“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” This is a famous quote by C.S Lewis and I felt exactly the same when I interviewed these 4 amazing moms who are actually living their dream. Their dedication and hard work in staying fit are truly commendable. Read on as they share their journey with all of us and I am sure that their life story would motivate many of us. Kudos to the muscle moms!

 

Shweta Rai Bajaj

 
 
Please tell us something about yourself 
 
I am a  fitness professional particularly specializing in providing personal training. While waging a war against the excessive weight I had gained, I fell in love with this field which is when I decided to take a break from a corporate career and make a switch.
 
When did you start exercising and building muscles?
 
I started exercising when my baby was 18 months old and could go to a play school which gave me a window to step out and squeeze in a workout. It has been almost 2 years that I am working out regularly and have tried group classes like Zumba, yoga, running etc and eventually started weight training about 21 months ago which is when I got addicted to it. There has been no looking back ever since
 
How long did it take and what is your fitness regime?
 This is a tricky question as my goals keep shifting but I would say I manage to lose most of my weight in 1st year itself. I am still not where I want to be and it’s an ongoing process
 
How did family, friends & closed ones react?
They were happy when I decided to start a fitness activity. But once I got into it they did think that I was getting obsessive about eating healthy.I am married into a typical Punjabi family and changing the food habits was challenging. I had to resort to cooking separately for me. However, once I started getting the results I could see an overall shift in their attitude towards it.Later when I decided to quit my job and take this as a full-time career, they were aghast and thought I am making a mistake. 1.5 years later they are happy and proud.
 
Biggest obstacle you’ve overcome? Explain.
The mindset of people towards weight training and this would even include gym instructors. There is a severe gender bias forcing women to stick to cardio section. It was extremely challenging to find a trainer to help me weight train. Either they didn’t take it seriously or were too busy on their phones during training.
This is when I started studying and doing certifications and simultaneously working on my body.From running from pillar to post trying to find a trainer to help me prepare for a competition to now training people on weight training has been one hell of a ride.
 
Name one piece of nutrition/fitness advice that has stuck with you
” Fitness is Instinctive “. One size doesn’t fit all and just because one plan worked for someone doesn’t imply it would work for all. Our bodies are amazing and we should listen to it and figure out whats working and whats not working.
 
How hard was it getting back into shape after children?
 
I won’t say it was easy. It required consistency day after day, month after month. There were successes and plateaus and disappointments but perseverance always pays.
 
I’m sure you’ll inspire many women reading this, What would you say to them to help them achieve their fitness goals?
Fitness is not synonymous with losing weight and it is not a short-term activity to attend a wedding or a holiday. It has to be a part of our lifestyles. No matter how busy we are, we do take out time for whats important for us.And can anything be more important than our body? Remember when it fails nothing else would matter !!
Find an activity that you love and stick to it!And for once, try lifting, irrespective of age, current fitness levels, and background. You will be amazed to see what it does not only for your physical but also mental well being.
 
 

Aditi Sheoran Chhajta

Please tell us something about yourself 

I am a Learning and Development professional and have worked at various MNCs for almost a
decade, after having completed my MBA. (I engage in behavioral coaching and mentoring, to help people maximize their potential and deliver the desired results at work). I come from an army background and have always been interested in the outdoors. I love to write about my interests in travel, wellness, parenting etc. and have recently been featured/published in a couple of magazines. Aside of this, I love to explore music, theatre, and art

When did you start exercising and building muscles?

During my schooling years, I was into trekking and used to play volleyball. I had completed the Basic Mountaineering Course (BMC) from Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Uttarkashi while I was in college. So exercising has never been an optional activity since the very beginning. That said, my real fitness journey started a few months before I got pregnant. My husband, being an army man was into running; something I had never explored, so I started to run when I hit 30. My dad had introduced me to yoga; something that grew on me, so, I took it up more seriously and have been practicing at the Sivananda Vedanta Centre since almost 7 years. Being in Delhi, I also decided to get trained in self-defense and learned Krav Maga for a while. At that time, I had no clue where all these pursuits were headed, but I knew one thing …that I wanted to push my limits mentally and physically, like never before. Needless to say, I was enjoying these activities quite a bit. I wanted to break a few barriers in my mind which would help me develop muscle memory, so I could repeat the fitness regimen post delivery as well.My workout was a mix of cardio, flexibility, and core strength work. Recently, I got introduced to lifting weights thanks to the FSSA Ms. Fitness contest that I got a chance to participate in this year. The funny part is, about a year back I could hardly do a single push-up and a headstand was a distant dream, something I was in awe of. It has taken a year and now I have ticked these off my fitness bucket list.

