At 60, she picked up weights for the first time after anxiety over pre-diabetes. Pune man shares mother’s 18-kg weight-loss journey

Weight loss is rarely an overnight transformation. It demands consistency, disciplined eating, regular exercise and the determination to stay on track even when results take time. For many people trying to lose weight, maintaining a rigorous diet and workout routine can become challenging, often leading them to give up midway. However, carrying excess weight for a prolonged period can increase the risk of several health problems. One such journey comes from Pune, where fitness enthusiast and rapper Harish Thakur shared how his 61-year-old mother lost 18 kg in a year through consistent gym workouts.

Grief, anxiety and weight gain took toll

According to a report by Humans of Bombay, Harish shared that while his mother, Kalavati Thakur, was always active, things changed in the COVID-19 period when she lost her brother. Overcome by grief and anxiety, she started emotional binge-eating, and her weight rose from 60 kgs to 79 kgs.

Despite living on the first floor, Kalavati could barely climb the stairs, which resulted in extreme knee pain. As per Harish, he used to watch his mother massage her knees every night so that she could get some sleep. After a medical test in 2025, it was revealed that Kalavati was diagnosed with pre-diabetic syndrome. With a lot of persuasion, she finally decided to join the gym.

Consistent workouts transformed her health

At 60, Kalavati had never lifted a weight, and her first 4 months in the gym were challenging. She couldn’t lift a 2 kg dumbbell, her blood pressure would spike, and her knees would throb. In fact, for the first 2 months, she would wear leg guards and massage her joints every night. Slowly, her habits changed. In a year, she lost 18 kg and was no longer pre-diabetic.

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A post shared by HotFix | Harish Thakur (@itshotfix)

Kalavati gave up junk food, started regulating her oil intake, and learned the basics of nutrition. At 61 now, she can easily lift weights, do push-ups, and cook healthy meals for herself. But what Harish is most proud of is that his mother never skips the gym, even for a day. She strength trains for an hour in the morning, walks in the afternoon and does yoga with her friends in the evening.