Weight loss is a deeply personal journey for many people. When Anant Ambani shared his incredible weight loss transformation back in 2016, he instantly became an icon in India. His new physique sparked a lot of interest, with many looking to him for inspiration and wondering how he managed to overcome his weight-related challenges. However, after more than five years, the Ambani heir gained the weight back during the lockdown-ridden pandemic and ended up retreating from the spotlight. (As studies show that most people will eventually gain back the weight they lose from diets, he’s definitely not alone.) But given his previous determination, we hope he’ll be able to overcome this hurdle too. Here’s a timeline of Anant’s weight loss transformation: A rare glimpse inside Ambani brothers Jai Anmol and Jai Anshul’s family life 2014-2015 Ahead of his 21st birthday, Anant decided he wanted to make a lifestyle change and shed some serious pounds. He spoke to his mum about his goals, and she hired celebrity fitness trainer – and household name in India – Vinod Channa, to concoct a healthy, achievable and measured fitness plan. Channa told India Today he had to factor in Anant’s health problems when creating the fitness plan, explaining that the Ambani heir’s co- morbidities and chronic asthma made it a “difficult” journey. The trainer, who is also responsible for the lean physiques of Bollywood stars like John Abraham and Ayushmann Khurrana, said Anant’s main issue was that he was not active, and his eating habits led to lethargy. Channa explained that he decided to start Anant off on a low-intensity workout regime, slowly building up so Anant would become stronger and fitter. Channa also commented that Anant was always dedicated and never missed a session, even slotting in workouts between 9pm and midnight, with some workouts going on until 4am. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jasus Here (@jasus007) “When it comes to setting the right intensity, you either opt for heavy weight training or opt for light training with high reps, and in Anant’s case, I went with the latter,” said Channa, according to India Today. 2016 After 18 months on a strict diet and exercise regime, pictures of Anant emerged showing a drastic weight loss. He had lost around 108kg, instantly making him a source of inspiration in India, as many wondered how he achieved the slim physique. Channa started speaking about the strategies he used to help Anant shed the pounds. In an interview with India Today in 2016, Channa said Anant’s final weight was 88kg, and he was happy with his client’s transformation. He said the path they decided to go on to lose weight was longer, but it was only in taking the longer route that they could ensure Anant would not hurt himself and would be able to maintain his new lifestyle. Channa said that eventually exercise became a habit for Anant. Crazy rich Indian mansions – from Ambani’s Antilia to SRK’s Mannat In an interview soon after he lost weight in 2016, Nita Ambani admitted her son had an eating disorder and suffered from obesity. She added that she did everything in her power to help him carve a new life for himself. 2018 Almost two years after he first revealed his slimmer physique, Anant apparently had continued to maintain his new weight when footage of him at Reliance Industries’ 40th celebration in late December 2017 emerged. He spoke passionately about how serving the family business was the most important mission of his life at the time. NDTV reported that the speech trended on social media – with some poking fun at his passionate nature. But it was also his slimmer appearance that caught the attention of many. 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic changed millions of people’s lives around the world – including the Ambani family . Anant, who was formerly regularly seen at his mum’s side during cricket games where IPL team the Mumbai Indians – owned by the Ambanis – played, suddenly was rarely spotted in public. But footage of his girlfriend Radhika Merchant ’s birthday celebrations with the family was leaked online in October 2020. Bollywood Shaadis reported that she had a carousel-themed cake, and that the celebration showed her closeness to the Ambani family. The footage shows Anant clapping and singing in the background, sporting a different look this time. Which Bollywood star has the most OTT ‘vanity van’? 2021 Anant made global headlines after he was appointed as a director on the board of Reliance New Energy Solar, putting him firmly in the Ambani family’s succession plans. Reliance had invested a billion dollars in the renewable energy market, and many saw this as a sign that Mukesh has given his younger son a key role in the company, showing his faith in his son’s abilities. However, Anant was notably absent from the Reliance Industries 44th annual general meeting in June . His family was out in full force, with Mukesh supported by his mother Kokilaben, wife Nita, twin children Isha and Akash and their spouses. Questions around Anant’s absence were raised. Hopefully he can find the courage for more public appearances again soon. Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter .