Keto Diet has been around for quite some time now. Many people including celebrities have gone through a Keto diet and have lost a considerable amount of weight. Let us take a look at what is the hype all about?
Let me confess here that I am not a nutritionist and whatever information is furnished here is a result of researching the topic, the references are provided at the bottom of the article:
Keto diet is based on the bodily process called Ketosis, in which the body uses stored fat from the body and derives energy, in turn burning a lot of fat, thus making a person lose weight.
Eating minimal carbs, more protein, and fats in the following proportions:
75 percent of fat
20 percent of fat
5 percent of carbohydrates
This is as against 50 percent of carbohydrates, 30 percent of protein, and 20 percent of fats in usual diet forms.
If you are new to calculating the calorie intake, check this.
Diet Mostly Prescribed for Many Ailments:
Let us first understand that the Keto diet is medically prescribed to patients suffering from chronic illnesses and have proven beneficial, it is perhaps the results of those patients that have spiked its popularity.
It helps in the following conditions such as
Epilepsy
Type 2 Diabetes
PCOS
Obesity
Metabolic Syndrome
and so on.
Who Should Avoid Keto Diet?
Type 1 Diabetes
Hypothyroidism / Hyperthyroidism
Eating disorders
Multiple sclerosis
Gall bladder removal patients
If you want to try out a Keto diet here are some basics that you need to know:
Ketosis:
It is a process that is triggered by the body wherein the fat is broken down and ketones are released into the blood. Ketones are then used as fuel by the body. Note that it takes some days for the body to go into ketosis. Limiting your carb intake to 20-50 gms a day is the key when you want to go on a Keto diet.
Keto Flu:
Keto flu is a condition that arises due to ketosis and the changes that happen to the body while following Keto Diet. Please note that not all the people following this diet experience Keto flu which has symptoms similar to normal flu, ( Body Ache, Fever, Runny Nose, and the likes). Keto flu shows that Ketosis is happening. The keto flu is not recurrent when you are on a Keto diet.
Weight Loss Plateau:
Weight loss plateau is the body’s way of readjusting, as it happens in the process of weight loss regardless of the diet, it also happens when you are following the Keto. Just keep going through it and you will find the difference. Following any diet regimen consistently is the key to ward off the weight loss plateau.
Exercise:
Working out along with following a keto diet is definitely a good way to shed some kilos. Weight loss plateaus can be navigated successfully with a wise combination of Diet and Exercise.
But I am afraid of Fats:
Then keto is not for you my dear!! From the time immemorial we have been told that we should be careful with fats. Then they came up with good fats and bad fats, and a part of the whole generation is conditioned in such a way that they can not tolerate a few spoons of oil extra on their plate. So, those who are conditioned in such a way, it is better not to follow keto diet. 🙂
How should I make Keto Diet a Success?
Get it prescribed by your nutritionist or dietician. Let them assess your condition and give you the best diet plan. Plan your food in advance, exercise accordingly, and most importantly be consistent in all your efforts. You will surely be on the way to transformation.
Periods are such a bummer when you are following a regular regime of workouts. If you are PMSing 4-5 days earlier, normal workouts also become difficult. Many people do not prefer to workout during periods. But there are many people including athletes who prefer working out.
I just thought to visit this topic to end the confusion.
I am sure there is half the female population that would say it is ok to take rest and there would be half of the ladies that would say working out during periods would make them feel better. So here is the verdict.
It is absolutely about what are you feeling on the first day of your periods.
Severe cramping during periods is a common reason why we do not work out. Let us take a look at how can the cramping be reduced. Though the cramps can not be generalized, using the following tips may help alleviate them:
Warm Compress
A warm bath or a warm compress: With years of experience 😉 I can tell warm compress or a warm water bag helps reduce period cramps. In case you are commuting to your office, just take a warm water bag and fill it with water and sit for your work.
Massaging with essential oils
Massaging the lower belly and back with eucalyptus oil helps alleviate the pain. I have tried it first hand and believe me it does work.
Take Rest
My personal strategy for reducing the period pain is taking rest when I am in pain. A lot of standing can increase the pain. The tummy pain may radiate through the body. Some ladies also experience light increase in body temperature. So the only way to reduce these symptoms is taking rest through the time. It usually takes a day to subside.
Workout during period, is it worth it?
