Losing weight is not just about sweating it out for hours in the gym, but also about what you eat. Many people may work out regularly but not see any results as they do not eat the right food. Having junk or unhealthy food can ruin the hard work you put in in the gym in no time. Our expert Shilpa Mittal, a renowned dietician, gives tips and a sample diet for those who want to lose weight.

According to me, if one wants to lose weight, their diet should be as close to their normal diet as possible; only then will they be able to stick to it. Otherwise one tends to discontinue the diet or does not follow it regularly. So, if you are a south Indian who enjoys his dosas and idlis, the diet should include these but in a low-fat form.

Here are a few tips before I share the sample diet for weight loss:

For weight loss, a healthy and balanced diet is a must as it helps maintain your metabolic rate, gives you energy, maintains the shine and lustre of your hair and skin and if a person has any medical issue, the diet helps to prevent it or at least lowers the medicine dosage.

Diet for weight loss involves a healthy lifestyle change – you do not need to follow a particular diet to lose weight but you need to eat healthy. It should be based on your likes, dislikes, culture, schedule, and a pattern that you are willing to accept and follow in your daily life.

Apart from diet, one needs to engage themselves in some kind of physical exercise like walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, jogging, etc. This is essential to burn fat and keep the metabolic rate in control. Here is sample diet plan for weight loss that I have been promising you:

Breakfast: Start your day with milk and cornflakes, or milk and poha/upma. If you are from northern India, and are into eating parathas, you can still have them but make them healthy. Instead of just aloo paratha have potato mixed with other vegetables and use less of oil/ghee/butter. Similarly, if you are from southern India, you can have idlis, dosa, uttappa but avoid medu wada since that is fried. You can even opt for egg omelette or sandwiches.

Lunch: This can consist of a proper meal like rotis/ bhakri with vegetables, salads and a source of protein from dal/curd/ sprouts/ non-veg dishes like eggs, fish, chicken plus a small helping of rice. Avoid pickles and papads.  

Snacks: This can be mixed dry fruits, seasonal fruits or any fruit you like or a handful of roasted channa or kurmuras.

Dinner: Preferably opt for an early dinner and it can be just like lunch or it can be a single wholesome meal like khicdhi, pulav, briyani.

Other important things to keep in mind:

Have small frequent meals. Do not keep long gaps between your meals as it reduces the metabolic rate. Do not skip breakfast, have a healthy wholesome breakfast. Do some kind of physical activity at least for 30minutes, 4-6 times a week. Eat 2 fruits and 3 servings of veggies to get good amount of fibre which will help you lose weight. Stay hydrated by drinking good amount of water. Avoid junk foods, sweets, too much of biscuits, fried and bakery products. Avoid fried foods, jams and instead fruit juices have raw fruits.

Follow these simple tips to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle to keep fit for the rest of your life. 

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Here are 15 health benefits of methi (fenugreek):

Increase breast milk production

Fenugreek ranks high among the ‘must haves’ for nursing mothers. This is due to the presence of diosgenin in the spice which increases milk production in lactating mothers.

Induce and ease child birth

Fenugreek has been known to be helpful in inducing childbirth by stimulating uterine contractions. It is also known to reduce labour pain. But here’s a word of caution. Excess intake of fenugreek seeds during pregnancy could put you in risk of miscarriage or premature childbirth.

Ease women’s health problems

Fenugreek contains compounds like diosgenin and isoflavones with oestrogen-like properties which help reduce symptoms like discomfort and menstrual cramps associated with PMS. These compounds also ease menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and mood fluctuations. Women are more prone to iron deficiency during adolescence (initiation of menstrual periods), during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Including green leafy veggies like fenugreek (methi) in your diet can supply a good amount of iron. But make sure to add tomatoes or potatoes to the preparations to enhance the iron absorption.

Breast Enlargement

Want to enlarge your breasts? Include fenugreek in your regular diet. The oestrogen-like property of fenugreek can help in breast enlargement by balancing hormones in women.

Reduce cholesterol

According to studies fenugreek helps to reduce cholesterol level, especially that of the low density lipoprotein (LDL).

Reduce cardiovascular risk

Fenugreek seed has cardiovascular benefits due to the presence of galactomannan. It lowers the risk of heart attack. It is also an excellent source of potassium which counters the action of sodium to help control heart rate and blood pressure.

Control diabetes

Fenugreek is beneficial for people with diabetes.  Galactomannan, a natural soluble fibre present in fenugreek slows down the rate of sugar absorption into blood. Fenugreek also contains amino acid responsible for inducing the production of insulin.

Aid digestion

Fenugreek helps flush out harmful toxins. It relieves indigestion and helps treat constipation.

