{"id":635227,"date":"2026-10-19T11:38:27","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T11:38:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/635227\/"},"modified":"2026-10-19T11:38:27","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T11:38:27","slug":"fat-to-fit-i-lost-over-16-kilos-in-8-months","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/635227\/","title":{"rendered":"Fat To Fit: ‘I Lost Over 16 Kilos In 8 Months’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pandurang Kumbhar, 41, from Pune, changed his eating habits, made walking and running part of his routine, and used a smart watch and AI to track his progress.
Here, he shares how his weight dropped by 16.45 kg and several of his health and fitness markers improved.<\/p>\n

\"Pandurang<\/p>\n

All photographs: Kind courtesy Pandurang Kumbhar<\/p>\n

For years, prolonged sitting and a sedentary lifestyle had taken a toll on my health.<\/p>\n

I was dealing with excess weight, abdominal fat, diabetes and hypertension. I was taking medication for both conditions and my health readings made me realise I needed to change my lifestyle.<\/p>\n

On February 5, 2026, I weighed 80.95 kg. My abdominal girth measured 114 cm and my HbA1c, which reflects average blood sugar levels over the preceding few months, stood at 10.9 per cent.<\/p>\n

I decided to focus on changing my daily habits rather than following a crash diet. I eliminated added sugar and processed snacks, brought more structure to my meals and made walking, running and exercise regular parts of my routine.<\/p>\n

I also began tracking my health indicators so I could understand how my efforts were translating into measurable changes.<\/p>\n

By October 5, I weighed 64.5 kg, having lost 16.45 kg. My abdominal girth has reduced by 20 cm and my cardiovascular fitness markers have improved.<\/p>\n

Two meals, better nutrition<\/p>\n

One of the major changes I made was shifting to two meals a day, with an emphasis on high-fibre and protein-rich vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.<\/p>\n

My meals included vegetables, salads, sprouts and oats. I also focused on portion control and eliminated added sugar and processed snacks.<\/p>\n

Between meals, I drank two cups of unsweetened black coffee and one green tea instead of frequently reaching for snacks. This helped me follow a more structured eating pattern.<\/p>\n

These changes became part of my broader effort to improve my eating habits and work towards better health.<\/p>\n

Walking 5 km almost every day<\/p>\n

I made movement a regular part of my daily routine.<\/p>\n

I began walking or running a minimum of five kilometres a day, at least six days a week, while aiming for 15,000 steps daily.<\/p>\n

I also incorporated lower-body exercises three times a week and kept one day aside for rest and recovery.<\/p>\n

I intermittently took up trekking to gauge my fitness levels.<\/p>\n

My routine combined regular walking and running with strength exercises, daily movement and time to recover.<\/p>\n

\"Pandurang<\/p>\n

Using a smart watch and AI to track my progress<\/p>\n

I did not want to rely on the weighing scale alone to measure my progress.<\/p>\n

Every week, I recorded my weight, waist measurement, BMI, fasting and post-meal glucose readings and other health indicators.<\/p>\n

My Apple Watch helped me monitor my resting heart rate, cardio recovery, sleep patterns and estimated VO\u2082 max, a measure of my body’s ability to use oxygen during exercise.<\/p>\n

I also used ChatGPT to analyse my numbers, identify trends and maintain accountability.<\/p>\n

My approach followed a simple cycle — measure, record, analyse, adjust and repeat.<\/p>\n

Recording my readings regularly allowed me to compare my progress over the eight months and see how my weight, blood sugar measurements and fitness indicators had changed.<\/p>\n

The numbers behind my transformation<\/p>\n

The figures I recorded between February 5 and October 5, 2026, show the changes in my health and fitness measurements.<\/p>\n

Weight: Fell from 80.95 kg to 64.5 kg, a reduction of 16.45 kg<\/p>\n

BMI: Dropped from 29.7 to 23.7<\/p>\n

Abdominal girth: Reduced from 114 cm to 94 cm, a drop of 20 cm<\/p>\n

HbA1c: Fell from 10.9 per cent to 6 per cent<\/p>\n

Average glucose: Dropped from 244 mg\/dL to 114 mg\/dL<\/p>\n

HDL cholesterol: Increased from 33 mg\/dL to 47 mg\/dL<\/p>\n

Resting heart rate: Fell from 87 to 62 beats per minute<\/p>\n

Cardio recovery: Improved from 21 to 35 beats per minute<\/p>\n

VO\u2082 max: Rose from 26.9 to 49.7, an increase of approximately 85 per cent<\/p>\n

My HbA1c fell by 4.9 percentage points, from 10.9 per cent to 6 per cent. My BMI also moved from 29.7 to 23.7, placing it within the standard healthy range for adults.<\/p>\n

These figures gave me a way to look beyond weight loss and track changes across several health and fitness indicators.<\/p>\n

My focus now is on maintaining my progress<\/p>\n

My blood sugar and blood pressure have been normal without medication for the past three months.<\/p>\n

My focus has now shifted from aggressive weight loss to maintaining my weight, reducing abdominal fat, building muscle and continuing to improve my metabolic and cardiovascular health.<\/p>\n

Looking back at these eight months, I can see how much my measurements have changed alongside my daily habits. Tracking my progress has been an important part of understanding those changes and staying accountable.<\/p>\n

I didn’t change my health in one day. I changed what I did every day and used the data to make sure I was moving in the right direction.<\/p>\n

For me, the transformation has been about more than losing 16.45 kg. It has also been about building a routine around food, movement, exercise and tracking my health, with the aim of maintaining these changes in the long term.<\/p>\n

Have you recently lost weight?<\/p>\n

We want you to share your story with us. Tell us how you did it.<\/p>\n

Please share your diet plan, exercise tips, challenges, learnings and advice with our readers.<\/p>\n

Kindly mail getahead@rediff.co.in (subjectline: My Fitness Story) with your name, age and location and before-and-after photographs of your fitness journey. We’ll feature the best responses right here on Rediff.<\/p>\n

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