Woman reveals how she lost 10 kg without being miserable and following diet culture: ‘No rules, no strict routines’

Fitness influencer Shivani Karnica lost 10 kg by following the 80-20 rule, balancing healthy habits with enjoyable foods. She emphasized movement should be fun.
Fitness and beauty influencer Shivani Karnica, who lost 10 kg during her weight loss journey, often shares health tips with her followers to motivate them to build a healthy lifestyle. In a recent two-part video, she talked about how she got fit and lost all the weight while still enjoying carb-rich food, items like burgers, fries, churros, dumplings, and more.
Also Read | Mom of 5 who lost 31 kg in 9 months despite PCOS reveals her top 3 weight loss tips: ‘Move after meals’
The 80-20 rule
In the videos, Shivani talked about how diet culture makes us believe that weight loss should be ‘strict, no fun, and miserable’, and every time she followed the diet fads, she ‘crashed, burned and failed’. So, she decided to follow the 80-20 rule during her weight loss journey, where 80 per cent of her lifestyle was about healthy habits, and 20 was about freedom.
“Did that 20 per cent slow me down? Of course. Would I have lost weight faster without it? Probably. But life would have been boring. I have noticed that when life feels like punishment, we quit, then start again, quit, rinse and repeat. Zero consistency and zero progress,” she added. Per the influencer, the 80-20 rule made the weight loss process more realistic, and by the time she could realise, 10 kg was gone, without her waiting or snoozing her life to enjoy.
How to lose 10 kg
In another clip, Shivani revealed she lost 10 kg without living in the gym and making work out the villain. “Nobody wakes up in the morning and starts liking workout; that's a fairy tale. I even hired a personal trainer because I thought throwing money at it would fix things. It didn't,” she explained. When nothing worked, she did two things - gaslighting herself into liking working out and following the ‘no rules, no strict routines, just move’ rule.
She switched between different workout and movement plans like dance workouts, walking in the mall for hours, swimming, rock climbing, Sunday run clubs, and more. Additionally, she only went to the gym on the weekends and switched things up there. She kept rotating between different types of workouts to never get bored. “Movement wasn't a punishment anymore. I craved it…The only logic you need is to switch things up and make it fun. And by the time you realise it, you will be in your fitness era,” she added.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
ABOUT THE AUTHORKrishna Pallavi PriyaKrishna Priya Pallavi is a journalist with over 9 years of experience, covering health, fashion, pop culture, travel, wellness, entertainment, festivals, mental health, art, decor, fitness, and sex and relationships. She is an alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Dhenkanal, and holds an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi. Her strong academic foundation informs her analytical and detail-oriented approach to storytelling, helping her uncover stories where none seem to exist. Before joining Hindustan Times, Pallavi worked with some of India’s leading media organisations. She spent close to three years at India Today, where she honed her newsroom skills and developed a sharp editorial sensibility. She also worked for over a year and a half at Vagabomb, ScoopWhoop’s feminist digital platform, where she explored stories through a gender-sensitive, socially aware lens. Pallavi has a deep interest in global fashion trends and international fashion seasons, and enjoys interviewing celebrities and tracking pop culture movements—interests that frequently translate into engaging, reader-friendly stories. Alongside lifestyle and entertainment, she has a keen eye for impactful health and wellness journalism, regularly interacting with doctors, designers, and digital content creators to bring nuance and credibility to her work. Born and raised in Haryana, Pallavi remains deeply connected to her ancestral roots in Odisha. Her ability to spot fresh angles brings curiosity and depth to stories she pursues. When not chasing deadlines, she enjoys spending time with her dog, planning her next vacation, reading, running new trails, and discovering new destinations.Read More
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