Introduction

I remember a time when a few of us ladies would meet for pot luck lunch once a fortnight in one of our homes. We would all take one dish each and the hostess provided rice, rotis and salad and although we enjoyed ourselves a lot, we also ended up eating far too much. Even though it was once a fortnight only, unconsciously we would all be cooking and experimenting with new dishes that required calorie packed ingredients like meats, cream, butter and sugar.

I think back on how  one of the ladies in our group, who was already overweight by a few kilos, ended up finishing leftovers like a kebab, a little dal and a little pulao and a little raita because she did not want to see it going waste.This would happen almost every time. I felt that the whole thing added up to becoming a meal by itself. This was after we had had our hearty lunch and two desserts. Looking back, I sincerely wish one of us had stopped her and asked her to store the leftovers away in the fridge or give it away to someone needy.

The lady had a heart attack last year, thankfully not fatal and the main reason was because of her excessive uncontrolled weight gain and total lack of exercise or any fitness routine. I feel extremely sorry for her but also feel that she should have been careful of her health, not taken it for granted and taken measures to avert it since it is really easy to lose weight and keep oneself fit.

A few points to remember

Before one decides to lose weight it is wise to consider certain facts, which later may hinder your progress simply because you have overlooked them in your initial enthusiasm. We should remember that unless all things are considered any aspect in life will not be successful, similarly while planning to lose weight one should take everything into consideration so that you make a success of your venture!

1. Most importantly being positive helps a lot. Unless you are determined to lose weight and remain fit because you want to look good and feel good, any other kind of forced effort you make will be halfhearted and will not get you the desired results. So, make sure that you be positive and determined.

2. Take a deep and honest look into your lifestyle and plan a routine without disrupting your work schedule. If you do so, at some point of time you are going to find the two clashing and you can be sure that you will give up your weight loss and fitness program rather than the other way round.

3. Try and get as much information as possible, not just about calories, workout programs and diet plans but also some feedbacks from friends and relatives who have successfully lost weight and have managed to maintain their weight at a healthy level, which is even more important.

4. Get a medical test done so that you know where you stand regarding your health . This also gives you an idea as to how much you can stretch yourself.

So now that the initial preparations are done with, you can begin your weight loss program in a planned manner that does not tax or come in the way of your or your family’s daily routine .

Losing weight easily

1. Make water part of your diet – Water is very important to us in keeping our system flushed of toxic wastes and also keeping our weight under control. Make sure that you drink plenty of water. Before eating anything, lunch, dinner or a bag of chips or a snack,  drink a glass or two of water! Many a times we see people confusing thirst with hunger , thereby end up indulging in calorie rich foods when actually what they needed was just a glass of water.

Alternatively you can drink clear soups, green tea and diluted lemon water. But try and avoid aerated drinks. If you really must have, drink a glass of coca cola or sprite or any of your favorite drink once in a while as a treat.

2. Eat several mini-meals instead of three large meals a day - Studies conducted by dieticians have shown that people who eat 4-5 meals per day are better able to control their appetite and weight. Ideally you can have tea with a slice of bread in the morning, a nutritious and filling breakfast, a light lunch, fruits and green tea in the evening and a light dinner.

Make sure that other than breakfast all your meals are light, healthy and balanced.In fact, Indian meals are well balanced since it has all the nutritive elements in it and it is left to us as to how we get the best out of it.

3. Eat protein at every meal – When the lady or the man of the house decides to go on a weight loss program the entire family benefits. Protein is the ultimate food to satisfy hunger pangs and helps you fight hunger pangs for a longer period of time. This also makes sure that you don’t keep munching savories and cookies or any other junk food in between meals.

Seafood, dals, beans, lean meat, yoghurt, cheese, egg whites, soya and nuts are rich source of protein helping you preserve muscle mass and help burn fat. Make sure that you eat protein at every meal accompanied by vitamin and fiber rich vegetables, greens and fruits and of course drink at least 2 -3 liters of water per day.

4. Eat a healthy and nutritious breakfast - I see many people having just tea or a slice of toast or a couple of biscuits for breakfast which is simply not the right way of starting your day especially after having starved for 8 – 10 hours. It is also a common perception that by skipping breakfast you lose weight faster which is so entirely wrong.

In fact studies have shown that not eating a healthy breakfast makes you hungry later which inevitably leads to nibbling snacks and junk food until the next meal time. A healthy morning meal such as a high-fibre cereal, low fat milk and fruit aid in weight loss. The least one can have for breakfast would be a glass of milk and a fruit such as a banana , a slice of papaya or an apple. 

5. Size matters – The amount you eat definitely matters and it is in our own interest that we monitor portion sizes using a kitchen scale and measuring cups. Make sure that you don’t cook extra rice, rotis or curries with coconut gravies which are high in calories. Also using smaller plates, serving spoons and glasses help in downsizing the portions. If you are mentally conscious of what you are eating and are committed to eat healthy food and stay fit, there is nothing like it since you automatically eat less and do not overeat. And, even if we are forced to  overindulge once in a while, we should have the determination to cut down on our next meal so that unwanted calories do not pile up.

