Shilpa Shetty Kundra - The Great Indian Diet

Hi! My name is Shilpa Shetty Kundra. Most of you know me as an actor, but Im also a businesswoman, a fitness enthusiast, a wife and a full-time mother. My newest role, that of a health advocate, came about quite subconsciously through my journey of discovering motherhood. That made me realize the immense responsibility and role that food plays in making a life. I have always been complimented for my body and often been referred to as the body (at the cost of being immodest), but most people dont know what goes into maintaining it. To be honest, I have never really paid too much attention to my body, but I value it and must have done something right to have remained at a constant 58 to 60 kilos for some twenty-two years.

Friends and fans generally think, Whats the big deal? Shes blessed with a great metabolism; she is born that way. Actors have it easy; they have money, which allows them access to the best trainers, nutritionists and supplements. You just have it without any hard work or effort.

Here is the truth. Up to a point, maybe I believed it too. I just felt blessed to be endowed with good height and curves, but my health and my weight are completely the result of my habits, discipline and regime. I didnt truly value my body until I had my baby. It then struck me that I was only an ordinary woman who had the same fears, struggles and issues as any other woman.

I gained 32 kilos (yes, I was a whole new person and a half extra) during the pregnancy. The ideal Indian joint family I married into tried feeding me aloo parathas laced with white butter and gal gal ka achar (from Punjab, I had no idea something like that even existed, being south Indian), sarson da saag with makai di roti, and more white butter, and grated jaggery. I enjoyed those, to be honest, and Im not complaining.

By the way, three kilos came from the halwa Bijee made for me every second day while I was carrying for Viaan, which I ate with no regrets. Today the family discusses grilled foods and boiled sprouts. I think it is the SSK effect. You cant beat em, join em! Getting back in shape was quite a difficult and challenging journey. It was frustrating, dealing with all that extra weight, an alteration in body image and all the changes that pregnancy brings along with it. To confess, I did let go during that time. I thought I would do everything the old-fashioned way, and so I ate and put on more weight than I should have. After Viaan Raj (my son) was born, I wanted my body back really badly, not just for the sake of looks, but because I felt unhealthy. I did not feel my natural self on the inside or the outside. Seven months after the delivery, I decided to get my health back on track. I lost 28 kilos in four months, and believe me, it was far from easy.

It was difficult, but not impossible, and thats the way it will always be. The day you set your mind to a goal and decide to achieve it, you will see the change begin to happen.