Actor and politician Khushbu Sundar has opened up about her four-year weight-loss journey, revealing that portion control, walking, yoga and consistency played a bigger role than completely eliminating her favourite foods.
Khushbu Sundar has shared details of a major lifestyle transformation that saw her lose nearly 38 kg over about four years. What makes her account particularly notable is that she says she did not completely remove foods and drinks she enjoys, including mutton biryani, Indian sweets, ice cream and her daily cup of chai.
According to Sundar, she was once close to 98 kg when she realised that she needed to take her health more seriously. Rather than turning to an extremely restrictive diet, she gradually changed the way she ate and approached physical activity.
Seeing Herself on Screen Became a Turning Point
Sundar recalled that watching herself in a film alongside Rajinikanth made her realise how much her weight had changed. She said she found it difficult to recognise herself on screen, while knee pain when climbing stairs added another reason to reassess her lifestyle.
Her family also became part of the motivation.
Her husband was already following activities such as walking and yoga, while her children had also started working towards healthier lifestyles. Seeing those changes encouraged Sundar to begin making changes of her own.
Khushbu Sundar Says Portion Control Was Key
Instead of completely banning foods she loved, Sundar focused on how much she ate.
Mutton biryani remained part of her diet. Rather than having a large serving, she said she limited herself to approximately one bowl with a single piece of mutton.
The same principle applied to desserts. Sundar did not consider ice cream or Indian sweets completely off-limits. Instead, she emphasised moderation and learning when to stop eating.
Even her regular chai remained part of her routine, including milk and sugar.
Her approach illustrates a familiar principle in weight management: dietary changes do not necessarily have to mean eliminating every favourite food. Portion size and overall dietary patterns can be important factors, although individual results vary.
No Love for the Gym
Sundar also made it clear that traditional gym workouts were not central to her transformation.
She preferred activities such as walking and yoga, along with other forms of movement. As she became more consistent, she said she began noticing changes not only in her weight but also in her overall fitness, skin and hair.
The focus, therefore, was less on a dramatic short-term programme and more on maintaining habits over an extended period.
Maintaining the Weight Became the Bigger Challenge
For Sundar, losing the weight was only one part of the journey.
She said maintaining the loss could be harder because it requires continuing the lifestyle changes that produced the transformation in the first place. Over time, she learned to distinguish between what her body needed and what she simply wanted to eat because of a craving.
That shift in mindset became an important part of sustaining her progress.
Her experience can be summed up by four themes: smaller portions, regular movement, moderation and consistency.
A Personal Journey, Not a One-Size-Fits-All Diet
Sundar’s story does not amount to a prescribed diet for everyone. Weight management can be affected by factors including age, health conditions, medications, sleep, activity levels and individual dietary needs.
Her account instead highlights the changes she personally found sustainable: enjoying favourite foods in controlled quantities, staying physically active without relying on a gym and maintaining those habits over several years.
After losing nearly 38 kg, Sundar says the focus has shifted from simply losing weight to maintaining the transformation as a long-term lifestyle.
For her, the lesson has been less about completely giving up biryani, sweets or chai and more about learning moderation and consistency.
