Weight Loss Truths

Know your body

On February 10^th 2009, I weighed 81 Kgs. Well….  for a lot of you it is not that high. But for my height, (I am 5 foot 7 inches tall) it is an excess of about 16 kgs. Don’t misunderstand me. I was not someone who was always over weight.

About a year back I weighed just around 65 kgs. Give or take one or two kilos. What made me put on weight was the fact that I was traveling for a long time and when I returned home I wanted to just feast on the local delicacies that I missed for a long time. And feast I did…!! Without thinking of the after effects such unhealthy food consumption would have on my body. It had made glutton and a sloth out of me.

These habits over a period of time gave me high cholesterol and uric acid problems which actually along with other reasons made me resign my job. Then it actually dawned on me that I needed to take care of my body for my own sake. For that I had to know my body well. I did that and took on to a specific diet and got myself back to exercising REGULARLY…

Today the July 9th 2009 I weigh 65kgs. My cholesterol levels are normal and very healthy. My uric acid levels are under control.  Feel lively and agile…!!!!!!!!!!

I am just going to share with you how I reduced my weight….

Dieting and exercising are the best ways to reduce weight… DIETING IS NOT GOING HUNGRY. A good diet gives you the appropriate amount of protein, vitamin and calorie intake that your body needs for the day. Exercising burns the unwanted fat elements that our body produces and by doing so keeps us fit.

1^st step…… know your body

Everyone is different and so is our bodies… the best way to analyze the state of our body is to do a random blood and urine check. A lipid profile check and do it with a fasting period of about 12 hours … so it is easier to do it in the morning.  This test will let you know the cholesterol, sugar and the acidic levels in your blood and body. Like this we know what to reduce and what to increase. It is always advisable to check the lipid profiles at least once every 3 months.

2^nd step….. Select a suitable diet plan.

A diet is something that should help one get healthy…  Let it be to lose or gain weight, one should be still healthy with the end result. In today’s world everyone is an expert with diets and weight control. But still would advise you to consult a dietitian or a physician so that you know what you need to do and why you need to do so. Remember when you are choosing a diet make sure it is one that you are comfortable for a long time. Why I say this is because the results attained in short term diets actually do not last for long. So a comfortable diet would mean that u can follow it for long term and with the OCCASIONAL freaking out.

Given below is the diet that I followed and it was highly successful in my case

Breakfast :

2 dosas or 3 idlis or 2 chapattis or egg white omelet and slices of wheat bread

Lunch :

Vegetables (normal preparations that you make in your home for your family, but preferably with half the oil), lots of fish (curry or grilled). Have a handful of rice or one chapatti towards the end of the meal.

Rice or chapatti will help maintain your sugar blood sugar levels.

Chicken once in a while would not hurt as long as it is grilled or curry. Also make sure that the skin is peeled off completely.

Dinner :

Pulpy fruits (apple, banana, pears etc), and chicken or vegetable clear soup (1 bowl).

Or Egg white omelet and vegetable clear soup.

3^rd step….. Strictly follow the plan

Getting to know one self and then finding what to do is of no good if the plan is not implemented.  So please follow it till at least the desired result is found. For this one has to find high levels of MOTIVATION. You must understand that no one else can do it for you.

4^th step….. Exercise

There is no substitute for exercise no matter what the television ads say. The basic idea is you burn more calories than what you take you lose weight. You burn the same amount of calories as you take, you don’t lose or gain weight. And if the calories that you burn are less than your daily intake you end up gaining weight. So it is up to you to decide the desired exercise pattern, routine and result. Remember not to overdo it, because it may have other side effects on your body.

5^th step…. Enjoy life

Taking on a diet does not mean that you should stop enjoying your life. Please make sure that you go have a blast. All we have to do is to know when we have to say no to something.

I know that with this diet you will be hungry in between meals. And when you do please DO NOT go hungry. Have a fruit say a banana or an apple or tea or coffee with skimmed milk and please avoid sugar. Use sugar free sweeteners if necessary. Have lots of water, somewhere around 2 to 3 litres of water every day. And also most importantly, eat enough but not more than what you require.

Some additional friendly tips :

Do’s

Lots of water

Egg whites, vegetables, salads, fish as per desired.

Chapatti, rice and chicken in measured quantities.

Fat free dairy products in measured quantities

Don’ts

Sweets, fried items, oily food.

Certain vegetables which contain starch. Ex: potatoes, tapioca.

Full fat dairy products (whole milk, butter etc.)

Avoid fruits like mango or orange in the night as it makes you eat more than you should.

Bottom line eat healthy and exercise regularly and enjoy life.

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