By Kaamna Jain

Heard this shocking case where a lady rushing up the staircase slipped and fell on her husband who was following right behind her. She landed on her husband and broke his head. Both had to be rushed to the hospital. The weight of the lady in question – 128 kg.

Struggle with weight is a real issue these days. Being over-weight impacts you physically and emotionally.

Here are seven easy steps to losing those extra kilos:

Eat mindfully: We are so careful about what we wear. Why are we so careless about the food  we put inside our body? Eating food is one of the most enjoyable activities of the day. Give it the attention it deserves. DON’T eat in front of the TV. Chew every bite and savour the food that you put in your mouth. Eating mindfully also means eating slowly. If a person watching you eat gets the feeling that you have a train to catch, then you definitely need to slow down the pace at which you eat.

Go big on Breakfast: NEVER skip the first meal of the day. Kick start your metabolism with healthy food. If you do not have time for elaborate cooking, grab a handful of dry fruits and nuts like almonds, walnuts and Munakka. Other options include sprouts, boiled chana –both black or white, poha and daliya, fruits or yogurt smoothies.  This morning booster gets metabolism kicking giving you energy throughout the day. Being from the land of Punjab, I should confess that a breakfast of Aloo Parathas with Dahi and a tall glass of lassi or tea is one of the guilty pleasures in my life. (This is not the ideal breakfast we are discussing here) so  I’ve kept one day in the week to indulge, with the following riders – I limit my indulgence to only one paratha that too with very little oil.

Go diminutive at dinner time: These days every occasion is celebrated with a dinner out or by inviting friends over for dinner. The logic of it all eludes me.  Dinner should be the lightest meal of the day. Next time tell your friends to invite you for breakfast or lunch at the max. The idea is to take it easy during dinner.  Try to have a light dinner and ensure a 2-3 hours gap between your last meal and the time you hit the bed.

East or West, Home cooked Food is the best: The Indian Government raised service tax to 15% beginning June 2016. Add that to the Income tax, Service charges,VAT; you end up paying almost 50% more This means that for every 100 bucks spent on food at a restaurant, I end up paying 150 bucks. Even before that I had a fundamental problem with going to restaurants. Having worked in a cookery show at the beginning of my career, I know that all that glitters is not gold. Taste and presentation may be superb but the freshness of the vegetables, type of oil used and standards of hygiene tend to be suspect in the best of eating joints. Eating out also means overeating. Also thanks to my Mom and her superlative cooking skills, I have always preferred eating home cooked food.

Shop Smart: Be a conscientious shopper. Spend some time on making your grocery list; put healthy ingredients like oats, nuts, on the list. Just remember that more the processing done, lesser the health quotient of the food. So instant noodles,  ketchup, jams, biscuits are all foods to be avoided. Replace these with seasonal fruits, fresh chutneys and nuts. Buy lots of seasonal fruits and keep them handy on the dining table or an eye level shelf in the fridge where you can grab it when you feel those hunger pangs . Half the battle is won when you ditch those creamy biscuits and fattening chips at the grocery store, kirana shop or mall itself, wherever you might be going for shopping. Don’t reach out for that bottle of aerated carbonated drink, instead pick up low fat dairy products like chaach, lassi, go for coconut water,  lemon juice, khus sherbet…the choices are endless.

Decide and stick to a daily drill: At least half an hour of vigorous physical activity every single day. Don’t compromise on this. Move your body.  It is easy to get bored if you just have one form of exercise. So vary your workout routine depending on what appeals to you.

Embrace yourself: Last but not the least – Be kind to yourself. If and when you slip (the best of us do) forgive yourself and start again.

Leave me a note on what works for you and what are the challenges you face in your struggle against weight loss.