Fitness

Why I changed

So a little about me. I got a leg fracture when I was a kid leading to 3 months of bed rest and then I never thought of losing that weight that I gained. Over time it compounded making me lazy and it persisted from my childhood to my adult life. Assuming 100 years of a human life. I’ve spent a quarter of my life living below my true potential, something that I don’t want to continue doing now.

This year I got my wakeup call in April when I stared at the weight scale and was at 113kg. It was like something snapped in my mind when I was asked to pay twice the term insurance premium even while being completely fit as per medical reports, and only due to my weight. It took some time to get started and that was the most difficult part of it all. I tried to be consistent with my office work and personal life in between. Over time I saw the scale drop from 113kg to 110kg then to 107kg. I was at one point last year stuck at around 105kg and I dreaded hitting that because I could not push past it earlier. This year I did, and each and every single one of those milestones made me realize that I was capable of doing things which I thought I couldn’t earlier. This is my redemption arc and this is my story and I want this to be around for others to read.

Plus I came across a wonderful person in June this year and I made a promise and I still wish to keep the promise.

Leaving this beautiful quote below that I came across:

What I changed

Personally, the biggest changes were the addition of supplements in my food. Didn’t think I would end up being a protein bro but here I am.

I started with Avatar whey protein + Tata Neu whey (switched to their plant protein variant now) because it’s cheaper. On the diet side, I added more salads in my diet. (Note: always add fiber to your food, add isabgol if you have to, but don’t cut carbs like an idiot without adequate fiber or else you are going to be shitting bricks or not shitting at all 🤣)

My office is in Mumbai with a hybrid work setup, so when in Mumbai I do home workouts. I follow this video by Chloe Ting which was easy enough for me to follow at 110 kg. Earlier this would leave me tired enough to do nothing after that. Now at 103 kg I start with this workout and do some home exercises as well later on.

When at home I try to start my day with a light jogging of about 3km now (my earlier pace was horrendous like 9min/km, now it’s down to an ok 7.5min/km). I couldn’t run during the rainy season so now I’m trying to get on track. In the next 3 months my goal is to get my pace to be a comfortable 6.5 min/km, seems easy to say but you should see how tired I am after runs. Post that I try to squeeze in another 3km walk. So 6km in total, basically this is more of a time limit stuff for me. I try to wrap it up in under 1 hour, and as I get faster the distance will keep increasing.

What I do now

I go to the gym 3 days a week, home workout in Mumbai for 2 days (Monday is my off day due to travel). When at home 6km run + walk is a must. When in office, take a 1 km walk after lunch and 1km walk after snacks minimum. Squeezing in 10 mins is not that difficult.

Accountability is a big part of this. How do I keep myself accountable? Well, I created my Twitter account bhavanshgupta and started posting my workouts there. There aren’t many followers and only 1-2 friends who follow me, which makes it easier. Much better than posting on Instagram.

What has been difficult

Managing my diet was the most difficult thing. I am a foodie, I like food and it’s hard to control yourself. Never do some retarded diets. Eat normally, all it takes is taking one less serving of sabji and 1 less chapati and replacing it with salads.

Over time as you see these changes in your weight, physique and energy. As you see that tight jeans getting loose, as you feel like you need a new hole in your belt as you’ve shrunk, believe me, nothing can be a greater motivator than that.

What I have learned

Running at over 100kg is a different ballgame, never run like a maniac, keep a consistent pace, if you feel you have very heavy breathing then take a rest. If you run too fast, you might end up hurting your knees. Keep short strides, it’s actually better and burns more energy to do it this way than jumping and running like a monkey.

Goals Now

As I enter the new year in 2027, I will be weighing in double digits and will never enter triple-digit territory ever again.