Today we have with us Mrs. India 2018 Afreen Khan. In India, almost every 3rd girl is having a childhood dream of becoming a model but soon as they grow older it changes to different directions due to the Indian society and hurdles faced by the women. Afreen saw a similar dream
But her story is of a woman who actually started to work on this aim when she was overweight, married, and even a mother.
She is Afreen Khan the self-made entrepreneur running an IT company and recently won the pageant contest Mrs. India Earth Face of South 2018.
Women Fitness team joins Afreen Khan in a candid conversation about her professional and personal life.
Namita Nayyar:
Afreen Khan being married and a mother. An entrepreneur by profession you went on to become a fitness influencer and finally land Mrs. India Earth Face of South 2018 title. How did it all happen?
Afreen Khan:
From being a shy art loving person who never played a sport all my life to becoming a Fitness and lifestyle influencer,I have come a long way. It all started when I realised I m not going to let my fears define me ,the day I decided If I have to reach my goals ,I have to prioritise myself first without feeling guilty about it .And I wanted to prove to everyone that women can have it all, its just how well they learn to Love themselves first and then multi task.
Namita Nayyar:
| At the fitness round in the competition, you were specially acknowledged for your physical strength when you surprised the judges in the fitness round by doing clap and single-arm pushups on the stage. You have also been featured by Decathlon Sports India as a sports enthusiast. What all motivated you towards fitness? |
Afreen Khan:
It was a memorable moment to get that kind of acknowledgment for my Physical strength but I have never been a sports person through my childhood early years. In fact, it all started just to lose weight. Yes its ironic and sad that I too started my journey as a result of body shaming, But if I had stuck to that notion I would have lost my way long back. Today I know better than to hate my way to health. Instead, I love myself more than I ever did. People ask me wats my motivation? honestly, it’s my way of loving myself and I don’t need anyone to motivate me for it.
Namita Nayyar:
Putting it in your words “I have lost 15 kg weight and I am learning calisthenics. I proved myself that you do not need to be a sportsperson to keep yourself fit; you can be a business owner, a working professional, and yet be as fit as an athlete.” How significant is fitness in a women’s life, be at any age, working, married, or at 50?
Afreen Khan:
| Fitness looks different on different people .its not about the appearance as much as it is about the impact. Fitness changes you internally and impacts you in more ways than you can imagine. It deserves to be made a priority in life and not just a means to end. So no matter your age or your profession or your relationship status, fitness shouldn’t be a means to attain a size or a number, but a simple objective to be healthy and active in your lives. |
Namita Nayyar:
Coming from a Punjabi background, what is your daily diet pattern? Are there any foods that you avoid? Share your present daily diet routine. 5 foods you enjoy in your breakfast?
Afreen Khan:
| Yes being a Punjabi I m a big foodie but I feel I have really evolved as far as my food choices are concerned. My Current diet includes lots of eggs, lean meat, and lots of veggies. My fave foods Range from grilled chicken to oats Chillas and Protein pancakes to a Caesar salad made at home. But I also love to munch on peanuts, foxnuts, and dried berries. |
Namita Nayyar:
You have been a Tedx speaker? Share your experience on the same.
Afreen Khan:
I think growing up we all have had dreams of being on the stage of TEDx. And I was honored to have my dream fulfilled. But life isn’t always a bed of Roses so yes my dream came at the toughest time of my life when I lost my dad just a week before my talk. And I knew I had to do this for him to remind myself that I m a fighter too just like him. So when everyone in the event applauded my talk it was like my Dad’s blessing for me.
Namita Nayyar:
Your everyday workout routine to stay fit? 5 favourite exercises you have followed essentially when trying to shed those extra pounds.
Afreen Khan:
I do a combination of cardio and strength training. I love doing compound movements like deadlifts but right now my focus is calisthenics. I am learning body weight training and that is the reason I am much stronger from inside than I was when I did only weight lifting. I feel that strength grows immensely when doing movements like push ups, frog stands and headstands which are not easy to perform as they need lot of stability and core strength.My favourite exercises would be Pushups ,bar dips ,hanging crunches ,Jump squats and headstands
Namita Nayyar:
You practice carb-cycling when you feel you have hit a plateau. 5 tips to overcome a weightloss plateau.
Afreen Khan:
Make small goals for yourself to hit the bigger ones. Don’t beat yourself over a number, be persistent in your efforts coz that discipline goes a long way. Enjoy the cheat meal on a certain day n a certain meal In a week, that ways you won’t indulge yourself in the rest of the days. Remember that your fitness should be measured against your own standard performance and growth, not with others. It’s ok to be inspired by someone, but provided you have real heroes.
Namita Nayyar:
As a mother and an achiever in the fitness world your tip and message for women who starve themselves to lose weight or live with #bodyshaming?
Afreen Khan:
In a world full of hate ,we have nourished the idea of hating our body the biggest reason to work on our fitness .
Most of us do that to the people we love, we mock them for their weight coz we feel we are doing that for their good in order to motivate them. Victims of body shaming often end up in their shells where all they do is desperate measures to stop that bullying. Some starve, some eat pills, Some do fad diets that make their body weaker from inside and some punish themselves for not being able to lose their weight. These unhealthy ways to lose or gain weight are exactly opposite to what fitness entails The solution to this is acceptable for your own body while working on making it better. One thing which has helped me immensely is not comparing my body to anyone else. I m as fit as I feel and work for.
Namita Nayyar:
After a long hard-working day, how do you target to relax? Share 3 Stress -busting tips.
Afreen Khan:
I do Heartfulness meditation that really calms me down and gives me a fresh perspective on everything in life. My idea of relaxing is probably to put on some good music and go for a walk coz that relaxes me and is my me-time. But my favorite way to relax is to play with my Lil princess who loves to make me run behind her.
Namita Nayyar:
You have a massive following of more than 100K followers on your Instagram account , what do you love the most about your social media platform and message for your fans? A few words about our website Women Fitness.
Afreen Khan:
| I m actually overwhelmed with the love I get on my social media platform and for that, I have my fans and followers to thank for, who have been with me throughout my journey And have become my online family now. It’s great how we can inspire so many of them to adopt a healthy lifestyle or just add a Lil smile to their faces. Women Fitness is a huge platform to ensure women tread the paths of fitness with as much ease as any other field. You are doing an amazing job making health and fitness a lifestyle Priority rather than just a fashion trend. |
Namita Nayyar:
Lastly, women take weight loss seriously before marriage and accept weight gain post marriage and motherhood. How would you like to convey that living a healthy lifestyle is essential at all times and why.
Afreen Khan:
My goal is to inspire as many people around me as possible about the importance of health and fitness, especially for mothers. We should set examples of being healthy and fit for our children all through their life and not restrict fitness to a particular age or profession or status. I hope someday every woman will include fitness as a part of her day to day life as a means of self-love, not for any other reason. Be healthy for your own self. Do it ’cause it’s your body and it deserves the best from you. Whether you are single or married or a mother, your health and well being should be your priority, not something that you need excuses for.
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This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President womenfitness.org and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
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