How to lose weight

You want to drop pounds, now. And you want to do it safely. But how?

First, keep in mind that it’s best to lose weight gradually. It’s more likely to stay off. If you shed pounds too fast, you’ll lose muscle, bone, and water instead of fat.

Our advice: Aim to lose 1-2 pounds per week, and avoid fad diets or products that make promises that sound too good to be true. It’s best to base your weight loss on changes you can stick with over time. For faster results, you’ll need to work with a dietitian, to make sure that you stay healthy and get the nutrients that you need.

Make a Plan

You’ve probably heard the saying, “calories in, calories out”; as in, you just need to burn more calories than you eat and drink.

But it’s not that simple, as many people can tell you from their own experience.

Your metabolism — how well your body turns calories into fuel — also matters. And if you cut too many calories, it’s bad for you. You slow down your metabolism, and that can make you fall short on some nutrients.

There are many ways you can do this, without cutting calories too much. You could:

• Cut back on portions.
• Figure out how many calories you get in a usual day, and trim back a bit.
• Read food labels to know how many calories are in each serving.
• Drink more water, so you’re not so hungry.

Whatever method you use, you’ll need to favor good-for-you foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean protein so you keep up good nutrition. Working with a dietitian is a good idea, so you make a plan that covers those needs.

Get Accountability and Support

Many apps can help you track your eating. Since you probably have your smartphone with you all the time, you can use it to keep up with your plan. Or keep a pen-and-paper food journal of what you ate and when.

You’ll also want to have people on your side to help you stay motivated and to cheer you on. So ask your family and friends to support your efforts to lose weight.

You might also want to join a weight loss group where you can talk about how it’s going with people who can relate. Or talk with someone you know who’s lost weight in a healthy way. Their encouragement is “contagious,” in a good way!

Find Out What Drives You to Eat

At the most basic level, food is fuel. It gives you energy to do things. But very few people eat just for that reason. It’s at every social gathering. And it’s where a lot of us turn when we have a rough day.

You’ll need to know what makes you want to eat when you’re not hungry, and have a plan for those moments. The first step is finding out what your triggers are. Is it stress, anger, anxiety, or depression in a certain part of your life? Or is food your main reward when something good happens?

Next, try to notice when those feelings come up, and have a plan ready to do something else instead of eating. Could you take a walk? Text a friend?

Lastly, reward yourself for making a different choice. Just don’t use food as the reward.

Reset What and When You Eat

You don’t have to go vegan, gluten-free, or quit any particular food group to lose weight. In fact, you’re more likely to keep the pounds off for good if it’s something you can live with for the long term. But it does make sense to cut way down on, or totally cut out, empty calories.

Limit added sugars. These are the sugars in cookies, cakes, sugar-sweetened drinks, and other items — not the sugars that are naturally in fruits, for instance. Sugary foods often have a lot of calories but few nutrients. Aim to spend less than 10% of your daily calories on added sugars.

Be choosy about carbs. You can decide which ones you eat, and how much. Look for those that are low on the glycemic index (for instance, asparagus is lower on the glycemic index than a potato) or lower in carbs per serving than others. Whole grains are better choices than processed items, because processing removes key nutrients such as fiber, iron, and B vitamins. They may be added back, such as in “enriched” bread.

Include protein. It’s satisfying and will help keep up your muscles. There are vegetarian and vegan sources (nuts, beans, and soy are a few), as well as lean meat, poultry, fish, and dairy.

Most people get enough protein but could choose to get it from leaner sources, so you may already have plenty in your diet. Your exact protein needs depend on your age, gender, and how active you are.

Make friends with good fats. Small amounts of fat can help you feel full and less like you’re on a diet. The better choices are those in fish, nuts and seeds, and olive oil. Those have unsaturated fats — polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats, specifically.

Fill up on fiber. You can get that from vegetables, whole grains, fruits — any plant food will have fiber. Some have more than others. Top sources include artichokes, green peas, broccoli, lentils, and lima beans. Among fruits, raspberries lead the list.

Eat more often. If you eat 5-6 times a day, it could keep hunger at bay. You could split your calories equally across all of those mini-meals, or make some bigger than others. You will need to plan portions so that you don’t end up eating more than you bargained for.

What About Meal Replacements? These products will control your calories. They’re convenient and take the guesswork out of dieting.

Again, though, you’ll need to change your eating habits to keep the weight off if you go off the meal replacements.

Watch your drinks. One easy way to lose weight quickly is to cut out liquid calories, such as soda, juice, and alcohol. Replace them with zero-calorie drinks like lemon water, unsweetened tea, or black coffee.

