Team-BHP > Shifting gears


Reply
  Search this Thread
5,366 views
Old 22nd July 2010, 17:48   #1
BHPian
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 682
Thanked: 477 Times
Healthy Eating - Tips & advice

Searched for a thread on this topic. Couldn't find any. So starting this one.

Recently realised am in the wrong side of 30 and i better start taking care of my body. A fitness freak recently said to me the best way to be healthy is to look young; and to look young, you need to fit into clothes you wore 5 years ago. I definitely am not able to. Sigh...

So here goes my request to members to share the healthy eating regime you might be following at home.

For a start i have decided on the following -
1. increase vegetables (raw, washed) intake in the form of salads before a main meal - this reduces the amount of main course you load your stomach (digestive system) with.
2. eat fish more frequently - heard these are rich in the good stuff. For vegetarians, have heard flax seed consumption will be the equivalent; and say good bye to all those keemas and kebabs.
3. avoid fried food / snacks obviously. Instead eat boiled, grilled stuff. Not sure how practical this will be in our households, but will have to check.
4. get out of bed and go for a walk ...

Please share any tips/regimens you follow.

Last edited by WindRide : 22nd July 2010 at 17:51.
WindRide is offline  
Old 22nd July 2010, 19:04   #2
BHPian
 
Wolfheart's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Bombay
Posts: 160
Thanked: 28 Times

Not only veggies but fruits as well. One must ensure to wash everything thoroughly to get rid of residual pesticide. If you don't then eating salads/fruits could do more harm than good in the long run.

Similarly the local seafood supposedly contains dangerous amounts of mercury. No idea how to avoid that.
Wolfheart is offline  
Old 22nd July 2010, 19:05   #3
Team-BHP Support
 
ampere's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 17,922
Thanked: 12,888 Times

What ever one has to do, has to be inculcated into daily routine. Whether its walking every day or eating healthy food.
Eating good all the week, and binging on junk in the weekend or heavy stuff in a hotel, will pull one back to square one.

Hence whatever has to be done, should be a part of daily routine.
So choose your activity which you think you can do daily and also enjoy doing it.

Heavy BF, Lighter lunch and lighter dinner. Dont have snacks, but fruits. Lots of water.
Also try having everything early. BF at 8, lunch at 12 and dinner by 7-8, helps digestion.
Need to give 2-3 hours for food to digest before you sleep.
Also you need sleep by that time, else you will feel like having some thing during those late night browsing on T-BHP !

Last edited by ampere : 22nd July 2010 at 19:08.
ampere is offline  
Old 22nd July 2010, 21:15   #4
Senior - BHPian
 
sachinj12's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 1,187
Thanked: 168 Times

If you are a smoker, kick the butt. If you are the bottle type, throw the bottle. These two will definitely help you irrespective of age. On a serious note, I read in Times Wellness that drinking a glass of warm water with a teaspoon of lemon juice added (no sugar) on empty stomach will help reduce weight.


Edit: Stop surfing TBHP late night and go to bed
sachinj12 is offline  
Old 23rd July 2010, 10:53   #5
Senior - BHPian
 
sbraj's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: B L R / T V M
Posts: 1,071
Thanked: 9 Times

Agree with most suggestions. Especially getting the habit into the daily routine, as said by ampere.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WindRide View Post
4. get out of bed and go for a walk ...
WindRide, I was/am in similar shoes like you. Only difference is I am in the lower 30s. Considered walking/jogging/cycling etc. Due to constraints (work, things at home etc) I could not do any of these.

So finally got into yoga. Two times a week is what I started with. Initially practised with a trainer. Now got a yoga mat at home, and doing it own my own. I do 15-20 suryanamaskars, in addition to breathing/stretching/relaxing exercises. It takes around 30-50 minutes.

After practising yoga, I found that I am fresh even if I sleep less. More energised. Hence late night TBHP is ok.
sbraj is offline  
Old 23rd July 2010, 11:11   #6
Senior - BHPian
 
aargee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: TSTN
Posts: 6,230
Thanked: 9,597 Times

I would say +1000000000... to all @Ampere's points as I've realized them through my experience. In addition to it, here's a recent one that I discovered

Have a early dinner; probably 5:30 is ideal, may be not more than 6:30 PM. Go to bed & have a heavy breakfast in the morning, but not later than 7:00 AM.

