Six diet rules you must follow to lose weight Gallery

Rule 1: Formulate a diet plan
Nearing the New Year, birthdays, or other special occasions, we never fail to make resolutions. However, losing weight which often tops the list is a resolution that’s easier to make than fulfill. The secret wish, however, to get rid of those extra kilos or flab on you tummy need not be difficult with the right alterations to your diet.

To help you, here are some ground rules to keep in mind:


To do so, start by improving your knowledge of nutrition: It is essential to learn about which food is beneficial and for what reasons. In case of losing weight, you may also need to consider which foods are harmful for your body.

Research the nutritional values of foods and understand what your body needs. Remember, meals can be made healthy and tasty with the correct ingredients. Alter recipes you have been using to include more nutritious options and switch them with options that suit your body type, and depending on any health condition you suffer from.


Rule 2: Limit carbohydrates
Lose weight through diet essentially. It may help to limit carbohydrates in favour of a little more protein. So a healthy breakfast could have complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat sandwiches, oats or muesli with fruits, egg whites, low fat skimmed milk or paneer and whole fruits. The basic idea here is to fill your tummy well till lunch.

For lunch, if you are a religious rice eater, you could alternate it with other options such as wheat or multigrain chapattis (maximum two), a bowl of pulses (dal) and a serving of mixed vegetables. Have salads without the dressing. You may add low fat yogurt to your meal too. Another option can be bowl of raita with vegetables.

One thing that could help you is to bid goodbye to carbs before dusk. Curb carbohydrates after 5 pm in the evening. As the metabolism rate starts lowering down by the end of the day, the body cannot burn enough calories and so you tend to add extra weight easily. Try having a simpler dinner with items like soups or vegetable stew or a bowl of sprouted beans.

Rule 3: Understand portions
Now that you know what to eat, the next step is to understand how much to eat. Eating strategically and according to the need of the body is important. In case of women, the daily calorie count should be 2000-2500 kilo calories and in case of men, it usually ranges up to 3000 kilo cals.

Thus, the food we eat throughout the day needs to add up to this calorie count. Understanding how much to eat to stay within your daily calorie requirement will benefit your overall health.

Rule 4: Implement replacement
Follow a replacement strategy to make your diet plan more effective. While planning any diet, the basic crux is to balance it out.


1. Have brown bread sandwiches instead of white and fill it up with vegetables like cucumber, tomatoes, onions and capsicum. Have them grilled. This can be your breakfast or your evening snack. Replace white flour products like pasta, white bread or burger buns with sooji (rava) or wheat products.
2. Reduce your intake of salt and namkeen stuff that can cause tummy bloating and water retention. If these are your daily snacks, replace them with fruits (whole or salad), sprout bhel and even dry fruits. Try grilled or steamed foods in place of fried.
3. Avoid aerated drinks, high calorie beverages like sodas, alcoholic drinks and caffeine and switch to plain water (you need at least 10-12 glasses a day) and fruit and vegetable juices.
4. Choose egg whites instead of the yolks for breakfast.
5. Choose healthy oils such as olive and canola.
6. Saturated fat in meat, cheese, ice cream, coconut oil and egg yolks will raise your cholesterol levels. Avoid saturated and transfat-based foods. Instead of ice cream, have a flavored low-fat yogurt. Margarine is usually better than butter for spreading over your toast, or for cooking, as long as you ensure that it is low in transfats.
7. Use low-fat curd or low-fat mayonnaise for salad dressings.
8. You could consider using sugar substitutes with zero calories with tea or coffee to reduce your calorie intake.

Rule 5: Burn the calories consumed
You really have to think again if you believe that only dieting can do wonders to your weight. While you consume calories, you have to burn them too. So portion eating needs to be combined with a daily dose of exercise. If your schedule leaves you with no time to exercise, try walking around your office during lunch break. And take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk to the nearby chemist, grocery store or laundry.

Rule 6: Prepare for triggers
Food cravings! Hunger pangs! The desire to have that piece of yummy creamy cake! Wish you could beat that? We often tend to eat more than usual when we are bored or find nothing to do and that is one of the most common and dangerous triggers of gaining a kilo without reason. Prepare for these sudden triggers by carrying alternate options in your bag or choose a healthier option for the same. For instance, you could choose a piece of fruit cake (or even better, a fruit itself) instead of the creamy pastry.

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