Before Her Journey Began
Transformation Duration:
4.5 Years
Who Is Pooja Khera?
I’m an entrepreneur running my own creative and digital agency called Swoogle Inc. I quit my corporate career of 16 years and decided to go on my own about a year and a half back and hence Swoogle Inc. As a person I’m very creative, passionate and fun loving. My hobbies include reading, music and I love to travel though thanks to being an entrepreneur I haven’t been able to travel really in the last 2 years!
Why did you decide to transform your body?
I weighed 105 kgs about 4.5 years back and believe me inspite of the career going for me, I was always tired, irritated and lethargic thanks to my weight. I couldn’t do so many things I wanted to, I couldn’t wear things I wanted to, I just couldn’t move myself the way I wanted to. I also started facing health issues due to my weight . I had gotten tired of being that way and then thanks to the motivation of my best friend I decided to do something about it.
How your journey began?
I started small. Enrolled myself to a gym and started with something as little as 30 mins a day for about 4 days a week. Eventually the workout increased but I realized I wasn’t eating right and hence there were no results. That is when I decided I will take help of an expert nutritionist and correct the way I eat, basically correct the plate to achieve my fitness goals. Slowly I also took the help of a fitness trainer and then started the journey of working out right and more importantly eating right. I have never taken any of those diet pills or workout supplements that are advised these days and taken like confetti. I’m an example here that defy all those notions and say that if you eat right, work out well, you achieve your goals.
What dietary changes did you make? What was your typical diet in a day?
The changes in my diet were gradual and I can assure you that if you really want results, go slow, it’s a process and have patience. People want fast results and they go to crash diets, various other diet plans, those quick fix diet supplements and none of those work. The result is temporary and when the weight comes back one gets frustrated and quits.
After Her Weight Loss Journey
I gave on processed foods, alcohol, sodas, sugar, foods like refined flour, semolina and went to choose healthier options. E.g. I take millets and flour made from millets instead of wheat and refined flour. I take stevia instead of sugar, it’s a plant extract and is completely natural. I take double toned or soy milk instead of full fat milk, I eat brown rice instead of white rice. I eat raw fruit instead of juice as juice just gives sugar and nothing else. The cooking method is very important too and so is the portion size and the timing at which you eat food. All our bodies are different and hence respond differently. This is why I say work with a nutrition expert. One more thing, eat what we have grown up eating. That’s the way you can sustain it and love it. Basically you have to change your lifestyle.
My typical diet in a day is a big breakfast, a healthy lunch and a small dinner.
My breakfast options are rice idlis/ poha/ ragi flakes with soy milk/ fruits/ ragi dosa or rice dosa/ eggs/ etc. I don’t take wheat so most of my options are around rice. I take seeds whole seeds like sunflower, pumpkin, etc. My lunch is brown rice that can be prepared in different forms with subzi or cheelas made from millet flour with subzis or dals. I also sometimes take an egg preparation in lunch but or eat a south indian dish like plain dosa or ragi dosa or idlis but again no wheat. Somedays I eat big portions of salads made from rajma/ chana/ potatato or eggs with lots of veges thrown in. Before my work out, I take home made coffee with 2 marie biscuits or a fruit smoothie but again I watch my dairy proportions. After workout I have a fruit and then my dinner is very lightly mostly soup with vegetables or eggs with soup or just vegetables or depending on what I have eaten during the day it can be a chilla too.
Role of Fitness & Exercise in your lifestyle
It has now become a part of me that I can’t live without. I’m a gym person so gym it is for me. I spend 1-1.5 hours a day at the gym at least 5 days a week. I work out with a fitness expert so he guides me.
How do you feel now about your self?
Well great, honestly great. Its a great feeling when people, your friends, your family look at you and say how proud they are of you and people who you meet after a long time can’t believe it is you. It’s a great feeling to be able to pick up smaller sizes in your clothes, to even indulge occasionally in sinful food and not be so guilty about it.
Moreover I feel fit, healthy and more confident about myself than ever before. I’m not tired or irritated because of my body anymore. And yes, I had a condition called PCOD a severe one which I have now successfully overcome by breaking the weight cycle so no more medicines for me too!