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Crash Your Diet

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Nobody likes to be overweight. When PCOD struck and I became a size M from XS, I almost hit depression. I was known to be a size zero person, and suddenly everyone you meet were asking you about your weight and only that. Some people offered tips on losing weight and some asked me to visit a doctor ASAP. And me being me, I did not pay heed to any of these advice. I knew my body the best and I knew what was troubling it. PCOD is caused due to the increase of sugar levels in the blood and increase in weight gain. More weight gain would worsen the situation and I was asked to maintain my weight at a particular scale. I was not overweight as such. Thanks to being 5 and a half feet tall, the weight doesn't show much. While most people think that I look and feel healthy now, the medical implications of the problem could not be ignored. I did not want to lose weight, I wanted to maintain my current weight and not gain any more. This is what helped me.

1. Acceptance: This is the first step to a healthy lifestyle. Accept the changes that your body is going through and understand why. Take your doctor's advice seriously and make note of the changes that you can make. You do not have to change everything, from diet to exercise. You just have to make some small changes in your existing lifestyle. You need to accept your flaws first, in order to do that.

2. Have realistic expectations: This is where most of us fail. Nobody can lose like 10 kilos in a week. Target a kilo or two per month. And plan a diet around it.

3. Never crash diet: There are way too many diet plans available online that promise one to lose all their extra weight within a week or so. I have never tried it, so I'm not sure if they work. But I know one thing, that it is not healthy. One Monday, I decided to go on a fruit diet for a week. I ate an apple for breakfast along with some orange juice and a few spoons of pomegranate. I thought of ordering a fruit bowl for lunch, but instead ended up having a complete South Indian meal. By eleven AM, I began feeling week and I had a terrible headache. Green tea did not help and I began having empty burps. I knew it was time to feed myself and I had a complete lunch. Crash diets are not for me.

4. Smaller portions, more meals: I cut my food portions almost by half and divided them into two meals. So I was now eating six times a day every two to three hours. Although I stayed away from fried and processed foods, I did not give up on rice or curd. I need to have them everyday along with a good portion of meet. Earlier since I was hungry, I used to eat a lot at one go, but ever since I divided my meals from three to six, I end up eating exactly how much I should.

5. Include honey in your diet: The first time I had warm water with honey, I hated its taste. I still do infact. I am not a fan of sweet things and having sweet water was a nightmare. Cinnamon came to my help then. A little sprinkle of it on the concoction and suddenly the taste seemed better. Not great, but better. I just gulp it down in one go, with my eyes closed. Did you know that honey has antioxidant properties and aids in tissue healing? I didn't until sometime ago. Warm water with honey if had early in the morning, increases your metabolic rate and does not let you over eat.

6. Green Tea: It took me a good week to get used to the taste of it, but when I finally did, I cannot go without having atleast two cups a day. I have the plain variety, without any added sugar or honey. And yes, it does help me keep my weight in check. I cannot guarantee a weight loss with this but I definitely feel toned and healthy now. Also research suggests that five cups of green tea a day can aid weight loss better.

7. Exercise: This is a no brainer. And I don't mean a gym membership here. Small forms of exercise like taking the stairs, walking, jogging or yoga will do the trick. Every morning after a cup of warm water, cinnamon and honey, I eat a fruit or something else. Doctors suggest that you eat something within one hour of waking up. After that I sit down for an hour of yoga. Some suryanamaskars and asanas later, I feel fresh again. I follow it up with some weight lifts to tone my arms and some more breathing exercises. I even include facial exercises to tone my face muscles and my almost double chin. I only take the stairs at work and at home, for some added exercise.

A balanced healthy diet coupled with some basic exercise is enough for everyone to keep their weight in check. Crash diets are followed by stars and celebrities, but they have someone to get their work done for them. Crash diets focus on losing muscle along with the fat. This takes away the energy to do anything else. As a working woman, I need to take care of my office work as well as a household. I need all the energy to be able to do so. Hence crash diets are a no no for me. The seven steps that I have mentioned above, help me keep my weight in check and make me feel healthy and energetic everyday and throughout the day.

So now it is the time for you to crash your diet and start eating healthy instead.

Remember, a healthy body is a happy body.

Comments

  1. Warm water, lime and honey is the first thing people should have in the morning.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great pointers. True, crash diets are not long term propositions. Balanced healthy diet with exercise is what works!

    ReplyDelete

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