How Dr. Nerkunam Sankar from Chennai Lost 8 kg, Improved Metabolic Health, and Built a Healthier Lifestyle.
I Dropped 8 kg in 6 Months With FFD!
- Name - Dr. Nerkunam Sankar
- Age - 46 Years Young
- Profession - Full-Time Musician (Kanjira Artist)
- Place - Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
I am a 46-year-old professional musician from Chennai. I travel extensively across India and abroad as a Kanjira artist, performing at concerts and musical events.
Interestingly, I never joined Freedom From Diabetes because I had diabetes.
I joined purely to support my sister. Little did I know that the journey would completely transform my own health, fitness, and lifestyle.
Key Takeaways
- HbA1c improved from 5.7 to 5.5
- Weight reduced from 59 kg to 51 kg in 6 months
- Normalized fasting insulin
- Urine Albumin-Creatinine Ratio improved from 224.18 to 3.72
- Built a consistent strength training routine
- Shifted from dieting to a sustainable lifestyle
My Story
I was never diagnosed with diabetes. Back in 2016, one of my routine tests showed that my HbA1c was around 5.8, placing me in the prediabetic range.
Since my mother had diabetes and my sister was diagnosed with diabetes, I knew there was a strong family history.
At that time, both my sister and I started following a ketogenic diet.
I continued it for almost nine years.
Initially, it worked well for me. My HbA1c stayed around 5.1–5.2, and I lost nearly 20 kg.
However, over time, the diet became difficult to sustain, especially because my profession involves frequent international travel.
More importantly, it wasn't giving my sister the results she needed.
More importantly, it wasn't giving my sister the results she needed.
That is when we started looking for a better long-term solution.
How Was FFD Introduced and What Made Me Choose It?
One of my friends recommended Freedom From Diabetes. My sister decided to join the program, and I enrolled as her support partner so we could follow the journey together.
I wasn't looking for treatment. I simply wanted to help her stay motivated.
But as I started following the FFD protocols myself, I realized that the program offered something much more sustainable than restrictive dieting.
It focused on building lifelong habits rather than temporary solutions.
Dr. Nerkunam Sankar
My Transformation
When I joined FFD, my health parameters were already fairly good, but there was still room for improvement.
One of the biggest changes was my lifestyle. Before joining, I hardly exercised. Today, regular exercise has become a non-negotiable part of my routine.
I also lost around 8 kg after joining the program.
In fact, I lost weight so quickly during the first three months that my dietitian advised me not to participate in the Fast for Freedom challenge because my BMI had already reached a healthy range.
In fact, I lost weight so quickly during the first three months that my dietitian advised me not to participate in the Fast for Freedom challenge because my BMI had already reached a healthy range.
Apart from maintaining my HbA1c around 5.5, several other health markers improved.
My fasting insulin normalized, and one of the most remarkable improvements was my Urine Albumin-Creatinine Ratio, which reduced from 224.18 to just 3.72.
Even though I didn't have diabetes, these improvements confirmed that my metabolic health had become significantly better.
Athletic Identity
One of the biggest transformations FFD brought into my life was making exercise a daily habit.
Today, my weekly routine includes:
- Five days of structured muscle gain workouts
- Upper-body and lower-body strength training
- Stretching sessions
- One long 5 km walk every week
- Yoga practices recommended by FFD
- During the initial phase, I also regularly practiced Surya Namaskars and comfortably completed 24 in one session.
- Exercise has now become an integral part of my lifestyle rather than an occasional activity.
Current Lifestyle & Reflection
As a travelling musician, maintaining healthy habits is often challenging. Yet, FFD helped me build a routine that is practical, flexible, and sustainable regardless of where I am.
Instead of depending on restrictive diets, I now focus on balanced nutrition, strength training, and consistency.
The biggest lesson I learned is that good health isn't only about treating disease.
The biggest lesson I learned is that good health isn't only about treating disease.
It's about preventing it before it begins.
Joining FFD as a support person ended up becoming one of the best health decisions I ever made for myself.
