Since the fitness culture is becoming increasingly popular in today”s time, healthy snacking can be a key towards a fit you. Generally all of us have 3 meals a day, breakfast-lunch-dinner. But that”s not all we have, snacks are an important part of a diet. If we can have healthy snacks between meals, we can curb hunger and at the same time not feel guilty.
Fruits
Fruits are the healthiest and tastiest option to curb your hunger and enjoy their benefits. Just make sure not to go overboard with quantity. So instead of adding 1 whole mango and 1 banana in the platter, you can add a slice of mango and half banana. Try including low calorie fruits like apple, pomegranate, kiwi, cherries etc to balance the calories.
Roasted chana
As a rich source of vitamins, minerals and fiber, chickpeas may offer a variety of health benefits, such as improving digestion, aiding weight management and reducing the risk of several diseases. Additionally, chickpeas are high in protein and make an excellent replacement for meat in vegetarian and vegan diets. So you can munch on roasted chana and add squeezed lemon for better taste.
Makhana (fox nuts)
Makhana is delicious, cheap, easily available and yet wholesome and healthy. It is low in calories, cholesterol, fat, sodium and acts as a perfect snack. It is beneficial to those suffering from high BP, heart diseases and obesity due to their high magnesium and low sodium content. They have low glycemic index and are ideal for diabetics.
Popcorn
Do not be surprised to see popcorn in the list. Just make sure you do not eat butter popcorn or popcorn with added salt or flavors and instead have air popped ones. Popcorn is a whole grain, can help you lose weight since it is low in calories, help you keep blood sugar in check, contains antioxidants, rich in fiber and complex carbs and is low fat. So you can include popcorn in the list of healthy snacks!
Sprouts chaat
Everyone is aware of the health benefits of sprouts like being rich in protein, high in fiber, contains complex carbs etc. But sprouts can be boring for most people when had alone. But when you add cottage cheese, kidney beans, chickpeas, pomegranate, corns, coriander, tomato, onions, cucumber and a dash of lemon to it, the boring old sprouts become the new age zingy zest sprouts. Change is the name of game!
Multigrain bread sandwich
Ditch the white bread which is just refined flour and empty calories. Make a sandwich with multigrain bread. Add cucumber, tomato, cottage cheese or eggs, natural peanut butter and you will make a tasty and healthy sandwich which is good for health.
You have decided to join a gym or get active and started following a diet plan. Things are going just fine and after sometime you want to see whether you have made progress. But there are a lot of methods to check the progress and people often get confused in choosing between them. Following are the common ways of measuring your progress and we will list the pros and cons of each method.
Weighing Scale
A weighing scale is the most common tool which is there in almost each and everyone”s house. People often use it to keep a track of their weight. Though it gives a rough idea about the progress made, but it can sometimes demotivate you. Sometimes, people lose body fat but gain muscle. When they weigh themselves, the scale instead of going down remains constant or sometimes even go up since muscles add to body weight. So in spite of making progress, a person may feel dejected as they would have expected the scale to go down.
Body Mass Index
Body mass index is yet another common way which people use to determine if they are underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. But now more people are questioning the use of BMI to determine body fat.
The good news is that BMI is a fast and simple way to determine whether a person is at a healthy weight. In under a minute, doctors can determine whether a patient is underweight, normal, overweight or obese.
But as experts explain, BMI may be too simple. Since muscle weighs more than fat, BMI isn’t accurate in patients with extreme amounts of muscle. And this can cause unnecessary concern or a faulty sense of security for many adults. For example, a fit person with dense muscle could be categorized as overweight based on BMI.
Both of them have same BMI
Measuring tape ( measure waist circumference)
Measuring waist circumference can be an ideal and convenient way to measure your progress. Women are supposed to have a waist of less than 35 inches and men should have waist less than 40 inches to prevent obesity. Measuring tape gives reliable information since less abdominal circumference means good health for most persons.
Body Fat Calipers
Skin calipers are the most accessible method in measuring body fat percentage. A technician uses the device by pinching a layer of skin to get any underlying fat. Calipers are easily accessible and are a convenient way to track progress. A benefit of using skin calipers is that it gives you a bigger picture of the subcutaneous fat/visceral fat convenient way to track progress.
