As part of our relentless pursuit to identify and share with our community some of the unique and compelling stories from the ecosystem, this week we invited yet another passionate women entrepreneur Mamta Bist to understand more about her journey. She is an Entrepreneur, Leader, Mentor, Nutritionist, Fitness Food Consultant and coach, and Change Enabler. Let’s learn more about her background, her incredible journey so far and her advice for our community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Mamta:
Could you please talk us through your background and your journey?
I am a Fitness Food Chef and Trainer. My professional journey of 24 years as a Chef and Trainer has been amazing. From exploring new cuisines, cultures through my work in Inter-national Cuisine, to going back to our roots with Cuisines of India and Ayurveda’s Food Principles and then creating healthier and trendier product lines in Bakery and Confectionery, my work has given me opportunities to grow, not just as a chef but also as an individual.
I studied Hotel Management and after working for a few years in hotels as a Chef, I got the opportunity to impact more lives as a Chef Trainer (Faculty) in India’s leading school of Hotel Management – IHM PUSA, New Delhi.”
I love to be around my students, being a facilitator to their growth and at the same time, getting inspired from their energies to do more.
Professional recognition came early in the form of many awards at various competitions to the more prestigious Lady Chef of the Year in 2011. I was bestowed with the National Hospitality Education Best Teacher Award- 2012-13 by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
I represented India on International platforms also, at “Terra Madre and Slow Food” in Italy and as a Confectionery Expert in “World Skills International”, Leipzig, Germany.”
The most interesting part is that the quest of being more than a Chef gave me my true calling, to create food solutions for sustainable health, fitness and peak performance. By applying my learnings of 24 years in the professional food space and combining it with my understanding of nutrition as a certified Human Performance Nutritionist, I educate and empower middle-aged professionals to achieve “Health and Fitness through Nutritious Easy Cooking”.
How did you discover your passion?
As a Chef, right from my initial days in the industry, I always wanted to serve ‘Clean Food”. The term Clean Food was not popular in those days.
To me, Clean Food meant freshly cooked food, without added preservatives, with quality ingredients, without compromising on cleanliness and food which really nourishes.”
Most importantly, serve what you claim. Gluten-free is 100 % gluten-free, veg is pure veg, butter means butter not mixed with oil or using butter imitation flavour. It was not considered a very practical approach, very difficult to implement in the real food business world and all this even when I was a morbidly obese person.
It took me more than two decades, a phase of depression and going so low in my health that I had lost all hope and desire to live. When ‘Enough is enough’ is then you take charge and the same happened with me.”
I have lived the unhealthiest life, from skipping breakfast and lunch to having 17 cups of tea with milk and sugar. Eating erratically, mindlessly and at times just emotional eating. There would be times, at least once every year when I would decide to switch over to healthy food, crash diets and more. Quick fixes do not bring permanent results and I would gain more than I would lose. Gaining weight was not the only problem, bigger damage was losing confidence, losing hope and losing health.
After coming in the forties, I realized what I was looking for was there with me all the while, from gaining health and fitness to my dream of working for “Clean Food”. I started to apply the knowledge of food I had gained over two decades and combined it with Ayurvedic food principles and practices and it started showing results. I realized I needed to study modern nutrition science formally to completely understand food and its assimilation in the body. Today, food indeed has become my superpower to help people achieve Health and Fitness through Nutritious Clean Food and Easy Cooking.
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
The biggest challenge in our journeys is our own limiting beliefs. Knowing and not doing is the biggest curse. I had my own limiting beliefs like hypothyroidism, partially dislocated hip bone with constant knee pain, constant backache, two young kids to look after and growing age, being fit was not possible even in my dreams then.
The cost of health we realize only when we have lost it to diseases. No nutrition and exercise can really repair our damaged organs. It can delay a condition, reduce the damage though. The only solution is to take action before it is too late, definitely not waiting for the thirties, forties and fifties. The sooner we realize that our health is the most important part of existence, the better it is.”