How long did it take and what is your fitness regime?

I was at 60kgs before getting pregnant and gained 14 kgs during pregnancy. Breastfeeding and gradual workouts helped me get back to 60 kgs within 6 months. But that wasn’t my aim. My objective was to feel happier, lighter and more confident of myself. I got all of this from the time spent on working on myself. I was still eating quite a bit, but the meals were healthy and home-cooked.I feel my journey has only just started but I think even 3 -6 months is a good time period for someone like me who had never done weights.As far as running goes, I ran my first 10 km (pinkathon) and my first 21 km (adhm) when my daughter was around 9 months old. I never thought I would ever be able to complete but it was surprising how the body follows the mind. It was a superb experience to break free this way.My regime includes a mix of cardio from running, flexibility and core strength work from yoga and functional exercises and finally, a bit of strength training from weights etc. I think 30 mins a day is good enough. Also, there are days on end when I cant or don’t work out but as long as it’s in my mind-space, I know it will pull me sooner or later.When my baby was a few months old, I used to follow short 20-min workout videos at home while she would be on her bouncer. Alternatively, I used to do a little yoga at home while she was sleeping.Sometimes, I would sneak out for 30 mins long brisk walk or run while my parents or husbandlooked after her.Being a mom is as challenging as it is marvelous. As a new mom, I felt I needed to rekindle and tap into some inner strength and positivity so it not just helps me cope with the new responsibilities but also gets transferred to my growing child. I believe if one is functionally fit, one can do more and be more. It’s just a happier and fuller way of living life.

How did family, friends & closed ones react?

They were surprised by the sudden spike in my focus on working out, even at the cost of working. I quit my job to take care of my baby and spend some time doing things I love, one of which is trying to stay healthy. My family was happy about it and extremely supportive and they are the reason why I could do my thing

Biggest obstacle you’ve overcome? Explain

Biggest challenge as a new mom has been overcoming the guilt of leaving my child for that one hour to spend time and effort on myself. Somehow my urge to shake off those baby blues and be healthy was overpowering and this was, in fact, my way of showing gratitude to God for my most precious gift, my Daughter.The second challenge is managing time and maintaining consistency, which is extremely important and tough to do, especially when one has a baby. Trying to follow a routine for my child and leveraging my support system has made it possible.
 
Name one piece of nutrition/fitness advice that has stuck with you
Never go for crazy crash diets or set unrealistic fitness goals. Build a healthy diet, sleep and workout plan that you can sustain. Consistent baby steps that ease into your life can do wonders.
 
How hard was it getting back into shape after children?
It was hard but it is very much possible. The magic will happen once one has decided not to give excuses to oneself. It is always possible with just a little focus and effort.
 
 I’m sure you’ll inspire many women reading this, What would you say to them to help them achieve their fitness goals?
 
I will say that we women are intrinsically strong if we are the gender that has been chosen to go through
labor and so it is our right and duty to build on this strength.Most importantly, the phase of new-mommyhood is the best time to get started on this track and make some positive changes for life. If we strengthen up during this delicate time, it can do wonders for our internal peace and positivity. Moreover, while doing so, we end up raising the bar for ourselves and set a healthy trend for our families as well.

 

Sheetu Digani

Please tell us something about yourself 

Well, I am like any other multi-tasking multi-talented woman, a mother of an eight-year-old boy, a designer by profession and a qualified makeup artist but more than anything fitness and working out is my first love.

When did you start exercising and building muscles?
 
I don’t have six pack abs nor I have muscles.I have a fit toned body and I am physically strong.It’s a long journey to start with, for me gymming used to be just cardio-tread mill or may be spinning at times but in last 2-3 years, I have learned the value of weight training/functional training and both are equally important to get perfect strength.

How long did it take and what is your fitness regime?