Cons- Skin calipers require a lot of accuracy, and usually the technician has to go through rigorous training to be certifiable to use one. As for the formulas don’t vary with individuals, they remain constant. This can lead to false results.
Body Fat Scales
Body fat scales are also called bioelectrical imedance scales, which is quite similar to a normal weighing scale. The only difference is that there are electrodes under your feet or where you places your hands on the hand-held device. A small electrical impulse gets sent through the body, and the rate of the impulses are measured. Lean tissues conducts electrical impulses quicker than fat.
Pros- they are affordable and most gyms have these with them. It only requires you pressing a button, making it user-friendly.
Cons- Accuracy is the biggest down fall of this method because readings can be impacted by hydration levels, meal times, and workout sessions.
Calorie and weight tracking apps
There are a lot of apps which allow you to enter all the food items you consume and show their calories. Along with it you can enter your weight every week to keep a track and check progress made. These apps are very useful and can give you a good idea of the progress made since the time you started your exercise and diet regime. One such app is Daily Dieto which gives the nutrition facts of various food items and keep a track of how much you weigh.
Pros- These apps are generally free and all it takes is click of a button to download them.
Cons- you have to enter every food item you consume which can be troublesome for some people.
A lot of people in India consume non vegetarian food. Being a non vegetarian, you have a lot of options and protein intake is never a problem which is an essential nutrient for smooth functioning and healing of body. A drawback of non veg food is that there is increased risk of developing high cholesterol levels since meat contains high cholesterol.
Typical Non Vegetarian diet routine
Breakfast- Not many people consume non veg breakfast on a daily basis but these are few of the items consumed
Fried eggs with white bread
Kheema pav
Kheema dosa
Egg pakoda
Are these items healthy?
These food items even though contain decent amount of protein, but they are fried and have a lot of refined oil which can increase cholesterol levels. Kheema pav and kheema dosa are made up of mutton which is known to increase cholesterol levels too. White bread which is often paired up with these food options contains refined flour (maida) which spikes insulin and contains negligible amount of fiber.
Simple ideas to make you breakfast healthier!
Scramble, poach, boil your eggs..do not fry them
Frying eggs can increase their fat content by around 50% – and depending on what you’re frying them in, that can mean dramatically increasing the saturated fat profile. So consume your eggs by boiling them, poaching them, having scrambled eggs, egg bhurji or the tasty omelette. There are tons of ways to enjoy the benefits of eggs in a tasty way so avoid frying and choose the other options.
Lunch and Dinner
The food items for lunch and dinner are inter changeable and the same food can be used for lunch as well as dinner. Following are the common food items consumed for lunch and dinner-
Chicken/mutton biryani
Butter chicken with white rice/roti
Fried chicken, chicken cutlet, chicken pakora
Mutton curries (usually loaded with oil)
Chicken curries like korma which are loaded with oils
Simple ideas to make your lunch/ dinner healthier!
Roast your chicken instead of frying
Roasting or grilling chicken keeps all its nutrients and it makes the chicken tasty too. Frying in oil overshadows the benefits of chicken and gives you unnecessary saturated fat which is responsible for high cholesterol levels.
Replace white rice with brown rice
Brown rice has a big advantage over white rice when it comes to nutrient content. Brown rice has more fiber and antioxidants, as well as a lot more important vitamins and minerals. White rice is mostly a source of “empty” calories and carbs with very few essential nutrients.
Consume roasted lamb chops instead of oily mutton curries
Mutton can be very beneficial if consumed roasted or sauteed. Not only is it a rich source of high-quality protein, but it is also an outstanding source of many vitamins and minerals, including iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. Because of this, regular consumption of lamb may promote muscle growth, maintenance, and performance. In addition, it helps prevent anemia. All these benefits get overshadowed if you fry the meat. So next time, go for roasted lamb chops and enjoy the benefits.
Consume grilled fish
Fish is a powerhouse of nutrients and should be consumed in grilled form instead of frying. It is high in protein, low in fat, loaded with omega 3 fatty acids which are beneficial for your heart health.