Cure acid reflux or heartburn

One teaspoon of fenugreek seeds in your food can be an effective remedy for acid reflux or heartburn. Mucilage of fenugreek seeds coat the lining of the stomach and intestine and sooth irritated gastrointestinal tissues. Before consuming, you can soak the methi seeds in water to make their outer coat mucilaginous.

Remedy for fever and sore throat

Fenugreek when taken with a teaspoon of lemon and honey can work wonders to reduce fever by nourishing the body. The soothing effect of mucilage in fenugreek also helps to relieve cough and pain from sore throat.

Prevent colon cancer

The fibre content (saponins, mucilage, etc.) of fenugreek binds to toxins in the food and flush them out. This in turn helps to protect the mucus membrane of the colon from cancers.

Lose weight by suppressing appetite

Include fenugreek in your weight loss diet by chewing soaked methi seeds in the morning on an empty stomach. The natural soluble fibre in the fenugreek can swell and fill the stomach thereby suppressing your appetite.

Cure for skin inflammation and scars

Apply a clean cloth soaked in methi seed paste for effective treatment of skin problems like burns, boils, eczema, etc. Fenugreek seeds also help in getting rid of scars.

Beauty product

Fenugreek can be an excellent ingredient for your home-made beauty product. Fenugreek can be used in face packs to help prevent blackheads, pimples, wrinkles, etc. Washing your face with water boiled with fenugreek seeds or applying a paste of fresh fenugreek leaves for twenty minutes on your face can work wonders for your skin.

Solution to hair problems

Using fenugreek as a part of your diet or as a paste to directly apply on your hair makes your hair shiny and black. Massaging your head everyday with boiled fenugreek seeds soaked overnight in coconut oil can be an excellent remedy for thinning of hair and hair fall. What more? Fenugreek is also great to keep the dandruff away.

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You overcompensate for exercise

Kissing burns calories!

Showing affection through kissing is not just good for your relationship, but is excellent for your waistline also. On an average, kissing can burn around 2-5 calories per minute; however, a vigorous kiss can raise the calorie-meter further.  Many studies claim that while kissing, if you reach a point where both of you are breathing heavily, it’s a sign that you are burning more calories. So, just inject some passion in your kiss to melt those pounds faster.

Sexy tip: Try kissing in unusual positions. You can burn more calories if you are standing than sitting, and moving than still.

Other benefits of kissing:

• Kissing lowers cholesterol and decreases high blood pressure.
• An intense kiss requires almost all face muscles. So, kissing tones up your facial muscles and helps in fighting wrinkles.

Also read: Look younger and lose weight naturally

Sex diet

Yes, the sexiest mantra to lose that extra flab—lots of sex! Almost all muscles including the legs, shoulders and lower abdomen are worked upon during a session of lovemaking. On an average, a half hour of sex burns about 200 calories. However, if you turn some basic exercises into foreplay, you can firm up your problem areas too. So engage yourselves in moves like ‘love squats’ to tone-up your body.

Sexy tip: Have sex in different positions to enhance its exercise effects.

Elvis-Pelvis Exercise: Stand naked facing your partner and press your pelvises together for balance. Raise your arms to the ceiling and lean back while maintaining pelvic contact. Hold for three seconds, repeat five times. (You can refer Kerry McCloskey’s, the Ultimate Sex Diet book for more such exercises).

Undressing

Learning the art of ‘undressing’ can also help you shed those kilos. Unhooking a bra with two hands burns up to 8 calories whereas doing it with one hand can burn up to 18 calories. Amazed? Don’t be! Here is another twist in the tale; according to an Italian researcher, if a man unhooks a bra using his mouth, he can burn up to 87 calories in the process. Now isn’t that interesting and easy? So, all you guys out there, now you certainly know where to begin your action from.

Sexy tip: Play a game with your partner where you both have to undress each other but without using your hands. It will be fun, sexy and great for your body.

Also read: Monday to Sunday diet plan to lose weight

Love squats

This one is for all the new moms out there who are struggling to lose their post-pregnancy weight. Now, you can keep your legs in shape by doing some love squats using your toddler as a weight. Since it is very difficult to take out time for exercise after you have a baby, this is the best way to lose that extra flab from your body. Enjoy the giggles of your baby while exercising and start shedding your weight.

Exercises you can do: Baby squats, baby twists, baby chest presses.

Caution: Only do these exercises with a baby who has complete head control and who is fully capable of controlling his own body. 

So, here were some of the unusual and undoubtedly the sexiest ways to burn calories. If you have some other tips, please do share with other readers in our comments section.

Also read: Most popular fitness queries answered

Content sourced from BollywoodShaadis.com

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 You may have even heard that drinking green tea is an effective way to lose weight. So, is there any logic to this assumption? What are the other benefits of green tea?

