Weight loss story: “Having protein-rich breakfast and doing resistance training helped me lose 46 kilos”

Due to his weight, Sai Srinivas Polavarapu developed many seasonal health issues and lifestyle disorders. Additionally, he was diagnosed with cancer and suffered from temporary paralysis. It was during this time he realised the importance of following a good, nutritious diet and maintaining one’s fitness. Through hard work and dedication, in around two years, he managed to lose 46 kilos. Here’s his inspiring weight loss journey:

Also read: Weight loss story: “I ate my dinner before 8pm and did weight training + cardio everyday”

Name: Sai Srinivas Polavarapu

Occupation: Nutrition and fitness consultant with FITTR

Age: 29

Height: 167cm

City: Hyderabad

Highest weight recorded: 106kgs

Weight lost: 46kgs

Duration took me to lose weight: 2 years

A few years back, I weighed a lot. My highest weight recorded was 106 kilos and this led to many health challenges including seasonal illnesses and lifestyle disorders. During this time, I was also diagnosed with cancer, which caused temporary paralysis. Following this incident in my life, I realized the importance of staying fit and healthy.

My breakfast: 200gm veggies, 200ml milk, 3 egg whites

My lunch: Chicken biryani, fried rice, paneer/soya biryani, rice and chicken/prawn/fish/soya

My dinner: Dal/chole/rajma with roti, pongal, dosa, soya tikki, chicken sandwich

Pre-workout meal: Bread with peanut butter or chocos

Post-workout meal: Lunch which mostly has biryanis or whey protein

I indulge in (What you eat on your cheat days): I rarely have cheat meals as I include everything.

Low-calorie recipes I swear by: Low-calorie biryanis and soya aloo chaat

I indulged in resistance training with a push-pull leg split or antagonist muscle groups.

Fitness secrets I unveiled:

- You can include anything in the macros provided you know it's nutritional value.

- You don't need to do cardio to lose weight.

- It's not 70% diet and 30% workout, it's 100% of both.

- Being on ultra-low calories is a waste of time as the body always tries to find a way to decrease energy expenditure.

- Workout smart, not hard.

- Step count is a must.

Motivation is overrated. Do not seek it from anyone else or you will start depending on it. Rather make your fitness routine a habit. I like to take up new skills to keep me excited.

Also, back in 2018, I had an incident, where my doc said to me that I can't take any stress as it could affect my brain. The discipline that quantified nutrition and workouts give me, is blissful.

How do you ensure you don’t lose focus?: I focus on the things that pushed me to start in the first place. People often tend to forget that. Once you build the habits, you don't need to worry about consistency.If I have a bad day, I tell myself I will try to give whatever I can without being uncomfortable. Something is always better than nothing. I drag myself to the gym saying I'll work out for just 15 min.

Being overweight made me prone to seasonal health issues. I got tired very easily even with minimal effort. Additionally, you are more susceptible to lifestyle disorders.

What shape do you see yourself 10 years down the line?: The hardest part of one's journey is to maintain whatever weight is lost. I would like to stay in this shape and build some decent muscles.

I had a complete lifestyle makeover. People from my past don't believe me now.

I gave up drinking, smoking, can run, jump, do headstands without any effort. I used to hate the gym. Now, I can't live without it.

I drink 5-6 litres of water and get 8 hours of sleep. Most importantly, I have a better food relationship.

Lessons learnt from weight loss:

You don't have to starve yourself.

When you are stuck, just take a step back and go for a break.

Don't rush the process and make it sustainable. This is the most underrated advice.

Don't overdo your training and get injured. Setbacks are the worst.

Don't overcomplicate things.

Do cardio after resistance training if your goal is fat loss.

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

These views are not generic in nature. Weight loss results vary for individuals and the views shared in this article offer no guarantee of specific results. The content is not intended in any way as a substitute for professional advice.