22 Sep The Not-So-Inspirational 14 Kg Weight-Loss Journey

If you came here looking for an inspiring before-and-after story, I’m afraid you’ve opened the wrong tab.
This is not that post.

This is an honest, slightly embarrassing, very real account of dumb decisions I’ve made on this decade-long weight loss rollercoaster. Spoiler: I did lose 14 kilos and also a bunch of hair, some platelets, and the will to ever eat rice again. Oh, and grey hair sprouting like unsolicited advice from relatives.

The Backstory Nobody Asked For

I’ve always had a complicated relationship with the weighing scale. I still remember the day in 10th grade when they measured our height and weight in class. I weighed 47 kilos, which is a completely normal and healthy number. But because I weighed a tiny bit more than some of my friends with the same build, my brain decided, “You’re officially fat.”

Imagine a 17-year-old me having a mini meltdown when I entered the 50s. (Kilos, not years) Well, teenagers can be that dramatic, and so was (am) I. 

Fast-forward a few years, PCOS entered the chat, joined hands with thyroid issues and work stress, and by 2016, I hit 68 kilos. It wasn’t just the number. It was the hair loss, the mood swings, the exhaustion, and the very unhealthy coping mechanism called “eat your feelings.”

So, like many desperate twenty-somethings, I found myself in the office of a “nutritionist.” Six months later, I had lost 15 kilos. Sounds great, right? Except that my platelets were at an all-time low, I was sick more often than not, and five of those kilos bounced back faster than Amazon Prime delivery.

It was always the same cycle: buy a gym membership, swear this time will be different, eat clean for 10 days, and then emotional eating enters like a Bollywood villain with a background score. EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Then 2021 happened. I became a mother. For the next three years, my health took the back seat (and honestly, sometimes wasn’t even in the car).

The Repeat Mistake

Cut to Diwali last year. A friend told me she was going to the same “nutritionist”. My health was at an all-time low, my weight at an all-time high. When you throw 78 kgs on a 5 feet 3 inch frame, you get a breathing exhibit of obesity, unhappiness, and hopelessness. So out of desperation, I gave in and signed up with this “nutritionist” again. Nope, I do not learn from my mistakes!

This time it was worse. Entire food groups vanished. Breakfast was the same sad plate every single morning. And while I was consistent for four months and lost 14 kilos, it came at the cost of my sanity. So, to make sure I’m losing weight and not putting more on, even when I was travelling, I started jumping on her 2-week Keto diets or 1-week detox, etc. All fads, all shams.

By May 2025, I was done. I quit her program at 64 kilos, tired of feeling like every morsel would undo me. By June, I was back to 70. And that’s when it hit me: this wasn’t about numbers anymore. This was about how utterly broken my relationship with food and my body had become. I know it is a no-brainer, and I should have educated myself better over the years, but sometimes, you’re just overpowered by how emotionally exhausted you are, and so common sense exits the chat. 

The Lessons

It took me a decade and a lot of wrong turns, but here’s what I’ve finally, painfully learnt:

Shortcuts are a Myth. There are no shortcuts. Trust me, I’ve tried them all – no carb, no sugar, no rice, no life. You might look thinner for a hot second, but you’ll feel like a raisin that’s been left in the sun too long. Not cute. Not sustainable.

Mindset is Everything. The day I stopped obsessing over how I looked and started asking how I felt, something shifted. The urgency, the desperation to lose fast, has gone. Now, the goal is health, not a magic number.

Cheat Meals are Game Changers. Recently, I joined an accountability group of 30 women. We share meals, progress, and yes, our cheat meals. And honestly, looking forward to one guilt-free indulgence each week keeps me more consistent than any detox diet ever did. I am learning that it is best to enjoy a cheat meal once a week wholeheartedly than order a burger from Zomato every alternate and then spiral down the guilt tunnel that ends with a full tub of ice cream.

Movement and Strength Matter more than Scales. I’m still not lifting weights regularly or clocking marathon miles, but even the little movement I do makes me feel alive. The scale may not budge, but my energy’s up, my mood’s less murderous, and for once, I actually want to leave the couch. *Touching wood for that*

I lost 14 kilos the wrong way, but I gained something better – a perspective. So no, I don’t have a dramatic before-and-after picture to post. What I do have is this: a body that’s still learning, a mind that’s a little kinder, and a plate of rice I’m not afraid of anymore.

And if you’re in the same boat, chasing quick fixes and miracle diets, let me just say this: don’t. Your body deserves more kindness, more patience, and way fewer detox teas.