I lost two and a half kilos in a month. No, No, this is not an advert for a magazine or a weight loss supplement. I am writing about it not because I am ecstatic, I obviously am ecstatic and I suddenly feel the need to flip and jump however keeping all of that aside, there is a reason why I decided to write about it.
I am someone who enjoys talking, reading, drawing, dancing, browsing through my phone and above all I enjoy food. To me food is what Hogwarts is to Harry Potter. I guess you have understood the relevance by my last statement hence dieting was never really an option for me, exercising however has always been an option but being consistent was always a challenge. Consistency is usually the struggle for everyone, even for the Mumbai weather.
Soon enough came a time when I was required to shed of a few extra kilos due to medical reasons and the first thing I did was, went back to my yoga classes. With the constant pestering of my yoga teacher which initially seemed like a wood-pecker pecking on wood, I eventually made a few alterations to my diet. Tada, just like the swoosh of wand, I gradually began to see changes.
In this blog, I am going to talk about the changes I bought to my everyday routine.
Fruits – Fruits help you keep full and are healthier than popping anything sweet. Fruits, however need to be eaten on an empty stomach and not on a full stomach. I made it a point to have at least 2 fruits a day because I realized if I can get my kid to do that, why wasn’t I following it for myself.
Vegetables – I eat almost all vegetables but cut down on the portion when I don’t like a particular vegetable. I soon began taking more serving of the vegetable and daal and less serving of rice or roti. Sometimes, I just tossed in favorite veggies in a spoon of ghee and sprinkled salt and pepper and ate it just like that.
Yogurt – Yogurt is known to have probiotic bacteria that help with digestion. I ensured I was having curd or buttermilk with my meals. I avoided it at night due to a tendency of developing a sore throat however tried to have it atleast twice a day I also added it to fruit smoothies to turn it into a wholesome breakfast or snack.
Nuts – If you can’t chew them, grind them. I used to add nuts to my son’s smoothies, I too started consuming the same. I also began adding flax seeds and chia seeds to smoothies. For a few smoothies, I even added green leafy vegetable. They not only taste yum but are nutritious too. This one is my absolute favorite smoothie
Eggs – I absolutely detest eating a yolk of a boiled egg and hence I eat only egg whites. I also eat scrambled eggs or an omelet. Add some veggies to the omelet and eat it as it is skipping the bread. It keeps you full and you are getting an intake of veggies too.
Chew, Chew, Chew your food – Just like you have to row, row, row your boat gently down the stream, the same way you have to chew your food really well for it go through your digestive stream and also for your brain to let you know when you are really full which doesn’t happen too well when you are gulping down food.
Cut down on the sugar – Everything that comes in pack is processed and has some sugar added to it in the form of fructose, sucrose or glucose. A teaspoon of sugar in tea is alright however avoid bread and biscuits. Try and replace sugar with good quality jaggery powder.
Replace the flours – We often mix and match things to see how they suit us our homes. Similarly reduce the quantity of wheat and add more flours to your meals. Jowar crepes are good breakfast choice. Bajra mixed with methi can be easily had for lunch. Ragi is a rich source of calcium and ragi rotis or bhakris taste really yummy.
Sleep like a princess– Well, they say sleep like a child but being a parent I know how a child sleeps so instead get your beauty sleep. A minimum of 7 hours of sleep is important for your hormones to work the way they are supposed. A change in your sleep patter can make your hormones do a somersault and they could end up going for a holiday.
Small alterations in our lifestyle go a long way. Choose an exercise form that suits your body. I choose yoga and walking. I intend to gradually move up the ladder to crossfit and Pilates however until them, I am being vigilant about what I eat. Read here to know why exercise is important for us benefits of exercise
I have also previously written about foods that help with weight loss.You can read it here Foods that help with weightloss
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