Woman goes from 125 to 97 kg, shares what helped her lose weight: ‘My goal is 75’

 

A middle-aged woman recently shared her journey of losing 28 kgs. “In January 2026, I was 125 kgs and today, I am at 97 kgs. I started the journey because I wanted to feel good. I was getting breathless. My body was slowly holding me back from the life I wanted to live. What made it sustainable was consistency and patience. Plain, old, boring stuff. I have cried over not being able to eat pizza, cheesecake, or vada pav. There is no magic shortcut. I am not done yet. My goal is 75 kgs,” said Meenal V Patil in a post on Instagram.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.

Her story is particularly relatable because she doesn’t present weight loss as something that happens overnight, as consultant dietitian and fitness expert Garima Goyal notes. “Losing 28 kg is a significant achievement, but it represents repeated efforts over time rather than one perfect diet or workout. As she highlights, consistency matters more than being perfect every single day,” said Goyal.

There will inevitably be days when someone cannot follow their routine exactly, occasions when the weighing scale does not move, and periods when motivation feels low. “This is where patience becomes essential. Weight loss is rarely linear. Body weight can fluctuate because of changes in hydration, food intake, hormonal factors and other normal physiological reasons. Looking only at daily changes on the scale can therefore become discouraging,” said Goyal.

 Consistency pays (Photo: Freepik)

For someone starting at a higher body weight, even gradual progress can make a meaningful difference to overall health and physical fitness.

However, the focus should not simply be on reaching the final number of 75 kg as quickly as possible. The journey toward that goal should ideally include sustainable habits she can maintain even after reaching her target, Goyal said.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

From a nutrition perspective, Goyal told indianexpress.com that significant weight loss is best approached with an individualised calorie deficit, adequate protein, fibre-rich foods, and a balanced diet, rather than extreme restrictions. “Regular physical activity and, where appropriate, resistance training can also help improve fitness and support the preservation of muscle during weight loss.”

Her journey also highlights an important mindset shift: you don’t need to wait until you reach your goal weight to celebrate progress. Going from 125 kg to 97 kg is already a substantial change. “Every stage of improved fitness, strength, mobility and healthier habits matters,” shared Goyal.

Story continues below this ad

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.

Sisterhood & political rivalry: In UP, another Patel sister set for electoral debut

 

New Delhi: For years, two Patel sisters, Anupriya and Pallavi, have been prominent names in Uttar Pradesh politics, especially among OBC leaders in the state. Although they belong to the same family, the two are political rivals.

Now, another Patel sister is gearing up to enter the electoral arena—Parul Patel, the eldest of the four daughters of Apna Dal founder Sonelal Patel.

According to sources close to the family, Parul and Pallavi are aligned with their mother, Krishna Patel, who leads Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) faction, while Union Minister of State Anupriya Patel and the youngest sister, Aman are on the other side, with Apna Dal (Sonelal) faction.

Krishna Patel is seeking a Samajwadi Party-led alliance ticket for Parul for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the sources said.

In 2022, mother Krishna and daughter Pallavi had contested as part of the SP alliance. While the former had lost her seat, the latter had defeated then Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya in Sirathu constituency, drawing considerable attention.

Now, Parul has been seen accompanying her mother and sister Pallavi at organisational programmes of Apna Dal (K).

And with Parul’s possible entry into electoral politics, there is speculation that Anupriya may consider her younger sister Aman’s political debut. However, nothing has been officially confirmed so far.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Why BJP leaders in Karnataka are dodging the spotlight

In contrast to political leaders grandstanding for plum posts, a section of BJP leaders in Karnataka is trying to steer clear of the limelight, ahead of a possible change in the state leadership.

The party’s central leadership is currently considering a potential replacement for B.Y. Vijayendra, who will complete three years as state BJP chief this month.

One BJP leader told ThePrint said he has been careful not to project himself as a likely candidate for the state president’s role, or air his views to the media on record.

“In our party, if you ask or if someone recommends you, the chances of it denting your prospects are higher,” the senior party leader and former state minister told ThePrint, requesting anonymity.

He added the party high command is aware of each leader’s contribution, and seeking out a post is more likely to be counterintuitive.

He further said that he has been careful not to approach the central leadership on the matter, and even laid down some ground rules for loyalists—“don’t propose my name”.

‘Tu Mil Jaaye’: First song from Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘King’ reminds netizens of ‘Pathaan’, ‘Jawan’

 

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan rang in his 61st birthday on Monday by treating fans to Tu Mil Jaaye, a romantic track from his upcoming action thriller King, featuring Deepika Padukone.

Tu Mil Jaaye features vocals by Arijit Singh, Madhubanti Bagchi, and Ed Sheeran (courtesy Interscope Records and Gingerbread Man Records). The lyrics have been penned by Kumaar and the music composed by Sachin-Jigar. The choreography has been handled by Piyush and Shazia.

The song, however, triggered mixed reactions online, with several viewers comparing its visuals and overall treatment to the actor’s earlier films Pathaan and Jawan.

Shah Rukh shared the song on social media at midnight, offering a glimpse into the romantic chemistry between him and Deepika, alongside action-packed sequences from the Siddharth Anand directorial.

Sharing the track, the actor wrote, “This era of love is bestowed upon the fortunate ones... Where roses bloom amidst the fragrance of gunpowder...Of Love and other Battles...This December, #LoveLikeAKing #TuMilJaaye song out now! #KING.”