It may not work out in most of the I.T. lifestyles, but the truth is, changing to this routine helped my waist size from 36 to 34!!! I also feel lighter now.

I have breakfast around 6:30 AM & lunch around 1:00 PM. By the time I come home, I'm hungry, I've a light snacks & have dinner around 8:30 PM & crash around 10:00 PM. Then, one day, I thought of hitting US lifestyle of having an early dinner & some juice for supper. So I gradually shifted the dinner time to 5:30 PM; initially I used to take Pepsi or Thumbs Up by 8:30 PM, but then I got rid off that habit too. So its only 3 times a day.

One important thing I've realized is, unless I control tounge (be it for talking or eating), nothing will improve.
aargee is offline  
Old 23rd July 2010, 12:08   #7
Senior - BHPian
 
rohan_iitr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 1,129
Thanked: 819 Times

I am no expert, but I have a few points to share.

Merely controlling your diet is not enough, your need to change the way you live. You need to adopt a healthy lifestyle. It includes all of the following:

1. Regular exercise - cardio, weights and stretching

2. Follow proper schedule everyday. Wake up early, have meals at proper time and sleep early. Follow the schedule even on weekends.

3. Control your diet - reduce carbs and fats. Have more protiens, fibre and water. Breakfast should have most carbs, lunch should have lesser carbs and dinner should have little or no carbs.

4. Develop a more active lifestyle. Take the stairs, avoid using the vehicle for short distances, do household work, walk your dog, play with your kids etc.

Some more points to remember:

- Never starve yourself, it doesn't help. Eat smaller portions throughout the day.

- Avoid going to all-you-can-eat buffets.

- Avoid desserts and sweets as much as possible.

- Avoid red meat. Have white meat in moderate quantities.

- Avoid oily gravies, prefer tandoori/grilled items for non-veg.

- Try to find like minded friends and encourage each other to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

- Inculcate healthy eating habits in your family, especially children.

Rohan
rohan_iitr is offline  
Old 23rd July 2010, 14:38   #8
Senior - BHPian
 
Blue Thunder's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Right here .
Posts: 1,655
Thanked: 386 Times
Healthy eating habits.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ampere View Post
...Heavy BF, Lighter lunch and lighter dinner...


As a wise old woman* once said : 'Have your breakfast like a King, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a beggar'. This helps to maintain good health.

Usually we end up doing it the other way around (light or no breakfast, medium/heavy lunch, and very heavy dinner late at night). This can have big-belly side effects.

* why does it always have to be a 'wise old man' ??!!

Last edited by Blue Thunder : 23rd July 2010 at 14:46.
Blue Thunder is offline  
Old 25th July 2010, 01:49   #9
BHPian
 
godog's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: DL/HR51/UP16
Posts: 137
Thanked: 13 Times

also tap into this thread.

Bodybuilders need to learn how to eat well as much as anyone; everyone's inputs will go a long way in making us go a long way in staying away from the junk we know we must avoid.
godog is offline  
Old 25th July 2010, 08:48   #10
Team-BHP Support
 
ampere's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 17,922
Thanked: 12,888 Times

I have only one issue on the exercise. Most folks end up in a gym only because, they want to get thinner and not because its part of their lifestyle. So till the time they get their waistline lower, "all izz well".

Once they are down, they stop the gym. But notice, they have started eating more (as body demands it). That eating style continues MINUS the gym. And lo behold, we are back to square one.

Another point: many folks like me don't like sweating it out inside a GYM. I would rather walk, jog or swim outdoors. Now jog is also something which does not come naturally to every one. But walking is very easy. Chatting with someone and walking on the road is a very addictive habit which one can latch upon. I have been doing this since times in memorial and in fact thats my only exercise (at least 5-7 Km daily). But by now the body's BMR (basal metabolic rate) has conditioned itself to that level of energy spending. So if I need to shed more, I need to do something more; which again should be on a daily basis. So what is the answer? Gym? Sorry no!

So you see : Finding an exercise, which one can look forward to doing daily is not an easy job! Or start liking the gym .
ampere is offline  
Old 25th July 2010, 10:38   #11
BHPian
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: mumbai
Posts: 454
Thanked: 33 Times

+1 ampere


For years I had a very hectic lifestyle. Irregular food habits i.e eating the wrong foods at the wrong time, eratic food timings, skipping lunch, skipping dinner, irregular sleeping time due to which I had health( severe acidity) & weight problems. Irregular heavy excercises also increased my weight.

