WHY NOT LOSING WEIGHT….!

During following a weight loss plan sometime one fails to lose weight or after certain time weight gets stuck, not reducing further or sometimes person starts regaining weight. This may be due to several reasons. There are several factors governing the weight loss and the most important factor is the person who wants to lose weight because there are some general rules to be followed by the individuals. So self check and insight is essential.

A. Chosen regimen should be workable for the person and not that one sees secretly stuffing mouth with food one likes or some sweet etc. just two days after promised not to. It needs a strong determination, consistence and   dedication in following a fitness regime. Build your willpower by achieving small missions every day and appreciate to self for the same. Keep an image of what you want to look like. Better keep an old pre-obesity photograph as an ideal. An ideal weight loss plan takes care of weight loss goals and weight maintenance as well. Choose a weight loss program prepared according to your needs.

B. Check following often –

1. Differentiate between a healthy diet and a dangerous one. A non-workable diet is as dangerous as calorie rich diet. So remain alert and count calories instead of numbers of food items and stick to the routine. Watch out for the worst offenders: drinks and baked goods.

2. Are you drinking calories – Avoid sweetened beverages, juices and soft drinks.  Liquid foods help a great way to lose weight. Drink water profusely as low consumption of water allows more fat to be deposited instead of being metabolized. Water also removes toxins from body. Soups and juices are sources of instant energy with less carbohydrate plus they nourish the body. However don’t depend on a liquid diet, the whole fruits are better fillers.

Alcohol has empty calories with no nutritional benefit. It also stimulates appetite and interferes with sleep. So skip alcohol.

3. Are you exercising enough – Exercise help a great way to cut flab, but one must learn the right techniques to aid weight loss.

Adopt a variety of fitness regimes, on different days and give more time or intensity to burn deposited calories. Do kickboxing one day, try pilates, walking, swimming and aerobics on other days of the week so you do not get bored. Always look for an opportunity to walk and move around every minute during the day. Take the stairs more often and park farther away from the destination.  Go and get a glass of water for own self are simple ways to stay active.

4. Are you skipping meals – Skipping meals not only leave one exhausted but hungry to eat indiscriminately at the next opportunity. Eat 5-6 mini healthy meals in a day instead of three big or one big and two small etc.. The aim is to stay full for as long as possible, so mix some moong dal (moong bean) into flour. It is quite filling and cuts craving for big meals or snacking.

Never skip breakfast as it leaves one hungry and easily exhausted, then looking for some food and over eating later in the day. Missing a breakfast also causes indigestion due to skipping a meal or overeating.  

Start the day with protein so that there is no extra insulin in the system. Egg white, milk and sprouts or cottage cheese, oats and bran are low in carbohydrates or take a low-fat and high-fiber breakfast of whole wheat bread, porridge or whole grain that have been soaked in water or fruit juice. Muesli is a popular breakfast cereal based on uncooked rolled oats, fruit and nuts. It is available as a packaged dry form or it can be made fresh. Other ingredients may be included as grated or chopped fresh fruits – banana, apples, berries, grapes, mango or dried fruits, milk products as yogurt, cream, condensed low fat milk, cottages cheese or some non dairy milk substitutes, lemon juice, ground nuts, seeds, spices especially cinnamon, honey etc.

Sugar is empty, fattening calories, so best avoided.

Dinner should always be light. Veggies are ideal they are light on the system and natural or try grilled chicken or just a soup... Not having big meals at night is a perfect way to cut calories because our metabolism slows down towards the end of the day.

5. Are you eating too much – Check not only size of meals and snacks but amount of calories or that eating when really thirsty. Also check if hanging out with an over-eating group or crowd.  

Dinner should always be lighter than the other meals and breakfast. Always skip intermittent eating out of the planned routine.  Veggies are ideal can eat as much as one likes. Fill up the plate with veggies instead of starchy stuff, which makes feel awfully full and add calories. If possible, make an organic meal. Eat whole fruits and grains instead of processed foods. Avoid white rice and refined cereals. People who like to have sweet after a meal can try a fruit instead which is healthier.

Substitute junk food with homemade healthy snacks. Homemade burgers or pizzas can be free from trans-fatty acids. Also change the food style for example take idlis with green veggies instead of sambhar.

Take soya bean at least once in a week as it has many nutrients and helps strengthen the bones. Just have soya milk without skipping meals or starving or add paste of boiled soya to meals.

Have lots of fruits and salads, as they have antioxidants and minerals which boost your body, plus they are low in fat and calories. They also eliminate wastes quickly and help reduce cravings for sweets.

6. Are you deviating from plan – This may occur without intention or realizing but even tiny deviations shatter the whole effect of the plan.

7. Are you bored – If one feels bored of the plan, should try a changed plan. Actually there should be sufficient variation in the plan to overcome the boredom.

8. Are you too stressed - Weight gain is directly related to stresses because people eat or drink more during stress as they feel relaxed after eating. Relaxation is the key to many health problems, so indulge in daily meditation and relaxing exercises. Practice to get mind off worries, concentrate on present and enjoy the moment.

 9. Are you sleeping right – Ensure 8 hours of a good night sleep.

10. In spite of all if the needle of weighing machine is stuck to the same number you may have reached the ideal weight so check your BMI (body mass index). If not so then consult your physician to find some medical condition as hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, pregnancy or polycystic ovarian disease.

