Weight Loss Queries Answered.. (Series 1.2)

Posted By: Simran    On: May 28th, 2016

Planning weight loss? Confused about what to eat, what not to eat? What food makes you shed weight and what makes you fatter? Here’s our NDTV #Fitness Expert Shubi Husain’s advice and responses to queries.

Q: Niru shakya: Hi , this is Niru from Nepal. i am 34 yrs old my weight is 70 kgs. I want weight loss of up to 15 kgs as i am planning to conceive too. Pls help me giving effective suggestions .i would be very grateful to u and ur cooperation. thanking u and looking forward to hear u soon

SHUBI HUSAIN SAYS: You will need to eat less and exercise more. To lose weight, you have to cut calories. Cut your carbs serving to half plus eat extra veggies on the side to fill you up. Have salad every day for lunch, make a big salad with loads of fibre rich vegetables, topped with little lean protein like chicken, salmon or baked tofu. Both fibre and protein are particularly satisfying.

Also when you are cutting calories it’s important to spread them out, so that you don’t get too hungry. Having meals every few hours will keep your hunger in check. Keep in mind though: the more frequently you eat, the lower in calories your snack should be. Good choices of snacks can be an apple and few almonds or some raw veggies with a few table spoons of hummus. Ditch all refined grains and food with added sugar. Also avoid saturated fats and extra salt.

Make sure you indulge in cardio and strength training as cardio burns the most calories.

Q: Kalpana Swamy: I am a 62 year old women, a diabetic on insulin and overweight. I do all that is possible – diet, exercise, medication and all. Please suggest how to lose at least 5 kg weight for my health and well being. Thanks.

SHUBI HUSAIN SAYS: A diabetic diet is simply a healthy diet that is ideally high in nutrition, low in fats and moderate in calories. To lose weight you should focus on whole grain carbs since they are good source of fibres and they are digested more slowly, keeping blood sugar level more even. Eliminate refined carbs like white bread, pasta, noodles, rice and all forms of sugar from your diet. Also avoid soda, processed foods like baked items, sugary desserts, packaged cereals, sweets, potatoes, banana and mangoes.

Include oats, beans, unsweetened yoghurt and dark green leafy vegetables. Limit saturated fats from dairy and from animal products. Completely eliminate hydrogenated fats (trans fats) which are present in fast and packaged foods. Add fish and skinless chicken in your meals. Also eat regularly and set time. Aim for moderate and consistent portion size for each meals or snacks. Don’t skip meals. Make sure your meal timings and amount of carbs intake are same each day as you are on insulin otherwise your blood glucose level will fluctuate more. It is important to realize that sugar is not the only thing to be controlled. The body will convert all carbs to glucose so eating extra serving will make the blood sugar to rise.

In addition to the above guidelines, you must include 30 – 40 minutes of moderate exercise at least 5 days a week, for healthy weight loss.

Q: Mainak Bhattacharya: I am a 35 yr old male 71 kilo wight. I suffer from acidity a lot and get bowel pressure after any food intake of reasonable quantity. I have had gall bladder operation 2014. I do not eat oily junk food. Please advise what should my diet chart look like.

SHUBI HUSAIN SAYS: Diet, eating habits, stress and various environmental factors can disrupt the normal function of intestines. Your symptoms seem to be of an irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Avoid large meals, particularly high fat meals and cold beverages. IBS and Acid reflux are often triggered by the same kinds of food. Avoid caffeinated beverages, alcoholic beverages, chocolates, citrus fruits, fatty & fried foods, garlic & onion, spicy chutneys, pickles, vinegar, tomato based foods, spaghetti sauces and also avoid smoking.

Include watermelon, banana and cucumber in your daily diet. Watermelon juice is great in curing acidity. Coconut water is known to soothe the system from acidity. Add milk and yogurt in your diet for instant relief. Have vegetables like drumsticks, beans, pumpkins, cabbage and carrots. Ginger aids digestion so add it to your recipes.

You should eat your last meal three hours before sleeping. Keeping long intervals is another cause of acidity, so have small but regular meals. Also you may find relief by losing weight and practicing stress reduction techniques such as deep breathing, exercise or yoga.

Q: Mr. Goutam Prasanna Kar: Dear Ma’am, I am thankful to you and NDTV for this initiative and valuable advice from you. I have started running and gym since 6 month and happy to say that I have improved a lot. My weekly mileage is 20-40 km and average speed 10 km/h. I do gym less frequently. But I would like to increase my mileage as well as speed ( weekly 40-60 km with speed 15 km/h) with more frequent gym. Egg white is my main protein source, along with milk and sprout. I generally exercise at evening 6-9 pm and feel very fresh next day morning. However, I have read from internet sources that one who exercise should take Ca/Mg tablets. Can you kindly advice me in this regard. Thank you. Sincerely yours, Goutam Prasanna Kar, Male, Age-30 Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore- 560012.

SHUBI HUSAIN SAYS: Getting your calcium through foods that you eat is the best way to reach your RDA. A well balanced diet will provide adequate amount of each mineral thereby eliminating your need for supplements. Foods rich in both calcium and magnesium include green leafy vegetables, milk, yogurt and fortified grain products. Legumes, nuts and seeds are plant based protein sources that are rich in magnesium.

Men who are in-between the age of 19-70 yrs need 1000 mg of calcium each day and 320-420 mg of magnesium per day. If you are concerned that you are not meeting your ca/mg requirements, a doctor / nutritionist should be consulted. Accidentally taking too much of these minerals can have negative side effects. Also calcium can interact with antibiotics, anti-convulsants, diuretics and other medications. Do not add a supplement to your diet without verifying your need for it with your doctor / dietitian.

Q: Prashant: I love to climb mountains, etc. However, am not sure what protein based veg diet I can have to sustain ? Is there any regimen to how much calories must be taken etc ? I wish to move away from pear shape to lean body.

SHUBI HUSAIN SAYS: If you want to follow protein based vegetarian diet to lose weight then you should include quinoa, lentils, beans (black beans & kidney beans), green peas, soya beans, tofu, plain soymilk, nuts, chickpeas, chia seeds and sunflower seeds in your diet. Reducing calories, dumping all processed foods, exercising more, eating fibre rich vegetables and whole foods is the foundation of a good healthy diet. You needn’t give up several major food groups to reap the benefits.

Number of calories you need to eat in a day depends on several factors including your age, size, height, sex, lifestyle and overall general health. You can use BMR calculators to find out how much calories you should consume per day or you can consult a dietitian, who can prepare a calorie chart for you as per your requirement.

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