Monica Lal has managed to carve an identity of her own by going through a massive physical transformation. Soon, she tried her hand at the fitness regime Muay Thai, Today, she runs Combat Fitness Cult which imparts training in Muay Thai and is gaining momentum in Kerala. “At a certain point in life, being overweight started affecting my confidence. I wanted to know how differently I would feel being on the leaner side. That got me motivated to start working out.”
She adds, “When an opportunity presented itself to be a part of an academy, it was too good a chance to be given a miss. Mixed martial art is an amazing regime for losing weight and also to de-stress.”
“I was 85 kg when I started, following which I lost 22 kg. I got married at the age of 25 and became pregnant the next year. Post that, I gained a lot of weight, I went on to have 90 kg during that phase. And then, after pregnancy and losing 26 kg, I struck 64 kg.”
She looks at the younger Monica Lal and says, “Talk to your future self and start working out sooner; not only for a leaner look but also to enjoy the process, for being fit, healthy and enjoying the art.”
The biggest learning experience she has had over the years, she says is patience.
She concludes, “It is one of the most gruelling workouts one will ever experience and will certainly develop one’s cardiovascular conditioning. The sheer amount of punches and kicks that you will execute on a daily basis while training in Muay Thai, is enough to get you in shape in a matter of a few weeks.”
