Entries Tagged 'Weight Loss' ↓

For many people on the wrong side of chubby, weight loss is not the only way to having a superb body. As surprising as it sounds your posture may actually take off those extra pounds from you. All you need to do is loosen up, to loose weight!

Loosening your muscles and hence your posture not only helps you “how to loose weight” but it eliminates spinal cord problems , improves speed and helps you walk more fluidly.

Spending too much time on the television or on the computer, standing in lines for too long or even sedentary jobs often lead to weight gain: that is a proven fact. What you probably didn’t know is that such a lifestyle gives you a bad posture which adds another superficial 15 ponds to your body.

Here are some of the postures that make you look fatter,

Hip- Sitting
When some people carry their weight too far back while walking it gives the illusion of an excess tummy fat.

Forward Lean
This happens when people lean too much to the front. It adds a lot of extra pounds to the back profile.

Lordosis
This happens when people walk with their shoulders too far back, stomach thrust forward and rear sticking out: one of the common effects of too many high heels. This posture not only enhances your stomach and rear but also ruins your curves.

Hunching
This is most common among people with desk jobs. A majority of people working all day long with computers or telephones sit with their shoulders hunched. This causes the chest muscle to contract and gives the illusion of a larger tummy.

Loose muscles, Loose Weight

For people with bad postures that is making you look fatter there are some simple exercises that can make you loose nearly 15 pounds. All you need is a wall and 15 minutes a day!

Stand adjacent to a wall with your head, back and shoulders completely touching it.
Tuck your hand between the wall and your back and check the space.
If the space is too much, slowly try closing in on the space.
Practice this posture while walking around.

Another exercise called the shoulder strokes can help loosen your shoulder muscles hence making your tummy look thinner.

Stand up straight and loosen your hands and palms.
With your elbow straight raise your hands and rotate it like a back stroke.
Do this 20 times and repeat with other hand.

While weight loss for the obese is essential, what is more important is that this weight loss is sustained and gradual i.e. healthy. Over enthusiastic obese patients strain themselves out to lose more weight than they can handle. Often they lose motivation in the middle and gain double the weight or the harm themselves by extensive dieting and exercise.

Hence a healthy weight loss that is gradually carried out as a scheduled program over at least a couple of months under qualified medical supervision. Exercising too much leads to straining of body muscles and can impair them permanently. Dieting without proper guidance can lead to the loss of essential nutrients, fats and proteins leading to deficiencies and some major disorders.

Rapid weight loss refers to loss about 2.5 to 3 kg in a week; this can have adverse effects on the body. Some of the hazards include,

ORTHOSTATIC HYPOTENSION

Orthostatic hypotension is a form of hypotension wherein the blood pressure of a person falls when the respective person usually stands up.

ELEROLYTIC IMBALANCE

Electrolytes play a vital role in maintaining homeostasis within the body. They help to regulate myocardial and neurological function, fluid balance, oxygen delivery, acid-base balance and much more. It can lead to lightheadedness, cramping, confusion, nausea, muscle spasms and twitches

GOUT

Gout is caused by elevated levels of uric acid in the blood that crystallizes and deposits in joints, tendons, and surrounding tissues. It may lead to acute inflammatory arthritis.

FATIGUE,DIZZINESS, DEHYDRATION,HEADACHE,MUSCLE CRAMPING and COLD INTOLERANCE

CHOLECYSTITIS

Cholecystitis is inflammation of the gall bladder. it may further lead to high fever, shock and jaundice ,ascending cholangitis, gallstone etc.

PANCREATITIS

Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas that can occur in two very different forms, acute and chronic. It may occur due to inappropriate re-feeding after caloric restriction. Its complications include shock, hypocalcaemia (low blood calcium), high blood glucose, dehydration and kidney failure.

CHOLELITHIASIS

Gallstones (choleliths) are crystalline bodies formed within the body by accretion or concretion of normal or abnormal bile components.  Obese people have a large and dysfunctional gall bladder, when such a person takes low calorie diet, the frequency of gall bladder contractions leading to gall stone formations.

