“BEYOND NUMBERS: EXPLORING THE EMOTIONAL WEIGHT OF THE WEIGHTING SCALE”

Did you know that there are difficulties and solutions for any scenario that arises in our lives? One of our biggest worries when it comes to staying well and living a happy, healthy life has always been our “Weight”!

To put it more clearly, our weight (the digits we see on the scary scale) the numbers we see on the scale is a combination of water, bones, muscle, and fat! Any changes in this area will affect your weight. But being overweight does not always equate to being “unhealthy,” and being underweight does not always equate to being malnourished You must comprehend the indicators of your health. Depending on their health issues and way of life, each individual may have unique health markers. However, planning and achieving your health goals smoothly, is an art that not many can practice it easily! 

Here are some indicators of your health scans and markers, such as

How fit are you mentally, physically, socially and emotionally?

How often do you visit the doctor?

Are you an everyday pill popper?

Can you engage in physical activity on a regular basis?

To what extent is your body considered flexible?

Are you easily fatigued?

As I mentioned earlier, we face numerous health situations in our lives. I’m highlighting a few situations, and I am sure you will relate to at least one of them today … 

Situation -1: A list of occasions coming up for you to attend – a chance to dress up and look good.

Hindrance- Not fitting into your stunning outfit!

Situation -2: burning off calories in the gym is a good idea.

Hindrance – The burden in the wallet and the effort to visit one daily!

Situation-3:  Wow! finally managed to Get my diet plan!

Hindrance- Who will prepare so many things for me?

Which one did you relate to? Do you have a plan to overcome that? The point here is… Make a list of doable and achievable things that will help you to manage your weight, will get you on track! It’s not the number of goals you plan to achieve, it’s the number of goals that you achieve and sustain it for a longer time! What are these do able goals and how do you plan them?

1. Break your bigger goal into smaller, easy and achievable ones. (e.g.- bigger goal of weight loss broken down into -start having a fruit and include salads for main meals)

2.List all your goals first, then priorities them according to- ease of performance, time taken to achieve them and the end result (e.g., including a breakfast which was skipped earlier is a better, easier and faster goal as compared to starting an early morning walk daily)

3.Take 2 or max 3 goals at a time in a week. You can’t expect your body to react to all the changes you make suddenly in the first week!

4.Extremely important (highlight in red) – Keep a note of whatever you do (progress tracking) and keep a strong review and reward system.

Now, the next query that I am sure you want to resolve is…what should one eat (without going out of the daily routine) to manage their weight?

At Zeal Wellness, we always believe in planning your meals according to your weight, lifestyle, likes, health issues, etc. So, the motivation level to follow something so easy and doable is very very high! 

A quick look at how your daily diet may look (assuming you don’t have any major health issues) –  

Start your day with warm water with either cinnamon powder or lemon-coriander detox or soaked chia seeds or apple cider vinegar.

A morning workout before breakfast is ideal for fat burn, followed by a balanced breakfast including carbs and proteins both (egg + roti, khakhra +milk, thepla/paratha + dahi, idli/dosa + sambhar, cereal +milk, etc.). Even if you are late for your work grab something on the way (you will remember me throughout the day when your energy and concentration levels will remain up)

Have fruit or coconut water or nuts in the mid-morning. A simple tea or black coffee is also fine.

Have a Power packed meal filled with protein, fibre and micronutrients (roti/ rice +dal /chicken/ meat/egg/fishl/Soya/ tofu + veggies in any form + curd in any form).1 meal dishes like a chicken pulao, dal khichdi, masala dal- Dalia, rajma chawal, etc ) are easy to prepare and quick to gulp!

An evening snack depends on your lifestyle and your body’s caloric needs. A light khakhra or chana chaat or simply a handful of nuts with a beverage (tea/coffee/green tea/blue tea /chaas/milk) would be sufficient.

Generally, if you are weight conscious, a light, low-calorie protein-rich salad/soup/baked dish would be an ideal meal (moong/chana/bean/rajma chaat or chicken/egg/fish with lots of veggies in any form). Moong dal chilla at this time, are an all-time favorite for the vegetarians!

A soothing cup of turmeric/almond milk will manage your stress and sleep, both

A few super foods for you – 

• A pinch of cinnamon powder to manage your BMR (Basal Metabolic rate, Blood Pressure and diabetes.
• 2 tsp of soaked chia seeds for weight loss and relieving constipation issues.
• 2 cups of dahi daily for smooth digestion and assimilation of nutrients.
• 2 tsp of overnight soaked methi seeds for sugar management and thick hair growth!
• 1 tsp of soaked garden cress (haleem) seeds with little lime for improving iron levels.

 Always remember, everybody is very different-avoid comparing yourself with anyone! A tied and tested diet formula by someone else, may or may not suit you. Understanding ones’ body and its caloric needs, is an art -leave it to the expert!