How do I lose weight and reduce fat around my tummy? (Fitness query of the day)

I am 42 years old and my height is 5 ft 5.5 in but my weight is 78 kg. I mostly have fat around my tummy. I take two or three chapatis with subzi in the morning along with a cup of tea or parantha once or twice in the week . I eat three chapatis with dal and vegetable or rice at times during lunch. I skip lunch twice or thrice in a week. In the evening, I have one cup of tea with some bakery product or a piece of sweet. Dinner is almost same as lunch. I walk (some distance jogging nearly one km) around 5 km four times in week. I also take Ayur slim produced by Himalaya ayurveda, Banglore. But I am not seeing any results. My weight is increasing day by day. Please suggest the right way to exercise and diet.

Answered by our expert Naini Setalvad, a well-known nutritionist. 

To have a completely healthy lifestyle, you should begin with cutting out on all unhealthy foods. These include: fried food, chocolates, alcohol, aerated drinks, processed foods, packaged foods (like potato chips, etc.), sherbets, jams, pickles, butter, cheese, sugar, jaggery, ghee, smoking, ice cream, cakes, biscuits – with or without cream, packaged fruit juice.

Switch to whole grains such as jowar, nachani or bajra from wheat rotis. Eat brown rice instead of white rice. Increase your fruit and vegetable intake. Aim for 5-8 servings in a day. Eat a big, raw salad per meal; it will give a lot more satisfaction for a lot less calories. However, ensure that it is oil and mayonnaise-free. Add small amounts of nuts, seeds and dry fruits to your evening, or mid-meal snack, especially California pistachios, Kashmiri walnuts, Iranian almonds, dates, raisins and California prunes. Ensure that you eat according to the season, and eat slowly, till you feel full. Avoid overeating, and you could use these to replace your unhealthy sweet and/or bakery product in the evenings.

Avoid skipping meals, as that causes you to overeat during the next meal.

Involve yourself in some exercise. Do yoga, swimming, or even go for regular walks. Do some form of cardiovascular exercise five days a week, for at least 30 minutes. Cook with minimal oil, no more than 3 tsp per person per day.