Man sheds 27kg in 6 mths by walking


Birds are meant to fly, human beings to walk and run. Though common sense as well as sport research highlight the benefits of walking, it is still a surprise to learn that 24-year-old Chris Thomas, an obese 120 kg at one point, shed a humongous 27 kg in six months by merely walking.

Having lost over 4 kg per month by not going on a crash diet or joining a fancy gym or doing extreme exercises, Thomas is so enthused by his accomplishment that he’s decided to walk from Bangalore to Chennai (350 km) over a period of seven days starting New Year’s day. Eminent cardiologist, Dr Devi Shetty will flag off the walkathon. As a trial to the Chennai walk, Chris will walk from Bangalore to Mysore (140 km) over three days starting on Tuesday.

Chris, who runs his own software company, has a simple routine. He walks for two hours each in the morning and evening, daily. He also practices yoga and aerobics on some days. He doesn’t have any particular diet and eats both non-vegetarian and vegetarian food. I like experimenting with food. I don’t diet. The only thing I do is to walk.”

Though concerned about his obesity, Chris never consulted any doctor about it. He just decided to walk. “ I am 24 but I used to look 45. I did not like it. I started my career very early and I realized that obesity is a combination of problems which includes lack of physical activity and bad diet,” he says.

Chris does 20 to 25 rounds of the Whitefield Inner Circle which is 500 metres, everyday. He has walked up
to Mysore earlier. His friends gather at a cafe in Maddur, while Chris walks till Maddur and gets picked up by his friends. Accompanying him on his walks are his music player and a lot of water.

His decision to walk to Chennai is “not a New Year resolution for myself but I want it to be a resolution for everyone. Walking is the most simple and effortless exercise,” Chris says.

To help others with similar issues, he has started a web portal, which will work like any other social networking site and provide information on physiological and psychological well-being. “I have four doctors and one dietician who will give their suggestions on fitness on my site. I want people to know about little things like the ideal time to wake up is 5.30 am because our body is not used to the artificial light,” he says.