Mumbai : The first step that people who want to cut fat is that they should start cutting down on stress.
This the mantra given by Namita Jain, fitness expert to several Bollywood personalities. “Skipping breakfast, eating junk food, odd eating hours, late nights, weekend parties is making you go fat,” said Jain, also a wellness expert at Bombay Hospital.
Jain said that people have generally forgotten to observe the unusual routine they have been following as they are too caught up and busy. This has led to a stressful life. Therefore, the first step that people who want to cut fat should do is to start cutting down on stress.
“Start meditating and observe discipline in your eating and daily routine. Cultivate a hobby through which you can relieve your stress. Find adequate time for yourself,” said Jain.
After being free from stress, Jain said that one must control once temptations. “Start substituting. Replace chocolates with fruits, cold drinks with lime juice, tea with green tea and coffee with black coffee,” Jain added.
She also said that losing weight has to come naturally and has to be followed under the guidance of a well-read dietician.
“People are not at all well-versed with the basics of dieting. People think that by skipping breakfast they can control their weight. However, skipping breakfast is the biggest injustice that one can do and it is the biggest impediment to losing weight as it can lead to craving of high calorie food,” said Jain.
According to Jain, several approaches to maintain the lost weight include continuing the physical activities, avoiding situations that may lead to overeating, changing attitudes towards eating and socializing, mindful eating and dealing with stress.
“Changing attitudes towards eating starts with scrutinising what is cooked and served at the dining table – what foods appear mostly on the home menu, choice of snacks and sweets, how oily is the cooking, quantity of ingredients that go into the preparation of dishes. Critically review your recipes and menus to see how they can be made leaner and healthy. In short, put your cookbook on a diet,” said Jain.
According to Jain, one of the ingredients that can drastically add calories to a dish is fat. The fat or oil in most recipes can be altered without distancing much from the original taste. In Indian cooking, a major source of fat is the cooking oil used to sauté onions.
“Simplify your menus. Plan simple menus. Feature healthy recipes for daily eating, including lots of vegetables, whole grains and fruits. If any meal is expected to be heavy, then minimize fat and up the fibre in the next meal. If one dish is rich then keep the other dishes of the meal light. Fibre is a friend to anyone maintaining or losing their weight, so choose it over refined and processed foods,” said Jain.
Jain also said that one must ensure to do a few stretches in the daytime and must take food five times a day.
“One of the other important thing is to take good sleep. At least from 7 to 9 hours. It is healthiest. Besides try and have noon nap for at least half an hour. Power naps can improve alertness, motor skills, reflexes and perceptual skills,” said Jain.
She also stressed on the health hazards faced by stress- ridden Indian society.
“According to the World Congress of Cardiology, it is estimated that by 2020 heart diseases will be the cause of over 40 per cent deaths in India as compared to 24 per cent in 1990. World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that nearly 200 million people all over the world suffer from diabetes and this number is likely to double. In India, there are nearly 50 million diabetics,” said Jain.
‘SMART’ Principle that should be followed by people
l Specific – Define your goals clearly and list them down in order of priority
l Measurable – Keep track of how much you are progressing
l Action-oriented – Once you’ve made up your mind to do something, take the required action
l Realistic – Keep your goals realistic and do-able
l Time bound – Set yourself a time limit. Having a time limit also allows you to measure how well you have done in certain period of time