Green tea has many ingredients in it such as caffeine, theobromine, saponins, theophylline, vitamins and epigallocatechin. The compound Epigallocatechin (EGCG) boosts your metabolic rate and reduces your appetite. All these compounds lead to thermogenesis which creates heat in the body in turn increasing your metabolic rate.

Drinking tea has been around for ages, but it is only in recent times that the real health benefits of drinking green tea have been explored.  The main health benefits come from the antioxidants that it contains.

1. These antioxidants are said to be active contributors in fighting all types of cancers.

2. Cholesterol is another disease that green tea combats.  Green tea helps keep your arteries healthy and unblocked, which will help prevent heart attacks.

3. Green tea also regulates blood sugar. It keeps your body hydrated, and it does wonders for your skin.

4. Immunity levels are boosted, since green tea has active antibacterial compounds that help your body fight disease more naturally.

5. Drinking green tea thrice a day will increase your metabolism, which will encourage your body to lose weight and burn calories faster.

6. The hunger instinct is also reduced when you drink two to four cups of green tea and your body does not crave unhealthy snacks.

7. Two to four cups of green tea burns 70 to 80 calories per day, as it increases metabolism and helps you exercise longer with more endurance.

8. Green tea stimulates the nervous system, making the fat burning process faster.  It also makes your brain more active.

9. Four to five cups of green tea, teamed with a high fibre diet and a vigorous cardio workout will ensure that your body works up to being toned and healthy.

10. Green tea encourages good sleep, ensuring that you are well rested and ready for your workout, whether it is cardio, strength training or yoga.

 This article originally appeared on 360Living.in: Green tea a healthy and effective way to lose weight

The warning comes from doctors and scientists at Imperial College London who scanned the brains of 21 healthy young men and women while they looked at pictures of various foods.

The volunteers also rated how appealing they found the foods, which ranged from salads and vegetables to calorie-laden chocolates, desserts, cakes, pizzas and burgers.

Source: IANS

Fear not, a diet pill aimed at curbing fat people’s appetites could soon be a reality, Daily Mail reported. The pill would not only shrink waist lines but also the 4.2 billion pounds National Health Service bill for treating obesity related illness such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.  Scientists in the US believe the hypothalmus area of the brain – a receptor controlling body temperature, hunger, thirst and fatigue – is particularly sensitive to drugs which could hold the key to fighting flab, according to the Mail Saturday. Professor Domenico Accili, from Columbia University Medical Center, said: “We’ve identified a receptor that is immediately involved in regulating food intake.”

Obesity is fast becoming a global pandemic. Worldwide obesity has doubled since 1980 and in 2008 over 1.4 billion adults were overweight (BMI 25 -30) and out of these 500 million people were obese (above 30).  Add to that the fact that over 40 million kids were overweight in 2010. 

Source: IANS

When foods “blend in” with their background, people serve themselves 20 percent more than if they were serving the same meal on a plate of contrasting colour.

In the study, people were given either a red or a white dinner plate and led to one of two buffet tables offering pasta; one in tomato sauce, the other in cream sauce, the Telegraph reports.

Those given crockery which “matched” their food – red for tomato sauce, or white for cream sauce – gave themselves helpings between 17 and 22 percent larger than those with plates of contrasting colour. 

Further, research has established that the average person eats around 92 percent of a portion they serve themselves.

The latest study by researchers at Cornell University, US, repeated several times on groups of 60 participants, found the actual colour of the food and plates made no difference; what mattered was the contrast between the two. 

Study authors said the colour contrast appears to act as a “stop sign” reminding people to think about how much food they were serving.

Brian Wansink, professor who runs Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab, said: “People will generally serve themselves far more on a large dinner plate than they would on a smaller one, because the eye is tricked. It seems that colour contrast is one way to block this illusion.”

The research author said those trying to lose weight could help themselves by buying brightly coloured or dark plates, to provide contrast with common white foodstuffs such as pasta, rice and potatoes.

Alternatively, green plates could be used as a way to trick children into eating more vegetables, he said.

Source: IANS

Before you jump on that tummy-tuck bandwagon too, you should know what the procedure is about. We bring you a brief introduction about the procedure.

The tummy tuck procedure, also called Abdominoplasty is a procedure that removes excess fat and skin creating firmer and shapely abs. Ideally, it is not something which can replace weight loss with exercise and a good diet. It is indicated for people who are unable to get their abs in shape even after a lot of exercise (core conditioning). Usually, people opt for it after pregnancy or if they have a tummy due to heredity. At times, even when people lose a significant amount of weight, the skin over the abdomen hangs loosely and hence might need a tummy tuck.