Add salad and sprouts with every meal
By adding salads and sprouts with each and every meal, you get the benefit of adding high amount of fiber and feeling full sooner than you would. It prevents you from eating more and at the same time gives you benefits of high protein, fibre and other vitamins. Squeeze lemons for an added dose of vitamin C.
Ditch refined oil and use extra virgin olive oil
Most of the non veg food items require some oil for brushing, sautee and cooking so instead of using regular refined oils, cook your dishes in extra virgin olive oil. An “extra virgin” label means that the olive oil is not refined, and therefore of high quality. It is rich in unsaturated fats, antioxidants, has anti inflammatory properties and good for heart.
Non veg diet can be a wonder diet
The non veg diet can be a wonderful diet as there is a wide range of food options available. Knowing the right way of consuming them can make you enjoy the numerous benefits as well as satisfy your taste buds.
Majority of Indian people on a vegetarian diet consume food which consists of high amounts of carbohydrates, fats and low amount of protein. The typical Indian veg diet is generally deficient in protein which most people often neglect.
Typical Vegetarian diet routine
Breakfast- generally one of these options
Idli dosa
Upma
Poha
Poori chana/aloo
Aloo paratha
Aloo tikki
Butter cucumber tomato sandwich
Dhokla
Bread pakora
Pao bhaji
Samosa with bread
Are these items healthy?
Most of you must have related these breakfast options and must be consuming these items as a part of your breakfast. So whats wrong?
High Carbohydrate and Fat content
Most of these items contain potatoes and are deep fried or contain a good dose of oil. These simple carbs spike your insulin levels and can lead to problems like obesity and diabetes. The refined oils used for frying them can increase your cholesterol levels which may lead to an increased risk of coronary diseases and high blood pressure.
Low protein content
Take any of the above listed food item and you will notice the protein content will not be even 20% of the total nutrition value. Carbs and fat is loaded and there is minimal protein which is an important nutrient for our body.
Simple ideas to make your breakfast healthier!
Consume besan/moon dal chilla instead of parathas
Besan or moong dal chillas a much healthier alternative instead of aloo parathas. They are low in calories, low in fats and contain complex carbs along with fiber and a decent dose of protein. You can consume them with chutney and add a cup of milk with them.
Consume paneer sandwich in multigrain bread instead of butter cucumber sandwich
Paneer will provide you with good dose of protein and calcium, will make you feel full for longer and multigrain bread will provide you with complex carbs and fiber which will prevent insulin spike like white bread.
Replace idli dosa with ragi idli and ragi dosa
When you replace the batter with ragi, instead of consuming simple carbs, you get the benefits of ragi since it helps you lose weight, fight anemia, makes bones strong, is gluten free and is good for skin.
Replace upma with oats upma
When you switch to oats upma, instead of eating just simple carbs, you get the additional benefits of oats which means you get complex carbs which prevent insulin spike, get fiber which is good for digestion and helps you feel full for long. Add a cup of yogurt for calcium and protein content.
Lunch and Dinner
The food items for lunch and dinner are inter changeable and the same food can be used for lunch as well as dinner. Following are the common food items consumed for lunch and dinner-
White rice with rajma, chane, kadhi, pulses
Paneer bhurji with chapatti
Aloo paratha with butter and pickle
Aloo sabzi like gobhi aloo, aloo paneer, beans aloo, aloo matar with chapatti
White rice pulao
Paneer makhani, dal makhani, dal with ghee or other curries made with refined oils and butter
Vada pav, idli vada, other fried items
Simple ideas to make your lunch/dinner healthier!
Replace white rice with brown rice
Brown rice has a big advantage over white rice when it comes to nutrient content. Brown rice has more fiber and antioxidants, as well as a lot more important vitamins and minerals. White rice is mostly a source of “empty” calories and carbs with very few essential nutrients.
Consume less chapatti and increase the amount of dal or other veggies and curries
We often forget the count of chapattis while eating which leads to the consumption of a high amount of carbohydrates. Limit the intake of chapattis to 2 and you can add salad and increase the portion of dal or other sabzi to compensate which can help you save calories.
