Real-life weight loss stories often have a direct connect to people. Having a tough time starting your weight loss regime? Here is Sudipto Mitra’s inspiring journey. Read on a Mitra explains what worked for him and busts one of the most common weight loss myths!
Real-Life Weight Loss Story: Weight loss is a journeys subjective. It requires an emotional, mental and physical investment of different levels. The route, time and destination can be different for different people. Everyone has their own story to glory. Everyone comes with their own sets of reasons for how, when and why they embarked on this mission. For Sudipto Mitra it came upon his mental health.
Speaking exclusively with India.com about his inspiring weight loss journey, sudipto said,”To be honest my motivation was very superficial. I spend a fortune on clothes, and it stressed me a lot once I started to fill into them. It was also peak COVID time when I realised how my sedentary wfh life and resorting to junk food for immediate gratification had showed up in ways that was very embarrassing to look into the mirror. The weight gain (was monumental) the effect on my mental health seemed irreversible. The motivation to lose weight came from the slightly remaining self love.”
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Sudipto Mitra lost almost 20kgs in nearly one and a half years by adhering to a dedicated diet and exercise routine. Here is his inspiring journey of embarking on a happier and healthier life and how!
What Was Your Weight Loss Diet And Routine?
“While I mostly stuck to Miten’s diet, I realised with time it taught me to self regulate, understand the dietary requirements of my body and decide what all I can have. I reduced my caffeine intake. I have tea once in the entire day, without sugar (replaced sugar with available monkfruit options). No tea / coffee post 3 PM – I live by this rule now,” says the 32-year-old from Lucknow.
I don’t drink any packaged drinks with added sugar. For the cola cravings, I relied only on no sugar options. I reckon that gluten doesn’t suit my gut a lot, I have rice with meat and vegetables for all my meals, the recipes keep changing ofcourse.
As far as fruits are concerned, I eat 2-3 types of seasonal fruits (including mangoes) every day with breakfast. I have managed to completely give up sugar (with the exception of occasional tastings of desserts).
Did You Completely Cut Down on Sugar?
Oh yes! Completely cut down. As mentioned above, with the occasional exceptions. Such exceptions come once or twice in months.
Sudipto Mitra lost almost 20 kgs and now leads a healthier lifestyle!
Did You Have Cheat Meals?
I don’t plan any cheat meals. My idea of a real cheat meal would be probably a pizza and / or chole bhature but frankly I don’t crave them now. But I can have a couple of bites from someone else’s plate once or twice a month. But cheating is rare.
What is One Rule That You Abide by For Losing Weight?
First rule – Being kind to myself. I wanted to lose weight sustainably by inculcating life changing habits. There are ways to lose weight quickly as well but any weight lost quickly comes back to you even quicker (in my personal experience).
That brings me to my second rule – exercise daily, no matter how much of it you do, just show up everyday. The final rule, remember, your body may not be hungry every time you feel like eating something. Most of the times we feel like munching out of habit or boredom and stopping that is a game changer.
What Was One Thing That Worked Best For You?
Consistency, Miten and team’s regular follow ups when I felt like giving up. And the faith to make sustainable changes in my lifestyle.
Mitra joined a fitness program that kept him “afloat”. After joining MSF by Miten, he elaborated how things changed for him. He said, “Understand what your body needs, it always gives out signals; then decide your pace of fitness activities. Never starve yourself of food or sleep. Diet and rest are the key pillars of a healthy body. Good things take time, be patient with the results, they will show up if your efforts are consistent.”
One Challenge That You Faced And How Did You Overcome it?
I could not stick to regular exercising before I joined Miten. His program helped me build the habit of working out and being active which I lacked earlier. Further, my mind and stomach were not aligned. My head would crave food even though my body didn’t need it. Luckily now that has changed. Also, I had started to develop serious sleep apnea, so the anxiety caused by that was another push that I needed.
Being critical and self loathing. Once you’re overweight or receive the “fat” tag, it doesn’t leave you. In your head your always the “fat” guy. Oh and completely giving up alcohol, that helped a lot.
Is There a Weight Loss Myth That You Got to Know About During Your Journey?
Yes, that one should not have carbs on their weightloss journey, biggest myth! Giving up carbs can help one lose weight quickly, it may also weaken the liver and/ or result in brain fog and fatigue amongst other problems. A balanced meal includes a moderate helping of everything, so one should have everything. Secondly, lifting heavier weights are the only way to build muscle mass, wrong. One should lift as much as they safely can, the key to building muscle lies in controlled workouts and not merely on how heavy one lifts.
When we asked how things changed for him, Sudipto said, “Will keep this one short and crisp. I live my life in a waist size 30 trouser instead of 36. It was gradual but one hell of a journey and today, I feel pretty good about myself.”
India.com runs a special series and brings forth Real-Life Weight Loss stories for our readers to people them take that first step towards themselves. If you have or know someone who might have an incredible weight loss journey to share, write to us on our social media handles or drop a mail at – [email protected].