How Rithvik Dhanjani dropped from 113 to 77 kilos

Rithvik Dhanjani, who was once massively overweight, shares his fitness mantras.

Television actor Rithvik Dhanjani, who currently stars in the popular Indian soap Pavitra Rishta is known to be a fitness freak.

So it's surprising to learn that he weighed a whopping 113 kg four and a half years ago and embarked upon an intense fitness training regime in Dubai before becoming part of the Indian entertainment industry.

Here, he discusses his way from fat to fit -- a trim 77 kg, to be precise -- in his own words.

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The journey

Apart from studying, I was always interested in extracurricular activities while at school and college, like anchoring, acting in plays and dancing. I had aspirations to be part of the entertainment industry, but weight was a serious issue. Being fat is in my genes and I knew I wouldn’t pull off becoming an actor until I lost weight. 

And so in Class 11, I gave up rice, soft drinks, junk food and sugar -- I had always had major cravings for sweets. I cut down on outside food and had only home-cooked meals.

Then in the third year of college, I decided to hit the gym. Initially, my workout regime involved three days of cardio exercises and three days of muscle training. Plus, I tried playing every possible game like tennis, cricket, swimming, squash etc. I would religiously follow whatever people around me said about weight loss and also what I read about it.

My dietary restrictions continued even after I hit the gym. Once I literally lived on steamed idlis, chutney and salads for a month (looking back, that was rather stupid).

Over a period that spanned three and a half years, I came down from 113 kg to 85 kg.

Then when I finally auditioned for a film, they asked me to lose 10 kg in 10 days in order to cast me in a particular role -- that was a huge task.

So I turned to spinning for one and a half hours, followed by Bikram Yoga for an hour every single day.

My weight loss diet

When trying to lose weight, my meals primarily consisted of the following:

• Salads
• Boiled eggs
• Grilled chicken
• Carrot and beetroot juices
• Strictly no sugar

The effect were clearly visible when I jumped from 85 kg to 77 in 17 days. When I first saw myself in the mirror I felt like I had lost my charm along with so much weight, but eventually I came to believe that it was preferable to remain 77 kg and healthy. 

Unfortunately, however, I didn't land the acting project I had worked so hard for!

My current fitness regime

Since I am busy shooting nowadays, it becomes difficult to train. I don't use weights; I do crossfit training four days a week. People concentrate on lifting weights, but this form of training focuses on lifting the equivalent of your own body weight.

I work out for thirty minutes to an hour and half, depending on which part of the body I'm focusing on.

I don't find the time to gym that often, but I make sure my cardio happens through my dance routines. I am a dance enthusiast and my dancing prowess has gotten better after participating in (dance reality show) Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa; it also helped me lose weight.

My present diet

I eat about four meals a day with high protein content, like chicken and eggs.  

Breakfast: Before 9:30 am I have a perfect breakfast, like boiled eggs or an omelet or scrambled eggs with two or three slices of brown bread or a paratha.

If I feel hungry before lunch, I munch on protein bars.

Lunch: I have two rotis and sabzi -- and yoghurt is a must.

Evening: In the evening I have a bowl of cereal or diet biscuits, or soya chips and green tea.

Dinner: I usually avoid carbs for dinner as one's metabolism slows after 7 pm. For dinner, I have something light like a bowl of soup and grilled, boiled or stir-fried chicken.

I don’t drink alcohol, and have given up rice, aerated drinks and junk food. I do have idlis and dosas for breakfast sometimes, but now I wait for occasions to eat sweets.