Secret of weight loss: Crack your own code!

 

“Crack your own code”

 

“In your quest of weight loss, crack your own code.”

 

Just like you get your clothes tailored to have the best fit-ins, similarly, you need a best befitting diet plan for you. No diet plan can be selected just randomly. A lot of working has to go in. Being successful involves a lot of trial and errors to come out with “The Perfection”. 

I am sure you may not want to gain back what you just lost. So, make sure to Crack your own code not to weight loss, but fitness. A healthy lifestyle cannot be achieved without a healthy diet.

You’ll have to work out a plan that is going to work on your system, on your body. Remember, not every diet is a free size diet and you’ll have to tailor it for your fitness. No one diet regime or a meal is synonymous with healthy. 

Stick to one plan but not to one diet. Try to understand the gist of each diet plan and the intention of the plan and then devise your diet plan because no one else can know your body as you do. Others can measure the parameters, but it’s you who knows what’s going on in there and what can be done to make it better. For reaping the full benefits of any weight loss diet, it is inevitable to follow the right rules.

 

The journey may be long, the trip may be tiring, but stick to the plan, you’ll surely get there. Come what may always keep up the thirst to achieve and the trust to believe that you’ll achieve. Never let your quest rest. Make your journey a success story. Come what may, but let nothing cross your way and come ahead your passion to fit in your definition of fashion. Whatever you wear with a fit figure becomes Fashion. So, do not chase. Instead, make your own way.

When fats go, muscles grow. This enhances your looks. You just don’t lose the weight, you even become lean. Fat goes for fluffy, while the muscle is dense tissue. It tends to accommodate in lesser space as compared to fat and make you look slim. Attractive and appealing looks are a major plus point with Fitness as the mainstay. Fitness is the route to glamorous.

Weight is the only thing which we can be happy about after losing. It is the only loss that won’t make us gloomy; instead, it can make us look glamorous.

 

“When the alarm starts buzzing,

Don’t snooze the alarm,

Let no laze complicate the fitness maze.

Instead, Let the waste on your waist be scraped down,

That extra pile of fat be peeled down.

May the handsome get in an elegant tuxedo

And the beautiful slip in a pretty long gown.”

 

“Achieve a lot with weight loss.”

 

If you didn't lose the weight, then check out WHY?

 

“Why did I not lose weight?”

 

Even after a lot of trials and errors, still, if the weight loss is not appreciable, you need to look out for the reasons as to what can have led to the failure. I am talking about these so that you can know and learn and avoid doing so much before you start on the weight loss.

Here are some of the reasons that can cause failure. But, they can certainly be avoided and prevented from falling in these pitfalls.

 

