At age 28, living in Mumbai, Jenny D'Souza reached a point where she could no longer ignore her health and well-being. By 2024, she had reached a weight of 108 kg and was physically and mentally exhausted.
Simple tasks had become burdensome, and being well above her BMI was beginning to affect her overall health. Amid the physical exertion, she was also going through an emotionally challenging period filled with anxiety, depression and self-doubt.
Choosing sustainable habits over quick fixes
Rather than resort to extreme diets or snap solutions, Dsouza started with minor changes that were easy to implement — beginning in the kitchen. She focused on what to feed her body, not starve it. Her message was simple and sustainable. She added intermittent fasting to her regimen, giving her body organized intervals of playing dead and reanimation.
“To recuperate energy, I relied on things made from scratch like banana smoothies whizzed with mint and dates — giving me natural sugars, fibre, vitamins,” she told LiveMint.
She also used age-old home remedies like jeera (cumin) and saunf (fennel) water to aid digestion and beat bloating. Her small but consistent habits were the bedrock of her transformation, helping her feel lighter and more in control of her body.
Boxing becomes her therapy
While food was an important part of the process, the real pivotal moment in D'Souza’s journey came from boxing.
D'Souza had been boxing for almost three years, but in the last year and a half, it changed into something much more profound.
“It was no longer merely a way of working out — it became my therapy and my discipline and my safe space,” she says.
The boxing ring gave her a way to release her emotions. With every punch, with every round, it enabled her to release all the stress, anxiety and frustration that had built up.
Besides physical strength, boxing also requires mental strength. It challenged her, conditioned her lungs, and slowly increased the reserves in her muscles. But more than anything, it gave her a sense of control and confidence that had been absent.
What made boxing particularly meaningful, though, was how it asked her to use her mind as much as her body. It took focus, quick reflexes and grit — traits that began to translate into other parts of her life.
“Gradually, I realized that I was not only growing physically stronger but was also becoming mentally tougher and more confident,” she says.
Visible changes within months
Months turned into weeks, and slowly but surely, my mindful eating habits and regimented training routine took effect, she says.
D'Souza began seeing visible changes within 6 to 8 months. The pounds started coming off, but even better, she felt a change in her very soul.
“With exercise, my energy improved, mood lifted, and sense of heaviness — both physically and emotionally speaking — began to wane,” she says.
Her progress wasn’t about perfection. There were tough days, doubts, and slow moments on the journey. But what kept her going was consistency, and that even small efforts over time added up.
Transformation beyond numbers
Today, she weighs 87 kg — a loss of 23 kg from her starting weight. But beyond the statistics, her journey is about regaining her strength, confidence and identity. What began as a harrowing time in her life has proven to be one of the most cathartic chapters.
Her story is a lesson in how to make change without going overboard. Make simple changes to food habits, commit to a movement that helps you, as well as finding an outlet like boxing in terms of physical activity and work on your mindset, literally rebuild both your body and life.
(The author, Nivedita, is a freelance writer. She writes on health and travel.)