Let me begin on a personal note. A year back, I underwent my annual Executive Health Check up. The Doctor advised me that I am overweight and that my sugar and cholesterol levels were higher than the normal or desired levels. He also sounded the warning bell that if the weight that is being gained goes unchecked, I may gradually become an obese. Obesity, he said, is a sure gateway for many body disorders like diabetes, heart disease risks, blood pressure etc. I was advised to target weight reduction at least by 10 kgs.
Since then, during the last one year, I set myself on a goal for reduction of weight through natural means without any medication, wonder pills, crash diets or burnout sessions in an expensive gym or fitness centre. I have succeeded in achieving the goal of reducing my weight from 70 kgs to 58 kgs. Naturally, many of my colleagues and the doctors who monitored my progress during the last year, have been enquiring with me about the efforts put in by me to achieve this goal. This article is, therefore. an attempt to share my personal experience. Readers, of course, are advised to take proper personal medical counselling for their individual requirements before replicating any of the experiences shared here.
Why do we gain or lose weight?
We consume food for energy requirements of our body and burn them through the normal metabolic process in the body. This process is measured in terms of calories. On an average, our body requires 1100-2000 calories of food every day, which in turn a healthy body will burn in the normal metabolic process to maintain equilibrium or constant weight. The problem happens when either of these two processes is overdone or underperformed. The funda of weight gain or reduction is straight and simple and can be explained by a simple equation as below:
Weight gain = More calories Consumed + Less Calories burned
Weight loss = Less Calories consumed + More Calories burned.
When we burn energy worth 7000 calories more than what we consume, the body weight is said to get reduced by about 1 kg. Certainly, we cannot burn these many accumulated calories overnight or in a short span to dramatically reduce our weight. This is not desirable too and may lead to medical complications. It has to be achieved through physical efforts, life style changes and a strong positive attitude and commitment.
Weight Reduction can therefore be targeted through following steps.
1) Consumption of Balanced Nutrient Food.
2) Physical Exercises.
3) A positive attitude and commitment.
Let me now explain each one of them in detail.
Balanced Nutrient Diet
The principle of Naturopathy proclaims that ‘Food is thy medicine and Medicine is thy food’. We should eat and eat well. We should not starve or deny ourselves the pleasures of eating. It is not important how much alone we eat. What is also important is ‘what we eat’ and ‘when we eat’. It is said that when we eat ‘right food’ in ‘right proportion’ and at ‘right intervals’, there is no cause for any diseases or disorders and hence food itself acts as a preventive or protective medicine to the body.
As said earlier, basically our body requires around 1100 to 2000 calories of food. We should simply ensure that our food consists of adequate components of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fibre, vitamins and minerals. A chart consisting of our normal popular foods and the calories provided them is given in Table A.
Table A: LIST OF POPULAR FOODS ITEM AND CALORIES PROVIDED
Source: ‘From Fat to Fit’ by Dr.D.R.Gala, Dr.Dhiren Gala and Dr.Sanjay Gala
Carbohydrates
Chapati (Wheat) (20 gms)
40 Calories
Poori (Wheat) 16 gms
68 Calories
Paratha (Wheat) 55 gms
304 Calories
Bread (2 slices) 45 gms
120 Calories
Wheat Biscuits 20 gms
64 Calories
Kichri (Rice) 140 gms
238 Calories
Idly (1 Piece-Medium)-68 gms
68 Calories
Sada Dosa (100 gms)
216 Calories
Masala Dosa (100 grams)
210 Calories
Samosa (30 gms)
103 Calories
Potato Chips (20 gms)
108 Calories
Kachori (45 gms)
190 Calories
Potato Bhajia (60 gms)
240 Calories
Onion Bhajia( 60 gms)
197 Calories
Pattis (60 gms)
201 Calories
Potato Wada (45 gms)
118 Calories
Cutlets (60 gms)
126 Calories
Sweets
Boondi Ladu (35 gms)
150 Calories
Carrot Halwa (85 gms)
333 Calories
Sugar (1 tea spoon) 6 gms
25 Calories
Jaggery (1 spoon) 15 gms
56 Calories
Honey (1 Spoon) 21 gms
66 Calories
Cereals- 100 Gms
Wheat
348 Calories
Rice
348 Calories
Barley
335 Calories
Jowar
335 Calories
Rice Flakes (Phova)
350 Calories
Bajra (Millet)
360 Calories
Maize (Corn) (Makkai)
342 Calories
Maize (Bhutta)
23 Calories
Pulses (100 Gms)
Black Gram (Urad)
348 Calories
Bengal Gram (Chana)
316 Calories
Green Gram (Moong)
334 Calories
Lentil (Masur)
346 Calories
Peas
315 Calories
Soyabean
432 Calories
Vegetables (100 Gms)
Carrot
47 Calories
Potatoes
99 Calories
Onion
51 Calories
Tomatoes
20 Calories
Cucumber
14 Calories
Bitter Gourd
25 Calories
Cabbage
30 Calories
Cauliflower
39 Calories
Fruits (100 Gms)
Orange
56 Calories
Apple
49 Calories
Pine Apple
50 Calories
Fig (Anjeer)
75 Calories
Water Melon
17 Calories
Mangoes
50 Calories
Bananas
153 Calories
Guava
66 Calories
Grapes
45 Calories
Pomegranates
65 Calories
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