'Be very kind to yourself. Start with small steps. If you really want to do it, nothing is going to stop you,' says 26-year-old Aayushi Tailor as she shares the challenges she faced during her weight loss journey.
Aayushi Tailor began her weight loss journey earlier this year; she was in the middle of preparing for her chartered accountancy exams consisting of long study hours, constant pressure and a completely sedentary lifestyle.
"It started around January, Aayushi tells Rishika Shah/Rediff. "Many people began commenting on my weight, pointing out that I had gained quite a few kilos."
For a long time, she assumed this was normal. Sitting for 12-13 hours a day, eating junk food, sleeping poorly... it all felt like part of the CA journey. "I thought the weight gain, under these circumstances, was normal."
Then, the physical discomfort started catching up. "You're not able to walk, you don't sleep well and you eat almost anything," she explains. That's when it hit her that something had to change.
Like many people, Aayushi kept telling herself she would start once she was mentally free. "I always had a target that once I cleared CA and once I was mentally free, I would start working on losing weight," she says. "But that time never came."
Aayushi decided she was not going to wait any more.
Over the next 10 months, she lost 28 kilos -- a journey she balanced alongside the pressure of her CA prep.
"I just thought I could do this along with my CA," she says. "After all, there has to be a starting point."
For Aayushi, motivation came from the mirror. "Honestly speaking, I wanted to look good," she says. "It wasn't that I wanted to be overweight. I didn't choose to get that body. It was my routine and that led to it."
She also found inspiration in people who stayed disciplined despite pressure. "Virat Kohli, for example, has faced tons of ups and downs but he is always so strict about his workout and diet," she says.
Before starting any strict plan, Aayushi tested herself. "It requires a lot of patience, money to invest and determination. So I challenged myself first."
She began with basic habits like daily step targets and cutting out certain foods. "I took a vow that I will not have ice cream, bakery products and mango items until I reach my target," she says. "It's been 11 months and I still haven't had any cake or ice cream."
What helped her stay consistent wasn't a shortcut.
"Self-motivation was easy," she says. "I always thought that I don't want to wake up looking how I looked the previous day."
Yet, the initial months were mentally tough. "The numbers where shifting on the scale but I could not see any change physically," she says. "That was very challenging."
There were moments of self-doubt. "In the first few months, I used to ask everyone, 'Am I looking thin?' And everyone said no. It was very depressing," she admits.
But she kept going. "Not today, but tomorrow I'll see a change," she told herself. "There is no easier route."
It was only after a few months that the changes became visible. "I started getting comments that okay, now you are reducing," she says. "That was helpful."
After trying random online diets, Aayushi chose to follow a structured nutrition plan under Dietician Riya Jain, whom she came in contact with through a common friend. The friend was consulting Jain for weight gain and recommended her to Aayushi.
"She allows you to have pasta, fried rice, Manchurian -- everything in a healthier form," Aayushi explains. "I'm not even curbing my cravings."
She also added movement slowly. "In the first three months, I used to do functional training," she says. Later, simple habits made a big difference. "After every meal, I used to walk. Whenever I took a phone call, I would walk."
These were things she never did earlier.
"Currently also, I complete 10,000 to 11,000 steps every day," she says.
Balancing exams and dieting was the hardest part. "People have the utmost cravings when they are studying because your mind is working 24x7," she says. "It was mentally and physically stressing."
Aayushi is clear that she couldn't have done this alone. "Without my mom, I couldn't have done this," she says. "I don't know how to cook so she made all the recipes that Riya sent."
Her parents supported her decision to invest in her health. "For me, as a middle class person, it's a lot," she says. "But my parents were super supportive."
Even cheat meals were a source of motivation. "My dad used to make sure I have a super good cheat meal," she laughs. "That made the next week much, much easier."
Beyond weight loss, Aayushi noticed a shift in how she felt daily. "Initially, I was very lazy," she says. "Now I wake up automatically. I don't even need an alarm."
She feels more mindful and energetic. "I don't feel lousy or slouch," she says. "I can go to 10 different places in one day."
Looking back, Aayushi believes self-doubt is the biggest hurdle. "If you don't even start, that is a failure at step one," she says.
Her advice is simple: "Be very kind to yourself. Start with small things. If you really want to do it, nothing is going to stop you."
"Never giving up will eventually lead to fruitful results," she adds. "I'm proof."
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