love story

It had always been my dream to be in the Indian Air Force. Unsurprisingly, though it's incredibly competitive and to be even considered, you must work hard during school, get the right grades and then beat others to the post. I was hard working and I got the education I needed but there was one stumbling block to my hopes-in order to apply, you have to be beneath a certain weight and height ratio- something that I was nowhere near... If I was to follow my dream, I had to lose the weight though, so I made the commitment to try and get down from 81 kg to 67 kg-the maximum allowed for my height of 5'7". Previously, I would go to the gym but I supplemented that with a very bad diet-I loved my taste buds more than my body! I also struggled to find good advice and direction. The gyms I went to in Chennai (where I live) were run by coaches who didn't support me with real knowledge of nutrition or fitness. However, I was focused, so I got on with working hard on the equipment available for my cardio, believing that this would get me the height-weight ratio I was striving for. I made reasonable progress and got my weight down to 69 kg-very close to my target. This was the result of endless cardio and reducing my meals to just two a day. As you can guess, this wasn't healthy for me and my immunity to illness was greatly reduced whilst my muscle strength decreased as my body searched for nutrition. The result was that my weight loss was only temporary and I got very sick as a result of my lowered immunity. I began putting on weight and losing it again-something for which people made fun of me. And in time, I was back at 79 kg. I felt depressed and began eating junk foods again. I had failed in my pursuit to join the Indian Air Force, having surpassed the age required. I felt sad and without purpose in my life. But then I looked hard at myself and realised that all the effort I'd put in until now needn't go waste. While I wouldn't fly, there were dozens of jobs involving aerospace that I could do. I just needed to find the right one. I moved to Bangalore where I began work as an aerospace technical writer-writing things like manuals, instructions and research papers, using my expertise. I felt revitalised and began to believe that I could return to the gym and give my transformation another attempt. I had come across Hrithik Roshan's story, how he had overcome his problems with the help of a trainer and reclaimed his life. I was inspired and I decided to find out more about Kris Gethin and Bodybuilding.com. A little bit of research soon revealed his 12 Week trainer. This was it. This was exactly what I needed-specific advice and guidance, not starving my body and pummelling it with cardio. The reason it was better than all the other programmes on the internet was that it coupled this rigorous knowledge with motivation that would help me remain focused and disciplined. Learning about nutrition, I could barely belive what I had been doing to myself. The moment that really captured me was when kris explained the importance of controlling your environment fr doesn't control you eating his own food from a box whilst others eat in the restaurant. That was the sort of commitment | knew I needed to replicate. 50 I underwent an incredible transformation that changed my life. I felt the passion and power I had almost harnessed when pursuing my career in the Air Force and turned it to my new path. And I wanted to share it with more people. I signed up for Kris and Neil Hill's training for fitness trainers: Physique Elite. But just a month before I was due to attend the programme, I was transferred to Chennai. I would have to journey back from Chennai to Bangalore, but I knew it would be worth it. Halfway through the journey though, a terrible thunderstorm gripped South-East India. I had already travelled 130 km on my bike but the wind and rain were lashing me and my wheels slid from side to side. I was scared but I didn't know what to do with 130 km behind me and 220 km more to Bangalore. That's when I remembered Kris' words: 'Control your environment, don't let it control you. 'No excuses, I said to myself. You have to do this now. In the pouring rain I stood by the side of the road with lightning crashing down around me. I waved to a truck driver who stopped and I begged him to let me load my bike onto the rear. He could see the pain in my face and eventually agreed. I arrived in Bangalore wet and shivering, but proud. This moment symbolised the change I had made in my life. I attended the training and I learned how to teach others the same principles I had learned, as well as got my photograph taken with Kris and Neil! I may have failed in my ambition to join the Air Force but I was a new man with greater goals and made of stronger stuff. For me, transformation was the journey but bodybuilding was the destination I didn't realise I was travelling to. From no interest, I became obsessed with fitness and health and I'm never happier than when I'm in the gym with the Iron. Without Kris and Bodybuilding.com, that passion would never have been able to flourish.