1. Refined Carbs – You may be consuming too many sources of simple and refined carbohydrates, all of which is heavily processed. You can think of it as the same difference that exists between whole grain bread and processed white bread, brown rice vs. white rice, popcorn cakes vs. corn on the cob. Include sources of carbohydrates that are natural like nuts, beans, potatoes, brown rice, products made out of whole wheat in lieu of crackers, chips, canned foods, etc.
2. No fat at all? – Zero fat per day is bad for you. This may sound counter intuitive, but adding about 2-3 points of fat per day is considered very good. Our bodies need enough fat in order to properly function. Consume foods like vegetable oils, margarine, butter, salad dressing, avocados, regular or reduced fat (not fat free) mayonnaise, olives, peanut or soy butter, etc. As per nutritionists, 30% of total calories in fat per day are essential for optimum health. The reason lies in that fact that fat contains an essential fatty acid: linoleic acid that our body can’t produce on its own; this fat is needed for proper metabolic and digestive function. If you’re on a super low fat diet, there are increased chances of you to develop gallstones.
3. Drink enough water every day – As a rule, overweight people need more water, because fat cells hold more water than other fat cells in the body. So if you are obese, you cannot just go by the rule of 8 glasses per day. Ideally, you must consume half the amount of water of your body weight. If you weigh 180 pounds, you must drink 80 ounces of water, i.e. about 10 glasses. The color of the urine is the best indicator of your water consumption. If your urine’s color is pale yellow, it’s good. If it is deep yellow, you are not getting enough fluids.
4. Five servings of fruits and vegetables per day – Include non-starchy vegetables, fruits, soups, etc. in your diet. Try to consume all varieties of fruits and vegetables so that you get the best from all. Try out a new fruit or vegetable each month. Have a bowl of soup before dinner to feel fuller.
5. Increase the frequency of your physical activity – If you are not exercising at all, you are not serious about losing weight. There is no excuse to exercising if you really want to shed off extra calories. Find something that you enjoy doing and just do it! Start with as little as a five minute walk and gradually increase it. You will notice that a 5-Min walk will be so enjoyable that you won’t come to know when 10-15 minutes pass by.Gradually include exercises and maintain the rhythm; increase the intensity step-by-step to get the maximum out of your physical activity.