Birthdays have a way of making us reflect on life’s gifts. Last year, I wrote a book for my daughter’s eighteenth birthday. For my son’s eighteenth on 23 December 2024, I had begun writing one in Tamil last year. I had even completed 5 chapters. But watching him struggle with post-Covid weight gain sparked a different inspiration. It is during this time my uric acid levels had also spiked. During a visit to a clinic, when I stepped on the scale, I was shocked to see that I was overweight at 100.3 kilograms.
My 185 cm frame and my athletic build masked the truth well enough that no one found me bulky or heavy. Yet beneath the surface, my health and vitality had been slipping away. For someone who had always been the athlete, the natural sportsman from school and college days, the thought of medication felt like admitting defeat. I decided to knock two birds in one stone by focusing on fitness. 1.I wanted to regain my health 2. Instead of words on paper, I decided to give my son something more powerful – achieve a six-pack abs before his birthday and give him inspiration that he could also achieve peak fitness.
It is his birthday today and I made it happen.
Over the last 10 – 12 years, I had made several meaningful attempts at my physical improvement. I cut sugar from my coffee in 2013 — a good start. I went vegetarian from 2014 to 2022, only to discover that I had developed a B12 deficiency. I ate what I thought were healthy foods, not realizing their impact on calories and salt intake. For example, I ate a lot of nuts but I was not tracking their calories. Healthy but not really healthy. I even experimented with two meals a day. But my rhythm usually faltered during my summer travels to India or during official trips. But these weren’t failures — they were just stepping stones. I was intentional and disciplined but not disciplined enough to reach the next level.
The foundation was there; it just needed to be tightened and that would come from a strong ‘why’ — ‘why should I do all this?’.
My childhood friend Akilan Muthuramalingam shared an excellent Tamil book called ‘Udalin Mozhi’, which means ‘The language of the body’, written by an acupuncture doctor from my ancestral village area. It was just 32 pages long but the insights in the book were so powerful. According to the book, the ‘waste’ that stays in the body is the reason for all the problems in the body. The waste can manifest as constipation, cholestrol, arterial blocks, kidney stones and in a variety of forms. What causes waste? All the unhealthy, processed, oily, spicy and sugary foods which we eat more than the bodily needs. We keep feeding such food to all the systems even when they don’t want it. This gave a powerful ‘Why’ for me.
The ‘Why’ strengthened further when I started doing a gratitude meditation after my Sudarhshan Kriya to thank all the organs of the body. This exercise helped me to realize that I didn’t even know many organs in the body and with each passing day, I am discovering something new. A month ago, when I read about spleen, I realized that spleen was not even part of my gratitude. I was so ignorant. This practice also helped me to deeply understand that I am serving only one organ in the body called tongue which carries the taste buds. All the other organs don’t have taste buds and so 99.9% of the body organs don’t care about the taste of the food. They care about nutrients, vitamins, proteins, carbs and fats. This was a powerful revelation. This strengthened my ‘Why’ deeply and altered my inner narrative about taste.
While creating aspirations is easy, implementing them on less motivated days is challenging. I developed a structure and a set of habits that would work even when motivation was low. Novak Djokovic’s book ‘Serve to win’ provided some powerful perspectives and guidance on holistic health management. I have been an ardent admirer of his mental toughness and his incredible discipline.
To develop a similar mindset and willpower, I drew from my past experiences. I had completed a 10-day Vipassana course in 2017. I was practicing meditation for two hours daily before stopping after a year. In 2021, I learned Sudarshan Kriya meditation from my teachers Alok and Chhavi Kejriwal. While I would practice religiously for 150 or 200 days at a stretch in 2022 and 2023, I had given up without completing the full year.
This time, I approached things differently.
I established a morning routine. I bought and placed a weighing scale in my living room. I began each day by checking my weight and drinking a liter of water. I then sat for 30 minutes to do Sudarshan Kriya breathwork and meditation, followed by preparing breakfast for my family. Then, I started with simple exercises — moving my arms up, sideways, and down, both forward and reverse, for 5–6 sets of 20 reps each (a gym term for repetitions) instead of the usual 10–20 times. I also managed to incorporate some relevant yoga asanas, which I had previously practiced intermittently. I have not missed my meditations or workout sessions even once this year.
I created clear, non-negotiable commitments to myself, starting with 6 dietary changes (below). I also decided against taking any supplements.
