Wedding planner loses 65 kilos, shares 5 sustainable weight loss tips | XpertsReviews.com

How many people expect “the tallest person in class” to run a marathon one day? Well, the story of Niki Chawla, a New Zealand-based wedding planner from Punjab, will surprise you. She grew up staying away from sports and anything that screamed “physical activity.” But in 2021, she decided to ditch her unhealthy habits and work on getting back into shape. Niki Chawla’s weight loss transformation isn’t just about eating right and working out. Her weight loss journey also involves tears and pain. She weighed 123 kg in 2021 and now weighs only 58 kg. Read on if you want to know how the 27-year-old, who once hated walking, lost all the extra pounds.

Niki Chawla: ‘I’ve been overweight my whole life’

To understand Niki Chawla’s drastic weight loss transformation, you need to know how it all started. “Before 2021, I was overweight my whole life. I don’t think there’s a specific reason why I was overweight growing up,” says Niki Chawla. She loved food, but she never knew how much to eat or what a balanced meal looked like. “Portion control and protein have never been part of my vocabulary, and there is no one to blame for that. I didn’t know any better, and growing up in an immigrant family, my parents worked extremely hard to build the life they built for themselves and my family today,” says the wedding planner. So the reason she continued to gain weight over time was because of her eating habits and lack of timing.

Niki Chawla: “Physical activities have never been fun”

As a child, she probably wouldn’t have thought about losing so much weight because she never participated in sports or physical activity growing up. “It was never fun, especially because it wasn’t easy for me,” she says. She didn’t have the energy of most people. “I tired easily and actually, being the tallest person in your class, you were never really included in most team sports. I would skip cross country or our annual sports day,” she says. She went to school late when their first period was dedicated to physical education. “I even tried going to the gym by myself when I was 16, but again, I never really enjoyed it,” she recalls.

Niki Chawla on starting her weight loss journey

In 2021, she decided to change her life and begin her weight loss transformation journey, which over time became a healthy lifestyle journey. “My inspiration was seeing my uncle and aunt (aged 60) in Queenstown, New Zealand, doing several hikes and walks. Seeing them so active and fit at this age made me question myself. I was 23 at the time and doing an easy 4km walk made me feel better,” she recalls. She may be sharing her weight loss journey now, but at the time, she suffered from leg cramps that lasted for days.

When Niki Chawla fell in love with sport

Working out regularly is one of the main factors that played a role in Niki’s weight loss transformation. When she decided to start her weight loss journey, she started exercising with a personal trainer at her home gym. “My trainer helped me become more confident in training, and I started to enjoy working out and fell in love with moving my body,” says Niki Chawla, who did battle rope exercises , ran on a treadmill, did squats and box jumps during her workout. weight loss journey.

Walking became Niki Chawla’s friend

When she began her weight loss transformation journey, she started walking a lot. “I used to hate walking. When I started walking, I remember crying. Even a kilometer walk would hurt my legs,” recalls Chawla. Over time, she increased her pace and distance. “I finally started walking 10 to 12 km every other day. Over time, walking became less difficult, so I took up running. I did my first 11km event at the Auckland Marathon in 2022,” she says. To challenge herself, she decided to start training for half marathons in 2023. “In 2024, I started running distances (up to 32 km), and I worked a lot on my pace. After beating my half marathon time by 20 minutes in 2024 compared to previous years, I decided to participate in full marathons in 2025,” says Chawla.

Niki Chawla: “Nutrition plays a big role in weight loss”

In addition to finding ways to move her body, she began focusing on her diet while continuing her weight loss transformation journey. “I realized that nutrition plays an important role in weight loss, and just a healthy lifestyle in general. I reset my eating habits, looked at what I eat, and learned about my daily calorie intake, nutrients, protein, carbs, and fats,” she says. Eating right became part of her weight loss journey.

She even took a break from home-cooked meals prepared by her mother and started cooking her own meals. “I always cook my own food. I meal prep religiously on the weekends, which helps me continue to maintain my healthy lifestyle. My weekdays are usually long due to the nature of my job, so this is a great way to make sure that when I get home I don’t snack on what’s in sight and just eat dinner.” , explains Niki Chawla.

Niki Chawla’s Weight Loss Transformation: 5 Things That Helped Her

1. Opt for a balanced diet

She changed the way she ate to maintain a healthy weight. This means she doesn’t always eat foods high in unhealthy fats. “I now eat balanced, portion-controlled meals. I don’t eat until I’m full, I only eat until I’m 80 percent full. Your diet accounts for 80 percent of your progress,” says Niki Chawla. According to the World Health Organizationyou should consume at least 400 grams of fruits and vegetables per day. Legumes, nuts and whole grains should also be part of your meals. While you try these sustainable weight loss tips, remember to eat healthy.

2. Move your body

She finds different ways to move her body whenever she can. “I do cardio and strength training. I think it’s really important to move your body in a way that you love,” says Niki Chawla. In a 2012 study published in the Journal of Applied PhysiologyPeople who were in the cardio and strength training group saw a significant reduction in total body mass and fat mass.

3. Give importance to good quality sleep

“I prioritize my sleep, so I sleep 6 to 8 hours a day,” says Niki Chawla. A 2005 study published in the Sleep journal, showed significantly elevated obesity rates among adults sleeping less than seven hours per night. So make sure the quantity and quality of your sleep is good.

4. Stay hydrated

Her weight loss transformation journey includes one very simple but crucial thing: staying hydrated. “I drink 3 to 4 liters of water a day,” says Niki Chawla. Drinking water can help you on your weight loss journey. In a 2019 analysis published in Hospital Nutritionresearchers have discovered a link between increased water consumption and weight loss.

5. Stick to the routine

Everyone has a daily routine, and if your goal is to maintain a healthy weight, follow it. While writing tips for lasting weight loss, Niki Chawla says, “Follow a routine. It can be boring, but a consistent routine is the only way to get consistent results.

These sustainable weight loss tips helped her transform. “The reason I didn’t gain all my weight back is because my approach to my journey was to make it sustainable and not a temporary weight loss,” says Niki Chawla. She wanted to develop healthy habits that would benefit her throughout her life. “These last 3-4 years have taught me a lot. I educated myself and, over time, found more ways to push myself, challenge myself and help me continue to develop and maintain healthy, long-lasting habits,” concludes Niki Chawla.