Like many people during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, actor and social media personality Srishti Dixit spent the entire year mostly at home, without a gym, and her everyday routine got turned upside down. So, it was no surprise that her weight increased ‘a lot’. Read this also How to lose weight with South Indian diet according to fitness coach: ‘Avoid Idli and Dosa, switch to low calorie…’
Srishti has come a long way with her fitness journey, and now, she is sharing her learnings in an exclusive interview with HT Lifestyle.
Why did she want to lose weight in the first place?
Before it was all about achieving a slimmer physique, 31-year-old Srishti said that what motivated her to lose an impressive amount of weight was living her healthiest life. “I started my (weight loss) journey during the pandemic,” he said. In the first wave in 2020, my weight increased a lot because we were all in lockdown and we didn’t really have much to do. In the beginning, I remember doing yoga and home workouts, but that wasn’t very consistent. Then I gained a lot of weight and started having pain in my knees and some other health problems. I also have a history of diabetes in my family, so I have to be extra cautious. During all this weight gain, I also became pre-diabetic and that made me nervous.”
She admitted that her progress was initially about looking a certain way. Referring to her role in the 2023 Vicky Kaushal starrer The Great Indian Family, she said, “After that, I got a role in my first film, and I thought ‘I’m not looking my best right now,’ and I really regret that.” Must be seeing how I performed on screen’. So, it was a lot of reasons coming together, and it was like a wake-up call, ‘Let’s not eat whatever we want, whenever we want.’ So, I decided that I would control my eating since it was still a pandemic.
Lose Weight Without Strict Diet
Over the next several months, she finally found what worked for her: four-a-day gym workouts and a less strict diet. Srishti has vowed to be kind to herself after years of focusing on her body and weight (struggling with eating disorders during your younger years will do that to you); And, now, she doesn’t make any fuss about food. From ‘eating waffles three times a day’ (sweets have always been one of the biggest loves of her life) to eating it once a day to eliminating even that from her daily diet, Srishti is now following a simple diet. Adheres: She stays away from it, she overindulges and eats whatever she wants, but thoughtfully.
“I had an eating disorder,” she said; During my first year in college, I didn’t eat and once in class I fainted. I think my relationship with food is much healthier now. I think I should eat to fill up, but I can also have an emotional relationship with food, so I won’t beat myself up about sweets. I’m a big fan of sweets, and it’s one thing I don’t want to eliminate from my life. Now, honestly, I eat everything; There is nothing I don’t eat. I don’t overeat, I try to eat what I like in moderation. I no longer deprive myself of anything, which I did when I was younger because I thought it was the fastest way to lose weight; And it is, but it leads to a lot of health problems.”
‘My health goal now is to stay fit’
Srishti also revealed how with time, she stopped trying to lose weight and now actually works towards meeting her personal fitness goal: staying active and becoming a fit and fabulously young 80-year-old. Becoming that moves so fast and gracefully that everyone is left amazed. His strength! She says, “I really like these stories of 80-year-old grandmothers who still do everything at home – dusting, cleaning. I think that’s my fitness goal – to be able to take care of myself and my body even as I get older.
Talking about how she managed to change her mindset to be grateful for this strong and healthy body that allows her to do what she wants, Srishti said, “My trainer (Tridev Pandey) helped change the way I think about weight loss and fitness because it was so good.” A lot has to do with my weight on the scale. At first my idea was how I would look, but they taught me about strength training, building muscle, basically becoming stronger and more agile. My health goal now is to stay fit.
Srishti told about her fitness routine
And what does her ‘hour-long gym workout’ involve? “When I’m really focused, I try to go to the gym three times a week and play tennis three times a week. On days when I’m not interested in these, I go for really long walks, like a 10km walk. Apart from these, I follow the usual tips – 10K steps a day, adequate sleep and hydration. In the gym, I focus on mobility, agility, and strength-building. So, I do pull-ups, jumping jacks, squats, push-ups – things that strengthen different parts of your body,” said Srishti.
Remember that some people were ‘very upset’ after losing weight
Talking to Srishti, you realize that how her body looks is the least interesting thing to her. She’s fed up with the talk about diets and weight gain and wants to channel her energy into outdoor activities that excite her, like playing tennis, and finding other ways to stay active. “At the age of 29, I picked up a tennis racket for the first time and I started training very actively,” he said.
“I never resort to any nonsense methods to lose weight. Many people ask me for tips on how to lose weight, but that question really bothers me because I am not a nutritionist or healthcare provider. I don’t have any evidence-based advice to give. I think people are looking for help, but I hope they’ll get it from professionals,” he said. Was very upset with me because it was not considered body positive. Why? People don’t really know about my body; I live in a body, and I have every right to do whatever I need to do to take care of it in the best way possible.”
‘You should give your body a lot of respect’
What is his message to anyone trying to lose weight and get fit? If your body has changed at all over the years, she hopes you’ll give yourself grace, don’t beat yourself up about it and be grateful for everything your body has done for you. You don’t have to love how your body looks if that’s too hard, but you shouldn’t let it stress you out.
“I don’t have to feel the best about my body all the time,” she said. There are times during the day when I feel great about my body, and other times when I don’t, because my body looks very different from morning to night. You should give your body a lot of respect for what it does for you – it helps you get from one place to another, and it gives you energy. In fact, you run your life on your body. So, I think instead of punishing your body, let’s be a little respectful and calm with it and take small steps instead of taking some kind of drug to lose weight. This is truly disgusting and no one should ever do this.”
What does Srishti eat in a day to stay healthy?
⦿ Before breakfast: A glass of water, a banana and 1-2 cups of black coffee
⦿ Breakfast: A bowl of upma or poha
⦿ Lunch: Two ragi and whole wheat chapattis with a bowl of dal and vegetable.
⦿ Breakfast: Almonds, cucumber, carrots or Greek yogurt
⦿ Dinner: Soup or leftovers from lunch