My fitness regime starts early morning with one litre of lukewarm honey lemon water followed by green tea.I never start my day without eating a small portion of pre-breakfast which consists of proteins.. egg whited/tofu or any fruits.My workout is for 1hour 20 mints,1-hour strength training n 20 mints cardio. Just a small tip-try doing cardio after any kind of strength training to get better results and try n change your workout regime every 3 months 

 

How did family, friends & closed ones react?

 I work out for myself.If I’m healthy if I am mentally physically strong.I’ll keep a positive attitude towards every individual I come across in day to day life…while workout the more I swear the more I feel happy and positive about myself…it’s kind of letting out negativity from my body.My family members are my friends and friends are my family always supporting me in every way.The way my son looks at me is a sign of self-confidence with so much pride.If I do something new in the gym like lifting 87 kgs of deadlift he’s the first one to see my video doing it.

 
Biggest obstacle you’ve overcome? Explain
The biggest obstacle was me. I have never challenged myself ever the way I have done it in last 6-7 years after my son was born as had no idea what I am capable of.It’s like winning mind over body..we need to focus n give 101 percent to achieve everything or anything
 
Name one piece of nutrition/fitness advice that has stuck with you
 Never ever compromise on your health.70 percent of what you are is your diet.Stop eating trans fat.Listen to your body is your temple.Eat loads of proteins in a natural way eggs , tofu, sprouts, pulses and roughage fruits and vegetables. I am against using supplements like strong pre workouts or fat burners, instead, use black coffee and green teas.
 
How hard was it getting back into shape after children?
Having children is the biggest achievement, during n after pregnancy our body goes into so much of transformation that we stop recognizing ourself n think it’s the end of getting that hourglass figure back.I started working out after a year of my c section delivery.I started with dieting to the core with just staying on fruit and soup diets..but it made me physically very weak.From 70 kgs to 47 kgs in 8 months, but that was not for real I started gaining again so that when I started working out regularly, challenged my body with no self-starving diets.Now here I am 32 years old mother of an 8-year-old handsome boy weighing 56 kgs and feeling stronger like never before.
 
 I’m sure you’ll inspire many women reading this, What would you say to them to help them achieve their fitness goals?
Fitness has changed the way I look at people or people look at me. It has brought about a huge confidence in me, helping my self-esteem.We, women,  are more than wife’s or mothers..once we dedicate ourself truly to any kind of fitness regime even if simple 40 mints of a walk in the park it improves our own mirror image.I am strong and as they say strong is the new sexy.
 
 
 

 

Seema Verma

Please tell us something about yourself 

I am a 52 yr old grandmom, a fitness freak and a gym owner from Bhopal

When did you start exercising and building muscles?

I started exercising approx 5-6 yrs back when my daughter was gaining weight in her college days. I told her about exercise and gym but didn’t care. To give her an example I started working out, lost weight and got into shape. As I saw the results, I became more passionate about for muscle building and eventually opened my gym.

How long did it take and what is your fitness regime?

Approx in one year I got back in shape and lots of energy for my work.My fitness regime includes 5-6 km walk in the morning and 1.5 hrs of strength training in the gym.

How did family, friends & closed ones react?

In the beginning, my closed ones and friends laughed at me and said what is your need for all this. But now they all appreciate and support me.

Biggest obstacle you’ve overcome? Explain

The biggest obstacle I have overcome is to convince my husband to do all this.And to convince women that muscle building doesn’t make a woman look manly.  After this hardcore strength training I won ms fitness India, 2015 2nd runner, up and then few beauty pageants busting that myth presently I am going to Sri Lanka to participate in one more pageant 
 
Name one piece of nutrition/fitness advice that has stuck with you
 
Eat clean and train mean so that I can look like a beauty with muscles
 
How hard was it getting back into shape after children?
 
Nothing is hard in your life if you have strong willpower, work hard and lead a disciplined life.
 
 
I’m sure you’ll inspire many women reading this, What would you say to them to help them achieve their fitness goals?
 
I just want to say that age is never a limit…. start now….if you are on the right path then everyone supports you.
( as rightly said-sari kainat aapke sath hai, aap ek kadam aage to badhao)

 

All these stories are truly inspiring and motivating. Don’t let anyone or anything stop you from pursuing your dreams and doing something out-of-the-box. It’s time to break the stereotypes!

#Momsurecan