I Lost 32 Pounds in 8 Months with Keto and Weight Lifting
Embarking on a weight loss journey can be frustrating and often feel overwhelming. Luckily, there are so many weight loss warriors to help motivate and inspire, including Nik Kumar, a Yale-educated online fitness coach and Chief Exercise Officer of Desi Grit. 43-year-old who lives in New York City used data, tech, and AI to get himself and his client's six-pack results, and also dropped 32 pounds in 8 months.
He Gained Weight After Tearing His ACL
Kumar started at 202 lbs and is now at 170 lbs – 32 lbs lost over 8 months. At 5' 11", this is a significant transformation. Kumar explains that his struggles started when he tore his ACL skiing, then had surgery which didn't go so well. "With two screws in my left knee, and a crappy ACL repair, I was in a lot of pain and didn't hit the gym for a year," he says.
He Decided to Make a Change
"After gaining a good amount of weight, I didn't like what I saw in the mirror," Kumar continues. "So, I decided to make a change."
He Started Small, Then Amped It Up
His fitness journey started small. "I started hitting the gym, doing low weights and going slow on the treadmill for 20 mins," he explains. "After regaining a bit of strength and a bit of confidence, I started amping everything up and started tracking my nutrition. Then I started seeing big changes in my body!"
These Are His Favorite Exercises
With his workouts he toned his whole body, "but I'm most proud of my abs and my back," he says. His top 5 exercises?
- Clappy Push-Ups
- Incline Chest Press
- Overhead Shoulder Press
- Clappy Pull-Ups
- Deadlifts
"The clappy push-ups and clappy pull-ups are great workouts and just look cool," he says. "The other exercises are multi-joint compound movements that are great for building muscle."
Here Is What He Eats
He follows a Keto-slash-Paleo diet, "which means low carb, high protein and medium/high fat small meals, five times per day," he says. He has also eliminated mostly processed foods and stuff that is high in sugar and carbs – including cake, ice cream, chocolate, bagels, pasta, white bread. As for supplements, he takes multivitamins and drinks protein powder.
You Can Achieve Six-Pack Abs Too
Kumar has also personally busted one of the myths he formerly believed in. "I thought getting a six-pack was about having really good genetics. Now I know that is totally not true," he says. However, it takes work, like tracking his nutrition, exercise, and habit goals via his app because "whatever gets measured, can be improved," he says.
Related: 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week
His Advice: Just Do It
💪🔥Body Booster: His advice for someone just starting their fitness journey? "Just start… And go for consistency rather than perfection," he says. He also recommends planning both your workouts and your meals, and, "if your trainer doesn't have a six-pack then fire 'em!" he says.
