I Weighed 212 Pounds After My U.S. Trip—Here’s How I Lost 35 Pounds

Obesity is a tough talk of the town — people are more health-conscious than ever. Here, I want to share my journey of weight loss.

In the spring of 2023, I stood before a panel for my 5th Dan Black Belt examination, a milestone in my Taekwondo journey. As a seasoned martial artist, I expected scrutiny of my technique, not my appearance. Yet, a senior master’s words struck harder than any sparring kick. Pointing at my protruding belly, he mocked, “You’re earning a 5th Dan, but you look nine months pregnant. What message are you sending to society?” The room’s laughter burned, but his words sparked a life-altering resolve.

At the time, I was immersed in my PhD thesis, prioritizing academic rigor over physical fitness. My weight had crept to 198 pounds, a far cry from the 139-150 pounds featherweight category I once dominated in regional and national championships under World Taekwondo standards. Standing 5 feet 11 inches (180 cm), my Body Mass Index (BMI) dictated a healthy range of 139-179 pounds. I was well over the limit, and the mirror confirmed it: a big belly and waning stamina. That humiliating moment became my turning point.

Determined to reclaim my fitness, I dove into research, combing through YouTube tutorials, scientific journals, and fitness blogs. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) emerged as a potent solution. The concept wasn’t new; its exercises echoed the warm-ups I’d done in Taekwondo for decades: 45 seconds of intense effort followed by 15 seconds of rest. In my competitive years, I’d endured 9-minute sparring rounds with 3-minute breaks, so HIIT’s demands felt familiar. What was new was the precision of timing and consistency.

For three months, I committed to HIIT, blending it with cycling on weekends and government holidays. I also mastered calorie counting, learning that a 500-1,000 daily calorie deficit could yield 1.1-2.2 pounds of weekly fat loss. Cutting out a 500-calorie dessert proved far easier than running for an hour to burn the same amount. For a person weighing 154-181 pounds, one hour of HIIT burns approximately 700-900 calories; running at 6-8 miles per hour (mph) burns 600-950 calories; and brisk walking at 3.5 mph burns 250-350 calories, while consuming a cup of milk tea (100-200 calories), one samosa (200-300 calories), a vegetarian rice thali (700-1000 calories), a vegetarian chapati thali (600-900 calories), about six steamed veg momos (200-300 calories), or about six fried veg momos (900-1000 calories) can offset these exercise efforts depending on the activity and portion size.

My Apple Watch tracked calories burned, while a weighing scale monitored my progress each morning. As a vegetarian since 2000, I eliminated sugar, fried foods, and junk, leaning on nutrient-dense Nepali meals. My routine expanded to include morning standing HIIT and evening ground exercises like push-ups, crunches, Kegel exercises, planks, and yoga breathing. By the end, I’d shaved my weight to 172-176 pounds, feeling lighter, sharper, and stronger.

Even though I had been to the gym for six months, I did not lose weight as expected but got a toned body shape. The reason behind not losing weight could be a lack of good maintenance of a calorie deficit or doing too much of one type of exercise. Going to the gym is very good for maintaining muscles intact and stronger, especially for people over age 40 and 50.

In March 2024, I traveled to the United States for a month-long vacation, attending my niece Sanisha BC’s birthday, hosted by her parents, celebrated folk singer Nisha Sunar and dancer Shankar BC. I also presented a paper at the Commission on the Status of Women forum in New York, advocating for women’s empowerment through self-defense, a mission I’ve pursued since 1998, training thousands of girls across Nepal. My book, Empowering Women Through Self-Defense, is available on Amazon, and my articles on the issue are widely accessible online. In Oregon, I met Grandmaster Dewakar Dan Maharjan, a Nepali Taekwondo instructor with 30 years of experience teaching Americans. In Pennsylvania, I led self-defense workshops at Hingmang Taekwondo Academy for American and Nepali girls, earning a certificate of recognition.

The US trip was a culinary indulgence. I savored everything from fried snacks to homemade dishes, staying vegetarian but abandoning restraint. When I returned to Nepal, my weight had surged to 212 pounds, complete with a double chin and a bloated belly. The setback was disheartening, but I knew the path forward. I resumed HIIT for three months, this time streaming my 5-6:30 AM workouts live on Facebook to hold myself accountable and inspire others. The response was overwhelming; viewers’ encouragement fueled my drive, and my audience grew. By the end, I was back to 172-176 pounds, occasionally tipping to 181 pounds, my body visibly transformed.

HIIT became an obsession, but I pushed too far. Friends and family noticed my slimmer arms and thighs, urging me to gain weight, fearing I looked frail. I felt the opposite: vibrant, focused, and capable of cycling 80-120 km on weekends. Yet, I realized HIIT was depleting muscle, not just fat. Without supplements, relying solely on Nepali meals, I scaled back, switching to morning walks and light stretching to maintain balance.

In March 2025, I traveled to Denmark for my daughter-in-law Reebika Shakya’s graduation, reuniting with my son Razor Sunar, grandson Raiden Shakya Sunar, and sister-in-law Radha Bishwokarma’s family. I explored Norway, Sweden, and France, embracing their rich cuisines. Back in Nepal, I tipped the scales at 198 pounds. Exhausted by HIIT’s intensity, I sought a new approach. My research led me to fasting: intermittent (16 hours), 24-hour, 48-hour, and 72-hour fasts, and even week-long fasts with water, black coffee, and unsweetened tea.

I began with 24-hour fasts, progressing to three 48-hour fasts over weeks, and culminated in a 72-hour fast. Studies revealed that 24-hour fasts draw energy from blood sugar, 48-hour fasts burn stored fat, and 72-hour fasts trigger autophagy, boost stem cell production, and strengthen immunity. The 48-hour fasts dropped me to 187 pounds; the 72-hour fast brought me to 176-181 pounds. During the 72-hour fast, I sipped black coffee, green tea, and water, finding solace in the aroma of neighborhood cooking, a meditative experience. Colleagues at Water Sectoral Governance and Infrastructure Project under the Department of Water Supply and Sewerage Management teased, “Why work if you don’t eat?” Their jests only deepened my resolve.

After 72 hours of fasting, I was in a blissful mode because I stood by my commitment, felt light, and was more focused. The 72-hour fasting also helps to maintain my body’s muscles. Research says that fasting for 72 hours deeply enhances autophagy, stem cell production, and immunity; 48 hours boosts autophagy, gut health, and reduces inflammation; while 24 hours promotes cellular cleanup, insulin sensitivity, and fat burning, offering powerful health benefits. Autophagy is a cellular process where cells break down and recycle their own damaged or unnecessary components, like proteins and organelles, to maintain health, repair damage, and generate energy, especially during stress like fasting.

Fasting was transformative. After 72 hours, I felt euphoric, light, and focused; my muscles preserved unlike with HIIT. Through trial and error, I learned that weight loss is roughly 80% diet and 20% exercise. For someone needing 2,000 daily calories, cutting 500 calories by skipping high-calorie snacks is far easier than burning them through workouts. The 80-20 rule isn’t exact, but it underscores diet’s dominance in calorie management.

My journey, from a mocked martial artist to a leaner, resilient self, taught me discipline, adaptability, and the power of informed choices. Fasting preserved my strength, while HIIT and calorie awareness reshaped my body. I share this story not as a universal blueprint, but as a testament to what’s possible. If you’re grappling with weight, let my experience inspire you. Experiment, commit, and find your path; you have the strength to transform.

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