From fat to fit

26-year-old Petrica Priyanka is all set to take part in the Musclemania India competition body building competition. Despite suffering from hypothyroidism, nothing has deterred her from shedding 33 kilograms of weight. Excerpts from her interview

What made you to lose weight?

I always wanted to be an athlete but my attempts of participating in various sports proved futile. I went into depression which led to overeating and I became obese. Once I started hitting the gym at Dell where I work, I started noticing certain changes in me. This is when I decided to rid myself of unhealthy lifestyle and bounce back to shape.

What was your original weight and how much did you shed?

Before I started to workout, I weighed 89. I lost excess weight in a year and three months. It took longer than I expected because I was suffering from hypothyroid which makes losing weight difficult.

What kind of workout regime did you follow?

After my hectic night shift, I trained for about an hour-and-a-half, six days a week. My workout regime included weights and intense cardio.

Tell us about the diet

I had minimum carbohydrates, loads of protein, enough fiber and good fats. I avoid eating rice, junk food and focus more on protein as it's the main building block for muscle and burns fat easily.

Who was your inspiration?

I was inspired by three things: A show called the ‘Biggest Loser’, US number one fitness trainer Jillian Michaels and fitness mom Sonali Swami

What kind of support did you receive from your family?

The support has not been that great but never the less, I thank my mother who ensured that I consumed nutritious food on time.

Tell us about the Musclemania India competition

It’s a body building competition where women and men from across the country to showcase their efforts. I got introduced to this competition through Facebook. Through social media I saw my inspiration Sonali Swami who won a medal and got to know more about her.

Reasons for participating in the competition

I wanted to prove that nothing in this world is impossible to achieve. I will be doing this for all the women out there especially women with hypothyroid who think they cannot conquer and have given up hope. I want to set myself as a benchmark and let them know that there is a little athlete in each one of us and it’s time to unleash it.

Usually girls do not opt for bodybuilding. Why did you take it up?

Girls don’t opt because of lack of knowledge. They think bodybuilding means you will look like a macho. There are different categories in women bodybuilding like bikini athletes, figure athletes , physique athletes etc. The myth that women with muscles look manly is wrong and being fit is the new sexy.

Any tips for losing weight?

Train like an athlete, eat like a nutritionist and sleep like a baby. Avoid eating junk food, cut too much of sugar, have loads of water and consume minimum carbohydrates.

By Askari Jaffer