Avika Gor: We can’t tell the overweight to accept their bodies

Avika Gor sits before us for this interview sans makeup and in a sleeveless top Both she says are ldquoaccomplishmentsrdquo that make her proud Not too long ago she would wake up each morning with ldquoa frown on my facerdquo owing to her poor fitness levels mdash a constant reminder of the fact that her body was no longer capable of doing the things that it couldGor had been a dancer since the age of four But Indian televisionrsquos blueeyed girl caught in the daily rigmarole of filming a series found her fitness routine taking a back seat ldquoBeing overweight didnrsquot affect the work that came my way I got the series Ladoo when I was at my heaviest that is 74 kilos I was also working in south Indian films where I usually bagged the part of a chubby girlrdquo says the actor asserting that while she did not want to take her success for granted she had delayed addressing her fitness needsldquoI would often cry and was unhappy with how I treated food I was consuming only junk food That I was getting roles that were all too similar also affected me I wanted to do exciting roles and I wanted people to know that there was more to me than they thoughtrdquo The revelation of her physical shortcomings following her participation in a stuntbased reality show served as the final jolt Over 90 to 120minute routines Gor addressed her physical fitness ldquoI did weighttraining cardio and pilates Irsquod mix it up with bouts of dancing and boxingrdquo Gor never faltered on her 15000stepsaday deal On set while wearing makeup and in her characterrsquos attire shersquod strut around to clock in the number on her smartwatch ldquoPeople really underestimate walkingrdquoUnwilling to negotiate with her eating habits at 22 Gor chose to train harder instead ldquoIt was a slow process Often I would lose patience When Irsquod hit a plateau Irsquod make small tweaks like eat millets instead of rice or exercise harderrdquo Adding fruits to her diet not only fixed her skin concerns but also helped alleviate gastric issues linked with weightloss In stark contrast with the kind of roles that were offered to her Gor is now approached for parts related to action and dance ldquoThese roles are more glam ones that need me to be in westernwear or swimsuits I was offered such parts in the past as well but I am confident about pulling them off only now Perhaps because people can see that I am open to doing them they are approaching me more oftenrdquoGor has successfully negotiated her weightloss journey but it is easy to see that she hasnrsquot come out unscathed She counts Indian viewers among those who have contributed to the need to rope in glamorous actors She expresses gratitude to Yami Gautam for shattering beauty perceptions ldquoShe is supposed to be the icon of beauty and when she talks of her skin issue Keratosis Pilaris with such confidence then a person like me who also battles the same condition is inspiredrdquoShe also believes that the bodypositivity movement needs to be better comprehended ldquoMany people canrsquot lose weight due to medical conditions It is not easy But those who can should address their weight concerns We canrsquot tell overweight people to accept their bodies in the name of bodypositivity Had I taken their advice I would not have been able to achieve what I have I wouldnrsquot have taken care of my health You need to see what you can make of yourself I was so proud to be in fitness magazines I never knew I could be thererdquoThe Cheats Aditya SealWhatrsquos your cheat mealI am a desi at heart so I love chicken biryani and butter chickenHow often do you indulgeAt least twice in a weekCheat meal vs cheat dayI have a cheat day and I will have a cheat meal on another day as wellDo you compensate for itNo I think cheat meals are part of onersquos diet They are necessary because they also shock the body So I donrsquot try to compensate for themFitness Tip That Works ForWaluscha De SousaThere is nothing better than eating every two hours and including essential fats in your diet Butter and ghee are my favourites I have them every dayRaise your glassTwo celebrity nutritionists tell you how you can enjoy your booze without harming your bellyChoose wisely Shweta Shah says that choosing ldquobubbly over sweet white winerdquo will limit the calorie intake ldquoChampagne is a preferred option as one glass will make you feel fullrdquoCheck the alcohol content While Shah says that vodka tequila gin and tonic have approximately the same amount of calories Chheda adds that attention must be paid to their alcohol content ldquoPeople advocate consuming low calorie drinks like vodka and soda because they may have only 26 calories per serve But they have as much as 40 per cent alcohol On the other hand something like beer has only nine per cent alcohol but is high in calories Too much alcohol can affect the liverrdquo says Chheda The trick to deal with the predicament she says is to ldquosip slowly and have no more than two unitsrdquoShweta Shah and Krushmi ChhedaKeep cocktails at bay Both Chheda and Shah suggest that highcalorie mixers and cocktails are best avoided ldquoSip through them slowly and stay hydratedrdquo says Chheda while Shah adds ldquoIt is ideal to juggle alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks to watch your weightrdquo Shah recommends that weightwatchers avoid soft beers and brandies ldquoEven the smallest amount is loaded with caloriesrdquoNutritionist Shweta Shah has catered to celebrities like Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone Sports scientist Krushmi Chheda has managed the diet of Olympic athletes and the Kolkata Knight Riders team