[avingodb]

Wow Akshay and Gadgetfreak, awesome! You guys have inspired me to keep faith in my efforts even if its slow and steady.
I am bored with the collection of my "pre" pics! time to aim for the post pic and hopefully I will keep trying!

[AbhishekB86]

Hello I weighed over 102 kgs for 11 years till I decided enough was enough. From running 5 steps I was doing 10 kms without a break. FYI I've never been to a gym. . I lost 36 kgs in 8 months and no I did not starve myself. I can put up pictures from my laptop in a bit. I love running now. Its the best stress buster. I've more or less maintained the same weight since 2009 +-1/2 kgs.

[Eddy]

Wow Abhishek, what surface do you run on ? Any knee/ back complaints ?

[AbhishekB86]

Hey Eddy,
I used to run on a running track for the initial year and a half and had no complaints. Even though I over pronate. (flat feet)
I ran on roads since 2010 and had no issues. Till earlier this year when I had a knee problem.
I love running and was disappointed and thought there was no getting away. However I completely rested and changed from roads to running tracks again and I can easily do five without any niggles. I do have the odd back pain issue but they last till I run. If your back pain is severe I suggest you check if your running posture is right. Runnersworld might help.

Also the correct shoes are important. No attention in India is given for the right shoes. Right shoes are important to meet your foot type. My purchase decision on the shoes is based on my over pronation. I have noticed I can run more comfortably and for longer durations and stay injury free because I research and then purchase. Don't we do that for our cars too?

Originally Posted by Eddy

Wow Abhishek, what surface do you run on ? Any knee/ back complaints ?

[raj_5004]

Before I started my Gymming about 1.5 months back, I used to have 10 Chapatis a day (5+5). Later on, I reduced it to 8 chapatis with a little rice. Today I am having only 6 chapatis a day with rice only if I feel very hungry. And I am still alive, infact hale and hearty. I am feeling healthy and facing no weakness or whatsoever. So I plan to reduce the chapatis to 4 or maybe 5 a day from next week.

That makes me think, when I can happily survive with 4-6 chapatis a day, why the hell was I gobbling 10 a day and adding unnecessary fat to my body? Especially in a country where many people die of hunger. Sochle wali baat hain...

[AbhishekB86]

I am wondering if I should share my weight loss story in detail. I failed for a long time till I finally got it right.

[mobike008]

Totally inspirational stuff from Akshay and Gadgetfreak. Kudos to you both.

I am fighting and will continue to fight the weight battle but, food is my biggest weakness

Gadgetfreak: Shammi, I never knew you were that heavy. Amazing difference from your first two pictures to the last one.

[BANDHAV]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Try doing more of the crosstrainer. Avoid jogging for 5 kms with that weight. It would take a lot of toll on your knees. I was 111 at the meet in haveli. Started gyming now with more stress on the cross-trainer. Reached 107 in a month. The beauty of the machine is that it doesn't hurt your knees at all. Try it.

What a coincidence even I was 111 Kg at the meet@haveli.stupid:

I have already faced the bad effects of running so much with my weight, have hurted my left heel and not able to run at all, have shifted to Cross trainer and cycling for my share of cardio exercise.

I currently weigh 104 kg compared to original 116 kg of 3 and half month back, would love to post my after before image but not finding any good one.

Posting a bad one here, I hope you guys can notice the amount of fat I have lost from my face.

[Gadgetfreak]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Totally inspirational stuff from Akshay and Gadgetfreak. Kudos to you both.

I am fighting and will continue to fight the weight battle but, food is my biggest weakness

Gadgetfreak: Shammi, I never knew you were that heavy. Amazing difference from your first two pictures to the last one.

Thanks buddy to you and to all for appreciation. I have started running again after a gap of 1.5 months. But I'm continuing to learn swimming for 1.5 hrs daily apart from 6 kms jog .

[sinhead]

AbhishekB86, even I am aiming for the 10 km run. Just started jogging a month ago. Will check out runnersworld.

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by AbhishekB86

Hey Eddy,
I used to run on a running track for the initial year and a half and had no complaints. Even though I over pronate. (flat feet)
I ran on roads since 2010 and had no issues. Till earlier this year when I had a knee problem.
I love running and was disappointed and thought there was no getting away. However I completely rested and changed from roads to running tracks again and I can easily do five without any niggles. I do have the odd back pain issue but they last till I run. If your back pain is severe I suggest you check if your running posture is right. Runnersworld might help.

