Rajeena Post Pregnancy ShapeUP

                                   

                                               Rajeena Shahin, 41 years
                                               HealthTech Entrepreneur

My effort to get into a healthy weight and physique eventually led me to found IOH (Invest on Health). I was always passionate about preventive medicine and believed a healthy weight and physique, an active lifestyle, clean eating habits are the ways to maintain optimum Health and productivity.

Read my story

My story would be familiar to many women out there. I was very slim (Height:170 cm, Weight: 56kg, Waist was 24) and till I got pregnant in 2008 (after 7 years of married life). Just like any other woman, pregnancy and the arrival of my daughter changed my whole focus to baby and baby related things. My health and body had taken a back seat. 

From 56 kg to 73kg in a span of one year. More than the weight the major issue was that the body fat distribution was on abdomen and shoulder regions. As a doctor, I knew the ill effects of visceral (Fat around the waist) fat on my body.

I followed a calorie restricted well balanced diet and regular physical activity and got back to the pre-pregnant weight in 8 months…...

I ate 5 times day, snacked on fruits, nuts seeds…did cardio 3 days a week, floor exercises for core building almost 5 days and weight training twice a week

 During this phase, I didn’t follow any healthy diet or physical activity regimen and was sleeping less than 6 hours a day. In due course of time, I had put on a lot of weight and the major distribution of fat was on my waist and shoulder regions. I moved from an hour glass figure to an apple shaped body within a time frame of less than an year. More than the external appearance, it affected me psychologically. I never felt comfortable to dress-up for events, was even reluctant to pose for photographs during family functions.

 I followed few diets without taking any professional consultations. I also had attended few fitness classes which includes Power Yoga and Aerobic.  I also tried few crash diets, was on soups and salads for some days, found some improvement, shed few kgs.

All these crash diet and fitness exercises did not continue for long and I never got back to my original weight or figure. Many a times, I was forced to believe that it was not possible. People used to say, once you are a mother, you will always have a belly fat, that can never be removed and few even tried to convince me that once you are a mother, your focus should be on your child and feeding etc. I just couldn’t understand, why can’t a mother look healthy, fit and vibrant? And isn’t it that a healthy mother can take care of her child in a better manner?

Slowly I realised I was not adapting well to the changes in my life that motherhood bought. Rather I was feeling too negative about myself. My confidence level also started dipping. I Used to feel so lethargic and sleepy most of the time. Lost interest in dressing up etc. I totally ignored myself, my health, my wellness, my ambitions, my desires all took a back seat.

In the beginning of 2014, I started reading about weight loss, researched extensively on the topic. Came across few stories, really got motivated by a few. Decided to do whatever it takes to get fit both physically and mentally. All my research pointed to the fact that embracing a healthy well balanced eating coupled with regular exercise would do the magic. 

Put up a new lifestyle plan to be followed…Around 1500 cal diet with 300-400 calorie burn everyday….3 major meals with 300-400 calorie each and two snacks 150-200 calorie each….Snacked on fruits, salads, nuts, seeds etc.

Adapting the newly planned lifestyle was not easy for me as there were other stakeholders involved. The first step i took was to convince my husband to adopt the new lifestyle... I slowly brought awareness in him by sending relevant reads and making small changes in the food habits everyday... Every salad made at home had non-veg proteins in it initially to make it palatable for him. Slowly he started getting used to the bland raw vegetable salads. 

I also followed some fitness regimen which included 30 min yoga and floor exercises 3-4 days a week, somedays I did cycling. I even took to running, thanks to #Pinkathon, participating in the event in Bangalore and being part of a larger group helped. First few months, there were not much changes….It took almost 4-5 months to show any visible changes in me. Even my husband’s weight started dropping. This also gave him the motivation to stick on with the new lifestyle. Then there was no looking back. Together we transformed our lifestyle to a much healthier way of living.

I lost over 12 kgs. Now I am around 61 kg, with a vitals of 36-27-36. Lower abdomen still needs toning and tightening. I’m still continuing this “shape me up" journey, and will continue all throughout my life. I strongly feel that only a change in lifestyle is required for one to stay healthy and remain in good shape. And its a life long journey.