2. Rule 1 – 1200kcal diet
Split your meals in 6 balanced meals instead of 3 big meals in a day.
-An ideal break up of calories in a day could be:
Early morning- 90 calories– Tea without sugar and almonds/ 2 oat biscuits.
Breakfast – 300 calories- Inevitably the most crucial meal of the day which if taken correctly will aid in
weight loss. Healthy options may include 2 eggs which we all know are brilliant sources of protein with 1
slice of 100% whole wheat bread, paneer chapatti roll, fruit smoothies, or oats.
Mid morning snack – 50 calories- could be a fruit like pears/ guava/ melon/ nuts/ sprouts
Lunch- 350 calories- should be a balanced meal. 1 roti/ 1 cup brown rice, 1 small bowl vegetable/ chicken/
fish, 1 small bowl dal, I small bowl curd, lots of salad
Evening snack- 60 calories- 1 bowl soup/ butter milk/ any low calorie fruits, nuts, almonds, sprouts
Dinner- 350 calories- 1 roti, I bowl soup, salad, I small bowl dal/ fish/ chicken.
This 1200 calorie diet plan always gives you the desired results provided you do not take the stated calories
from calorie dense foods.
Stick to unprocessed foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain foods, low fat dairy products.
Avoid unprocessed foods and calorie dense foods like fried food, junk packaged food, starchy vegetables
like potatoes and sugary treats.
3. Rule 2 – Move around!
There is no short cut for burning calories- you have to exercise.
In a day, aim at burning at least 300 calories which can be done by 30 to 45 mins of high intensity exercises like
jogging or cycling or running.
For moderate exercises like brisk walking , swimming, devoting atleast one hour per day is essential.
If you are working out in the gym, the cross trainer/ elliptical trainer is an excellent workout technique for both
the upper and the lower body and in addition to burning calories it also works on building muscles.
A 45 mins of workout in the gym will help you burn the required calories between 300- 600 calories per day.
Including yoga in your weight loss program can also be an effective weight management tool. One hour yoga
session can help you expend between 250 to 300 calories.
30 to 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise daily and strength-training workouts at least 2 days a week are
ideal for effective weight loss.
4. Rule 3 – Cut Sugar & Salt
More than adequate amount of salt and sugar both contribute to weight gain.
More than 2400 mg (one teaspoon) of salt in a day will lead to retention in the form of
water and lead to weight gain.
Avoid all salted snacks, chips, soups. Canned drinks are high on salt are very high on salt
and should be avoided. They also lead to increased blood pressure.
Sugar contains empty calories and gets stored as fat in the body. It also spikes the blood
sugar levels in the body and deposits energy from food into the fat cells. Replace sugar in
all your dishes with natural/ artificial sweeteners.
Avoid all sweetened beverages like fizzy drinks or packaged juice. Candies, jams, cookies,
ketchup, flavored yogurts and ice creams are also high on sugar. Before picking any
packaged product, read the labels and ditch the ones with sugar.
5. Rule 4 – Take Your Fluid!
People often tend to mix up thirst and hunger. So, whenever you feel
hungry drink water first.
You should have at least 8 – 10 glasses of water every day to boost
metabolism.
Other weight loss promoting drinks are green tea, fruit smoothies (they are
high in protein and keep you full for longer) , vegetable juice, fat free milk.