From fat to less fat: What I learned from losing 9kgs in 4 months - A documentary

Before Reading this blog

Before reading this blog here are a few things I wish to say. You may not be having the time or the patience to read the entire blog (I really wish you do). But please spend a few minutes to read at least this part of the blog. Thank you.

1. First of all, thank you so much for deciding to click on the link to this blog. This means that you care about me and what I am doing and I love you for that.

2. Secondly, despite what social media claims and most of the world thinks, you don't need any kind of transformation if you are happy and healthy. Please don't get carried away by the way the social media portrays beauty. Being chubby or skinny doesn't make you any less attractive. I have seen guys fall hard for girls who are chubby, girls who are skinny and generally, girls whom the world thinks aren't attractive. I myself have been in relationships when I used to be skinny and with no dressing sense whatsoever (not that I have any now). The point is, you are who you are and as long as you are healthy and happy, fuck what others think. The right people will like you no matter what and you only need these people with you.

3. Thirdly, if you are not in a proper health condition to take up a fitness journey and are feeling bad for that, I want you to know that it is okay. I had to see my two year gym gains disappear after I had to discontinue working out because of some sickness. With a breakup and a lockdown everything got worse. So take care of your health and remember, there is no race, no timeline and no last date.

4. This is a documentary of my fitness journey. I, by no means, have even the slightest of the intentions to show off any of my progress. That is why I have added only the absolutely necessary images by the end of the blog.

5. Finally, this is my first blog. So bear with the way this is written, the language and the grammar. Some part of the blog is in first person, some part is in third person and some part who knows what, but please bear with all that.

It will make me really happy if you read the entire blog. It will put a wide smile on my face if you can also provide your comments personally. But no pressure.

If you still are short of time, please spend a few minutes to read "The End" only.

Why this title?

Weirdly, the title of this blog is "From fat to less fat" rather than the usual "From fat to fit". Here is why:

These articles about "From fat to fit - in so and so days" are all really motivating. They have motivated me and given me hope. But on the other side, they have made me anxious. "I should have started before", "They have done it, how long is it going to take me?". These are the thoughts that run in my mind that ultimately lead to anxiety and self doubt. Almost all of these posts have given me an eerie feeling that people are ahead of me in life, they have figured out stuff and are living their lives.

The reason why I have not waited to make this a "fat to fit - transformation" blog is that I want you know that I am in with you. I am working alongside you in this journey, I am in the journey and I have not completed it. I hope that gives you a feeling of being accompanied, a feeling of not being alone in your journey.

Moreover, I am not any stranger. I am not a celebrity or some Instagram influencer whom you know just by how famous they are. There is no feel of a third person between us, as we have, at some point of our lives, been together. I am an ordinary person with ordinary things in life (especially an ordinary genetics). I hope that gives you a feel of relatability and reliability.

Why is this a blog?

While it is an easier choice to post this journey as simply as a story or a post on Instagram, I decided to make this into a post. This is why:

Instagram is already loaded with a lot of so called "transformations" posts and videos, with the recent trend of "How did I go from this...to this videos". I believe, such videos cause people like me to feel anxious. This is because, those videos unintentionally portray the image that I am miserable, I should have started long before and now I am late.

Now, you may be thinking "Come on Shibu, why are you so naïve? You shouldn't be influenced by social media. You should never compare yourself with anyone." Well, whatever you are thinking is right. But as I told you, I am an ordinary guy and I am still working towards such a mindset. But until then, this is me. I wish to make my transformation story a little less aggressive that those Instagram posts. By doing so, I hope to not become another reason for you to worry about. To be frank, after this transformation, I have only become a little less miserable and ever-so-slightly more confident than before.

With all due respect to the efforts and sacrifices of people who have undergone awesome transformations, here is something I wish to say. Most (not all) of the "how did I go from this to this" transformation posts are basically, one's fucked up childhood's photos taken using a 2mp camera vs their adult version powered by hours of DSLR photoshoot and Photoshop edits. Prove me wrong!

