This is a truly inspiring story of positive transformation. He had a weight problem when he was a teenager, but by sheer willpower he was able to work a lot of weight off by proper training and healthy eating, and today he is worth his weight in gold.
Meet former International Sports Kickboxing Association British kickboxing champion Kulwinderjeet Bedi, better known at the renowned Eden Fitness Gym (where some top instructors work) and abroad as Kully or Kulwinder “Ironology” Bedi. He is a strength conditioning coach and personal trainer but considers himself more a life coach and changer. He measures his success by the number of lives he improves.
An Indian Punjabi, Kully Bedi was born in Perivale, Greenford and grew up in Hounslow.
Background and early childhood.
Kully Bedi says,
“I never had any of the interests that other boys had. I never was and nor am a fan of football, I never followed any super heroes or collected comics. I was a fan of Bruce Lee which led me to martial arts training from a very early age.
My dad enrolled me into Karate when I was seven years old. By the time I was 16, I was a high grade. I did Lau Gar Kung Fu and kickboxing at the same time and competed in both Karate and kickboxing. My mother thought I was being unproductive with all this training but at the same time was grateful that I was out of trouble that way.
In my late teens I was quite overweight, I would have been measured as obese according to the GP scale. I used to do what typical late teenagers do; go out a lot with friends, eat out. We didn't have the knowhow on nutrition like we do now and when I had to make weight for a competition I was just told to stop eating fat and run daily. We know now that that's not a long term solution.”
At one point, Kully weighed 18 stone.
Turning point.
When Kulwinder Bedi was 19, his father passed away. “It hit me hard; I was the only son. I became the man of the house so I said to myself I can't be going out any more, I can't be hanging around with these guys any more.
I got a job where my mum worked. Then life got boring. It became like groundhog day - work, home, sleep, work, home, sleep.
I decided to take my training more seriously. I wasn't competing in martial arts anymore but I upped my training and bought some home gym equipment from Argos.”
Kully spotted body building magazines in his local Londis shop. He bought a couple and learnt some basic routines but because he was fanatical about having big arms, so that's all he did- train his arms!
“I did start following an all round routine. I really started enjoying lifting weights and my muscles were developing well.” After six months, Kully decided to try a regimented diet. “So I read a few more bodybuilding mags (no internet in those days) went to the store, got a bag of potatoes, ten cans of tuna and chicken breasts, and followed a bodybuilders’ diet. My body completely changed within four months.”
Kully went from 18 to 13 stone just by following what he learned from flex magazines!
Our community’s collective health.
Kully feels that younger generation Asians are generally good, but that seniors are still in denial when it comes to their diet.
“I realised how powerful nutrition is when I transformed myself by training daily and stopping all my bad habits. My body changed shape four months after this by following the typical bodybuilders’ diet of lean protein sources, slow burning low GI carbs and lots of green vegetables.
We can get this same result with having an Indian Asian diet too, we just need to make a few adjustments. Our Asian food is actually fantastic if you change from cooking with butter or oil to coconut oil, use pink Himalayan salt instead of general salt and eat less carbs.”
Kully’s biggest challenge
Kulwinder has faced what seemed like a tragedy.
“After getting in great shape and loving life, I was hit in a major car accident with left me with a plate in the left side of my forehead and a disallowance from competing in ISKA kickboxing. I was in hospital for two months and had problems walking. I overcame by refusing to stay down after coming so far.”
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“I was in hospital for two months and had problems walking. I overcame by refusing to stay down after coming so far.” Kulwinder Bedi.
