You may have read about how “weight loss is about 80 percent about diet and 20 percent about exercise” and “abs are made in kitchens, not in gyms.” While nutrition is undeniably one of the most important aspects of fitness, there is too much information out there about nutrition – and too many contrary points of view.
Some say you should eat minuscule meals every two hours. Some say don’t eat till you feel hungry. Some say eat only protein and fat, no carbs. Some advocate eating plant-based foods and others say we shouldn’t eat anything cooked above a certain temperature.
Finding out an effective meal plan can be tricky, and exploring different options seems challenging during the lockdown, when home delivery of groceries is not guaranteed. To help you along this aspect of your fitness journey, we have curated this list of effective weight loss plans:
Rujuta Diwekar’s mind-keeping-weight-losing plan
Rujuta Diwekar’s book “Don’t lose your mind, lose your weight” is replete with tips and hacks to eat small meals but more often in the day. A word of caution here: We must, however, remind you that in order to stay fit, one must eat less calories than one expends. This is truly the cardinal principle of fitness, which is absolutely not open for debate. Working from home has meant that you are never more than ten feet away from your kitchen, and it can be very tempting to snack between work tasks. It is also easy to justify this bingeing by telling yourself, “Hey, Rujuta Diwekar says one must eat every two hours after waking up!”
But let’s not twist her words and her wisdom. She recommends eating minuscule meals. In her meal plans, you will see something like “eat two soaked almonds at 7 am.” Yes, she considers two soaked almonds as a “meal.”
While including all the micro and macro nutrients is essential, snacking out of boredom is not. Rujuta Diwekar also recommends eating more when you are more active, and less when you aren’t as active. So, lockdown meal plans must account for the sudden reduction in physical activity.
Intermittent Fasting (IF)
Intermittent Fasting (IF) is more a fasting-and-feeding protocol than a diet plan. Though it defies Rujuta Diwekar’s cardinal principles of a healthy life, we believe it is worth a try. The science about weight loss and health is constantly changing, and IF has emerged as a successful weight loss plan for several people in recent times. IF restricts when you eat, not what you eat – which is great if you want to eat a variety of foods and not feel deprived, which traditional diets end up doing. There is also some flexibility in which IF plan you follow: the 16/8 method, eat-stop-eat, or 5:2. Whichever plan you follow, you must ensure that you are eating fewer calories than you are expending.
The Keto diet
If you are a meat-lover who cannot live without your daily dose of chicken, this may be the best diet plan for you. There are a few caveats here, though: Keto ingredients may not be easy to procure during lockdowns, and you may need to cook your own meals. You will also have to invest in a food weighing scale for Keto to be effective. There are a few vegetarian versions of the Keto diet, but the non-vegetarian ones have been shown to be extremely effective.
Plant-based high-carb-low-fat meals
Cutting out animal foods from your diet will be extremely easy in terms of access to vegetables, as most areas are getting delivery of vegetables. What’s trickier is getting used to the idea of a milkless meatless eggless diet. This is touted as vegans as the most effective weight loss plan and one giving you long-term health benefits. You need to make a conscious decision to include protein sources in your diet. There are several plant-based protein sources: soya, lentils, pulses, sprouts, tofu, as well as hidden protein sources in several other plant-based foods. A quick Google search should help you plan your meals if you are trying this meal plan.
Have you tried any of these diet plans? Have they worked for you? At Blitz, we will be happy to customize a diet plan considering your likes, dislikes, and needs!