Fitness Mantra: Determined weight loss journey of beauty pageant winner inspires many

Hailing from Coimbatore, she completed her post-graduation in styling from London School of Fashion and worked with Prada for a year. She moved back to India after getting married and was a homemaker for two years. Subsequently, she began designing active wear for US-based brand Ronnie Coleman. “Since I’ve been in the fashion industry, I’ve always been fascinated by beauty pageants and models and would often wonder how they carry themselves so well. I would dream of walking on the ramp too but for a long time, my vision took a backseat,” says Shamyuktha.

This was until her husband eventually encouraged her to pursue her goal seriously. “‘Just because you’re married it doesn’t mean you need to give up on your dreams’, he told me,” she shares. The main challenge that she faced was to lose the weight she had put on after the wedding. She says, “I was nearly 90 kg at that point. In January this year, I started training for the pageant and with the help of a fitness trainer and dietician, I lost 30 kg! It was very difficult but I pushed myself to do it. I ultimately won the title and it has been a life-changing journey.”

Whether you’re married or not, or going for a beauty pageant or not, every woman must take care of her body and spend time on health — is what Shamyuktha has to say. “Being fit and healthy gives you a lot of confidence; I felt more active and energetic once I made certain lifestyle changes. At the same time, it’s not about being skinny or size-zero or about how people see you. What you think about yourself matters the most. This self-confidence helped me win the title,” she tells us.

And does she have a golden rule she follows even now to stay fit as a fiddle? “I exercise for an hour every day, eat healthy and get a lot of rest,”she signs off.