I have been working out from last 12 years, but I have always taken a break on the first day because physically I know what my body can do and what it can not pull off. But working out for me is also giving an hour to myself, to make myself feel better in all the chaos which usually go on the whole day.
If you HAVE to workout during period then choose something which does not involve any kind of inversion as it may restrict the natural flow.
Meditation for 10-15 minutes is a good way to bring yourself back together and get ready for the next day.
In gym, my trainer used to tell, it is good to workout during periods as it will reduce the pain. You can always try doing some upper body workouts to get yourself going. But again, listen to your body.
When the cramps aren’t really bothersome, I liked doing some shoulder and bicep workouts. Choose wisely if you want to workout.
Foam rolling is also one of the best options to reduce leg and back pain.
Conclusion:
Period pain can be daunting, just listening to your body is the best decision you can make. If you want to workout, just moving around also would help. Planning your workout is the key for not sabotaging your efforts with all the binge eating.
Negative calorie food is all rage nowadays. Since the time we have started our weight loss journey, we have heard this jargon called negative calorie food. First of all, it was a surprise, and we were wondering whether some food can have negative calories. But then going deeper it is understood the concept behind negative calorie food.
What is negative calorie food?
Food that has more water content and takes time to digest and are called Negative Calorie food.
What are the facts behind it?
There is probably nothing as negative calories, the foodstuff that are labeled as one is said to have taken more time to digest but that is very minimal and can not be accounted for.
Let us think it this way, the food which is branded as negative calories is wholesome and does have more impact on the number of nutrients consumed.
All the above foodstuffs all contain more water content as compared to all other vegetables and are fibrous in nature. These low-calorie foods can be eaten in more quantity and satiate you for a long time. In case you are experiencing constipation, their fibrous nature will make sure that your bowel movements are smooth.
How to use the above list of food for weight loss?
Consuming lesser calories than you burn is the normal fundamental of weight loss. As the above negative calorie food has very minimal calories, you can use them as mid-meal snacks. You can use more quantity to feel full for a longer time.
Adding protein:
It is good to add some protein to it for making your bowl of veggies more nutritious and healthy. You can add
Chickpeas
Cottage Cheese
Soya Granules
Yogurt
Different kinds of nut butter
If you are working out every day, adding protein to your snacks and meals helps with muscle recovery, also boosts metabolism.
Adding more nutrition:
Creating different salads with leafy vegetables like Spinach, and adding some nuts is the best way to incorporate more nutrition. If you believe in meal prep, you can arrange all the veggies in the box and sprinkle some nuts while eating. Adding some carbs like Quinoa, rice, or broken wheat is also recommended.
Summary:
The food which is branded or marketed as negative calorie food actually consists of more water and fiber, which makes it more nutritious and low calories. In case you do not want your calorie intake to go up, you can consume a generous amount of these foods.
The branding may be a fad but we can always seek a positive outcome from it. I do try to consume at least 2 of them in my daily routine. What about you?
Meal Planning for weight loss is a topic that was on my mind for a long time. We all meal plan, some plan physically on pen and a paper and some do it intuitively with the stuff available in the pantry, let us take a deeper look at meal planning for weight loss. I have lost 40 lbs and I can personally tell you if you do not go for meal planning, there are many instances that we just eat whatever is available ( that includes cheerios, Doritos and the likes 😊)
What is meal planning?
Meal Planning is a process in which you decide your meals ahead.
It can be one day ahead, two days ahead, or a week ahead. In tropical countries like India, we can not store prepared food for a long time but yes we can do meal planning for the whole week. Usually, meal planning is done on a weekend preferably on Sunday when everybody is at home.
Here is a simple way to go about it:
Planning your meals on a piece of paper ( or a diary)
Making a list of all the ingredients needed for the meal plan
Shopping for the meal plan
Making the ingredients ready for meal preparation
Spend one day or 1/2 hour every day to make your meals ready.
What Is The Importance Of Meal Planning for weight loss?
To be honest, this is not my first weight loss cycle, I have been putting on and losing much weight in the past. But this time around, I was serious about losing weight and sustaining it. Every day I had decided to make a difference and change my habits.
I was always planning my meals, but now it included more vegetables, fruits, and more raw produce. It was not intuitive. For a regular intake of fruits and veggies, I had to plan for grocery and vegetable shopping. Here are some steps which make meal planning easier.
What Are The Principles Of Meal Planning?