1. You are not eating right: If you have decided the pattern you’ll be following for your weight loss, then you have to follow it with the right diet devised for you and by you. For instance, if you choose the Paleo diet, but are not eating the wild, there can be some interference. Another example could be like if you are on a Low-Carb diet, but you have not restricted your carbohydrate intake. You are taking starchy vegetables when you should be taking more of non-starchy ones. Next, my advice has always been to eat what is locally available and not hunt for what has been mentioned in a meal menu. If it is written pears and the season doesn’t permit, you will more likely be getting it from a cold store or get into arranging pears only because it has been mentioned in the menu. Instead, you should be looking for the nutritional information of pear and then check for equivalent and most close relatives that can substitute the nutrition of a pear. And you’re good to go. One of the most important things which I have come across as unhealthy eating is eating the leftovers from the refrigerators. I do not take it as a healthy eating habit. I insist that you cook only as much as you can have for that meal. I know, it can be time-consuming, but for health concerns, you’ll have to manage some time. After all, if you’re healthy, only then can you be physically and mentally available for any kind of work. So, do not eat frozen foods. It is possible that you choose to go for any low-carb diet but the carbohydrate forms that you take are from the restricted category or they are more than recommended or you are not doing enough physical workouts. This will not let you achieve the metabolic shift and the state of ketosis. Low-carb means that the body shall start deriving its energy from ketones derived from the chemical transformation of the fatty acids from the fat stores. Even there can be a huge variation in dairy products. Some may be low on protein while others can be high. While on a low-carb diet, intake of proteins is also limited. Even proteins can interfere with achieving the state of ketosis. Just like vegetables vary in their contents of carbohydrates, proteins, fibers, etcetera. Similarly, even the meat, fish and other animal food vary in its nutrition. While eating animal flesh, there can be a lot of variation between the fats and protein content.
2. Misuse of cheat codes: Though every diet plan has some cheat codes, overuse of them can lead to the complete loss of all your efforts. Eating properly the whole week and then overindulging in cheating at the weekend will do no good.
3. Lack of physical activity: Without burning the extra calories, weight loss is far from reaching. If you are considerate about your health, you will have to stay physically active. I do not say that you go for high-intensity workouts every time, but you have to do some work out as a part of your routine, it can be even a mild one like a few minutes of walk. It is important to understand the incredible importance of physical activity both for weight loss as well as for fitness.
4. Stress: Stress can be a big contributor to weight gain and an obstacle to weight loss. If you stay stressed for long periods, you may not be able to lose weight. Try to bust the stress with whatever healthy thing that can work for you. Try meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, relaxing massages, music, and dance, anything that can work for you.
5. The shift of weight: When you start on a weight loss program and at the same time doing a good deal of work out. You’ll look thinner in the mirror, but not lighter on a weighing scale. You may not realize but this can be a good sign. The body worked good to change your lodged fat depots to dense muscular tissues.
6. Incomplete knowledge: Even while going on a vacation, you do a lot of research and planning. Before you go, you strive to know more about the place, available spots and sources, means of travelling, eating points, stay hostels and much more. You try to gain every speck of knowledge that you can attain. So, if you walk out straight into the weight loss battle without being equipped with the knowledge, it can become a pitfall. 
7. Sleep: If you are not taking enough sleep with a weight-loss program, you are disturbing the body’s cycle and completely spoiling all your efforts. Sleep deficiency can lead to stress. So, make sure you are getting enough sleep so that it doesn’t hamper your progress.
8. Timings: Eating, exercising, sleeping, working, everything needs time and has to be carried out on proper times. Getting the right things done at right times is essential to achieve what you’re aspiring. Make your time table and stick to it. Let your body adapt to it only then it can it work in proper synchronization to your fitness goals and the diet program you’re following to reach the same.  
9. Wrong exercising: One aspect of physical activity is that you are not doing it at all. But, another is that you are doing but doing it wrong. Even not doing exercise the right way can hinder your progress in weight loss. The purpose of physical activity during a weight loss program is not just to burn calories. Burning more calories just brings the fitness goal closer. Your metabolism has to adapt to the weight loss environment you’re creating for it. But the wrong exercise can bring about a wrong interaction between your body and metabolic pathway. 
10. Medical interruption: If you are on any medication for a medical condition, you need to check out with your physician that the medicine does not favour weight gain. Metabolic disorders like hypothyroidism where the body’s metabolic environment is not good can also be the cause of weight gain. If you are having any medical issues, do check with your physician before you start the weight loss program.

The Do's with weight loss diet

 

The Do’s

On a similar note like the don’ts with any weight loss diet program are the do’s. And, here they are:

1. Physical activity: Whatever diet plan you use, what so ever may be your physical capacity, you need to stay physically active. I do not say you to be indulging in high-intensity workouts or go to the gym. I understand, not everyone can do it. But, according to individual physical strengths and capacities, you need to stay active to kick off the sedentary lifestyle. Choose the activity that you can enjoy. Then, you won’t feel it burdensome or boring for if you go for an uninteresting workout, you’ll always find yourself finding excuses to not do so. Using your physical strength to do just a little extra will beautifully bring the desired outcome and sooner than expected. Plus the fitness and good health will follow. Try to combine various activities instead of repeating the same activity daily. This will increase your physical stamina, cover a wide range of muscular stretching plus burn the desired calories. It will also increase your body flexibility. If you are not at all involved in a lifestyle that involves routine physical activity, then I insist to start today. For the change in life that you may be wanting, you’ll have to first change yourself. Start from just a little walk. If not very far, walk for your office or your way back home. Play with kids at home. This will not just increase your physical activity, but also give you a quality time that can be spent with the kids which you might not be getting to do regularly. Another benefit will be the inculcation of a healthy lifestyle in your kids. They are more likely to adopt what they see. Just do what makes you happy.