In my case, the fear of being dependent on others was something which was my wake-up call as one of the doctors declared that the way my joints are doing, I would need a wheelchair by the age of 45. My condition has not reversed totally, may not happen so. I will have to pay the price for neglecting my health for so many years however my fitness mindset is here to stay. I will continue to strive for real health, fitness and peak performance for myself and others.
Fitness has become my way of life. It has given me a life which I had never thought I would be able to live at this age. Today, as I enter my 45th year, I feel my age is reversing. I have the energy which I did not have even in my twenties. What drives me today is the realization that when you are fit then age is just a chronological number. Your biological age may not match with the number of years mentioned on your certificates.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
My daughter Ramyaka keeps me motivated to continue my journey as a Fitness Professional.
I gave her birth when I was 41 years old and weighed 100 kgs. At times, I wondered why at this age and this stage. Is it the right decision? How will I take care of her?
Just after her birth, within a week lockdown happened. The Covid environment was scary for a new mother. Taking care of my little one along with a son, no house help, drained body and a lot of fear. That was when I shifted my focus to our Indian Food Wisdom and Ayurveda. and modern nutrition followed. I learned to prioritize my health and fitness for my daughter.
Today when I play with my daughter and match her energy (almost), I get motivated to continue this journey of Fitness for myself and the people around me.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
Two principles which I truly believe in, have kept me on the track –
1. Our most difficult times are the most memorable times. You are living stories of your grandchildren so enjoy creating them.
2. If the world would know how much hard work you have put in then your success would not seem wonderful at all. Keep the focus and continue the quest.
In your opinion, what are the keys to success?
My 3 P formula is my secret which keeps me going
Passion
Patience
Perseverance
Every overnight success has years of consistent hard work which keeps the passion alive. Smart work is needed but it cannot replace the hard work.
What advice would you give to our readers?
Prioritize your health and fitness and do not feel guilty about it, especially mothers. At times, we glorify ourselves by declaring how many sacrifices we have made in life.
How our family comes first even before our own well-being. Especially with ladies, the more you sacrifice, the better daughter, wife and mother you are and of course, the best daughter-in-law. Only when you are in your best physical and mental state that you will be able to help those around you. Your family, your work, and your social commitments are important but the most important is YOU.
You have one life which you deserve to live to the fullest. To be able to enjoy life, have new experiences, travel to the places you always wanted to, to work for society and live your passion..you need to first take care of your health. In a fit body, you have a fit mind, which can make the right decisions, with clarity. So, work efficiently and manage positive/ negative emotions. When you decide to prioritize yourself, you have won half the battle already.
Remember, your pain is your pain, it cannot be transferred. People may sympathize, even empathize with you, but your suffering will remain. You need to be prepared to deal with your physical and mental health challenges. Prioritize your health over any responsibility in the world, if you want to enjoy being in that world and not become a burden on your loved ones.
Last but not least, what about your journey makes it satisfying/exciting?
The journey has just begun … this is the thought with which I wake up every morning. The excitement of a new journey gives me the energy to conquer my limiting beliefs and turn them into my affirmations.
A day may not go as planned however, the fact that I moved in the right direction gives me satisfaction. Celebrating the small and big milestones with my family. My daughter asking me to dance with her when I am most busy with a presentation and I bowing her to her request/rather order is something which keeps me grounded and happy.
I got a lot of opportunities to shine, however, I did not make much use of them. I thought simplicity was valued over show-off. I refrained from social media for a very long time before I understood that it is a medium to impact the lives of many more by sharing my learnings and my journey. Today apart from my routine work, I devote my energies towards a bigger goal, to create a world of professional moms who prioritize health and fitness for true happiness.
Chefs may have gained popularity and recognition in the society but when it comes to trusting them with health and fitness, people think otherwise. My journey as a chef is dedicated to NUTRITIOUS CLEAN FOOD for building trust in people, showing results and making a fitness lifestyle sustainable.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
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