Sonam Kapoor talks about her major weight-loss programme

Sonam Kapoor makes most women I know want to be like her Naturally beatiful superfit and radiating health and happiness She burst into the scene after a major weightloss programme and has not looked back sinceu00a0Shes the quintes sential Prevention woman who took charge of her weight health and came out looking fabulous We caught up with Sonam during the shoot of her forthcoming film Aisha based on Jane Austens Emmu00a0Beforeu00a0AfterThe actress speaks to Tushar Joshi Excerpts of the interviewPeshawarls love rich food how do you deal with your genesu00a0We arc from Peshawara city where rich food and eating with abandon are a way of life I am very proud of my roots But I realised it is neither healthy nor practical to live that way Being an actor I cannot afford to be sloppy I need to be healthy all year round Of course having a healthconscious mother has been a blessing Shes always made sure we ate wholesome meals and as a family we avoid overeatingSo how did you end up putting on weightI was in a boarding school in Singapore for two year and somehow put on a lot of weight while I was there Since I never planned on a film career I neglected my diet and put on so much weight You when did you decide to lose weightI would have continued being obese and unhealthy but for director Sanjay Leela Bhansali I started assisting him on Black and one day out of the blue he asked me to take up acting Acting in films means having a fit body So I started working on my weight Eventually he offered me Saawariya But to set the record straight I had actually started losu00c2u00acing weight before I was offered any filmTell us about your battle planIn all fairness it was my mother who helped me get rid of my excess weight The first thing she did was to keep me off the stuff I was so fond of as a teenagerchocolates ice creams fried foods and sweets My goal was to lose 35 kilos I started weight training with trainers Shervir and Monisha artistic yoga and Power Yoga with Bharat Thakur Pilates with Yasmin Karachiu00c2u00acwala and general fitness with trainer Zarine Watson My training in Kathak helped me too Its a vigorous form of classical dance and helps you get a toned body In addition Zarine put me on six small meals a daylow on carbs and high on protein My breakfast consisted of oatmeal and fruits Postworkout I had brown bread with egg whites Afterwards it was a protein shake with juice Lunch comprised dal sabzi one ragi roti salad and a piece of chicken or fish The evening snack was highfibre crackers with chicken cold cuts or egg whites At dinner it was soup salad and a piece of chicken or fish I followed this routine for a year and lost 35 kilos in all How do you keep healthyI never binge and eat everything in moderation Also I never ignore my cravings I eat whenever a craving strikes but in small portions When I felt like chocolates three weeks ago I didnt hold back I took a small piece When Im traveling I carry an apple or sandwich or health bars to satisfy myself without piling on excess calories My grandmother taught me to sip on warm water first thing in the morning It flushes out toxins from the system I follow it up with honey and lime water Another must for me is a no smoking atmosphere at home work or in public places Au00a0lot of people still think starving can help you stay slimYeah looking at my figure people often assume that I dont eat much On the contrary I eat every two hours Since my day is packed with strenuous physiu00c2u00accal activityshooting swimming or dancingI never allow myself to go hungry for too long If I feel peckish I snack on nuts and dry fruits Drinking plenty of fluids through the day is also a must for me I drink coconut water every hour or two it not only quenches my thirst but also helps me feel fun Other natural drinks such as cucumber juice and buttermilk also help me stay hydrated and keep my energy levels up I am quite particular about avoiding fried foods and sweets Salt and sugar are silent killers so I consume both in moderation by switching to natural sugars and seasoning in my food Whats your Fitness RoutineI was very sporty in school and played rugby basketball and other games reguu00c2u00aclarly This has helped me develop flexibilu00c2u00acity to step in and out of different exercise routines with ease I feel cardiovascular exercises work best for me in combination with weight training Each day of the week I focus on a particular body part such as the abdomen arms shoulders or waist Iu00a0 do 30 minutes of cardio every day Two days a week I follow it up with dance exercises learnt from Ashley Lobo On other days I practice Bharat Thakurs Power Yoga It is very strenuous but has immense health benefits In summer I like to swim as much as I can Whenever I get the time I play squash too which requires a lot of strength I try to do different workouts and balance them out in order to keep my motivation high plus mixing exercises helps burn more caloriesWhat are your learnings from your weightloss journeyErratic work schedules often make maintaining your weight difficult But its possible as long as you eat healthy every day and work out a bit daily Also its important to undergo a medical checkup to ensureu00a0 that you havnt put on weight due to a medical conditionWhats next on your AgendaI thought I had slimmed down enough but my father got me a fatfree sugarfree cake on my birthday this year just to remind me that I am in an industry full of female actors who are slimmer than me I know I need to be on top of my weight Not because I am vain because I have reached a stage when I cannot be anything but healthySonams food diaryBreakfastAn egg white omlette a toast a seasonal fruit a glass of warm water When bored with this I try an idli or pohaLunchChicken rotis a seasonal vegetable curd and fruits I try to avoid red meat Once in a blue moon I do have white rice too My rotis are made of bajra bran or jowar or any low grade proteinrich wheat I also have a few cups of tea without sugar through the dayDinnerWhat time I eat dinner is more important than what I eat I usually have it by 630 pm On most days it is a vegchicken sandwich salad and may be some crispy French fries but not too many I also enjoy fish grilled or cooked in a Spartan gravy If I still feel hungry then I end my day with a glass of soya milk or a protein shake before going to bed In addition I take multivitaminsOther Bollywood celebrities who succeed in loosing weightAdnan Samiu00a0u00a0Govindau00a0u00a0Kareena Kapooru00a0u00a0