Life Changing 8 Month Transformation

My Honest Fitness Journey: A Mental, Spiritual & Emotional Tryst With Self

My life changing transformation

I write this a month after my fitness ‘photoshoot’ (that my coach wanted to do for his portfolio), an event in time that has altered my sense of self.

When I first saw these transformation pictures, I felt so confused & elated. I could not believe that girl in the picture was me. All credits to the talented camerawoman!

After years of struggling to complete personal projects and failed attempts in my fitness journey, the profound sense of self-contentment that comes with finally taking control of my health stands out the most. This feeling of being at peace with myself is simply unparalleled, something I had not experienced in a while.

My transformation

THE PAST

Despite losing 12 kgs in 2015 after a major road accident, my mindset and habits remained stagnant. I quickly regained that weight during my postgraduate studies and continued the same way until 2021. The thought of going to the gym never crossed my mind.

During this period, I found comfort in food, especially during a challenging sales stint in 2018, where I traveled to 260 cities in 4 months, bouncing from one hotel buffet to another, and the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, when I was laid off and turned to cooking and eating to cope with the monotony and stress. I ate away my feelings all these years, and that disrupted my gut & also my relationship with food.

2017 Ishita

I decided to take control of my health. I hired an online fitness coach, but the process didn't suit me. I then joined a friend's beach fitness class and saw rapid weight loss results. However, I struggled with consistency and found myself in a cycle of setting goals, training for a few months, and then regressing due to travel, work, or life challenges.

This pattern repeated several times between 2021 and 2022. But I remained committed to pursuing my newfound obsession with mental and physical fitness, though I realized that I may have been approaching it the wrong way and needed more support and accountability to achieve lasting success.

That’s when I reached out to a dear friend & fitness coach and started my very real inward & outward transformation journey. After 8 months of training with him (in phases), here I am, a changed person. I often hear people say “You’re not recognizable anymore”.

Inflection Point

This post is a window into my metamorphosed being. It has left me with a deep sense of gratitude for my past self. I urge readers to ask themselves 3 questions, often (these are great journaling prompts too):

→ “Will my future self thank my past self if I do task X”.
→ “Am I feeding myself well both mentally & physically?”
→ “If I continue my current lifestyle, where will my health be in 1 year/5 years?”

Things started to change drastically when I found myself asking these questions often. This mindset shift was critical in my journey and I hope it helps you too.

Now, I view my past self as a learner, my present self as a cartographer, and my future self as my north star. My relationship with self is one of trust, empathy and deep belonging. It’s so important to embark on these personal journeys that help you hone your instincts and build your mental muscle, so you can back yourself up for the future you want to build.

Fitness journeys have a lot to do with one’s sense of self. Early on, we are trained to perceive ourselves through society’s lenses and the relationship we have with our true selves can be so conflicting because of that. Also, it is critical to note that one’s self esteem is so closely related to how they look, as if outward appearances are the yardstick of a person's true soul.

Changing this toxic relationship is so important. These notions are so deeply rooted that sometimes we have to reinvent ourselves in a lot of ways. And sometimes, it’s best to lean on people you can trust. I did that & it was the single best decision I made on the health front.

THE START

After a round of discussions with my coach around my lofty goals of getting to a point that I could pursue an ironman, he gently put me in my place and told me to take it step by step. 

He told me it was not going to be easy. I agreed. I was ready than ever!

He asked me to:
→ Be at the gym @8 am
→ Train for 1.5 hours
→ Follow a tailored diet
→ Clock in 10k-12k steps daily
→ Prioritise sleep and recovery, avoid injury
→ Eat right, consume a lot more protein than before
→ Follow many other guidelines to keep me in check

We tracked all metrics religiously and the set of constraints were like a forcing function for me to bloom. Difficult times, tested me mentally but I vowed to keep going.

My Full Coaching Plan

(This plan has changed over the course of 3-4 phases of my journey to fulfil the needs of my body as it was changing. Below, I am only sharing the fundamentals and what worked for my goals.
One has to tweak & tailor their program according to their bodily needs and I urge you to consider working with a professional coach who has a great deal of experience & results under their belt.)

My Daily Routine

My Daily Routine

Habit Stacking Hack | Journal 'Sign Off' to go to the gym everyday, which I look forward to doing everyday

My Weekly Routine

My Meal Plan

This plan was tailored according to my needs & goals. Please consult a nutritionist or a trusted coach to work with them on your body’s requirement. This must not be taken lightly. Food sustains & nourishes us. Food is medicine. It has the power to heal parts of our body.

