Indian Express
Pregnancy brings about many changes to your body, and weight gain is perhaps the most unavoidable, evident change that you will notice. You might not love the weight you’ve gained, but it is important to accept it — it is necessary for the good health of you and your child. But once the nine months of pregnancy is done and dusted, and your baby has arrived, your post-pregnancy weight-loss mission begins. This isn’t an easy task for most women, and the pressure to get back in shape is particularly worse if you’re a celebrity.
Millions of people are watching your every move, and it becomes so important for you as a celebrity to keep up with their expectations. However, Geeta Phogat, celebrity super mom and India’s top female wrestler, didn’t exactly put up with all those ridiculous, unhealthy expectations. Instead, she prioritized her health, her motherhood, and then, at her own pace, worked on a transformation that made us all drop our jaws!
Image: geetaphogat/Instagram
Geeta Phogat is a self-made woman. She was the first female wrestler from India who qualified for the Summer Olympics. In 2010, she also went on to win the first gold medal for the country at the Commonwealth Games in wrestling. Phogat married Pawan Saroha in 2016, who is also an Indian freestyle wrestler. The wrestling couple went on to have their first baby boy, Arjun Saroha, in 2019.
A year and a half has passed since then, during which Geeta Phogat focused on the little one, making the most of her time with her baby and husband. The proud mother took her time to work on her transformation. With the help of a famous food therapist, Dr. Ria Banerjee Ankola, she went on to drop the excess weight she had gained. Dr. Ria Banerjee Ankola is the wife of actor and former Indian cricketer Salil Ankola.
Image: geetaphogat/Instagram
Dr. Ankola, who has a weight-loss journey of her own, has helped several people healthily achieve their weight loss goals. To encourage and express her joy at Phogat’s transformation, she put an Instagram post with a collage of the wrestler. She described how Phogat’s transformation is particularly close to her heart and that she was back with much more energy. She went on to say that motherhood has made Phogat stronger, and called her a rockstar.
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So, how did the gold medalist go on to achieve her goal? According to Dr. Ankola, Phogat would dedicate four hours of training in addition to following a healthy diet. The diet did not just help her lose weight; it also provided the required nutrition for her baby. The food therapist and nutritionist went on to say that Phogat was particular about not wanting to compromise on her son’s health. Weight loss was the goal, but it had to be in line with her son’s needs — there were no two ways about this.
Image: geetaphogat/Instagram
In her post, Dr. Ria Banerjee Ankola also spoke about how Phogat has been an inspiration, and her dedication and determination were difficult to match. She recalled how although the wrestler wanted to get back on track to resume her sport again, she was firm about her duties and responsibilities as a mother. Dr. Ankola concluded her heartfelt post calling Phogat the strongest girl she knew. She said, “I am so proud and happy that my food therapy could be of help to her”. She thanked Geeta for being the wonderful person she is and wished her success and happiness in her life.
Image: geetaphogat/Instagram
Geeta Phogat is an excellent example of how we too can afford to prioritize our health and motherhood instead of giving in to the demands of society. Most of us have been at the receiving end of rude remarks about our pregnancy weight gain.
Just know that the weight is a normal and essential part of your pregnancy. Your body did a remarkable job at giving birth to a tiny human, so pat yourself on the back! Like Phogat, maybe we must take it slow and steady, so we can do what’s best for ourselves and our babies! What do you think of this story? Let us know in the comments below!
