Puja Banerjee on battling post-pregnancy depression & deciding to get fitter

Actor Puja Banerjee has witnessed quote a journey already but it is in the past two years that her and her husband and actor Kunal Verma's life has changed entirely. On one hand, the duo welcomed their baby boy Krishiv in October 2020 and on the other hand, the couple recently got married.

However, going by her recent posts, Banerjee seemed to have shed all the wright she gained pre-and-post pregnancy. As we know, post-partum depression is very real and it is rather easy to be affected by it in the worst way possible. In a recent interview with ETimes TV, Banerjee opened up on her weight loss, battling depression and making a point to get back to work soon.

She first said, "Every mother goes through a lot of physical and mental changes in her body during her pregnancy and even after she delivers the baby. I had my share of ups and downs too. There are actresses who don't lose weight and feel that they are okay with the post pregnancy weight even after two years of delivering the baby, and there are others who immediately get back in shape. I decided to opt for the latter because it was getting to me. I had this urge to get back to work and my husband (actor Kunal Verma) is a fitness freak. He used to constantly keep teasing me about how I didn't look like the old Puja and it was making me nervous. He used to stop me from indulging in calorie-rich foods. So that helped. But it wasn't easy because I did experience depression during and after my pregnancy."

Elaborating on how she dealt with it, she said, "A pregnant woman goes through a lot of changes in her body. Even post delivery, you are going through hormonal changes and you are trying to cope with it. At this time, you need plenty of care and pampering. Due to the pandemic, people could not visit me or keep me company or make me feel better. My mother came from Kolkata quite late because we had to take precautions during the pandemic. I felt quite lonely during the pregnancy and even after that. After Krishiv was born, 100 other jobs and responsibilities came up and we did not have any help or support. In these times, even a small issue can cause some kind of an upheaval and you end up feeling depressed. On the one hand you are constantly running after the child, not sleeping enough and on the other hand, there is anxiety that you have to lose weight and get back to work. In many ways, the pandemic too contributed to the depression. But, now after losing weight, I am feeling much better and am happy and comfortable with my body."

Mainly talking about how she lost the weight, she said, "I don't have a nanny for my child, so I could not work out, but I went on a diet. I stopped eating carbs and sugar. In the evenings, I used to have light dinner that included soup and grilled chicken. I kept having fruits throughout the day. I have lost almost 10 kilos now and feel much more confident. Running after my child gave me a good work out. Seeing my husband climb 36 floors when he could not go to gym also inspired me to become fitter."

Concluding on what kind of work is she looking forward to now, she said, "TV is a medium that I am most comfortable doing. But after Devon Ke Dev Mahadev, I haven't seen a great mythological show. I keep watching comedy shows and reality shows, they are quite entertaining. OTT has also become huge and I am going to be part of a Bengali film. So, hopefully, work is good now and everything will be better."