The video opens with glimpses of Shah Rukh and Deepika’s romance, with the actor appearing deeply in love and listening intently to his partner. The romantic moments are interspersed with high-octane action sequences, showing Shah Rukh taking on his enemies through hand-to-hand combat and gunfights.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

The video ends with Shah Rukh delivering the dialogue, “Aur iss baar dil mein aag lagi hai, toh duniya jalaye bina maanega nahi”.

While some fans praised the actor’s chemistry with Deepika, others felt the song’s visual treatment was reminiscent of his previous action films.

“If someone told me this was from Pathaan 2, I would’ve believed them,” one X user commented. “Looks like a Khichdi of Pathaan and Jawan,” commented another user. “ A cheap copy of Pathaan,” quipped one more user.

Directed by Anand, King marks the sixth collaboration between Shah Rukh and Deepika. The film also features Abhishek Bachchan and Suhana Khan, along with Rani Mukerji, Raghav Juyal, Arshad Warsi and Jaideep Ahlawat in key roles.

Tributes paid to ‘inspiring’ Cambridge scientist who died in Spain train crash

 

An “inspiring” Cambridge scientist died in the Spanish train collision on Wednesday that killed at least 69 people.

Dr Marta Shahbazi, 41, an affiliate associate professor at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute and a group leader at the city’s Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB), was travelling on one of the trains involved in the crash near Urda in Toledo province.

The LMB said the mother of two had recently won the Spanish Society of Developmental Biology’s scientific excellence prize. She had been due to be presented with the award during its conference in El Rompido, Andalucía.

In a LinkedIn post, the LMB said it was deeply saddened by her death, which was “a profound shock and a huge loss”, adding: “Marta was an inspiring, talented and passionate scientist whose research shed light on the earliest steps in the development of human embryos and how errors occur that lead to failed pregnancies.”

It said she was a role model who had written eloquently about balancing her family and career, describing herself as a “mother scientist”.

Dr Roser Vento-Tormo, a group leader at the Wellcome Sanger Institute outside Cambridge, wrote: “Marta Shahbazi was a beautiful person: a close collaborator, a treasured friend, and an inspiration to me both as a scientist and as a mother.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

“As a scientist, we shared so many dreams. We co-supervised two students together, and I cannot describe how much joy it was to work alongside her.

“Some of our work will still be published in the coming months, and anyone who reads it will feel the passion she poured into everything she did …

“My thoughts are with her family. Anyone who knew Marta could see how deeply they were a unit, and how much they meant to her.”

The Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), based in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, paid tribute to Shahbazi as “a brilliant young researcher”.

The disaster was Spain’s second high-speed rail crash this year. Both collisions occurred on the line between the central city of Madrid, Spain’s capital, and Seville, in the Andalucía region in the south of the country.

Three days of national mourning were observed from Thursday. The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, described the incident as a “tragedy” and has promised an investigation.

Binance begins phased withdrawal resumption after $6.3 billion crypto heist, replaces 95% of stolen tokens

 

Binance, one of the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchanges, resumed Bitcoin, Ether and some stablecoin withdrawals on Sunday. The company said other withdrawals would follow in phases after it covered 95% of the $6.3 billion in tokens stolen from its platform. The FBI has linked the heist to North Korea, and analysts believe it could be the biggest financial robbery ever, adding to a string of recent cryptocurrency thefts.

Last year, attackers stole $2.9 billion worth of cryptocurrency across nearly 150 attacks, according to researchers at TRM Labs.

FBI ties the attack to North Korean units

The FBI said on Saturday that a North Korean state-sponsored unit known as TraderTraitor was responsible for the attack. Pyongyang has for years denied using state-linked cyber units for espionage, financial theft and revenue generation.

Law enforcement officials observed members of the unit converting the stolen assets into the cryptocurrency Ether, according to the FBI. It also said it expected further laundering of the assets using related technologies.

. . . . . . . . . . 

The bulk of the theft unfolded in around 20 minutes, beginning late on Thursday, and bore similarities to previous large-scale attacks attributed to North Korea, according to US blockchain analysis firms TRM Labs and Chainalysis. US President Donald Trump, however, said the United States was still unsure whether North Korea was involved.

More from Tech

Binance has been working with industry partners to freeze some of the affected assets, with about $3 billion located as of Friday. The exchange has repeatedly said it would bear the financial impact of the funds stolen in the hack. Reports suggest that it had set aside $6.34 billion in company funds internally to cover the losses.

The money used to buy replacement tokens came from Binance's $1 billion Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU), a Bitcoin reserve it maintains to protect customers in the event of security breaches, as well as some of its Futures Insurance Fund and corporate treasury, the company said on X.

Richard Teng, Binance's co-CEO, described the breach as a "complex attack" involving a compromised laptop and malicious software designed to delete evidence of its activity, making the incident harder to trace and investigate.

How the Binance hack happened

The hackers used increasingly sophisticated methods to steal and launder cryptocurrency, executing thousands of transactions within a short period, likely with the help of automation. Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis said the attackers employed previously unseen laundering techniques, making the process particularly complex and difficult to track.

Following the attack, crypto firms Tether and Circle froze more than $2 billion worth of their respective stablecoins seized by the hackers. Binance is now working to recover those funds. However, another $2.4 billion in crypto has reportedly moved beyond the reach of issuers, according to TRM Labs. Binance said it had set aside $6.34 billion to cover potential losses from the hack.