Diet drinks will save you calories, compared with sugary beverages. But if you then reach for a cookie or other treat because you’re still hungry or you think you saved   enough calories for it, that plan backfires.

Should You Fast?

You might think that fasting is a quick way to drop pounds. But experts don’t recommend it, because it’s not a long-term solution. It’s better to have an eating plan that you can stick to over time and fits into your lifestyle.

All fasts aren’t the same. Some involve skipping all food. There are also fasts where you eat every other day. There hasn’t been a lot of research on how well off-and-on fasting works in the long run.

During the first days of your fast, you may feel hungry and grumpy. You may also get constipated. And you won’t have the energy to do much, physically. Drink lots of water and take a daily multivitamin. You should also tell your doctor, especially if you take medications that will probably need to be adjusted.

Remember that if you do fast, you’ll still need to change your eating habits once your fast ends.

No matter how you kick-start your weight loss, the best way to keep it off is with long-lasting lifestyle changes, like a healthy eating plan and physical activity. If you’re not sure where to start, how many calories to cut, or how to do it safely, you might want to consult a registered dietitian.

Planning for weight loss – Indeed, planning involves discipline – and that is a key trait that is evident among the “successful losers”. Maintain a 30-pound weight loss for at least a year – since many have lost much more, and kept it off for much longer.

It is very difficult to lose weight and keep it off – and people who succeed must have discipline. People who are most successful plan their day to ensure that they stick to their eating plan and get regular physical activity. It takes effort to be successful in long-term weight management.

Set following goals –

Plan your daily food : First, take note of every bite of food you have during the day. You become more conscious of what you’re doing. It helps you monitor yourself, and make corrections in mid-course.  it’s research for your plan of action. Plans work better than platitudes.

Focus on your high-risk time slots when you’re most likely to get off course. Just keep notes during that time period. You’ll quickly see problem habits: banana split vs. banana, the whole container of nuts vs. a handful.

Set specific goals : You can’t just tell yourself to eat less junk food. Be specific – ‘I’m going to substitute popcorn for potato chips.’ That way you know exactly what to do. There’s no question.

Consider your options : Keep lists of healthy foods and meals you love, and plan accordingly. You can think of five different breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. Then you’ll have some freedom – you can choose from your favorites. But your eating will be more structured. That’s what’s important.

Shop wisely : A well-stocked fridge and pantry can make it easier to grab a healthy snack or prepare delicious meals that are also good for you. Keep basics like these on hand: low-fat milk and yogurt, eggs, peanut butter, a variety of fresh fruits (include berries and grapes) and vegetables (include carrots and celery), soybeans, garlic, whole grain pasta/bread, fish, and high-fiber cereal.

Plan Healthy Treats : Low-fat cheese or yogurt, hummus with veggies, and fresh fruit are great choices. Keep them at home; That will help you eat the right foods when you’re starving – especially in the late afternoon.

Do It Yourself : These are great prepare-ahead healthy meals that will keep you feeling full and help you control your weight:

• Make a dried-fruit-and-nut mix for emergency snacking. (Be wary of granola, since it typically has lots of sugar) Pack small amounts in a little plastic bag.
• Cook a big pot of homemade vegetable soup, which can be frozen for several lunches or dinners.
• Try smoothies – blend low-fat yogurt and fruit – for a grab-and-go meal.
• Mix up big salads or a pasta primavera with lots of veggies and whole-wheat pasta. Prepare large quantities so you can have a moderate-sized helping for dinner and then have leftovers for lunch the next day.

Don’t Limit Yourself : It’s OK to eat breakfast food for snacks, lunch, or dinner. You can eat a hard-boiled egg or cereal any time, not just breakfast.

 In the wake of COVID-19, the whole country has been put under a lockdown till May 2020. By staying indoors and practicing self-isolation, we can possibly break the chain of infection much sooner and restore normalcy. There are many ways to approach this quarantine. You can sit and sulk about how much you enjoyed being outside, or utilise this time to your benefit. Remember the New Year resolution you took to eat healthy and lose weight? Perhaps it’s time to do something about it. You could start with small, gradual steps.

The goal is to plan your meals and simplify your cooking and  minimise ingredients. Focus on food that will ensure your health and immunity  are enhanced. 

Start Your day : Start your day with Honey Lemon and Water. It supposedly helps rejuvenate you, rid your body of toxins and revs up your metabolism.

Do Not Skip Breakfast : Skipping breakfast will not help you lose weight. You could miss out on essential nutrients and you may end up snacking more throughout the day because you feel hungry.

