Choreographer Ganesh Acharya reveals how he lost 85 kgs

Ganesh AcharyaAfter he came into the spotlight for helping the worldrsquos heaviest woman Eman get to half her size bariatric surgeon Dr Mustafa Lakdawala is being credited albeit in hushed whispers for choreographer Ganesh Acharyarsquos dramatic transformation Yes I met Dr Lakdawala and did get a surgery an 85kilo lighter Acharya tells us when we meet him at his Andheri office quickly adding That was years ago Ever since I started losing weight a year and a half ago Irsquove had no surgery I have put in a lot of effort and recorded my toil so that one can see my journey through every five to 10 kilos that I shed he says adding that while a surgery may make one weak he has grown stronger because he took up trainingOne of Bollywoodrsquos top choreographers Acharya has been credited for creating some of the industryrsquos most cinematic dance pieces including the Ranveer Singhstarrer Malhari Bajirao Mastani and Chikni Chameli Agneepath featuring Katrina Kaif Yet it is his bulging waistline that inevitably becomes a subject of discussion when his name crops up Acharya says his weight has never been a hindrance when it comes to choreographing sequences but confesses like many who successfully shed weight do that he always knew he was going to lose poundsTowards a lighter selfA movie is being planned for later this year and I wanted to present a different avatar of myself I wanted people to see me as someone who shed the weight that had become synonymous with me So I knew this was the time to get serious about the process While filming a song for Housefull 3 I felt an impact on my knee and thatrsquos when I thought lsquothis is too muchrsquoThe journey of shaving off 85 kilos was tough but once Acharya kicked off the process it got easier Itna mushkil nahi hai khud ko takleef dena Itrsquos not so hard to be tough on yourself The process was slow initially especially in the first two months when I had to adjust to the workout and the altered dietary habits at the same time I eat everything but consume food only from 12 at noon to 8 pm I had to ensure that I eat dinner post 8 I havenrsquot attended a family gathering since I started this journey he admits adding that if he has to go out he makes sure he is full by 5 or 6 pm so he doesnrsquot have to eat laterThe habit of consuming food at midnight following his shooting schedules had to be done away with but it was the inclusion of a twohour exercise routine that demanded more dedication Acharya took to swimming to adopt a lowimpact fitness routine Pulling out videos that highlight his toil he shows us how he once struggled to stay afloat in water but now pulls off 11 exercises in succession over a 75minute routineIt took me 15 days to learn how to float Slowly my trainer Ajay Naidu made me do crunches in water Now we also execute scissors and lateral raises among a series of other exercises at one go Itrsquos exhausting admits Acharya adding that after his swim he instantly heads to the gym to train with weights I could barely work with dumbells of five pounds initially Now I train with 15 kilosWorth the sweatWith the fruit of his toil becoming evident neither a hectic schedule nor his odd working hours can keep him from skipping his routine On outdoor shoots Acharya requests hotel authorities to keep the pool open for longer so he can train after his schedule while back home his wife Vidhi ensures homecooked meals reach him on time Being a Punjabi shersquos always focussed on meals First the focus was on creating lavish meals now the aim is to provide healthy alternatives She has helped me throughoutJennifer HudsonIndividuals who shed a substantial amount of weight are always rewarded with the sweet gift of an altered size label Acharyarsquos joy is evident as he speaks about moving from a seven XL to an L and confesses that now he doesnrsquot worry about sitting on chairs lest they break A while ago Sajid Nadiawala producer had gifted me a sizable chair which Irsquove kept in my dance studio I still use it but while the chair is still big Irsquove become smallerRenee ZellwegerThe National Award winner hopes to reach his target weight of 95 kilos in the next two months but admits that getting past this last leg of shaving off 19 kilos is turning out to be harder than expected The body has hit a plateau and now wersquore trying to understand how to break this Wersquoll be amending my regime and will probably incorporate more running routines I also recently bought a cycle so I intend to start cycling soonA short film showcasing Acharyarsquos training from the day he first hit the pool to achieving his target weight will be shared on YouTube Smiles Acharya It will be a testimony to all the effort Irsquove put in