We all understand what is needed for our family at what time. Those with kids can map their meals around kid's meal timings but there are some important factors to be considered while planning a meal or menu and those are
Nutrient Density
The first and foremost thing is whether the menu or meal plan is nutrient-dense or not?
In tropical countries like India, it is not possible to store a lot of perishable foodstuffs. It also results in the food ending up with fewer nutrients. So, plan your meals based on freshness.
Adequacy
The meals should be adequate and filling. More often than not we end up preparing far too little food or far too much to store.
Gauging the right quantity of food required by the family is an important aspect of meal planning.
It is always good to make food just adequate to eat for that particular time. It also minimizes the leftovers.
Nutrient Balance
Balancing proteins, carbs, fats, and other nutrients is the key. If it is done appropriately, weight loss is easy.
Following traditional and seasonal food guidelines is a better method to create a meal plan effortlessly because our traditional food is ingrained in our nature and always promotes our well-being
You can also count macros if you are tracking your food diligently for fitness goals.
Variety
Most of our traditional food has a lot of variety. Planning meals accordingly will help to balance the nutrients along with variety. Seasonal changes should also be taken into consideration.
Check what you have in the pantry and in your refrigerator. List down things you want to include in your meal plan.
There is no specific step for starting the meal planning, but I feel checking the availability helps us stay on track and be specific about our needs and not waste food. It is also a money saver.
STEP 2 - Mapping your meal to your goals
Actual meal planning is the next step. Check your weekly goal for weight loss or fitness.
Usually one can lose around 1 pound in a week with proper food and workouts every day.
So, for now, let us keep that goal in front of us. For losing one pound a week, unless you are not doing Intermittent Fasting, you would need a small amount of food every two hours. That would include nuts, fruits, and a generous amount of vegetables.
STEP 3 - Focusing on Fresh Produce While Buying
Jot down your requirements and get it from the store. Stock it based on their expiry date or the perishable nature. I like to plan my meals based on the freshness of fruits and vegetables.
Fruits like Banana and Mango which have high perishability should be quickly consumed. Plan to eat them in the first two days of your meal plan.
If you are making any batters plan them in the first four days of your meal plan. Cruciferous vegetables like Broccoli, Cauliflower stay for a bit long time so plan to eat them in the last leg of the week. Spinach and all other green leafy vegetables should be consumed quickly in one or two days.
STEP 4 - Emphasize on mind mapping of meals
Put it all on paper when you have a mind map. Many ladies do it intuitively but people like me write it down and then make the meals as per the plan.
It is good to have the meal plan on hand to prevent eating junk food which may sabotage the weight loss.
STEP 5 - Learn through the process
Remember, though you have planned for your meals, there might be some other hindrances to follow the exact plan. Just accept it and be on track for the next meal or the next day.
Do not feel bad about not adhering to the plan, just stick to it as much as possible.
Contrary to popular belief, an article from the Center For Disease Control and Prevention states that "Research shows that people get full by the amount of food they eat, not the number of calories they take in. You can cut calories in your favorite foods by lowering the amount of fat and or increasing the amount of fiber-rich ingredients, such as vegetables or fruit." And it is actually true for weight loss.
If you have the key to meal planning with you, you have the key to eat fiber-rich low-calorie food for effective weight loss.
But here is something to keep in mind, it is always not so easy to identify what to eat when?
Which Food To Pick When While Creating a Meal Plan for Weight loss?
Fruits:
I have been eating fresh fruit every morning as suggested by Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar. It has by far cured my IBS ( Irritable Bowel Syndrome). So eating a banana or any fruit should be the first thing as you get up. Or you can also have it as a pre-workout or post-workout meal.
Nuts:
Unless you are following an intermittent fasting diet, you can eat nuts as a snack at any time of the day. For those who are following low carb meals for weight loss, include nuts in your salads if possible. Having them as a snack is the best option.
Dense carb foods are best consumed during and after exercise, for up to about 3 hours. And remember, carbohydrates have a protein sparing effect, so we require less dietary protein when carb intake is higher.
If you do not want to go in detail, just remember that you can eat vegetables, legumes, and grains at any time of the day. Limit your consumption of starchy carbs like quinoa, amaranth, rice and other grains to 3 hours post-exercise. ( As per Precisenutrition.com)
How To Estimate Calories?
