27-year-old Mohit Sikka was a complete foodie at heart before the habit made him a victim of an unhealthy lifestyle and impacted his health. His weight problems got the worse of him and earned him not-so-nice nicknames. However, one day, he decided to put an end to his misery and get fit for the better. To know how he did all of this in just 5 months, read his story below:

Name: Mohit Sikka

Occupation: Marketing Manager

Age: 27

Height: 5ft 10 Inches

Highest weight recorded: 100 kilos

Weight lost: 25 Kilos

Duration it took me to lose weight: 5 months

The turning point: When I was overweight, I remember one particular incident which pushed me to lose weight. I had gone on a trip to Amritsar with my colleague. Since we were getting late, we had to rush to catch the train. However, this proved to be difficult. I realised that even at a young age, my body did not have the endurance to run. I was getting breathless. Seeing me, my friend said, “Tumse ab na ho paega”. While I did not say anything back then, deep down, this comment hurt me and impacted my self-esteem. That was the time I realised I had to do something about my weight and prove people wrong.

My breakfast: I start my breakfast with a cup of milk, tea or coffee (without sugar) and a vegetable sandwich. This gets me going for the day ahead.

My lunch:For lunch, I prefer homemade food. You will always find a serving of subzi, along with two chapatis on my plate. A big bowl of salads is a must-have for me! I avoid rice if I can.

My dinner: I have my dinner before 8 pm and avoid carbs. I have something nutritious like a big bowl of daal or a glass of vegetable or fruit juice. Eating salad is something I do not miss out on.

Pre-workout meal: I have a bowl of yoghurt with fruits. If I am working out in the morning, I drink a glass of lemon water mixed with honey.

Post-workout meal: Slightly tossed tofu with a glass of juice replenishes me with vitamins and minerals. Tofu is also a good source of proteins so that helps me stick to my fitness goals.

My workout: Running is my preferred workout form. I run for 5 kilometres, morning and evening and track my activities. Before I begin my workout, I also do some warm-up exercises like stretching and cardio.

Low-calorie recipes I swear by: Anything you prepare at home is the healthiest. Salads, sprouts, paneer, tofu are very diet-friendly.

Fitness secrets I unveiled: When you pay attention to your diet and keep a count of the calories, you stay on the right track. Also, staying positive has helped me get over my past troubles. Just believe yourself and MAKE SURE, THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS TO YOUR HEALTH! Life is easy, energetic and productive this way.

How do I stay motivated? As shared, body shaming incidents hurt me but they have also kept me going. Throughout my journey, I used to measure my weight twice a day and see some of my older pictures. They reminded me that I have to keep going and used to serve me the motivation to say ‘YES’ to every hurdle.

How do you ensure you don’t lose focus? “You are the Product of Your Thoughts” This phrase has changed my life completely. I always keep repeating this to myself that I have started my transformation and I have a long way to go before reaching my goal weight.

What’s the most difficult part of being overweight? I have never talked about this but being overweight was not always about my looks or clothes. It impacted me mentally. People gave me bad nicknames like ‘Petu’ or ‘Golu’. This drove me to depression and hampered my self-esteem.

I started to feel that socially, I am being neglected and nobody cared about me, when I was overweight. I said no to parties and hangouts, fearing that I will be judged or mocked by people.

What shape do you see yourself 10 years down the line? I want to be fit, active and energetic. I really admire Akshay Kumar’s fitness levels and would be blessed if I can achieve 50% of what he does at this age too 🙂

What are the lifestyle changes you made? The biggest change I made to my life is by saying a NO to outside food, hard drinks and sugar. I am also more dedicated to my training sessions now and follow a strict diet too. If I happen to miss my training session, I prefer to follow a liquid diet on that day.

What was the lowest point for you? While I have completely shunned outside food now, making the switch was very exhausting in the beginning. I am a foodie at heart and earlier, weekends meant binging over junk food with friends. Ever since I decided to lose weight, this has completely stopped and I prefer to stay home. These things were very hard to face but I always have “The Turning Point” in my mind to keep me going.

Lessons learnt from weight loss: I always think about this positive quote, “If you think, you can do it” and that’s what have changed my life. I feel motivated and my mindset has changed completely.
If you too have a weight loss story to share, send it to us at toi.health1@gmail.com