Weight loss story: “I did cardio, yoga and weight training and lost 40 kilos in 8 months”

Vivek Sachin Godbole was committed to losing weight and getting his fitness back on track. But after he suffered a ligament tear, it became extremely difficult to achieve his goals. In addition, being a foodie made things more challenging. However, a lot of factors motivated him to start his fitness journey all over again. Here’s a look at everything he did to lose 40.2 kgs.

Also read: Weight loss story: “I had paneer with brown rice and worked out 5 days a week, lost 12 kilos”

Name: Vivek Sachin Godbole

Occupation: CS aspirant and a badminton coach

Age: 29 years

Height: 5feet 6inch

City: Pune

Highest weight recorded: 99.8

Weight lost: 40.2 kgs, fat loss: 21.8%

Duration it took me to lose weight: 8 months

Being into sports, I have always wanted to get lean. I tried many times earlier and lost some weight, but due to ligament tear, I faced many problems and ended up gaining more weight than I had lost. In addition, being a foodie and indulging in junk/street food added to my weight gain woes.

My breakfast - A fruit plate/handful of nuts

My lunch - 50 gms of paneer, half bhakri (jowar or bajra) with sabji, 1 cup dal, 1 cup curd with salads/ khichdi with veggies/ thalipeeth.

My dinner - Palak cheela/soup with salad /khichdi

Pre-workout - A coffee shot

Post-workout - I used to come from gym at lunch time so I used to have lunch post gym session

I indulge in (What you eat on your cheat days): I had no cheat meals for the 1st 6 months.. post that I used to have cheat meals once a month and that would be pizza. I also love North Indian food/chaats etc..

Low-calorie recipes I swear by: Idli/dosas/paneer roll

At 4:45 am, I go for a run of 8-10 kms followed by 108 surya namaskar followed by yoga and pranayam. Then, after a break of 3 hrs, I used to hit the gym for weight training and functional training, HIIT, etc..

In the evening, I indulged in over 2 to 3 hours of badminton. That said, I invested a total of 7-8 hrs to my workout.

Diet plays the most important role. You need to eat well to feel good and get in shape.

How do I stay motivated?: Family and friends played a significant role in keeping me motivated. Also, I stayed motivated by looking at my own transformation, because a year back all of it seemed impossible to me. I have achieved and earned my fitness, which is why it would be injustice to give up. Taking one step at a time made me reach where I am today and in the future, I will achieve bigger and fitter fitness goals, for sure!

My posture was very bad, I was body shamed, and I was very low on confidence. Furthermore, I suffered from a high blood pressure and my ligament tear only made it worse. All of these factors made it extremely difficult for.

What was the lowest point for you?: The lowest point in my fitness journey was when there was climatic flu and I was unable to indulge in my workout regime, especially because I was dedicated to it. The results were exceptionally good, but unfortunately I couldn't meet the desired fitness target back in the day..also on a social front - when there was a get-together with family and friends, I had to settle with salads and my diet related foods.

What shape do you see yourself 10 years down the line?: More lean with muscles, more fit and happy like never before.

Now, I add no sugar, have no bakery items and no junk food. The last meal of the day, I have at 6pm in the evening and nothing after that. In addition, I make sure to drink around 3.5-4 litres of water.

Lessons learnt from weight loss: You need determination and must trust the process. Nothing is impossible if you work hard to get what you desire.. Consistency is what transforms average into excellence.

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.