Celebrities have to go through a lot of struggles, not everyone knows about. They have to maintain their public image and always show that they are doing fine even if they are not. However, this has changed quite a bit now. They are more open to the media and their fans, be it about their weight loss, battle with depression, etc. that has had a positive impact on their image as well.

Before she was a star

Although Sara Ali Khan has embraced her role as a Bollywood actor with great poise, it was not always this easy for her. She opened up about her journey and problems with PCOS on a chat show hosted by Karan Johar. PCOS is a hormonal disorder in which people excessively gain weight, have irregular periods, grow excessive hair, male-pattern baldness and can even experience infertility in some instances.  It is a very predominant problem in the world today which makes talking about Sara Ali Khan’s journey even more important to several women around the world. Further, in the article, it is discussed how Sara Ali Khan lost more than 30 kg and became the confident, graceful woman she is today.

PCOS, an abbreviation for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome affects women of reproductive age. In the show she spoke so freely about this disorder, Karan Johar showed the viewers a few of her old pictures and videos. When asked about her weight, she said she slowly started to realize that she was gaining too much weight, too fast. She agreed to be a foodie and eating a lot, but also added that because of her condition, the hormone levels were very high in her body, which made it very difficult for her to lose weight. However, she made it very clear that her weight had nothing to do with her confidence at all. She was still very confident about herself, but again, understood that her weight needed to be kept under check soon and that she was unhealthy. As she said, this was one of the motivating factors that led her to lose 30 kg in the next few months.

What did she do to get fit and healthy?

Sara has been very open about wanting to be an actor from the very beginning. She said in several interviews that she aspired to become a famous star like her father and be a part of the Hindi Film Industry. But to fit the role of an actress in a mainstream Bollywood movie, she knew she had to lose a few pounds. In her second academic year of college in Columbia, she finally understood that this was her calling and she would do whatever to make this dream come true, and she started thinking about losing weight.

She started by changing what she ate every day. She said in an interview that the place she lived in, in Columbia had a pizza shop close by, and the first two years of college, she was a regular there. Right beside that was a vitamin shop which sold protein bars and salads that she did not notice. Hell-bent on losing weight she shifted from the pizzeria to the vitamin store, and that was the first step.

Sara Ali Khan's Diet Chart

Breakfast – Idlis or Toast and Egg Whites
Lunch – Chapatis, vegetables, daal, fruits, and salad
Snacks – Upma which is a savoury vegetable semolina
Dinner – Dinner is light, with green veggies and chapatis
Pre-workout – Oats or muesli or with fruits
Post-Workout – Protein shake, tofu, legumes or salad 

If you are suffering from PCOS or know someone who is, you must know that it is difficult for them to lose weight. However, a balanced diet and proper exercise is a huge help in their journey to lose weight, and likewise, Sara Ali Khan too had to sweat it out at the gym. Mentioned below is her gym routine.

What is Sara Ali Khan’s Workout routine?

Sara Ali Khan is a regular gym-goer and trains under Kareena Kapoor Khan’s Pilates instructor, Namrata Purohit.  Pilates include body conditioning, strengthening and improves flexibility. Along with Namrata, She trains under Cindy Jourdain, who also teaches Mira and Shahid Kapoor. Cindy is a boot camp trainer, which is a mix of strength and aerobic training.  Such training moves help build strength and endurance. The combination of such a vast array of workout moves helps Sara not get bored and get the best of both worlds.

Is it necessary to lose weight if you want to look good?

Sara thinks losing weight and getting fit was not at all about getting accepted in the industry for her. When asked, she said that she knows the industry and people's mindset has come a long way and now everyone is a lot more accepting if you have talent anyway. However, she took it on as a personal challenge. She further added that she does not ever aspire to be ‘zero figure' like her stepmom was in any way, but she thinks it is imperative to have a healthy body since otherwise, it messes with your hormones, and mental, physical and emotional health. She just wanted to be healthy in herself, irrespective of how she looked.

She wanted to get rid of her PCOS symptoms, and one of the most effective ways to do that is by maintaining a healthy diet and improving your daily habits, which she did. She believes that looking good is just a by-product of taking care of yourself, which is something most of us often miss out on doing in today’s day and age.

In conclusion, you should take inspiration from Sara's lifestyle change. As said before, it is challenging for people with PCOS to lose weight, but Sara is living proof, if you have the will and determination to do something, you can achieve it no matter what. Along with that, her courage and grace in talking about such health complications so openly must encourage other women to take a stand in their lives and change something for the better. If you just start by eating well and exercising regularly, you are sure to see the change in no time.