Eat your Favourite Foods and Still Lose Weight

Table of Content

• 10 Quick weight-loss steps without hardcore dieting

• 5 Tips for losing weight while eating during special occasions

Introduction

• Problems like obesity are a common issue in multiple communities worldwide, including India. Factors like stress, low price of unhealthy items, high cost of weight loss programs, and multiple unhealthy lifestyle choices contribute to the rising numbers of overweight individuals. Given the current data, it is expected that the number of obese and overweight patients in India can rise exponentially within 2040. 

• Obesity as a condition implies extra fat deposition in the body due to unhealthy diet choices and lack of exercise. Individuals over the BMI limit of 30 are obese; they can later suffer from harmful health issues. Therefore, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle to reduce weight, involving regular exercise and diet control. In India, it is expected that 5% of people would be obese, and 27.8% would be overweight by 2030. Among them, 20% of Indians approximately would belong to rural areas.

• Overall, it is essential to take proper measures to reduce one's weight within a predetermined time. But, multiple individuals cannot continue with their weight loss programs appropriately. This article focuses on answering how to lose weight when you love food and hate exercise. Here, you would learn potential tips and dietary recommendations for losing weight without compromising on taste. Conditions related to weight gain 

Extreme weight gain can result in multiple health risks in Indians and the global population. The various health issues that are possible due to overweight or obesity conditions are mentioned hereafter. 

• Hypertension or high blood pressure 

• Coronary heart diseases 

• Death (in extreme cases) 

• Dyslipidemia or high triglyceride levels, low HDL cholesterol levels, or high HDL cholesterol levels

• Stroke 

• Gallbladder diseases 

• Disabilities during adulthood 

• Osteoarthritis (a degenerative disease occurring in the joints)

• Higher risk for particular cancer types (breast, endometrial, ovarian, liver, kidney, prostate, or colon)

10 Quick weight-loss steps without hardcore dieting

Particular steps are necessary for reducing weight. The ones mentioned below are useful for obese or overweight individuals who want to lose weight without giving up their favorite food. 

1. Balanced diet 

• It is vital to maintain a balance in meal portions to lose weight appropriately. Especially when eating a food item that has high-calorie content, preparing a balanced diet chart is important. If you want chocolates or other high-calorie items, supplement that with healthy ingredients like fruits and vegetables. Also, moderate the quantity of protein-rich food to balance the carbohydrate intake. 

• According to diet and fitness experts, eating delicious food is fine as long as you maintain self-control and are aware of your overall calorie requirements. Plus, a measured meal plan with food items that one enjoys would decrease the chance of them bingeing on unhealthy items altogether at a later point. 

2. Understand empty calories 

• Essentially, empty calories are food items or drinks that you consume which would not satisfy your cravings. Also, they would not fill the body up with the necessary nutrients. For each individual, what constitutes 'empty calories' differs slightly.

• Generally, non-diet drinks and soft drinks hold empty calories; many Indians drink them to feel refreshed or quench the thirst. However, it increases the BMI level instead. Therefore, it is best to avoid it from your diet when you are trying to lose weight and substitute them with homemade jaljeera, lemon water, coconut water, and buttermilk. 

3. Snacks 

Snacking in between the big meals is helpful, as long as one considers the quantity and food type. Light snacking would provide necessary energy and also reduce the possibility of overeating at the next meal. A small bowl of puffed rice, homemade popcorns, a little piece of cheese, or fruits are acceptable snacking options. For taste, add particular condiments, mixed herbs, and oregano if necessary. 

4. Fries 

• One of the leading food choices that are a contributor to obesity symptoms is fries. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) 2015-16 showed that 36% of Indian women eat fried food weekly while 10% do so daily. 

• This count is higher in recent years. Deep-frying breading-coated items in oil is harmful since they have high-calorie content. Therefore, consumers need to coat the ingredients with light breading and use an oven. In an oven, only a small spray of oil is effective in adding crispness and texture, and the calorie content is comparatively lower. This is useful for cooking onion pakoras, samosa, and other vegetable pakoras. You can also use an air-fryer for the same.