I committed to eating only natural foods (fruits, dates, vegetables, nuts, lentils, pulses and lean proteins such as fish and chicken). From previous experiments, I knew that physical fitness was only 10% and food control was 90%. I maintained my habit of early dinners (before 6 PM), learned from my time in Sri Lanka, and structured my meals thoughtfully — breakfast with grilled sweet potato, seasonal fruits, and 1/4 coconut; lunch with chicken or fish; and a light, fruit-based dinner. Fruits and dates satisfied my body’s sugar needs, while vegetables, sweet potatoes, lentils, and fruits provided healthy carbohydrates. Between 6pm until morning 10am, I didn’t eat anything. At this stage, I wasn’t focusing on calories, protein and fat ratios. I was also not aware of those details.
Most importantly, I decided to prepare my own meals, giving me complete control over my food choices. The inspiration again came from Djokovic’s book ‘Serve to Win,’ where he shared that he prepared his own meals even after grueling five-set matches at the Australian Open. If one of the greatest athletes could find time to prepare his meals, I had no excuses.
Even simple exercises with good number of repetitions yielded excellent results. Within weeks, I noticed positive changes, losing 3–4 kilograms in two months. While this wasn’t new — I typically maintained progress for 3–4 months before faltering — this time was different. Initially, I wasn’t focused on calories or macronutrient balance, and I didn’t distinguish between fat and muscle loss. I understood the basic principle: to lose weight, one must consume less than what the body needs to function.
A fortunate opportunity arose when my son switched trainers. His gym wouldn’t cancel his membership but allowed a swap, so I took over. I utilized all the machines and tried to learn proper techniques through YouTube videos. Watching ultra fit people work out at the gym provided additional inspiration.
The real test came during my back to back trips to UK in April and May. I was constantly moving from London to Manchester to Leeds to York and in the next trip from London to Southall to Canterbury to Ramsgate. However, I spent 90 mins daily in my hotel room for workouts. Oliver Sjostrom’s training videos in Youtube were super helpful. Until this point of time, salads used to be my least favorite food. But in London, I started loving salads thanks to ‘The Salad Project’. After experiencing salads at this restaurant, it became my most favorite food. On most days, I eat salad style food for lunch and dinner now. It is easy to prepare, it is nutritious and if done well, it can be delicious too. Also, from using plates, I am using bowls more often these days which is another interesting shift.
The bigger test was during my two months in India. Surrounded by tempting briyani, kothu parotta, and filter coffee, I remained committed. Briyani is easily the worst and most unhealthy food in the world but sadly, the consumption of Briyani is growing like crazy in India. There was already a good rhythm as I didn’t touch Parotta and Briyani over the last 5–7 years in Madurai (or anywhere for that matter). I joined Jazz, a local gym in Madurai and hired a trainer. My trainer helped me to strengthen my basics. He forced me to walk for 20 minutes every day which helped to create a cardio routine, taught about muscle-mind connection, get proper postures and the importance of recovery.
While traveling with my friends in India, I chose boiled or steamed foods over fried ones and relied on fruits and nuts. I didn’t feel bad or guilty to say NO to anything that was beyond my scope. This wasn’t about deprivation but choosing vitality over temporary pleasure and pleasing others. India’s self-sufficiency made maintaining a healthy diet easier, with abundant, readily available fresh fruits and vegetables. My mother, after seeing my eating habits, was telling our neighbour — “Don’t know whether he became a Saamiyar (monk). He is just eating fruits and plain food”.
After India, I immediately had to travel to Brazil for a week on an official trip. In Rio, I walked the entire length of the famous Copacabana beach, covering its length twice in the morning and evening. These walks along the beach logged 16 kilometers on my app daily and heavily catalysed me to start walking more. This wasn’t entirely new — I had previously done regular weekend walks of up to 30 kilometers. I didn’t continue that practice. Walking proved to be one of the best forms of cardio training, and gradually, everything fell into place. During my frequent travels to Zurich, I walk from the train station to the hotel and to everywhere. Walking is pure magic. If you haven’t, read Thoreau’s Walking to understand the power of walking.
I continuously studied fitness regimes through books and YouTube, learning from the world’s best. I also made many mistakes along the way. For instance, I assumed packaged dates were a healthy sugar source till I discovered that they contained added sucrose. I understood this fact only after three months into training. I immediately stopped consuming them. I also incorrectly assumed chicken and fish provided protein quantities equivalent to the weight we consume. Without measuring my food, I overestimated my protein intake. In addition, before Madurai, I was working all parts of the body on all days and later, understood the importance of recovery.