My meals were divided basis my menstrual phases. Cycle syncing is one of the most important factors females must consider before making significant changes to their diet & routine.

Below is a snapshot of what I was recommended for Follicular Phase.
This is just a sample meal plan. I had couple of supplements on the daily to support my needs as well.

What I want you to focus on is the split of : Kcal / Protein / Fats / Carbs
My approach to designing my meals now is to give preference to protein (I take around 1.2-1.5 grams x my weight, so approx 90 grams everyday) & healthy fats first and everything else falls around that. I was strictly instructed to measure food and then put it on my plate. But there was also a time when I had to consumer 120-140 grams of protien everyday. It was TOUGH, but I had to do it.

I am at a level now where I can eyeball my food & I know I am portion sizing correctly.

My meals look different in different phases. I also had travel guidelines given to me - for when I would be away from the gym or with no access to home cooked food per my meal plan. I tried to do my best in following these guidelines religiously. Once you get the hang of it, you can do it easily!

My Workouts

My coach onboarded me on an app where I could get a detailed plan and we coordinated through WhatsApp for all other communication & queries. This is how the app looks like:

Workout structure:

• 3 days x Strength Training

• 2-3 days x Cardio

• 1-2 rest days

• Strength Training → Full body workouts: Split into lower & upper body exercises

• Cardio → LISS & HIIT Cardio: I prefer doing cardio in the morning because I don’t want to raise my cortisol levels in the evening. I also play a lot of frisbee everyday to get my heart pumping up and some days that’s enough cardio for me.

• 10k-12k steps everyday → no compromises here. I use a standing desk & I am pretty active throughout the day walking everywhere I can. I can easily clock 10k steps on any given day & don’t have to fret about walking before bedtime because my steps couldn’t get done. Below is a monthly snapshot. Avg steps are daily steps:

  

  My Monthly Step Count

How is it working with a coach?

I HIGHLY recommend it.

This is the maximum ROI I have ever got! When it comes to your health, seeking professional guidance is key. Just as you visit a doctor for medical concerns or a therapist for mental well-being, working with a fitness trainer is equally crucial. In fact, I'd argue that prioritizing physical fitness with the help of a qualified coach should be at the top of your list.

It was great to not think about meal planning and second guessing myself to death if I am doing the right workouts & if I am doing it sustainably. Your coach is your accountability partner and your best friend on this journey. And you need to be brutally honest with them. When you work with a good coach, they know how to see through your BS & will not only tell you where you went wrong but also quickly pivot to bring you back on track.

You will also learn great form for exercises! I see people busting their asses in the gym for 3 hours with the wrong form. That gets them nowhere. Please don’t be that person.

Learnings & Mindset Shifts

(What gym bros call bio-hacking)

Once you are on this journey, things start to change rapidly. Here’s what happened with me:

1. Prioritized my trainings ruthlessly: No matter the conditions! Even on my travels I carry resistance bands, because I know gyms might not be accessible everywhere and I can’t skimp on my strength workouts! I went on fitness workcations with my partner because both of us wanted to keep working out & not lose our progress. (checkout Soi-Taeid in Phuket, Thailand, a fitness street full of gyms & healthy eateries. So much fun! 🙌)

2. Centered my life around meals & nutrition: I have learned the art of portion sizing & control and what to eat when. It’s said abs are built in the kitchen and I couldn’t agree more. I am now mindful with my food habits & my relationship with food has changed! My zeal to learn more about food as medicine even led me to pursue a nutritionist course. I am so happy with these changes in myself. :)

3. Understood the importance of rest & recovery in real time: Sleep schedules got fixed & it has significantly contributed to maximizing my time in the day.
   I wake up early, hit the gym & everything else comes after that. A good night’s sleep & hydration are the best recovery tools!

4. Bio markers significantly improved: My body fat %age is down 10-15 points easily. The pictures are testament to that!

5. Unlocked the power of consistency: GAMECHANGER. Insurmountable struggles now seem easily conquerable. I am a changed person and I feel I have the power & determination to move mountains with this new mindset.
   

   

   When the cameraperson asks you to look tough :p

6. The power of delayed gratification: Understand this, everything you want to achieve in life is on the other side of delayed gratification. Embracing the suck in the present moment is key because anything worthwhile delivers results in the long run.

7. I don’t believe in shortcuts now: they don’t energize me, don’t take me on a journey & also muddle my thinking & mindset. I believe in playing long term games, focusing on the process & backing myself, which brings me to the next point.

