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Trying To Lose Weight. Suggest A Diet Plan?

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Posted on Mon, 4 Feb 2013
Question: hi, My height is around 158 cms and weight is 68.6. my age is 27 yrs complete and i am Male. i started doing workout in last 2 weeks to reduce the weight. since i stay away from home. i mostly in office canteen. I am not sure how much exactly the calorie intake for the food which i am taking. Can you suggest me good diet plan?
doctor
Answered by Grace Abraham (1 hour later)
Hi XXXXXXX
Thanks for writing in.

According to your height and weight , your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 27.5 kg/m ,which is overweight, the normal BMI range is from 18.5-24.9 kg/m. Ideal body weight for your height should be from 58 kg to 62 kg. Initially you can have a target of losing half kilo in a week, which will aid in reducing 2 kg in a month. Gradual reduction of weight will help not to regain the lost weight.
In order to reduce your weight, diet modifications and lifestyle changes are necessary
Your diet should be high in fiber, which includes complex carbohydrate XXXXXXX foods and low in fat.
Include more of raw fruits and vegetables in the diet
Avoid saturated fats and oily fried food stuffs.
Keep yourself much hydrated, take at least 3-4 litres of water every day.
Take two egg white’s instead of one egg yolk, use only skimmed milk, buttermilk, low fat butter (e.g.: nutrilite), low fat cheese.
Choose only baked or grilled non-veg items in order to reduce the fat content.
Take at least two fruits in a day to increase the fiber content.
Don’t take salads with high calorie salad dressings (eg: mayonnaise), instead choose salads with low calorie dressings (e.g.: those with olive oil).
Choose Tofu (soy paneer), and other soy products like soy flavoured milk which is very low fat and high in protein. Instead of taking sweets in bed time, choose low fat fruit flavoured yogurt or a whole fruit.
Instead of taking junk snacks in the evening, choose tuna sandwich, grilled chicken sandwich, or fruit salad without cream which helps to suppress your hunger.
Along with diet modifications, a minimum 30-45 minutes brisk walk / physical activity of moderate intensity improves overall health.Include 'Warm-up' and 'cool-down'periods, before and after the exercise regimen.Forty-five minutes per day of moderate intensity physical activity provide many health benefits.

Hope I answered your query. Let me know if I can address any more concerns.

Regards
Grace Abraham

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Aparna Kohli
doctor
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Follow up: Grace Abraham (1 hour later)
Thank you for such quick response Grace. but i have some problem. i can not exactly follow the diet which you mentioned in email because
1. i am staying away from family so had to eat what canteen provides me.
2. i am vegetarian.

out of all the above suggestion i can only eat fruits but dont exactly know which fruits are good.

Let me give my daily diet composition so suggest if i need to change anything or how can i use the current diet to my benefit.

breakfast 8:45 : 3 Idlis with sambar (1-2 small cups)
Lunch 1:00 : 2 rotis, rice, dal, curd, 2 curries, 1 sweet item.
Dinner : 9:00 : 2 rotis, rice, dal, 1 curry

apart from this 4 time a day i took tea.

in the work out i do 20 mins of walking + jogging, 15 mins of cross-trainers and 10 mins of cycling alternate day.
so weights workout every alternate day.
Sunday will be off.

Let me kno how can you help me with this inputs.

Thanks in advance :)
doctor
Answered by Grace Abraham (17 hours later)
Hi XXXXXXX

Thanks again.

1. Here are some tips which you can follow when you are eating outside,
- Read the menu and the recipe. Do not hesitate to ask how it is prepared.
- Remember these names so that you can choose the healthy stuff.
- Don't Be Afraid to ask to prepare “Your Dish according To Your Needs”.
- Choose foods which are Boiled / Steamed or Grilled / Roasted. Look for dressings or added sauces.
- When dining out, look for code words to healthier food with less saturated fat.
- Choose foods which are baked, broiled, grilled, poached, roasted, steamed in its own juice and garden fresh.
- Drink tea with less amount of sugar, instead of coffee with cream.

2. If pizza is your diet: Follow these healthy eating tips:
- Order a thin crust.
- Pile on vegetable toppings.
- Ask for extra sauce and half the cheese.
- Start with a salad.
- Stop after one or two slices, and take the rest home or share it friends.

3. In addition, healthy choices for Indian Food are
- Avoid anything that is oil fried like samosa’s and creamy curries. Many Indian dishes are full of high-fat ghee (clarified butter), coconut oil and milk; when you're eating out on a diet, read the menu closely.
- Choose foods which are prepared in tandoor or grilled rather than oil fried foods.

