I came across Vatsa’s page a couple of years back and have been following him since then. Post college I started putting on weight and while I did take efforts to reduce it – mainly through crash diets like Keto I realized it wasn’t sustainable. I used to go on a diet for 2/3 months cut down on all forms of carbs and other “good” things in life. The results were awesome, but I ended up gaining the weight back again – sometimes faster than I used to lose. On some reading I realized that what I was a quick fix solution wherein by cutting down the calorie intake I was reducing my weight but was also messing up with my BMR and hence I used to gain back as soon as I moved back to normal diet.
Once I realized this I started to look for sustainable ways. Around the same time Vatsa was doing one of his shredding series and I followed that with keen interest. It gave me an idea of how I can go about this process and some level of hope that someday I will also get in shape. I tried to give it a go, mix diet with some form of exercises but it didn’t get me the desired results.
I approached Vatsa with a lot of trepidation not knowing what I was getting into. You see, I wasn’t sure I will be able to lose weight, I used to see Vatsa getting results, it’s just that will I be able get it!
Until the point I started training with Vatsa, for me exercise for losing weight meant doing cardio – loads of cardio! Right off the bat Vatsa got in that change for me – in fact in the first couple of months I hardly did any cardio – it was all weight training.
I have hardly had any experience with weights – so this was a challenge I wasn’t sure how I would fare. However, Vatsa very meticulously put in place a plan for me along with reference videos for each exercise. For the first month or so I recorded every session and used to share based on which I would revive feedback for form/ posture of the exercises. Once he was confident that I was getting the basics right only then did we stop with sharing videos. This was a departure from what generally trainers do – they show you once, will probably correct you two or three times. Not with Vatsa, every session I shared I got feedback within a few hours before my next session.
During the window I almost traveled 25% of the days for work which was messing up with our progress. I used to work out for a week then travel the next week and we used to end up with a break – I discussed this with Vatsa and he then again tweaked my exercises to ensure I don’t need weights or gym to be active. The underlying context is – based on my needs and constraints we were able to pivot midway so as to get the desired results and Vatsa was very gamely for it.
The other aspect of the program was around diet – based on my dietary preferences and eating habits Vatsa curated a diet which honestly didn’t feel like a punishment! Until now, for me diet was basically a punishment for all the “excess enjoyment” that I had! That perception of mine was put to rest, while I did cut back on refined flour and dishes like Pasta/pizza – (not that I used to have them day in and day out ) I got to eat my everyday food items like dal, rice, roti, veggies. No more salads or high protein zero carb (read keto ) foods for weight loss!
What Vatsa made me realize was if I don’t enjoy what I eat I am not going to last the entire length, he incorporated my preferences and ensured I hit my macros without too much of a sacrifice.
That was about exercises and diet – however the biggest thing he got to the table was accountability. Like clockwork, everyday without fail he used to check in, make notes of my daily progress and put in an encouraging word based on how the progress was taking turn. This personal attention was a big factor in me being able to put in the hard yards, I looked forward to sharing my workout details with him, surprise him with the weights I lifted/progress I made as he genuinely took interest and was invested. In the process, I got hooked to the process and completely bought into it. Come what may, I got in my 5/6 sessions of workout every week, I planned my sessions in advance to account for travel and seeing the progress I was making got me even more excited to do more.
Vatsa’s attention to detail is commendable – he just doesn’t do this mechanically – he keeps a tab – on more than one occasion he was able to make out that I had deviated from the routine based on my progress pictures/log entries. He is truly part of your journey!
During the course of the program I also realized Vatsa’s is not a run of the mill diet loss/muscle gain program – his is a lifestyle change program. It’s about making a tiny change that go about a long way in helping you achieve your goals in a way which is sustainable and Vatsa guides you every step in the way!
Aditya
