Weight loss: This guy gave up sugar and processed food and lost 41 kilos! Know how! – Times of India

Following a busy and hectic lifestyle often leaves people with no time to exercise or follow a proper diet. Apoorba Kumar underwent the same problems and soon enough, experienced weight issues.

But he made a big change in his life and successfully fought off all that weight! To know how he did it, read his story:

Name: Apoorba Kumar

Occupation: Director at an IT Organisation

Age: 37

Height: 6 Feet 3 Inches

City: Hyderabad

Highest weight recorded: 127 Kgs

Weight lost: 41 Kgs

Duration it took me to lose weight:18 Months

The turning point: Life has always been a rat race, always about moving ahead and this meant adding more inches to the waist and the body. My weight was silently causing me distress. I was diagnosed with multiple ailments. Cholesterol levels started rising up, blood pressure was constantly high, I used to get tired so easily and later, I was diagnosed with stage 1 diabetes. That was the time I decided to take my health in my hands and overhaul my lifestyle.

My breakfast: For me, breakfast is a very important part of the day and it has to be filling and high in proteins. Since I workout in the morning, I eat something energising and filling like sattu, poha, idlies or boiled eggs along with a fruit (like banana).

My lunch: My lunch is quite nutritious but simple. I usually have a bowl of daal or subzi with two chapatis and a seasonal salad. Having curd is a must for me.

My dinner: In my family, we prefer wrapping up our dinners latest by 6 or 7 pm daily and do not consume anything three hours before sleeping. Dinners are usually light, mostly like my lunch.

Pre-workout meal: Banana or Dates

Post- workout meal: Banana or sattu milkshake.

My workout: For me running is everything and I attribute running for what I am today. My coaches – Vijay Shukla and Hyderabad Runners have played a massive part in my running transformation. This is the only workout secret I have. Ever since I started running, I started seeing changes in my lifestyle and have gotten a lot fitter than before.

Low-calorie recipes I swear by: I believe that there is nothing bad about any food. As long as you practice the rule of moderation and keep your daily calorie intake in mind, there is nothing on your plate you have to say no to. However, I would like to add that sattu and millet flour is a good dietary addition for weight watchers.

Fitness secrets I unveiled: Exercise can solve so many problems and address so many issues! As they say, do not quit before you try it. People say that exercising and working out is so difficult. However, I believe that we are capable of so much and we do not realize our true potential. Once you start settling in with the regime and make workouts a part of your life, you will never want to go back.

How do I stay motivated? My wife Sonali is the biggest reason for me to always stay motivated. She has kept me going for so long and has also helped me get fitter!

How do you ensure you don’t lose focus? I maintain a logbook, tracking all my exercise moves and minutes. I also ensure a strict overview of the schedule we are following. These tiny changes have helped me stay on track.

apoorba kumar story

What’s the most difficult part of being overweight?

Excessive weight and obesity is very risky and can do so much damage. You become more prone to developing health issues, catching several infections. Such problems became chronic in my life. Carrying on daily duties became so much more difficult.

What shape do you see yourself 10 years down the line? I see myself being fit and continuing the goal I have in my mind. I know I am capable of doing much more and eventually, I will be able to do so. In the future, I also want to give it back to society and help others looking to achieve fitness levels.

What are the lifestyle changes you made? Slowly and steadily, I started dropping kilos but the journey was tough. Once you believe in something, you can achieve it by sheer determination and will power. In my fitness journey, I also gave up on certain ‘staples’. No sugar, no fried food, nothing from the bakery, no alcohol and absolutely no frozen or preservative products in our house! Making this big change has been absolutely beneficial.

What was the lowest point for you?

Initially, it was very tough. I could not even run for more than 2 minutes and there used to be massive breathing issues and after going back home my legs used to pain a lot. There were days I wanted to quit but then I used to think of my family and move ahead for them. As they say, my family is my biggest support system.

Lessons learnt from weight loss:

When it comes to fitness, there is nothing like instant results. You really need to give in time and hard work to see the results. Making the first move is the most important step in the fitness game. Dedication, determination and commitment are the three pillars of fitness, without which miracles cannot happen.

If you too have a weight loss story to share, send it to us at toi.health1@gmail.com

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