“I start my day with warm lemon water”

A banker by profession, long work hours and bad lifestyle made it harder for new mom, Richa Dogra to lose weight and suffer from judgement from the ones around her.

Determined to get back to size ‘M’, Richa shed all the excess fat in months’, started a Youtube channel and is now an inspiration to all women!

Read her inspiring weight loss story to know the diet and exercise hacks which helped her in her journey:

Name: Richa Dogra

Occupation: Banker

Age: 34

Height: 5 feet 3inches

City: Chandigarh

Highest Weight recorded: 68 kilos

Weight lost: 14 kilos

Duration it took me to lose weight: 1.5 years

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After my daughter was born, I faced difficulty in getting rid of the baby fat. My weight was stuck at 86 kilos. My health started to deteriorate too as well, my energy levels went down. I had to resort to wearing a size ‘XL’ instead of the usual ‘M’. It was one drastic change I had to face. That was the point where I decided to take a closer look at my weight gain issues.

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Morning meal:

As soon I wake up, my day starts with a glass of warm water with freshly squeezed lemon. It is good for detoxification and is in alkaline in nature. Post this, I eat 5 overnight soaked Munakka, 7 almonds, 2 dates and 1 walnut.

For breakfast, I opt for Chilla/oats/parantha. I have a cup of coffee and roasted peanuts as my mid-morning snack.

My Lunch: 2 medium-sized chapatis/ serving of rice with usual subzi/ daal along with a bowl of curd.

After my lunch, I have my homemade kadha (prepared using tulsi, ginger, cumin seeds, carom seeds, turmeric and black pepper) with a spoon of chawanprash.

Dinner: I take dinner very early, at or before 7 pm. It comprises of simple veg food like lunch only (chapati/rice, sabzi,daal)

Pre-workout meal: Nothing

Post-workout meal: Overnight soaked almonds(7), dates (2), walnuts(2) and munakka/ dry grapes (5)

I indulge in: I usually love homemade stuff only. So at times, I have pakoras or puri or any dessert like gajar ka halwa or kheer or ladoos. Very rarely do I eat food from outside except on someone’s birthdays, when I do have some cake.

Low –calorie recipes I swear by: Chilla, Khichdi, Veg Pulao, daliya

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I do not go to the gym but practice yoga and resistance training at home only using dumbbells and resistance bands. I also love going on morning walks and try to be active throughout the day.

On my off days, I also try and dance and enjoy the rhythm of music, which is another way to stay active in a fun way!

Fitness secrets I unveiled:

The key to achieving fitness is discipline and practising mindfulness. One should be aware of his/her food choices and lifestyle habits. Remember, a happy mind leads to a healthier life.

At the same time, a person should also practice neccessary self-care and self-love. Weight loss is not the sole goal but it should help you achieve overall wellness. The important thing to remember is, a healthier lifestyle will help you achieve weight loss, naturally. Listen to your body, exercise daily, hydrate and sleep well. That’s it.

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I stay motivated when I see myself in the mirror and get to look at the positive transformation. I feel more motivated and more energetic. I have also started my Youtube channel where I share health-related videos during the lockdown.

How do you ensure you don’t lose focus?
I read lots of books on health and wellness related articles. Reading has a great impact on my mind and it keeps me encouraged.

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Being overweight poses two BIG challenges- one that drains you mentally, as the society misjudges overweight people for being lazy and subject them to body shaming. And the other one is the physical aspect of it- weight gain makes you feel sluggish and unhappy. I underwent the physical trauma of being overweight and it also impacted my energy levels. I feel low and sluggish. It’s also hard to see your wardrobe options not fit you, and having to shift from medium to extra large.

What shape do you see yourself 10 years down the line? I aspire to become a certified health coach and be a driving force to help people in becoming healthy and happy.

I am also pursuing weekend Naturopathy & Yoga course so after 10 years I see myself as full grown health professional who is more healthy, happy and content.

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I made the following lifestyle changes:

-Finishing my dinner by 7 pm

-Saying no to refined sugar

-No junk/processed food

-Daily yoga/stretching

-More water and fibre in the diet

-Getting 7-8 hours sleep

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The lowest point for being unhealthy because of my weight. At a point, I had left all hope to lose weight and started to believe that I stall remain like this only. When you lose hope and confidence in yourself, that’s one of the saddest things that can happen to any individual.

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I have learnt that weight loss is a good ‘side-effect’ of following a healthy lifestyle. No matter what, all humans have a basic right of leading a healthy, happy life and no amount of money or materialistic pleasures could guarantee you the same happiness. The only way to ensure that is by following a good lifestyle which is right for you, without any excuse. If I can do that, anyone can. Lastly, being a mother is a blessing, but being a healthy mother is a bigger boon.

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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