Body Mass Index (B M I) is a ratio of body weight and the square of height in meters of a person.

BMI =  Weight in kilograms/ (Height in meters)²

For Indians standard BMI are – less than 18.5  -  underweight.

                                                         18.5 to 23.0     -  normal weight

                                                          23.1 to 25.0     - over weight       

                                                          More than 25  - obese

Dr. M. K. Tyagi
D.H.M.S., Dip. N.I.H.Research Officer 
Sewa Mandir
Mobile" 09829157926
Email: 1.sewamandir@usa.net, 2.manju_mkt2003@yahoo.co.in

Basics to Lose Weight

Obesity is now epidemic because of changing food habits and the life style in which people consume more of calories and spent less of it. Obesity causes many diseases as hypertension, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and respiratory problems as bronchitis. Many people being aware of these either don’t do anything or if they decide they start fad or crash dieting. While fad diets are nutritionally very imbalanced diet where there is an excessive focus on consumption or non- consumption of some particular food item as lowering amount of carbohydrates or proteins or fats to the level lower than the body requirement, the crash diet drastically reduces calories intake.

The fad diet cut down carbohydrates to 20 grams per day while requirement is around 250 gm per day. This cut causes body to use stored fat for energy requirement but fat could not be fully broken down without the presence of carbohydrate. This results in weariness, listlessness, nausea and sometimes dehydration due to accumulation of ketones in the blood.  

Complete cut down on fats besides lack of fat soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids also causes lack of satiety and increased appetite and thus over eating results in failure to lose weight.

Similarly diet without proteins inhibits the body growth and tissue repair process.

 Though differ from starvation crash diet is a diet with extreme nutritional deprivations to severely restrict calorie intake to achieve quick weight loss. But such weight loss lasts for short time say for a few weeks. This form of dieting slows down body's basal metabolic rate, as a result the body starts conserving calorie and weight loss becomes increasingly difficult. Rather after some initial loss, the weight is usually regained quickly in the weeks that follow and when the individual reverts to original diet. There a vicious cycle sets in, the weight that is regained is often more than the starting weight, causing the dieter to revert back to the crash diet, lose weight, regain the weight and so on and so forth. At the same time by denying body proper nutrition results unwanted feeling completely drained of energy though the person looks fat.

Losing weight is a good resolution but this should always be done in a manner so that one does not make him/herself ill and fatigued. A balanced diet combined with adequate exercise is a must for a toned body that looks great through all seasons. The only and the best way to lose weight are to eat a balanced diet which overall gives lesser calories than burnt by the person every day. To achieve this negative balance of energy, follow these rules –  

DOS

1. Eat small portion of food at regular intervals throughout the day instead of 2 or 3 meals a day.

2. The meal should contain food which is high in proteins and fibre such as egg white, whole pulses and beans, low fat milk and milk products, whole grains, oats, beans, broccoli, papaya, orange and guava should be consumed.

3. For non vegetarians, fish and low fat chicken without skin are good options.

4. Stick to low fat cooking preparations like grilled or roasted dishes for fewer calories. Choose cooking oils that are high in MUFA (monounsaturated fat) as these fatty acids control bad cholesterol. Oil such as safflower, sunflower or soya oil is the right option as it is healthy for the heart and free from bad cholesterol.

Avoid using Canola as cooking oil or salad oil though polyunsaturated it is not healthy oil.

DON’TS

1. Don’t fast or skip meals as it reduces basal metabolic rate (BMR) which results in conservation of energy and preventing weight loss, rather small frequent meals and exercises keep the BMR boosted leading to weight loss in the right way.

2. Don’t completely eliminate fats from diet as the good fats such as omega-3 fatty acids and mono- unsaturated fats are essential for health.

3. Don’t use refined flours and sugars or their preparation.

4. Don’t take red meats like pork, mutton, ham and anything with rich gravies.

5. Beware of drinking calories as sweetened drinks.

6. Don’t deviate from the aim hence diet plan and exercise.  

BREAKING DOWN THE BODY FATS:

Besides regulating intake of food breaking down the fats that are already in the body is important.

1. Stay active through the day. Take stairs instead of lift or elevator thus walk a few extra steps every day and stay fit.

2. Therefore follow a regular workout regime such as to break into a sweat. Simple aerobic exercises or anything that increase heart rate and keeps it up would do as cycling, swimming, running etc.  

The long-term weight loss is a product of changing our behavior, good nutrition and physical activity. It could not be over emphasized: Think Smart, Eat Well, and Move More for -

Weight loss more than 1-2 pounds per week not considered good. 

If consumed in appropriate proportion and amount all foods can fit into a healthy diet.

Physical activity besides promoting a feeling of well-being and reducing the risk of chronic diseases, offsets the lowering of the metabolic rate that occurs with reduced caloric intakes.

The key to healthy weight loss is healthy eating and physical activity.

Dr. M. K. Tyagi
D.H.M.S., Dip. N.I.H.Research Officer 
Sewa Mandir
Mobile" 09829157926
Email: 1.sewamandir@usa.net, 2.manju_mkt2003@yahoo.co.in