The ramp-scorcher’s formulation to eat a sweet a day without guilt is very doable and should be patented
Sports. That’s the secret of this well-known lanky Bengaluru model’s enviable physique.
At six-feet and 65 kg, Medappa’s wiry and taut frame has graced fashion ramps across the country. He’s been a top model for the last six years. But before that he played competitive tennis (till he was 18). “My best ranking was 58 in India in Under 16. I used to travel a lot for tournaments across the country,” 28-year-old Medappa recalls.
He’s still in touch with the sport as the Director of Fitness and Conditioning at Sol Sports, a tennis academy in the city where he trains a group of kids between the ages of 9 and 16. One of his students, Vishal Pagadala, is currently in the top five in the under 12 circuit in India. He attributes his high metabolism and a desire to eat healthy all the time to sports. And also, his magical ability to scarf down a sweet a day with no tell-tale signs on his lithe body.
Play time “Medappa plays four sports every week—tennis thrice a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday),football every Tuesday and Thursday at Decathlon, basketball on Saturdays and badminton with his dad at times. .”
The menu “Since I started modelling, I’ve been eating more of a high protein and low carb diet, because I’m required to be lean and muscular. So fish and chicken are a staple, along with fruits, veggies, dry fruits and of course Indian desserts. Being an ex-tennis player gave me the right foundation to eat well. I have never been on a diet but have been lucky to find the right food wherever I went as a tennis player or model, as we travel a lot.”
Breakfast: “I eat a heavy breakfast,” he says. Actually, he has two breakfasts — one at 5.50 am (“before I leave for tennis training”) and one at 8.30 am after training. “The first one is mostly dry fruits, glucose biscuits, milk and banana. The second one would be either muesli or ragi/oats along with egg whites.” He eats egg whites with every meal because, he says, he “does not take any protein supplement powders.”Idlis are also included in the breakfast (“twice a week”). At 11.30 am he eats a fruit along with a dessert — either an Indian sweet or chocolate. “And since I eat it in the morning, I know I can burn it off over the day,” he says.
Lunch: “It consists of white rice/brown rice with dal or curry. Sometimes I’ll have fish or chicken along with it, or paneer. At other times, wheat rotis with honey and butter give me the ideal light-yet-energetic lunch to keep me satiated for the next two hours. It is then followed by a dosa and banana before my workout (between 6.45-8.45 pm). Once in a while, an avocado milkshake is perfect at this time.”
Dinner: “Dinner is also divided into two. One is soon after my late evening workout session which consists of egg whites, wheat chapatis and dal or a curry. And two hours later when I get hungry it’s usually veggies and curd with puffed rice or chat like bhelpuri. Due to my high metabolism and body heat, tender coconut/cucumbers are a must every day, usually at noon.”
Guilty Pleasures “There is no guilt in any of the pleasures I indulge in. I have a sweet tooth, and always crave Indian deserts. Nothing to beat carrot halwa and pumpkin halwa. I also like walnut pie at Koshy’s.”
De-stress strategies “I do a lot of long distance bike riding on my Kawasaki Ninja 650 — around 500 km in a day when I feel like it. It is more of a mental de-stresser than physical. But even better than that is spending time with my two dogs Jazz and Blaze in Coorg.”
Skin Splurges “A sunscreen lotion all the time during the day is a must. A cold water face wash helps in keeping the skin fresh and clean. I also have a face/body pack from the Auroville Ashram in Pondicherry. It’s the best thing ever — I apply it thrice a week, especially a day before a show/shoot.”
Drink Menu “Plenty of water throughout the day. I love Gatorade during workouts. Some milkshakes like avocado, chikoo and muskmelon to re-energise.”
Fitness Routine “I try to avoid the gym as much as possible unless a fashion week or shoot is coming up where I need to focus on having some amount of muscle mass. Being a sportsperson, it’s all about conditioning and being fast, flexible and agile, which not 90 per cent of full time gym goers can do. I have two sessions TRX during the week as well — it’s a suspension training workout used by the American Navy Seals and is gruelling! A lot of running, sprints, uphill training, jump training and skipping are a part of my routine. I workout every three days. And rest one day in week. ”
Tricks of the Trade “Playing a sport is very important. One team sport and one individual sport is a must for all. Running and cycling are something I do regularly apart from the rest.”
Down time “I spend a lot of time with dogs — mine and others. I look after my friend’s pug very often. But time spent with dogs is never ‘down’ time, really!”
Pantry Pick “Granola bars by Nature Valley.”
Advice “Look after your body, love and appreciate your body, eat healthy and avoid cigarettes.”
source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Columns> You / by Vidya Iyengar, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / April 05th, 2015
