When 30-year-old Manan Rai met with a major accident that left him with multiple spinal injuries, he thought that his life couldn't possibly get any worse. But, on his road to recovery, he realised that it was his excess weight that was the biggest hindrance to getting better.
From taking 4 months leave from work to take care of himself to shedding a whopping 32 kilos, his weight loss journey is motivating and inspiring in equal amounts. Name: Manan Rai Occupation: IT Professional Age: 30 years Highest weight recorded:114 kgs Weight lost: 32 kgs Duration it took me to lose weight: 14 months The turning point: I had sustained multiple spinal injuries following an accident. But it was my ever-increasing weight that made even the easiest tasks very difficult to handle. The accident and its aftermath served as wake-up call for me. I realised that I needed to take charge of my life which begun by losing weight. My breakfast: 6 egg whites, 2 whole eggs with vegetables like mushroom, cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli. My lunch: Complex carbs like oats and chapati along with some vegetables and a bowl of daal. Sometimes, I take a protein shake along with it. My dinner: Paneer (200 grams) sautéed in olive oil along with some green vegetables. I indulge in: Since I am a foodie, I have made one simple rule: No calorie counting on cheat days. I like to have anything and everything that I crave for on cheat days. My workout: I do 25 minutes of cardio with mandatory strength training (one muscle group a day), alternatively I also do HIIT (High-intensity interval training). Low-calorie recipes I swear by: I am a big fan of boiled vegetables. Fitness secrets I unveiled: Fitness is not a destination, it is a never-ending journey and a complete lifestyle change. You should never compare your progress and gains with someone else's. Everybody reacts differently to different sets of diet and exercise. How do I stay motivated? I make it a point to keep a track of my progress, which helps me stay motivated. How do you ensure you don’t lose focus? I ensure that I stay committed to my path of fitness always. I know the repercussions too well to lose my focus. What’s the most difficult part of being overweight? The worst part of being overweight is that it actually aggravated my spinal injury. Apart from this, it was a task to get into the clothes of my choice.

What shape do you see yourself 10 years down the line? I would like to maintain my current body weight for all the years to come.

What are the lifestyle changes you made? I completely shunned junk and processed food from my diet. I also made it a point to avoid sugar, simple carbs and empty calorie drinks as much as possible.

What was the lowest point for you? I had to take 4 months leave from my office to recover post my accident. At that time, I could not do anything on my own and it was the lowest point of my life.

Lessons learnt from weight loss: The human brain is the most powerful tool which can help you to maintain a healthy body if you train it enough.

Source: indiatimes.com