Kriti Kharbanda of Veerey Ki Wedding reveals her exercise and diet secrets
Actor Kriti Kharbanda, the leading lady in Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana and Veerey ki Wedding, on how she sticks to her fitness plans with yoga, her diet secrets, her craving for tiramisus and much more.
Kriti Kharbanda looked like a million bucks as the leading lady in Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana (2017) and Veerey ki Wedding. Which brings us to the question: How exactly does she pull it off? We wouldn’t need any persuasion to place our bets on endless hours at the gym and no dessert. But, turns out Kriti doesn’t deny herself some tiramisu (her favourite) once in a while on her cheat days, and loves running and yoga. Here’s how the film star sticks to her weight loss and fitness goals even with a busy schedule of shooting, celebrity appearances and what not.
What’s your fitness regime currently like?
Currently, I am practising yoga. I think it’s one of the best things that have happened to me. It keeps me really calm and challenged. I don’t do the exact same thing every day. I like being surprised so I think yoga really works for me. Recently, I did a head-stand for the first time in my life and it was great!
What kind of music do you listen to while working out?
When I am running, I like listening to typical Punjabi music. It is just who I am. It comes to me very naturally. When I am practicing yoga, I try to avoid music. But if I really have to listen to something, I listen to the Om chant.
How do you manage to include exercise in your schedule when you are on sets for long hours, or travelling?
I think with long hours and long schedules, more than the workout, it’s the discipline that matters. You have to make sure that you are eating right and put in your basics of twenty minutes of working out. I think the advantage I have with yoga is that it is something I can do on my own and can’t make excuses that I don’t have a place or the time. One can practice yoga anywhere, anytime. You don’t have to worry about what you’re wearing. For all of these reasons, yoga works for me. It has been hard only because the food is the devil in my life. I find it really hard to stay away from food.
Do you enjoy working out or is it something that you have to do being part of the glamour world?
I actually didn’t like working out. There was a time when I hated it and I just did it because I didn’t have a choice and my job needed me to do so. But when you see results, you enjoy what you are doing. I realised that if I don’t have a healthy lifestyle, forget my career, I will not have a good life. I want to be as healthy as I possibly can be. I just want to make sure that I do everything to take care of myself. Like they say charity begins at home, love begins at home too. So I want to do the best for me. I want to pamper myself and do the best for my body.
Do you follow a strict diet?
I just make sure that I eat enough to keep me happy. I think that’s super important. Sometimes, when we go on a diet, we forget that the mind needs to be happy too. I avoid carbs as much as possible and avoid eating oily stuff. I don’t mind ghee and butter though.
Any vices or weaknesses you’re trying to get rid of?
I have a major sweet-tooth. I don’t eat chocolates at all because they give me a tummy ache but I love deserts of any kind, be it Indian or continental. Tiramisu is my most favourite. But it’s not a vice I want to get rid of. It’s something I want to try and control a little bit. So usually what happens is, after I workout, I get really excited and I feel like I deserve a treat. I feel like a dog sometimes because when I do something right, I think I earn a treat. I do that to myself and that’s a habit I want to get rid of.
Have you ever tried any crash diets?
Yes, I have. Crash diets are not the best way. Your body is accustomed to a certain lifestyle. It is absolutely wrong to put your body through something that is so alien to it. I have also tried the ketogenic diet. It worked really well for me. I saw some great results in three months. But I realised that I was stressing my body out.
Going ahead, what are your fitness goals like?
Fitness for me is not about having the perfect body. It’s about having a healthy body. I don’t like the concept of women having washboard abs. I like a little bit of fat around me. It makes me feel girly and I think I am going to stick to that. I feel really nice about myself that way. Of course, I want to be toned and the next two months are going to be dedicated to toning my body.
What’s a common mistake people make while trying to get fit or lose weight?
I think the most common mistake we make is we hear stuff and we fall for it. We don’t realise that everybody functions differently and not everything works for everybody. Thanks to hearsay you tend to take up diets that don’t really work for your body. I think it’s important to get in touch with a nutritionist and run all your tests. Make sure that your body can take what you’re going to put it through.
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