Tips to Win the Fat Fight

I am trying to lose weight should I avoid sugar completely and use only sweetners?

If you are a diabetic you will have to avoid sugar completely. But normal overweight people do not have to give up sugar in tea, coffee, etc. While on a strict weight reduction diet 3-4 teaspoons sugar distributed in 2-3 cups of milk, coffee and tea is permitted/day. However if 3-4 teaspoon sugar are consumed altogether at one time in the day a part of it could be converted to fat.

If normal, please do not switch to using sweeteners they are artificial and not safe to consume on a long-term basis. Also you may go into sugar craving and end up eating chocolates or popping mints or toffees into your mouth. Any toffee is 3-4 teaspoons of sugar concentrated together. So don’t kid yourself that they are harmless and carry these around in your handbag. They are high calorie and addictive.

While reducing weight is it safe to drink the packet fruit juices that say no sugar added?

Please understand that though the regular sugar sucrose, is not added to these juices these have fruit sugar fructose and glucose which are naturally present in all fruits. On an average 200ml of these juices have 90-100 cals or 5 teaspoons sugar in them naturally. I would advise you to avoid drinking these while on a strict diet and on a daily basis. Instead eat a fruit like an apple, pear or orange which is only about 50-60 cals and also contains plenty of fiber which helps in weight reduction. However if you are at a movie we would advise you to choose to drink a packet of juice rather than munch a bag of popcorn. When socializing choose fresh lime sweet/salt, with soda or water to be on the safe side.

Is it ok to consume rice while dieting or is it to be forbidden?

1 cup cooked rice is equal to 180 cals. and 3 small phulkas (dry chapatti) are also equal to 180 cals. But the phulka is a better choice than the rice because the phulka contains fiber, which will make the body work harder to digest it. Some calories from my fat stores will be burnt to digest the fiber. However we allow you to eat rice at lunch but strictly avoid rice at night as your metabolism is lower at night and the fiber in the phulka will help to raise the metabolism and burn fat.

In breakfast it is wiser to alternate rice items like idli with whole cereals like whole wheat bread, cornflakes, oats porridge and stuffed rotis for breakfast. At lunch use rice and phulka together or restrict rice lunches to 2 times a week and eat phulkas on other days. Please avoid rice items like lemon rice, tamarind rice, beaten rice (avalakki/poha) in breakfast during a strict weight reduction programme. At lunch the rice consumption should be only one measured cup (225ml) of plain rice. If this quantity is not sufficient you need to add one or two roti’s with it. Those consuming rice once or twice a week cannot overeat the rice and consume more than one cup.

Can we eat potatoes on a weight reduction diet?

Most vegetables are 25-45 cals per 100 gms cooked. Whereas 100 gm potatoes boiled is 90 cals. Potatoes may be eaten 2 times a week as a vegetable dish where it is mixed with another vegetable like methi leaves, cauliflower, peas, carrots, etc. Diabetic patients are to avoid potato as far as possible. 10nos of wafer chips is 110 calories and 10 numbers of finger chips are 200 cals. avoid this strictly. Only potato curry, potato pallya or potato fry sabji is not to be eaten at all during weight reduction.