Also the correct shoes are important. No attention in India is given for the right shoes. Right shoes are important to meet your foot type. My purchase decision on the shoes is based on my over pronation. I have noticed I can run more comfortably and for longer durations and stay injury free because I research and then purchase. Don't we do that for our cars too?

Even i lost all my weight by running,i have become irregular now,but stamina is still there to run 6kms without a break,and i run on asphalt.
Had a knee injury in 2006,and it used to create problems while running till about a year back,but now,its normal i guess,as i dont feel any pain or any problem of other sorts while running,and yes as a precaution i do run with knee caps on.

[Gadgetfreak]

Originally Posted by akshay4587

Even i lost all my weight by running,i have become irregular now,but stamina is still there to run 6kms without a break,and i run on asphalt.
Had a knee injury in 2006,and it used to create problems while running till about a year back,but now,its normal i guess,as i dont feel any pain or any problem of other sorts while running,and yes as a precaution i do run with knee caps on.

Well I do the same, As a precaution I also wear a knee cap and also have a silicon sole inserted in my jogging shoes. Depending on situations I run on either mud track or on road. These days its road as I don't have sufficient time to go for mud track.

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by AbhishekB86

I am wondering if I should share my weight loss story in detail. I failed for a long time till I finally got it right.

Please do. It will help & inspire many, I am sure.

[AbhishekB86]

Hey Sinhead,

Trust me this is one high you won't regret. Well 10km or half a marathon nothing is impossible as long you stick to it. Remember to take a break day in between and all is good. What's also important is that to gradually increase your distances and not rush it. Enjoy your runs and keep me updated. I'm cheering you on buddy.

Originally Posted by sinhead

AbhishekB86, even I am aiming for the 10 km run. Just started jogging a month ago. Will check out runnersworld.

Hey Akshay,

So we do have something in common. I'm sure you agree its the best way to get rid of weight. I am running without knee caps after doing 2 weeks of physiotherapy. No issues yet. Thank goodness. I used to come home late and since my endurance was decreasing I started running early morning at the sports complex. Must say it feels better to go running in the morning.

I am so glad you stuck to running even with those knee issues.

What time do you usually go running?

Originally Posted by akshay4587

Even i lost all my weight by running,i have become irregular now,but stamina is still there to run 6kms without a break,and i run on asphalt.
Had a knee injury in 2006,and it used to create problems while running till about a year back,but now,its normal i guess,as i dont feel any pain or any problem of other sorts while running,and yes as a precaution i do run with knee caps on.

[AbhishekB86]

Okay so here goes :

I was a very healthy kid. We used to play cricket where I used to live earlier. And I was active playing games in the dedicated park. I sure had no signs of any fat till I was 11 or 12.

At 12 I shifted to Dwarka. Apartments do not have space for kids to go play around nor was I interested in playing around any longer. I soon was to become a teenager and did not care about playing. Now I wanted to be like the big boys.

I don't really know how I gained weight. I just know I did. From being the skinniest kid in the family I was growing and how.

Food canteen was my zone. In fact our zone. We loved it. Pepsi was considered a luxury till not very long ago and my sister and I would go and down one pepsi to feel relieved from the Delhi Heat.

My day was made of Samosas and Chola Bhaturas at School. 2 ltr pepsi bottles that I used to finish by myself and Chini (sugar) Paranthas that had grandma's love in it. Combine this with a gang of last bench teenagers and you can imagine my lifestyle.

The first time that weight issues had me down and out disappointed was when we as a family went to Bangkok. At a fancy mall my sister shopped and shopped and my mother encouraged me to get some clothes too. But I did not want any. Why? Because I knew I would not fit in them. I tried a few so that my mother would stop talking about it and then a thai man uttered "You fat you no fit in any clothes" The double XL's would not fit me. I felt let down. I sat in KFC while my sister shopped for the rest of day.

Back in Delhi. School days only got wilder. Malls started opening and McDonalds was opening everywhere. KFC coming to India was the icing on the cake. Kaboom I crossed the 100 mark.

I then fit into jeans waist size anywhere between 38-40 and I remember going to Vaishno Devi a trek of a few kms which had me huffing and puffing. My friend took my hand and made me climb.

