Weight loss: 'I lost 19 kg for my dream girl'

Readers share the stories and strategies behind their weight loss.

Recently, we invited you to share your diet and exercise strategies with us.

Here is another response from 25-year-old Raghu from Bhadravathi, Karnataka, who lost 19 kg in a bid to win the hand of the girl he loves:

I lost 19 kgs only in four months because of my dream girl. The 'before' photograph here was taken in January 2012, when I weighed 82 kg with a 35-inch waist; the 'after' in May 2012 shows me at 63 kg, with a 28-inch waist, which is still the same.

It was in November 2011 that I fell in love with an 18-year-old girl. She is now studying in Class XII and she is seven years younger than me. She looks very slim and cute, but me -- I was a fatty!

When I saw the difference between the two of us in photographs, I decided that I wanted to be slim, like an 18-year-old boy.

Finally, my wish came to be, without any bodybuilding. The reason behind it was that I started jogging every morning for an hour, from 5 to 6 am, and also began dieting.

My diet:

• My breakfast usually consists of toast or rinsed seeds (it may be channa dal or moong dal).
• I don't eat oily foods (avoid chips, samosas, vadas etc).
• My lunch is three chapattis, a handful of rice, a couple of veggies and some green salad.
• Evening snacks are usually the trickiest -- making them healthy is a difficult task. So I try to stick to some decent biscuits, but just a few.
• Dinner is usually some dal or chicken with three-four chappatis. This isn't completely fixed, however.
• I don't drink.
• I don't include aloo (potato) in my sabzis.

Now I'm very happy and look like an 18-year-old.

We want you to share your weight loss story with us. Write in to getahead@rediff.co.in (subject line: 'How I lost weight'), with a before and after photograph, if possible and we'll feature the best entries right here!