YOU HAVE ONLY ONE BODY KEEP IT FIT

By Rajesh Ghadge

In 2012, he started working for a company dealing with electronic consumer durables in the business development field and at that time he was also running his own venture. “During that time, I had given up on the fitness aspects of the life that I was practising during my younger age due to my hectic schedule and partying lifestyle. That excessive weight gain made me decide to change my lifestyle. I realised that I need to take care of myself so I went and enrolled myself on a fitness program called “Lose 9 Kilos in 9 Weeks” and it started to show results.” health and look of the body.

Today Felipe runs a very wellknown fitness centre in Goa called “The Fitness Bar” but he himself trained initially at Goa's famous Norbert Fitness Studio.

“For me, fitness was never about losing weight or building massive muscles, but more about your overall health and look of a body. I wanted to change the concept of going on a crash diet to lose weight and till today in Fitness Bar, we do not run a weight loss program. Instead, we educate our members to drop the fat in their body and start building muscle which will keep them fit and healthy. For us, fitness is when your clothes fit you better, you can walk a flight of stairs without panting and if you can go through your everyday life without aches and pains then that is real fitness.”

Felipe has always been very proactive during his youth. He used to be into sports activities like basketball and athletics but once he started working, he had to quit them because of a shortage of time. His hectic schedule and busy lifestyle meant he gained some 200 pounds in weight. But he woke up one day, looked at himself in the mirror and decided to do something that very few do and that changed his entire life.

“Although today I have my own gym, I want to mention that I started at Norbert's. But as I gradually progressed, I realised the actual science b e h i n d e x e r c i s e , t h e importance of health, fitness and the importance of lifestyle change per se. The moment I realised this, I decided to study fitness and got a degree in it,” he narrated. Felipe went to Mumbai to do his study fitness and nutrition. “This was the beginning of my fitness journey and from there the “Fitness Bar” came into e x i s t e n c e W h i l e I w a s travelling for my studies in fitness, I realised that Goa was lacking a fun gym environment where one can work out and enjoy themselves at the same time. I wanted to change the monotony of going to the gym and doing the same thing over and over again. That's when I conceptualised the Fitness Bar.”

When Felipe started the Fitness Bar, his entire idea was to make people fit in overall

Felipe practices what he preaches and you will believe it when you meet him yourself. “Although I started my fitness journey out somewhere else, my actual fitness came from my own gym and it was the time when I started realising that real fitness is way beyond the scale, crash dieting or sacrificing carbohydrates or not consuming sugar or sweets. Also, just because you have turned 40 does not mean you cannot work out to stay fit.

According to me irrespective of your age, size and weight and any health issues that you may have, the only way to keep yourself healthy is by way of working out. It's just a matter of finding the right person who can help you achieve that.”

F e l i p e b e l i e v e s t h a t motivation is key to success., “I was motivated when I walked into Norbert's on the first day, but the motivation slowly dies if there is no discipline and that is the toughest part which people face. Everybody wants results quickly and that is why all these fancy diets and weight-loss programs work but that is not discipline. The best mantra is to do what you are doing every day for the rest of your life. It has been a lifestyle change and that was the toughest challenge that I had faced. I had to give up things that I like the most. I was a chocolate fan but I had given that to achieve my goal.”

Nothing is possible without a very strong support system and all the motivation comes from that. “There is a need for someone will make you do the things that you want to achieve I always speak to parents and tell them to explain to their children the health benefits of fitness. The household plays a major role in motivation. I had faced all these challenges but luckily, I had a very strong support system and I managed to discipline myself and that is the secret of my fitness,” he said.

Exercise is like a habit which you need to nurture with the proper discipline and a lot of willpower and once you get into that you never want to come out of it. “I had to give up the consumption of alcohol and now I only drink socially, keeping myself disciplined and that is why I can afford to eat and drink what I desire without the fear of losing on health and fitness. What is important is to feel fit and healthy the next morning and rest all will be taken care of,” he said.

Fitness is not about fitting into your dresses on your wedding day but it's a journey that will continue with you throughout your life. “I also want expel the myth that being fit means being thin or slim That's completely wrong: being fit is the capacity to do ones daily activities without having any health issues,” he added. Speaking on the role of supplements in fitness, Felipe s a i d t h a t h e d o e s n o t recommend them unless someone really needs them.

“We do promote supplements but at the same time, we tell everyone that it is not a meal substitute We suggest they get their protein intake checked by a professional nutritionist and if needed, consume it. Whey protein is not harmful as it is a byproduct of milk. If you get your entire day's protein from your food then there is no need for supplementing your diet.” Felipe wakes up at 5 am every day without fail to open the gym. For him, it is passion first and that is the secret behind his success He does not promote bodybuilding, but a lifestyle change, healthy living and fitness. Speaking on the message that he wants to give out he said. “Age does not matter: you are never too young or too old to get fit, so please take your life seriously. You have got only one body which you have to live with rest of your life Your cars will change, your home will change, your clothes will change, but your body is something that you are going to live with throughout so take care of it and stay fit and healthy,” he concluded with these words of wisdom.

SARITA VAZ