What is Diet?
The dictionary defines diet as “a special course of food to which a person restricts themselves, either to lose weight or for medical reasons”.
Diet restrictions for medical reason is a whole different topic to discuss.
In this article, we would like to concentrate on Diet for Losing Weight. It simply means changing an individual’s food intake over a period of time like 1 day, 1 week, 1 month or 1 year. It is commonly referred to as going on a diet. Losing weight is very important for overweight and obese people in order to reduce the risk of heart problems.
Moreover, maintaining a good BMI makes you feel good about yourself and more energetic.
Shedding some extra pounds is often a very challenging task for many. It requires some determination and will power. There are many who have attempted, but only a few come out successful. Each of these successful weight losers will have their own experience.
Here, we are sharing some tips and some amazing Fat Loss Recipes that will promote faster weight loss to lead a healthy lifestyle. You can definitely see results in a week if you follow them appropriately.
Some tips for weight loss to be followed closely:
- Before starting to diet, a crucial thing to remember is that while dieting you have to eat a nutritious and balanced diet. It simply means that no matter how much less food you consume in a day, it must contain food from all the food groups – whole grains, proteins, vegetables and fruits and dairy in the right proportion.
- Dieting does not have to be boring. You can choose any regular food that you enjoy eating and make it healthier. For e.g: If you enjoy dosas, try to make dosa with healthier ingredients like oats or ragi.
- Portion Control is the secret. Irrespective of the food you choose, have a strict control over the portion you eat. Start using smaller bowls and plates for serving food to self.
- Try to restrict your calorie intake to 1200-1500 calories per day. I would recommend eating 3 meals of about 300-400 calories each and enjoy 3 mid meal healthy snacks around 100 calories each. There are many online tools to help track the calorie count of the food you take.
- Once a week, enjoy a meal of whatever you fancy throughout the week. This will reduce your craving as well as speed up your body metabolism.
- Keep yourself mind busy with some work to stop it from thinking about food. The busier you are, the less likely you are to crave for food.
- Dieting is recommended along with exercise of some form in order to reduce body weight. It is good to work out for 30 minutes to 1 hour in a day. This should include some walking and some moderate exercises.
- Never skip breakfast. It is one important meal that in fact helps in weight loss. Also, eat your dinner light and early enough. Try to finish dinner no later than 8 pm.
- Avoid fatty, oily and sugary foods as much as possible. Also avoid processed food. Instead, try to include more of low calorie and low carbohydrate food. Also, include a lot of healthy snacks like fruits, buttermilk, salads, etc. Always have these healthy snacks on hand easily available so that you don’t end up eating junk.
- Invest in a weighing machine. Checking your weight every day will surely motivate you and will also help you to plan out your meals.
The average weekday meal must include the following:
- A cup of milk without sugar – You Can take it in the early morning.
- Eggs, Brown Bread – You can take them for breakfast.
- Fruits, Buttermilk, Salads – You can use them for mid-meal snacking.
- Vegetable Soups, Wheat, Rice, Pulses, Meat Proteins And Vegetables – You can have them for lunches and dinners.
Here are 4 instant weight loss recipes that can be helpful to make your dieting interesting with more varieties.
All recipes are dishes with high fibre content and low in calories.
1. For Starter or Snacking – Wonder Soup
Wonder soup is probably the most popular fat burning soup recipe, as it’s a major part of the 7 Day Diet.
- This simple soup is a mixture of cabbage, onions, green bell peppers, tomatoes, celery, and a whole lot of water.
- Take about small bowl full of each vegetable fine chopped. Boil with good quantity of water.
- You can add salt and pepper to flavour it, but no butter or greasing is allowed. Serve hot to self and relish with your favourite music.
- The purpose of this soup is to kick your fat burning into high gear.
- The fibre in the soup will work wonders to clean out your body (expect to spend plenty of time on the toilet, so charge your mobile phone or tablet).
- Eat this soup every couple of hours during the diet, and it will be a great dish to have handy while on a diet.
2. For Breakfast – High Fibre Brocolli Parantha
This paratha is a small variation to the traditional paranthas. Instead of stuffing the vegetables inside rolled out rotis, grind the vegetable into a smooth paste and add the paste to the atta while kneading the dough. We are not sure whether to name it as paratha or vegetable chapatti. Whatever be the name given, it is definitely a healthy food and an easier way to eat the vegetables.
This method is especially easy for making parathas with watery vegetables like spinach (palak chappatti), avocado, radish (mooli chappatti), turnip (shalgham chapatti), tofu chapatti etc.
