14th March - It all begins today…. The regime is drastic because I do not have an option.

Keeping in mind that it would be a tough act, with a lot of people watching and more cheering, I decided to blog it weekly for the 5 weeks that I would be following a very strict diet. Details of week 1 can be read here.adfat2fit-bigloser20111

Alert: My customized diet and regime are being conducted under strict supervision of a doctor. It is advisable to consult a qualified doctor before attempting any regime whatsoever.

Whilst waiting to commence reduction, read a tweet from Asfaq that he had lost some 8-10 kg….when according to me he had nothing to lose. Soon enough the great Bombay Addict aka B50 got on the band wagon as also a lot of others who said that all of us need to support each other in changing our lifestyle.

B50 proposed a scheme whereby people could sponsor those trying to lose weight and the number of kilos lost by February 2012 would be multiplied at the rate of Rs. 10/- kg and given to charity. You can read more about it here. So, as we say, Read up, join up, Sponsor up or at least damn RT it and spread the word.

Soon enough, more people joined, making it difficult to keep tabs at which point Bombay Addict decided to make it a movement and hence Bigloser came into being with its own website

This is where it now begins… I lost 6 kg in 18 days (more cleansing of antibiotics etc rather than anything else) and would begin my plan on the 14th March 2011

There was a large gap in my plan and posts, thanks to Dr. Davare’s clinic being renovated and my wanting to see how I could maintain myself.

I was fairly successful in maintaining myself, with just and increase of 2kg till November 2010, when our Anniversary, birthday and generally party season began.

My Gym membership had lapsed and like everyone else thought that, I was fit enough not to renew it again. And then 31st December, party clothes refused to fit me. “Wake up” said my wife - who incidentally with all the parties and eating nay hogging had not put on a single kilo.

January 2011 began, called up Dr. Davare who finally agreed to give a date in February with the reason that - more relevant people were also waiting.

Whilst waiting for the date, renewed the gym membership, but in the intervening period - Jan 1, 2011 - Feb 15, 2011 fell prey to the recurring ligament & tendon problem, followed by the AV fistula problem that is persistent since birth.

Antibiotics, laid down, not even the brief walk piled on the kilos, leading to being depressed, thereby eating more, feeling guilty but still not worried.

This meant that when I weighed in for my Plan, I was practically back to my original weight of 156kg. I was sent back with a warning to lose 4-5 kg by flushing out toxins and to discontinue the antibiotics.

After losing 8-10 kg and gaining 2-3 kg, I finally decided to take stock and was mentally ready to meet Dr. Sarita Davare who had been extremely successful with my wife. Seeking her appointment was a herculean task itself, but thankfully my wife was upto the task and we managed to meet her in October.

The doctor was pretty gungho, however she wanted a complete commitment from me and hence gave me another 3 weeks before the plan began.

I began in the first week of November - 5 week plan - that was rigorous to say the least, with of course Saturday & Sunday to look forward to.

Between the period of November to May, I completed 3 sessions with breaks of 4-5 weeks each to allow the body to get used to. Overall the 1st session was extremely rewarding, followed by a good and the 3rd led to some amount of cheating, there by not much loss.

However, overall I lost approx 22kg (coming down from 154 - 140) which was a personal best for me. This could have been much more - nearly 30+ kg if I had

1) Walked 6 km a day for at least 5 days a week.
2) Not cheated in the 3rd session

But, now the maintenance part was going to be extremely difficult.

After meeting with a lot of reputed dietitians decided to work out a common diet plan, which should work for me.

During this period, I stuck to the following rules 100%
1) Only 2 pegs (30ml) once a week
2) Fried stuff only once a month
3) At least 11/2 liters of water everyday

The objective here was to see whether I could begin to discipline myself, without doing some drastic stuff.

Yes, It did work for me, Lost 8 kgs during this period, not a great achievement, but at least I was down on the quantity aspect.

Here’s the dietplan2009mar-june

The Gym at the Renaissance Club, which had seen me visiting it a couple of days a week, decided it had enough & gave way in December 2008.

With the management putting it under renovation - whatever that meant - it was back joggers park.

During this month, which also has my birthday, that was celebrated by my friends in my wife’s absence.

Coming back from her trip, hearing about the closure, she made a couple of trips without telling me; till one fine weekend in January, she took me to Fitness First - one of the most happening, latest & posh Gym this part of the town!

She had GIFTED me with a GYM membership!

Could not believe my ears & eyes……

Man…O…..Man, this was like a dream come true. Enough machines to keep one happy, steam, sauna, private classes on a whole lot of exercise & what have you!

So on 3rd of February joined the Gym! After the first couple of days of showing me around, I was told that it would be good to have a Personal Trainer - when I heard about the cost - I freaked out, almost stopped going:)

On thinking it thru, I realised that this was their Sales Technique & why should I object….Did I not tell my people to Upsell everytime someone entered the store…..

