What the health: part 11 - How to lose weight and stay healthy?

This is part 11 of ‘What the health’ series. You can find earlier parts here – part1, part2, part3, part4,  part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8,  part 9, part 10

There are a few key elements when it comes to health... it is no rocket science... everyone knows what they are -

1. Exercise -

Take out some time every day to exercise! Not having time to exercise is like saying I don't have time to do the basic things like brush my teeth. A lot of people do not want to join the gym because they do not want to spend any money on it, while they do have the money to gather material possessions. Health is the best investment one can make!

Running a marathon once in a blue moon and then forgetting all about exercising until there is a marathon again is not the way to go about it. Exercise every day, rain or shine, even if it is just 30 minutes of yoga each day.

Think of making exercise a fun time so that you don't have to struggle each day to find motivation - join some fun classes like Zumba or dance of any sort, kickboxing, pilates, do yoga - there are so many good videos available on youtube, go hiking/biking or play sports with friends, try weight lifting, the list is endless. Whatever you do, do not do lazy man's workout. You will see these kinds of people when you hit the gym, they are there may be to watch TV, listen to songs, look around at some good looking people, I don't know but if you are spending time on something they might as well make the best out of it.

Not only does exercise tone your body so you can wear your favorite jeans, but it also strengthens your muscles, keeps your bones strong, improves your skin, increases relaxation (stress release), betters sleep and mood, your immune function gets stronger, and a lot more …

If you haven't then exercise today!

To be continued...

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What the health - Part 10 - More reasons you are not losing weight

This is part 10 of 'What the health' series. You can find earlier parts here - part1, part2, part3, part4,  part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8,  part 9

9. Poor Digestion

You are not what you eat; you are what you digest and absorb!

Our gut health determines our overall wellbeing. The bacteria that lie in our gut help us to fight disease, process our food, make nutrients and make hormones. When your liver is sluggish, it struggles to process substances/toxins/hormones efficiently and this leads to toxic build-up and this will inevitably cause weight gain.

I would suggest fixing your digestion by eating simple and easy to digest foods, do not forget to drink one glass of buttermilk every day (not yogurt but homemade buttermilk).

10. Don't Drink Water

Last but not the least, we have all heard how important H2O is when it comes to shedding pounds. It helps to suppress appetite, so you're less likely to overeat. Staying hydrated keeps all chemical reactions going on in your body run smoothly and it fixes metabolism. It allows your kidneys to function properly and filter everything that they need to. Water is great for skin too.

How much water should you drink? It depends on how much you weigh, what climate you live in and how much you work out. 0.5+ ounce per 1 pound of body weight, so if you weigh 150 pounds you would be drinking (75+ ounces (2.2 liters))+ (if you live in a hot climate then few more ounces) + (if you work out each day then few more ounces). I drink 3 liters (more or less) every day.

coming up in the next posts... how to lose weight and stay healthy

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What the health: Part 9 - More reasons you are not losing weight...

This is part 9 of 'What the health' series. You can find earlier parts here - part1, part2, part3, part4,  part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8

6. Same old routine

You do not switch your workouts and rely on the same routine day-in-day-out. Your body gets accustomed to your workout and is not challenging it enough to make a difference. It is good to mix things up and try and do a different activity every day, or at least every week.

7. Inconsistency

If you don't work out regularly, you do not see results. Consistency is the key! There is no way around hard work.

8. Sedentary Lifestyle

Just working out might not be enough, if your remaining of the day is stationary or is spent on a chair. Try and take a walking break. Experts recommend setting a timer on the computer to remind you to move every hour. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park far away from the mall, run with your kids and whatnot.

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What the health: Part 8 - Reasons you are not losing weight continued..

This is part 8 of 'What the health' series. You can find earlier parts here - part1, part2, part3, part4,  part 5, part 6, part 7

3. All cardio, no strength

Don’t spend all your time on cardio - focus on weight/strength training too. Weights do not make you bulky or muscular. Instead not only does it prevent injury by strengthening the joints, but it also builds muscle mass and increases metabolic rate.

4. No accountability

You assume that because you are opting for healthier food options and working-out so it is a reason enough to overindulge. I have seen people eating four ice creams in one go just because they are opting for a sugar-free option. Don't do that, our body does not need so much food.

Contrary to popular belief eating and shopping can not be hobbies and can not be used as stress release therapy because therapy is a treatment that fixes you for good instead of giving just a momentary pleasure. Food and shopping is a strategy... one simply needs to learn the strategy.

5. No Food Planning/ snacking on the wrong foods

Have healthy snacks and meal options ready at home and at work - at all times - otherwise, if you are hungry you will end up eating unhealthy things. Don't snack on cookies and candy, instead of on simple foods such as nuts, raisins, quinoa, fruits, salads, upma, thalipit, khichadi, daal rice, soups, buttermilk, yogurt, protein shake...

To be continued...

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What the health: Part 7 - Reasons you are not losing weight

This is part 7 of 'What the health' series. You can find earlier parts here - part1, part2, part3, part4,  part 5, part 6

1 - You are in denial

One day I went on a hike with a hiker friend, this was the year when I weighed a lot - 170 pounds to be specific. After finishing the excruciating hike we stopped at a restaurant for dinner. She ordered a plate of idli sambhar and I ordered a dosa, which is the longest dosa I have ever seen, I could eat only 25% of it.

During dinner, the hiker said "people are lucky to have good genetics and metabolism - they eat anything and still don't put on weight. I hardly eat anything, I do these strenuous hikes and still put on weight".