Try replacing paneer with tofu
Paneer is fresh cheese made with cow or goat milk and used frequently in numerous Indian dishes. Tofu on the other hand, is obtained from soybean milk. Tofu is majorly used by vegans or someone who is looking to lose weight, considering it has fewer calories to add to your body. Paneer when made with full fat dairy, is very soft due to the high fat content, whereas tofu can vary from being soft, to firm and has a smoother, ‘silken’ texture. Soft tofu may have the lowest fat content, therefore it is easy to digest and more likely to contain more nutrients that are absorbed by the body.
Remove aloo(potato) from dishes
Potato itself is not bad but because we are already consuming so many carbs in our diet, we can save ourselves from eating more carbs by stop adding potatoes to each and every dish. If its utmost important, then you can try replacing potatoes with sweet potato, yam or even raw bananas.
Add salad and sprouts with every meal
By adding salads and sprouts with each and every meal, you get the benefit of adding high amount of fiber and feeling full sooner than you would. It prevents you from eating more and at the same time gives you benefits of high protein, fibre and other vitamins. Squeeze lemons for an added dose of vitamin C.
Indian vegetarian diet is not the evil. It is us who actually have started consuming so much carbs. So try these tweaks in your meals and you will make your dishes healthier.
Today”s generation is engaged in doing hours of desk jobs, texting, binge eating and doing everything which is the opposite of being healthy and active. We are so much grossed in our unhealthy lifestyles that we seldom get to notice how it is slowly taking toll on our health.
Lack of movement followed with unhealthy habits
This generation, on top of leading a sedentary lifestyle, has habits which are ruining their health even faster. Drinking, smoking has become a lot more common with younger people developing these habits and impacting their health. All this initially seems cool but once it starts showing the negative effects, then our eyes are opened.
Bad habits becoming COOL these days
The habits which were considered bad have started becoming cool these days which motivates more and more people to take up to these habits. We have started to become so dependent on technology that taking a bicycle instead of car or taking stairs instead of elevators makes others to laugh on the person doing so.
Effects of unhealthy lifestyle
Low immunity
Consuming large quantities of junk food and ignoring healthy food options starts taking a toll on our immune system since the body does not get proper nutrients. This leads to people falling sick often and catching diseases faster than others.
Obesity
You are what you eat. If you keep eating crap, consume empty calories, not consume enough nutrients and lead a sedentary lifestyle, it makes you gain weight which leads to obesity. Obesity gives rise to a lot of problems like diabetes, blood pressure, cardiac problems, lethargy etc.
Low life expectancy
It is obvious that when the body is not getting healthy food and nutrients, falling sick more often and getting prone to diseases, it affects the life expectancy of the person.
Modern Diet Trends
We have become CARBI-VOROUS
This generation has started consuming simple carbs a lot in their daily lifestyle. Foods like pasta, white bread, pizzas, burgers, biscuits, white rice, colas, sugary beverages have become increasingly convenient and popular among the youth. We see these foods as quick and tasty but often ignore their nutritional value. Simple carbohydrates spike our insulin and when consumed daily, they increase the chances of developing diabetes and obesity.
Processed foods have become a necessity
Due to the low cost and easy availability, processed and packaged foods have become popular. Food processing does have some benefits, such as making food last longer and making products more convenient, however, there are drawbacks to relying on a lot of heavily processed foods. Whole foods and those that are only minimally processed, like frozen vegetables without any sauce, tend to be better for your health. An unhealthy diet high in fat, added sugar and salt, such as one containing a lot of highly-processed foods, can increase your risk for cancer, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. These foods have added sugars, sodium and trans fat which further wreack havoc on health.
It is never late..start a healthy lifestyle!
You must have realized how bad it is to lead an unhealthy lifestyle. Stop regretting and switch over to a healthy lifestyle and your body will thank you. You will improve the quality of your life significantly and notice the improvements yourself.
Get up and start moving!
Start doing the favor of moving more to your body. The body is meant for moving and not for sticking ourselves on the couch. The more you move, the more active and fresh you will feel which will give you energy to go through the day. Moving more also burns more calories which which help you maintain a healthy weight.