Physical activity along with the weight loss diet can vary in terms of its intensity. These are:

• Low-intensity workout: Any mild exercise like that of walking is good to start or even continue in the long run. We are meant to walk and not sit all day and work.
• High-intensity workout: Interval training is a good form of cardio. It boosts metabolism more than any other physical activity. 
• Weight lifting: If you want to get your fats converted to muscle mass and have good glam looks, then it will be wise to lift heavyweights. You can join a gym if you’re new or an amateur and the instructor there will get you where you belong. 

 

It is very essential to choose the right kind of exercise that you can adopt and your body can adapt.

 

2.      Timing of the meals: One of the chief elements of weight loss in enhanced metabolism. And this is reached at by proper timing of meals. Eating at frequent intervals and regularly at the same time will get settled with your body clock. It is kind of training our mind needs to take control of hormones and biochemical processes in a manner that can lead to the attainment of weight loss. With the weight loss program, you train your mind and gut to behave as you want and for that, you must give it a pattern first which it can adapt and then predict and then follow.

3.      Choosing the right portion: Our eating habits vary according to our choices, preferences and availability. For healthy eating habits, it is important to know when to eat maximum and when to munch on just the minimum. From much research done on this factor and combining it with weight loss, the best recommendation is to have breakfast as the heaviest meal of the day and dinner as the lightest one.

4.      The gap between dinner and bedtime: Consuming calories just before you snuggle in your bed is in a very close association with weight gain. There must be at least a gap of 1.5-2 hours between your last meal of the day and the bedtime. Make sure you do not sleep just after you eat.

5.      Meal portions: Never eat up to the brim. Make sure you never eat full to satiety. Eat frequently but in fewer portions. Dividing your meals into varied portions will enhance the metabolism and improve weight management.

6.      Hydration Partner: Choose only water as your hydration partner. Though every diet allows juices and other beverages in some forms, they will add on calories for sure. So, if it’s the need to address to thirst and hydration, water is the best partner since it won’t add on to the calorie count. Yes, adding on some green teas or lemon juice can serve the taste and still not add any weight. These two are known to enhance metabolic processes. So, they can be beneficial additives. Or fruit-infused waters and naturally flavoured seltzers can be other options. Remember, it is water that we need for the water needs of our body.

7.      Innovation: It is not a must-do, but you can do whatever you want to do with your platter. Yes, once the diet has been selected, you can do a lot of cooking innovations with it. If you are taking care of nutritional values and calorie intake, you can make your platter interesting every time. With healthy ingredients and health as the purpose, you can make your versions in the kitchen with unlimited innovation that can be limited only by your imagination and time.

8.      Variety: Whatever diet plan you may choose, it will always be good to have any food group in varieties. Say it lean meats, grains, cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits, seafood, fishes or even if they are distinguished based on the core nutrition supply, carbohydrates, fats or proteins. Just chose little from many varieties available locally and fresh. Adding variety to platters will allow you to reap multiple nutritional benefits at the same time while you are losing weight. Getting myself straight, just mix all the available veggies when you’re eating them. Instead of eating anyone whole fruit, take a cup of mixed fruits. That is what even multivitamin supplements do. They are a combination of various vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other macro and micronutrients derived from multiple sources packed together in a shell. What can be better if you can get them through food?

9.      Take fresh: It is best to be blessed with the joy of freshness. On any diet plan, try to eat fresh things. And if you can manage a kitchen-garden, your half of the purpose of weight loss can be solved with it. Its maintenance will require your physical activity. And you will always have fresh food items in your basket. You will know what you are eating since you’ll keep your garden greens free from inorganic fertilizers and various harmful chemicals. 

10.   Sleep: Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can alter the body pattern and can become a hurdle in your weight loss fight. So, tackle it by taking enough sleep that is required. Optimum sleep is 8 hours in a day.

11.   Self-control: While on a weight loss diet, you may fall in for tempting foods, especially junk food. But nothing should be greater than your motive for weight loss and should not get in the way to get you out of the tract.