Sitting down with them, explained in no unclear terms my requirements & goals (short term 3-6 months)

• to be enthusiastic to attend the Gym 4-5 days a week
• to have a treadmill & cycle free, where beginning with 5-7 minutes, reach upto 20 minutes each.
• to initiate basic free hand exercises for arms & legs to get the stiffness (thanks to the ligament tears) rotating out.
• to build stamina; followed by strength
• finally lose weight.

This was drawn up & we began………

Some observations during the month…….

• 80% of the people attending the Gym do not need to attend, but spend the maximum time there.
• Most of the trainers are good, however 1on1 training is where there is maximum focus.
• The facilities are extremely good, well maintained.
• 20% of the people attending the Gym do need to attend & thanks to the ambiance start spending more time.
• Everyone drinks different protein shakes & what have you.

Status End of February:

Attended 20 days.

I could do 18+10 minutes of cardio (treadmill & cycling) one day & the next day 10 minutes of treadmill followed by 2 sets of 2 legs & 2 arms free style exercises.

The Turmoil that rocked me professionally during 2007 also helped me focus on family, friends, health in no particular order.

Visited Bangalore twice during the period of 15 months, catching up with friends, Kenny, Sanjar of Panache, Sundar, amongst others.

During one of the visit, ended up with a torn ligament in the right leg….(a different story involving sanjar tells it how?).

Trying to set it right with physiotherapy, one fine evening, at Juhu Natural, managed to twist my other leg & hand, thanks to BMC open gutter…..

So whilst the orthopedic surgeon wanted to avoid, any invasive surgery etc., bed rest was the only solution, leading to a weight gain still.

In the meantime, somebody had recommended Naini Setalvad & another dietitian; both whom did not last more than a month, for different reasons.

It was in August 2008. 16 August to be precise, when during my wife’s birthday, I decided to write down what I wanted to do & how I would do it…..

Having met, visited so many experts; read about it, a couple of facts stared me in the face….

1) The subconscious is an internal thermostat controlling success level. If it does not believe in loosing the weight, no diet can reduce weight.

2) Irrespective of what you eat….it is the quantity that matters.

3) Irrespective of your diet control, you need to exercise.

Then the process started…..

Exercise:

I started going to the Jogger’s Park, parking the car & walking….initially slowly, dragging myself for 5-10 minutes & then collapsing on a bench. Finally managed to get up to a decent continuous 15 minutes!

Then, loosing interest, went to the Gym at the club where I was a member. Was reasonably regular, 4 days a week, doing 10 minutes of treadmill & 10 minutes of cycling.

Diet:

From September 2008, I started eating 5-6 times a day

8-9 am     Breakfast 1 Cup of Tea with 11/2 Khakhra or 5 Marie biscuits

11 am       4-5 walnuts/Rasins/Fruit

12.30-1   Lunch - 2 Roti, dry veg, dal, dahi

4-5.30     Fruit - apple, pineapple etc./Sandwich

8.30 - 9   Dinner - Soup/Subway/Idli/Eggs/Tandoori Chicken/Fish

Drinks came down to maybe once a week, then also only staunch whiskey with water.

Cultivated eating something before going out/drinks.

Made an exception on Sunday, where I allowed myself a vada or shared a pizza against earlier couple of vadas & pizza.

Oh! Yes, from 2 bottles of thumsup/coke a day, gave it up nearly except maybe once a fortnight or similar.

Water consumption went up from a couple of glasses to 1.5 litres.

During this enforced rest, did everything I wanted to……..

Having gone grey since I was 22/23 years old (hereditary to an extent & circumstances:)) finally decided to stop contributing to L’oreal’s bottomline & went Bald, realising that the new Salt & Pepper was the In thing:)

George Clooney, I was not, but the Change had begun & was visible.

I have never been an athlete in my Life! though would always be on the playground, trying to be one.

I have never played sports in my Life! though played a bit of cricket, learnt a bit of football.

I have always been finicky about food - i.e. loved the good food,  but only cooked in a specific manner, at specific places etc.

I am a vegetarian who also eats non vegetarian:) but regularly irregular. I started eating chicken in 1981/82 maybe once in a month or so. Fish in 1990, with red meat once in a couple of months maybe! And this is primarily outside when entertaining or being entertained.

And learnt the Shotokan style of Karate (Brown Belt) for a couple of years.

Post college, work started, moved across India, traveling, so on! With the rapid growth on the professional level, came the sedentary life style, with the industry change, came more luxurious travel, entertainment so much so that for a couple of years lived out of the suitcase.

When traveling tried the delicacies there & then when back, wanted home cooked food that the wife made……AND the photographs say it better…….

Sedentary lifestyle; Partying; Entertainment did me in, so to speak.

During this period of 1988 to 2007 I had tried out the following:

1) Talwalkars’s in Mumbai during 1996-97…..on the recommendation of Mehul but the travel(which made it difficult to be regular) & the insipid trainer (who helped strain my back with his enthusiasm) put paid my gymming.

2) Anjali Mukherjee during the same period & 2000 when I consulted her & she in turn consulted me:) And Yes there were changes, however the near drastic lifestyle changes did not sit well with me, so left it at that.

Magar Abhi toh Picture shuru hua hai mere dost!!!!