Weight loss made easier

KAVITA DEVGAN

How many times have you been told don’t eat this and to avoid calorie packing? How many times has weight loss advice to you failed to move ahead? Loads we are sure! This is why we decided to educate you otherwise and tell you about 5 easy and doable foods and food habits to help drop the pounds!\

Have more proteins
Proteins rev your metabolism after ingestion (more than carbs and fat). Be sure to include some type of lean protein with every meal. Good to know> Good sources include chicken breast, canned light tuna, salmon (fresh and canned), eggs, shrimp, turkey breast, tofu, lean red meat, low-fat dairy, soya milk, sprouts, beans and lentils.

Hot tip 1> When pulses are sprouted, they gain vitamins and fibre. Eaten raw, they’re good for losing weight.

Hot tip 2> Walnuts are loaded with protein, healthy fats, and omega-3 fatty acids which keep you feeling full. These are perfect for a mid-afternoon snack, or add a few on top of your cereal at breakfast or salad at lunch (be careful of how many you have as they tend to be high in calories).

Go for fibre
Fibre provides volume to food without adding a lot of calories. It keeps you feeling full and the body occupied in its processing for long.

Good to know> Oats are high in fibre and take longer to digest keeping you feeling full longer Other foods rich in fibre include high fibre cereal, whole wheat bread, wheat bran, fruits and vegetables.

Hot tip 3> Apples are a good source of pectin, a soluble fibre that provides bulk and digests slowly. A 1997 study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that 5 g of pectin was enough to leave people feeling satisfied for up to four hours. Two large apples provide about two-thirds that amount.

Go low cal consciously. Look for low calorie foods, develop taste for them and make them your new diet staples.

Good to know> For example go for foods like zucchini which is a versatile food that can you can bake, steam or prepare in many other ways. With just 15 calories per 100 gm, it’s perfect for the calorie conscious you. Similarly make yourself a hearty salad with lots of lettuce whenever you can.

Hot tip 4> before you leave for work in the morning, toss an orange into your bag for a mid-morning or late afternoon snack. It typically contains only 45 calories, so feel free to eat the whole thing!

Consume more water. Have more fruits and veggies with high water content “built in” as they help to fill you up with minimal calories and keep you satisfied through the day.

Good to know> watermelon, lettuce and cucumbers are high water foods.

Look out for hidden sugar A lot of people don’t pay much attention to what they “drink” when they are trying to lose weight, concentrating mostly on what’s on their “plate”. However, did you know you can easily consume 800 – 1,000 calories and loads of sugar per day just from what you drink? Some of the drinks in the market are high in fructose and may contain as much as 30-40 grams of sugar in one serving. That is a lot of sugar for one drink – especially when experts recommend you only have 48 grams in a day. Get this right – sugar is a carbohydrate so when it is not burned off, it turns into fat.

Hot tip 5> when reading the labels don’t be fooled by 0 gms fat bold letters and besides the caloric and fat content check the sugar in your drinks as well.

The author is a Delhi based dietician, health writer and author of Don’t Diet, Ultimate Grandmother Hacks, and Fix it with food