Manage Your Calorie Intake : It’s really not rocket science: if you don’t want to out on weight, you have to stop eating more than your body needs. Even if before the mandatory isolation you have been living a relative sedentary lifestyle, being indoors for 99% of time means you are burning less calories than you used to. And this means you should eat less to adjust to this new lifestyle.

Eat Regular Meals : Eating at regular times during the day helps burn calories at a faster rate. It also reduces the temptation to snack on foods high in fat and sugar.

Try Intermittent Fasting :  You can drastically reduce calorie consumption by only eating in a certain time-window a day. Probably the most popular way is to do intermittent fasting. There are two ways to go about it: either the 5:2 diet or the 16:8 fast diet.

With the 5:2 diet, you restrict calorie intake for two days a week, down to 700-800 calories, while for the rest of the weeks you eat normally. The 16:8 diet is a daily fast, where you eat only in an 8-hour window. With the latter, the most convenient way is to fast while you sleep: have your last meal at around 8 pm, and have the next one at 12 pm the next day.

Eat Plenty of Fruits and Veg. : Fruit and veg are low in calories and fat, and high in fibre – 3 essential ingredients for successful weight loss. They also contain plenty of vitamins and minerals.

Get More Active : Being active is key to losing weight and keeping it off. As well as providing lots of health benefits, exercise can help burn off the excess calories you cannot lose through diet alone.

Drink Plenty of Water : People sometimes confuse thirst with hunger. You can end up consuming extra calories when a glass of water is really what you need. Drinking plenty of water can help metabolism and, most importantly, it can also help you feel fuller for longer.

Use a Fitness Tracker : Although we are stuck indoors, having a fitness tracker or running watch around your wrist can still be beneficial. One of the more casual feature of these fitness wearables is the ‘movement reminder’ that prompts you, once every hour, to get up and walk for a bit. Now, being in isolation doesn’t help but getting off from the sofa periodically can be beneficial for your overall well being nevertheless, even if it is just to have a stretch or to put away some washing.

Read Food Labels : Knowing how to read food labels can help you choose healthier options. Use the calorie information to work out how a particular food fits into your daily calorie allowance on the weight loss plan.

Get a Smart Scale : Just like fitness trackers, bathroom scales – the smart scale variety – can also measure energy expenditure and tell you how many calories you burn, as well as other deets about your body, like bone/muscle mass ( BMI ) and, most importantly, body fat percentage.

Eat High Fibre Foods : Foods containing lots of fibre can help keep you feeling full, which is perfect for losing weight. Fibre is only found in food from plants, such as fruit and veg, oats, wholegrain bread, brown rice and pasta, and beans, peas and lentils.

Do HIIT Workouts : HIIT workouts have never really gone out of fashion but they are definitely ‘in’ at the moment, mainly because they are an effective way to burn calories and can be done indoors, using your body weight only, a kettlebell, dumbbells,  exercise bikes, rowing machines and basically everything you can think off. We have seen a gym water bottle tabata workout before, too.

Do Not Ban Foods : Do not ban any foods from your weight loss plan, especially the ones you like. Banning foods will only make you crave them more. There’s no reason you cannot enjoy the occasional treat as long as you stay within your daily calorie allowance.

Use Smaller Plates : Using smaller plates can help you eat smaller portions. By using smaller plates and bowls, you may be able to gradually get used to eating smaller portions without going hungry. It takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain it’s full, so eat slowly and stop eating before you feel full.

Challenge Yourself : Best way to motivate yourself to move more and therefore to burn more calories more efficiently is set up a challenge for yourself. Although you can’t leave the house for leisure activities but you still have plenty of options. How about a 30-day push up challenge? Start with doing one on day one and double up every day and see if you can keep up with the pace.

Cut Down on Alcohol : A standard glass of wine can contain as many calories as a piece of chocolate. Over time, drinking too much can easily contribute to weight gain.

Have Protein at every Meal and Snack : Adding a source of lean or low-fat protein to each meal and snack will help keep you feeling full longer so you’re less likely to overeat. Try low-fat yogurt, small portion of nuts, peanut butter, eggs and beans. Opt for simple recipes like roasted nuts, Apple with peanut butter or homemade popcorn,

Do Not Stock Junk Food : To avoid temptation, do not stock junk food – such as chocolate, biscuits, crisps and sweet fizzy drinks – at home. Instead, opt for healthy snacks, such as fruit, unsalted rice cakes, oat cakes, unsalted or unsweetened popcorn, and fruit juice.

Plan Your Meals : Try to plan your breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for the week, making sure you stick to your calorie allowance. You may find it helpful to make a weekly shopping list.

