Being Fit: Deepika Padukone way

I don’t like the word diet because I find it restrictive, I like to use smart eating.” Says Yasmin Karachiwala, the fitness trainer of Deepika Padukone.

Deepika Padukone, one of the top-notch actors of Bollywood, is said to have a body “to die for”.

To be in such a great shape sure, is not easy. But it isn’t impossible for any one of us. Deepika’s fitness regime shows that a mixture of dedication and commitment is all that’s needed.

Also, the most intriguing fact is that Deepika is one of the biggest foodies of Bollywood. In fact, she once nonchalantly mentioned that she has not just one sweet tooth, but all her teeth are sweet. So, she’s not someone who curbs her cravings completely. Then how does she manage to sustain her goddess look?

Here’s a sneak peak to her fitness regime.

Diet Regime:
Deepika’s breakfast consists of a glass of low fat milk with egg whites or any south Indian food like idly or upma.
While she sometimes prefers home-made dal and rotis, her lunch predominantly and pretty much every day consists of grilled fish and veggies.
She snacks on nuts and dry fruits and filter coffee is her favourite snack time mate.
For dinner she strictly avoids rice and usually has green salad, rotis and fruits. She occasionally has few pieces of dark chocolate as desert to satiate her sweet tooth.

In between, she has small meals of fruits and juices. She believes that fibre rich food and drinking lots of water are extremely important for fitness. Even on a busy shoot day, she never starves herself. Every two or three hours, she hydrates herself with juices, coconut water or buttermilk. This keeps her body cells active and hence gives her a good metabolic rate. She neither overeats nor does she deprive herself and that’s her mantra.

Workout regime:
Deepika’s fitness regime is a blend of yoga, pilates, weights and dance. She starts her day with various yogasanas like the twelve steps of suryanamaskar, the sarvangasana and virabadrasana. She also never fails to do pranayama and meditation. This morning yoga session helps her flush the toxins out of her body. It also improves concentration and keeps her active throughout the day. 

Pilates is a method of exercise that consists of flexibility, muscular strength and endurance movements. Deepika was introduced to pilates by her trainer Yasmin Karachiwala. According to Yasmin, Pilates and stretching have worked wonders by strengthening her core, increasing her flexibility, and improving her posture.

Deepika works out every day and hence her time with weights is kept minimal. Thus, doing a mix of exercises to keep her workout routine enjoyable is her fitness secret.

“You need to eat and eat right to lose weight” , says Pooja Makhija, Deepika’s nutritionist. So, eating right and following a regular workout routine is all that’s needed for a fit and healthy body while a lot of commitment to the regime will give you the body of your dreams.

Written By: Priyadarshini S. Srinivasan