REDUCE IN RESTING METABOLIC RATE

Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), is the amount of energy expended while at rest in a neutrally temperate environment, in the post-absorptive state. Decrease in lean body mass can decrease resting metabolic rates leading to complications in maintaining weight.
While weight loss for the obese is essential, what is more important is that this weight loss is sustained and gradual i.e. healthy. Over enthusiastic obese patients strain themselves out to lose more weight than they can handle. Often they lose motivation in the middle and gain double the weight or the harm themselves by extensive dieting and exercise.

Hence a healthy weight loss that is gradually carried out as a scheduled program over at least a couple of months under qualified medical supervision. Exercising too much leads to straining of body muscles and can impair them permanently. Dieting without proper guidance can lead to the loss of essential nutrients, fats and proteins leading to deficiencies and some major disorders.

Rapid weight loss refers to loss about 2.5 to 3 kg in a week; this can have adverse effects on the body. Some of the hazards include,

ORTHOSTATIC HYPOTENSION

Orthostatic hypotension is a form of hypotension wherein the blood pressure of a person falls when the respective person usually stands up.

ELEROLYTIC IMBALANCE

Electrolytes play a vital role in maintaining homeostasis within the body. They help to regulate myocardial and neurological function, fluid balance, oxygen delivery, acid-base balance and much more. It can lead to lightheadedness, cramping, confusion, nausea, muscle spasms and twitches

GOUT

Gout is caused by elevated levels of uric acid in the blood that crystallizes and deposits in joints, tendons, and surrounding tissues. It may lead to acute inflammatory arthritis.

FATIGUE,DIZZINESS, DEHYDRATION,HEADACHE,MUSCLE CRAMPING and COLD INTOLERANCE

CHOLECYSTITIS

Cholecystitis is inflammation of the gall bladder. it may further lead to high fever, shock and jaundice ,ascending cholangitis, gallstone etc.

PANCREATITIS

Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas that can occur in two very different forms, acute and chronic. It may occur due to inappropriate re-feeding after caloric restriction. Its complications include shock, hypocalcaemia (low blood calcium), high blood glucose, dehydration and kidney failure.

CHOLELITHIASIS

Gallstones (choleliths) are crystalline bodies formed within the body by accretion or concretion of normal or abnormal bile components.  Obese people have a large and dysfunctional gall bladder, when such a person takes low calorie diet, the frequency of gall bladder contractions leading to gall stone formations.

REDUCE IN RESTING METABOLIC RATE

Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), is the amount of energy expended while at rest in a neutrally temperate environment, in the post-absorptive state. Decrease in lean body mass can decrease resting metabolic rates leading to complications in maintaining weight.

For those of you aiming to shed those extra pounds here are a few myths about weight loss that you have to lose from your head right now.

Size of the stomach: the size of the stomach is not dependent on the BMI of the individual and exercise does not reduce the size of the stomach. Contrary to the popular belief fat people may have a smaller stomach than thin people. It is the layers of fat in the omentum-an internal sheet that is over and around internal organs that make a person obese. Exercise burns these layers of visible fat and the fat which is between organs.

Eating before sleeping: it seems logical that food we eat during the day burns more efficiently than food we eat before going o sleep. But science proves that weight loss is not based on a 24 hour clock. Eating before sleeping is never the less unhealthy as it can lead to indigestion, ulcers and other problems.

Here are a few weight loss tips you need on a weight loss regime:

Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk to any destination within 3km.
Exercise for at least 30 minutes everyday. Avoid sitting continuously for a long time, do some simple chores around the house.
Encourage children to play out for at least an hour.
Restrict junk food to once a week, Try smaller sized items when snacking or eating out.  Discourage children from taking second helpings or larger portions.
Parents must be educated on the problems of child obesity and the simple ways in which it can be prevented.
Schools, colleges etc can ensure the ban of Soft drinks and other unhealthy food items inside the campus.
Schools can give counseling sessions to students about the importance of weight loss
Minimize salt content in food, choose and eat more healthy varieties of food.

