BENGALURU: I have a very busy social life and have a soft spot for good food. How do I control my cravings?
You can have your cake and eat it too. You have to learn to draw a line. Here I hope my party hacks help you. I am out every other day and I cannot afford to keep eating out as this will take a toll on my weight and health. So most of the time I have my dinner, and attend the party and nurse a glass of water. I do this as health is important. If it’s a family dinner or a dine-out, then I never land at a party with an empty stomach. I always have a protein shake or omelette before I set out. This helps control hunger pangs and cravings.
I put on weight during summers probably because I go overboard with mangoes. I have a wedding coming up. Shall I stop eating mangoes?
Mangoes are high in calories and should be limited to one a day. This is a seasonal fruit offering many benefits so please go ahead and have a mango a day. What you need to do is move all through the day, exercise for an hour, drink plenty of water, and include whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats in moderation. Create a calorie deficit, meaning eat fewer calories. This is the only mantra that helps in weight loss. Go ahead, start making changes now!
I always feel lethargic after working out. Is it normal?
Initially, yes as the body is not used to roughing it out. A good post-workout snack will help energise and heal. Apart from that rest, a hot shower and a good night’s sleep will usually help. The other reason for lethargy could be due to low protein intake, low levels of vitamin D and too much exercise. Check on these parameters and make a change.