From Wheelchair to Strength & Self-Reliance Shivani’s Inspiring FFO Journey

Losing Inches, Gaining Freedom: My Journey to Functional Fitness with FFD
- Name - Mrs. Shivani Gupta
- Age - 55 Years Young
- Profession - Disability Inclusion Consultant, Author
- Place - New Delhi
I’m Shivani Gupta, a disability inclusion consultant, author, and global accessibility advocate based in New Delhi. I’ve spent over three decades shaping inclusion policies across the world but for the longest time, I hadn’t extended that same care to my own health. Through Freedom From Obesity (FFO), I finally began to prioritise myself and that changed everything.
Key Takeaways
- Visible inch loss and improved clothing fit
- Regained partial independence in key daily functions
- Adopted a vegan, oil-free, plant-based lifestyle
- Began accessible strength training with physiotherapy support
- Now feels lighter, more confident, and in control
My Story
My story begins over 30 years ago, when a car accident left me with a spinal cord injury. I didn’t let that define me. Instead, I turned it into a mission.
I became a voice for change in India’s accessibility movement and eventually, a global consultant and published author.
I became a voice for change in India’s accessibility movement and eventually, a global consultant and published author.
But while I worked tirelessly for others, I neglected my own physical health. Over the years, weight gain began impacting my independence.
Simple things like transferring from wheelchair to bed, dressing, or even flying became tougher not just for me, but for my caregivers too. Frequent international travel only added to the challenge.How was FFD introduced and what made me choose it?
A friend who reversed diabetes through FFD introduced me to the program. I wasn’t diabetic, but I saw hope in their Freedom from Obesity (FFO) track.
My goal wasn’t to chase numbers, it was to become lighter, more mobile, and more independent in my day-to-day life.
Simple things like transferring from wheelchair to bed, dressing, or even flying became tougher not just for me, but for my caregivers too. Frequent international travel only added to the challenge.
How was FFD introduced and what made me choose it?
A friend who reversed diabetes through FFD introduced me to the program. I wasn’t diabetic, but I saw hope in their Freedom from Obesity (FFO) track. My goal wasn’t to chase numbers, it was to become lighter, more mobile, and more independent in my day-to-day life.
Reversal Story
As someone who can’t access a traditional weighing scale, I started tracking my progress through inch loss and how my clothes fit. The change was obvious.I followed the 1:1:1 plate rule, went plant-based, and gave up sweets, oily food, dairy, and non-vegan items. I even made small lifestyle changes like switching to black tea and coffee.
Though I travelled abroad seven times during the year making consistency toughI always came back to the core FFD routine.
Though I travelled abroad seven times during the year making consistency toughI always came back to the core FFD routine.
Exercise & Functional Gains
Exercise was a real hurdle, traditional fitness wasn’t an option for me. But my FFD exercise expert’s encouragement helped me start.
I joined an accessible rehab centre and completed 14–15 sessions using adaptive equipment.
I joined an accessible rehab centre and completed 14–15 sessions using adaptive equipment.
More importantly, my therapist and I are now working toward a life-changing goal: helping me transfer independently from bed to wheelchair, turn by myself, dress on my own things that others might take for granted, but for me, would mean the return of functional freedom.