4. To start the day, eat a healthy breakfast with all essential nutrients, try to avoid oily fried foods like vada, poori, etc., and also chutney made out of coconut or groundnut, instead choose sambar or onion / tomato / mint / Coriander chutney. Take XXXXXXX tea without sugar as a mid-morning snack along with some hi-fiber biscuits. For lunch, restrict on rice, take three Roti without oil, with vegetables and dhal along with a glass of Skimmed Buttermilk. Include salads on a regular basis to increase the fiber content in the diet and avoid sweets, pappad, pickles which are high in calories.
During evening, have a very light snack like boiled corn or any fruit or two slices of wheat bread sandwich or low fat fruit flavoured yogurt or sprouts chat.
Have an early dinner before 8 pm, avoid rice during this time, either roti made with wheat flour or jowar flour without oil, vegetables and dhal, and include salads. Bedtime - a fruit can be taken.
Fruits like Banana, Seethaphal, Sapota, Avocado, Watermelon and all Root vegetables (except radish, turnip, carrot) need to be avoided in the diet.

There should be a gap of 1.5 hrs- 2 hrs time intervals before you go to bed, after dinner.

Restrict on tea consumption to 3 cup's with less amount of sugar, it is not the number of cups of tea you consume, it is the amount of sugar which is added eventually increasing the calorie content.

Along with above diet modifications, you need to do any form of physical activity atleast for 45 minutes to one hour on all six days in a week.

Hope you will try to follow the diet.

Best of wishes for success - Start today!!

Regards
Grace Abraham

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad
doctor
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Follow up: Grace Abraham (1 hour later)
Thank you very much for the detailed answer. I will definitely start following it. if not 100% will try to follow as XXXXXXX as possible :)

I am already doing the workour for about 45mins to 1 hr for 5-6 days in a week.

I have one final question:

you mentioned
"Fruits like Banana, Seethaphal, Sapota, Avocado, Watermelon and all Root vegetables (except radish, turnip, carrot) need to be avoided in the diet XXXXXXX

So we shouldn't eat the fruits which you mentioned above? because i was thinking banana and watermelon is good for health and i was eating it daily. watermelon during summer time.

Let me know if i have to stop banana. This is my last follow up question.
Thanks in advance :)
doctor
Answered by Grace Abraham (1 hour later)
Hi XXXXXXX

Fruits which are mentioned are high calories which will not help in reducing weight. You can take them occasionally , but in restricted quantity. So while you dont have to completely stop bananas, it would be better if you restrict the intake. Instead choose fruits which are high in fiber and low in calories like XXXXXXX papaya, pear, grapes, guava, pomegranate, orange, musambi. Take them as fruits as such, but not in the form of juices where fiber is not present.
Regards
Grace


Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Aparna Kohli
doctor
Answered by
Grace
Grace Abraham

Dietitian & Nutritionist

Practicing since :2003

Answered : 123 Questions

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Trying To Lose Weight. Suggest A Diet Plan?

Hi XXXXXXX
Thanks for writing in.

According to your height and weight , your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 27.5 kg/m ,which is overweight, the normal BMI range is from 18.5-24.9 kg/m. Ideal body weight for your height should be from 58 kg to 62 kg. Initially you can have a target of losing half kilo in a week, which will aid in reducing 2 kg in a month. Gradual reduction of weight will help not to regain the lost weight.
In order to reduce your weight, diet modifications and lifestyle changes are necessary
Your diet should be high in fiber, which includes complex carbohydrate XXXXXXX foods and low in fat.
Include more of raw fruits and vegetables in the diet
Avoid saturated fats and oily fried food stuffs.
Keep yourself much hydrated, take at least 3-4 litres of water every day.
Take two egg white’s instead of one egg yolk, use only skimmed milk, buttermilk, low fat butter (e.g.: nutrilite), low fat cheese.
Choose only baked or grilled non-veg items in order to reduce the fat content.
Take at least two fruits in a day to increase the fiber content.
Don’t take salads with high calorie salad dressings (eg: mayonnaise), instead choose salads with low calorie dressings (e.g.: those with olive oil).
Choose Tofu (soy paneer), and other soy products like soy flavoured milk which is very low fat and high in protein. Instead of taking sweets in bed time, choose low fat fruit flavoured yogurt or a whole fruit.
Instead of taking junk snacks in the evening, choose tuna sandwich, grilled chicken sandwich, or fruit salad without cream which helps to suppress your hunger.
Along with diet modifications, a minimum 30-45 minutes brisk walk / physical activity of moderate intensity improves overall health.Include 'Warm-up' and 'cool-down'periods, before and after the exercise regimen.Forty-five minutes per day of moderate intensity physical activity provide many health benefits.

Hope I answered your query. Let me know if I can address any more concerns.

Regards
Grace Abraham