12. WINNING IS INSPIRING

Few Events at the Makeover 2104:

All 10 Makeover teams will participate in MAKEOVER KITE FLYING FESTIVAL (PATANG FESTIVAL) on Sunday the 9th Feb 2014 at 7 am on the Bavdhan hills followed by indian games like LAGORI, GOTYA and VITTY DANDU, Teams will get their own Kites and Manja will be of your team colours. Total duration of event approx 3 hours. This was just a recreation event which helped us bond better

Sunday 2nd March- Triathlon but each guy to do only one event.

a team of 9 people for 3 events. So 3 participants per event and One female in each event.

Each event Cycling 10 kms per person, swimming 10 laps per person thats 250 kms and running  5 kms each

Treasure Hunt

Each team were given clues and a minimum of 10 people had to reach the next clue by foot. And from there the next one and then finish back to Pyc. So with such different variations and team events it was exciting and fitness was also taken care of. The next tests were coming in and in those tests my results were good. All parameters were excellent. My weight had come down to 100.5 kgs.

Running Event

Simultaneously i started to run little longer. One day i was running on the Gym ground and did 8.5 kms. That was my highest till then. In march we had a running event. 10 kms to be run by every member. The first 10 members of each teams timings would be added and then it would decide on the winning team. I had done 8.5 kms few days back but was tensed how i would complete. It wasn't a easy route. I was surprised that i completed it non stop and that too in a good time of 60 mins. At the end of the makeover on 31st March 2014 i weighed 96.3. I had cut down by 13.6 kgs. I was a completely changed person. 11th April was the prize distribution of the makeover with a cultural program where every team would do an act or a dance. I did shake a leg on stage which was a great boost for me. I also won the highest weight loss award. It was a memorable evening.

Next day morning i went to the gym at my routine time and asked MG sir, Makeover is done. What next?? Sir said I should do a Half Marathon (21.1 kms) and train for that. I said its too much.. I just did my max of 10 kms. Sir said few members are keen and he is customising a training plan. I wasn’t sure, but said lets try.

11. FIRST MONTH OF MAKEOVER

MG personally worked on every members workout. A workout plan was designed for each one. i received my email on 8th Jan-2014. A nutritionist was available for few days so that we could get a proper diet for the event. I wasn't too keen on the nutritionist as i was happy with my current dietitian. But still i did visit her and shared my current diet. She was pretty happy with what i was doing. I had never been seriously going to the gym.

My work out plan was as follows:

Monday, Wednesday & Friday - Gymnasium and on

Tuesday & Thursday - Cardio Activity

Saturday - Group Batch. (Yoga, Floor batches like stretching, strengthening, Abdominal, Ground activities, Military Circuit and things like that. All these things were too interesting and very different form of workout.

Here the energy was completely different. All were focused on health and only health. Serious workouts. MG would always be around and ensure that people are working out. GAPPA NAKA MARU (don't just chit chat. :). All the instructors would also be alert.

MG would ask, what are you doing today?? he would make out that one's not in a mood to workout, then he would give a different exercise. Like one day i was bored for the cross-trainer. He said today do 36 surya namaskars. Now i had earlier done them during my Yoga at home, but they were 12 to 16. But that day i realised that i could do 36. He showed that if u are training well you can achieve new heights. It’s always that you need that someone who would tell you that you can do it. MG is the man who showed me that I have the potential and that I should have focus on achieving that.

There were various events organised for the Makeover.

team meeting on 12 jan. our team had around 20 members

all our results would be uploaded online after the end of every months tests.

first event was a cross country. first 10 people who would finish of one team get the max points.

first tests at jan end. Last 3 days of the month end we had to give the tests. it felt like it was like the exams in college.

at the end of the First Month at Jan i was down by more 6 kgs. So at end of Jan i weighed 104 Kgs.

10. MAKEOVER 2014…..

I am a member of PYC where there was a event for 3 months. Mr. Mahendra Gokhale (MG) heads the gymnasium. I had heard about him from many people regarding his way of training for fitness. I had read of makeover a year back about their earlier years event, that too while having a drink at the PYC restaurant I had read on the notice board. But never took it seriously. Ashwin, a dear friend of mine goes to the gym at PYC. I spoke with him about the makeover and he said it’s a great event. Now that I was loosing weight I needed some new target. Anyways I have donated so much to all the high end gym’s of the city, I said might as well give it a try. So I enrolled for the same. It was a 3-month program starting from 1st Jan 2014.  

We had a briefing on 2nd Jan about how are the points calculated and lot of stuff. We had teams and the owners would buy the participants. Something similar to the IPL auction. Well we were all set. We had a set of tests. Like weight, height, BMI, fat percentage, muscle percentile, water content etc. Thanks to my dietitian that I knew these things. With these we also had physical tests. How many pushups and sit-ups in 30 seconds. Thank god I was unaware of this earlier coz I cant even do a single push up. But MG’s main idea was participation should be compulsory. It doesn’t matter how good you are. So there were options of bent knee push ups. Wow that felt great. But I saw it was only the ladies who were doing it in this style and very few guys, like me. But there was lot of motivation during the day zero test. Another flexibility test was there where we had to sit and reach to our toes, which was scaled. And the last was to run and or walk 2.4 kms or choose a blip test. The blip test was to run 25 meters to and fro on the beep. With every level the time of bleep would reduce. So finally when you don’t reach the other side before the bleep you are done. And that’s your score. I didn’t even try this crazy thing and opted for the 2.4 kms.  So during this event called MAKEOVER 2014 I started my journey with 110 kgs.

