Written By: Shilpa Mittal | Updated : March 4, 2014 4:59 PM IST
Dieting has become the defining feature of our times. Just when a major holiday or a big wedding beckons, people start rushing to gyms and going on crazy crash diets to fit into their favourite dresses. But is it really healthy? Shilpa Mittal, our expert dietician vehemently disagrees and tells us more about the only way to lose weight - eating healthy!
The way people comprehend dieting these days is very, very wrong. Dieting isn't about losing weight; it is a term that refers to our overall nutrition, not something we do for a short period of time or temporarily. Dieting doesn't mean you starve yourself; it's about eating right throughout your life. The kind of yo-yo dieting is horrible for people and their health.I have seen people lose a lot of weight in a month and then put it back on in another. While you might think your body can take the stress what you're really doing is harming it, by putting undue pressure on your internal organs.While it may not seem like a big deal right now, these kind of lifestyle choices can manifest into lifestyle diseases like hypertension or diabetes.
What people need to realise is that if you follow a normal, healthy eating regime then you never have to starve yourself. The correct way to live involves mastering three different aspects of eating 'What to eat?', 'When to eat?' and 'How to eat?'
A normal healthy diet should comprise of the all five food groups proteins, carbs (grain), fruits and veggies (fibre), fats, oilsand sweets and finally dairy products. Eliminating any of these food groups, which most dieters tend to, can result in malnutrition. And like I mentioned it's not just what you eat but when we eat it. The concept of three square meals a day is redundant ideally one should have five or six meals a day. I am not saying that they should eat more but they should break up and consume the same quantity of food over an elongated period of time.
Another thing most people need to realise is the importance of exercise. It's not really rocket science, you simply can't lose weight unless you burn more calories than you eat in a day. While eating or exercising, our goals shouldn't be to lose weight to fit into a shiny dress but to lead an overall healthy, disease-free and fit lifestyle. Don't get stressed out about it, just embrace the healthy lifestyle and enjoy it.
You may also like to read:
For more articles on weight loss, visit our weight loss section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.
Disclaimer: The content on TheHealthSite.com is only for informational purposes. It is not at all professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a healthcare specialist for any questions regarding your health or a medical condition.
