Sustainable Weight Loss

People often associate losing weight with strict dieting, starvation, and giving up favorite meals.

Little do they understand that results achieved through this means are sustainable, demotivating & an extremely exhausting vicious cycle.

Weight loss does not have to be a strict diet, nor do you have to give up your favorite foods. All you have to do is eat in moderation, cut out unhealthy ingredients, and empty calories like sodas, sugars, and palm/ refined vegetable oils & you’re good to go!

On the flip side, most unhealthy foods also have extremely healthy, yet lip-smacking alternatives. For example, an unhealthy overdose of plain flour and sugar pancakes for breakfast could be replaced with Monsoon Harvest’s wide range of nutrient-dense, tasty cereal options!

The only way to permanently shed weight is by making lifestyle changes, working out, maintaining an active lifestyle & getting a good amount of sleep.

Now, all of this might sound overwhelming for someone who is just starting.

Let me help you classify your foods & also help you create your nutrient-rich, protein-packed diet!

You need to get at least 1.3 grams of protein per kg of your body weight. Your source of protein should ideally be a lean source such as low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat yogurt, kidney beans, lentils, soya chunks, eggs, fish, etc.

Next, you need to add a GOOD source of carbohydrates such as Oatmeal, Whole wheat flour, rice (brown or white), sweet potatoes, etc.

Always have a good amount of green leafy vegetables for fiber and that’s it! You are good to go!

Here are 5 tips that will help you enhance your diet:

1. Keep a food & weight diary:

• Self-monitoring and keeping a track of your daily intake is a critical step to stay accountable and be consistent.

• Keeping a track of what you eat can help you keep yourself in check throughout the day and also remind you to eat if you have not eaten enough

2. Portion Control:

• Always measure the quantity of food that you are consuming. You can eat anything as long as you eat in moderation. So this means you need to always measure your food by using measuring scales & food weighing scales.

3. Plan your entire day's meals (meal prep):

• Planning your meals well in advance would help you stay on track, stay disciplined, and eliminates the chances of you not getting in your nutrient-rich meals.

4. Exercise:

• Any form of body movement like running, jogging, swimming & bicycling can be paired up with strength/weight training and cross fit.

• Dancing and yoga can also be added to your exercise routine to keep things interesting.

• Your ideal week of exercising would consist of a mix of cardio( dance, running, cycling) with strength and weight training.

• Often there is a misconception that women who lift weights are manly. but in reality, strength training will help increase metabolism, tone muscles and accelerate weight loss. So women, please don't ever be afraid of lifting weights!

5. Practice Mindfulness:

• Being mindful not only means yoga & meditation. Being mindful also means that you speak good words to yourself and also keep a positive mindset to make this journey more enjoyable.

Now that you have a rough idea, let me help you out with your snacks.

When trying to lose weight, snacking seems to be an Olympic sport! People often think snacking while on a diet means eating cucumbers with hummus. But, this would leave you feeling miserable when you realize you have to eliminate most of your favorite foods.

But reaching for the right snacks will actually aid your weight loss journey. Healthy snacks can also kill food cravings and ward off feelings of deprivation. The only catch: It’s not always obvious which snacks are actually satisfying and nutritious.

The good news is that there are so many options for healthy snacks that will curb unhealthy food cravings but also satisfy your cravings, and aid in weight loss—all while tasting amazing. If you’re looking for some inspiration, we have you covered!

You can have anything like Snackible’s makhana to The Brooklyn Creamery's low-calorie ice creams. All you need to keep in mind is that you can eat in moderation and indulge in guilt-free treats as long as you eat in a calorie deficit.

Now, why is eating in a calorie deficit important?

Multiple studies have shown that eating high-calorie dense foods would not keep you satiated for long as the portion size and volume are small. In contrast to this, eating low-calorie foods adds volume to your diet and hence, keeps you fuller for longer.

Now, this term might sound very alien to a few so let me quickly explain what a calorie deficit is.

You burn more calories than you consume. Meaning, all you have to do is move your body and also eat mindfully! Pair up your healthy meal Choose some form of exercise- gym, dance, yoga, walking, running; the list goes on.

Let's also address the mindset and mental well-being while you are on a weight loss transformation. Most people tend to feel a little exhausted initially and you can overcome this by either being extremely self-aware and in control of the situation or you can let the situation take control over you.

Practicing tough love also means telling yourself that you love yourself enough to do things that will help you in the long term over short-term instant gratification.

You can always remind yourself, maybe have a dress that you want to fit into hung at the corner of the bed so the next time you wake up in the morning, you will see the dress which will reinforce your goals and it will motivate you to stay disciplined and consistent.

So now that we have most of it in order, can you promise yourself that you won’t beat yourself up for gaining weight over the holidays?

Celebrate your body, celebrate the fact that you can achieve a healthy lifestyle & always eat whole foods. Not only will you look good, but you will also feel good too!

- Shalini M (PES1UG20BD060)_ISA 1