9. HAPPY NEW YEAR…31st DECEMBER 2013

December, the festival and party time was around. With the same routine I lost another 2 kgs in dec. I was pretty happy and was looking forward to my visit to Dynanada.

On December 23rd I visited her. even though I had lost weight, she was not happy with the result as compared to my earlier visit. My fat percentage was higher than earlier. It was Christmas Eve that evening we had family plans so that my daughter Sara could have some delicacies. Even I wished to eat little yummy food and also looking forward for a lovely New Year celebration which was just a week away.

My new diet was ready and I was asked to visit on 1st January 2014. It was the first time that she had ever called me in 8 days.  I asked for a visit after 3rd Jan, 2014 but she didn't accept it and asked to come that day. So that evening for Xmas eve we took Sara out. She enjoyed a lot. Oh yes I had dinner at home at 8 pm and just accompanied My wife and Sara. One 1st Jan, 2014 I had a visit with Dynanada. So on New Years Eve it was a lovely diet dinner at home with Anjali and Sara. I hit the sack at 10 pm.. IT WAS HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014 @ home sweet home… :)


NEXT UPDATE ON 28TH NOVEMBER, 2014

8. MY FIRST RUN

October 6th 2013, was a marathon organised by Pune running called "Running Beyond Myself". Me, Mukesh and Arun registered for the Marathon. I had never done a single run ever, hence I registered for 3 kms. I was excited to run my first marathon.

On the race day at 6 am I reached and saw that both my friends Arun and Mukesh had registered for 5 kms. Since it was I charity run I asked if I could join my friends and I was allowed. I had never done 3k. I could not run the entire 5k. First 3k I did manage to run. Later I walked a bit and again ran till the finish line. I was amazed that I finished 5 kms in roughly 37 mins. It was a amazing feeling and a great achievement. 

In the pic Arun, Mukesh, me and Ashwin

I  was now Hungry for more......

7. USE OF TECHNOLOGY FOR BETTER HEALTH AND MOTIVATION…

Meanwhile, I was gifted a Jawbone UP by my friend Atul Goel. The Jawbone was a small device, which would fit on the wrist. It was a sleek funky band. It would count on how many steps one would walk. It would also give a amazing analysis on sleep. It would show right from how many hours of deep sleep to light sleep. The target goals was to walk 10,000 steps and eight hours of sleep. This device gave me the main boost towards exercise, which was needed. If I was short of completing my steps, I would  go for a walk in the evening just to complete my target. It would sync with my phone and update me on my stats.

On the phone I started using Run Keeper for my walking. This app gave me the push towards walking more and getting speed. Slowly, we were a group of four friends. Amit and Pavan also joined me and Arun. In my group we have more than 10 friends with Jawbone’s. We use to encourage each other, push, boost and applaud on performances. Every 15 days I would visit the dietitian and she would analyse my results and accordingly make changes to my food. This jawbone was the key. I was totally hooked on to that. The main target was to complete 10k steps, come what may.

On 2nd December 2013, I was 112 kgs. So in 3 months I had lost 11 kgs with a diet plan given by Dynanada Chitale. To compliment to my Golf and morning walks. In total it was from 131.5 to 112 that’s like 19.5 kgs.

Every friday I will update this blog," My Health Journey"

6. “D.C.” MY LIFE CHANGER….EAT MORE LOSE MORE… BUUUUT EAT CORRECT AND ON TIME !!

DC (Dilip Chabbria) is a brand in India who modifies cars and gives it a great look, luxury and comfort. Well the DC who modified my life completely is Dnyanada Chitale, my Nutritionist

In July 2013 my wife Anjali started visiting a dietician-Dnyanada Chitale. She had seen good results in less than 2 months. She was behind me to visit her. I could never keep up to a diet. But  my weight was at a stand still and it was getting frustrating. So finally, I agreed and we had a visit to the nutritionist. 2nd September, 2013 was my first visit where my weight was the same since November 2012 at 123.6 kgs. After a few questions and analysing all the figures of Fat, muscle and water percentage she prepared a diet plan. 

The diet was meant to be followed entirely (strictly about what to eat, when to eat and how much to eat). She took a note of my daily routine and accordingly my meal timings were decided.  Like starting from morning with eating dry fruits, tea and biscuit then for breakfast few parathas and every 2 hours something till the end of the day.

I realized that I was having more food than my early diet. As per the diet plan for lunch, I was to have 3 phulkas (indian bread) without oil. I never ate more than 2. All meals were spread equally throughout the day. At the end of the month I had lost 3 kilos, which got me to 120. Now I was excited to loose more. I could not wait. ....

Next update on 7th November, 2014