Give up the bad habits
If your lifestyle is busy and you cannot immediately take up a gym membership or completely change your food choices, you can at least give up the bad habits. It might seem to be a challenge initially but giving up on the bad habits will stop the harm they are doing to your body.
Exercise
No, exercise not just means joining a gym. You can take 30 minutes aside and do yoga asanas or basic exercises at home also. But if you can, joining a gym is convenient and will provide you the benefits of weight training and cardio exercises. Hitting the gym will keep you motivated when you see others giving their all during workout sessions.
Befriend those leading a healthy lifestyle
This is a simple yet effective ways to inculcate the healthy habits in your routine. When your peers follow a healthy lifestyle, their choices will automatically make you think twice before taking up an unhealthy habit. It can also make working out and healthy eating a lot more fun whereas it can be monotonous if you are the lone person following a healthy lifestyle.
Tell your goals to everyone around you
Announce your fitness goals to people around you! This way you are less likely to give up and the people around you will motivate you to work on your goals. It will give you a sense of achievement when you fulfill your goal.
Consume more fruits, protein, healthy fats and complex carbs
Include fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet which will give you the range of nutrient benefits. Include protein in the form of chicken breast, milk, tofu, beans etc. Switch to complex carbs like oats, whole wheat chapatti, multigrain bread, brown rice instead of simple carbs. Consume healthy fats like peanut butter, salmon, nuts, avocado which are rich in omega 3, helping your brain, heart and joints remain healthy.
So stop being unhealthy and it is never late to start leading a healthy lifestyle which will benefit you as well the people around you!
Building muscle is easier said than done. You get to know this when you start the process of trying to build muscle. Common perception is joining gym, lifting weights and eating food. Do this and you will build muscle..this is what people think. But building muscle requires a lot more than this.
Common mistakes made while building muscle
Check out these mistakes and make sure you are not making any of these since they can hamper your goal of building quality muscle.
Training too often
More is better. This does not apply to workouts while trying to build muscle. Hitting the gym 7 days a week would set you back from your goal instead of getting you there. You do not build muscle at gym, you break muscle there. Muscle is built while the body is resting and hitting the gym everyday prevents the body from getting adequate rest and recovery.
Not training often
Just because you need to give your body rest and recovery to grow muscle does not mean hitting the gym only 2-3 days per week and expecting results. Our body requires stimulus for muscle growth which weight training provides. Failure to provide stimulus will not result in muscle growth. Aim to hit the gym 4-5 days a week which strikes the balance between rest and stimulus.
Wasting time and having long workouts
Shut up and train. Follow this during your workouts. The gym is made for intense workout sessions and not for socializing, clicking selfies and walking around. Maximum effort requires total focus and concentration. You can’t do that while running your mouth. Train first, talk later. Long workouts induce fatigue at the expense of overload. Not only is it a poor way to build muscle, but it also invites injury. Keep your workouts short, heavy, and intense. That’s what builds muscle.
Not consuming enough protein
Protein is the building block of muscles as it contains all the amino acids required for muscle growth. Failure to consume enough protein can hamper muscle growth. Aim to consume between 1.5-2 grams of protein per kg of body weight. Try to include protein in every meal to make sure you get enough protein throughout the day.
Spending tons of money on supplements
Supplement means add on. Supplements are meant to supplement proper food intake and cannot replace whole foods. Stop buying tons of supplements and try to consume your calories from real whole food which will provide better results. Only few supplements actually work, that too when your workout regime and diet is on point. There are more over-hyped, worthless supplements on the market today than there have ever been. Regulations in the nutrition industry are seldom enforced. This has left the gate open for con men and hucksters to steal your money.
Not getting enough sleep
You grow while resting and sleep is essential for growth. Sleep is crucial for strength training recovery and helps with muscle repair after a strenuous workout. Inadequate sleep can interfere with the body’s ability to recover after lifting weights and inhibits the body’s ability to build maximum muscle strength. Along with dietary protein to aid in muscle repair and new muscle growth, your body produces its own muscle-building hormones while you sleep, including human growth hormone. Sleep is vital for cementing muscle recall linked to body movements. Together with the muscle repair and growth that happens during sleep, this allows for overall improved athletic performance.
