Weight Loss: “I lost 28 kgs despite having a C-section delivery”

It is really tough for a mother to struggle between caring for her own self and her child. Harman Sidhu always thought that she would easily lose her pregnancy weight gain, but a C-section delivery and excessive weight henceforth dashed all her hopes. To prove the world and to herself that she could do it, the mother, with an immense support from her husband, lost 28 kilos in a year. Here’s her story from fat to fit.

Name: Harman Sidhu

Occupation: Housewife, freelance interior designer, PGT teacher and fitness model

Age: 30

Highest weight recorded: 85 kg

Weight lost: 28 kg

Duration it took me to lose weight: 1 year

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The turning point: I had gained much more than the recommended weight during pregnancy. I always knew I would lose it and that I would do whatever it would take but that’s when I didn’t know that I was going to have a c-section. And also, till then I didn’t know how life with a baby would be and how life is as a breastfeeding mother. So, almost after 8 months postpartum, I was tired of listening to “you will never lose that baby pooch because you had a c-section.“ That’s when I decided to lose it all and prove to the world that the mode of delivery has nothing to do with whether you can or you cannot lose abdominal fat. The only thing with c-section is that you may not be up and about in 4 weeks postpartum. The stitches take time to heal, so your recovery is slow but you are just as strong as a woman who has had vaginal delivery.

My breakfast: 4 egg whites, oats with prunes, one slice of bread, 10 almonds and walnuts along with a multivitamin and omega 3

Mid day: Green tea

My lunch: Grilled chicken breast with steamed vegetables

Evening snack: A scoop of protein powder with a bowl of fruits

My dinner: Fish or chicken with sautéed vegetables or mashed potatoes occasionally

I indulge in (What you eat on your cheat days): Chinese food and a slice of cake or some pudding

My workout: I do weight training 6 days a week with 30 minutes of cardio everyday

Low-calorie recipes I swear by: Oat protein pancakes

Fitness secrets I unveiled: I think cutting down on sugar and being on low carbs has kept me so active, energetic and focused. Initially, when you reduce your carbohydrates and sugar, you can feel tremendously weak but believe me, just after a few days, you will feel totally opposite.

How do I stay motivated? Honestly, my husband, who is a fitness coach himself, is the biggest motivation right in front of me all the time and his constant help and his being there for our baby while I would work out has been the biggest reason of my achievement. Apart from him, Instagram keeps me super motivated as all the appreciation that I've got from that platform is amazing.

How do you ensure you don’t lose focus?
I'm very determined but being a mom to a toddler is challenging so I set small goals for myself and try to be on track to achieve them .

What’s the most difficult part of being overweight?I think that for a mom, the most difficult part of being overweight is not being able to give your 100 percent to your child physically because you are tired, you are lazy and you can’t run as you have neither stamina nor strength.

What shape do you see yourself 10 years down the line?I think I just want to see myself much more stronger than I am today. I want to see myself lifting much heavier weights than I can today and definitely, I see myself sticking to my eat-clean diet.

What are the lifestyle changes you made?Working out definitely was the biggest change but apart from that, I think the major change that I’m super proud to have made is in my food. Eating healthy food was the best thing I did for not just my body but also for my mind and soul. Food is the base of our existence as we are what we eat. I completely gave up on junk food, including sodas and switched to lime water and coconut water instead.

What was the lowest point for you?Well, I honestly thought that once my baby was born, I would gradually and probably magically lose all the weight but nothing like that happened. Even 10 months postpartum, I could not get into my pre-pregnancy clothes and this really broke me down.

Lessons learnt from weight loss:I think along with the fact that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is super important for good health, how you look and how you feel about yourself. All these are equally important for your mental health too. Even if you don’t become super thin with working out but knowing that you work out, eat healthy food and you make an effort to take care of your body is enough to boost your confidence and to make you feel good about yourself and your life.


If you have a weight loss story that can inspire others, mail us at toi.health1@gmail.com.