Anyway, the whole point of making this into a blog is to present the story in a smoother and less aggressive format. I hope to walk you through the process and not to hit you hard on your face with my transformation party.

What this blog is about?

As I have mentioned before, this blog is a documentation of my journey of getting to a better shape. There are no diet plans, exercise tips or workout routines in this blog. I don't have the adequate knowledge to talk about any of that. This blog is simply a documentation of the stuff I learnt from this journey. If there is something I wish you could take away from reading this blog, then it must be hope, the hope that it is possible, no matter how bad you think your mental or physical state it.

Things I learnt

So here are the things I have learnt through this journey. I am pretty sure that you are going to be benefited in some way or the other from what I have learnt so far.

1. The three types of people

Throughout this journey you will come across three types of people:

a) The I don't give a fuck people

These are neither good nor bad people. It doesn't make any difference having them around. These people notice that you are working towards something, they will notice your results but nevertheless, never bother to comment on any of it. They will never give you feedback/advice of any kind. They pretty much don't care about any of your shit because they got their own pile of shit to care of and so do you. So don't wait for feedbacks. Just trust the process and be consistent.

b) The vibe killers

These are the worst kind of people you will come across in your journey. When you show them you progress and they can literally see it, they choose to belittle your progress by saying either of these three things: "There is still a lot to do" or "Mine are bigger/better" or "I know this guys who did so much is so little time". Kick these people out of your lives. These people are vibe killers and you don't need them in any of your life's journey, let alone your fitness journey. This person can be anyone, he/she can be your close friend, your partner. Regardless, you don't need them in your lives if they don't support you. They are trash, throw them away, period.

Needless to say, never be this person.

c) The God sent

These are the best people to live around. These are the people who give you hope. They motivate you, they support you and pick you up on your bad days. Sometimes these people go a step further to tell you that they see improvements besides seeing nothing, just to motivate you to keep going. These people are gems. If you find these people give them a hug and thank them. These are the people the world needs. Be this person for someone else's life. Give them hope.

The lesson

Regardless of whom you find yourself around, remember, it always comes down to you. People can build or kill you vibe, but remember it is on you to lift your ass out of your bed in the morning, its on you to refrain from eating that oily/sugary snack, its on you to get out of those occasional ruts. Sometimes, it feels like its you against the world and that's okay. If you fail, get back up.

2. The process sucks

Sorry to break this to you, the process will suck. People say "love the process". Well, talk to the hand. That's bull crap.

Getting out of the cozy sheets and working out when everyone was sleeping their dreams off, sucked. Eating vegetable salad when everyone was eating tasty rice and potato fry, sucked. Seeing no results for the first three months sucked. Not eating my favorite chicken roll for four months, sucked. Chewing gum to distract myself till the next meal, sucked. The process sucked (most of the time). It will suck for you too. But keep going.

Don't give yourself the time to think. Just get up and walk out of your bed. Wash your hand immediately after you eat, so that you don't eat more. If you stay longer you may give in to temptations. Walk faster as you approach your favorite snack shop or maybe take a different route. Run away from temptations.

The process will suck. It is really hard to love the process. Yes, it is easy to love the process once results start coming. But till then the process will suck the life out of you. But keep going. The results that you will see in a few months are from those days when the process sucked but you decided to keep going.

3. Buckle up for depression

A low sugar and a calories deficit diet left me hungry (mostly by the evening). Along with hunger came depression. Maybe this one is not for you. Maybe you are as happy as Olaf in Frozen 1. But if you are like me, be prepared for depression and darkness to take over you as you body craves for sugar. Guys be prepared for "breakup and ex" related darkness.

You can see the darkness coming and when you see it coming DO NOT curl up in your bed. Get up and move around. Don't give in to temptations and munch on a sugary snack. If sugar is what you badly crave, pick up a fruit (banana or something). Keep healthy alternatives at your disposal to deal with such situations.