12.   Preparation: When you have taken on a course of action, be prepared for the reaction. Choosing a diet is something, but keeping yourself committed to it may have to pass the test to go through the door. When you start on a weight loss diet, you are changing the internal you. And just like we resist any change that we do not know about; even our body can do the same. It will try to get back into the state it already is in. It needs time to adapt to the changes you’re putting it in. But you won’t know how this resistance will show up. It may come in any known or an unknown form. For instance, while following a low-carb diet, constipation, dehydration and bad breath are some of the reactions our body can show up. But, you do not have to fear them or worry about them. Where there is a problem, there exists a solution. It is only the thing how and where to find it. Understand the problem and the cause and then look for the potential solution. So, don’t worry. Instead, be concerned and make your way. In this case, understand the problems. Let’s see how. Constipation can be due to high intake of fats and proteins but low intake of carbohydrates. Low carbohydrates will lessen the amount of fiber and it is the fiber that cleans the gut. The lack of fiber results in constipation. Now bad breath is due to the ketones that are formed. Ketones have a chemical kind of smell and you may not like it. But drinking more water and eating a lot of non-starchy, high fiber vegetables can solve all the three problems.

13.   Track your vitamins and minerals: With any weight loss diet, there are chances of altered vitamins and minerals in your body. No weight loss diet is bad, but you’ve to keep everything on the right track. Keep a check on the levels of your vitamins and minerals by regular blood monitoring. When the diet and the sources change, you can be getting something in excess and the others less. Monitoring them in routine will give you insight and you can make the necessary changes. For instance, if Calcium levels drop, you can add Tofu or dairy if permissible with your diet plan. Else wise, you can take the supplements. And if anything goes in excess, you can take measures to eliminate that from your system. 

14.   Choice of oil for cooking: Though there are plenty of available oils to choose from when it comes to cooking. But making the best choice from all the alternatives is one of the most important things which have been studied very insignificantly. My recommendation has always been to use ghee in small amounts. But, it has the best nutritional facts. And other than that, you can use the virgin oils from the seeds that grow in your region. If you reside in a coastal region, you should be using coconut oil. Mountainous people should go for almond oil. Then we have apricot oil, olive oil, mustard oil, peanut oil. Many, many oils are available. But, you have to choose the regional and the most local. Now, you may be having plenty of choices available and to make the best choice from them depends on what you intend to cook, at which flame will cooking be done, the smoke point of various oils.

The Don'ts: The must avoids with any weight loss diet!

 

“The Don’ts”

“Must avoids with any weight loss diet”

 

Though mentioned in every diet, what to do and what not to, but I would like to emphasize certain things that you shouldn’t be doing while taking up any weight loss diet or program. To sum up, these are:

 

