“Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do and not worry about what others think” – Denise Mansfield.
There is a terminology that my friends have always used to describe me, the happy-go-lucky smiling face, to be specific. However, around five years back, life came around to give me a reality check. Spending my school life till tenth grade in a convent school, I had to apply to a private school for higher secondary to pursue my interests. The rounds of applications started and during the wait, happy-go-lucky started to feel like a myth.
After a few weeks, what I did receive was an interview call, my one-shot at achieving my dream. Being the first interview of my life, I didn’t exactly have any appropriate attire to feel confident in. So, with a big smile and a jump in my walk, I make a trip to the mall. Hours went by and the happy-go-lucky self in me was losing its light, finding a right attire was difficult. The reason? I was obese, extremely conscious about what I wore and under confident about my clothing choices.
Self-confidence is the best outfit, rock it and own it. Allen Solly by the Aditya Birla Group, my last shopping destination, is where I found my best outfit. The quick work by in-house experts, their extensive sections of products and amazing range of sizes are the reasons why, not only did I get into my dream school but also my dream college, Indian Institute of Foreign trade, because wearing the exquisite collection by Allen Solly wherever you go, isn’t just about style, it is about comfort, expression and confidence.
It was after the above experience that I realized how my health was spiraling out of my control. Two years of higher secondary went past really quick where I tried to do some yoga, running and healthy eating to shed 40 kilograms of excess weight.
However, after two years of hard work, the results weren’t satisfactory. I decided to redefine my life and find out the reason behind my excessive weight. A cause and effect approach, I was medically diagnosed with PCOD which leads to weight gain. A secret? Once you find out the root problem, the solution is the easiest to figure out. I followed medical advice and joined a functional fitness gymnasium.
My challenge was not losing the weight, it was getting out of bed every morning to make that commute to the gym, go through gruesome physical training and always eating right. My trainer used to say, “A weight loss plan is 50% exercise and 50% diet. Just like life is 50% hard work and 50% patience.” My trainer, standing there in Go Colors Joggers, looking at me with a stern expression and saying these resounding words, this is the memory that motivates me every day.
A year later, I’ve lost 25 kilograms of weight and maintained a healthy lifestyle. Nothing beats the feeling of joy that you get when you lie down on the gym floor for a minute after a workout. The best part about a challenge is that you never know when it can turn into an opportunity, just like I never realized how a thirty minutes workout became my stress-buster somewhere along the way.
My fitness journey was the Big in my life.