Have you ever been in a situation when you went shopping for clothes from your favorite brand and could not pick a nice outfit because there was nothing available in your size? 25-year-old Vaishali Chauhan faced a similar situation, over and over again. Her excess weight took a toll on her self-confidence and went to the extent of dampening her mental health. Instead of running away from the issue, she decided to face the problems headstrong and worked on her body. She gained back her lost confidence and bounced back to a healthy lifestyle.
To know how she lost a whopping 40 kilos, read her transformation story here:
Name: Vaishali Chauhan
Occupation: Student
Age: 25 years
Height: 5 feet 5 inches
Highest weight recorded: 98 kilos
Weight lost: 40 kilos
Duration it took me to lose weight: 1 year and 7 months
The turning point: Being overweight made everyday living difficult. To make matters worse, I was also going through problems in my personal front. It was only later when I realized that I was suffering from depression, which also contributed to my weight gain. That was a big turning point for me. My best friend made me realise it and I decided to amend my lifestyle and start working on my physical and mental health.
My breakfast: I like to have an apple or a banana, along with a couple of boiled eggs.
My lunch: For me, lunch has to be really filling and healthy, something homemade. I like to have proper "ghar ka khaana" which includes daal, sabzi, roti or rice, along with a serving of dahi and salad. In fact, on my cheat days, I love to eat homemade desserts like kulfi or barfi. I can eat them guilt-free because anything homemade has got to be healthy.
My dinner: For dinner, I keep it light. It is usually something like khichdi, daal-rice or boiled veggies.
Pre-workout meal: Binging on fruits is the best option to consider before heading out for a workout. Bananas are an excellent source of nutrition.
Post-workout meal: I solely rely on 'protein laddoo' after my workout.
My workout: I work out 5 days a week and break it into a cycle of 2 days of strength training and 3 days spent doing solely cardio.
Low-calorie recipes I swear by: I just focus on having 'ghar ka khana' and increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables in my diet. Homemade is always healthy and low on the bad calories!
Fitness secrets I unveiled: Eating seasonal, local and fresh foods also play a crucial role in maintaining the number on the scale. It is also important that you take your meals on time, especially dinner. In today's time, people tend to binge eat dinner, which is a very unhealthy habit. No matter what, dinner must be done before sunset. Counting calories do help you lose weight but adopting a healthy and sustainable lifestyle is more important.
How do I stay motivated? In the initial days, picking up the pace and changing habits wasn't easy. However, I always had the support of my family, close friends, and mentors by my side. They helped me stay focused and encouraged me to keep working on myself. I am very lucky to have them by my side.
How do you ensure you don’t lose focus? The changes I have made in my life have become a lifestyle for me now. I am used to it. I am over the phase where I had to constantly push myself to stay focused. Moreover, coming this far is a motivation for me in itself to maintain what I have earned.
I do have one advice I want to give people. On your low days just try to recall the reason why you started and picture yourself when you achieve your goal. You'll definitely come back stronger.
What’s the most difficult part of being overweight? Being overweight takes a toll on you. You are not as productive as you could be. I used to feel lethargic and sleep a lot and get tired even in doing petty chores.
My concentration in studies was also poor. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I disliked my body and this lowered my self-confidence. Also, staying obese might have attracted several kinds of illnesses hence I chose to get fit.
What shape do you see yourself 10 years down the line? I just wish to maintain this health now and make regular exercise + good eating habits as part of my life.
What are the lifestyle changes you made? I never ignore my mental and physical health now. I consult my mentors in case I feel there is a need to get in touch with them. Having the right balance of good mental and physical health is crucial for having a happy life.
What was the lowest point for you? When I had to buy clothes from the men's section, which I did not even like to wear, it made me feel so embarrassed. My weight left me with no option as I could never find a size in the women's section. But, in the end, I am glad that I journeyed from men's XXL to women's medium size successfully.
Lessons learnt from weight loss: Anything that you wish to achieve is achievable but you need to have patience, courage, perseverance and will power to go after it. Just take the first step and you'll definitely reach your destination. And yes, stay away from people and things that do no good for you and just pull you down.