Fitness is not ripped muscles or abs. Fitness is a way of life a healthy life that makes you feel good everyday. For 42-year-old Narendra Firodia, losing weight was just the first step to realising this goal.

My goal was to get healthy and fit! And, I knew that to make it happen, the first step that Id have to take was - lose my bodys excess weight. This first step commenced two years ago when Firodia weighed a whopping 102 kgs.

Two years ago, as I was approaching my 40th birthday, I met Luke Coutinho, author, holistic lifestyle coach and co-founder of RESET - Holistic Living Concepts during the learning session of Entrepreneurs Organization Pune, he says. Coutinho is a well-known lifestyle coach, who forefronts healthy eating habits and wellness practices over fad diets. I had been following Luke on Facebook for a while before I saw him address the crowd in Pune that day. I had always thought that one day, when I meet him, Ill ask him to guide me on a path of holistic living, he informs.

When I finally met Luke, post the event, we went through my medical records, and consequently, I enrolled myself in Lukes one year program that was centered around eating right, exercising, sleeping and creating a balance between my professional and personal life to get started on my weight loss and fitness journey. Below, he highlights the key elements of this one year program and weight loss plan that eventually helped him lose 18 kgs and trim from 102 kgs to 84 kgs.

My weight loss plan, comprising a workout routine and a daily diet plan, was customised according to my body type. I was also assigned my own personal nutritionist, who charted a new diet plan for me devoid of wheat, milk, sugar, tea and coffee. While these food items were restricted from my diet, the new meals I started consuming werent that different from what I was used to eating.

The new diet focused more on tips for preparation of food, portion control and substituting rich and heavy foods with healthy alternatives such as Poha and Idlis, Jowar/Bajra rotis and Dal, various types of Khichdis and Soups and Salads for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Various types of detox routines also became a part of my overall weight loss plan. According to Luke and Dr Deepti Bagree, Head of Department - Healthcare Division, RESET - Holistic Living Concepts, these detox plans included foods that were easy to digest like fermented foods such as idlis, dosas, probiotic beverages like kombucha, dark coloured fruits and vegetables and makhanas, sprouts as snacks.

Apart from switching to healthier alternatives, following a monthly intermittent fasting routine also greatly helped me get in shape.

Intermittent Fasting (IF) is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. It doesnt specify which foods you can or cannot eat. It only focuses on when you should eat them.

There are many IF plans and patterns that you can follow, but the most effective one, according to studies is the 16:8 IF diet. The 16:8 IF diet entails one to observe a 16-hour fasting period, followed by an 8-hour eating window.

You can commence a 16-hour fast at 10:00 pm in the night, after you eat your last meal of the day and go to sleep thats 7-8 hours gone right there. You can break the 16-hour fast at 2:00 pm with your lunch and eat small meals till 10:00 pm this makes up the 8-hour eating window. Alternatively, you can also begin your fast at 8 pm and break it at 12 pm, the next day.

ALSO READ: Is intermittent fasting really worth It?

As a part of his weight loss exercise regime, Firodia used to brisk walk 12000 steps every day and also devote time to practise Yoga and functional training. Id workout 6 days/week and 1 day was reserved for rest and recovery. But I felt quite energetic on this rest day as well, as I followed what's commonly known as active rest, which essentially translates to keeping the body active by focusing on your daily routine and mundane tasks.

"Luke's team did not just concentrate on tweaking my food habits but also made sure that I slept well and that my mental/emotional health were in tandem with my physical health. Moreover, through this transformation I have become like a brand ambassador of sorts for fitness and healthy food in my hometown of Ahmednagar in Pune. I have also motivated many of my family members and friends to eat healthy and exercise daily to stay fit."

Disclaimer: The diet and workout routines shared by the respondents may or may not be approved by diet and fitness experts. GQ India doesn't encourage or endorse the weight loss tips & tricks shared by the person in the article. Please consult an authorised medical professional before following any specific diet or workout routine mentioned above.

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How to lose weight like this 42-year-old who lost 18 kgs by tweaking his eating habits instead of crash dieting - GQ India - What a man's got to do