Losing weight is a life changing journey, especially when you are battling multiple illnesses. It takes an immense amount of self-control and unwavering dedication to quit junk food and completely change your life. Read on Shivani’s brave journey and get inspired to shed all those extra kilos.
Name: Shivani Kanojia Occupation: Hospital Administrator Age: 24 years Highest weight recorded: 91.2 kgs Weight lost: 24 kgs Duration it took me to lose weight: 2 years The turning point: I was suffering from PCOD (polycystic ovarian syndrome), which made a huge dent on my self-esteem. Additionally, I also had to undergo cholecystectomy, which is a surgery to remove the gallbladder. I was in mind numbing pain after the operation and I realised that I needed to do something soon to lose the excess weight. My breakfast: I begin my day by drinking half a litre of lukewarm water with cinnamon powder on an empty stomach. Next, I have 4 almonds with 1 bowl of oats and 2 boiled eggs. My lunch: I have 1 big bowl of vegetables with 2 chapatis. My dinner: I usually have dinner around 6:30 pm as I believe in having an early and light dinner. I have 1 bowl of daal, some cottage cheese, boiled moong and lots of salad. I indulge in: Since I have a sweet tooth, I absolutely love gorging on chocolates, pastries and pizzas. My workout: I make it a point to hit the gym at least 4 to 5 times a week. My workout regime includes cardio and resistance training. Low-calorie recipes I swear by: I love having homemade cottage cheese (paneer) and sauteed moong with peas and green vegetables. Fitness secrets I unveiled: You need to completely cut down on your sugar consumption and monitor your junk intake closely if you want to lose weight and lead a healthy life. How do I stay motivated? I do not want to face any health issues ever again in my life. The fear of the pain of the surgery still remains my biggest motivation to stay right on the fitness track. Also, my physical and mental health has improved drastically after losing weight, I would love to keep it that way only. How do you ensure you don’t lose focus? My old clothes and photographs are a constant reminder that I need to stay focused, else I might go down that path again.
Losing weight has not only helped my physical appearance but it has also had a positive impact on my overall personality. I am a lot more active now as compared to before. I am doing a lot better in my career and also follow my passion of photography wholeheartedly. What’s the most difficult part of being overweight? Right from taking a lot of medicines every day, having restricted clothing options, getting body shamed to not feeling energetic enough to do anything. The list is actually endless.

What shape do you see yourself 10 years down the line? More than achieving a particular shape, I was focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I know it for a fact that having sound health is far better than being a size zero.

What are the lifestyle changes you made? There are two big changes that I have made. First and foremost, I cut down on the consumption of junk food. Earlier I used to go out to eat every alternate day, but now, I make it a point to not go more than twice a month. I have also increased my water intake.

What was the lowest point for you? Post my operation, I suffered from terrible pain. Even my battle with PCOD was really tormenting and I couldn't wait for the pain to go away.

Lessons learnt from weight loss: Weight loss takes a lot of patience, willpower and self-control. So, don’t lose hope as you are your biggest inspiration.

If you too have a weight loss story to share, send it to us at [email protected]

Source: indiatimes.com