LOSING WEIGHT THE WINNING OPTION

by Manjit Saluja

The most popular & great resolution to make is to lose weight & get into better shape. In the quest for weight loss some would join a Gym/exercises, go on a diet, or try some diet products. In our culture, maintaining a healthy weight can be tough-and losing weight, even tougher. Adding to this is the trend of fad diets and "quick-lose" plans that tempt and confuse us, and ultimately fail. But there are plenty of small but powerful, changes you can make that do add up to lasting weight loss success. The key to success is to learn how to develop a healthier, more satisfying relationship with food.

Why is weight loss so hard?
All too often, we make weight loss much more difficult then it needs to be with extreme diets that leave us cranky and starving, unhealthy lifestyle choices that demoralize us, and emotional eating habits that stop us before we get started. But there's a better way! You can lose weight without feeling miserable. By making smart choices every day, you can develop new eating habits and preferences that will leave you feeling satisfied..

A major component of losing weight is to make smarter food choices. Here's how:

Limit non-nutritious foods, such as:
• Sugar, syrups and ice-creams
• Pastries, cakes and biscuits
• Soft drinks, sweetened juices and alcoholic beverages

Cut down on high-fat foods by:

• Choosing low-fat cooking methods, such as baking, broiling, steaming, grilling and boiling
• Using low-fat or non-fat dairy products
• Avoiding high-fat snacks like nuts, chips and chocolate
• Avoiding fried foods
• Using less oil /ghee and butter

Eat a variety of foods, including:

• Fruit and vegetables that are raw, steamed or baked
• Whole grains, breads, cereals
• Dairy products, such as low-fat or non-fat milk or yogurt,
• Protein-rich foods like chicken, fish, and legumes, or beans

Change your eating habits:

• Eat three balanced meals a day to help control your hunger
• Eat small servings of a variety of foods
• Choose low-calorie snacks
• Eat only when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied
• Eat slowly and try not to perform other tasks while eating especially watching television
• Include regular exercise in your daily routine
• Never nibble between meals, if you feel you need to then eat a fruit or vegetable salad
• Try to eat your main meal in the middle of the day and your last meal or snack should be light in calories and be small portion
• Always start the day with a good breakfast this may help stop any cravings between meals and will give you more energy
• Keep a food dairy and record daily food intake
• Remember a positive lifestyle change rather than a specific crash diet is the result of success in weight control

Follow these simple steps & achieve your goals now !
Step1:- select your outcome goals Be specific eg lose 5 kg.
Step2:- Set a realistic time frame Consider how much sacrifice you are prepared to make
Step3:- Define measures such as

• Walk 30 minutes a day
• Reduce fat intakes
• Eating salads & sprouts

Step4:- Eating plan.

• Eat slowly
• Eat small meals
• Drink water with your meal to fill you up.

Make sure you stick with the goals you set Don't get upset with yourself if you lose only 1 kg in one month ; remember that it is still loss of weight even though it is small Even if you don't lose any weight in a month just be happy that you maintained your weight & didn't gain any.

Beware of Advertisements that promise of various diet products for speedy weight loss. Diet companies make a lot of magical promises, which are not realistic. These diets do help to quicken weight loss which is temporary. Permanent changes in lifestyle and food selection work in the long run. Some of the lifestyle changes can be adopted to help reduce weight:

1) Sleep well: Aim for 8 hours of quality sleep at night. Lack of sleep may link to more hunger and overeating.

2) Exercise:- Exercise is the best remedy for weight loss. Take a walk or even a 10 minute cycling would help burn the calories

3) Drink more water:- Replace tea, coffee, soda, coldrinks with water. Water helps in breaking down foods easily.

4) Practice 'mindful' eating:- Learn to eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly

5) Do not eat food to relieve stress:- Very often we eat food simply not to satisfy hunger but to relieve stress. At such occasions we tend to put on weight. During such times indulge in other activities such as listening to music, walking, gardening, shopping etc.

6) Fill your refrigerator with fruits and veggies:- To lose weight it does not mean that you eat less food, but eat wisely. Include more of fibrous food in your diet. The fiber food takes a long times to digest and give a feeling of full stomach

Which ever route you choose to lose weight; I wish you the best of luck. Start with small meals, eat a healthy diet, your weight