Around 1-1/2 years back, my weight was 92 kg. And at the height of 5 feet 8 inches, I had crossed the obesity borderline long back. At the age of 30+, there is a high risk of diabetes if you are obese and there are other problems too. So I seriously decided to lose weight. But, I really don’t like to do heavy exercises or jogging or give up certain types of food to lose weight. On one of the medical websites I came to know that an adult who takes 2000 calories per day if they take just a few hundred calories less say 1800 or 1700, they will lose weight gradually. It sounded very simple to me. It doesn't mean that all of a sudden you have to stop eating all those high calories of your favorite foods. It just means that starts taking a little less than usual. So take fewer calories + No jogging nothing = Lose weight. It is as simple as that. You do not need to spend time in the gym either. Doing jogging is good, and that might work for a few days for a few people, but trust me, eventually, you will get fed up and you will give up. I’m not saying you shouldn't exercise at all. You need physical exercise to keep you fit, but that is NOT mandatory for losing weight. In fact, every day unknowingly you are doing exercise. Your body needs calories for every activity. While you are talking, driving, thinking, and even watching TV, your body always burns calories. But, why do people become fat over time? It’s simple math, you are taking more calories than what you are burning. Our body is really a wonderful machine, it tries hard to consume the calories that you're pushing inside to keep you lean. But, when we keep pushing more calories E-V-E-R-Y-DAY then eventually it gives up!!! That’s why nobody put on weight overnight, it takes months. The same thing you have to remember while you are thinking of losing weight, you won’t lose weight overnight, it would definitely take time, but eventually, it happens.
Here is what I did ...
I downloaded an app on the iPhone (MyNetDairy) and calculated how many calories I should be taken to maintain my weight. And as per this App, if I take a few hundred calories less, I would lose around half a kg per week. Then started entering the food that I was eating and ensured my intake is less than normal. Some people may feel it is overkill to note down the food and calories each time they eat. But isn't it a lot better than spoiling your early morning sleep for jogging or always looking for XXL size for your dress in the showroom?
The steps that I recommend for losing weight are given below.
1) You have to mark what you’re eating in your app and make sure you are taking exactly the same number of calories as what you targeted for the day. The app will calculate the calories based on the food item you entered. It will have a huge database of different foods including Indian foods.
2) You have to put a realistic target weight. Not like lose 10 kg in a week, kind of targets. I first set my target weight as 85 Kg in 3 months and then 80 and then 75. It took a very long time for me to lose weight from 80 to 75. I guess it happens to you as it is always hard to achieve your final goal after achieving many intermediate goals.
3) Complete your dinner as early as possible. I used to complete around 7 PM. The reason is, the food gets digested quickly and burned early before you sleep. So that it won’t become fat and get stocked up in your body.
4) Once you complete your dinner, never eat anything even if you feel hungry. It will not hurt you because, during this time, your body gets the calories from stocked-up body fat. That is how over the period the fat will reduce and you will lose weight.
5) Try to avoid rice in your dinner. Rice is one of the reasons for our stubborn belly. But, it’s not a hard rule. It's up to you !!!
6) Don’t forget to check your weight daily. Preferably in early mornings with an empty stomach. You will get motivated if you see that you are losing weight even if that is in grams.
7) It is OK to eat high-calorie foods once in a while (I used to take chicken Biryani on Sundays ;) ). Remember you should not repeat that every day. And if you see you gained weight because of it, don’t panic, you will lose quickly if you follow your target-weight diet plan again. I had a lot of fluctuations like this.
8) Don’t ever eat until your stomach is full and eat a little less than your stomach capacity. Even at breakfast and lunch.
9) Maximum try to eat food prepared at your home. The same quantity of food prepared in the restaurants will have more calories than home food.
10) If you are de-motivated that you are sacrificing several foods like fast-foods because of this diet plan and not eating much, then it’s ok once in a while to eat foods like sweets, fast-foods, etc. But ensure to eat in your lunchtime or at breakfast. Never eat those foods at dinner.
Apart from these points, the most important thing here is you should have patience and determination to lose weight. It feels so happy when you are shopping for fewer size dresses than usual after losing weight. And remember nothing happens overnight. You can sure see a lot of progress if you follow the above simple steps over a period of time. It took me around a year to achieve the target weight of 75 kg. I believe you can also achieve it. All the best.
