Weight loss is not a miracle that can happen overnight. We often come upon people who are on a mission to lose weight either by following fad diets or unhealthy efforts. Weight loss is a result of 80% Diet and 20% Exercise. Losing weight differs as per the person’s weight, height, diet, nutrition, genes, lifestyle etc and cannot be generically categorized for everyone commonly. It would be best to consult a qualified nutritionist/dietician for the same who would give us the best individualized sustainable plan as per our needs and comfort for effective weight loss and to stay healthy and fit.
Below are mentioned some effective tips for healthy weight loss:-
1.Water: Drinking minimum 8-10 glasses of water especially before having your meals is extremely beneficial for staying healthy as it flushes out all the toxins and chemicals from our body. It keeps us hydrated as well as makes us feel full. Most of the time we mistake thirst for hunger.
2.Inclusion of Greens: Inclusion of leafy greens in our diet adds to weight loss as they are low in calorie and high on nutrients and antioxidants. They provide us numerous health benefits. The fibre content in them keeps us feeling fuller.
3.Drinking Green Tea: Green tea is low on caffeine and high on antioxidants. It is actually beneficial for weight loss as it helps in burning fat.
4.Cutting down on unhealthy “whites” from your diet: eliminating the white food items from our diet can help us lose weight. Items such as Salt, Sugar, Maida, Bread etc increase obesity risk along with being associated with heart conditions and Type 2 diabetes.
5.Portion Control: Simple and effective way to manage weight loss is portion control. Keeping a tab on the item on your plate by keeping a diary or logging into health apps increases our awareness regarding our diet intake and makes us more conscious and better eaters.
6.Having Spicy food: Having spicy food boost metabolism and reduces your appetite. It thereby decreases food cravings and makes us resist eating unhealthy food items.
7.Having homemade food: Simple, nutritious and fresh home cooked meals have an added advantage over processed and stale food we eat outside which are loaded with calories and zero on nutrition.
8.Chewing food slowly and thoroughly: Having food slowly and chewing it properly and thoroughly can send the brain the signal that we have eaten enough. Chewing is also effective in reducing calories. Take minimum 20 minutes to finish your meal.
9.Sleep: Perhaps the most underrated tip, getting adequate sleep. Sleep is not only important to keep you replenished and fresh for the next day, but having adequate and sound sleep helps us in shedding our calories too. It is considered as important as a good diet and exercise.
10.Cut down fizzy drinks/canned juices: Soda, juices loaded with sugar, canned juices which are loaded with preservatives etc should be cut down from our diet as they are empty in nutrition and loaded with calories. Eating a whole fruit or vegetable is considered a healthier option. You can also opt for coconut water, fresh fruit unstrained juices, instead of carbonated drinks.
11.Stay Happy: Being happy and cheerful leads to positive vibes, which releases feel good hormones. A happy and content person tends to have a balance in life and does everything in moderation which leads them to being healthy and fit.
12.Indulge in choice of exercise: Most often people join gyms or some kind of class with the intention of losing weight. The choice of exercise might not be of their preference and soon they tend to get bored and stop it altogether leading to gaining back all the weight that was shed. Sticking to simple but long term exercises like walking, swimming, cycling etc lead to better results and a continuation.
13.Eating whole food: Consuming fresh and raw whole foods, fruits and vegetables are more beneficial in the weight loss process as they contain few calories and more fibre.
14.Healthy Snacking: Keeping healthy snacks like nuts, almonds, peanuts, Futana, Makhanas etc helps us keep our hunger pangs at bay and lets us snack healthily.
15.Moderation: Moderation is the key. Living a healthy and balanced life with everything in moderation helps to keep us fit and healthy.

*This article is sourced from Mrs. Siddhi Takalkar Deshpande, one of the best dietitian in Pune for weight loss and clinical nutritionist.
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