Desserts should be healthy : Desserts, when healthy and simple, are the Best ! It is important to create small moments of fun and pleasure with uplifting and healthy food and your best option would be more fruit based desserts. It is healthier to use jaggery as sweetener.

Switch to Lighter Alternatives : Whenever you can, use the low-fat versions of salad dressings, mayonnaise, dairy products, and other products. You can trim calories effortlessly if you use low-fat and lighter products, and if the product is mixed in with other ingredients, no one will ever notice.

There are many ways to lose a lot of weight fast. That said, many diet plans leave you feeling hungry or unsatisfied. These are major reasons why you might find it hard to stick to a diet.

However, not all diets have this effect. Low carb diets are effective for weight loss and may be easier to stick to than other diets.

Here’s a 3-step weight loss plan that employs a low carb diet and aims to:

Protein – Eating plenty of protein is an essential part of this plan. Evidence suggests that eating lots of protein may boost calorie expenditure by 80–100 calories per day.

High protein diets can also reduce cravings and obsessive thoughts about food by 60%, reduce the desire to snack late at night by half, and make you feel full. In one study, people on a higher protein diet ate 441 fewer calories per day.

When it comes to losing weight, protein is a crucial nutrient to think about.

Healthy protein Source includes :

• Meat: beef, chicken, pork, and lamb
• Fish and seafood: salmon, trout, and shrimp
• Eggs: whole eggs with the yolk
• Plant-based proteins: beans, legumes, and soy

Low carb vegetables –  Don’t be afraid to load your plate with low carb vegetables. They are packed with nutrients and you can eat very large amounts without going over 20–50 net carbs per day. A diet based mostly on lean protein sources and vegetables contains all the fiber, vitamins, and minerals you need to be healthy.

Healthy low Card Vegetables – 

• Broccoli, Asparagus, Mushrooms
• Zucchini, Spinach, Avocados
• Cauliflower, Green Beans, Lettuce, Cabbage
• Garlic, Kale, Cucumbers, Brussels Sprouts
• Celery, Tomatoes, Radishes.

Healthy Fats – Don’t be afraid of eating fats. Trying to do low carb and low fat at the same time can make sticking to the diet very difficult.

Sources of healthy fats include:

• olive oil
• coconut oil
• avocado oil
• butter

Lift Weights three times a Week – You don’t need to exercise to lose weight on this plan, but it will have extra benefits. By lifting weights, you will burn lots of calories and prevent your metabolism from slowing down, which is a common side effect of losing weight.

Studies on low carb diets show that you can gain a bit of muscle while losing significant amounts of body fat. Try going to the gym three to four times a week to lift weights. If you’re new to the gym, ask a trainer for some advice.

If lifting weights is not an option for you, doing some cardio workouts like walking, jogging, running, cycling, or swimming will suffice. Both cardio and weightlifting can help with weight.

Try doing a carb refeed once a week – If you need to, you can take one day off per week where you eat more carbs. Many people choose to do this on Saturday or Sunday. It’s important to stick to healthy carb sources like oats, rice, quinoa, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and fruit. If you must have a cheat meal and eat something unhealthy, do it on this day.

Limit this to one higher carb day per week. If you aren’t reducing carbs enough, you might not experience weight loss. You might gain some water weight during your refeed day, and you will generally lose it again in the next 1–2 days.

What About Calories and Portion Control – It’s not necessary to count calories as long as you keep your carb intake very low and stick to protein, fat, and low carb vegetables. However, if you want to count them, you can use a free online calculator.

Enter your sex, weight, height, and activity levels. The calculator will tell you how many calories to eat per day to maintain your weight, lose weight, or lose weight fast. You can also download free, easy-to-use calorie counters from websites and app stores.

How Fast Will You Lose Weight – You may lose 5–10 pounds (2.3–4.5 kg) of weight — sometimes more — in the first week of the diet plan, and then lose weight consistently after that. If you’re new to dieting, weight loss may happen more quickly. The more weight you have to lose, the faster you will lose it.

For the first few days, you might feel a bit strange. Your body is used to running off carbs, and it can take time for it to get used to burning fat instead. Some people experience the “keto flu,” or “low carb flu.” It’s usually over within a few days. After the first few days, most people report feeling very good, with even more energy than before.

Apart from weight loss, the low carb diet can improve your health in many ways:

• blood sugar levels tend to significantly decrease on low carb diets
• triglycerides tend to go down
• LDL (bad) cholesterol goes down
• HDL (good) cholesterol goes up
• blood pressure improves significantly
• low carb diets can be as easy to follow as low fat diets

The Bottom Line – 

By reducing carbs and lowering insulin levels, you’ll likely experience reduced appetite and hunger. This removes the main reasons it’s often difficult to maintain a weight loss plan. On this plan, you can likely eat healthy food until you’re full and still lose a significant amount of fat.

