Whenever one hears about how a person followed a disciplined life to shed many kilos, one can't help but experience goosebumps. A good percentage of people struggle with body image issues. So, one is always able to relate with other people weight loss journey, their challenges and the elation one feels after triumphs. Kshitij Sharma's weight loss journey is an inspiring one too. He lost 37 kgs in a span of 6 months. Ash him how he feels about it and he says he has never been happier.

Kshitij has been on this journey for many years now. "Growing up, I was always a healthy, chubby kid. But you know what happens when a person relaises on their own that they need to address a health issue. In 2016, I took the plunge to take stock of my health situation. I worked out, ate clean and managed to lose 40 kgs in a span of two years. However, in 2021, when I moved to Canada, within a year, I regained all that weight that I had lost. It was heartbreaking for me. I experienced social anxiety at the time. I realised that just by mulling over it, nothing will ever work out in my favour. So, by the end of 2022, I made a promise to myself to get back in shape before my next birthday. Also, I was not driven to lose weight just to look good appearance-wise, but I wanted to feel more confident in my skin," shares Kshitij.

Kshitij shares that he had come across the concept of prolonged fasting. "When I learned about this concept, I naturally found it difficult to survive on just water and no food for 30 odd days. However, once I decided to do it, I ended up fasting for 48 days. The biggest challenge was controlling the cravings. I literally used to watch food reels for hours just to mentally satisfy my hunger. It was tough, but the discipline it built was on another level."

Kshitij also shared that staying hydrated helped him curb hunger pangs. "Another hack that I used, it may sound a tad weird, was munching on ice cubes. In a way, it helped tricked my brain into thinking that I was eating something, and it actually worked most of the time," explained Kshitij.

Drinking around 4–5 liters of water every day helped skin became a lot smoother and clearer, shared Kshitij. "I also felt more energetic and mentally sharp. One of the coolest things about prolonged fasting is that it gives your body time to heal, your digestion improves, inflammation goes down, and you just feel lighter overall. It’s like a full-body reset. It’s tough, but the benefits make it worth it," he said.

So, if we really have to break it down to you as to what helped Kshitij lose weight, it was prolonged fasting, lots of water and one meal a day for some time. "I did prolonged fasting for 48 days. Drank 4-5 litres of water and a few cups of coffees. After water fasting, I incorporated one protein-rich meal a day for 3 months at night. And then again, I did prolonged fast for a period of 30 days," replied Kshitij.

During fasting period, Kshitij avoided eating anything at all. "When I switched to one meal a day, I made sure to cut out all high-carb foods. No sugar, no junk, nothing heavy. I focused more on protein-rich foods to help with muscle recovery and keep me fuller for long. It was all about clean eating and staying disciplined," he said.

We all will agree that validation of one's efforts go a long way in keeping a person motivated. "I had lost 25 kg. But what really hit different was when people started noticing and acknowledging the transformation. That felt amazing. It gave me the push to keep going and really motivated me to start living a healthier lifestyle. That boost of confidence actually inspired me to go for another 30-day prolonged fast, where I dropped 12 more kilos. Those moments reminded me that all the hard work was actually paying off," shared an elated Kshitij.

"After my first fast that I kept for 30 days, I got back to working out seriously. I started hitting the gym 6 days a week. On alternate days, I focused on weight training, usually training 2 body parts per session. And on the other days, I’d do cardio sessions to keep my stamina up and help with fat loss. That mix of strength and cardio really helped me stay consistent and achieve great results," he shares.

One big mistake that Kshitij made during the journey was not taking electrolytes with water in the beginning. "I thought just drinking water would be enough, but I often felt drained and low on energy throughout the day. A couple of weeks in, I started adding electrolytes and noticed an immediate improvement in my energy levels. It made a huge difference, definitely something I wish I had done from day one," he shares.

Kshitij believes that one needs to have the mental strength and passion to lose weight. "It really depends on how badly you want to get back in shape. Your mind will quit way before your body does, so you’ve got to stay focused. What really helped me was remembering every embarrassing moment I went through, every time someone made fun of me, every time I felt anxious or lost confidence. I wrote it all down in my notes. And whenever I felt like giving up, I’d read every single line of it. It reminded me why I started and pushed me to keep going. Use the pain as fuel," he said.

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