'Losing weight is not as difficult as sustaining whatever weight one has lost'

CHANDIGARH: Nothing could be more delightful than splurging on our favourite dishes and nothing could be more tormenting than not being able to taste them.

Most who are in the process of weight loss, follow diet prescribed by weight loss centers, which are either too fancy to follow or too restrictive to adhere.

Such short term and myopic weight lose programmes may help you shed couple of kilograms but as soon as you are done with the weight loss plan, the weighing scale starts hinting that you are coming back to square one! This is because most weight loss programmes make you change your food habits during the plan, but once you are out of it your obsession for food comes back naturally.

"Losing weight is not as difficult as sustaining whatever weight one has lost. Indians are so fixated with food that it is tough to change their traditional eating habits for long but if by certain means their BMR is boosted then weight loss becomes easier," says Dr Sonia Gandhi, Sr. Clinical Nutritionist at a city based hospital.

Think of any occasion- college treat, office party or a usual weekend break, there is food all around. It seems food haunts you all the time, tantalizing your taste buds.

Modifying your usual dietary pattern for a month or two to reduce weight does not solve your problem as it does not yield any sustainable weight loss. In fact, studies show that over-restriction of calories can result in nutrient deficiencies and muscle loss, which slows metabolism leading to weight gain.

"Women should not blindly follow restrictive diets which are calorie as well as nutrient deficient as they might do more harm than good. Many such diets can cause hormonal imbalances and may result in dangerously low levels of micro nutrients in the body," says Gandhi.
Shimona Kanwar, TNN


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