Obesity has continued to spread its dangers in today’s world with the common man being unaware of too much indulgence. Every day junk food stalls and restaurants continue to burgeon strangling ignorant people with calories.

Of the few who recognize obesity, see it only as a cosmetic problem and remain unaware of its dire medical consequences. Humans thus gorge on layers of fat and taste behind which looms only death.

Finally it is one realization that will save us all, “One should eat to live and not live to eat.”

For obese patients planning to lose weight a proper program and schedule assisted by qualified physicians is a must. Weight loss is a very difficult aim to achieve and dangerous too.

Any weight loss program has three basic goals.

To prevent further weight gain
To lose weight and achieve a realistic target BMI
To maintain a lower body weight over a long term

The Three Stages Of A Weight Loss Program

Motivation
Motivation is the act of providing a reason for a person to undertake a particular course of action. This is the most important step for weight reduction as most enthusiastic patients lose hope in the middle of their programs and have a double fold rebound.

The patient should be approached in a non confrontational, nonjudgmental fashion. In case of children the physical activity must be enjoyable and not over-exerting. Small rewards can be provided to those who successfully reach goals.

Exercise
For Losing weight:  A number of case studies have shown that regular physical activity can markedly reduce weight and fat mass without dietary caloric restriction in overweight men and women.

An effective weight loss program will include 3 to 12 months of training with 30 to 60 minutes each day. The best long term results may be achieved when physical activity produces an energy expenditure of at least 2500 kcal per week. Adherence to the exercise training program is a critical factor for a successful long term weight loss.

For Maintaining Weight: A large proportion of individuals will eventually regain weight up to their initial body weight.

Mild exercise is not able to maintain weight in obese and overweight individuals who are prone to weight gain. 90%of people who were able to maintain their weight report that regular physical activity is a critical component of their success.

People who have succeeded in avoiding weight regain have reported mean exercise energy of about 2700Kcal per week which equals to about 4 miles of walking per day. Hence a minimum of 80-90 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per day may be needed to avoid weight regain.

Dieting

An obese Man/woman must take a healthy mixed diet of about 1400kcal everyday, and must exercise enough to maintain a negative balance between energy taken and energy expended.
Protein should provide for 15-20% of total intake .No more than 30% of total energy intake should come from fat. Fatty meats, full cream diary products, palm oil, coconut oil and processed foods should be avoided. Carbohydrates should provide 50-55% of total energy intake.

Do you need to lose weight and get in shape? Well, running is one of the most ideal activities for that purpose. It helps a great deal in getting rid of your flabby abs and bulging stomach. In addition to not needing much special equipment, you can do it almost anywhere, anytime…

Check out the complete article here: Running for Weight Loss

For several years it has been recognized that south Asians have certain unique clinical and biochemical characteristics that make them susceptible to obesity .These are collectively referred to as the South Asian Phenotype. Asians have a unique body phenotype with relatively lower BMI but increased abdominal adiposity and body fat particularly visceral fat.

The Asian Indian race both native and migrant has extra body fat in its composition which has now been nicknamed “The Thin Fat Indian”. We have more fat and less muscle and have the best brains but do not make the best athletes. Possibly we have world chess champions and are the software outsource capital of the world but we lack woefully in Olympic sports.

The traditional India diet is very healthy and balanced. Indians get their proteins from lamb, fish, chicken, bean and pulses.

The carbohydrates come from rice, wheat and bread. Due to climatic differences across India, rice is popular among south Indians while wheat is preferred by north Indians.

The cooking oils, nuts, ghee and butter used in Indian diets serve as source of fats. The type of oils used in different parts of India is different for example groundnut oil is largely used in eastern India and coconut oil in south India.

The various mixes of vegetables and fruits used provide all the essential minerals and vitamins. Fruits like guavas, mangoes, grapes, melons, oranges, apples etc are widely grown and consumed in all parts of India.
The majority of Indians are vegetarians and hence it comes as no surprise that their diet is nearly entirely comprised of vegetables.

