A personal trainer has revealed how a simple dietary swap from jam to protein helped her shed the pounds and kickstart a career in fitness.
Lavina Mehta, a personal trainer, confessed that she “was never into exercise” during her childhood and often found ways to avoid PE lessons at school.
In an interview with The Telegraph, she shared her transformative journey into the fitness industry which began at the age of 34.
It was at this point that Lavina started taking her health seriously. She joined group exercise classes but struggled to maintain consistency.
A turning point came when she hired a personal trainer and began replacing much of her diet with protein. This included “swapping my sugary breakfasts of toast and jam, croissants or cereal for protein-rich eggs and vegetables or Greek yogurt and fruit”.
She explained: “Protein keeps me fuller for much longer and ensures my blood sugar levels are a lot more balanced, which is amazing for my mood, productivity and energy, while also lowering my Type 2 diabetes risk.”
Although adjusting to the new diet wasn’t easy, consuming more protein kept her satiated for longer periods, leading to reduced food intake and subsequent weight loss.
In her fitness transformation, the aspiring trainer not only dropped three dress sizes but also felt “more empowered” in managing life’s demands. Lavina didn’t follow a strict diet; instead, she sought a happy medium between the Mediterranean diet and her South Asian culinary heritage, without fully rejecting her cultural dishes.
The self-professed gourmand shared her clever food swaps that maintained deliciousness: “I replace the white rice and Indian breads with complex carbohydrates like quinoa, sweet potatoes, vegetables, salad, beans and lentils. I make my plates as colourful and diverse as possible (focusing on eating the rainbow) and opt for home cooked foods, rather than shop-bought ultra-processed foods.”
Debunking diet myths, the wellness guru still indulges in snacks but now prefers homemade protein balls over Bombay mix, and has replaced her nighttime cheese and crackers with intermittent fasting, resulting in a 12 to 16-hour window between dinners and breakfasts.
Reflecting on her past, Lavina admits that she used to be “very unhealthy but got away with it because I was naturally slim” until her lifestyle caught up with her in her late 20s, leading to her weight doubling due to an unhealthy diet, a lack of activity, and the pressures of her job as a global project manager.
As her family expanded, she decided to take a break from her corporate career and noticed that her post-pregnancy body was taking a toll on her self-confidence. The responsibility of raising her children heightened her consciousness about her overall health, triggering warning signals that urged her to make a change.
