Beginner’s Guide to Dieting

Following a diet is going that extra mile. It’s not as simple as following your trainer’s top 10 tips on a piece of paper for a week

According to the CDC, approximately 75% of healthcare spending goes to treating preventable chronic diseases, most of which are diet-related. Individuals do make attempts to lose weight or get in shape. In fact, the average individual makes 4-5 attempts at taking up a diet to lose weight every year.

Unfortunately, following a weight loss diet plan isn’t as simple as just asking one’s trainer for 10 words on a piece of paper and following it for a week. Here are a few ways where one could probably go wrong while attempting that natural tummy tuck:

- Using extra exercise to rationalise/compensate for cheating on the diet - Not eating enough - Eating a minuscule breakfast for a ‘healthy start’

- Trying to cut out carbs completely - Thinking ‘fat makes fat’ - Working out on a half-empty stomach burns more calories

- Watching that diet Monday through Friday and letting go on the weekends

Following a weight loss diet can take its toll. There’s no doubt about that. Around 48% of people would agree with that statement. Let’s throw light on what one should be doing to ensure optimum results through that weight loss diet.

DON’T STARVE: Everyone has thought this, if not done it, at some point in time. What one doesn’t realise is that at least 50% of weight loss comes from shedding muscle tissue, not fat. So yes, one can lose weight by starving but, not the right kind of weight.

BREAKFAST IS TO BREAK THE FAST... not elongate it – Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but that doesn’t mean it has to be the most time-consuming. One can use quick fixes such as high-fiber cereal, whole-grain toast, oatmeal, and fresh fruit – foods that one can throw together in just a few minutes.

EAT FAT: Fat has been given a bad rap over the years, but not all fat is bad. In fact, some fats are essential for weight loss. Omega-3 fats are integral for one’s 75 trillion cell membranes. These are so widely used in the body, they almost never even get stored as fat.

NOT HUNGRY? Don’t Eat! (not as silly as it sounds) – This should go without saying but nowadays, a lot of people eat simply because the food is available. They might laugh at this, but remember this when giving in to that slice of the double cheese pizza. So get rid of the visual cues.

MAKING HEALTHY SWAPS: The thought of having to give up one’s favourite foods is what scares people from going that extra mile to follow a diet. Here’s some good news, though – one doesn’t have to stop eating their favourite foods. Simple food swaps will do the trick. Ice cream and yogurt, butter and olive oil are just a few examples. Following a diet for weight loss isn’t as easy as just doing or not doing the things discussed above. It’s about going that extra mile. Here are a few exercises that burn even more calories than running. Kettlebell swings – Rowing – Burpees – Bike sprints – Jumprope – Jump squats – Battling ropes – CINDY (5 pull-ups, 10 pushups, 15 air squats) In addition to all of the above, several other methods like Prettislim’s U-lipo is a great new way to achieve circumference reduction and reduce the unwanted body fat.