Having recently shaved kilos off her frame, Masaba Gupta on battling PCOS, and putting her fitness regimen first
Masaba Gupta
As someone who has made a career of designing attires that flatter women’s bodies, Masaba Gupta has had a largely public tussle with her own. Discussion around the weight of the designer — who has been vocal about battling polycystic ovarian syndrome — was renewed when, only weeks ago, she flaunted her chiselled midriff, a result of a weight-loss routine that enabled her to be her "lightest in 10 years".
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The feat becomes pronounced in the knowledge of the challenges that a condition like PCOS can pose. Shrugged off with terms like ‘common’ and ‘seamlessly manageable’, it could have masses disillusioned that the condition is, in fact, seamlessly manageable. "It is tough and requires discipline, but is not impossible," admits Gupta, urging people to put their faith in a weight-loss routine when addressing the issue.
"The biggest challenge in tackling PCOS is not related to the weight, but to the opinions. All the promoted recommendations talk of consuming medication, or adding chemicals to the body. Weight-loss has been my tried-and-tested method, and many people get irritated when I say that. It may not be the [sole] solution to PCOS, but it is a start. You need to have a streamlined [approach], and there is no room for short cuts," says the fashion designer.
Apart from the fact that she has learnt to avoid foods like chocolate and milk, which cause skin inflammation within a matter of a few hours, Gupta is an advocate of intermittent fasting. "I was introduced to it at an Australian spa. I was struggling with PCOS then and they had discussed the pattern which involved consuming healthy meals, only in a limited [time] window. The results were evident — I lost weight, had more energy, and was able to keep my condition in check. My skin improved, and I had mental clarity. It also adds a sense of discipline to your routine."
For the most part, Gupta follows a familiar diet. She kicks off her day with fruits, and consumes her share of carbs with rice, rotis and sabzis for lunch. A special "roti pizza" — sans cheese — makes its debut in our diet vocabulary. "It’s what I consume for dinner, with vegetables, and paneer, if I must." However, mindful of her tendency to lose the sense of proportional-eating while binging, she’s taken steps to avoid snacking altogether. "Some people can do it mindfully. While I will have makhanas and roasted chickpeas, if I need to, I generally avoid snacking [between meals]. It throws me out of whack, and I begin to eat whatever comes my way."
She is neither "into fancy diets", nor "fad workouts". She says she will never be caught experimenting with unconventional routines in a swimming pool, even though she recently gave a go at Animal Flow, and found it to be a "pleasant extension to yoga." Gupta largely sticks to the basics — three days of weight-lifting, comprising movements like squats and lunges, some amount of functional training and skipping, and a lot of yoga. Occasionally, she’ll indulge in a game of tennis.
But despite the struggle to maintain her weight, especially as part of an industry that romanticises lithe figures, Gupta has been able to establish a relationship of admiration with her routine. "My equation with fitness is a beautiful one. I set my life around it, and that’s the only way it works. If you see it as a chore, it will always be one. But this is what will help you live a better life. I thrive in it — it helps [keep me in a good] mood, manage stress, and celebrate the joy that food is. I learnt from Shiamak Davar that the body is a temple — respect it, and it will help you. My body and mind come first. The rest of the world can wait."
Sara Ali Khan
There’s a reason Sara Ali Khan is papped at a fitness studio as often as she is. Having confessed that, apart from a bad diet, PCOS contributed to her weight-gain in her teenage years, Khan must be vigilant about adhering to her wellness routine. In an interview to a magazine, she had reportedly said that "the only real cure is constant, consistent, and focused lifestyle changes".
Sonam K Ahuja
Sonam K Ahuja confesses to having consulted several doctors and dietitians before she could arrive at a "good place" with her health. Apart from taking to an active lifestyle, she claims to have completely eliminated sugar, both refined and natural, from her diet. The decision, she says, has been life-changing.
Also Read: Hope in the struggle! Sonam Kapoor reveals about suffering from PCOS
Parallels between PCOS and weight-gain
Dr Tanaya Narendra. Pics/istock, Instagram
Dr Tanaya Narendra, aka Dr Cuterus, who doles out details on issues relating to women’s health on Instagram, addresses why weight-gain and PCOS are linked
Why does PCOS lead to weight-gain?
Blood sugar levels are regulated by a hormone called insulin. In patients with PCOS, the amount of this hormone isn’t affected, but the body’s ability to react to it, is. It’s like the body stuffs cotton into its ears, and refuses to do what the hormone tells it to. It results in a spike in blood sugar levels. Not only does one put on weight, but the weight is also difficult to get rid of.
[Living with PCOS] is like riding a cycle on a level road, and suddenly coming across a steep slope. Medications serve as the boost you need to ride upwards.
How does weight-loss tackle the condition?
Weight-loss should not be the goal, because that can lead to starvation, which [nullifies] the effort put into managing it. Incorporating more exercise into your regimen, and consuming good food, should be the goal.
With PCOS, something changes with our metabolism. We’re yet to discover why that happens, because studies into women’s health issues have only [got a boost] 20 years ago. But, this does mean that despite being on a calorie-deficit diet, women with the condition may not be able to lose weight. That’s why an exercise routine can aid the process.
What are the conditions women should be wary about?
Risks of gynaecological cancers increase in women who go untreated. One can develop diabetes, blood pressure and cardiovascular issues. Smoking is awful anyway, and more so if you have the condition, because, like PCOS, it affects the blood vessels and increases the levels of testosterone. We also notice a fair amount of mental health [issues], depression, and anxiety, all of which crop up due to struggling with managing the disease.
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