Please note you put on weight not necessarly by eating more it can happen with irregular eating also.

Now, past few months I have been walking either in the morning or evening when ever I can, Take regular light food, take the steps where ever possible. This is helping.


Take Care!!!
kiren is offline  
Old 25th July 2010, 11:52   #12
Senior - BHPian
 
rohan_iitr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 1,129
Thanked: 819 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by ampere View Post
I have only one issue on the exercise. Most folks end up in a gym only because, they want to get thinner and not because its part of their lifestyle. So till the time they get their waistline lower, "all izz well".

Once they are down, they stop the gym. But notice, they have started eating more (as body demands it). That eating style continues MINUS the gym. And lo behold, we are back to square one.
We need to understand that regular exercise is essential for the body. We should exercise daily just like we eat and sleep daily.

Loosing weight is the easy part, but keeping it off requires a lot of commitment and will power - not everyone has it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ampere View Post
Another point: many folks like me don't like sweating it out inside a GYM. I would rather walk, jog or swim outdoors. Now jog is also something which does not come naturally to every one. But walking is very easy. Chatting with someone and walking on the road is a very addictive habit which one can latch upon. I have been doing this since times in memorial and in fact thats my only exercise (at least 5-7 Km daily). But by now the body's BMR (basal metabolic rate) has conditioned itself to that level of energy spending. So if I need to shed more, I need to do something more; which again should be on a daily basis. So what is the answer? Gym? Sorry no!

So you see : Finding an exercise, which one can look forward to doing daily is not an easy job! Or start liking the gym .
You should not let your body settle into an exercise routine. Keep varying your workouts, duration and intensity.

If your body is conditioned to walking, try to increase your speed and distance. Also try to walk on an incline.

You could try alternate cardio exercises like cycling, swimming, jogging, stepping etc.

If you don't like to go to the gym, you can exercise at home. Buy dumbbells, exercise mat, bench and some weights.

You could do exercises like push ups, dumbbells, bench press, squats, lunges, crunches etc at home.

Rohan
rohan_iitr is offline  
Old 26th July 2010, 09:40   #13
BHPian
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 67
Thanked: 2 Times

I can say by my personal experience that a few years back, I have reduced by about 13 kilos in about 10-12 months time frame. Since then, I have been maintaining my weight with a tolerance of only +/- 3 kilos. I eat fried foods, pizza, ice creams, chocolates etc. but in limited quantities only.

What I did:
Instead of having one large meal, I have more smaller meals throughout the day.
Lots of vegetables and fruits in my meals.
I do some walking as well.

Once every 15 days, I wash my car. It takes about 2-3 hours to give a good clean wash, plus it gives good workout for the entire body.
coolfyre is offline  
Old 26th July 2010, 10:45   #14
Senior - BHPian
 
ghodlur's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Thane
Posts: 5,997
Thanked: 4,174 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by sachinj12 View Post
I read in Times Wellness that drinking a glass of warm water with a teaspoon of lemon juice added (no sugar) on empty stomach will help reduce weight. Its actually warm water with honey and a tsp of lemon juice will reduce weight. Has been age old practice, recently discovered by the health concious guys.
Quote:
Originally Posted by coolfyre View Post
I
Once every 15 days, I wash my car. It takes about 2-3 hours to give a good clean wash, plus it gives good workout for the entire body.
+1 to that. I have been doing this for the past couple of months ever since the regular washer vanished. Its done mainly on Sat and Sun and believe its a good exercise.
ghodlur is offline  
Old 26th July 2010, 11:38   #15
BHPian
 
Daewood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Chennai
Posts: 940
Thanked: 233 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfheart View Post
Similarly the local seafood supposedly contains dangerous amounts of mercury. No idea how to avoid that.
You can eat smaller fish like sardine, mackeral, etc which don't contain as much mercury as the bigger ones.

Quote:
Originally Posted by coolfyre View Post
Instead of having one large meal, I have more smaller meals throughout the day.
+1
That's the way nature created us. This 3 meals a day is man's invention for convenience. If your working/ office pattern allows you to follow this nothing like it.
Daewood is offline  
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks