Reader’s story: How one UAE couple lost a combined 85kg

In 2014, Archana Kamaraj weighed 120 kilograms and was a size 28. Her husband Jose Chitalapulli weighed 107kg and wore a size XXL. Courtesy Archana Kamaraj

Dubai couple Archana Kamaraj and Jose Chitalapulli have been on an incredible weight-loss journey since 2014. They didn’t resort to fad diets or unsustainable workouts. Instead, they started slow and made healthy food and physical activity a way of life. Kamaraj shares their story, including how they formed a support group, Monster Fit Club, to help motivate others in the same situation.

At -27 C, huddled in a summer tent, far away from civilisation and cell phones, rolled up in a sleeping bag on a rocky mountain side, the only things that keep you warm are your hot water bottle and memories. My husband, Jose Chitalapulli, and I lay there, hardy believing that we were on a demanding frozen-river trek – the Chadar Trek, in Ladakh, India.

Two years ago, in 2014, I could not walk 100 metres. At 120 kilograms, a size 28, with asthma and high blood pressure, small everyday ventures required my asthma medication and a lot of courage. Jose, on the other hand, at 107kg and a size XXL, had no problem walking, however, his diabetes was off the charts and high cholesterol had come a-calling. As overweight people, we had faced the same issues that many people are familiar with. However, the decision to turn our life around was quite... unremarkable.

There comes a point in life – a profound moment, when you are so overwhelmed with health, constant free advice, back talk and your own failed efforts – that in a nano second, things become crystal clear. You just stop listening to good people with bad advice. Jose and I had that moment in February 2014.

We started to make small changes to see where it would take us. We wanted to be healthy, but gaining initial traction was difficult. Loads of excuses had to be battled: We don’t have time; I’ve had a hard day at work; It’s my hormones; It’s Saturday; My tummy hurts; There’s no place to walk.

It was not until June of that year that we could set a routine of walking at least 20 minutes a day. That eventually turned into longer walks. Food meant delicious, healthy, portion-controlled, six meals a day rather than intermittent food as and when craved. Fast food was slowly losing its charm.

We signed up for the Pink Walkathon, Beat Diabetes Walk and loved them. We discovered myfitnesspal app and kept track of calories. We started saving for a trip to reward ourselves. Meanwhile we charted out mini-goals like “3kg loss in a month” or “lose 10kg by Christmas” and decided on rewards for when we reached them. This was so much fun.

2014 rolled to a successful end with us crossing many milestones. I was 89kg in time for Christmas and Jose was at 83kg. It felt good to get out of the 90s. In 10 months, I had managed to lose 31kg and Jose had dropped 24kg.

The year 2015 dawned with us discovering the C25K app, which helped me slowly jog while Jose was fantastic at running. I confided to Jose that running a 5km race had been on my mind for a while. He was extremely supportive and in a few months our first 5km run happened at Jumeirah’s Kite Beach. It felt like “impossible” was a word up for interpretation. Towards the latter part of 2015 came the season of runs and we did them all – The Contagion Run, The Color Run, The Electric Run – all the while saving up for a trip that would be our reward.

By now, we had mastered the key element of weight management – a healthy, active lifestyle and balanced nutrition. It took us almost a year to figure out small changes to everyday routine (taking stairs at the metro, parking farther away, walking to the grocery store instead of ordering in, etc) that would yield big results. Portion control as opposed to fad diets ensured that weight management was not a chore. It became our lifestyle. Now, all we had to do was sustain it.

In early 2016, we finally saved up and embarked on that adventurous, crazy, demanding, frozen-river trek cut off from the rest of the world. At 79kg, Jose’s cholesterol had been normal for a while and his diabetes totally under control with plans to wean him off medication.  At an altitude of 11,000 feet (3,352 metres), during an extremely demanding trek, I hadn’t even carried my asthma puffer. At 68kg my blood pressure was normal, my prescription for asthma medication had been cancelled and I was a size 14.

After the trek we continued to keep fit. I dropped more weight and reached 63kg. So finally after having lost a combined 85kg (57kg + 28kg), we joined a gym. Jose is now working on body composition as am I.

A question we often get asked is: How did you manage to continue this effort for more than two years?

Our answer is that you have to let success SEEP in (acronym alert).

1. Support: We supported each other, our friends, family and colleagues supported us too. When motivation waned, we started a WhatsApp group called Monster Fit Club and ran fitness challenges for family members. Each milestone was met with a reward either from ourselves or others. This pushed us enormously.

2. Eat: We were not fans of any diet that cut out food groups or had a deadline. We wanted to incorporate everything we loved – rice, dessert, etc – into our calorie goal. In this process we learned about portion control, our own bodies and personal preferences. Jose and I landed up with a "diet" or a way of eating that suits us, is nutritious, healthy and definitely has treats involved.

3. Exercise and fun: We got moving – from walking to running, cycling, swimming, badminton and gym lessons. Jose and I didn't have a gym membership, so we hunted down every rubberised walking track in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah to walk or run on. We drove to Al Qudra to rent bicycles to ride, went to the Dubai Autodrome on Wednesdays for free access to walk the track, and we walked in the malls when it was too hot. We had lots of fun thinking of creative ways to exercise, planning milestones/rewards, competing with each other and discovering home exercise videos.

4. Pay it forward: Monster Fit Club was our way of paying forward the enormous lease on life that we have. Monster Fit Club is a support group. We are a virtual family. We run monthly themed challenges on the website (www.monsterfitclub.com). Our monsters now visit each other for runs and fitness activities, wherever in the world they may be. They were total strangers just a few months ago. There is a lot of talent in this group, along with loads of respect, openness and love, but we always have room for more. Even if you don't exercise, just dropping by with a kind word may change someone's day. Our Twitter handle announces regular Friday Meetups. We are available for anyone who'd like to catch up for a quick chat and a kind word. We are not experts; can't give you diet plans or diagnose health problems. What we are is people who have been there and walked in those shoes for a long time and can understand the frustration. Paying it forward is a huge responsibility and it keeps us from going off track. It helps us remain grounded, focused, kind to ourselves and, to put it simply, not going back to unhealthy ways.

As I write this, I’m reminded of the day it all changed for us. That wonderful UAE winter night, when we realised that everyone and anyone can turn their life around for better or worse. The ability to make enormous changes lies within us. You, dear reader, and I, we can’t do it alone, but no one else will start and sustain our journey – that has to come from us. You can do it.