Calorie estimate is the trickiest part for most weight watchers. Nowadays there are many fitness trackers that show the daily calorie burn but should you trust them? There is a Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator which you can use to start with. Later, the body knows how much to consume if you eat mindfully. The estimate from the TDEE ( Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator) should be considered as a pointer.
With the above information, check whether it is easy to take out the time from your schedule for meal planning.
Can you lose weight with a meal plan?
There is no specific answer to this question. But if you are diligent with your meal plan and exercise, you are sure to lose weight.
Thoughts about freezing food
In nontropical countries, it is ok to freeze food, but in tropical countries, it is better to make it and consume it quickly to keep its nutrition density intact.
Final Words:
Meal planning is worth every effort if you do it diligently. But it must be done with a little preparation. Meal planning for weight loss is a boon and I am going to plan my meal for this week right away. I have been slacking for a long time. 😊
Most of the countries are releasing lockdown but it is still a while for the gyms to open so we have some time to ponder over what works for our body. Personal Workout Plan is necessary for everybody who wants to stay fit and in the due course would like to build muscles. Building a plan for yourself is a good way to be honestly sticking to it because you have put in the time and effort to do so.
So without much ado, here is how you can build your personal workout plan.
Personal Workout Plan
Divide each day of the week for different body parts.
Monday – Upper Body
Tuesday – Cardio
Wednesday – Lower Body
Thursday – Cardio
Friday – Core Work and Abs
Saturday – Cardio
Sunday – Active Recovery
Warm Up:
Always start a workout with a nice warm-up, to increase the heart rate of the body. A warm-up can include:
Arm rotation, neck rotation, Leg raises Feet rotation.
Jumping jacks with hands clapping behind 20 * 2 sets, you can progress into the jumping jack with squats
You can choose some of the above workouts and start as your personal workout plan if you haven’t started yet.
Upper Body Workouts
Push-ups ( Knees on the floor) 20*2
Triceps dips 20* 2
Walking push up 10* 2
Plank taps 10*2
Burpees 10* 2
Lower Body Workouts
Normal squats 20* 2
Goblet squat 20*2
Sumo Squat 20* 2
Lunges 20*2
side leg raises 20 * 2
Front leg raises 20*2
Back leg raises 20* 2
You can choose any three workouts and add them to your personal workout plan to start with.
Cardio
Choosing any cardio is always beneficial. It may include kickboxing, running, jogging, walking at home, dancing, aerobics, Zumba anything that you would like.
It is good to prepare your personal workout plan because nobody knows your body better than yourself. I usually use the following tracker to track my weekly workouts
These trackers help to stay on track. You can use your creativity to personalize it as per your requirement.
When To Start Lifting Weights?
I am sure when you read the above workouts you had a question in mind about weights. You can start using weights ( 2kgs, 3kgs) as
per your capacity. Always remember, it is easy to flaunt those weights in the gym, but when you are working out at home, your safety is your responsibility.
You can start working out with weights when the bodyweight exercises are just too easy for you.
Progressive Overload:
This is the most talked-about concept in Fitness. It means, not letting your body do the same set of workouts over a long period. If you are doing 20 reps of Jumping jacks, it is important to progressively overload it, either by increasing the number or adding weight to the exercise. There are other ways also which include adding supersets with more weights and reducing the time between the sets but that is the next level of working out. The basic principle of working out is loading your muscles in such a way that they work under a very challenging environment.
How should progressive overload be implemented in beginner workouts?
If you are a beginner, you can increase the number of repetitions for your workout. Here are some things which you should check before loading more weight or increasing reps:
Check with your form if you are loading weight without checking the form may suffer.
Check whether you aren’t having any injury while performing workouts
Check with your recovery time with a particular workout, if the recovery is more, maybe it is time to get used to the workout first.
Muscle Growth? I do not want it.
Well, everybody needs proper muscle function. If you do not perform strength training workouts with weights, you may land up in muscle atrophy which is nothing but wasting your muscles.
Lack of physical activity makes the muscle leave the bone structure, which we do not want to happen. We have to just be regular with our strength training schedule.
Everybody needs the muscles to function properly, for women muscles do not grow as much as men because women lack testosterone which plays an important role in muscle building.
Are there any other workouts available?
With the advent of technology, it is so easy to get workouts that work well. You should have all the patience to try them and feel the difference.
As an avid fitness enthusiast, here are some paid programs which you can try and buy when you feel they are awesome and you can try it for some time.
