Pregnancy is the greatest phase that God blesses women with, but with this comes something that they genuinely dislike. And it is nothing but the added post-pregnancy weight gain. Questions like, ‘Why aren’t my older clothes fitting me now?’, ‘Why am I not in shape?’, are something that women usually tend to ask themselves after giving birth to their child. But our celebrities have changed the way how we used to look at pregnancy. While earlier, mothers used to stay at home during their pregnancy and post-pregnancy journey, now they love to flaunt their baby bump and encourage women to stay healthy and lose the postpartum weight.
Sania Mirza has nailed her pregnancy and post-pregnancy, encouraging every mommies-to-be and newbie mommies by tweaking her diet and workout regimes to keep up with her nutritional requirements. During her pregnancy, Sania kept herself physically fit with walking, yoga, and playing. And soon after the birth of her son, Izhaan Mirza Malik, Sania got back to the uncompromising workout routine to get fit. And would you believe, Sania lost 22 kgs in four months!
In an interview with The Times Of India, Sania Mirza spoke about post-pregnancy weight loss, healthy living, body shaming and her journey from 89 kgs to 67 kgs in 4 months. When questioned about her training, Sania replied, “I’ve got four-five weeks of training to go before I am where I would like to be, which is where I was before I got pregnant. In the normal scheme of things that’s not much time, considering I delivered only four months ago. Once I get back to where I want to be physically, I’ll start playing. I had three surgeries before I had a baby so I have to be careful about how I address my playing, my return to competition. I started training with Robert (Ballard) last week, before that I was training on my own. I lost all the weight by myself. It was just with cardio and my knowledge of fitness. It was also restricted because I couldn’t do weights. I was killing myself. I would do 100 minutes of cardio, an hour of kickboxing and an hour of pilates. That was my day, that’s how I lost weight. My point is every celebrity doesn’t go under the knife to lose weight, people work hard. My training has been good so far, but as the workload increases, I don’t know how my body will react. I’ll have to play it by the ear.”
Continuing more about her gym routine and what she follows, Sania Mirza continued, “I go to the gym for four hours, maybe a little more, every day. That’s also because I am rebuilding. I always train that way. I feel because I’ve had these injuries and surgeries, I have been more cautious. I don’t want to be in a position where because I have under-trained, I’ve gotten hurt. I would hate that. If I twist my ankle, there’s nothing that can be done, but I don’t want to have torn a muscle because I was not strong enough. I have always had that mindset. I want to see how my body will hold up, it has been through a huge ordeal in the last one year. So far, I feel no different o the way I used to feel earlier. But you still don’t know, this is the first time I’ve had a baby, so we’ll see. I do a lot of core because that is the toughest. I split my training into two sessions. It’s weights and strength in the morning and in the evening, it is more plyometric and cardio.”
From her abs being shredded apart for the delivery of her first born to the moment she felt her abs again, Sania described her journey further and said, “Core comes both times because it is the weakest, thanks to childbirth. The doctor told me that she had to strip my abs apart to take him (Izhaan) out. It’s like having eight torn muscles and having to get it back to full strength. Three weeks ago, I started feeling my abs for the first time, it’s the happiest I have felt in this journey. I touched my abs and I actually found something hard there. I wanted to go and eat a whole cake.”
Unveiling how she lost 22 kgs in four months, Sania Mirza was quoted as saying, “The physical journey is tough because you have to start from scratch and it’s your whole body. But I have enjoyed it because for 9-10 months, I did what I wanted to, I ate what I wanted to which I never did all my life. I was very sure that from the day I delivered my baby, everything would change, and literally from the next day onwards, I was on a healthy diet which was how I was able to lose 22 kilos in three months. It’s been challenging obviously, but also self-realizing in many ways. I still have a little bit to go, but I am almost there. You can have a c-section, your core goes completely soft, but you can still be back. It has been extremely challenging, but I have enjoyed it. Also, it was very satisfying to know that I could get back from 89 kilos, which was the weight I was on the day that I delivered. He’s barely four months old and already last month, I was 67.”
Talking about her determination, Sania Mirza stated, “I’m extremely determined. A lot of people came up to me and said, how have you done this, we didn’t think you would be able to do it. So many people, some of who are close to me, said, we thought that for a year you’ll be like this. Which is fine also, but it is not who I am. I have won three bets with people who said they’ll lose weight before me. It was fun things like that which made me see how determined I am or how stubborn I can be if I want something. No matter where you are if you want your body to get back into shape physically, you can do it. Healthy is the way to go in life. Regardless of whether or not I play tennis, I would not feel good about myself if I looked in the mirror and saw that I didn’t look or feel a certain way. It’s not just about how you look, but how you feel.”
Conversing on how women are judged for their looks, even when she is pregnant, Sania went on to say, “Women are always judged by the way they look. The physical appearance is what people notice first before they know your intellectual ability. If a woman and a guy walk into a room, it is the unfortunate truth that the woman is going to be judged by how she’s dressed and by her looks. Which is also why women players get questions of ‘what are you wearing for the next Grand Slam’ while men don’t. When I got pregnant, I wanted to embrace the weight. I have always been fit, I looked a certain way, felt a certain way. I also wanted to experience how it is to be pregnant. That is the time when a woman does not care about herself and you realize that you care about the baby even before the baby comes into the world. I just embraced it.”
Further talking about body-shaming, Sania Mirza was quoted as saying, “There’s the typical mindset of ‘She’s become so fat’. Fat has now become a swear word. For me, I want to be healthy because I feel better. If you feel better if you’re bigger, that’s fine. It’s a personal thing. This is something that has to change, the mindset. Why is a woman always subjected to, pregnant or not, what weight she is, what weight she’ll become? You cannot body-shame people for how thin or fat they are. Because first of all, it is not your problem, it is not your issue. Most of these comments are from men, which is the amazing part. I would like to tell them, I would like to see you produce a human being and see if you get fat or not. Every woman goes through this. You are either too fat or too thin or too tall or too short. You have to be the best version of yourself. I’m lucky that my body has gotten back to where it was, it’s because I have a good metabolism.”
Ending it with her hashtag, Mumma hustles, and the reason after it, Sania Mirza signed off, “The reason why I put ‘#mummahustles’ on my social media stories is to show as a mother you can still be fit and you can still live a certain life. It doesn’t mean your life is over because you have become a mother, your life has just begun.”
Sania Mirza’s Weight Loss Journey Review:
“Sania Mirza is no superhuman, but what helped her was the fact that she did not lose her focus and determination. Weight loss, in any way, is not possible overnight and unless you are willing to dedicate time and energy, you are not losing weight. For excellent results, it is always recommended to follow a balanced meal plan and exercise regime.
Sania’s Meal Plan
The day Sania delivered her baby from the very next day she started following a healthy diet plan which was specially designed for her by her dietitian Ali Faraaz.
Sania’ Exercise Regime
Just within a few days of her delivery Sania started her workout regime. She goes to the gym for 4 hours every day. Even during her pregnancy, she kept herself physically active by walking, doing yoga, and playing. She lost all weight by herself by doing cardio for 100-minutes, an hour of kickboxing, and pilates for an hour.
If you follow these tips, you can also get rid of the unhealthy habits and kick start your weight loss journey. So, get inspired and give your best to bid adieu to the unwanted flab. Good luck!”
