Balancing Acts: The Resilient Runner’s Tale of Life and Fitness

Why does fitness take priority for a person in their 20s?

Is it to shed weight? Overcome depression? Address health issues?

The reasons can be many. One of these reasons prompted me to choose running and begin my fitness journey.

I have written much about how I started running in previous articles. Today, I want to write about the ups and downs of this beautiful journey and the blessed life I have.

Disclaimer: Weight is not the only factor to assess fitness levels; it is used here solely as a reference value.

My weight was 33 kg when I was 15, a lean guy who spent more time on the ground than indoors.

I was 63 kg when I was 21, playing cricket occasionally and reduced outdoor activities, just like any other engineering student engrossed in computer games and movies (screen time).

I maintained a healthy weight range of 69-71 kg from 23 to 27 years. I did my first 10K in 2013, a half marathon in 2014, and a full marathon in 2015. I ran, cycled, and worked out in the gym.

I got married at 27 and hit 76 kg at 28. Then life happened, ate more outside (junk food) and I hovered around this weight until I was 31. I would work out a bit and brought it down to 73-74 kg, then it would rise again to 78 kg. This cycle happened 3-4 times, and eventually, I gave up.

It peaked at 79 kg in 2021. 

My wife and I were expecting, and this was the time we changed our lifestyle. I realized that letting go makes you lighter (mentally and physically). We started letting go of many things. While we were in Japan, meat was a part of our diet 2-3 days a week because it was easily available and finding vegetable options was challenging. The first thing we let go of was eating non-vegetarian food, followed by sugar, white rice, junks etc. 

It wasn’t hard, and it has been 3+ years since we made this choice, and we are happy with it. Thanks to my wife for sharing eye-opening documentaries about the harm to animals, the health issues it can cause to humans, and how we are naturally designed to lead a whole-food plant based lifestyle.

Although my contribution to cooking hasn’t been significant, I don’t demand specific food items and eat whatever is offered. This is the only fact I am proud of… haha.During pregnancy, we attended classes on holistic development, which significantly changed our lifestyle.It was more about child-like learning for both of us and the start of a beautiful journey of parenthood.

Our champ was born in 2022.

She committed to breastfeeding from day one, even when many were not supportive. Comments like “Milk is not enough for the baby,” “It takes a few days for milk to generate,” and “You should give formula/animal milk” were common. Again, all I did was support her. This would need another day to explain how we triumphed during this challenging phase.

For our son, we followed baby-led weaning, and he can eat by himself most of the time. I am happy to say our son hasn’t tasted sugar/junk yet and has no screen time. We get comments everywhere about how long we can hold this, but we are happy with how far we have come. He is more active, it takes a lot more energy from us to keep him engaged, but it is a good phase to be in. 

My wife follows the Satvic movement, which brought about a dynamic change in our lives. A typical day starts with fruits, nuts, seeds, and millet malt or sprouts. Breakfast includes millet or South Indian dishes. Lunch features ragi balls or red rice, lentil and legume curry, and mushroom or tofu with veggies. In the evening, We have soup or corn, and dinner consists of various rotis with plenty of vegetables.

I never knew we had so many options in vegan food. People think diet is about staying hungry or cutting down on food. It is just mindful eating to your stomach’s full. Cutting down on dairy took a while. I have stopped having milk-based coffee at home and have it occasionally when I am outside. We are yet to completely stop curd (Again occasionally). Over time, we will let this go as well.

I was astonished to see that my weight dropped from 79 to 74 kg without workouts, just by healthy food habits and mindful eating. I wish we had followed this 10-15 years ago.

I would wake up early most days but wouldn’t move myself to work out. I would read a book, prepare coffee, watch something, or start office work early. If my son was up, I would play with him.

As my son is growing up, I want to set an example for him and make fitness part of his routine. This triggered me to wake up, show up, and restart my fitness journey—not like the previous times without a purpose, but this time with a renewed focus.

I am happy to say I have dropped to 69.4 kg (went back by 12 years) with workouts over the last 4+ months. I aim to stay consistent on this journey and committed to making healthy choices every day.