Weight loss: Melt the pounds away

Summer is the best time to shed weight.

Summer is here and while we don’t have the pressure of squirming into our last year’s two-piece, we do want to look good for all those summer parties and beach fiestas coming up. Many experts believe that the hot season is best to shed some extra pounds and go from flab to fab because everyone is in an ‘out and about’ mood in summer, unlike winters, when all one wants to do is snuggle up on a family couch, watch television show reruns and snack on roasted dry fruits and hot chocolate.

According to webmd.com, the single easiest way to trim calories from your summer diet is to load up on nature’s bounty. And this is easy as produce is at its peak in summer. Besides being low in calories, fresh fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre, which act as appetite killing agents for our body. 

Drink wisely

Hot water is advised when a person is following a weight loss regime. The intake of hot water helps in smooth functioning of the digestive system, but it does not have a direct connection with weight loss, points out dieticians.

Slow metabolism is also the cause of excess weight gain. To speed up the weight loss process one should also try to speed up one’s metabolism. Hot water with honey and lemon maintains the metabolic cycle and removes toxins from the body which indirectly helps in weight loss.

Also, a fibre diet is advised for obese people because excessive intake of fibre activates the metabolism and doesn’t allow food to stay in the body for too long. Isabgol with a glass of water before dinner not only helps in reducing weight but also reduces the blood sugar levels and is advisable for heart patients,” states Dr Qadir.

Fruit juices are a big no-no for a weight loss regime. The reason why people believe fruit juice is bad is because it contains sugar. Fruit juice is naturally sweet due to fructose or fruit sugar, meaning that it’s naturally occurring sugar (not added sugars), but it still adds to your daily calorie total.

Smooth sleep pattern helps lose weight

In a recent study, 10 overweight volunteers went on a diet while sleeping an average of eight-and-a-half hours a night for two weeks and just five-and-a-half hours per night for another couple of weeks. It was noted that these volunteers lost more weight during the initial weeks of their diet, reports allure.com. Dr Abbas, however, says that there is a limit to which one can sleep and seven to eight hours of sleep is required for the effective functioning of the human body.”

Eat five times a day

The first basic step to lose weight is to break meals into various categories — early morning breakfast, breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, evening snack and dinner

“Having fruits is essential, but one should avoid banana and mango as they are high on sugar content and on calories,” says nutritionist Dr Ayesha Abbas. It is better to go for watermelons, melons and sweet lime. One should either have fruits 40 minutes before a meal or two hours after a meal.

“Skimmed milk, whole grain cereals, whole pulses, green leafy vegetables and salads should be included in one’s summer diet. Also, it’s a misconception that chicken or fish heat up the body temperature. Grilled or steamed fish is ideal for speedy weight loss as it is fulfilling and its mineral content covers up for the salts lost due to excessive sweating,” says nutritionist and physicist Dr Murad Qadir.

Tips that can help you lose weight

Wear tight clothes — Just the thought that overeating will make your pouch become apparent and remind you to eat less

Choose red sauces over creamier, white sauces

Use a smaller plate so that you automatically eat less

Don’t use the back of your chair — sitting up straight burns more calories than slouching

An apple before dinner helps kill your appetite and will make you eat less

(with Additional information from angelawilson.suite101.com)

Great low calorie summer food staples

Yogurt

Beans

Fish

Lemon

Cabbage

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th, 2012.