Every food and beverage item we consume, contains calories. The energy a food item/beverage provides is measured in calories and the amount of calories in each food item is available in today”s time which helps us to keep a track on how much calories we are consuming.
How much calories should i consume?
The answer to this question depends on the following points
Your lifestyle ( sedentary, moderately active, highly active)
Your goal ( lose weight, maintain weight, gain weight)
Gender ( generally men require more calories than women
Active people burn more calories than those who lead a sedentary lifestyle and need to consume more calories.
An average woman needs to eat about 2000 calories per day to maintain, and 1500 calories to lose one pound of weight per week. An average man needs 2500 calories to maintain, and 2000 to lose one pound of weight per week.
Calorie tracking and weight loss
Tracking your caloric intake can play an important role during your weight loss journey. Weight loss depends on 1 simple rule i.e. caloric deficit.
Caloric deficit
A caloric deficit is any shortage in the amount of calories consumed relative to the amount of calories required for maintenance of current body weight. A deficit can be created by reducing input/calories consumed. A deficit can also be created by increasing output without a corresponding increase in input.
When you create a caloric deficit your body is forced to meet this energy shortfall using stored energy from body fat (stored fat), muscle protein (stored protein) or glycogen (stored carbs). So creating and maintaining a calorie deficit is the key challenge of weight loss.
Creating a caloric deficit
There are 3 ways to create a caloric deficit
1- By eating less. When you eat less calories than what you are supposed to then automatically you become in a caloric deficit.
2- Being active/ working out- When you exercise, your body burns calories and if you keep your eating habits constant then because of exercise you burn more calories which helps you to stay in caloric deficit.
3- Mix of 1 and 2 i.e. combine diet and exercise- this is the secret of most successful dieters. When you combine diet with exercise, becoming in caloric deficit becomes easier and you can reach your weight loss goals faster.
All calories are not the same!
Consuming calories from healthy foods or junk foods is not the same. Healthy foods contain fiber, protein and healthy carbs which keep you full for longer, do not spike insulin levels and help you to build muscle mass. Whole foods like oats, whole wheat chapatti, multigrain bread, eggs, paneer, chicken, fish, tofu, fruits, vegetables are examples of foods through which you should be consuming your calories.
On the other hand, consuming empty calories from junk foods provide you with a lot of calories without the benefits like keeping full for longer and spike your insulin levels. Since they do not contain any nutrients, you start feeling hungry again and tend to eat more.
How to count calories?
Counting calories is just a click away these days. All of us have smartphones and there are numerous apps in which we can enter name and quantity of food items and calculate the calories we are consuming.
Initially, calorie tracking can prove difficult and a big task. But once you get used to it, you will yourself get a rough idea and would be able to estimate the number of calories in various food items.
Tips for successful calories counting
Do not forget to include your snacks or nibbles during the day.
Make a habit of writing down everything. If a food item goes in your mouth, it needs to be recorded.
Do not spend huge amounts of money for calorie tracking tools. There is no need to buy the most expensive calorie tracker as there are a lot of decent apps available free of cost which would work just fine.
Buy a kitchen weighing scale. Since you need to know the correct quantity of food items you are consuming, investing in a kitchen weighing scale is a good idea to know the exact quantities and hence, being more accurate at calorie counting.
Spot reduction of fat means targeting to reduce fat of a specific area of your body by doing an exercise which would target that area. Exercising the abdominal muscles in an effort to lose weight in or around your midsection is an example of trying spot reduction.
But does it work?
This belief has evolved from the idea that gaining muscle increases metabolism, resulting in fat reduction. People think that fat loss in a specific region could be targeted by building muscle around it. Studies have shown that it is not possible to reduce fat in one area by exercising that body part alone. Muscle growth in a region does not mean fat loss in that region. Instead, fat is lost from the entire body as a result of diet and regular exercise.
