Parineeti talks about how she got into shape

The actress talks about how a traditional form of martial arts helped her get her body into perfect shape.

Parineeti Chopra has steamed up the social media by posting a series of pictures of her in skimpy sportswear, which highlights every muscle and all the notneeded kilos that she has finally lost. "I've worked really hard to change my shapeless body into a shapely one. I've always wanted to look fitter, more toned, wear better clothes but I was over-weight earlier. In fact, before I came down to India, I used to be obese, this really huge girl weighing 82 kgs. My new look should inspire those girls who believe they can never knock off the extra flab, that everybody has it in them to look good, you just have to really push it," insists the actress.

For Parineeti, the prep towards this startling metamorphosis began in February when she signed up for martial arts training. Unlike many of her B-town contemporaries like Jacqueline Fernandez and Alia Bhatt, the gym bores her and she didn't want to go back to the usual cardio and weights. "I don't like working out in a gym so I opted for Kalaripayattu (a traditional form of martial arts which originated in Kerala) which may not make you lose weight as fast but it promises greater flexibility. Earlier, I only wanted to be thin but over the last nine months since I started this strenuous form of yoga, I've begun to feel fit and strong and I like that. Of course, I'm still a work in progress," she laughs.

She mostly works out with her trainer at home and sometimes books a large, empty dance rehearsal hall. She tries to practise at least four to five times a week, on occasion going five days without a break. "It's invigorating and it works for me. But I can't promise that it will work for everyone because all of us have different body types," she reasons.

Parineeti also points out that it's important to watch what you eat but not starve yourself. "Any actor who is fit will tell you that the worst thing you can do is stop eating. You need to fuel the body regularly through the day. I even cheat with fattening treats but then I balance it out. And I never eat anything after 8 pm," she informs.

Buzz is, she's also signing up for a boot camp in Austria. Parineeti shrugs off the speculation saying it wasn't a boot camp but a detox centre to cleanse her body of all toxins. "It was only for five-six days and the doctors there informed me what food items I was intolerant or allergic towards. I don't want to go into details but it's important to cut these out of your daily diet and avoid indigestion and constipation," she says.

You wonder if the reason for Parineeti's selfimposed hiatus was a conscious decision to get into shape before appearing on screen. She is quick to refute this saying she has not signed any new films in a while because she wanted to do a certain kind of cinema and nobody was making those kind of films. "I used the time productively to do up my new apartment, work on myself and get some much needed rest. I had not taken a break in two years. But now, I am ready to get back to work and you can expect some announcements soon," she promises.