4. Give yourself time

This is the most important lesson. Maybe your friend lost 10 kgs in 4 months, maybe your friend went through enough transformation to make a "How did I go from this, to this" video or maybe someone you know went to gym, got ripped in a short time and impressed his/her ex. Don't be carried away or bothered by other's timelines.

When I started working out, I thought I will have an awesome physique in three months, just like one of my friends on Instagram. Its been four months now and I am not even close. It is quite easy to get discouraged by comparing our results with other's. Please don't do it. Our body needs time to burn fat and build muscle. Some can do it quicker than others. Results will come. Just be patient. You won't see results on a daily basis, rather you will see it on an totally unexpected day, in a totally unexpected way.

Not all transformations you see on social media are healthy. A unhealthy transformation involves an unhealthy diet and dangerous workout routines. Maybe these habits will yield good results relatively quicker but they will ruin your body. Not all transformations are true. PEDs are real and if you want to know more, just Google it.

Take it slow. A sustainable diet and workout plan is what is important.

5. Support Others

This is kind of a personal request. Hope is something that we all can give to people who are struggling. Support people around you. Take a moment to drop a positive comment on that 1kg weight loss post, no matter how trivial it may seem. Take a moment to personally appreciate someone's work no matter how impressive or unimpressive you may find it to be. Take a moment to tell someone that things are going to be fine, if you see him/her struggling. Take the step to tell him/her that you are there to listen if he/she ever want to talk.

Back in Coimbatore, while I was three months into working out at a gym, I was highly dissatisfied with my results. I was about to quit until someone at the gym who has never talked to me, approached me and complimented me for my results. I know all this is out of the context of this blog. But I just want to emphasis on the fact that your words can mean a lot to people. It may stop someone from quitting. It may be a new hope for them.

But remember, do not always expect a dramatic response from people for your kind words. Some of us are really bad at responding to compliments. Some people may seem like they don't care. Some people may seem like they don't need your support. People may even straight away ignore your compliments. But none of that must stop you from doing what is right. Keep supporting people. You never know how much your words may mean to them.

6. No one knows. No one cares

Your insecurities are only in your mind. People will never know about them until you tell/show them. If you think that people might be noticing you while you workout or while you are out running, you are wrong. Would you care about someone else while they are working out? No, right?. Neither do they. Focus on your workout. No one is perfect regardless of how perfect their social media shows them to be.

7. Some other stuff

Apart from all these, here is a list of obvious things you may be knowing already, but I am adding to make sure that I don't skip anything.

a) Calorie Count

Count your calories. There are plenty of online videos and calculators that will help you find out how much calories you need for a day. The amount of calories you should be eating will greatly depend on what your goal is. Do not hesitate to use a weigh scale to measure your food and eat, even if your friends or family members say "Ithellam over da/di". I even measure Atta flour before making chapati. Never assume your food's calories. Let people make fun of you. Let them kiss that six-packs or biceps after they show up.

b) Good sleep

Sleep well, and by sleep well, I don't mean sleeping for 12 fucking hours. Seven - eight hours of sleep will do. Don't sacrifice sleep for anything.

c) Cook

The best way to know what you are eating is to cook. Don't worry if you don't know how to cook. Start slow. Start small. Taste is not the goal, nutrition is.

d) Don't Starve

Distribute your food across the day. This will make things easier for you. I eat breakfast at 8 AM, some dry fruit snacks at 11 AM, lunch at 2 PM, evening snack at 5 PM and dinner at about 7 PM. This way I get to keep eating and don't slip into hunger driven depression. Do what works for you.

e) Have rest and cheat days

Rest days and cheat days are very important. While rest days help your body recover , cheat days help your mind replenish. Stay focused for the rest of the days looking forward to these cheat and rest days.

