Srishti has come a long way with her fitness journey, and now, she’s sharing her learnings in an exclusive interview with HT Lifestyle.

Why she wanted to lose weight in the first place

Before it became about donning a thinner physique, Srishti, 31, said what motivated her to lose an impressive amount of weight was wanting to live her healthiest life. She said, “I began my (weight loss) journey during the pandemic. In the first wave in 2020, I gained a lot of weight because we were all in lockdown and we did not really have much to do. In the beginning, I remember doing yoga and home workouts, but that was not very consistent. Then I gained a lot of weight, and my knees started hurting, and I started having some other health issues. I also have a history of diabetes in the family, so I have to stay extra cautious. During this whole weight gain, I became pre-diabetic also and that freaked me out.”

She admitted that her progress was initially about looking a certain way. Referring to her role in the 2023 Vicky Kaushal-starrer, The Great Indian Family, she said, “After this, I got my first movie role, and I felt like ‘I do not look my best right now, and I would really regret looking how I did on screen’. So, it was a lot of reasons coming together, and it was like a wake-up call to be like, ‘Let’s not eat whatever we feel like, whenever we feel like’. So, I just decided I am going to control my eating because it was still the pandemic.”

Losing weight without a strict diet

Over the next several months, she eventually discovered what worked for her: four days of gym workouts and a less strict diet. Srishti has vowed to be kind to herself after spending years obsessing over her body and weight (struggling with eating disorders during your younger years will do that to you); and, now, she does not fuss about food. From ‘eating waffles three times a day’ (dessert has always been one of the great loves of her life) to having it once a day before cutting that too out from her daily diet, Srishti now follows a simple diet: She stays away from overindulging and eats whatever she wants, but mindfully.

She said, “I used to have an eating disorder; all of my first year in college, I did not eat, and I fainted one time in class. I think my relationship with food is quite healthy now. I get that I need to eat for sustenance, but I can also have an emotional relationship with food, so I would not beat myself up too much about eating sweets. I am a huge fan of dessert, and that is one thing I don’t wish to cut out of my life. Now, honestly, I eat everything; there is nothing that I don’t eat. I just don’t overeat, I try to eat smaller quantities of what I like. I don’t deprive myself of anything any more, which I used to do when I was younger as I used to think that is the quickest way to lose weight; and it is, but it leads to so many health problems.”

‘My health goal now is to stay fit’

Srishti also spoke about how with time, she stopped trying to lose weight and now actually works towards meeting her personal fitness goal: staying active and becoming a fit and fabulous 80-year-young who moves so swiftly and gracefully that everyone is in awe of her strength! She says, “I really enjoy these stories of 80-year-old grandmas who still do everything at home — dusting, cleaning. I think that is my fitness goal — to be able to take care of myself and my body even when I am old.”

Speaking about how she managed to transform her mindset to be grateful for this strong and healthy body that lets her do whatever she wants, Srishti said, “My trainer (Tridev Pandey) helped change how I think about weight loss and fitness because it was very much tied to my weight on the scale. My idea earlier was about what I look like, but he taught me about strength training, building muscle, just basically becoming stronger and more agile. My health goal now is to stay fit.”

Srishti opens up about her fitness routine

And what do her ‘hour-long gym workouts’ involve? “When I am really focused, I try to go to the gym thrice a week and play tennis three times a week. On days, I am not into these, I go for really long walks, like a 10 km-walk. Apart from these, I follow the usual tips — 10K steps a day, enough sleep and hydration. In the gym, I am all about mobility, agility and strength-building. So, I do pull-ups, jumping jacks, squats, push-ups — things that strengthen different parts of your body,” Srishti said.

Recalls some were ‘very upset’ after she lost weight

Speaking to Srishti, you realise that what her body looks like is the least interesting thing for her. She’s sick of diet and weight-gain talk and would rather channel that energy into seeking out outdoor activities that excite her, like playing tennis and finding other ways to stay active. She said, “At 29, for the first time, I picked up the tennis racquet, and I started training very actively.”

“I did not resort to any nonsensical way to lose weight. A lot of people ask me for tips on how to lose weight, but that question really irritates me because I am not a nutritionist or healthcare provider who has evidence-based advice to give. I get that people are looking for help, but I hope they seek it from professionals,” she said, adding, “This one section of people was very upset with me for losing weight because that was not considered body-positive. I was very confused by that and a little shaken. Why? Because people don’t really know about my health struggles. People don’t live in my body; I live in my body, and I am well within my right to do whatever I need to do to take care of it the best way I can.”

‘You should give your body a lot of respect’

What’s her message to anyone trying to lose weight and get fit? If your body has changed at all over the years, she hopes you give yourself grace, don’t beat yourself up about it and be thankful for all that your body has done for you. You don’t need to necessarily love what your body looks like if that’s too hard, but you shouldn’t let it stress you out.

She said, “I don’t have to feel the best about my body at all times. There are many times during the day when I feel great about my body, and many times I don’t, because my body, from morning to night, looks very different. You should give your body a lot of respect for what it does for you — it makes you move from place to place, and it gives you energy. Literally, you run your life on your body. So, I think instead of punishing our bodies, let’s be a little respectful and calm with it and take small steps instead of taking some kind of medication to lose weight. That is really disgusting and nobody should ever do that.”

What does Srishti eat in a day to stay healthy?

⦿ Pre-breakfast: A glass of water, a banana and 1-2 cups of black coffee

⦿ Breakfast: A bowl of upma or poha

⦿ Lunch: Two ragi and wholewheat chapatis with a bowl of dal and sabzi

⦿ Snack: Almonds, cucumber, carrot or Greek yoghurt

⦿ Dinner: Soup or leftovers from lunch