But do bear in mind that it is a good option only if you are physically healthy and at a stable weight and are committed to fitness for life. It is advisable that you delay the procedure if you’re planning a pregnancy or lose a significant amount of weight  in the near future.

People often confuse liposuction with a tummy tuck. While liposuction only removes the fat in certain areas, a tummy tuck removes fat and the overlying skin too. Sometimes, a liposuction may be done as part of the tummy tuck.

Being a surgery after all, it does have its complications. There might be pain and soreness for several days. Infection and bleeding under the skin flaps can also occur. The risks are increased if you have diabetes, heart, lung or liver disease. A few people who’ve undergone tummy tucks do report ugly scarring.

So, before you get under the surgeon’s knife, do your research and get your facts in place. Consult an experienced surgeon, understand the procedure, it’s pros and cons and then go for it.

1. Leave the bodybuilding routines for the bodybuilders

You’ve seen those hulks at the gym and are tempted to try that chest workout they are using. Stop. You should know what works for somebody on steroids doesn’t work for somebody who wants to be natural. Many hard gainers think more is better and end up doing an insane amount of sets and reps. They’ll often be in the gym for two or three hours. Instead, spending only 45 minutes to an hour with the weights and no more than two to three weight workouts a week.

2. To get bigger, go basic

Get rid of the so-called “shaping exercises” done with little dumbbells — such as shoulder raises, chest flyes and concentration curls — as these target only part of a muscle group. Instead, stick with barbell-type moves and heavier weights, and aim for compound movements that involve at least two or more muscle groups, such as the chest, shoulders and triceps for the bench press. Why? Your muscles respond most to lifting heavier loads, and the impact on the muscles can be considerably magnified by moves that involve more muscle groups. This will enable you to lift even heavier weights and build more muscle thanks to those bigger loads. Go for the bigger exercises like squats, presses, deadlifts, chin-ups and straight bar curls.

3. Challenge yourself

To maximize your gains, choose challenging moves and go hard during every set. Intensity is much more important to muscle growth than quantity. It is better you do two very intense sets to failure (until you can’t lift anymore) with heavy weights and with forced reps (four to eight) than four to five sets of 12 to 15 reps at moderate intensity. For example, if you get to 10 reps with a lot of muscle straining, then you’re going too light.

4. Pound up!

Many guys take the easy route in the weight room. They would rather do tricep press-downs than dips, or leg presses than squats, but they’re just cheating themselves of better muscle gains.

5. Choose ‘muscle cardio’

The last thing you need – after putting your muscles on the get-bigger track — is going through a long cardio session, which will only whittle down those gains. Inevitably, your body will extract the energy it needs for long cardio from your muscle tissues, no matter how fueled up you are before. Instead, further enhance the muscle-building process by adding some muscle cardioor explosive cardio – short bursts of power followed by longer bouts of rest two to three times a week. Do eight rounds of 10 to 20 seconds of high-intensity cardio, such as wind sprints or cycle sprints, followed by 20 to 40 seconds rest.

6. Master before-and-after eating

There’s no shortcut to the beefed up version of you. Frankly, a lot of it has to do with what you routinely eat including different kinds of carbohydrates and proteins, before and after workouts and before and after sleep.

After you wake up, you want to get your muscles back into the anabolic (muscle building) state and out of the catabolic (muscle breakdown) state they fall into by morning time. Susan Kleiner, Ph.D., a registered dietitian and author of Power Eating, recommends eating protein for breakfast to avoid that latter state — and that’s why eggs are a good start to the day. If you prefer to sip rather than chew early in the day, go with a whey protein shake — which your muscles rapidly absorb — with fruit. Overall, she says that each day hard gainers must consume at least 0.73 grams of protein per pound of body weight and 2.73 or more grams of carbohydrates. In other words, if you’re 180 pounds (81 kgs) you need 131.4 grams of protein and 491.4 grams of carbohydrates per day. If you have five meals per day, that translates to 26.3 grams of protein (equivalent to about four eggs) and 98.3 grams of carbohydrates per meal. A four-ounce chicken sandwich with a side of brown rice and vegetables would be a perfectly balanced meal.

Two to three hours before the workout, down a carbohydrate-protein mixture, such as a mixed-nutrient sports bar. This will provide immediate energy and decrease the negative effects of exercise, such as damage to muscle tissue and muscle soreness.

After your workout, don’t waste any time. Within 15 to 30 minutes after setting down that last weight, take in some carbohydrates to refill your glycogen stores, build new proteins and refuel for tomorrow’s training session.

Lastly, before bed, switch out the fast-digesting whey protein for slow-digesting, time-release proteins like casein protein powder and dairy food like milk, curd, paneer. This will help keep your body in muscle-building state.

Content modified for use with permission from Men’s Life Today