Dairy products form a major part of the Indian diet. A large number of Indian savories are made from curd or milk. Yogurt is used in curries, milk in sweets and porridge, deserts etc. curd is used in a variety of sauces in Indian gravies and in chat items like Chat Paapad. Butter milk is a part of the staple Indian diet in most parts of India.

It is not surprising that spices form the core of the Indian diet. Most of these spices are used not only for their smells and exotic flavors but also for their medicinal properties. Turmeric is a well known anti septic and is also proven to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Ginger has cold relieving properties. Other spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, garlic and chilies are other commonly used spices.

It was around 1.8 million years ago when Homo Erectus became the first hominid to apply fire to food, thus enkindling the first hunting & gathering ceremony in which animals became a significant part of the diet and resources were shared. Presently at the advent of the 3rd millennium, we are victims of our own evolutionary success having developed a high calorie diet while minimizing the amount of energy expenditure. What started as just another extra slice of the cake, obesity has reached epidemic proportions today.

Obesity is defined as having BMI over 30. Better than BMI, waist-hip ratio or waist circumference are considered good obesity indicators. Apart from High fat deposition, the distribution of fat is also important with abdominal adiposity being the most risky.

Stomach contractions are generally unmistakable hunger signals to the stomach’s owner, that is, if the owner is in the normal weight range. The trouble with most overweight men and women is that their signaling system has somehow broken down. They feel hunger pangs, but they fail to get the message to take in food. As a paradoxical result, they eat more, and they eat more often

Co morbidities of obesity include Type 2 Diabetes, Hyper-lipidemia, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, cerebro-vascular disease, gall stones, degenerative joint disease and a variety of cancers.

All hope is not lost for the obese. The obvious solution is to lose weight, but the obvious question is How to lose weight?. Losing weight requires focus, will power and medical help. First the patient has to be made aware of the complications of being obese and He/She has to be motivated to lose weight.

Umpteen numbers of diets are available for weight loss but most of these are bogus. Even if one loses weight through these diet plans, rebound is unavoidable and he/she ends up putting twice the amount of weight as before. Starving or skipping meals is not the solution either as it leads to severe binge eating afterwards.

A number of case studies have shown that regular physical activity can markedly help lose weight and fat mass without dietary caloric restriction in overweight men and women.

An effective training program will include 3 to 12 months of training with 30 to 60 minutes each day. The best long term results may be achieved when physical activity produces an energy expenditure of at least 2500 kcal per week. Adherence to the exercise training program is a critical factor for a successful long term weight loss.

Obesity results from the interaction of many factors in genetic, metabolic, behavioral, environmental and lifestyle influences. The basic principle behind weight gain is defect/imbalance in energy homeostasis. i.e.; lack of proper dieting. As a result the excess energy is stored in the body and the fat cells increase in size and number.

In a study in the University of New South Wales, animals were offered cafeteria diets (chocolate bars, cheese curls, cookies etc).These animals became obese and began to refuse their natural food .Even more starling, they began to eat these food items even when they were not hungry. Junk food thus has been proved to have the ability to develop “fake”hunger leading to repeated eating and obesity

Over the years the average fast food consumption and portion sizes has increased.

Ready access to inexpensive snacks, drive through and quick delivery, the popularity of buffet dining, television advertising of unhealthy foods, school contracts with soft drinks and other junk food companies reflects the double edged sword of technological advancements as these can have disastrous effects on our body.

There is a clear decrease in traditional three meals a day pattern and a rise in more frequent, less formal eating occasions commonly described as snacking. While the eating frequency per se may not contribute to obesity patterns, the quality and quantity of these snacks have severe impact on individuals. Studies have shown that consuming increasingly large packets of chips or sandwiches during these “snacking” is associated with significant increase in appetite and the individual ends up consuming large quantities during the subsequent meal.

Contrary to popular assumption dieting does not refer to starving yourself off calories and cutting out any traces of carbohydrates and fats. In fact when you’re dieting you’re not expected to give up on any kind of, you only have to cut down on the size of the portions.

