I was never really into sports as a kid, which shocks people because they think a love of exercise comes naturally to a personal trainer. I basically only did gym at school and once I got my period I asked my mom to cancel me from most classes.
I had no education whatsoever about the importance of exercise for a healthy life. Part of that is because I am South Asian. No one who looked like me was promoting its benefits, despite our ethnicity being six times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes and twice as likely to develop heart disease than the average white person in the UK.
I was very unhealthy, but I got away with it because I was naturally thin. In my late 20s, after I got married, I gained a lot of weight. My waist got even bigger after I gave birth, because I kept eating for two and my metabolism slowed down. I don’t use a scale, so I don’t know how much I gained, but I was easily twice my current size, as was my husband.
Besides a poor diet, my sedentary lifestyle was also to blame. I had a demanding job as a global project manager for BP, which I loved, but it meant I was stuck at a desk all day and traveling internationally, making it difficult to eat healthily and exercise. As for exercise, I would get a few steps in on my commute, but that was about it.
In my early thirties, I gave up my career to focus on raising my young family.
Around this time I started to feel uneasy about my post pregnancy weight. Many of my clothes no longer fit and it affected my self-confidence. I continued to wear maternity clothes for a while after giving birth and opted for loose, baggy clothes. I felt lethargic and had little energy. I also became more aware of my overall health when I saw loved ones being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and dementia. This set off alarm bells and was my turning point.
At 34, with all three of my sons in daycare or school, I started group exercise classes at my local gym to increase my activity level and lose a few pounds. However, I found that I wasn’t really consistent or making much progress.
So I decided to hire a personal trainer. They introduced me to strength training and I quickly saw a physical and mental transformation. There were times when I lacked motivation and found it hard to stick to my new diet, but it helped that I let myself exercise at home when I didn’t feel like going to the gym and that I ate a lot of protein to keep me fuller longer.
I have loved watching myself go from lifting nothing in my entire life (except bags and suitcases) to being able to do push-ups and barbell squats with relative ease and eventually pull-ups and deadlifts that are one and a half times my body weight. I have also become much stronger and more resilient in dealing with life’s challenges, juggling home life, life as a joint family, aging parents and the grief after the sudden death of my father-in-law.
In the meantime, I also improved my diet and managed my portions better, swapping my sugary breakfasts of toast and jam, croissants or cereal for protein-rich eggs and vegetables or Greek yoghurt and fruit. Protein keeps me fuller for much longer and helps to balance my blood sugar much better, which is great for my mood, productivity and energy, while also reducing my risk of type 2 diabetes.
A healthy diet is all about balance and takes inspiration from the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in olive oil, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains. The modern South Asian diet, on the other hand, is rich in carbohydrates, sugar and fried foods.
Food is such an important part of my culture and I still enjoy traditional Gujarati curries, which contain good-for-you spices like turmeric, but I replace the white rice and Indian breads with complex carbohydrates like quinoa, sweet potatoes, greens, salad, beans and lentils. I make my plates as colourful and diverse as possible (with a focus on eating the rainbow) and opt for homemade dishes over ultra-processed ready-made dishes.
For snacks, I’ve swapped out Bombay mix (which is terrible for weight and cholesterol control) for homemade protein balls, nuts, seeds, and edamame. I’ve also stopped my late-night snacking habit of cheese and crackers before bed, which gives my gut time to rest. I’m intermittent fasting, where I leave a gap of at least 12 to sometimes 16 hours between my last meal of the day and my first meal the next day.
My approach to my diet has always been about nourishing my body, rather than depriving myself. I still enjoy pizza and pasta when I go to a nice Italian restaurant, but less often than before. I love my food and I’m still a big foodie.
I’ve pretty much avoided alcohol for the past seven years, since I started perimenopause, and instead sip kombucha (a fermented tea drink) from a champagne flute rather than a glass of wine – although I still have the occasional glass of bubbly at a party. Not drinking is better for my health, but it also means I binge less because I’m not reaching for a meal at 2am after a night out with friends, which also really helps with my sleep.
I have no idea how much weight I have lost. I would guess it was around 10 kg (22 lbs) based on pictures and my old clothes. I have dropped three dress sizes, from a 12 to a 14 to my current size 6 to 8. The most significant change is the change in my body composition. My body fat has decreased and my muscle mass has increased, giving me more definition.
During the first few years of improving my health, I became fascinated with how the weight came off and all the benefits of building muscle. It helped with my weight loss, but also with my mental health and overall health.
At 40 I decided to take courses to become a fitness instructor and then a personal trainer. I only told my immediate family that I was studying and taking these exams, because I was really only doing it for my own knowledge and never intended to make a career out of it.
But I developed a passion to spread my knowledge and awareness to as many people as possible, so that they too could improve their health. I also realized how effective short bouts of exercise are, even just a few minutes spread throughout the day, what I call ‘exercise snacking’.
I started training others and built a following through my Instagram page and YouTube channel @feelgoodwithlavina, where I offer free fitness classes. Earlier this year, I published my first book, The Feel Good Fix: Boost Your Energy, Improve Your Sleep, and Move More During Menopause and Beyondwas published by Penguin. It is about lifestyle, mind and sports, snacking and became a bestseller.
I hope to break down the barriers to exercise – cost, time and motivation – and offer a flexible approach that will help people. It’s about feeling good physically and mentally and knowing that we can reduce so much risk of chronic disease.
When I move now, it’s not about how I look (sometimes I have a six pack and sometimes a round belly). I think about my long-term health and my goal to stay independent for as long as possible.
In addition to my fitness journey, my husband, Menal, 52, has also transformed his body through diet and exercise. That company is amazing and means my children see exercise as a normal part of life, something I never had growing up.
Even my mother-in-law, Nisha, 76, is involved. She’s my fitness buddy in my online fitness classes. It’s so important to keep moving as you age, because it builds muscle mass; protects against osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, dementia and type 2 diabetes; and is good for your brain, bones, heart and mental health. It’s great to see how people around me benefit from exercise.
I started working out late in life and I am proof that it is never too late to start. Rethink your workout and lifestyle and think about how it makes you feel, not how it makes you look. Focus on the weight you lift, not the number on the scale, and exercise for “sanity, not vanity.”
