chapatis, 1 cup daal, green veggies and 1 glass of unsweetened milk at the time of going to bed.

Pre-workout meal: A cup of black coffee with no sugar.

Post-workout meal: After the workout, I just hydrate my body so that it can utilize all the fat oxidation properly.

I indulge in (What you eat on your cheat days): I used to have non-veg food on cheat days. I ate chicken curry, fish on my cheat days. Also, I took higher calories by 300kcal on these days. A regulated cheat day is very helpful in balancing the set point of the metabolism.

Low-calorie recipes I swear by: Daal is best for our body. It not only helps in Ketosis but also keeps us full for a longer time.

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In the morning, I focused on Cardio exercises and stretches. I did 200 jumping jacks in one go, followed by squats. For muscles, I did push-ups in 4 sets of 24 repetitions. I practised stretching exercises like Dhanuraasan pose, Surya Namaskar.

In the evening I used to go cycling for 25 km per day for all seven months. I did not miss a single day of working out.

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I always remember that weight issue is nothing but a game of calories. We have to just keep an idea about how much our body needs(output) and how much we are eating(input). In simple form, if:

. Input > Output then the weight will increase.

. Output>Input then the weight will definitely decrease. That is why we need to exercise regularly to have a balance on these equations.

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Getting complimented for the changes. Whenever my friends tell me that I look fitter, it brings me immense pleasure. I feel that I have completed my challenge and this gives me euphoria to stay motivated.

How do you ensure you don’t lose focus?

Whenever I lose some faith, I just consider the benefits I have received after losing fat. Stamina to run straight 5 km in 28 minutes, work for the whole day, get better fitness, all these make me charged once again and I just continue my ritual.

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Reaching the fat-loss plateau was disturbing. I clearly remember that after losing 10 kgs of fats, my body stopped burning fat even though I ate less and increased cycling. Then I increased my BMR by taking high calories for some days to break the plateau. Sometimes this demotivates the people and they quit. But also, this is the point where you can train your body according to your will.

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Not just 10 years, but I aim to continue my diet and workout regime for my whole life.

I have taken an oath to give 1 hr daily for my body. This whole journey has given me the strength to run 5K in one go which was quite impossible for a person like me who had been previously fat. I just want to maintain my stamina and endurance. I see myself more fit with no fear of insulin-related disease in my coming days.

What are the lifestyle changes you made?

I just realised that fast foods like samosa, egg roll etc and refined sugar are not made for human consumption. These products should be labelled as poison for our metabolism. I have never eaten these for over a year now 🙂

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I used to feel extremely hungry during the initial days. Working out gave me muscle cramps. I used to desire to eat spicy, junk food, have milk tea and that used to make me feel low. I felt sometimes that I should just give up, but thankfully, I didn’t. I had to overcome my shortcomings and in the end, I succeeded in defeating all of that and leaving negativity behind.

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We are what we think. I had never imagined that I would have only 4 per cent fat inside my body but now it’s my reality. We can improve ourselves day by day just by adding small things. Results will come for sure. I just repeat daily that “ fitness is not a goal to be achieved it’s a way of life that is essential for our well-being”.

If you have a weight loss story to share, send it to us at toi.health1@gmail.com

DISCLAIMER

These views are not generic in nature. What worked for the writer may not work for you. So avoid following this article blindly. Find out what works for your body.

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