Getting back to your pre-pregnancy is a difficult journey and it requires a lot of patience. Ishita was determined to get back to her pre-pregnancy figure and took advantage of the lockdown to do so. Her transformation story is an inspiration. Read her story to learn some simple secrets!
Name: Ishita Pandey
Occupation: Homemaker
Age: 30
Height: 5 feet 2 inches
Highest weight recorded: 70 kilos
Weight loss: 10 kilos
Duration: 3 months
The turning point: People always say that the earlier you start after giving birth, easier it is to lose weight. I ended up gaining so much weight post my C-section birth, it ended up exceeding my postpartum weight, which was around 65 kilos. Getting back in shape was important. I didn’t want to look “chubby” and made it a plan to achieve my target weight before my baby’s first birthday and get those perfect photos where I could look fit and fabulous.
Breakfast:
My breakfast was always wholesome and nutritious. I usually had it around 11 am. It could include anything like milk, oats, honey, nuts and seeds, whole wheat bread, roti subji, chila or poha. There were no restrictions.
Lunch:
I had a small lunch. I didn’t stop having white rice. Whatever was made at home, like dal, cholai, rajma, kadhi or soya, I would have that with rice, some subzi, curd and a portion of salad.
Dinner:
I skipped dinner since I follow Intermittent Fasting (16:8). I have a cup of chai and some low-calorie snack around 6 p.m. I would have a bite of something from my husband’s plate later, but that’s all 🙂
If it’s cheat day, you would find me devouring street foods! Puris, gulabjamuns, pav bhaji, golgappas or pastries are my favourite! However, I do try to limit my cheat meals to twice a month.
My workout:
My exercise routine was a bit different. Personally, I am not a fan of strength training. I started with cardio and used to extensively skip rope but ended up injuring myself due to overtraining. Ever since I decided to take it a little easier.
Since I am a homemaker, I stay busy doing a lot of household chores. From dusting, sweeping, organizing, or even taking care of the baby, I was active throughout the day.
Low-calorie recipe I swear by: Having small snacks can be good to lose weight. I loved having healthy peanuts, buttermilk, flax seeds, almonds, makhanas (foxnuts) or digestive biscuits.
Fitness secrets: I am a big fan of intermittent fasting and would recommend it to anyone looking to lose weight. It’s not complicated and does not require any extensive prep. Simple everyday food would do. I drank lots of water, swapped out sugar for jaggery and as always, moderation is key.
As for me, there were no hard and fast rules. I stopped counting my calories after a while. The important thing to remember is to reach a calorie deficit, which helps burn fat. Make sure you exercise and follow a disciplined diet and you will see the progress for yourself.
What kept me motivated:
My baby’s birthday was coming up and all I had are 3 months to shed kilos. I took advantage of the lockdown situation and started to work on my body. With no maid, I have been doing all household chores by myself, taking care of the baby and following intermittent fasting. This was enough to get going. The lockdown was the perfect time for me (or anyone) to lose weight!
How do you ensure that you don’t lose focus? While staying locked in was tough, there were some advantages after all. We weren’t eating out, doing work ourselves, no distraction or holidays. This ensured that my routine wasn’t disturbed for 2+ months. I could see the change for myself as the number on the scale went down. I joined a support group for intermittent fasting. I even took part in a skipping rope challenge. It was so motivating!
What’s the most difficult part of being overweight: The worst part was not fitting into my pre-pregnancy clothes. Losing weight also took care of my PCOS problem. When I was heavier, I feared developing health problems. My confidence levels went into an all-time low. The transformation made the change happen.
What shape do you see yourself 10 years down the line: Honestly, in my 40s, I want to be so fit that I look like I am in my 20s. I will continue to follow intermittent fasting, stay active and limit junk food.
The lowest point: Weight loss doesn’t happen overnight. There were weeks I could see no difference and felt disheartened. I was not even sleeping well because of my baby. This was pretty challenging.
Lesson learnt from weight loss journey. Exercise plays 20% role, while the diet you follow takes care of 80% of your weight loss. Be disciplined and patient and you will achieve the dream body you always wanted to have.
If you have a weight loss story to share, send it to us at toi.health1@gmail.com
read the full story about Lockdown weight loss: How I lost 10 kgs in 3 months
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