An obese person who is dieting is encouraged to have around 1500-1600 Kilo calories a day. This diet should have a major contribution from proteins, vitamins and minerals and less contribution from fats and carbohydrates.

Fats and carbohydrates should never be cut out from the meals as is common among most diets popular on the net. Deficiency of fat may lead to loss of lean muscle which in turn to many health disorders. Also cutting out carbohydrates drains you of energy which only prevents you from exercising and makes you hungrier.

Unlike the stomach, fat from the hips and the thighs reduce only as a package. When you start a weight loss program, the first two go is the flabby weight from your stomach followed by the thighs.

Some of us may simply have a broad frame and bone structure. But some over weight people have exceptionally large thighs and hips. Unfortunately they are genetically viable to have more fat stored around their thighs and buttocks. 

You may go on a special exercise and diet regime to reduce fat from your thighs and hips, but you must practice a lot of patience. You cannot lose all the fat over night, it will only burn gradually. There are no instant solutions to your fat except maybe liposuction. But this procedure is costly and not very effective. 

The best way to reduce fat from your thighs and hips is by diet control. If you are overweight and most of this weight is concentrated in your thighs, buttocks and hips then you must take up a weight loss diet with low fat food items. A sensible diet plan should contain lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grain carbohydrates which are low in fat and have moderate amount of proteins. 

The way you eat and how you plan your meals is the main question. Even though many web sites and journals may suggest otherwise, eliminating all the carbohydrates from your diet will take you no where. Carbohydrates is the main source of energy in the body and cutting it down will only make you tired and sick. 

The best plan is to start your day with a bowl of cereals say corn flakes. Avoid sugar filled cereals. For flavor simply add some fresh fruits. Any preservative will only add to the fat in your body. Take a healthy lunch filled with at least one salad. Avoid too much coffee and instead fill yourself with fresh fruit juices minus the sugar. You can occasionally indulge in your favorite food items but remember to moderate. 

As mentioned before there is no specific exercise to reduce your thighs or hips and diet control will remain the best plan. Some exercise like cardio which put the entire body muscles to use is the best exercises for reducing your thighs and hips. The best cardio exercises that will help burn fat from the thighs and hips are aerobics, skipping (30 minutes), swimming (an hour), brisk walking (30-45 minutes) and pedaling (30 minutes).

There are many people who are desperately ashamed of their lower body. They have slim arms and flat stomachs but are cursed with huge thighs and buttocks.  

With more and more exercise only their upper body burns fat. They spend money on scam diets and fitness programs which only make their body look even more disproportionate. The lower body carries some areas which can be awfully difficult to reduce. This depresses any person on a weight loss regime. With a disproportionate body, you cannot wear most of the clothes and instead covering yourself with baggy tents that hide you completely. 

Even though the lower body can be a tough operation, it is not impossible. You only need to know the right facts and tips that will help you make visible and permanent changes to your lower body.Once you know the causes and problems you will be able to fix it and plan your own diet and exercise regime. 

There are numerous muscles in your legs, butt, thighs and lower belly. You need to figure out exercises which will make these muscles work in harmony. With such exercises you can bring about visible results without spending exorbitant sums in gyms. Also you must make sure you do not twists these muscles as it can cause you serious injury and cause a major set back in your weight loss regime. 

You don’t have to lift weights or use complicated Gym equipments. Regardless of your goal, if you simply want to shape, tone, build, sculpt or reduce your lower body the exercise is the same. 

Your age, sex, occupation or size has no bearing on the type of exercise which will help reduce fat from lower body. Your body can adapt to any regime if you carry it gradually and follow a healthy nutritional diet plan. 

Do not believe in cellulite creams, lotions, fat burning pills, butt enhancement lotions. All these are only scams designed to burn your money and not fat. The advertisements look good and the idea of a quick fix sound appealing but these products have absolutely no effect on your fat. The only way to reduce your weight is by exercising properly and eating right. 
 

