Unfortunately, the weighing scale doesn't care about how much work you got done today. Losing weight requires commitment and discipline, but thanks to our stressful jobs, chaotic lifestyles and never ending to-do lists, our waistlines just keep expanding. Akansha Jhalani, dietitian and asthanga yoga trainer, jots down some smart hacks to help you shed those extra pounds, so that you stick to your commitment to lose weight no matter how busy you are.
The Busy Person’s Guide to Weight Loss
Eat fresh produce
Eating fresh produce helps you maintain a well-balanced diet. Fresh fruits and vegetables are power packed with fibre, essential vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants that are beneficial for your well-being. They are also low in calories, delicious and give you a wide range to choose from! Include as many different fruits and vegetables in your diet as possible and try to eat 9 servings a day.
The Busy Person’s Guide to Weight Loss
Control your portions
How much you eat is as important as what you eat. The last decade has seen a rise in our portion sizes, causing us to eat much larger quantities than required. Control your portion sizes and make sure you don’t eat more that what you need. Monitoring the amount of food required to satiate you is a good practice. Split your meals into smaller portions and eat frequently instead of eating large portions in one go.
The Busy Person’s Guide to Weight Loss
Plan your meals
Planning your meals beforehand has numerous benefits. Although it sounds tedious, planning your meals helps you eat healthier. If you already know what you’re going to be eating or cooking, it can prevent the urge to eat out at the last moment. It will help you shop for groceries more efficiently and you will reach for healthier options at the supermarket as you’ve already got your priorities in order.
The Busy Person’s Guide to Weight Loss
Make small lifestyle changes
Give up the ‘all or nothing’ approach. Tiny lifestyle tweaks can make a huge impact on your weight loss goals. Rewiring your habits one at a time will make the process easier for you and won’t require any extra time or effort on your part. Establishing and maintaining small goals like drinking 4 litres of water every day, getting your 9 servings of fruits and vegetables, stretching for 20 minutes every day, etc., are realistic and easy. Implement one lifestyle habit and follow it for a week to make it stick.
The Busy Person’s Guide to Weight Loss
Say no to processed foods
Say no to anything that comes in a box. Processed foods contain no essential nutrients and have added artificial sweeteners, preservatives and stabilisers. These ingredients can sabotage your healthy eating plans. Opt for a fruit instead of a bag of potato chips and eat dry fruits when you crave sweet treats, to avoid adding on those extra pounds.
The Busy Person’s Guide to Weight Loss
Move more
Keep active! Hitting the gym after a 15 hour work marathon can seem difficult but don’t give up yet. Walk around as much as possible. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park your vehicle away from your workplace and walk the distance and take small five minute breaks at work to stretch. Remember, it is not important that you sweat it out at the gym, you just need to be active.
The Busy Person’s Guide to Weight Loss
Make judicious choices
Swap out your daily unhealthy snacks for healthier options. Eat grilled meat instead of deep fried variants, pour low-fat dressings on your salads instead of the creamy and calorie-dense ones, opt for baked dishes when you are eating out and always read the food labels at the supermarket.
The Busy Person’s Guide to Weight Loss
Stay hydrated
Water can work like magic if you are trying to lose weight. Drink 4 litres a day to energise yourself and look radiant. Water has virtually no calories and can replace your high-calorie drinks. Drinking water when you’re hungry can also be a great strategy to lose weight.
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