An exercise cycle. Creamy chocolate ice cream. And a view of the world going by.
Inside the cosy 750 square feet Lo Cal, a just-launched “fitness restaurant”, you can pedal away while you enjoy a zero sugar ice cream. In case you reach out for dessert number two, you may just want to increase the resistance on your machine. The more adventurous can show off their pull-up skills against a backdrop of the mighty Hulk.
Lo Cal was recently launched by two college friends and wellness enthusiasts Abishek Rengasamy and Mahi Mohan. “Eating out should be guilt-free. People into fitness often think twice before eating out. Our menu is put together by our culinary and nutritionist team. Most of it is low calorie. Some of the items can be ketofied to zero carbs,” says Abishek.
The idea was to offer healthy but not bland food. Hence delicious oven-baked, peppery sweet potato wrapped in the subtle flavour of honey. Aromatic chicken Thai curry with a nutty-tasting Kerala rice. And creamy broccoli soup.
The menu has about 60 dishes and these will change every three months. The team is constantly developing new combinations with healthy alternatives. “There is no refined sugar or flour in our food. We use unrefined coconut oil, mustard, groundnut and olive oils. We have country eggs and antibiotic-free chicken,” says Mahi, a trained fitness expert who has a certification from Canada-based Precision Nutrition. She explains how each meal lists out the macro nutrients: protein count as well as the carb and fat count so diners know what they are consuming.
“Our zero sugar ice creams are made from fresh cream, natural flavours, electrolytes and stevia which is a natural sweetener. They are keto as well as diabetic friendly,” explains Mahi. The absolute favourite, however, is the avocado mousse: a light, fluffy, gooey swirl of dark chocolate and ripe green avocado.
In addition, they also have whey protein shakes in 25 flavours, which will be available on subscription shortly. “We have been making our own whey protein since last December. It is WHO certified,” says Abishek, placing a five pound cannister of double-rich chocolate whey on the table. (Other flavours include vanilla, banana, cookies and cream, and cappuccino). The processing unit is currently in Hyderabad. “Funding is in the pipeline. Once that comes through, we plan to set up manufacturing units either in the UK or the US. The formulation of the supplements will adhere to Indian FSSAI standards so we can import them to India.”
Lo Cal also stocks merchandise by Dumbell, a clothing company started by Abishek in October last year, as part of his ongoing quest to cater to every segment of fitness. It is primarily athleisure wear.
There are cropped hoodies and a blur of neons for women. For men there are muscle-fit shirts along with tracks, shorts and jerseys made of polyester spandex, lycra and a blend of polyester, spandex and lycra. The knit wear is made in Tiruppur and the wovens are made in Chennai.
“We sell nearly 80,000 garments in a year and are available across 139 counters across Tamil Nadu,” says Abishek. Commonwealth gold weightlifter Satish Kumar Sivalingam is its brand ambassador. That is perhaps one of the reasons for Dumbell’s popularity in Vellore, believes Abishek, who is himself, a silver-medallist in open district weightlifting, and has won an open state gold medal in rifle shooting.
Among his plans are creating garments for sports such as fencing and shooting, and catering boxed meals (divided into pre, post and on activity meals) for trekkers and cyclists.
Lo Cal is located at 48, Sterling Road, Nungambakkam.
