Health
New Year 2021: Kick-Start 2021 With These Diet Tips To Achieve Your Weight Loss Goals
Let’s not make unrealistic resolutions but promise ourselves to focus on our health and well-being.
The year 2020 has been a landmark year in all our lives. Corona has changed a lot in our lives and some of it is not that bad. The best thing that happened to us was that we started eating at home-cooked food and we started eating with our family. Another important lesson we all learnt was how important maintaining good health is. 2020 is finally coming to an end and we are looking forward to a new beginning where we can begin to get back to ‘normal’ life once again. So, let’s not make unrealistic resolutions but promise ourselves to focus on our health and wellbeing.
A healthy individual is one who is healthy in mind, body and soul. So, this New Year let us focus on our whole body and get healthy from head to toe.
New Year 2021: Welcome 2021 With These 7 Diet Tips For Healthy Weight Loss
(Also Read: Winter Weight Loss: 7 Fibre-Rich Foods To Stock Up On)
1. Start small: Change is the most difficult thing to do. Do not set goals that are difficult to reach, be realistic and start with the easiest step. Remember the first step is the most important. So, set small achievable goals like closing your kitchen by 9 pm or walking every half an hour of sitting, or even something like eating two fresh fruits a day. It takes us 21 days to change a habit and if we follow it for three months it becomes our lifestyle. Take your time, it more important to learn what you must change and make a start.
2. Eating at the correct time has a great impact on our health. Try eating at the same time daily; it will help control your hunger/satiety cycle more efficiently. For this, we need to work together whether it is at work or home, we must have fixed meal times based on our solar clock.
3. Eating right: Now, this is a place where everyone gets confused because of the amount of information around. It’s actually very simple: Good food is anything which is fresh, seasonal, and local and has been traditionally a part of your grandmothers and mothers kitchen. Most of the information on social media is driven by western lifestyle, which may be good for them, but our traditional foods, eating habits and cooking methods are the healthiest for us. We just need to choose the right quality and quantity of oils.
Eating local and seasonal food is going to give you adequate proteins and vitamins. Image credits: iStock
4. Serving sizes: This is dependent on the activity levels, age, sex, and health goals of individuals. Even the healthiest food is good till it is consumed in the amounts that the body needs, extra has never meant more goodness. Learn about how much you need and then stick to it. The occasional samosa or burger will also not de track you from your health goals if you understand this.
(Also Read: How To Use These 5 Herbs In Your Kitchen For Weight Loss)
5. Ditch the weighing scale: I prefer to measure my patient’s success by knowing if the energy levels are better and if the body feels healthier. Weight, while being an important risk factor for lifestyle diseases, is not the be-all and end-all. A feeling of wellness, adopting healthier habits and sticking to them is a better way to measure success. The weight will come down when it all comes together in a more regular manner. If you must, weigh yourselves once every 15 days.
Weight, while being an important risk factor for lifestyle diseases, is not the be-all and end-all.
6. A healthy mind is an important part of health. So, make sure to sleep for 6-8 hours daily, it is crucial for a healthy body. The brain needs rest, in addition to sleep de-stress regularly. Learn to switch off from regular day for at least an hour or so, for this, you can meditate, pursue a hobby, read a book or listen to music. The ‘me time’ will help refresh your brain and get it ready for new challenges without affecting the health.
7. Exercise daily: You don’t need to hit the gym or start bodybuilding or run a marathon, just a half an hour brisk walk, being physically active through the day will do. NEAT (or Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) plays a huge role in total calorie burn. Every time you take the stairs, walk around after 30mins of sitting, walk while talking on the phone, ironing clothes, washing, and other household chores it all adds up to a healthier you. Like I said to start slowly but keep your goals in mind and reach there one step at a time.
Just a half an hour brisk walk, being physically active through the day will do.
For me achieving health goals is important, but it is more important that the journey or the changes you make become your lifestyle lifelong. You live in your body all your life make it a happy place.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy and peaceful new year 2021!
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About Rupali DattaRupali Datta is a Clinical Nutritionist and has worked in leading corporate hospitals. She has created and lead teams of professionals to deliver clinical solutions for patients across all medical specialties including critical care. She is a member of the Indian Dietetic Association and Indian Association of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.