Abdominal exercise vs abdominal fat- The research
In a study, scientists divided 24 sedentary adults, aged 18-40, into an exercise group and a control group. The exercise group added 7 abdominal exercises, 2 sets of 10 reps each, 5 days a week, for 6 weeks, into their daily routines. The scientists discovered that at the end of the 6 weeks, through comparing a variety of endurance tests and body composition tests the subcutaneous fat around the abdominal region did not shrink. However, muscular endurance of the core region did improve when comparing the before and after of the number of sit ups between the post study exercise group and control group. Therefore, even though an increase in muscular development of a certain region in the body took place, it did not remove the fat around the muscles. Again, THERE WAS NO PROOF OF SPOT REDUCTION OF FAT TAKING PLACE.
The right way to target fat
There is only one way by which you can guarantee fat loss- BY CALORIC DEFICIT.
Caloric Deficit- What is it?
Calories in vs calories out- By taking care of this rule, you can benefit significantly in your weight loss journey. To lose weight, your body has to be in a caloric deficit.
Caloric deficit occurs when throughout the day, your body burns more calories than it consumes. In other words, the caloric expenditure has to be more than caloric consumption to achieve fat loss.
Creating a caloric deficit
Researchers estimate that you need a calorie deficit of 3500 calories per week to lose one pound of fat.
Eat less food ( no crash dieting)
If you cut down your portion sizes, cut back on snacking and start choosing lower calorie foods at meal time, you will consume fewer calories each day. By this way, you would be creating a caloric deficit each day which would pile on and ultimately help you lose weight.
Get more active
The more you move, the more calories you burn. The more calories you burn, the caloric deficit keeps on increasing. The number of calories your body needs each day depends on your activity level. If you increase the number of calories your body needs, but still consume the same number of calories from food, you’ll reach a calorie deficit.
Most effective- Combine diet and exercise
This is the healthiest approach towards fat loss
Most successful dieters combine diet and exercise to lose weight. That means that they might eat 250 fewer calories each day and then go for a 60-minute brisk walk to burn an additional 250 calories. The calorie deficit would total 500 calories. If you created a similar plan for each day, you’d reach the 3500 calorie deficit needed for weight loss.
Young people can combine diet with resistance training at the gym to further increase caloric deficit. Weight training builds muscle mass which increases our metabolism and ultimately helps in burning more fat even during rest.
No more spot targeting from now
After reading this article, you must have got smarter and now you will aim for fat loss with a more scientific and holistic approach instead of the approach which leads to no results.
Once you have decided to eat healthier, switched from sedentary to active lifestyle and started having nutritious food items whether for muscle building or general well being, it is very important to take care of your digestive system. A good digestive system ensures that all the nutrition in your food is broken down and absorbed by the body to reap the benefits. So apart from being active and working out, make sure to include the following foods in your daily routine to boost you digestion and making sure all the good food you eat is utilized fully by your body.
Good digestion not common among people these days
A weak and suffering digestive prowess is a problem too common among people in today”s time. It all goes to our diets as we are having less and less fibre and more and more junk and highly processed foods. Acidity, bloating, constipation and nausea are everyday problems. Though there are many supplements available in the market shelves that will relieve you of these discomforts, the ideal way to correct them is through diet. Add the following foods to your everyday diet in order to get your digestive system back in order.
Yogurt
Yogurt has bacteria that is essentially good for your gut. It has billions of such bacteria which can replenish the flora of your gastrointestinal tract. It is really healthy for your overall health also and must be included in your everyday diet. Do not consume flavored yogurts since they contain added sugar.
Apples
Apples are rich in bacteria that is helpful for maintaining a good gut health. Apples are very good sources of vitamins A and C and nutrients and minerals such as folate, potassium and phosphorus. These all help in restoring a good digestive health and ensuring a proper functioning of your intestines.
Papaya
Papaya is rich in papain, a digestive enzyme which facilitates the breakdown of proteins in your stomach. This leads to easier digestion and a better absorption of nutrients from your food. Papaya also has anti-inflammatory properties which can help in soothing the stomach. It is very easy to digest and it dissolves fats instantly. It also relieves problems like food allergies and heartburn. It facilitates a proper functioning of bowels and hence, betters digestion.
