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Want To
Loose Weight? Try Eating
Worried about weight gain?
Eating might help
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Crisply fried hot outer layer
with soft rich and spicy masala inside served with tamarind sauce is
strong enough to tempt every single person. A mere mention of the name
Samosa and the craving becomes impossible to overcome, only to learn that
besides the taste it also carries 140 calories.
23 year old Shweta
Dubey almost fell off her chair when her colleague told her that
she had put on weight. Shweta finds it extremely difficult to resist fried
food. According to her, "The mere sight of French fries make me crave for
it, I just cannot control the urge and then after eating I feel guilty."
Prevalence of the guilt factor is often high after eating junk food.
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Such guilt is usually
followed by crash dieting. With the prevalence of fast food, high fat
snacks and changing lifestyle, keeping a healthy diet today is harder than
ever. Especially after attending all those Christmas and New Year parties
that extra inch almost puts each one of us into depression.
Raquel Jacob, a call
centre worker, loves to eat but hates to exercise. She depends on
fat free snacks and colas, when a dietician informed her that she may gain
weight after eating these, Raquel found it hard to believe. "I was told
that I may gain unnecessary weight by consuming diet coke, I was shocked."
Not only Raquel but there are many others like her who are not aware of
the myths associated with low Calorie foods. Calories are a measure of the
energy contained in the food we consume.
Our body requires a minimum
level of calories for its normal functioning. According to Anjali
Sahijwani, senior dietician at Talwalkars, crash dieting and
starvation may lead to anorexia, lean muscles and loss of body water. She
believes that in order to loose weight maintaining a balanced diet is very
essential, besides exercising. "There is a serious need to clear
misconceptions, that eating may lead to weight gain, you need to eat
healthy to shed off the extra calories you gain," she adds.
Calorie requirements
differ in every individual. If on a weight loss programme average
calorie consumption can be anywhere between:
Type of work Calorie
requirement
Sedentary (Desk job) 1800 - 2000
Moderate(Housewives)1300 - 1500
Heavy (Heavy work) 2200 - 2500
Composition Of A Balanced Diet
A balanced diet should
have a minimum of - 55-60% of carbohydrates, 15-20% of fat and the
remaining proteins. Disha Gadhiya, student says "I often
have to skip breakfast due to my busy schedule." Disha's problem is faced
by many who find it difficult to have breakfast on a regular routine.
"Never skip your breakfast, if you are too busy, at least grab a fruit"
says Anjali. Breakfast is considered as
the most important meal of the day and should consist of complex
carbohydrates and fibre. It is very essential to begin the day by eating
healthy food. A healthy breakfast can comprise of - half a cup of oats
(unsweetened), 150ml of skimmed milk and fresh fruits. One can also choose
between poha, upma and idli to start the day. "Eating a healthy breakfast
will increase your fat burning ability and boost the metabolism for the
day," says Anjali.
Gauri Karnik dietician
at Leelavati Hospital believes that it is very important to
concentrate on weight maintenance. Balance is very essential and prevents
sudden unwanted weight gain. Health drinks and powders are ineffective.
"How can you compromise your food with a mere spoon of powder? Eating
involves satisfaction, no powder can give satisfaction," she says. A
well balanced lunch should comprise of chapati, dal, vegetables and curd.
Coconut is strictly to be avoided.
Anjali Sahijwani
believes that rice should not be avoided completely. "Rice is a staple
diet for most of us however it should be consumed in moderate amounts."
states Anjali. Gauri Karnik at Leelavati prefers to advise people on a
weight loss programme, to skip rice. For all those who are not very fond
of chapati she advises brown bread as an alternative. Be it dieticians,
doctors or fitness experts all have to say the same thing- a strict no to
fried foods and sweets in all forms. 30- 45 minutes of brisk walking is
essential. Drinking a minimum of two litres of water regularly is
extremely good and helps in a glowing skin. We all know that maintaining
a strict diet is important for that perfect figure, but how much can
temptations be controlled. All it demands is a strong will power; saying
no to a chocolate cake is difficult. Smilie Suri, actress from
Kalyug when asked about her fitness says "I like chocolates,
ice-creams sweets like jalebi and rasmalai. I have no control when I am
eating all these things, but it is a bad thing to over indulge in all
these things. I enjoy running, kick boxing and yoga." The actress believes
that exercise is a must. The question still remains the same what is to be
done to resist the craving. Dietician Anjali comes up with a solution. A
chart that lists items that one can have while eating out
Choose Avoid
Whole fruits Fruit juice
Tandoori roti Nan,Roomali roti
Chapati Bhatura
Plain ric puri
Idli sambhar Wada sambhar
Coconut water Coke,fanta
Mixed veg raita Boondi raita
Clear soup Sweet corn soup
Loosing weight is not a
difficult task all it requires is patience and control. Good food
always lifts up the mood. Eating healthy is key factor. Instead of
randomly cutting down on diet, a proper gradual routine has to be followed
that involves exercise and food. One must first know his calorie
requirements and follow a balanced diet. As widely said prevention is a
better cure. Dietician Gauri believes that concentration on
maintaining weight is beneficial. "Start eating everything in a proper
amount one month before New Year and Christmas, this prevents you from
gaining weight later," says Gauri. However the fact is that most of us
realise the intensity only after putting on weight. Low calorie diets
definitely help after all nothing in this world feels better then your
friend saying you look great after loosing weight.
Contributing Author: Written and researched by
Iona Chatterjee, English honors from
Delhi university currently pursuing multimedia journalism in met college
Bandra, Mumbai
Freelance Health / Nutrition Writers, Web Content Writing Services, India
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