Here's why this lifestyle clinic in Chennai doesn't own a treadmill

The folks at The Formula believe you ‘can’t out train what you eat’. So they offer everything from kitchen clean-ups to help ordering dinner at a restaurant, just a ping away!
Interiors at The Formula
Interiors at The Formula

This is not a gym. In fact, look closer and you’ll notice — there isn’t a treadmill in sight. There isn’t an annual membership, the longest you can sign up for is three months. Also, before you can procure their services, you will need to hand over a blood test and a Dexa scan. 

No treadmills, no diets
“Our focus is food,” says co-founder of The Formula, Rahul Gopal. He elaborates with a simple philosophy, “You can’t out train what you eat.” The lifestyle clinic at Alwarpet which opened in March serves up a range of client-specific protocols from kitchen clean-ups to WhatsApp support while you’re debating what to order at a restaurant. “What we don’t do is put you on a diet,” says the Precision Nutrition Certified and Functional Strength Coach. The reason being, the moment you go on a diet, he anticipates, “The next question is — for how long?”

In fact, the word ‘diet’ itself is frowned upon within the team because as Rahul points out, anything that categorises as a diet isn’t ‘sustainable’.

<em>Rahul Gopal, co-founder of The Formula</em>
Rahul Gopal, co-founder of The Formula

Reversing diabetes
The 41-year-old, who used to be a full-time drummer and travelled the world playing for heavyweights like music director Harris Jeyaraj, got a wake-up call in 2015 when he was diagnosed as pre-diabetic. Plenty of research and nutrition studying later and he recalls, “I had turned my life around and was already consulting with a few clients by word of mouth.” It was around this time that he chanced upon an old classmate Prashant Koneru — a doctor who was struggling with weight loss and diabetes as well. Now successfully reversed and 20 kg lighter (Prashant) — the two decided to set up a lifestyle clinic together to help others get the same results.

Once you take a consultation, with a base data profile of blood work, we’re told that each client is given a customised nutrition directive and can also opt for guided strength and resistance training. To keep people accountable in terms of what they eat, Rahul says, “We ask our clients to maintain a food log — complete with a picture of each meal, a description of what is on the plate and 
quantity.” This is frequently uploaded via WhatsApp, “So they know someone is watching,” he adds with a laugh. We have to wonder how this practice doesn’t turn the joy of eating from choice to chore. Rahul responds with a smile, “We use a lot of GIFS!”

Prices upon consultation.

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