For some context, I've never had any particular desire to be unhealthy. That was never the target. Similarly, I don't think I ever targeted health or fitness for the first thirty years of my life.

Slim Beginnings
Growing up, I used to play cricket and be quite energetic till about the age of 10/11. I stopped playing cricket when everybody around me 'grew up' from tennis-ball-cricket to that hard-rubber-ball cricket. Yes, I was too scared of getting whacked in the face with that ball - it stings! I also discovered this amazing thing called "conversation", so my playground activity time converted to "sit down and chat" time.

I tried playing a bit of fun football in college - absolutely loved it - and there was that one month in Bangalore that I went to the gym to keep my then-wife company.

That gym stint pushed my weight from around 73 kg to past 80 kg, and with subsequently terrible eating habits, I was 95 kg when I left Bangalore in 2012.

For the next 13 years, my weight has played hopscotch across that 90 kg mark: I dropped to 85 kg after six months on the Science Express (thanks to standing all day, everyday, for 9-10 hours), went back to 90-95 kg in Madras, dropped to 87 kg when I left hospital after Covid, climbed back to 92 kg in a few months, then went on a "no sugary drinks" stint for months, along with controlled eating that dropped my weight down to 83 kg - and I moved down a shirt size as well.

That was back in mid-2021.

But then, my weight kept creeping back - and hovered around the 90 kg mark for the past several years.

In September-November of last year (2024), I tried waking up at 5.45 am daily and going for a half-hour brisk walk.

It was amazing. Rejuvenating. Invigorating. I felt alive. And I think it helped me function better through the day, kept my posture better, etc.

But I couldn't sustain it. The only thing that's left over from that 2.5 month stint of morning walks, is that I still get up at 5.45 am (+/- 30 mins).

I then decided that I don't have to worry about my weight if I don't track it - so I stopped weighing myself in October 2024, when my weight was 90 kg.

Fast forward to the end of May / beginning of June, when my clothes were feeling a little tighter, and my shirt size had gone back up to what it was before.

I didn't like it, but I still refused to weigh myself.

Until a friend commented about how much weight I'm putting on. On 14th June.

The Wake Up Call
I was so annoyed, I went home, pulled out my weighing machine, and weighed myself.

96.7 kg.

Ninety-six-point-seven!!!

Heavens.

That's the heaviest I've ever been in my life.

And to be honest, it wasn't like I was gorging on platefuls of food - I was actually still quite restricted on so many things and in so many ways.

But I decided something had to be done.

The Method
So, these are the things I decided to do on 15th June.

I began cooking with these 'lazy' recipes that ChatGPT generates. I decide what proteins I want - pork, beef, chicken, fish, eggs and paneer (thanks purely to ChatGPT's recommendation!) - and I have a list of 'the most nutritious vegetables available in Madras' which I can eat in a no-carb diet (also from ChatGPT).

I just pick a few veggies and a few proteins for the week, and I prepare my meals with 125g protein and 125g of veggies. Very low oil/fat (I use about 1 tbsp of ghee/butter to prepare each meal), just some minimal seasoning with salt, pepper, garlic and lemon.

Next, I decided to try a bit of intermittent fasting style schedule: all solids are consumed between 12 noon and 8 pm, with exceptions on days when I'm out and dinner drags through to 10/11/12 in the night.

Third, for the first week, every single thing I put in my mouth was photographed and calorie-tracked via ChatGPT. There were things that I didn't even know were super-dense with calories, so this really helped.

Sounds very strict, right?

But I have had many exceptions.

Here's a list of things I've done outside this regimen (in the past 21 days):

For meals:

That's 9 out of the 42 meals... nearly a quarter.

Snacks and other things:

In five days, I had lost 3 kg. I was stunned. That motivated me to keep going.

By the end of the second week, I was 4 kg lighter.

Today, 21 days since I started this attempt, I am 90.9 kg.

Ninety-point-nine.

Sounds ridiculous to see that my minimal efforts have chopped off nearly six kilos in the span of just three weeks.

And, I am not exercising any more than usual.

I am not denying myself any type of food except highly processed foods and sugary drinks, probably. Everything else - cheese, butter, ghee, meats, fats - I am eating them as often as I'd like, but in moderated quantities. I am also happily eating out whenever the occasion rises, along with thulping biriyani, ice cream, etc. whenever it presents itself.

Am I healthy? I don't know.

Am I fit? Probably note.

But am I losing weight and fitting better into my clothes?
Absolutely, yes!