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Most women battle with weight loss issues at some point in their life. Physiological changes, household work and the many responsibilities we handle push health right at the bottom of our priority list. We neglect our health until things go out of hand. Losing weight or maintaining an ideal weight is never prioritized by us.
However, maintaining a healthy weight is very important as it shall keep you healthy lifelong. Therefore we should be aware and understand how we can lose weight in a healthy way and be convinced that we need not injure our body in order to lose weight. Always take up a healthy and practical diet which is sustainable throughout your life without the fear of gaining weight back.
During my practice, I come across women who have to deal with bigger health issues just because they did not pay attention to their health earlier. Most women gain weight on and off and continue to ignore it until they are asked by the doctor to do so. So here are few tips which shall help most of the women in maintaining an ideal weight throughout.
1. Do Not Skip Any Meals: Starvation forces our body to store more fat. You might end up eating double the quantity if you starve yourself often. Hence breaking up your meals or having small and frequent meals in the day will ensure that you lose weight in a healthy manner rather than skipping a meal altogether.
2. Eat Wholesome And Fibre Rich Foods: Fibre is extremely important if you are looking to lose weight. Addition of fibre to the diet accelerates weight loss and keeps your digestive system healthy. Include fruits, vegetables, lots of green leafy veggies, oats, millets, whole grains, brown rice, beans, lentils, legumes, nuts and seeds. Eating wholesome meals means eating clean and good food.
3. Superfoods And Spices Give Your Metabolism A Boost: Superfoods are those foods which can help you in losing weight. They also provide antioxidants and are great for your overall health and well-being. Include superfoods like chia seeds, flaxseeds, methi seeds, apple cider vinegar, green tea, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds to your diet. Spices like cinnamon, turmeric, garlic, ginger, black pepper can be added to the diet in order to boost your metabolism.
4. Drink Plenty Of Water: Drinking water not only detoxifies your body. Keep yourself well hydrated because dehydration can compel you to consume sugar-filled foods, in short, putting your weight loss goals on hold. You must consume at least 8-10 glasses of water per day.
5. Adopt Healthy Cooking Methods: The way you cook food can also affect your weight loss goals. Deep-frying or adding excess oil to the sabji can wreak havoc on your system. Hence you must take up healthy cooking methods like boiling, steaming, stir-fry and baking. You must not consume more than 3-4 tsps of oil/ghee daily.
6. Don’t Stock Junk Food At Home: To avoid temptations, try not to store junk foods at home like biscuits, chips, bakery products, cakes, sweets, chocolates, etc. Instead keep stock of fresh fruits, salad veggies, unsalted nuts/chana/seeds/peanuts/makhana, homemade chikki made from unrefined jaggery, dates, raisins, figs and dark chocolate for your sweet cravings. Make sure your kitchen and fridge both contain foods which are healthy, clean, filled with nutrients for both you and your family.
7. Avoid Sugary And Aerated Drinks: Sugary and aerated drinks can be your worst enemy if you are looking to shed those extra pounds/kilos. Instead of these, opt for coconut water, thin buttermilk, infused water, vegetable juice, green tea, lemon juice without sugar.
8. Eat In Fixed Portions: Portion control plays a very important part of losing weight. Fill half of your plate with a combination of leafy vegetable/vegetables, a quarter with complex carbohydrates(whole wheat grains, brown rice, millets), a quarter with good quality proteins(lean meat, fish, dals, lentils, legumes). Portion control is the key. Once you learn to control your portions everything is going to fall in place. Drink a glass of water before your meals in order to avoid overeating later. Be wise when it comes to your portion size.
9. Maintain A Food Diary: Maintaining a food diary is the best way to keep a check on what you have been consuming daily. Writing down everything you have eaten throughout the day with the portions gives you an insight about your own dietary habits. It can help you in amending your dietary habits and on the whole your lifestyle. Write down everything be it your food intake, water consumed or hours you slept for and even if you consumed a cheat meal. Be true to yourself most of all.
10. Stay Active: They say if you need to lose weight then a combination of 70% diet and 30% exercise works the best. Hence if you aren’t a gym person then fret not! You can simply walk for 25-30minutes, go for Zumba, dance it out or simply do some yoga. And if you are a gym person then take up weight training with the help of an expert and just sweat it out!
11. Adequate Sleep: Along with eating right and exercising, getting quality sleep is extremely important in order to lose weight. Poor sleep increases appetite/craving/calorie intake ultimately leading to weight gain. Sleep for at least 7-8hours daily and drink a cup of warm milk with turmeric or a cup of chamomile tea to induce good sleep.
Start with at least some of these tips to begin your journey. If you start noticing results, you are sure to adopt all.
Image via Pixabay
A Nutritionist, Clinical Dietitian, Speaker, health/fitness blogger, online show host,menu planner, menstrual health
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