Kartik Rao – How I Lost 26 kgs in 7 Months with HealthifyMe

When you are overweight, life isn’t exactly smooth. From battling unsolicited comments and the judgmental stares to health conditions that stem from all the extra kilos, Kartik had seen it all. However, when his confidence levels began to take a beating, he knew that he needed to get back on track. His transformation journey shows us that with determination, anything is possible!

Name: Kartik Rao

Gender: Male

Age: 37

Profession: Sales

Before HealthifyMe 

I was an athlete in the past, but my life took a turn when I moved back to India after completing my education in Australia to start my professional career. The mental distress caused due to the cultural realignment pushed me into adopting an unhealthy lifestyle of eating junk food. And in 12 years, I had gained 27 kgs! 

Over time I started to lose my self-confidence and disliked the way I looked. I would often reminisce about my past as an athlete and would feel depressed. 

As a result of leading an unhealthy lifestyle and the constant stress, I would frequently suffer from acidity & would fall prey to the seasonal flu every few months. My resting heart rate was above 100 beats per minute, which was a cause of concern.

The turning point

During an inter-office cricket match, I struggled to bowl even a single over despite being a big fan of the sport. My co-workers teased me about my physical state. Later, when I saw myself in a few video clips of the same match, I realized I needed to change my unhealthy lifestyle and lose the extra weight. 

I came across HealthifyMe on Google Playstore. HealthifyMe was a highly rated app for people seeking a lifestyle change. 

Coaches at HealthifyMe 

Megha Jalan was my diet coach & Navdeep was my fitness coach. Megha was a major contributor to my weight loss journey. I realized that when you eat right, you have more energy to work out. Before HealthifyMe, I would consume nine glucose biscuits & eight cups of tea a day. Later, I swapped these with 1 cup of green tea in the morning. Deep-fried and cheesy foods were replaced with high-protein and whole-grain foods. Also, I moved primarily to almost an oil-less diet. Consuming only 120ml of oil a month!

However, I visit vegan restaurants and other healthy food joints fortnightly. Megha has been instrumental in this life-changing intervention. Navdeep was very helpful in suggesting the right exercises that matched my fitness goal.

I still remember when I started, I could hardly run 100meters. And recently I finished 1km in less than 4mins which is one of my coveted fitness achievements! The focus of both my coaches was on my fitness goals & objectives. It contributed to achieving my fitness goals.  

Weight loss transformation journey 

I have achieved and surpassed all the fitness goals that I had set for myself such as, running 1km in 4 mins, participating in a 5K run, doing 500 crunches a day, working out for 2hrs, and completing 7 lakh steps in a month! From a physical standpoint – I lost 26 kilos and 10 inches around the waist-line. My shirt size has changed from XL to small! 

Tips/things that worked well throughout the transformation journey

When you are overweight there will be a lot of snide comments about your body-image. Many people will tell you that there are so many things which you can’t or should not do. The secret is to channelize the frustration into your workouts so that you can prove to yourself that you are not only worthy but also have the potential to be the best version of yourself at any age. The only person stopping you is you! Stop with the excuses, be consistent, and self-love above all else. Also, since I love animals and I chose to be a vegetarian. 

Favorite features on the HealthifyMe app

I appreciate how the HealthifyMe app enables its users to change his/her lifestyle holistically. But, if I were to mention one feature – that would be the calorie tracker that caters to the Indian palate.

The most significant change in lifestyle after joining HealthifyMe

From being a person who hated having his pictures taken, I now look at the mirror with confidence and also accept myself for who I am. I focus on being the best version of myself which is a constant journey of self-discovery & self-love. When you love yourself, there is no room for arrogance or insecurities and the universe conspires to give you the best. 

Breaking down barriers 

When I lost weight from 93 kilos to 86 kilos, my progress plateaued because I believed that I was doing everything right. I was very depressed, and doubts would start to creep in and I was second-guessing on whether I could achieve my goals & objectives. In a desperate attempt, I decided to subscribe to the Premium Plan on HealthifyMe. 

On the first call with my coaches, I expressed my frustrations on how my journey had plateaued. Megha informed me that I probably was Vitamin D & B12 deficient & this was contributing to the lack of results. Her suspicions came true when I was diagnosed with being severely VitaminD deficient. This deficiency was not only impacting me physically but also at an emotional and mental level. On taking the requisite supplements, the results were dramatic. I lost weight, was a lot more patient, and overall healthier.

After HealthifyMe 

Post my weight loss journey, my focus has been on muscle gain & I have increased my daily calorie intake from 1400cal to 1900cals. The focus remains on vegetarian, high-protein, and whole foods. My diet is mostly vegan apart from curd/yogurt as I am a South-Indian and I can’t do without it. I lost 26 kgs in just 7 months and felt like I was 19 again! The transformation has been holistic at an emotional, spiritual and physical level.

Reactions from friends and family after the transformation

I was fortunate that my transformation happened in phases and wasn’t drastic. So, the comments ranged from encouraging to telling me that I will gain back the lost weight. Their surprise only motivated me to want to scale more heights. People who did not see me through my transformation asked if I had gone under the knife?

How do I feel after achieving my goal

I sometimes cannot believe that I have achieved my goal! I am a lot more confident about myself with a lot more self-love & self-respect, which has enabled me to make better decisions at my workplace and personally.

Life is a journey fueled by health. I believe that If you are healthy; the world is your oyster!

Inspired by Kartik’s weight loss transformation? Our coaches can help you. 

Disclaimer: The results can and may vary for you. Let us help determine the best approach for you to achieve your goal.