If you thought, Bipasha worked towards an enviable figure just for making a mark in showbiz, you cannot be more wrong. The diva reveals that her osteoarthritis condition forced her to get into fitness mode, reports Mumbai Mirror. “I was quite overweight and used to cover myself intelligently so that I didn’t end up looking fat. I realised I needed to shed weight,” Bips told the tabloid.

In order to achieve the perfect figure too soon, Bipasha started working out without a professional trainer. And soon she developed serious trouble with her knees. “I had no knowledge about health and fitness and even went on crash diets. Suddenly, I started getting excruciating pain in my knees, with days when I could barely stand. I spoke to Hrithik Roshan, Shah Rukh Khan and many other colleagues, who recommended some top doctors,” the actress was quoted by the tabloid as saying.

It was then, the sultry actor discovered she was suffering from an extreme condition. "My knees had become like that of a 65-year-old person," she recalled. The doctors told her she won't be able to do action sequences and stand for long hours. “I wept for three days and nights at a stretch. My parents were out and I just didn’t know what was happening,” revealed Bips to the tabloid.

But soon Bips developed courage to get out of the situation. “It can’t be this way, I need to fight it out. You live life only once, don’t you?” She told the tabloid. Bipasha's fitness mantra "I’m a fitness enthusiast and it takes a lot of discipline and special care to get a fit body. It is important that you exercise everyday to stay fit. The main emphasis should be on working out the abs and lower limbs," the actor told Hindustan Times reporter Aditi Pant.

"A mix of cardio and weight training helps. These are important just not for a good bikini body but a fit and fabulous body in general. I also stick to a specific diet and keep away from sweets. I never indulge in junk food and most importantly, I eat on time. I’m glad I did all this because my discipline has paid off and I have received umpteen compliments for the look," she added

About her fitness DVD "My fitness DVD, Bipasha Basu Love Yourself Fit and Fabulous You was appreciated and has inspired me to work towards my next DVD," says Bipasha. "I am aiming at launching a series of DVDs in 2012. My first DVD was more women-centric so my male fans wrote back requesting not to neglect them. So, now I am working towards something that will be beneficial for both men and women," she adds.

From fat to fit From her unflattering Beedi Jalai Le figure to the hot bikini bod in Players, Bipasha Basu has come a long way in terms of fitness. Coming up next is Jodi Breakers where she's paired up opposite plump R Madhavan. Wonder if Madhavan should take some fitness tips from Bips.