College came about and the weight issues didn't bother my friends. They loved me for who I was. I had the ability to make them laugh and I thought being over weight was not such a big deal. Ofcourse all this while I kept away from any sort of physical exercise. But yes there were other issues, I sat on small plastic chairs hearing the cracking sounds as if the legs of the chair would give in anytime.

But it was all good. Life was fun in Manipal and I still didn't care. Not a bit.

Alcohol and smokes soon entered the life and suddenly beer added up to all the kilos. Numerous trips to Goa were made for obvious reasons and Anjuna being the den you don't have to be a genius to figure what those trips were all about.

We had to intern at hotels it was part of our curriculum. I was now interning at a very famous 5 star hotel in New Delhi.

While working none of the staff uniforms fit me and I was constantly bullied by the employees for my weight. I used to laugh it off. Saand and genda weren't offending anymore. I had heard it for years now and it made a lot of sense for anyone fighting with me or being funny to call me that. I didn't care.

Until one day, January 2009 a bully of a chef asked me what my weight was. Last checked it was 95 and I told him that. He said you can't be 95 and made me go from the weighing scale in wash rooms to the cafeteria. He was a high headed hot shot of the hotel and wanted someone to pick on. I went ahead to the HR and said it was unfair. I was told " so why don't you think before eating"

Ahan! Thank you ma'am.

Manipal 2009 after my internship in my final year. I had told a close friend who was in the college football team and expressed my desire to shed all the kilos and all the nonsense that goes along with it. He asked to wake up the next morning at 6. I went out with a few friends and did not make it that morning. However, my friend barged into my room late in the evening and said 'I don't think there's anything you can or you want to do about it"

This was it. I knew what I was battling. I was battling the unknown. We're comfortable being the same ol' and resist change. I knew I had to go. I knew this had to be my 45th or 54th(I've lost count) attempt at shedding weight and I had to try.

I went to the sports field and ran 10 steps before I huffed and puffed and almost collapsed. He asked me to try again. So I did 15 steps this time and a bottle of water gulped.

I did not have running shorts. I made my casual shorts my running shorts and went and ran downhill. Its easier right. The sight of my shirt hugging my huge belly soaked in sweat and the pain in my torso, shoulders, back, legs and every other part had me feeling better. I was told this would happen and I knew I had taken the first step.

Soon the 20 steps became 100 and then became a km. The first kilometer of my life. I kept at it. I would go every evening and spend as much time as my body would allow at the track. I ran for 25 days without a break and sometimes I ran both in the morning and evening. I had lost 7 kilos in a month. Why? Because along with that I applied science to it. You need carbs but you're better off without them at night. Have a good breakfast, decent lunch have coffee without sugar and eliminate all unhealthy food. I ate my dinner at 7.30.

Before you think I ate any fancy food. Let me let you know how limited my choices were. I lived in a student hostel and was not earning and my pop ain't no big shot so with my limited finances I did this all by myself.

I was doing 4 in no time. There was a girl who was my inspiration. She would run for 2 hours and then go play basket ball. I never had a chance to speak to her. I never wanted to. Her gender made no difference her commitment did. I started running 10 after I got inspired and it was a straight jump from 6 kms without stopping.

I walked to every place I had to go to. I never took an auto. I climbed stairs I never took the elevator and my cheat days were 1 in 7. My social life was as strong as ever though. I would go to the shawarma place too but I would not eat it. I would have coffee instead.

I maintained a journal which had a day by day account of everything that I ate. Even a small cookie which seems harmless was counted for. On the top of the page it had my weight. I could flip back to see what mistakes I've made and what my progress has been both in terms of food intake and weight lost.

I think any attempt is only 3/4th minus a log. A log keeps you in check. It motivates you, even when you cheat. It keeps you away from denial.

I was requested by my mother to stop running. I weighed 68 kgs. But I never did. I did though intentionally put on a little weight as the constant loss had made me a little too skinny for my own good. I could have been knocked down by a slap.

I run. I don't run to shed kilos. That's a side benefit. I run because it gives me confidence. I run because I find my peace. I run because it takes all the stress away and makes me feel alive.

I have learnt a very important lesson. That you give up when you stop trying. Keep failing, its good to have attempts gone wrong. It teaches you what to correct in your next attempt.

Happy running. Here's a before and after

Originally Posted by Eddy

Please do. It will help & inspire many, I am sure.