'My diet plans are all eating-centric'

Rujuta Diwekar is the lady behind Kareena Kapoor's much talked about Size Zero.
An unconventional nutritionist, Rujuta does not banish ghee and parathas completely, but concentrates on eating-centric diet plans that are not about what you can't eat, but what you can.

With her mantra of eating small meals through the day, coupled with exercise and restful sleep, she has health enthusiasts like Anil Ambani, Sonali Bendre, Konkona Sen Sharma on her roster of clients.

Rujuta graduated in chemistry(!) before getting a post-grad in sport science and nutrition and began her fitness career as an assistant trainer before branching out on her own.

The lissome guru in tiny skirts, who could pass off as a model herself, has just launched the best-seller Don't Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight (RandomHouse India), which has already sold 10,000 copies in the 20 days that it has been in bookstores.

Insiyah Vahanvaty caught up with Rujuta to find out how we can, all maybe not look like Bebo Kapoor (to whom the book is dedicated), but get some way there!


How are your diet plans different from the others in the market?

Firstly, that they are personalised. I don't have standardised plans -- so I don't have "Aaj tumhara moong-daal-chila ka din hai, kal papaya ka din hai." I work with people according to their fitness levels, genetics, working hours, stresses, etc.

In India, there are so many cultures and they all eat differently. They may go out and eat a pizza together but at the end they want to come back to their food. My diet plans encourage people to eat the food they grew up eating. Like the other day I met this Marwari woman who said, "Oh, can I actually put ghee back on my roti? My mother will be the happiest."

You know, we are letting go off things that are good for us and adopting things that are difficult to find, expensive and that we don't even like. My diet plans are personalised and eating-centric -- they are not about what you CAN'T eat but about what you CAN eat, and it includes exercise and restful sleep.

I've had clients who have gone on a diet and quit their jobs because they have realised that they don't want to be stuck in a corporate job. When you start eating well, you become fearless and lead a better life. That's something I've realised.

People often ask me Kareena's weight. I don't know what it is. My diets are not weight-centric