The initial drop in water weight can lead to a drop in the scales within a few days. Fat loss takes longer. Studies comparing low carb and low fat diets suggest that a low carb diet might even make you lose up to two to three times as much weight as a typical low fat, calorie-restricted diet.

If you have type 2 diabetes, talk to your healthcare provider before making changes, as this plan can reduce your need for medication.

Going by contemporary social media humor, people across globe, though jokingly, appears to be quite concerned about the chances of weight gain during the period of lockdown.

This is particularly true for otherwise active working individuals, who now face a double whammy of not being able to exercise along with unfettered access to food at home. This coupled with a rather urban concept of endless munching, clearly predisposes us to weight gain – with all its attendant medical and social problems.

Given below are a few tips to prevent, or at least reduce the chances of weight gain during this period of restricted activity.

Eat Healthy Eat Wisely Eat Timely : While it is right to assume that being home-bound leads to easy access to food and snacks, there is also a latent advantage in this, which is often ignored. With no options of eating out, we are restricted to home food – which tends to be healthier, low calorie and low trans-fat. To gain further advantage from this, we can resort to lower calorie snacks and food items such as sprouts or salads as a replacement for the usual fried options.

Since most of us are not burning off calories during this period of lockdown, it is natural that our fuel foods intake should be lesser in this period. Carbohydrates (fuel foods) include food items such as bread, chapatis, rice, potato, etc. Intake of these should be curtailed during this period. Additionally, since the body does not need any energy during sleep, carbohydrates can be completely avoided at dinner. If satiety (satisfaction) is an issue with a curtailed intake of carbohydrates, we could increase the intake of low/non-carbohydrate food items such as pulses (dals), freshly cooked vegetables, fruits, etc.

The importance of timely and regular meals cannot be over-emphasized. Body metabolism works best when nutritious food is ingested at regular intervals, rather than erratically. It is particularly important to avoid eating dinner very late and sleeping soon thereafter. This habit of regular meals should ideally be followed even when there is no lockdown. Finally, this habit is particularly relevant to diabetics, as it avoids erratic blood sugar levels.

You are under social lockdown and not exercise lockdown – The physical and medical benefits of exercise are well known. There are two additional but lesser-known benefits of exercise, which are particularly relevant in crisis periods.

First, exercise is a very good immunity booster – which may be needed should one, unfortunately, get infected with the COVID19. Secondly, exercise is a mood elevator and has anti-anxiety effects. Exercise, due to the release of chemicals called endorphins, leads to a feeling of happiness and reduces feelings of anxiety and depression.

Now for some specific recommendations. Since we are completely home bound, we need to adopt exercises suitable for restricted areas. These could include simpler and less aggressive forms such as static running, skipping, etc., or more aggressive forms such as crunches Pilates, Aerobics or yoga.

Needless to say, your exercise schedule must include all forms including stretching, muscle building/toning, and cardio respiratory exercises. Regarding timing, exercise can be performed at any time of the day – though I recommend adhering to a fixed time and duration.

About duration, generally, 45 minutes to a an hour of daily exercise is adequate. Exercise should be performed most days in a week – if possible, every day. Different exercise schedules may be followed in order to avoid monotony and boredom, as well, as to exercise different muscle groups.

Various sites on the internet offer a range of information on age-appropriate exercise advice and schedules.

Its All in Mind – Like many other modern-day diseases, obesity also has a strong ‘mind’ component. While the country needs us to stay indoors at this time, it does not require us to eat more, become inactive and gain weight.

In fact, to the contrary, this is the time for us to evolve as individuals and make amends for whatever may be wrong in our lifestyles. To that extent, winning over this tendency to eat more and exercise less, is also a mind game.

Winning over our temptations seems daunting and un-achievable at first, but gets easier and achievable with the passage of time.

Monitor Yourself – Human beings are result-oriented species. We like to objectively assess and evaluate responses to lifestyle choices. Fortunately, in the case of weight gain, measuring this benefit is very easy. Just use a weighing scale! How often? Once a week should be enough.

Measuring body weight will give us a clear idea of where our body weight is headed. To conclude, it is possible to maintain our weight with a few lifestyle choices during this period of lockdown. After all, what we gain during this period, may take years to lose! Moreover, as one of the social media jokes goes, no one would like to be addressed as  “my dear elephants” at the end of this period.