Les Mills Body pump
It is a tried and tested workout by me and works on the principle of More reps and smaller weight workouts. They have huge collection of workouts which you can try. You can read a review here.
For 14 days they have a trial period, later you can cancel the subscription.
Jillian Michaels App
Tried and tested program which has a proven track record. All the DVD programs, from JM, are being tried and tested by us so if you have any questions you can get back in the comments section.
Freeletics has been tried and tested. It is quite popular among people.
Sidney Cummings
Sidney Cummings has been working on the muscle building workouts for quite a while now. Her workouts are free and you can access them here.
You can plan your workouts with the above resources now. If you have any further doubts, please let us know in the comments.
Remember, consistency makes all the difference. If you are not consistent with your workouts and food, it is not going to help in the longer run. The secret is to be consistent and to stay on track.
Better results come with a better mindset. Here is an article that explains the body transformation mindset. Have a look at it if you feel there is a need to change your mindset and set a bigger goal.
Hello all, how are you doing? I hope you have continued your workouts during the lockdown. Those who haven’t, you can pick it up from today. On that note, let us talk about the new mommies or the mommies who have delivered the second time around. Restoring the health and getting back to the new normal are two main things that are on any mom’s mind after her baby’s well being. Deliveries can be super daunting, the bodies change forever after delivery but we can make all the effort to feel comfortable with post-natal workouts.
Are you contemplating post-natal workouts?
Most of the ladies contemplate post-natal workouts. It is that first step that is difficult and the results elusive. Most of them complain about back pain due to prolonged feeding posture and not to mention by lifting the baby umpteen times a day. Though it is all done with immense pleasure, it does take a toll on the body. If you are willing to take that first step of self-healing life can change a little, the whole ordeal will become less painful. Here is a quick testimony of a very good friend who is 8 months PP. We are so glad that she took that first step, never to turn back again. 🙂
I woke up to the country being locked down and curfew everywhere on a bright sunny day. Thus began the ordeal of being indoors without much to move around. Being a working mom of two kids, 8 months pp, time was and is eating up my mind to the unhealthy way. I started my fitness journey when pain embarrassed my hips and back. On a scale of 1 to 10, mine was 8 on most days. This day last month, I started to workout. My workouts initially included stretching of my arms, back, and legs. My SIL an ardent fan JM, she shared her routine. I contemplated how to go about it and then decided to give it a go. Initially, I just couldn’t even do the warm-ups, there were days I did a miss but then again I start from where I left. Right now I m diligently following JM’s postnatal workout and believe me it does wonders.
My pain has been reduced .there was a time where I couldn’t get myself up from bed after lying down and there is now where I m doing trying to planks and crunches. My back doesn’t hurt anymore but yea muscles hurt. I feel the pain in and out of the body yet it is a sign, my body is feeling much healthier. If you ask me about consistency I ‘ll say no but the drive is for me to push forward. There is no turning back. What I do right now is building up my core strength. Nothing more neither nothing less. I got a long way to go and S I ll reach the goal. On an NSV, my prenatal dresses are starting to fit and this is a new ME. What I learnt from this, discipline the self for regular routine, no excuses, and everything else falls in place!
Well begun is half done.
Still, wondering which post-natal exercise to choose?
Here are some simple online post-natal workouts that you could use for easing back and hip pain, yes, even if you haven’t delivered a baby 🙂
Jillian Michaels
Jillian Michaels’ all workouts are amazing. She is a fitness goddess and she is behind my 40 lbs transformation so far. Her buzz word is “Every Single Day” also ” Do not phone it in” :). All her workouts are essentially 30 mins and are very very effective.
We have shared Brianna Christine’s Bikini Body Mommy transformation and workouts some days ago. Here is a link to her workouts. She is pregnant again and still working out, so if you are expecting you can try her workouts too. She has numerous challenges.
Kayla has just given birth to a baby girl but she has been a trainer for last 10 years. She has some personalized programs but her videos are good to follow, her workouts are hardcore.
There is no hurry, you can always take one step at a time. Keeping the balance is important after delivery but the mind needs to prepare for that first STEP and you are good to go.
Have been working out for sometime and the belly bulge doesn’t go? Well, we have you covered. 🙂
This blog is written by two mommies, Snehal and Shrilekha who are passionate about fitness. You will find answers to all your fitness and weight loss queries on this blog.
