After the 411 and 5-20-30 methods to lose fat, we came across the 21-21-21 rule, which Kapil Sharma and Farah Khan’s fitness trainer, Yogesh Bhateja, swears by. According to Bhateja, a true transformation can happen in 63 days. But what exactly is it? To learn more, we turned to Dr Neeraj Rayate, consultant, bariatric and general surgery, Jupiter Hospital, Baner, Pune, who shared that the idea is “simple”. “It says that if you are living a sedentary lifestyle, the first thing is that you need to start moving,” said Dr Rayate.
In the initial 21-day period, your focus should be only on movement, not weight loss. “During this time, get your body to move. You can begin with basic stretches so that your body gets used to some movement — you can either go for 15 minutes of a normal or brisk walk, stretching such as rotations and toe touching, among other exercises,” said Dr Rayate.
Once the body slowly gets used to movement, it starts feeling energetic and more positive and is ready to move on to the next phase. “You do not necessarily need to go to the gym. You can start with these basic movements at home,” said Dr Rayate.
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For the next 21 days, you need to watch and listen to how your body is responding. With focus, you will know which exercises are easy and which are difficult for you to perform, like if you get aches and pains with particular exercises. However, if you get pains, you should avoid exercising. Consistency is key here.
“The human body works on economisation, so the key is to continue challenging the body for more exercise. Simultaneously, when you start doing exercises, you will feel hungrier, so you need to focus on what you eat after exercise. If we eat high carbs, all the exercise efforts will go down the drain,” stressed Dr Rayate.
At the end of 42 days, you are bound to see noticeable changes in your body. You experience enjoyment, pride, and general happiness in your achievement. These positive changes will further drive you to stick to your fat loss goal.
Consistency is what matters (Photo: Pexels)
With a positive attitude by your side, the last leg of the 21-21-21 rule for fat loss will become easier than you would think.
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“You can continue with the exercises you enjoyed doing. However, along with it, you need to challenge your body and focus on the workout that brought about pain and discomfort. In this period, you may have noticed many changes in yourself that you have started liking. This will drive you to push yourself harder to feel better and look nice. Down the line, after 63 days, you will see a noticeable change when you look at yourself in the mirror,” said Dr Rayate.
It is important to make fitness a regular part of your lifestyle rather than a temporary fix. “Continue to listen to your body and make adjustments as needed,” said Dr Rayate.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.