I don’t believe in short term weight loss programs. Even if you are successful at losing weight through a few weeks or months of a diet or exercise routine, you gain it back as soon as you return to your ‘normal’ lifestyle. That’s why it’s much better to make long-term lifestyle changes that you can live with, such as:
- Eat more fruits and vegetables; cut out unhealthy fats and sugars, cut back on processed foods; eat slowly and in small portions…
- Incorporate some exercise into your routine, whether it’s walking, jogging, swimming or playing your favorite sports several times a week…
- Learn to sleep well; reduces stress; maintain good posture…
- Know your ideal weight, considering your height and structure, and calculate the calories you can consume, considering the amount of exercise you can do. (a difficult one!)
All that said, there are times when one needs to shed a few pounds fast. I usually keep my weight at 75 kg. But every once in a while, I find myself guilty of putting on an extra pound or two. And for those occasions I have devised a diet that helps me lose a kilo per week, without starving or doing intense exercise.
During my recent trip to Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Cardiff, I let my guard down and ate hearty breakfasts, lunches, and dinners; I didn’t do any exercise. I gained 3 kilos in 10 days! Here is the diet that made me lose 3 kilos in 3 weeks:
- First breakfast around 7 am: a glass of juice made from an apple, a carrot, and an orange
- Second breakfast around 9 AM: A glass of skim milk and a banana
- Snack around 11am (if you’re hungry): a handful of berries or grapes
- Lunch around 1 PM: Any vegetable or bean salad, sometimes with tuna or salmon, but no dressing. Or a vegetable sandwich
- Tea/coffee around 15:00: With skimmed milk, no sugar
- Snack around 5 pm: mixed nuts, unsalted, unprocessed, with raisins
- Dinner around 7:00 pm: whatever has been prepared for the family meal, usually a curry of vegetables, beans, or lentils, sometimes fish or chicken, minus the bread and rice.
- 6-8 glasses of water during the day
- Food after dinner is not allowed: homemade yogurt or a handful of dates when you are very hungry. It is best to sleep early.
What about exercise? Just the usual 45-minute walk at night, plus a 2-hour walk once a week. What about dinners? Lentils, vegetables, salad, yogurt with a little chicken or fish, but no bread or rice.
I’m not qualified to advise on food and nutrition, but I wanted to share something that always works for me. It may or may not work for you, but what’s the worst that could happen? Questions? How?
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