‘Gym means worrying!’

Manpriya Singh

It’s really tough for corporate anchors to experience fame. At least not enough to look familiar on the streets or in images. Well, Gitikka Ganju Dhar does. Just when you are out to pin her, may be to some serial or advertisement; comes the revelation. She is the lady you may have seen and heard onstage, anchoring a corporate event, a film festival, an award show, live events… A veteran in the field now, she docked her ship for a while courtesy marriage and daughter. But before getting back to her career, she had to get back into shape. A process she kept real and relatable. “A fit energetic body is the bouncing board for a million ideas to take shape,” she says, before sharing how she shed the post pregnancy weight. 

New moms, take your time 

Post pregnancy, it took me a while to loose the extra weight I had put on. I was mentally not geared up for it. I think it took me a good year to even begin to work towards weight loss. I had to consult a dietitian for the same who also pushed me to get back to exercise. It was an emotionally unruly time and it took all my will power to accomplish the required weight loss. For all new mothers out there,  give yourself a good amount of time in the first year and then focus on toning up.

And my day begins…

I start my day with a banana, the venerable elaichi variety and a glass of coconut water followed by a cup of English breakfast tea.

Simple rules of fitness 

My mantra is to indulge in some form of exercise everyday, drink lots of water, eat small portions multiple times a day and rest the pace of the race, for a bit around midday. The body needs to be a well-oiled machine and the secret to an active life is a happy and fit body. A body that spreads its arms, with a bounce in its step and sings all day! In the past, I have had to tackle many years of being prone to intense fatigue and body stiffness. 

Gyms? Let’s be honest! 

I am no more into gymming. My profession entails me to interact with people all the time. I look forward to my quiet time. Exercise is not body centric but also my switch-off time from the world. Also, I am a hopelessly sloppy dresser off-work, gym would mean worrying about what to wear and that is a huge turn-off for me.

Random fitness notes 

I am in front of the camera and on stage. Being fit and toned is important but I do not obsess with the size zero fad. As an anchor or actor, the way I look is just a part of my gear, not the end of it. As long as I feel good inside-out, I am happy! I am a huge believer in Ayurvedic way of life and agree with a lot of the principles Rujuta Diwekar stresses upon including sitting on the floor and eating in Sukhassan, without your phone or TV anywhere in sight!