An unregulated lifestyle, regularly binging on unhealthy foods, irregular sleep patterns, lack of physical activity coupled with a sedentary lifestyle is bound to take a toll on one’s health. The corporate life has abundant advantages, but at a heavy cost. Health becomes the most neglected of all. Mr. Rajeev Kumar was a prime example of such a corporate honcho.
It takes sheer guts and determination to overturn the consequences of the earlier mentioned lifestyle. Mr. Rajeev Kumar, the protagonist of this blog is such an individual who has been able to metamorphose himself into top-form simply by the virtue of following a disciplined lifestyle.
After much yo-yoing, on taking the final plunge, August 2017 was when he decided to take the crucial step towards paying equal importance to his physical as well as mental wellbeing vis-à-vis his corporate life. And thus, began his inspiring journey into the salutary lifestyle that he is following today.
The beginning of a new ERA
This educational as well as enlightening journey commenced with ‘Sculpted You-3’ in September 2017 at Shammi’s Yogalaya.
Sculpted You is a rigorous 21-day regime which exhaustively and systematically works on cleansing the system; breathing with awareness, achieving a nutritional rhythm in sync with nature and an intense physical workout focusing on endurance, strength and flexibility. The program is ingrained in the deep philosophy of Yoga and Naturopathy and works on bringing the ‘Right Balance’ in different spheres of one’s life.
At the end of this program, the participants are sculpted, toned, energetic, have lost weight & inches, turned into mindful consumers, have detoxified important organs of their body and discarded many useless preconceived notions about healthy living. This was the foundation of Rajeev’s embarkment on this journey to take back the control over his life.
A glance on Rajeev’s Body Fat Composition
|
Body Fat Composition |
||||
| Date | 1.9.17 | 1.10.17 | 1.12.17 | 1.2.18 |
| Weight (66-71 ideal ~) | 81 | 75.5 | 71.1 | 66.9 |
| Body Fat Percentage (14-18 ~) | 29.6 | 29.3 | 26 | 25.3 |
| Body Age (Functional Age) | 57 | 55 | 50 | 49 |
| Body Mass Index (18.9-24.9) | 28 | 26.8 | 25.2 | 23.7 |
| Resting Metabolism (2000 ~) | 1708 | 1651 | 1599 | 1533 |
| Visceral Fat (5-11 normal) | 15.5 | 13.5 | 11.5 | 9.5 |
| Subcutaneous Fat (whole body-11~) | 20.7 | 20.3 | 18 | 17.3 |
| Skeletal Muscles (whole body-37~) | 28.6 | 28.7 | 29.9 | 30.1 |
Ahar, Vihar & Nidra – ‘OUR’ Scriptural Heritage
Our complete control over these three elements can allow us the privilege and luxury of leading a normal blissful life which is synonymous to be in a blissful state or leading a fulfilling life. Experiencing this luxury is the biggest present-day challenge.
Rajeev and I focused exclusively and emphatically on weaving a right balance between Ahar, Vihar & Nidra. And, therefore,
Today we have an inspiring Tale to Tell…
Ahar (Nutritional Intake)
We followed the Natural Body Cycle rhythm while focusing on nutritional intake. As, 4 am to 12 noon is the Elimination Period, we focused on consuming lots of fruit during this period. Light local Indian breakfast did follow towards the mid part of this phase only if body demanded so.
During the Digestion Period i.e. 12 noon to 8 pm, the lunch, a heavy evening snack and dinner were consumed. Raw food / lentils (salads) became an integral part of lunch & dinner. Post 8 pm, nuts or some dry fruits were consumed, only if required.
Vihar (Activity)
Yoga Practice 7 days a week was a must. The yoga practice consisted of daily as well as weekly ‘Kriyas’ for cleansing the organs, ‘breathing’ for calming down and ‘asana’ practice in multiple combinations to meet the important guidelines of Exercise Physiology (Endurance, Strength Building & Flexibility). Apart from this, walking, jogging, swimming and cycling were also included in the weekly regime.
Nidra (Sound Sleep)
This is one of the most neglected aspect of today’s lifestyle. We focused on this exclusively, to make sure that this falls in the Assimilation / Absorption period i.e. 8 pm to 4 am. The aim was to rest enough, as, that was one of the best ways for the body to recover and be appropriately ready to face the next day in its optimal capacity. Sleeping and waking up every single day, at approximately a set time, was a habit that have to be inculcated. Rajeev was off his electronic devices by 9 pm every night and retired for the night by 10 pm. He started waking up every day at 5 am.
‘Sound Sleep is one of the most critical single factor which contributes majorly in optimal recovery and finest performance’.
Readiness for Change
The Trans-theoretical Model (TTM) – stages of change:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|
Precontemplation (I won’t, I can’t) |
Contemplation
(I might) |
Preparation
(I will) |
Action
(I am) |
Maintenance (I still am) |
Trans-theoretical Model of behavior change is an integrative theory of therapy that assesses an individual’s readiness to act on a new healthier behavior. Rajeev made a grand entry at stage 4 and thus, saved me the counselling required for the first three stages. Suryanamaskar became one of his favorite practices and at the end of 21 days of ‘Sculpted You-3,’ Rajeev successfully completed his first 150 Suryanamaskar.
In order to create a smooth transition into stage 5 (as Rajeev had a past history of exiting at level 4), we moved onto individual mentoring post ‘Sculpted You- 3.’ I kept a close eye on all his ‘Wellness Parameters’ and did not give him the option of exiting the program, as had been happening earlier.
Challenges on the way
There is no denying that there were many foundering’s, many constrictions and many wellness plans that fell through. But, the definite purpose, of wanting to lead a healthier lifestyle, ensured getting back on track and striving towards the desired lifestyle possible.
- Lack of sound sleep proved to be one of the biggest challenges that had to be combated. After much deliberation and debate, the ‘truth’ was exposed. Some of his deep-rooted belief based on wrong foundation, were making him insecure and thus directly got reflected on his sleep pattern. It took us a while to work on each segment of that thought pattern by breaking it in parts and then combining the positive aspect of it one by one in the most positive way. We did so together in coherence.
- The road to well being needed self-discipline. This played an integral role in making Rajeev independent in managing himself and made him the person he is today. He chose to stick to raw food in terms of fruits, vegetables, nuts, dry fruits and sprouts or as simple as dal chawal or khichdi, over supposedly tasty but unhealthier option while eating outside. Ball kept rolling even through the bumps that came along the way.
Many struggle every single day to lose weight and lead a dis-ease free life. We all want to lead a balanced life but fail to execute the plan, because our health never takes a priority as does our work or other distractions. A little advanced planning, a pinch of determination and mindful execution of a healthy plan can bring a life of contentment and enjoyment.
Life would lose its charm and lust for living, the moment things become predictable. It can be best enjoyed by expecting the unexpected and being successful in managing that ‘unexpected’ in the most logical and enjoyable manner.
For any query, write to “Ask Shammi” on www.shammisyogalaya.com For other blogs on related subject, check www.shammisyogalayablog.com
Shammi Gupta, founder of Shammi’s Yogalaya holds an MA in Yoga Shastra, is a certified Yogic Therapist and Naturopath, has completed an Advanced Yoga Course and holds a Diploma in Yoga Education from Mumbai University. She is a certified trainer from American College of Sports Medicine and holds an MBA in HR & MBA in Finance from The University of Akron, Ohio, USA. She conducts Health Awareness Workshops for Corporate, Yogasana Workshops for Athletes and Yoga Therapy Workshops on different medical issues for patients. Among the celebrities Shammi trains are eminent personalities from the film and television industry and corporate world.