Category: Weight Loss

Healthy Weight Loss with these 15 Tips

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Healthy Weight Loss Tips

Weight loss is not a miracle that can happen overnight. We often come upon people who are on a mission to lose weight either by following fad diets or unhealthy efforts. Weight loss is a result of 80% Diet and 20% Exercise. Losing weight differs as per the person’s weight, height, diet, nutrition, genes, lifestyle etc and cannot be generically categorized for everyone commonly. It would be best to consult a qualified nutritionist/dietician for the same who would give us the best individualized sustainable plan as per our needs and comfort for effective weight loss and to stay healthy and fit.

Below are mentioned some effective tips for healthy weight loss:-

  1. Water: Drinking minimum 8-10 glasses of water especially before having your meals is extremely beneficial for staying healthy as it flushes out all the toxins and chemicals from our body. It keeps us hydrated as well as makes us feel full. Most of the time we mistake thirst for hunger.
  2. Inclusion of Greens: Inclusion of leafy greens in our diet adds to weight loss as they are low in calorie and high on nutrients and antioxidants. They provide us numerous health benefits. The fibre content in them keeps us feeling fuller.
  3. Drinking Green Tea: Green tea is low on caffeine and high on antioxidants. It is actually beneficial for weight loss as it helps in burning fat.
  4. Cutting down on unhealthy “whites” from your diet:  eliminating the white food items from our diet can help us lose weight. Items such as Salt, Sugar, Maida, Bread etc increase obesity risk along with being associated with heart conditions and Type 2 diabetes.
  5. Portion Control: Simple and effective way to manage weight loss is portion control. Keeping a tab on the item on your plate by keeping a diary or logging into health apps increases our awareness regarding our diet intake and makes us more conscious and better eaters.
  6. Having Spicy food: Having spicy food boost metabolism and reduces your appetite. It thereby decreases food cravings and makes us resist eating unhealthy food items.
  7. Having homemade food: Simple, nutritious and fresh home cooked meals have an added advantage over processed and stale food we eat outside which are loaded with calories and zero on nutrition.
  8. Chewing food slowly and thoroughly: Having food slowly and chewing it properly and thoroughly can send the brain the signal that we have eaten enough. Chewing is also effective in reducing calories. Take minimum 20 minutes to finish your meal.
  9. Sleep: Perhaps the most underrated tip, getting adequate sleep. Sleep is not only important to keep you replenished and fresh for the next day, but having adequate and sound sleep helps us in shedding our calories too. It is considered as important as a good diet and exercise.
  10. Cut down fizzy drinks/canned juices: Soda, juices loaded with sugar, canned juices which are loaded with preservatives etc should be cut down from our diet as they are empty in nutrition and loaded with calories. Eating a whole fruit or vegetable is considered a healthier option. You can also opt for coconut water, fresh fruit unstrained juices, instead of carbonated drinks.
  11. Stay Happy: Being happy and cheerful leads to positive vibes, which releases feel good hormones. A happy and content person tends to have a balance in life and does everything in moderation which leads them to being healthy and fit.
  12. Indulge in choice of exercise: Most often people join gyms or some kind of class with the intention of losing weight. The choice of exercise might not be of their preference and soon they tend to get bored and stop it altogether leading to gaining back all the weight that was shed. Sticking to simple but long term exercises like walking, swimming, cycling etc lead to better results and a continuation.
  13. Eating whole food: Consuming fresh and raw whole foods, fruits and vegetables are more beneficial in the weight loss process as they contain few calories and more fibre.
  14. Healthy Snacking: Keeping healthy snacks like nuts, almonds, peanuts, Futana, Makhanas etc helps us keep our hunger pangs at bay and lets us snack healthily.
  15. Moderation: Moderation is the key. Living a healthy and balanced life with everything in moderation helps to keep us fit and healthy.

*This article is sourced from Mrs. Siddhi Takalkar Deshpande, one of the best dietitian in Pune for weight loss and clinical nutritionist.

6 Simple Tips for Weight loss After Pregnancy

Weight loss after delivery is hyped these days. You may have seen your favorite celebrity back to her original shape within no days! Although you might be eager to lose your weight after your pregnancy, it is important to stay patient with yourself. It is transitional state in life of every woman where she loses her original shape of body. To fit back to your jeans, all you have to do is be patient and try to follow these simple tips to lose it a healthy way and after a right interval.

  • Do not diet for weight loss soon

Healthy eating is sufficient for this recovery phase. If you start dieting on your own by avoiding your favorite foods and starving, your post-delivery recovery becomes difficult. Weight loss diets are generally deprived of calories and your body can undergo more stress. You should never starve especially if you are breast feeding. Remember your weight is just a measurement and body has just a shape, and you can modify it your own way, but later! Instead of this, if you simply follow healthy eating, eating as per your hunger signals can help you to reduce your weight naturally.

  • Lose weight slowly

Do not restrict your calories below your requirement especially if you are breast feeding. Along with it, you need to ensure whether your diet consists of rich sources of various minerals, vitamins and protein for lactation and your nutrition. Be realistic about weight loss. You may not return to your pre-pregnancy weight and shape as pregnancy may cause some permanent changes like slightly wide hips and larger waist line.

  • Breast feeding

It is natural way to weight loss since it helps you to burn your extra calories daily. However, some may not lose weight during lactation. This may be related to more calorie intake in relation to calories burnt throughout lactation.

  • Exercise

If you have a c-section, you should start your exercise upto 45 – 60 days. You can later start with simple walking/ cardio exercise of low intensity for short duration and gradually increase the time. Prefer non-strenuous exercises. You can simply try to be active later. Take your baby for a walk in a stroller! Be active is the only key to weight loss. Many women consider themselves to be unfit to exercise after pregnancy. But pregnancy is not a disease, it is just a physiological condition. One should exercise enough to maintain optimum fitness, reduce stress, improves flexibility and mood.

  • Adequate sleep

Adequate sleep is essential for you. Lack of sleep can also add on additional weight on you due to release of stress hormones. Sleep early at night, sleep when your baby sleeps and take turns with your partner at night to get maximum rest.

  • Wrap your belly

Wrapping your belly is practiced since centuries. Gentle compression on our belly can help it to return back to its normal size quicker. It also helps to support your belly and back.

After going through all these key points, remember to be patient until you return to normal weight. Do not starve to reduce weight. Reduce it in a healthy with healthy eating and exercise. Eat healthy, Stay fit.

The above blog is written by pregnancy diet consultant in Pune, Dt. Siddhi Takalkar-Deshpande. She is also one of the best Women’s Health Consultant in Pune for Pregnancy, Lactation and PCOD Diets.