50 year old woman seeks weight loss advice: Daily walks not helping?

Ans: Hey Amar,

To lose weight, you need to create a calorie defict. Which means you need to eat less than what your body burns. Sounds technical but if you just follow your body's hunger-satiation signals it should be good. There are a couple of ways you can manage to feel full
1. Have a glass of water 15-20 min before your meals. This will help you understand exactly how hungry you are when you sit to eat your main meals.
2. Have a balanced meal. Have 2 servings of vegetables (salads/sabzi), 1 serving of protein and 1 serving of carbohydrates (roti/rice). This will ensure you don't over eat and exceed your caloric requirements
3. Remove 30 minutes for exercise at least 5-6 days a week. We cannot eat very less calories since that can compromise our nutrient intake and create deficiencies in long run. And exercise is the simplest form to create calorie deficit to compliment your fat loss journey.
4. Try to sleep before 12am. Sleep plays a very vital role in your fat loss journey. Research states that inadequate sleep leads to fat gain and also, excess caloric intake. So clock in 7-9 hours of good quality sleep.
5. If you routine is stressful then ensure to practise deep breathing exercise, or yoga or meditation to manage stress. Cortisol (stress hormone) is responsible for fat deposition around the belly. So manage your stress levels and prioritise mental health.

Losing weight is simple, all it requires is discipline and consistency. And the journey doesn't end when you achieve that number on your weighing scale. I always give an example of income. For income, you need a job, if you lose the job you lose your income. The same way if you want to sustain weight, you need to keep the diet and lifestyle healthy forever. So, keep the diet sustainable. :)