Walking is that one exercise which can help reduce any part of your body. Al though the effect is very gradual it is permanent and totally worth it. Also sit ups, and skipping helps tone the thighs. Aerobics can help shape your entire body proportionally. Don’t waste your money on heavy lifting in gyms; instead just do some simple cardio every day at least for an hour.

Stomach fat is the bane of most obese people. It is easily formed and so hard to lose. One meal can suddenly push out that bulge and make all those designer wears look horrible. 

Before going on a regime to flatten your stomach, you must understand and identify the cause of the bulge. This will help you take the appropriate steps to burn your stomach fat. 

Here are some of the most common causes for stomach fat, 

• Genetic Reasons

There are two body shapes common among humans: The Apple and The Pear. The apple shaped people have more fat in the abdomen and the pear shaped has fatter arms, thighs and thinner hips. The pear shaped people are much healthier than apple shaped people. This is because fat stored around the abdomen is the trigger for most of the hazards associated with obesity.

The shape of your body is mostly decided by genetic factors. Compare yourself with your over weight relatives, if most of you have more fat around the stomach it means you have the genetic viability to stomach fat. 

• Eating Before Sleeping

If you want a flat stomach you must never eat at least three hours before you sleep. Your food must fully digest before you go to sleep. Most men work late into the night and end up quickly gorging on some high calorie items before sleeping. All these calories are immediately converted into fat that is stored around the middle area.

If you are left with no other option but a late night meal, satisfy yourself with fruits and vegetables. Even a mouth full of almonds is healthy enough. 

• Your Posture

Believe it or not the way you sit may actually help pile on stomach fat. Look at yourself in the mirror. When you hunch your shoulders, your belly drops out! When you stand erect, you look much thinner. Obviously you are not going to lose weight by standing erect, but at least you will look better. 

• Stress

This is one of the biggest reasons for stomach fat. When you are under stress, your body produces the hormone, cortisol. This hormone triggers the release of more sugar leading to over eating. And all these extra calories are directly stored in the stomach. 

• Improper Digestion

Due to stress or various other reasons, you may develop gastro intestinal problems leaving you with stomach disorders. This gives your stomach a bloated look and helps develop stomach fat.

What with the sudden popularization of size zero by celebrities and the rise in awareness of the hazards of obesity everybody suddenly wants to lose weight. 

All this fuss has led to the rise of numerous weight loss diets which often consist of starving yourself for weeks just so you can shed a few pounds. But many do not realize these so called instant weight loss diets are extremely hazardous to health. 

Some of the popular diets like Liquid diets, Cabbage soup diets. Atkins diet, General Motor diets etc are not very appealing to the obese and need extreme self control to be followed meticulously. Also if one gives up in the middle of a regime, which happens very often, they end up gaining more than they bargained of in rebound. 

Hence it is just best for an obese man to stick to 1500 Kilo calorie diets that are easy to follow and also healthy for all age groups. You will definitely not give up soon as these diets allow a variety of tasty food items and encourage occasional indulges. 

These weight loss diet plans are broken down into three main meals. The main meals provide about 400 kilo calories and the snacks and desert contribute about 200 kilo calories. Preferably one must stick to the three meal plan and avoid snacks in between. To satisfy the initial pangs in the first few days of the day, you may indulge in low calories snacks. 

Fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, pulses, whole grains, milk, salmon, eggs, olive oils are the recommended food items. Also fresh fruit juices with no sugar or cream and water can be drunk in unlimited quantities in between meals. 

Here is a sample Weight Loss Diet Plan 

Breakfast: Oatmeal / scrambled eggs/ 2 slices of bread

Coffee / Tea with fat free milk  

Snack: one Apple / One Cucumber  

Lunch: Rice/ 2 slices Bread/

One serving meat

Vegetable Salad 

Snack: Tea/coffee with fat free milk  

Dinner

Potatoes/ One serving meat

Bread/ Rice/ Tacos

Vegetable Salad/ Fruit desserts 

The goal of this weight loss diet plan is about 5 Kilograms in 12 weeks. This weight loss may not be instant but it is very healthy and prevents rebound. All the food items in this plan will satisfy the taste buds of obese patients and encourage them to reduce weight. Make sure you have at least one cheat meal a week where you can indulge in any food of your choice.

