YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani opens up about drastic weight loss journey: ‘I saw my picture and started crying…’

Ashish Chanchlani made waves this year after unveiling a drastic weight-loss transformation to fans. The prominent YouTuber outlined his fitness journey in a recent podcast episode — from the 'extremely unhealthy diet and routine' he had initially led to the way actor Shah Rukh Khan inspired him to lose weight.

The influencer recalled dealing with a bad break-up and depression during his recent appearance on the Honestly Saying Podcast and the way he had ‘overeaten’ and ‘ruined’ himself during this time.

“Overeating…stress eating. I used to lie here in the room and look in the mirror, I used to feel so ugly. When you don't feel beautiful or nice…you also don't want to get dressed properly or feel like grooming yourself properly. And it was one day that I saw my picture…and started crying. My weight had reached 130 kg. That's why I didn't upload much. That's why I didn't show much to the public,” he shared.

Chanchlani recalled resorting to an exceedingly unhealthy diet — even consuming chips and alcohol as part of his breakfast. He also undertook a few blood tests at this point of time and realised that he was pre-diabetic and had very high cholesterol levels. He also recalled being fat-shamed extensively during this era — with ‘fat’ essentially becoming his identity with many people.

Matters eventually reached a breaking point with the influencer breaking down after catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His family had also been extremely concerned about his health during this period.

“I stopped everything from the next day….started going to the gym. I said the fight was now against myself,” he added.

The influencer however insisted that the key to healthy weight loss was not to forego all your favourite food items and desserts for years — a route followed by many celebrities. Instead, he explained, it’s all about having a healthy balance.

“The biggest problem is not food. It's not sugar. Its overeating.”