Many of us struggle with weight. Some want to lose the kilos, while others try hard to put a few on. Just like you, our Cult member, Kshipra, too, had her own debacles with fitness. From an enthusiastic, chirpy traveller with an unquenchable thirst for life, she fell into the vicious circle of unhealthy weight gain and poor health.
She sure wasn’t going to have it lying down! Picking up from scratch, Kshipra fought back and embraced holistic wellbeing with cult.fit. Today, she’s living her best days and is on her way to inspiring others! Let’s find out more about her inspiring journey to health.
The symptoms of the everyday hustle
I was a creatively-inclined child, lost in her dream world of music, drawing and dancing. I also had a knack for adventure and was always found hopping and jumping around – quite literally. My love for adrenaline wasn’t limited to childhood alone.
In my teens, I found solace in travel and often engaged in high-altitude treks. Naturally, fitness was second nature to me, and not once did I question my health. Much of that was about to change.
Owing to a hectic professional routine and a stressful lifestyle, I slowly started to pile on weight. Working long hours, shuffling between chores, and other professional commitments took a toll on my health. And living alone, coupled with the hectic commute of Mumbai locals, only made it worse.
I struggled to eat on time and soon started ordering in and indulging in junk food. Stress eating became a way of life for me. And before I knew it, I came down with a string of health issues and a shocking revelation of weight gain.
Gaining weight at the cost of confidence and mental health
With my active life and adventurous travels now behind me, I had put on 20 kgs – all in the span of one year. Due to the drastic weight gain, I was even hospitalized four times that year.
And it wasn’t just my physical health that had suffered. Slowly, I began losing confidence in life. I became socially conscious and started avoiding social gatherings. With time, I also started ignoring my loved ones. Constantly being told that I had put on weight made me feel too conscious, and I no longer had it in me to take it.
From weighing 50 kgs at 5 ft, I was now standing at 65kgs, with most of it being fat gain. And then, my mental health plummeted. Much to my shock and that of others, I was also forced to quit my job due to my ever-burgeoning health problems.
And if all of this wasn’t enough, the lockdown came knocking in 2020 and crashed my world completely. I became isolated and felt unhappy with the way I looked and felt. After a spree of five sleepless nights and endless crying, it all dawned upon me one fine day.
I decided to take matters into my own hands and get back on track. After researching a fair bit, I subscribed to Cult.fit and embraced a virtual fitness regime.
Picking up from Level 0
While I had resolved to get fit again, it wasn’t an easy task. I struggled a fair bit with setting a routine and keeping my calorie consumption under check. Slowly, and steadily, I moved closer towards my goal.
I dedicated an hour each day to workouts and only allowed myself one indulgent meal a week. To improve my mental well-being, I also started practicing meditation every evening.
When it came to the diet, the much-dreaded lockdown turned out to be a blessing for me instead. Since I had to cook all my meals by myself, I ensured to only eat in a healthy and time-bound fashion, and this aided my weight loss even more. By now, my efforts had started to show too. Here I am in September 2021!
Exploring my inner adventurer again
I stuck to my fitness routine without obsessing over the numbers. In January this year, on my birthday, I, at random, pulled out a 13-year-old dress, and to my surprise – I fit into it snugly. My joy knew no limits.
From starting at 65 kgs in 2021, I reached 45 kgs within a year. And it wasn’t just the weighing scale that mattered! I had also regained my zest for life and felt alive again. I no longer evaded outings and even got back to traveling in full swing.
With my overall well-being in place, I also decided to begin a new chapter in life. I married my long-term boyfriend in July this year, and we went gallivanting to Himachal Pradesh soon after! We trekked, went on leisurely natural trails, and even tried paragliding - all while being fit and fabulous.
And so I found my lost spark
With my advent into fitness, I continue to follow a fitness regime and am committed to inspiring several others along the way. On being asked if I have a message for the readers, here's what I have to say:
‘I believe you have to be physically and mentally fit, happy and enthusiastic about life – whether you do it at 45 kgs or 75kgs, it’s up to you!’
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