Cheat and rest days need not strictly be on your weekends. Have them on a day when you really feel like having. Try to restrict cheat days to one per week. On cheat days, don't eat like the world is going to end. Eat only as much as you need. Do not gobble food just because you will have to wait for another week have a cheat meal again.

f) Loosen up

Some days, it will be really easy. Some day it is going to be really really hard. When you are having a really good sleep and you can't wake up from your bed at all,.... sleep. If you really crave for that biriyani,......have it. If you really crave that tasty sugary snack,..... have it. You don't have to punish yourself, after all, eating is pleasurable. Just make sure that you don't repeat it. Be true to yourselves. Do you really need that chicken biriyani or do you just want it just for the sake of eating it.

g) Have choices and variety

Sometimes its really hard to come up with new dishes. This can send you to a monotony. So keep modifying your food. For example, if you eat a cucumber-carrot-broccoli salad on a daily basis, toss in some pomegranate seeds or banana slices or chopped dates on different days to make things slightly better. Psychologically it will keep the diet process less monotonous.

h) Have an accountability partner

Find an accountability partner who can support you and listen to you without judging. If you don't have such a person who genuinely cares about you, its better not to have one at all. Even though it is true that having an accountability can make it easier for you to stick to your goals, it is not that you absolutely need one. But if you think that you really need someone to stay accountable and can't find someone, feel free to invite me to your journey.

i) Don't Compare

Everyone's body is different. Do not compare your body to anyone's. The best thing to do is bring your body to its best version. Just know that most of the celebrity, "Greek body" physiques that you are aspiring to attain are not natural. Google it if you don't trust me.

j) Imbalances

The left side and the right side of your body may not develop equally. There is nothing to be ashamed or worried of. These imbalances are quite common and can can be easily fixed. Even professional athletes have imbalances. Guys, "that" is not the reason why you have imbalances. There is no scientific proof to support that myth. (Girls, if you are confused as to what I am talking about, ask your guy friend).

8. Finally

It's been four months with a lot of ups and downs. A lot of people have supported me. You all have a special place in my heart. I am truly grateful to you and all I wish is to, someday, repay you for all that you have done.

Thank you Rajesh master, for your support and guidance at the gym. I wish someday I could afford your PT, lol. Thanks for correcting all of my stupid exercise forms and complimenting me throughout the journey. Check out his Instagram page.

I also have to thank this special person who was more concerned about my diet than my mom herself. Thanks for handling my crippling depression and anxiety. Lot to thank you for (wink wink).

Finally, a few people have made fun of me and downright, belittled my efforts and results. I just want to say, "Fuck you."

9. The end

For some of us life hasn't quite unfolded the way we wanted it to. We are dissatisfied by the way we are, depressed about our past and still think about the people who left us. Sometimes it feels like it is us against the entire world. People whom we count on, disappoint us. Sometimes even the people close to us may fail to understand how much some things mean to us. If you think about all this, it is easy to come to a conclusion that life is hard and yes it is.

It is really easy to say "Take responsibility for your life." Even though it is true that we must take responsibility, it isn't quite easy. It's okay to feel bad. Sometimes it feels as though you are stuck. I just want you to know that you already have what it takes to take on the hard stuff life has to offer. Take things one day at a time and if it demands, take things one minute at a time. Everyone's struggle is different. I don't know what your struggles are or what demons you are fighting in your head. I want you to know that I am all ears if you ever want to talk about it. Somewhere somehow along the way we might have become strangers or even worse, enemies, but for a moment let's keep our stories and egos aside and help each other out. I am here to help.

Thank you one more time for reading my blog. I see this act as a huge support and compliment from you. If you drop a personal feedback that will be really awesome. If you share it with people that will be super awesome. Peace.

As promised before, my before-after pictures are given below. And for one last time, there are no timelines, there is no race and there are no last dates. Take you time.

Importantly, no amount of transformation is more important that making peace with what you are in the present and working towards a better you.

Pictures

Image Credits: https://images.app.goo.gl/HKehZu7aVy4nv97N8 https://images.app.goo.gl/wzhTVQoya5NDpSVT9 https://images.app.goo.gl/c3EVrtJyUHadXyyE8 https://images.app.goo.gl/kpcyuCjn5coTtkTF8

https://images.app.goo.gl/aQxNwyZ4X5HpZqAJA

https://images.app.goo.gl/3wWy3Hp6kSLSoW9j6