The final challenge was burning belly fat. We can’t burn fat organ by organ. It will go down as a whole. Belly fat is the hardest to burn and it required more work. I had to improve my nutrition as well as balance carbs-proteins-fats. In particular, I had to lower my body fat. One needs to do proper cardio while working on fat loss. ChatGPT and Claude became my nutritionists, providing excellent recipes and helping me track calorie intake for each meal. I began checking the calorie content of everything I ate, which brought a new level of awareness. Watching my wife use a food scale, while preparing cakes, inspired me to measure my portions precisely. This detailed tracking, combined with AI-guided nutrition advice, helped me achieve the right balance of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
Just to help you understand calories — If you eat a banana which has 100–110 calories approximately, you have to walk for at least 30 mins to burn the calories. Think of the Briyani or the pizza that we effortlessly consume. Remember that you have consumed the energy that you need for 1–2 days just with that one pizza. We casually consume so much food unnecessarily. We keep feeding the body with food even when the body doesn’t need it. These days, I wait for the body to tell me that it needs energy. Only then, I will feed some food to the body. This had a direct impact on my calorie management.
Later, I relied on chatGPT to give my weekly menu. Below is a chatGPT structured menu which I then customized accordingly.
In addition, over the last 3 months, every day after my gym session, I take a shower in ice cold water and it is so refreshing. Also, I maintain a good level of hydration throughout the day and consume a healthy amount of water.
Today, at 82.5 kilograms, I have lost 18 kgs over the last one year. I can go even more shredded and reduce little more body fat but I want to be judicious. Being healthy is more important than trying to push the body for the sake of pushing. I’m grateful for this journey. My recent annual blood and urine tests showed all parameters were perfectly normal. While the physical changes are visible, they’re just one part of the story. The real transformation has been internal — controlling the inner narrative, bringing awareness more often, giving gratitude to the body, giving zero excuses, strengthening the will power, and most importantly, prioritizing health at all costs.
It is not just the six packs. I used to do one asana which is a complex variation of Ardha Matyendrasana that I learned from my father when I was a kid. Since 2009, for 15 years, I was not able to achieve that pose. But now, I am able to do that asana which means I am in great shape. Most importantly, my son has taken some good actions to lose weight and take care of his body. It makes me very happy.
My family and my friends ask ‘How long are you going to do this?’. I have already learned to overcome cravings over the last 10 years, thanks to Vipassana meditation. I love this new approach. I have eaten all kinds of foods in all kinds of settings. It is enough. I don’t miss those foods. I dont miss Madurai food or any food for that matter.
I am not done with the fitness aspect either. I like the lean and athletic look for myself. The next step is to work with muscles at a granular level, learn to do some complex new exercises and also, get into some intense physical training with the help of trainers. In addition, I am planning to do 5 minute meditations 5 times every day. I have already started it but it is not easy at all. I know that it will fall in place. I am happy with the journey so far. This journey taught me lessons that go far beyond physical transformation:
- Adversity is an opportunity. I could have adhered to medications to manage the uric acid. Instead, it became my motivation to improve.
- The “why” and “inner narrative matters”. Instead of just focusing on pleasing the tongue, I decided to please all my organs. That is my ‘WHY’.
- Motivation is temporary; systems are permanent. Build habits and systems that will drive you even when you are not motivated.
- Systems are good but you need tools: Invest in a weighing scale, food weighing scale, a gym membership and some dumb bells / Kettle bells.
- Take ownership of your journey. Cooking your meals, designing your workouts, and persevering without excuses are acts of ownership.
- Listen to the body. The body keeps talking to us in so many forms and ways. We just have to pause, focus and listen.
- Eat only after you are hungry: Hunger is a symptom that your body needs energy. Experience hunger first and feed the body afterwards.
- God is in the details. Think of your six pack abs as the god. You have to work so detailed to remove all the layers in order to see god.
To anyone in their midlife, 40s or beyond, this journey taught me that it’s never too late to prioritize health — it’s a lesson I hope others find helpful too. If I can do it, you can also do it.
Are you going to take simple and consistent actions to prioritize your health in 2025?
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PS: I have started a fitness community which has a good mix of sharing and practice to help middle aged people who want to reinvent themselves since transforming physically is the first step to reinvention. If you are interested, please signup by completing this form. The form is long just like this blog. Let’s see if you persevere and complete it. Please share with friends from your professional as well as personal circle and invite them to join this satsang of a different kind.