While she said this she finished the food that she had ordered and the 75% of dosa that was left on my plate.

We think we are doing everything right - we are eating right, exercising - even if it is one excruciating hike once in a while, and everyone who is in shape is just lucky. Do not conveniently ignore and forget that 75% extra that we are consuming.

From this incident I learned, I was in denial too.  I sat - analyzed and found so many things that I needed to change (mid-night snacking anyone?). I needed to take control of my health than it controlling me.

If today I am in shape or feeling light and right - it is not because of luck- it is because I came out of denial - I changed my entire lifestyle (from diet, exercise, sleep, habits, organization-prioritization skills to managing stress) - and obviously I had to put in efforts to do so. Do not be in denial and say that you are doing everything right, take an objective look at what you are doing wrong and try to fix it.

2. You are finding lame excuses

Do not blame being fat or unhealthy on genetics, metabolism or horoscopes!

A list of lame excuses is covered in earlier parts. or you can find it here

to be continued ...

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What the health: Part 6 - Lame excuses continued

This is part 6 of 'What the health' series. You can find earlier parts here - part1, part2, part3, part4,  part 5

15. It hurts my body

If you have never worked out then yes, it would hurt for the first few days. But go past that and then you would get addicted to that 'good' pain. Stretch before and after a workout, get a massage once in a while, soak in warm water with Epsom salt.

16. Exercise make me more hungry

Yes! That happens. The best solution to that is to have a protein shake right after your workout and have a lot of healthy snacks - fruits, salads, nuts. Munch on them every 2 hours even if you are NOT hungry.

17. I don't know where to start

That's fine. Just start with walking for 30 mins, do yoga at home, what helps the most is joining classes - you pay for it so you show up and then it is easier to work out in a group of people...the atmosphere keeps you motivated.

18. I am already skinny (thin)

A lot of people are skinny on the outside and have unhealthy fat reserves inside, some are skinny and have no energy to do anything, you can be thin but chances are you are not fit … so exercise and eat healthy home-cooked food!

I hope this helps and gives you a kick in the butt... exercise today if you haven’t already.

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What the health: Part 5 - Lame excuses continued...

This is part 5 of 'What the health' series, you can find earlier parts here - part1, part2, part3, part4

10. I can't live without junk food

There is this waterfall in Jasper, Canada and there is a board put up everywhere around it - it says don’t step on the rocks near the waterfall, they are very slippery and people have died here. People still cross the fence and walk on the rocks to take selfies. That means they accept the risk of dying a bad and untimely death out of their own stupidity.

Anyway coming back to the point if you can not live without junk food then no one can help you there. You have to make a choice. If you can't live without junk food then make peace with living in a junk-body.

11. I don't like gyms

Do you like parks? mountains? lakes? anything? Find a place you like and incorporate that activity as your workout. Running, Skiing, Tennis, Badminton, Dancing ...? There must be something. And if you don't know what you like yet, then try them all and I am sure one would click.

I do something different every day - yoga, hiking, biking, kickboxing, dance, pilates, tennis, badminton, weight training and whatnot (whether I like it or not!).

12. I am too old

Seriously, you are not. Meet Fauja Singh and Ernestine Shepherd. If you still think you are old then shame on you!

13. I hate working out alone

Join a group class, a running group, ask a friend to join you ... there are a lot of options. If not hiking/ biking or doing yoga at home then I prefer to workout at group classes, that motivate me the most.

14. It is boring

That is because you haven't explored all your options. Find something you enjoy. (and honestly do it anyway.)

to be continued...

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What the health: Part 4 - Some more lame excuses -

This is part 4 of 'What the health' series, you can find earlier parts here - part1, part2, part3

Yes! I am determined to cover all lame excuses I have heard (or have used myself)

7. Diets make me hungry.

If your diet is making you hungry, it's not a good diet or even sustainable in the long term. Don't go for any fancy (or trending) diet plans, fancier the name of the diet the crappier that it is - our body needs everything - carbs, proteins, and whatnot - all in moderation, don't cut back on anything. Do watch your portion size and eat healthy, simple food - healthy does NOT mean just organic or raw food.

8. Exercise makes me too tired.

No kidding! That is why they call it a workout! Jokes aside, exercise generates energy. The more energy you have, the more you will get done every day.

I generally workout in the morning but if for some reason I don't, and have to work out in the evening, that is after a long day at work - then I do not feel like moving even a limb. But I still put on my shoes and do what I am supposed to, 5 minutes through the workout I start feeling charged.

You recharge your body through food, sleep, and exercise. Movement creates energy. It gets your heart pumping, blood pumping, cleans out toxins, and gets your engine started. Exercise helps you lose weight, makes your skin glow and gets confidence levels up so you feel better about yourself.

9. I always gain back the weight.

When I decided to lose weight and make changes to my lifestyle there were months in a row I didn't lose even a single pound and there were some months when I put on weight instead of losing. Losing weight isn't a crash course, if you don't see instant results then don't give up, there needs to be patience and most of all continuity (for life).

I told someone to try yoga, she came back to me and said ‘I tried it for 3 whole weeks and didn’t lose even a pound’. Isn’t 3 weeks too less? considering you have taken years to ruin your body?… give it time… Rome wasn't built in one day ... it would be a long journey but it would be worth it. Don't do it to be thin, do it for a better quality of life.

One needs to change their lifestyle for good to lose weight otherwise if you resume unhealthy ways once losing weight then obviously you will be putting on the weight again.

to be continued...

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