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Komal Jethmalani |397 Answers |Ask -Follow

Dietician, Diabetes Expert - Answered on Dec 13, 2021

Komal Jethmalani is a practising dietician and nutritionist with over 26 years of experience.
She specialises in weight loss and diabetes management.
Jethmalani has completed her MSc in food and nutrition from SNDT University and trained at Jaslok Hospital.
She is a NDEP-certified diabetes educator.... more

Question by Anonymous on Dec 13, 2021Hindi

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Dear Komal,
Like most Indian women, I am pear-shaped. I have a big belly and backside and thick thighs.
I am 27 years old and eat normal food.
How can I lose weight and get a better body shape?
Name withheld on request.

Ans:

The shape of your body indicates low lean mass and a high body fat percentage.

To bring about this change, you need to consistently maintain a low carbohydrate, high protein, high fibre diet with some exercises to build lean mass.

Lifestyle changes with healthy eating pattern will bring out effective results.

Have plenty of fruits, vegetables, salads and protein-rich foods. Avoid high fat and high carb foods.

Adequate water intake and good sleep will give long term benefits.

DISCLAIMER: The answer provided by rediffGURUS is for informational and general awareness purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or treatment.

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Question by Pawan - Feb 02, 2022Hindi

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Hi Komal, I am 41 years of age, my weight is 94 kgs. I want to lose weight as I am facing problems like backache, sciatica, etc. Please suggest an effective manner to lose weight. Thank you, Pawan Kumar Kataria

Ans:

If you are overweight, you need to inculcate a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet and a fitness regimen.

Your diet should include adequate protein, more complex carbohydrates and high fibre foods.

Avoid unhealthy foods containing high fat and simple carbohydrates like fast foods, sugary drinks, sweets, savouries, etc.

Adopt an effective exercise schedule with aerobics and strengthening exercises.

Drink sufficient water and have a good, sound sleep for at least 7-8 hours daily.

This will enable loss of body fat percentage and spike up your metabolism.

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Yoga, Naturopathy Expert - Answered on Oct 05, 2021

Question by Shalini - Oct 05, 2021Hindi

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Dear Roopashree, I have two cases where I need your help. 1. My daughter, who is 16 years old, was a state level swimmer until two years ago.At that time, her diet and exercises were at a very different level.She suddenly decided to quit swimming. This led to weight gain and she became 60 kg; her height is 5.2 feet.She then started some exercises, watching YouTube, etc, and went into self-starvation mode in order to reduce weight.We didn’t realise that she started throwing food. It continued for months while she doubled her exercise to twice a day.As a result she not only lost 15 kg in a year, but it also stopped her periods for a year now.Can you help us with this problem?2. For myself, I am 44 years old, height 5 feet, weight 60 kg and a big belly.I like to eat spicy food so maintaining just soup based diets becomes difficult beyond a day or two.Can you guide me on what diet programme I should follow to reduce 7 kg in next five months?I have a family occasion coming up in Feb 2022, for which I want to be ready.Shalini Shukla

Ans:

Let me tackle this individually.

Let’s look at your daughter first.

We often define health by weight. While it is certainly an important factor, body functions -- whether hormonal, digestive and/or nervous -- are equally, if not more, important.

Given the major shifts in your daughter's routine, both during her swimming days and workout days, her body must be going through a lot. And let’s not forget the hormonal changes happening during this age.

I would suggest that she takes a mental break from thinking about diet and exercise for at least 2-3 months.

This does not mean she should overeat and not do basic physical exercises. Instead, opt for a balanced diet (lots of fruits and less of grains and processed foods).

Include a little physical activity (not workouts) but more playful activities. Light walks or basic jogging, yoga or any other sport of her choice like badminton, etc, will keep the body remain active without stressing the hormones.

She can also start basic pranayama (deep breathing exercises) to balance her energies and lower stress levels.

As far as her menstrual issues are concerned, I would suggest you meet an ayurvedic practitioner. They will identify if there is any possible imbalance of the elements and recommend ayurvedic medicines if required.

Shalini, let’s look at your concerns now.

A big belly can be due to many reasons -- excess fat retention, water retention, bloating, etc.

You should focus on addressing the root cause and not on weight loss through strict dieting.

I suggest you follow some basic principles of food intake, starting with a detox for your stomach.

Have a glass of petha (white pumpkin) juice (recipe here) in the morning. Avoid eating anything else for an hour. Do this for a month.

Avoid fried food and restrict non-veg and heavily processed foods during this period.

You can eat a full meal, but avoid eating after sunset.

Spices can be therapeutic as well as harmful, depending upon consumption.

If you practice yoga, then do Kapalbhati pranayam for 5-10 minutes in the morning.

Half an hour after your meals, go for a stroll.

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Question by Sweeta - Oct 05, 2021Hindi

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Dear Roopashree,My name is Sweeta. I am 24 years old. My height is 5.4 feet. My weight is 52 kg. I am from Assam.My problem is that I have an apple-shaped body -- heavy breast, size 36 and thin legs, thin arms, slim hips.My upper body is too heavy and lower body is thin.This happened after I left gymming.I tried working out at home but see no difference.I don’t know which bra to wear as my breasts look unnatural.I am going through lack of confidence as people body shame me a lot of the time,I have belly fat too.And the last thing is I am pure vegetarian so I can’t go for non-vegetarian diet.Waiting for your kind and valuable response,Sweeta Sharma

Ans:

Our body weight and shape depends on various factors including our physical activity, diets, daily routines, age etc.

We often focus on the first two and end up disturbing the inner balance of our hormones and other bodily functions.

Therefore, you should first focus on regaining your inner body balance, both mental and physical.

Practice surya namaskar daily -- the vinyasa form.

Learn from professional teachers and avoid immature videos if you haven't practiced yoga before.

Since you have been working out, focus on strengthening your core -- try planks.

Also, start breathing exercises, especially Kapalbhati pranayam.

Losing or gaining weight in the right places will happen once your body is healthy and balanced.

Vegetarian diet has enough sources of proteins. Add more sprouts and legumes to your diet. Also, eat lots of salads; this will provide high fibre to ensure your digestive health.

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Komal Jethmalani |397 Answers |Ask -Follow

Dietician, Diabetes Expert - Answered on Sep 13, 2021