Nimisha Sajayan's massive weight loss after 'Babita Singh Reporting': Trainer shares how she did it

When 'Babita Singh Reporting' star Nimisha Sajayan recently shared a side-by-side post on social media, it instantly took the internet by storm. The collage highlighted her remarkable journey of gaining weight to reach 72kg from 58kg for the role in the film, alongside her subsequent transition back to her lean physique.

She captioned the pictures with a heartfelt note, admitting that the process was far from easy and thanking her personal trainer for guiding her through it. Only a year earlier, actor Rajisha Vijayan left her audience equally spellbound after shedding 15kg in six months for a film role, frequently sharing intense workout clips from the gym.

As it turns out, the secret behind both Nimisha's and Rajisha's dramatic physical transformation is training with the same coach: Ali Shifas, the head trainer at Kochi’s Parkway Fitness. He has become the go-to fitness guru for Malayalam cinema's biggest stars, with a stellar client roster that includes Kalyani Priyadarshan, Samyuktha, Siju Wilson, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Anna Ben, Lukman, Grace Antony, Ganapathy, and Balu Varghese. In a candid conversation, Ali reveals what went on behind the scenes of these highly publicised celebrity transformations.

Shedding and gaining: Nimisha Sajayan’s challenging transition
Even before she embarked on her dramatic weight transformations, Nimisha was training with Ali. She had always preferred to maintain a steady weight of around 58kg. However, a sudden demand arose for an upcoming Hindi project: the director required her to gain 15kg within a strict four-month timeline. Achieving a specific chubby appearance for the character was crucial to the storytelling, which meant her daily food intake had to be gradually increased.

At first, her usual calorie count was doubled, and eventually, it was tripled. Eating in such a massive surplus was incredibly demanding. Because she needed a softer, fuller look rather than lean muscle, she had to consume calorie-dense, less-than-healthy meals. Rapid weight gain in an unnatural timeframe takes a major toll on the body. Nimisha began experiencing physical discomfort, low stamina, and issues related to hormonal imbalance. Moving around and even sitting comfortably became painful hurdles, yet she persevered to complete the shoot.

Starting from scratch
The next massive hurdle arrived immediately after: Nimisha had to shed all that weight within three months for her next project. For someone who had spent months overeating, shrinking down to a calorie-restricted lifestyle was an immense mental and physical test. Even though she possessed the mental grit, restarting her physical training was incredibly hard.

Initially, she struggled to even walk on a treadmill at a basic pace, experiencing severe exhaustion and dizziness after just two minutes. It felt like a toddler taking their very first steps. Ali attributes 99 per cent of this transformation's success to Nimisha’s relentless work ethic. She would message him first thing in the morning to ask if she could head to the gym. During the phases when she felt self-conscious about her heavier appearance, she preferred to train when the gym was less crowded, but as the physical changes began to show, her self-assurance skyrocketed.

Unshakeable resolve: Rajisha’s journey through a weight-loss plateau
In Rajisha Vijayan's case, weight gain was primarily triggered by hormonal imbalances and related health issues. Therefore, her program required a complete lifestyle overhaul. Knowing she had a film role lined up, they initiated the routine six months in advance. Rajisha followed a rigorous two-workout-a-day schedule, dedicating her mornings to weight training in the gym and her evenings to cardio sessions like boxing or jogging.

Despite her consistency, there was a prolonged phase where the scale refused to budge. Frustrated by the lack of visible progress despite putting in maximum effort, Rajisha even broke down in tears at times. Ali kept her focused, assuring her that consistency would eventually pay off. Once her body finally crossed that plateau, the weight began to melt away, giving her the boost she needed. Today, she maintains her desired fitness level with ease.

How Siju Wilson paved the way
Ali moved to Kochi as the head trainer at Parkway Fitness after years of helping regular clients achieve their physical goals. His entry into the celebrity fitness space was completely accidental. Right after the COVID lockdowns, when gyms were struggling with low attendance, a friend introduced him to Siju Wilson. The actor was preparing for a pivotal career-defining role and needed a massive body transformation in just three months.

Siju’s determination inspired Ali, and they worked tirelessly together. Siju's stellar results became the talk of the industry, paving the way for Ali's career as a celebrity fitness coach. Rather than aiming to become a trainer to the stars, Ali simply focused on delivering results, which naturally led a long list of actors to trust him with their bodies.