« Back to article

Print this article

Bebo: I love food as much as I love movies!

Kareena Kapoor and Tusshar Kapoor talk fitness and yoga at the book launch of their yoga trainer Payal Gidwani Tiwari.

She may prefer her new curvy look and many of us do too, but how exactly did Kareena Kapoor pull off her size zero figure a couple of years ago?

The answer is yoga and the person who motivated her towards this choice was yoga expert Payal Gidwani Tiwari. Tiwari, whose clientele also includes Tusshar Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor, Rani Mukherjee, Saif Ali Khan, and Maria Goretti, has just launched her book From XL to XS. We managed to catch up with Bebo, her Golmaal 3 costar and fellow yoga enthusiast Tusshar Kapoor and Tiwari at the event and here's their take on keeping toned and healthy.

It may interest you to know that initially, Kareena was not convinced of the benefits of yoga and she left the sessions after a month. However, she soon returned and has since been Tiwari's most dedicated client. Says Tiwari, "She never missed a single class in five years. I accompany her wherever she is shooting, so I can say she is extremely disciplined and dedicated."

The actress cannot stop raving about yoga and its many benefits. She quips, "Yoga is like a morning prayer -- I have to do it daily and if I miss it then I am in a horrible mood."

"Yoga is not just for the body, it's good for your mind as well. I yearn for yoga when I am not able to do it," she adds.

'I love food as much as I love movies'

Kareena's co-star Tusshar Kapoor said, "Everyone on the sets was inspired by Kareena's flexibility, she is amazing." He laughs, "In fact, she is the Shakira of Golmaal 3."

The actor talked about his own routine, saying, "A combination of gym and yoga does wonders to your body."

So does Tusshar aspire to a six-pack?

"The most important thing is to have a fit body," he explains. "Six packs don't ensure a healthy body. You can have a six pack and still be unfit. To have a lean and tight abdomen is what one should aim for."

They both agree that yoga helps you eat more. Tusshar counsels, "You shouldn't starve yourself, once in a while you can have what you wish to and then burn it out -- that is what I do."

Kareena agreed, adding, "Eat in moderation and you can have anything."

A self-confessed foodie, she says, "I can't live without food. I love food as much as I love movies. I am a Kapoor, so that explains my love for food and I eat everything, but in moderation."

'When I started yoga, I couldn't lift my feet above the ground'

In spite of being a fitness freak, the one thing that makes Bebo forget her healthy habits is french fries, which she says loves to eat. However, her sacrifices and effort have done wonders for her body.

"Initially when I started yoga classes, I couldn't lift my feet up above the ground. Payal told me that my thighs are bulky and I need to tone them down," she explains. "But now I can throw my feet above my head."

Payal chimes in, "If women do yoga regularly it can tone their bodies. But the biggest blunder which people end up making is that they give up easily. When one is losing weight one shouldn't stop -- you should always remember that you can gain back the lost weight if you stop doing yoga."

Videos: Afsar Dayatar

'I don't like sweets or chocolates'

So what else keeps Bebo fit? "I usually don't get much time to myself, but I try hard to make some. I take the stairs when possible."

And luckily for her, she doesn't like sweets and chocolates. But rice makes her forget her regime very easily! "I love having rice, I can have it three times a day," she enthuses.

Beau Saif Ali Khan seems to share her passion for working out and yoga. Although the he did not attend the book launch, it turns out that he was the one who motivated Tiwari to write a book.