Bigg Boss Star Monalisa Shares Swimsuit Photo of "Rest Day"

Indian actress Monalisa (real name Antara Biswas) is taking time off from her busy filming schedule to relax and rest on the weekend. The 40-year-old star shared pictures of herself wearing a black bikini and red cover up, lounging in an empty jacuzzi on her deck. One picture showed the actress looking out over a beautiful view of greenery and blue skies. "Sunday… Rest Day… Snuggle Day… Happy Day," she captioned the post. Monalisa recently lost weight and managed to keep it off—here's exactly how she did it.

Monalisa is thrilled to have lost over 15 pounds through lifestyle changes. "I lost 7 kgs and I feel so good about myself," she says. "I can wear all my dresses and people are complimenting me. People, fans are asking me to share my diet routine with them. It feels great… My husband Vikrant has been a great inspiration behind me losing weight. He pushed me to lose weight. When I returned from Bigg Boss 10, I had lost 10 kgs back then and I felt so awesome. Everyone was praising me for my new look. But again I put on weight after some time. During this lockdown, both Vikrant and I started working out and we lost all the extra kilos. We also kept a watch on what we ate. It's not like we starved ourselves. We eat healthy food made at home and it helped us."

Monalisa worked hard to lose the weight, relying on exercise but mostly diet. "I did yoga, meditation regularly," she says. "I did planks, I watched videos on the internet and did cardio for 45 minutes to 1 hour regularly. We would workout everyday. I followed a strict diet to keep my immunity strong and lose weight also. I am still continuing my diet, and haven't stopped. I feel 70 percent of it is diet and 30 percent exercise."

Monalisa learned the hard way that stress can lead to weight gain. "I was extremely slim when I first entered the industry," she says. "I would always maintain myself and regularly go to the gym. But I had work commitments and outdoor shoots, for which I had to shoot daily when I was doing Bhojpuri films. I couldn't properly maintain my diet. And maybe that is why I became plump."

Monalisa loves her swimsuits—but they aren't just for show. The actress loves taking a dip in the pool for some fun, low impact exercise. "As cardiovascular exercises go, swimming offers a little less wear and tear on the body than other options," says exercise physiologist Christopher Travers, MS. "It's a good choice for just about anyone." 

Monalisa credits home cooking with helping her stick to her diet plan without feeling deprived. "There are obvious benefits to controlling the ingredients on your plate," says Neeraj Tayal, MD. "Cooking with fresh foods is eminently more healthful than relying on packaged foods and fast-food meals, which often are laced with sodium and preservatives. You become more mindful of what goes into your body when you prepare your own meals, and it's better for your body. Cooking at home also is good for your mental health: Although we do it every day, turning basic ingredients into a savory meal is challenging. It doesn't always work out the way you want. The daily trial and error of interpreting recipes and measuring ingredients not only grows your palate, but it stimulates your brain."