Ingredients
- Whole Wheat Flour – 1.5 cups
- All Purpose Flour – 1 tbsp
- Broccoli – 1/2 crown
- Onion – 1/2 (minced – optional)
- Garlic – 1 clove
- Green Chilies – 2
- Garam Masala – a pinch
- Turmeric Powder – a pinch
- Carom Seeds or Bishop’s Weed (Ajwain) – 1/2 tsp
- Salt – to taste
- Oil – for making paranthas (You can use Olive oil, which is the lightest and healthiest)
Method
- Wash the broccoli and cut into florets.
- Bring some water to boil and add approximately 10 florets to it with some salt.
- After 2 minutes, remove the florets and grind it into a fine paste with turmeric powder, garlic, garam masala and green chillies.
- In a mixing bowl add wheat flour, all purpose flour, the ground mixture, some minced onions, carom seeds and salt.
- Knead it like usual atta with required water.
- At this stage you can let the dough rest for some time.
- Make small balls similar to chapatti.
- Roll out each ball similar to making chapattis.
- Heat a griddle and put the paratha on it.
- Pour few drops of oil/ghee on top.
- Cook till both sides are browned.
Serve with mint chutney.
3. For Dinner – Sauteed Chicken With Vegetables
This is an incredibly simple dish but very healthy. It is very delightful with chicken breast, colourful vegetables and cooked tender crisp. The recipe is also very versatile since you can follow the method and use your favourite ingredients. It is perfect for bachelors or people satying alone who do not like a lot of cooking, as it uses just one pot and a few ingredients. The leftovers can be added to noodles, fried rice or used to make wraps and sandwiches.
Ingredients
- Chicken – 1lb (1/2 kg)
- Mixed vegetables – 1lb (1/2 kg) (You can use a mixture of vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, sugar snap peas, asparagus, green beans, green peas, carrots, bell peppers, water chestnut, mushrooms etc..)
- Oregano – 1/2 tsp
- Red chilli flakes or Black pepper powder – 1/4 tsp or as needed
- Soy sauce – 2 tbsp
- Oil – 2 tbsp
- Salt – as needed
Method
- Cut the chicken into small pieces or long thin strips.
- Chop the vegetables into big chunks or long strips.
- Take a big wok and heat on medium high heat.
- Pour the oil and then add the chicken pieces.
- Saute the chicken till it turns opaque. Let the chicken cook till the water that oozes out from the chicken gets evaporated.
- Next, add the mixed vegetables. Stir fry for a couple of minutes.
- Add the soy sauce, oregano, salt and chilli flakes.
- Stir fry for about 5 minutes on high flame. The vegetables should be cooked tender crisp.
Variations
- You can add other flavourings like garlic powder, chilly sauce, oyster sauce etc.
- You can also play around with the ingredients depending on what you have on hand. You can add any combination of vegetables or just one or two vegetables.
- You can even add toasted nuts like cashew nuts, almonds or sesame seeds.
Vegetarians can substitute chicken with mushroom or tofu.
Serving Suggestions
- This can be served as it is as a low carb meal.
- It can also be served over noodles or rice.
- It can also be used to make wraps. It is so flavourful, you just need to put some of the mixture in a tortilla and roll it to make wraps.
4. For Dessert or Healthy Sancking – Yogurt Berry Parfait
The word parfait originated in France and referred to a frozen dessert. Many of us know parfait as a popular breakfast or dessert made with yogurt.
This American version of parfait has become so widely accepted that very few know about the original parfait. It is very light and completely filling.
The fibre content of the berries and proteins of yoghurt are the awesome combination to boost up your fat loss.
Ingredients
- Granola – 1 cup
- Greek Yogurt – 1 cup (or use use the thick part of your homemade curd)
- Honey – to taste
- Mixed berries (Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, etc..) – 1 cup
- Sugar – 2 tsp
Method
- Toss the berries with brown sugar and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. You can add some lemon or orange juice for added flavour.
- You can buy low fat flavoured yogurt or make dahi (curd) at home with double toned milk. Flavour your yogurt with some honey.
- Take a tall glass.
- Layer each glass with 1 tbsp of yogurt followed by 1 tbsp of berries and then with 1 tbsp of granola.
- Repeat the process till you reach the top of the glass.
- Serve immediately.
Remember, Dieting doesn’t mean not eating. It means, RIGHT EATING.
Give your body healthy and nourishing food, with less fats and more fibre & proteins. Team up the food with moderate exercise of 30 minutes each day, and see the magical results
