Wedding planner Niki Chawla, who never enjoyed any sports or physical activity, dropped more than 60 kg in three years. Here’s what helped in her weight-loss journey.
How many people expect the “biggest person in the class” to run marathons someday? Well, the story of Niki Chawla, a New Zealand-based wedding planner with roots in Punjab, will surprise you. She grew up staying away from sports and all things that screamed “physical activity.” But in 2021, she made up her mind to give up unhealthy habits and work on getting fit. Niki Chawla’s weight loss transformation is not just about eating right and working out. Her weight-loss journey also involves tears and pain. She weighed 123 kg in 2021 and is now just 58 kg. Read on if you want to know how the 27-year-old woman, who once hated walking, shed all the extra kilos.
Niki Chawla: ‘I’ve been overweight my whole life’
To understand the drastic weight loss transformation of Niki Chawla, you should know how it all started. “Prior to 2021, I’ve been overweight my whole life. I don’t think there is a specific reason as to why I was overweight growing up,” says Niki Chawla. She loved food, but she never knew how much to eat, or what a balanced meal looked like. “Portion control, and protein were never part of my vocabulary, and there is no one to blame for this. I didn’t know better, and growing up in an immigrant household, my parents were working extremely hard to build the life they have built for themselves and my family today,” says the wedding planner. So, the reason she kept gaining weight overtime was because of her eating habits and a lack of moment.
Niki Chawla: ‘Physical activities were never fun’
As a child, she probably wouldn’t have thought about losing so much weight as she never enjoyed any sports, or physical activities while growing up. “It was never fun, mostly because it wasn’t easy for me,” she says. She didn’t have the energy like most people. “I would get tired easily and in reality, being the biggest person in your class, you never really got included in most team sports. I would skip cross country, or our annual sports day,” she says. She would go to school late when their first period was physical education. “I even tried going to the gym by myself when I was 16, but again I never really enjoyed it,” she recalls.
Niki Chawla on starting her weight-loss journey
In 2021, she decided to turn her life around and begin her weight loss transformation journey, which over time became a journey of living a healthy lifestyle. “My inspiration was seeing my uncle and aunty (aged 60) in Queenstown, New Zealand, doing multiple hikes and walks. Seeing them being that active and fit at that age made me question myself. I was 23 at the time, and going on an easy 4 km walk got the best of me,” she recalls. She may be sharing her weight loss journey now but at the time, she was left with leg cramps that lasted for days.
When Niki Chawla fell in love with working out
Working out regularly is one of the major factors that played a role in Niki’s weight loss transformation. When she decided to start her weight-loss journey, she started exercising with a personal trainer in her home gym. “My trainer helped me become confident with working out, and I started enjoying working out and fell in love with moving my body,” says Niki Chawla, who did battle rope exercise, ran on the treadmill, did squats, and box jumps during her weight-loss journey.
Walking became Niki Chawla’s friend
When she started her weight loss transformation journey, she started walking heaps. “Prior to this, I hated walking. When I started walking, I remember crying. Even a 1-km walk would lead to pain in my legs,” recalls Chawla. With time, she increased her pace, and distance. “I eventually started walking 10-12 kms every second day. Over time, walking became less challenging so I got into running. I did my first 11 km event at the Auckland Marathon in 2022,” she says. As a challenge to herself, she decided to start training for half marathons in 2023. “In 2024, I started running distances (up to 32 kms), and worked a lot on my pace. After beating my half marathon time in 2024 from previous years by 20 minutes, I decided to participate in full marathons in 2025,” says Chawla.
Niki Chawla: ‘Nutrition plays a big role in weight loss’
Apart from finding ways to move her body, she started focusing on her diet while on her weight loss transformation journey. “I realised that nutrition plays a big role in weight loss, and just a general healthy lifestyle. I hit a hard reset on my eating habits, looked into what I eat and educated myself on my daily calorie intake, nutrients, protein, carbs and fats,” she says. Eating right became a part of her weight loss journey.
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She even took a break from eating homemade food prepared by her mother, and started cooking her meals herself. “I still cook my own food. I religiously prep my meals over the weekend, which helps me continue on maintaining my healthy lifestyle. My weekdays are typically long due to the nature of my work, so it’s a great way to make sure when I come home I’m not snacking on whatever is in sight, and just eat my dinner,” says Niki Chawla.
Niki Chawla’s weight loss transformation: 5 things that helped her
1. Go for a balanced diet
She changed the way she eats to maintain her healthy weight. That means she does not always eat foods high in unhealthy fats. “I now eat balanced meals that are portion controlled. I don’t eat till I’m full, I only eat till I am 80 percent full. Your diet is 80 percent of your progress,” says Niki Chawla. According to the World Health Organization, you should have at least 400 grams of fruits and vegetables per day. Legumes, nuts and whole grains should also be part of your meals. As you try these sustainable weight loss tips, remember to eat healthy.
2. Move your body
She finds different ways to move her body whenever she can. “I do cardio and weight training. I think it’s really important to move your body in ways you enjoy,” says Niki Chawla. During a 2012 study published in the Journal Of Applied Physiology, people who were in the cardio and weight training group saw a significant amount of reduction in total body mass and fat mass.
3. Give importance to good quality sleep
“I prioritise my sleep, so I sleep for 6 to 8 hours daily,” says Niki Chawla. A 2005 study published in the Sleep journal, showed significantly high rates of obesity in adults who slept less than seven hours per night. So, make sure your sleep quantity and quality are good.
4. Stay hydrated
Her weight loss transformation journey includes a very simple yet crucial thing—stay hydrated. “I drink 3 to 4 litres of water everyday,” says Niki Chawla. Drinking water can help in your weight-loss journey. During a 2019 analysis published in Nutrición Hospitalaria, researchers found a link between more water consumption and weight loss.
5. Stick to the routine
Everyone has a daily routine, and if maintaining healthy weight is your aim then follow it. While wrapping up sustainable weight loss tips, Niki Chawla says, “Stick to a routine. It might be boring but a constant routine is the only way you will see constant results.”
These sustainable weight loss tips have helped her transform herself. “The reason why I haven’t gained all my weight back is because my approach to my journey was for it to be sustainable and not for a temporary weight loss,” says Niki Chawla. She wanted to develop healthy habits that would benefit her through all her life. “These last 3-4 years have taught me so much. I’ve educated myself and over time found more ways to push myself, challenge myself and help me continue to build and maintain sustainable healthy habits,” concludes Niki Chawla.
