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The journey towards fitness is a struggle for most.
While the end results are advertised as gratifying and quite attainable, adverts fail to capture the grind that goes behind physical transformations. Interestingly though, these upheavals are usually more about mental conviction than anything else. And no one serves as a better example of successful transformations than our very own Indian cricketing superstar Virat Kohli.

Step 1: Admission
It’s almost inconceivable that this supremely fit athlete was once a chubby specimen heading waywardly out of control. Kohli himself attested to losing his focus to the various distractions that accompany the kiss of fame.

“My training was horrible, I ate so bad, I was up until late, I was having a drink or two regularly. It was a horrible mindset. The season ended and I was so thankful it was over. I went home, came out of the shower one day and looked at myself in the mirror and said ‘You can’t look like this if you want to be a professional cricketer.”

Like solutions to most problems, the first step is always an admission. For some, mental barriers stand in the way of progress, instead promoting doubt.
For others like Virat, a look in the mirror is all it takes.

Step 2: Hardwork
What ideally follows intent? Action.
This disruption in diets or schedules is bound to be mentally and physically upsetting. Patterns are re-constructed while the body is put through strenuous work, sometimes to the point of complete exhaustion.

Virat Kohli immediately put himself in the firing line: revised diets, tough workout regiments, and most importantly, a strict adherence to schedules followed.

“I was 11 or 12kgs heavier than I am now, I was really chubby. I changed everything from the next morning from what I eat to how I train. I was in the gym for an hour-and-a-half every day. Working really hard, off gluten, off wheat, no cold drinks, no desserts, nothing. It was tough.

Step 3: Resisting Temptation
The urge to step back into old habits follows your fitness journey like a shadow, that is a given. A seismic lifestyle change, while promising positive results, could also spur a negative reaction where in one could covet recognisable sources of comfort. The temptation to succumb has to be met with conviction to do otherwise. Virat Kohli experienced the same cycle of temptation and instead chose to focus on the impending results of his new lifestyle choices; in hindsight, it’s safe to say that conviction triumphed.

“For the first two months I felt I wanted to eat the bed sheet when I went to sleep because I was so hungry. I was craving taste. I was craving delicious food. But then I saw the results. I felt quick around the field. I would wake up in morning and feel like I had energy.”

Step 4: Innovation
The cycle of change is inevitable.
Monotonous workout routines over a period of time often stunt results – muscle memory helps the body eventually adapts to strenuous situations. Refreshing methods to work specific parts of the body go a long way to keep the body perennially active.

Virat Kohli speaks in glowing tones about how changing his workout routine benefitted him on the field:

“From 2015 I changed my training again. I started lifting, snatching, cleaning and dead lifting. It was unbelievable. I saw the result. I remember running after a ball in a Test series in Sri Lanka and I felt more power in my legs. It was, like, ‘wow’. This training is addictive. The last year-and-a-half it has taken my game to another level.”

Whatever the obstacle, Virat Kohli’s mentally fortitude remained unwavering.
Fitness, after all, is just a choice fuelled by conviction.
When do you start?

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Nutrisattva is a protein innovation company focused on developing natural protein nutrition for individuals across age groups, nutritional needs, and lifestyles. Founded on the belief that the strains of urban living requires a natural, informed and convenience-based approach to good health, Nutrisattva develops products built on the knowledge of nutrition science, fitness and Ayurveda.