5. Sandwich 

Sandwiches can contain a lot of calories, depending on the kind of ingredients you use. For the best weight loss technique, fill the sandwich with vegetables, low-fat mayonnaise, and use brown bread instead of white bread. Also, one can bake the sandwich if needed. 

6. Nuts 

• Nuts do contain calories and fat in high content; however, they are wholesome food types. These are full of healthy fatty acids and include other valuable nutrients like protein. Hence, having some nuts can lower your hunger cravings.

• Yet, it is important to consume nuts in measured amounts since many nut types have high-calorie content. For the safer side, consume only almonds, fox nuts (makhanas), and walnuts.

7. Pasta 

• Multiple Indians consume pasta, especially in urban societies. In this context, many consumers tend to devour more than one portion of pasta at a time. This is one of the main reasons for weight gain; it is important to self-regulate the food portion.

• If you are wondering how to lose weight when you love food, portion control is essential to follow. Also, opt for home-cooking and not takeout pasta. Furthermore, go for whole-grain pasta instead of refined pasta. These contain more nutrients and fibre. For added benefits, including lots of vegetables and lean protein in your pasta dish. 

8. Indian bread 

• Multiple Indian bread types are tasty to eat but contain high calories. In this regard, choosing whole wheat naan or rotis is useful. These do not have a high glycemic index like regular naan options. 

• Thus, whole wheat options would not affect the blood sugar levels during your weight loss practices. Yet, it is important to remember to count the number of pieces of bread one consumes. Reducing the number slowly would help. Start eating only one whole-wheat roti or naan if you regularly eat two. 

9. Chocolate 

For sweet-lovers, eating chocolates in small quantities is valuable. Also, try to consume dark chocolates compared to regular milk or white chocolate alternatives. Dark ones contain lesser calories and multiple antioxidants, which improves heart health. 

10. Vegetables 

• Indians enjoy paneer dishes like palak paneer, chili paneer, kadhai paneer, etc. Around 5% of the total milk production in India is used to make paneer. It is important to choose paneer if you are vegetarian and not eating any other protein-rich item. But if you are trying to lose weight, then opt for tofu instead of paneer, as paneer contains a high amount of fat. Tofu is prepared by coagulating soy milk and contains only 2.7 gm of fat (per 100 gm), while 100 gm of paneer contains 20 gm of fat. Also, choosing lentils like chana masala ensures enough protein consumption. In regular vegetable-made dishes, keeping potatoes to a minimum amount is helpful. 

• Switching to other vegetables with a low glycemic index like gobi (cauliflower) or palak (spinach) is also helpful. This would balance the nutrient intake. 

5 Tips for losing weight while eating during special occasions

It is possible to overeat during the holiday seasons and festivals, which adversely affects the weight loss scheme. In India, different communities celebrate multiple special occasions, and a lot of individuals eat tasty yet unhealthy items during this period. The following are particular tips on how to lose weight while eating normally during special occasions. 

1. Avoid skipping meals

It is important not to miss out on any meal. This would have the opposite impact on your weight loss plans since you may eat more instead in the next meal. Plus, skipping a meal hampers the regular digestion in the body, which would also affect your overall weight gain. Here, it is essential to follow a standard meal plan regularly, starting with breakfast. 

2. Slow eating 

It is necessary to eat the food items slowly and in measured quantities. Take some minutes to concentrate on other parts of the meal. Also, properly chew the food; this would control your meal's pace and adequately break down the food into digestible consistency. 

3. Avoid high-calorie drinks 

Instead of high-calorie or empty-calorie drinks like soft drinks, opt for no-calorie drinks. Sparkling water, tea, and regular water are acceptable choices. 

4. Allow special treats 

On some days, it is okay to indulge in small special treats, especially during festivals that come once a year. Plan to eat one or two high-calorie items only during this period; skip other unhealthy choices. 

5. Focus on the fullness signal 

While eating delicious meals, consumers need to slow down and ultimately stop eating when the body reaches its fullness limit. Paying close attention to inner hunger urges is important to know when to stop. After completing a specified amount, wait for a while to see if you are full.

Word of Wisdom

There are certain steps that people need to take to continue their weight loss regime without missing flavorful delicacies. Mainly, portion control and proper food-choice balancing are essential to follow to reduce obesity potential. Also, exercise regularly to reduce the accumulated fat.