Name: Kriti Shastry
Age: 23
Height: 5 ft 2 inches
Weight: 52kgs
Residence: Chennai
Fitness Achievement:
Battled body shaming, lost 8kgs, completed over 15 marathons (greatest distance being 25km), competing in my first physique competition in October 2017
What made you take up fitness seriously?
I was battling through body shaming in my early teens, being made fun of by my friends and classmates about my physique. I was tired of feeling sorry for myself so I decided to make a change. More than losing weight, a more important change happened in my mind as I started taking care of my body and I started loving myself for what I am.
What keeps you motivated?
I love the feeling of getting better, getting stronger and making progress. We learn a lot of lessons from exercising and the same lessons apply to life, you have to keep working hard every single day. The results will be slow but every day matters and you have to stay consistent to achieve your goals. I love waking up with a goal of being better than what I was yesterday and that is the attitude that I carry to the gym.
What are the hurdles you faced on course to achieving your fitness goals?
One of the biggest hurdles for me was unavailability of equipment and proper nutrition. Since I was living in a hostel, the girls gym hardly had any equipment and I had to stick to bodyweight workouts for over 4 years. Inspite of that, I continued to work on myself by completing the most challenging bodyweight workout programs, some of them being Insanity, Insanity Max30, Stronger, Combat training, and many more. In terms of nutrition, I could not afford any supplements as I was still studying and I was dependent on the food served in our hostel mess (which was very deficient in protein), so my progress was limited.
Who are your role models / Whom do you look up to?
My biggest role model is Amanda Bucci. She is a fitness and lifestyle youtuber and an entrepreneur. I admire her discipline and drive to always chase her dreams and keep working hard. Among the people in my life, my biggest role model is my boyfriend, Gauthaman Ramesh, who is also a fitness youtuber and an entrepreneur. I have come a long way because of his guidance and I admire his vision and his work ethic.
What is your current workout program / What was your workout program while training for your fitness goal?
Since I’ve achieved a variety of different fitness goals, my workout programs have been very different for each one. Currently, I’m training to compete for a physique competition so my program is tuned according to that. My current workout program is an upper/lower body split focusing on all my muscle groups and high training volume.
What diet did you follow while training?
I have always followed flexible dieting (IIFYM) which is based on macros and I track my food using a calorie tracker app.
What is your favourite workout and your favourite body part to exercise?
My favorite workout is a leg workout and favorite muscle group is glutes.
What is your favourite food?
I just LOVE donuts and I think they take me to heaven every single time.
What is your cheat meal?
Donuts and KFC chicken burger with fries and coke.
What supplements have you used and which ones do you find the best?
I have used a variety of protein supplements and have liked most of them. My favorite has been N2 nutrition chocolate whey and pineapple BCAA.
What are your favourite workout songs?
My favorite workout songs keep changing but some constant ones are :
- Right now – fabian mazur
- Ship Wrek – Pain
- With Arms wide open – Creed
- Worth it – Rico & Miella
What have been your accomplishments so far?
Being a brand ambassador for a supplement brand (N2 nutrition), completing a 25km marathon, starting a fitness youtube channel and a fitness brand for women (Superwomen Stronger Together), successful online platform for fitness motivation (instagram)
What are your long term plans in terms of fitness / career in fitness?
I want to reach out to larger audiences and be a social media influencer to make a difference in people’s lives and encourage more women to take their health seriously, exercise and get proper nutrition. In the process, I want to build my own brand and be associated with companies whose values align with mine.
What are some diet and workout tips you would like to give our readers?
No matter what workout or diet you follow, it should align with your lifestyle. Consistency is key. So whatever diet and exercises you choose to do, you should not have to go out of your way to follow it. Choose a form of exercise you love and work on getting better at it. Choose a diet that you can easily follow as this should be a way of life. Short term diets do not work, you should aim at improving the quality of your life.
What is one fitness advice you would like to give every beginner?
Never start your fitness journey with an aesthetic goal. Today, fitness is often associated with six pack abs and huge muscles. However, fitness is about having a strong mind and body which helps you to improve your lifestyle.
Are you offering training/nutrition programs?
I provide online fitness coaching including training and nutrition. To apply for my coaching, you can email me: kritishastryfitness@gmail.com
You can reach/follow Kriti at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kritishastryfitness/?ref=bookmarks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kritishastry/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSnwklCCOeBHryRny_cahRQ?view_as=subscriber
Email id: kritishastryfitness@gmail.com