8. The power of compounding: In fitness as in life, small, consistent efforts compound over time. DO NOT underestimate the power of tiny steps done consistently! Remember, progress over perfection.
   Each workout, healthy meal, and rest day adds to the momentum, building unstoppable progress towards your goals. I had weeks where I couldn’t go to the gym but balancing my meals & steps still kept me in shape and retained my muscle mass. The moment I resumed my workouts, I bounced back in no time and a sprint of 3-4 weeks of consistent effort really showed in my progress and catapulted me to the end. The beginning was tough but the latter part of my training just got way easier. Even in my wildest dreams I did not think I would become this person. But here we are :)

   

   I love this one!

9. Weight progression in strength training unleashes a new level of dopamine, fueling self-admiration in every aspect of life. As you conquer challenges in the gym, your mind develops an unshakable belief in your ability to overcome any obstacle. This hidden hack not only builds physical muscle but also forges long-lasting mental resilience, making it an addictive path to leveling up in all areas of your life.

10. Uncovered female health dos & don’ts: Yeah the things most important to our health that we’re never taught. It is alarming that there are very simple and basic changes you can do to your body to optimize your health & win against daily stressors. Like seed cycling for hormonal balance & cycle syncing for life balance.

11. Learned about my body & reconnected with it. This is an ever evolving process. I can listen to my body’s needs now and it signals me when it needs something. Like, it’s crazy that my body pains if I don’t show up to the gym for a couple of days. My mind is constantly blown by how human bodies are so adaptive & intelligent. You push it a little bit & the body makes more way for you to succeed.
    When I feel down & frazzled in certain menstrual phases, I know what I need to do: simply work out (or do yoga), even if it means showing up for 15 mins.

    I don’t think, I just show up for myself & my entry barrier is lowered forever. After a quick workout I have zero confusion & lots of clarity on my next steps for the day. What a hack! (Yes, endorphins please).

    

    Goofing around in the gym

12. What gets measured, gets done: Once you understand that you’re working with data sets & metrics to track your progress, you can really get a sense of what to tweak & how far you have come. Without logging your food, workouts, progress pictures, weight & measurements, it is super difficult to track your progress and to know if you are moving in the right direction. This is where I failed the first couple of times in my journey. With my present coach, the system & structure that he got in was truly the one thing that has had the most impact on my transformation.

    

    My genes have gifted me my calves

13. Aesthetics are a by product of getting stronger & functionally fit!

14. You cannot out train bad eating habits

15. Strength training is the only proven way to keep up your muscle mass & bone density: especially for women! As we age our bone density & muscle mass plummets at an exponential rate. Strength training has answers.

16. 80% of success will come from your diet: The sooner you understand this, the quicker your success rate. But be consistent. Don’t take 4 steps front and 5 steps back by indulging over the weekend. Mindful eating is your best friend.

17. Calorie counting builds intuitive eating: The latter cannot happen without the former. So yeah, unless you’ve trained for years yourself or you are a certified nutritionist/dietitian, you have little idea about what your system needs, esp with our Indian carb heavy, low protein diets.

    I am not saying you’ve to measure your food & calorie count for life but please understand that unless we learn how to calorie count, read labels & make sense of our nutrition, we can’t achieve intuitive eating. And this takes a long time!

    

    Happy to see my coach beaming with pride :)

Where I am at right now?

I am happy, content, a mindful eater, a gym ninja with habits that are helping me lead my life thoughtfully. It’s so satisfying to think that I am doing the best for my health everyday! I am aging gracefully and at 33 I finally have a great relationship with food & with my body.

I am 58 kgs & even though my training schedule & meal plans are not so rigorous now, I have habits that keep me on track. I am enjoying my desserts way more. I am exploring new physical activities to incorporate. My next fitness goals are in front of me. I can’t do a pullup properly yet, and it’s next on list to crack. Oh, I also learnt swimming finally! Yay. Who knows if I will train for ironman one day! :)

In the next newsletter I will uncover pitfalls to avoid & my failures in this journey! I don’t want readers to think that this is unrealistic/unachievable/super easy to do in 4 weeks with crash dieting. Therefore, sharing with you about my failures will help you understand how best you can optimize your journey. I hope with this comprehensive rundown of my training, you have enough to get started. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions.

Until next Sunday.
Love, Ishita
xx

P.S. If you enjoyed this post, please click on the heart at the bottom or the top of this email. It helps others discover Masters Of Fate. And makes me super happy! :)