How Arati Venkat Reclaimed Her Body, Strength, and Confidence During Menopause with Freedom From Diabetes

I Dropped 10 Kg of Menopausal Weight Gain in 6 Months With FFD!

Name - Mrs. Arati Venkat
Age - 52 Years Young
Profession - Lawyer (currently a farmer)
Place - Bangalore, Karnataka.

I am Arati Venkat, a lawyer by profession and currently a farmer living close to nature. I joined Freedom From Diabetes not because of diabetes, but because menopause-related weight gain had completely shaken my confidence and physical comfort.

Key Takeaways

Severe menopause-related weight gain despite home food and activity
Weight reduced from 81.6 kg to 71.5 kg in 6 months
Belly and back fat reduced significantly
No food cravings or deprivation
Rediscovered athletic identity as a swimmer
Built strength, endurance, and confidence

My Health Story

I have always been an active person. Swimming, gym, walking, cycling & some form of movement was always part of my life.

I mostly ate home-cooked food, especially since I live away from the city.

Yet, during menopause, my weight started piling up rapidly. In less than a year, I gained nearly 7–8 kg without realizing it.

Clothes stopped fitting, aches and pains increased, knee discomfort began, and my body shape changed completely.

For my frame, this was the heaviest I had ever been.

What disturbed me the most was not a medical diagnosis, but how disconnected I felt from my own body.

How was FFD introduced and what made me choose it?

I first came across Dr. Malhar’s content on Instagram. His explanations about food made me question everything I thought I knew about “eating right.”

I was eating home food so why was I gaining weight? That question led me to consult him, and eventually I joined the program, primarily for obesity and menopause-related weight gain.

Mrs. Arati Venkat

My Reversal Story

I started the program at 81.6 kg. Even before officially joining, I began tracking my food intake and understood something shocking; portion sizes and calorie density mattered far more than I had ever realized.

One cup of cooked rice, desserts after meals, habitual eating none of it seemed excessive individually, but together, it explained everything.

The 25% food protocol worked beautifully for me. I love salads and sprouts, and for the first time, I wasn’t hungry or craving food.

Even rice is something I believed I could never live without naturally reduced. Today, I am satisfied with just a tablespoon, without feeling deprived.

Six months later, I am at 71.5 kg. I’ve lost over 10 kg, and while weight loss has slowed slightly, muscle gain and strength have increased significantly.

Athletic Identity

Swimming has always been my first love. I restarted slowly, initially managing just a few laps with breaks. Today, I can swim 3 km continuously at a steady pace.

I now train with a coach and swim over 10 km every week with structured workouts that include drills, endurance training, and recovery. At 52, I often race with swimmers in their 20s and enjoy every bit of it.

Recently, I was part of a mixed-age relay team with girls as young as 7 and 8 years old and we beat the boys’ team.

That moment reminded me that age is never a limitation.

Current Lifestyle & Reflection

My relationship with food has completely changed. There is no deprivation, only awareness.

I enjoy food, occasionally eat out, and even have desserts sometimes.

But I now understand triggers and know exactly how to course-correct.

Dinner has become lighter, fasting windows have increased naturally, and my body feels strong, flexible, and confident again.

Living close to nature, waking up early, practicing mindfulness, and respecting my body have become my way of life.

FFD didn’t impose rules, it rewired my thinking.