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Gaurav Salunkhe tells us how he lost 26 kg by doing yoga and adopting a healthy lifestyle.
I used to be fit during my childhood and teen years because I used to play outdoors and had no access to junk food.
My weight gain started when I was in first year of college as I began eating oily and junk food without proper breakfast and meal planning.
Initially I gained 5 to 7 kg. My belly was out of shape and I looked horrible.
I joined a gym and focused on running without any weight training.
Back then I continued eating processed food like biscuits. I used to starve, robing my body of essential nutrients.
I lost weight, but I had become weak and my hair was thinner.
In 2012 I learned about Rujuta Diwekar. I read her book Don't Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight.
I realised that starving is not an option. Eating a wholesome and balanced diet without punishing your body is essential.
Gradually I developed a lean body by doing proper weight training.
Again, in late 2013 I was not in my best mental health. I stopped working out and went back to eating junk.
Within a month-and-a-half I gained 30 kg. I went from 70 to 100 kg.
I started going to the gym, but I had lost the groove so I would get tired easily.
In 2016, I got hooked to the game Pokemon Go. It worked like a miracle as I gained my running stamina.
Within 6 months I went from 100 kg to 76. But as soon as I stopped running and exercise, I went back to 96 kg.
In 2019, I reached my highest weight. I was 104 kg.
In February 2020, I got serious and started doing surya namaskar and some basic yoga asanas.
Beginning with 4 rounds of surya namaskar, I went up to 8, 16, 25 and 30.
Three months later, I could do up to 100 surya namaskars which I have been following for a year and intend to continue.
It took me a year to go from 104 to 78 kg.
Diet and exercise
I drink 2 to 3 glasses of water after waking up in the morning.
After 45 minutes, I have my breakfast.
Breakfast: One-and-a-half chapati with milk, buffalo ghee and jaggery powder. I make small pieces of chapati, dip it with milk, 2 spoons of buffalo ghee and jaggery powder. Mix it well and eat with spoon.
Lunch: Around 12: 30. 2 chapatis and sabzi.
3.30 pm: Coffee with 2 spoons of sugar.
4 pm: Dry dates. My yoga finishes around 5.45 pm. After yoga I drink half glass milk and dry fruits.
Dinner at 6.30 pm: Dal and rice. At 9.30 pm before sleeping. I drink a glass of haldi milk with jaggery powder with giloy sattava in it.
I work out for 1 hour every day which includes stretching regime for 15 minutes for arms, legs, feet, hamstrings and back.
I take 34 to 35 minutes to complete 100 rounds of surya namskar. After that I do 2 minutes of shavasan followed by basic yoga asanas.
I walk 90 minutes in my home, 45 minutes before doing surya namaskar and 45 minutes after dinner.
I adopted some principles of Ayurveda in my lifestyle. Some basic rules I follow:
I changed my oil to cold pressed kachi ghani groundnut oil. I don't consume refined oil.
I avoided breakfast cereals, all kinds of bread, biscuits processed foods and packet foods and switched to fresh home cooked meals.
Some learnings
Doing yoga in a cool place worked like a wonder for me.
Do alternate legs while performing surya namaskar.
While doing any form of exercise, correct posture and a method is a must. Otherwise there is no point doing that exercise.
Your body is like a temple; take good care of it. Don't feed your body with junk food, addictions.
Good health is like an investment. If you take good care, it will certainly yield results.&
Have you recently lost weight or survived a health condition?
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Please share your diet plan, exercise tips, learnings and more.
Kindly mail getahead@rediff.co.in (My Fitness Story) along with your NAME, AGE, LOCATION, along with a before and after photograph of your fitness journey. We'll feature the best responses on Rediff.com.
