Rithvik Dhanjani, who was once massively overweight, shares his fitness mantras.
Television actor Rithvik Dhanjani, who currently stars in the popular Indian soap Pavitra Rishta is known to be a fitness freak.
So it's surprising to learn that he weighed a whopping 113 kg four and a half years ago and embarked upon an intense fitness training regime in Dubai before becoming part of the Indian entertainment industry.
Here, he discusses his way from fat to fit -- a trim 77 kg, to be precise -- in his own words.
The journey
Apart from studying, I was always interested in extracurricular activities while at school and college, like anchoring, acting in plays and dancing. I had aspirations to be part of the entertainment industry, but weight was a serious issue. Being fat is in my genes and I knew I wouldn't pull off becoming an actor until I lost weight.
And so in Class 11, I gave up rice, soft drinks, junk food and sugar -- I had always had major cravings for sweets. I cut down on outside food and had only home-cooked meals.
Then in the third year of college, I decided to hit the gym. Initially, my workout regime involved three days of cardio exercises and three days of muscle training. Plus, I tried playing every possible game like tennis, cricket, swimming, squash etc. I would religiously follow whatever people around me said about weight loss and also what I read about it.
My dietary restrictions continued even after I hit the gym. Once I literally lived on steamed idlis, chutney and salads for a month (looking back, that was rather stupid).
Over a period that spanned three and a half years, I came down from 113 kg to 85 kg.
Then when I finally auditioned for a film, they asked me to lose 10 kg in 10 days in order to cast me in a particular role -- that was a huge task.
So I turned to spinning for one and a half hours, followed by Bikram Yoga for an hour every single day.
My weight loss diet
When trying to lose weight, my meals primarily consisted of the following:
- Salads
- Boiled eggs
- Grilled chicken
- Carrot and beetroot juices
- Strictly no sugar
The effect were clearly visible when I jumped from 85 kg to 77 in 17 days. When I first saw myself in the mirror I felt like I had lost my charm along with so much weight, but eventually I came to believe that it was preferable to remain 77 kg and healthy.
Unfortunately, however, I didn't land the acting project I had worked so hard for!
My current fitness regime
Since I am busy shooting nowadays, it becomes difficult to train. I don't use weights; I do crossfit training four days a week. People concentrate on lifting weights, but this form of training focuses on lifting the equivalent of your own body weight.
I work out for thirty minutes to an hour and half, depending on which part of the body I'm focusing on.
I don't find the time to gym that often, but I make sure my cardio happens through my dance routines. I am a dance enthusiast and my dancing prowess has gotten better after participating in (dance reality show) Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa; it also helped me lose weight.
My present diet
I eat about four meals a day with high protein content, like chicken and eggs.
Breakfast: Before 9:30 am I have a perfect breakfast, like boiled eggs or an omelet or scrambled eggs with two or three slices of brown bread or a paratha.
If I feel hungry before lunch, I munch on protein bars.
Lunch: I have two rotis and sabzi -- and yoghurt is a must.
Evening: In the evening I have a bowl of cereal or diet biscuits, or soya chips and green tea.
Dinner: I usually avoid carbs for dinner as one's metabolism slows after 7 pm. For dinner, I have something light like a bowl of soup and grilled, boiled or stir-fried chicken.
I don't drink alcohol, and have given up rice, aerated drinks and junk food. I do have idlis and dosas for breakfast sometimes, but now I wait for occasions to eat sweets.
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