In a decade, obesity has risen to be the greatest problem gripping humans. While obesity itself causes many health problems it is a trigger for numerous other disorders like diabetes, arthritis and cardio- vascular disorders.  

Due to the rise in awareness of this hazard more and more people are taking up weight loss programs and eating right. But in the craze for a perfect body, people hastily follow crash diets and extreme exercises. This only creates further problems to the body. 

Let see how nutrition and weight loss related.

One of the greatest problems of dieting is lack of proper nutrition. Most of the diets are either Low carbohydrate or Low fats. In either of these diets, unless the balance is maintained it could lead to severe loss of lean muscle. Some diets are extremely low in proteins; this has to be substituted efficiently to avoid deficiency. Therefore every diet should be carried out with extreme caution only under the guidance of a qualified dietician. 

A balanced diet is one which comprises of all the nutrients in the required quantity. These nutrients are vital for all our metabolic functions: even deficiency of one nutrient can pose serious threats to our body. 

For obese patients prescribed a low calorie diet, ensuring a healthy meal alone will solve most of their problems. This is because the nutrients in the diet will help maintain a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) and help burn the extra fat in the body. 

There is no single food group or single nutrient which is most vital to the body. The body requires the combined effort of every nutrient in the right amount. There are five food groups that are essential to an obese man. 

• Fruits and vegetables
• Cereals
• Pulses
• Milk and other Dairy Products
• Fish and Meat

 Any healthy diet for an obese man should ensure a moderate amount from each of these food groups which will provide the necessary amount of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. 

The size of portion and servings should be decided based on various physical and behavioral factors like age, weight, life style, health condition and gender. Also special disorders should be taken into account. Patients with heart problems should take less of Meat and cereals and eat more of vegetables and fruits. Patients with diabetes should avoid fruits with sugar in their meals and eat more of milk and cereals products. 

Any wrong eating habits lead to accumulation of toxins and fats in the body. For weight loss it is proper nutrition that is most important and not merely counting of calories

Obesity rates are at its peak in India. Nearly one out of every ten in India is obese. This has lead to the sudden popularity of crash diets and gyms. But the weight loss regimes like the Atkins, The general motors, Liquid diets all prove of no use to Indians.

Many Indians follow the western diet plans for months and still bear no results. This can be extremely frustrating and nearly all of them lose motivation. Also most diet plans available online are extremely complicated to understand. They do not incorporate Indian dishes and this trouble many an Indian taste buds.  Also most Indians are vegetarians and their preferences are mostly not accommodated in diets.

An Indian weight loss diet has to be customized of the average Indian. It will be vastly different from a western weight loss diet because of the different cuisines in India. Also they will have to accommodate the variety in different states of India. For example the north Indians eat a lot of chapattis (wheat) which is much healthier than the south Indian counterpart, rice. But at the same time, south Indians eat a lot of gravies and vegetables whereas north Indian cuisines contain a lot of fats and butter.
Hence an Indian weight loss diet must be able to satisfy Indians from different states.

A traditional Indian meal in itself is extremely healthy. While we have the same rice and wheat for carbohydrates like the bread, pasta and cakes in the western world, we have more vegetables, fruits, pulses (dal) incorporated into our daily meals. The main reason for obesity is the leaning toward junk food popularized by the Americans and the increase in portion sizes.
The most popular of all weight loss diets are Low Carbohydrate Diets. It is impossible to avoid carbohydrates in an Indian meal. Our meals are filled with items like Idli ,Dosas, Upma, Poha, Dhoklas, Parathas, chapattis etc. but you don’t have to cut out these items because unlike their western counterparts , these are not processed and are hence filled with plenty of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Here is a typical Indian Weight Loss Diet Plan.