Whole grain foods
Consuming whole grain foods like whole wheat chapatti, whole wheat bread, brown rice, oats which are a good source of fiber aid in digestion. Fiber helps you feel full for a longer time and also helps to lower cholesterol. Whole grain foods are rich in complex carbs which do not spike insulin levels and prevent diabetes too. Some types of fibers in whole grains act as prebiotic and help feed the beneficial gut bacteria.
Ginger
Ginger root is commonly used in foods, but it also has many health benefits. For thousands of years, ginger has been used as a herbal medicine to treat cold, cough, inflammation, nausea, and improper digestion. Ginger has a positive effect on enzymes that help break down fats and proteins.
Beetroot
Beetroot is high in fiber which is good for gut health. The fiber in beetroot resists digestion in the stomach and small intestine and travels more or less intact into the colon, where your health-promoting gut bacteria ferment it and use it for food. The fiber also provides roughage that moves food through your intestines.
Try including the above foods in your diet and make your digestive system healthier to ensure you can enjoy the benefits of all the healthy food you consume.
You have decided to lose weight. You have joined a gym, taken a diet plan and start your fitness journey. Initially results show up but after sometime, results stop showing. The effort put by you remains the same but now results have stopped. The scale is not coming down..neither is your waist. So what could you be doing wrong? Before getting demotivated and making all your hard work useless, check these common mistakes which we make during our weight loss journey-
Sticking to the same diet plan for months
When you first started your diet, your body was not at all used to it. So initially it responded well by reducing water weight and even some body fat when you started the diet. But when you tend to have the same food items over and over, week to week, month to month, your body is pretty smart to adapt to it and then gets used to it. So it is very important to keep switching between food items to avoid monotonous dieting and so that your body does not get used to them. If you are having oatmeal with apple for breakfast, you can switch apple for a banana or strawberries, brown rice can be switched with whole wheat chapatti etc.
Being active only when you workout
Sitting is the new smoking. This statement is apt for today”s generation as most of our work is done while sitting. Our sedentary lifestyle includes desk jobs, a lot of screen time and very little movement throughout the day. We travel by cars, prefer elevators and do very less to move around. Staying active only for 1 hour while working out is not enough if the rest of your day is sedentary. Try to move more as the more you move, the more calories you will be burning which would help you in weight loss.
Crash dieting/ completely cutting out carbohydrates
This is a big mistake which is done by a lot of people due to lack of awareness. Crash dieting is the worst way to lose weight and causes your body to develop nutritional deficiencies. Do not completely remove food from your plate. People often cut out carbs completely from their diet thinking it will lead to faster weight loss. Carbs are essential for our body and are the primary source of energy. Completely cutting them out would lead to low energy levels and affect the digestive system as your body will not receive fiber. Aim to eliminate simple carbs and include complex carbs which will help you stay full for longer time like oats, brown rice, whole wheat chapatti etc.
Overindulging during weekends
You have put in a lot of hard work to workout and stick to your diet plan. Then the weekend comes and you start thinking of rewarding yourself. Though the idea to reward yourself is not bad at all, it should be kept in mind that a cheat meal should not become a cheat day. Weight loss occurs when you consume less calories and burn more. Sometimes people, in order to reward themselves, consume so much calories during weekends that it actually dismantles the caloric deficit created during the week. A slice of pizza is better than a whole pizza. Similarly a pastry is better than a whole cake.
Your are impatient
Once you’ve made the decision to lose weight, you want it over and done with as soon as possible. When you find that you’re losing weight at a rate of one to two pounds a week, you’re frustrated. After a couple of weeks, you give up, convinced you’re failing because you’re not losing weight as fast as you’d like to. Remind yourself that it took months or years to gain that weight-it’ll take some time to lose it, too. Remember that dieters who lose weight slowly are much more likely to keep it off for long-term.
Not getting enough sleep
Not getting enough sleep, i.e. less than 6 hours can hamper your weight loss results even if you are on a strict diet. Sleep deprivation can cause you to feel hungrier, have less satisfaction after meals and have low energy levels during workout. Less sleep hampers your metabolism and will affect your weight loss. Sound sleep is a part of a successful weight loss program and you should not overlook it.
Health and fitness 