Losing weight is a deeply personal journey filled with challenges, small victories and long-lasting lessons, but for Prithika Srinivasan, shedding 20 kilos wasn’t just about the numbers on the scale. It was about regaining my health and confidence. In a recent Instagram post, the CA and nutritionist shared eight practical strategies that helped her make lifestyle changes and reach her weight loss goals.
1. Walk up and down the stairs for 10 minutes
If you’re trying to lose weight and want to do it in a new way, climbing the stairs as a regular workout – or just adding a few flights to your day – might be for you. Studies show that climbing stairs burns about 20 times more calories than walking on level ground. Even going down the stairs, you burn about five times as much, the muscles work to slow the descent of the body. This may be all you need to know if you are trying to lose weight.
2. Do not overeat when you are full
Binge eating involves consuming large amounts of food in a short period of time, often with a feeling of being unable to stop. When you’re binge drinking, you may eat even when you’re not hungry, and this may continue well beyond satiety. Mindfulness is a practice that focuses on tuning in to your body’s signals and tuning in to your current state. This technique serves as a powerful tool for preventing overeating by allowing people to identify when they are no longer truly hungry. In fact, a comprehensive review of 14 studies found that mindfulness meditation was effective in reducing the frequency of binge eating and emotional overeating.
3. Say NO to sugar
Side effects of sugar consumption are weight gain, caries, cardio-metabolic diseases, mood changes and hyperactivity of the child along with intestinal dysbacteriosis, etc. d. Sugar consumed as glucose, sucrose, fructose, or starch (found in sugar, honey, jade, or fruit) provides the same caloric value (4 kcal/1g), so consuming honey, jade, and brown sugar is the same from a caloric perspective.
4. Eat home-cooked meals
Eating at home is one of the most effective strategies for weight loss because it gives you complete control over ingredients, portion sizes and cooking methods, where you can avoid the hidden calories, excess sugar and unhealthy fats often found in restaurants or packaged foods .
5. Stop eating fatty and unhealthy food
Junk food has become a normal part of people’s lives. All of these fast foods are not only fattening, but they can also damage your liver, leading to cirrhosis and an increased risk of liver cancer.
6. Include more protein in your diet
Protein can help older adults maintain a healthy weight by increasing satiety and maintaining muscle mass, which helps increase metabolism. The recommended daily intake of protein for the elderly varies depending on individual factors such as age, gender, activity level and general health, co-morbidities. However, as a general guideline, older adults are advised to consume 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day along with a balanced diet for a healthy lifestyle.
7. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day
One in 12 deaths worldwide over a five-year period could be prevented by 30 minutes of physical activity – which could include cleaning the house or going to work – five days a week, researchers say. A 2017 Canadian study found that physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease, and just 30 minutes of daily cleaning or walking can prevent early death.
8. Chew everything thoroughly
The fact that chewing your food well creates a healthy eating habit is age-old wisdom. Eating slowly and chewing thoroughly helps prevent obesity and weight gain, a view that was popularized a century ago and has since been tested in sporadic scientific studies. Backed by solid science, eating slowly and chewing thoroughly may be the latest recommendations to incorporate into our weight management efforts.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor for any health concerns.