Breakfast: 2 Dosas/ 2 idlis/ one bowl poha/ one bowl upma/ 2 chappatis

Coffee/ tea with low fat milk
Lunch: One Bowl Rice/ 3 chappatis with vegetables

One serving meat (30 g)

Sprouts salads

Dinner: 2 chappatis with sabji / 2 dosas/ 2 idlis

Obesity is a very tough opponent to fight. While gaining weight is extremely easy and takes such a short time, losing weight is a war in itself. We starve ourselves, give up all our favorite savories and exercise for hour together but the weighing scale never moves an inch!

If you are one of those who are striving on rabbit food just so you can lose a few extra pounds you must know you are wasting your time. Crashing your meals and calories will not make you thin or healthy. Look at it this way, when you crash your meals you are depriving yourself of all necessary nutrients. This will cause deficiencies in your body and further deteriorate your health. Also when you have drastically cut down your calories you are extremely devoid of energy and you end up being too tired to exercise.

A healthy diet is not that which makes you curse the chef or giving up all your taste buds. A healthy diet on the other hand will make feel great, give you plenty more energy and also keep you sharp, calm and happy.

Healthy diets are not just about what you eat, they are about how you eat too. Here are a few diet tips that will keep you healthy and energetic!

• Begin gradually

When you begin to diet and cut down on your eating habits, you must remember to take it gradually. Overnight you cannot give up eating a thousand calories, this will make your body extremely weak and also you will not keep self control for long.

• Eat In Portions

It does not matter if you want to eat ice creams or pizzas: just remember to cut down on the size of the servings. Also break down your meals into parts over time intervals. This will prevent you from getting hungry soon.

• Don’t Rush

It matter how you eat. Don’t rush in meals while watching television, while working or during travels. Take time to finish each meal, gradually.

• Snack On Vegetables

If you feel hungry between meals and just cannot resist visiting the kitchen, keep your hands away from the bread and cheese. Instead snack on vegetables and fruits. Stock up your kitchen with varieties of veggies and plan new recipes of salads for meals.

• Reward yourself

If you manage to attain the target weight loss in the required time you may reward your self with indulges. This helps keep the enthusiasm going!

The General Motors (GM) Diet is possibly one of the most famous diets of all time. It was developed By the General Motors Inc. and The John Hopkins University in 1995 exclusively for its employees. It was later released for the general public.

The General Motors Diet is very difficult to follow in itself. It requires strict adherence to a single item throughout the day. For vegetarians, especially Indians the diet is even more difficult as it requires giving up all the usual food items. Also the original diet was developed for non vegetarians with plenty of fish and meat. The vegetarian counterparts are not very well known.

This diet will lead to a loss of nearly 5- 6 kilo grams in one week. This diet can be repeated for any number of weeks with a gap of at least 3 days in between. On a full cycle, the entire body is cleansed of all toxins. The change in shape is very noticeable. Also the diet has effects on behavior. At the end of the diet, one’s attitude is improved. You are calmer and sharper. After successfully completing the diet you will feel very energetic and healthy.

Here is The General Motors (GM) Diet for vegetarians,

Day One:

You can eat an unlimited amount of fruits but bananas are prohibited. The recommended item is watermelon has this has the maximum water content.

Day Two:

Today you can eat an unlimited amount of vegetables. You can eat them raw or half cooked. But no salt or garnishing are allowed. Also avoid oils or coconut while cooking vegetables. You can simply eat a large boiled potato with a little salt.

Day Three:

An unlimited amount of fruits and vegetables can be eaten today. But bananas and potatoes are prohibited today.

Day Four:

Today you may eat only bananas and milk. The maximum limit is eight bananas and three glasses of milk. You can break your meals according to your wish.

Day Five:

Today you can eat one cup of rice, up to 6 tomatoes and drink at least 12 glasses of water. You may even cook the tomatoes with the rice, but avoid too much of oils.

Day Six:

Today you may feed on unlimited amount of vegetables. Also you may eat one cup of rice today.

Day Seven:

Today you can eat unlimited amount of fruits and vegetables. Also you may eat one cup of rice.

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