1. Say no to processed foods. You won’t find any weight loss diet that can fit the processed food in the regimen or as a part of the recommendation. Processed foods contain added ingredients such as starches, sodium, fats, preservatives, sugars and other food additives. And none of this is a requisite for health. So, keep yourself away from these as much as possible not just when you are on a weight loss diet but even in routine.
2. Say no to refined foods. We have been using refined sugar as our immediate carbohydrate source and even as a part of our diet. But, for weight loss, you need to cut down anything and everything that has undergone a refining process. Refining is originally done to increase the shelf life of any product. But, what goes into our systems should not be refined. I am speaking of it for not just sugar, even the use of refined oils is not recommended. You can use unfiltered and raw oils. And do you know why all the weight loss diets insist on taking whole grains? Because even refined grains are there. So, whenever grains are a part of your chosen diet program, go for the whole grains and not the refined ones.
3. Say no to sugars. Sugars do not just add on to the weight but can also intervene with the metabolic pathway. While on a weight loss meal, keep them completely away. And even after weight loss has been achieved in considerable amounts; consume sugars only in moderate amounts. People who tend to take more sugars have a higher rate of Yeast in the body. And this is always problematic and can complicate the medical conditions. Before it’s too late, cut down the sugar weight that you put in your system.
4. Make your way with unhealthy options from your kitchen but do not remove the tempting ones. You need to fight your temptations for the desire for weight loss shall be greater than the temptation. So, you need to be motivated enough that you do not fall in for some sugary food or anything that is not permissible with the diet plan you have taken up. Pitfalls may be many and temptations are just cravings. Do not fall for them. When you know your choice is right, it’s fine to fight. Fight with your temptations. Let them not ruin the path that leads to the desired destination. Junk food options though serving similar nutritional values should not be the supplements for the natural versions. No junk means “No junk”. 
5. Say no to liquid calories. While you are on a plan to lose weight, avoid liquids that can add on calories. For thirst and water needs, choose water. It is the best hydration partner. But, having a soda, alcohol, tea, coffee, squashes, milkshakes, sports drinks or any other sweetened beverages loaded with calories will do no good. They will only add on to the calories you are taking in. We have seen hunger suppression with protein-based foods and dark green leafy vegetables. The low-calorie density foods can fill you up to satiety without adding weight. While liquid beverages will do the opposite. They’ll add the calories without making you even feel as if your hunger needs have been dealt with. Even if you are on high-intensity workouts, you essentially need no energy drinks to give you the desired energy if you’re on a weight loss program. Even with the fruit juices, you eliminate the fiber content if you consume only the juice. So, you are just taking a sugar substitute with lesser calories. Hence, eat fruits but avoid fruit juices. Our appetite centre processes the liquid nutrients much quickly and tends to increase blood sugar levels instantly. Release of insulin get out of the pattern and the diet program gets disturbed. Some diets do include smoothies but remember Water is the best beverage.
6. Say No to stress. Stress can trigger various hormones that can interfere with weight loss. It is not just a healthy diet and exercise with which you can achieve your weight loss goal. You need to keep your mental health also in a super fine state. Bing in a stressed state can increase the levels of the stress hormone, Cortisol which can increase hunger for tempting foods which are not permissible with weight-loss programs. For keeping yourself away from stress, you can always focus on your work rather than issues, if any. Then, you can also do meditation or yoga exercises. These can be very beneficial in helping you get relieved. Try to add music to your life. While exercising or doing any light activity, you can listen to some soft music that can be appealing to your ears and soothing for the mind.
7. Do not mix on the diet programs: If something is not working for you, try to find out the reasons for the same. Many people tend to get frustrated and try something else one after the other. This just messes up the internal system. With everything jumbled up, the body doesn’t understand what to do. In such a case, even if you achieve a weight loss, you can gain it back which I’m sure you’ll not want.
8. Say No to Frozen foods. I do not recommend eating any leftovers or stale food. Try to eat as fresh as possible. 

The Atkin's Diet

 

The Atkins Diet

Theory: The Atkins diet is another low-carb diet plan. It focuses on reducing the intake of carbohydrates while increasing that of fats and proteins to bring about the metabolic shift. All the aspects, the do’s, the don’ts of an Atkins diet are the same as the Low-Carb diets with smaller differences and modifications. So, it can be righteous to say it a flexible low-carb diet. 

 

The Atkins diet works in phases. There are four progressing phases and they are briefly described here.

1. Induction Phase: This is a 2-week first phase of the Atkins diet. It limits the intake of carbohydrates to only 20g per day for 2 weeks.
2. Balancing Phase: This is the second phase but the time frame depends upon the individuals. In this phase, carb intake is increased a little with only low-carb vegetables, nuts and fruits. Keep your diet in this phase until you near your weight loss goal.
3. Tuning Phase: Just like we tune the radio frequencies to make our choice audible first and then clear and better, now we need to tune the weight. You are already near your weight loss goal. Now you have to slow the weight loss process to be able to maintain the constant weight. This is done by increasing more carbs to the diet.
4. Maintenance Phase: This is the fourth and the last phase of the Atkins diet. It targets at increasing carbs in your diet only to the levels to sustain the weight and you don’t gain back what you’ve lost. 

 

Points to remember:

 

With Atkins diet as your principle weight loss program, you’ll have to have plenty of fiber. Since it restricts the carbohydrate intake, fiber source is eliminated. Remember to have enough fiber as much is required for smooth gut functioning through low-carb vegetables. Other points of consideration are similar to the ones following the low-carb diets.

 

Eco Atkins Diet: An eco-friendly Atkins diet that allows you to limit your carb intake while increasing your fats and proteins from vegan sources is the vegan version of the Atkins diet. It is also known as the Eco-Atkins Diet. High protein and fat vegan sources include soy, gluten, plant seed oils and nuts. The carb intake is not as limited as a conventional Atkins diet and this also does not ask for any extra fiber. It follows the same 4-phase pattern particular of the Atkins diet where the calorie intake sources are divided between carbohydrates, proteins and fats in the ratio of 5:6:9. So, a typical Eco-Atkins diet will contain ingredients that can derive calories as 5 parts from carbohydrates, 6 from proteins and 9 parts from fats.