6. Keep a food diary – This idea is an excellent one that I came across in one of the fitness articles. Apparently, dieticians recommend this a lot since studies show that writing down what you eat and drink tends to create awareness of what you are consuming and when and this in itself is enough to spur you on especially when you begin to lose weight and are able to connect the two - eating less and weight loss.

Make sure that you write down each and everything you eat and also write the calorie content . Add it up at the end of the day and you know where you should cut down to reduce your weight.

Some Important and helpful tips

1. Get to know some basics - Unless you tackle your weight problem in an intelligent manner, chances are that you may not be able to lose weight successfully. Weight loss is the result of two important factors namely diet and exercise. Although everyone is aware of this, they do not follow the routine in the manner it has to be done to get any positive results.

2. Diet - Instead of going in for any fancy diets that says no egg yolks, only olive oil and only green tea etc etc , which in the long run may become difficult to keep up, start by cutting down on the portions you eat at meal times. Start cooking less rice and rotis and increase the quantity of vegetable and dal and lean meats and fish.

If you are a vegetarian go in for pulses and dairy products like paneer and tofu that is rich in protein. Keep strictly away from fried stuff and sweets on a daily basis. Once you start taking care of what you eat and a routine is set in, half the problem has been tackled.

3. Exercise - This is another very essential part of weight loss program. There is no need to go to a gym that cost you the earth, instead make exercise part of your routine.

 4. Be Consistent – This is true of anything you take up in life. Unless you are committed and are consistently working towards your goal you will never be able to make any progress. Losing weight should be taken as seriously as your other daily routine which you never give up! For example – eating, sleeping, going for your work, cooking, washing cleaning etc... If you are disciplined and consistent, no way can you go wrong.

5. Invest in a weighing machine - It  is not expensive but will prove helpful in the long run since you are constantly aware of your fluctuating weight gain or weight loss. I have found it extremely useful since it is constantly reminding me when I am on the right path or when I am going haywire with my diet and exercise routine.

Remember the following points

1. Walking is the best exercise that can be incorporated into your lifestyle. You can walk around the house while talking on the phone and while cooking when you are waiting for the curry to cook or gravy to boil, instead of standing and waiting walk around the house. Walking down to the shops, gardening , climbing stairs and hand washing clothes are all very beneficial and aid in your weight loss program.

Make sure that you walk for a minute or two after every 15 minutes when you are using the computer. You need to walk at least 3 -4 kms a day to get any positive results.If you walk for 40 minutes at a brisk pace you cover a distance of 3.5 - 4 kms. If you do this 4 -5 times a week you are sure to lose weight quickly.

When you walk for 3.5 - 4 kms you lose anywhere between 175 - 190 calories, which means that you lose on an average  850 - 1000 calories a week ( 5 days ) and 4000 calories a month. When you cut down on fats and other high-calorie food stuff you also lose some calories since your requirement is around 2000 calories per day, that is if you are moderately active. To lose one Kilo gram of body weight you need to burn 7750 calories. So, with those figures  you can calculate and plan your diet and exercise program depending on how much weight you want to lose. 

 2. Working out in a gym is good provided you can afford to do so all the time, and since that is not possible for all it is best to look for equally good alternatives. With a minimum investment make yourself fully prepared to tackle your weight loss program. Invest in a pair of good quality walking shoes . This is essential because I have seen some ladies give up walking with excuses of shoe bite and leg and knee joint pain because of wrong footwear and posture. So make sure that you wear proper shoes and lose comfortable clothes that do not restrict your movements.

3. Invest in a walkman or a mini music set and headphones that you can listen to while walking. From my own personal experience I walk much more when I am listening to music and there is no boredom or other pressing thoughts coming into my mind that cuts short my walk. You don't need to buy an expensive set since these days  one can get an MP3 player for a very affordable price.

4. There is a little gadget called calorie counter available now which you clip on to your trouser, skirt or salwar hem at the waist , which measures your footstep and also the distance you have covered. It is easily available on the net and I personally find this extremely useful and motivating since you want to walk more to beat your previous record.

In fact, you can wear it all the time and from my own experience, just by walking around the house while speaking over the phone, cooking and also doing your household chores and your daily walk adds up to a total of 7 - 8 kms. Surprising isn't it ! So the more sensibly you tackle your weight problem and become aware of what you are doing , the easier it becomes to lose weight since you see the results and remain motivated.

Conclusions

There is so much written about weight loss and diet and so on but people read them and do whatever they are doing without actually taking any measures to keep themselves fit until they are forced to do so. In some cases it may be too late. I personally feel that children should be taught right from infancy to distinguish what is healthy and what is not. Rewarding them with chocolates and sweets on special occasions is fine but on a daily basis we have to make sure that they eat healthy well balanced meals.

It is in our own interests to be aware and make sure that we remain within the healthy limits by being active and eating healthy. A healthy body means a healthy mind and it reflects on your entire family.

(image -personal)