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I have always been a plump child. I think I was born overweight. My parents encouraged me to exercise and stay active, but I ate a lot of junk food and, honestly, I do not have a great metabolism. So I struggled with weight throughout my childhood and teenage years.
The peak weight — and my first attempt to change things
I hit my heaviest during my MBA. At the end of my second year of post-graduation, I was around 60 kilos. Now, 60 kilos might not sound like a lot — but I am only five feet tall. On that frame, it is quite a lot. That was my peak, and once I finished studying and started working, I decided I needed to get serious.
I made two major changes. First, I completely cut out junk food and eating out, and switched to clean, simple home-cooked meals. Second, I became very consistent with workouts — five to six times a week, about an hour each session, mostly cardio: running, swimming, and walking. After about four months of following this, I had lost around ten kilos and was down to roughly 50–51 kilos, which is a healthy weight for my height. I was happy with the result.
Why that approach stopped working
Here is the problem: the diet was extremely strict, and strict diets are not sustainable. The moment I relaxed a little — ate slightly more, or missed workouts — the weight started creeping back. And because the plan was entirely cardio-focused with no weight training, I had not built anything underneath. I looked thinner but not strong, and my metabolism was fragile.
What actually worked — weight training plus moderate eating
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Book a Mock InterviewAbout two and a half years ago I discovered weight training. I had read a lot about how it is good not just for metabolism, but for improving muscle mass, strengthening bones, and building real strength and stamina. So I changed my approach completely.
My new workout split became roughly three days of cardio and three days of weight training each week. On the food side, I stopped being so extreme. Instead of swinging between ultra-clean eating and going all out, I focused on portion control and stopped restricting any single type of food. I also started paying more attention to the quality and type of nutrients I was putting into my body, rather than just cutting calories.
2016 was the year I was in the best shape of my life. Not only did I look more toned, but I felt amazing. My strength and stamina were at a level I had never experienced before. That combination — weight training, cardio, and eating moderately and more intuitively — genuinely worked wonders.
The one rule I keep coming back to — consistency is everything
2017 was, honestly, a year where I was not consistent — with my workouts or with what I was eating. Life got busy, work demands piled up, and I let it slip. And the results were there for me to see. Not just in the way I look, but in how I feel — my stamina and energy levels are nowhere near what they were when I was consistent and regular.
If there is one thing I have come to firmly believe about health and fitness, it is this: consistency is everything. It does not matter how good your plan is if you are not showing up for it regularly. You can eat well occasionally and work out occasionally, but sustainable results only come from sustained habits.
Where I am now and what comes next
I am at a point where I want to get back on track. The goal for the coming months is simple: rebuild that consistency — with the workouts, with the food, and with everything else that comes with living a healthier life. I will be sharing what I am doing in terms of workouts, food, and practical hacks along the way, so if that is useful to you, stay tuned. And if you have a similar story — a time when things worked, a time when they fell apart, and a decision to start again — I would love to hear it.
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