“Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire, which transcends everything.” - Napoleon Hill
Clear away the confusions
You must have got a lot of questions in your mind, when you have planned to practice the weight reduction program. Here are some of the questions that you may have in your mind. I want you to be completely relaxed and knowledgeable during the weight reduction program. Well here are the most wanted questions that people often ask at any health expert.
Is there any way that can reduce the size of my stomach alone?
The above question is the most popular question that many people ask. Their mind thinks in a risk-free way. All they want is flat abs without exercise, without diet control. Well, I say no, it’s not possible and if it’s possible, it would not be the safest method. You need to make some effort at least to burn down your fat. The reader must understand the basics of human body. When we intake the food. The fat from the food is collect at the abs and then it is distributed to the hands and legs. So if you exercise, first the fat stored in the hands and legs gets burned out. Then the fat in abs gets burned. This is the fact that it is hard to get a 6 pack abs. For getting the six pack abs you need to burn the body fat and bring it to a very lower percentage. For the six packs to be visible, you need to maintain the body fat to about 5%. A normal man will have a fat range of about 18%.
Is there any way that without any equipment I can do exercise?
Yes, absolutely you can do all basic exercise without equipment. But, to become like a body builder, you need to go to gym. So it depends upon you, whether to stay lean or to become a body builder. If it is sufficient for you to be lean or just to maintain your weight, you can do exercises without going for a gym.
If I reduce the food intake or if I fast will I become lean?
No, you will become fat. Remember that once man was starving for food. He needed to chase down and hunt animals and eat. He cannot find a deer or a rabbit as soon as he feels hungry. So when he hunts down an animal and eat, the energy will be stored in the body as fat. Then when food is not available, this fat is burnt and energy is obtained for survival. When you fast, the brain monitors that, no food is taken for that session. So next time when you eat, brain being programmed to survive for life, will order the organs to gather as much fat as it can so that it can use of future use when there may be chances of no food. So a lot of fat will be accumulated in the body. So never fast when reducing weight. You can try healthy foods which are less in fat. But don’t fast!
Well, I need to know, why people eating fruits and vegetables become slim?
Some fruits and vegetables are negative calorie food. Generally, when we eat food, the food will give calories. But fruits like apple are negative calorie foods, which when eaten will consume energy from your body to digest down. So during the burning process, the fat stored will be burned by these negative calorie foods. So they make the weight reduction easier, making easier to lose weight. Green leafy vegetables, for example Spinach contains high fibre content. These fibres are essential to eliminate fat from your body. More fibre in your diet, healthier you are.
Tell me a weight reduction without going to gym or diet control. Any medicine based like tablets or powder based drugs?
Just answer me; “Can you make a huge banyan tree grow from a small seed within a day?” The question is likewise. People want to see instant results, that too without any effort. Slow cooking and instant cook. Have you seen the difference in taste? There is always goodness in slow, long term, constant processes. Likewise don’t fall towards these weight reduction medicines or those attractive devices such as that shaking belt, exercise rope, rocker like, which says “reduce weight in one week”. Actually those models coming for those advertisements are hired. Don’t ever believe what they say. Take your own time and do exercises with relaxed mind.
Hi, I am a vegetarian. My friend says only non-vegetarians are stronger as they eat flesh. Is it true?
Well, just answer my question, “What does the huge, strong elephant eat?”
They take 100% vegetarian food. It is true that you don’t get one of the vitamins of Vitamin B group through plants. (But now they are available through fortified drinks - such as soymilk). Only animal sources contain these. But it is not true that the non-vegetarian is the stronger person. Only those who do exercise regularly with proper diet will be stronger. So if you are a vegetarian it is good, if you are a non-vegetarian it is good. But if you change your habits from non-vegetarian to vegetarian it is too good. But it is just optional; you can be healthy being a non-vegetarian also.
Can you tell some good food habits?
It’s a good question. I will tell you some good food habits that you need to follow always.
These are some of the key points that you need to remember always.
I am always busy! So I need to know what will be the minimum time needed for to do exercise to reduce body weight. Do you have any idea?
All you need is just 30 minutes a day. If you can find 30 minutes time in a day to do exercise then you can surely do exercise for weight management. I remember a quote that sounds like this “A busy man is the one who finds time to do everything”. Many say “Well, I like to do exercise but, I don’t find time! I am always busy!” If you are one among those who say like this, I would say… please read the quote again!
In simple, can you say the steps involved in reducing weight?
Make a goal that you will maintain the correct weight always. Then educate yourself with all information you need to know about healthy lifestyle. Plan each step in advance for weight management, and finally do it seriously.
How can I know the right amount of calories that is needed for me? I need and exact value, not a range.
Well if you want to know exact figures, you can try the calorie calculator available online. I suggest you to look in the website www.calculator.net, where there is a calorie calculator. You need to feed your height, weight and intensity of exercise (no, low, high) and it will show the amount of calories that you need to maintain.
I have heard people say that when we eat more at dinner, we gain weight. Is it true?
Yes, it’s true. The proper diet plan for a day must be like this. Morning meal supplies the day’s energy need. That’s why you should never skip the breakfast. But at lunch you should eat less than breakfast, and in dinner, since you are going to sleep; you need to take a minimal meal.
One of the cine actresses says that she eats a little during 6 days of the week, and on Sundays she eats whatever she likes. She looks so…beautiful with a fair complexion and a very good structure. I too want to look like her. Shall I follow her way?
So, if she looks so beautiful, you must thank the make-up man and the cameraman. They show the actress beautiful. Have you seen any actress without make-up? If you had seen, you would suggest her for Ripley’s believe it or not! What I say is “She is an actress, not a doctor!” May be she may have acted in a role of a doctor who saves the whole world. But in real life, you need to keep in mind that everyone is unique. Whatever matches with her lifestyle, won’t match with your lifestyle. You need to find out your own body condition and need to work on it. Believe a doctor, not an actress doing the role of a doctor.
The actress would have a million ready cash with her, so when in future if a health problem arises, with the money she had earned, she can cure her health problem. But if you follow her ways and get into trouble, where will you go for the money for treatment? This book aims to give you the tips to prevent and cure body weight problems. I want my readers to lead a healthy life with a minimal expense. This book aims more on prevention, not on cure.
In the television they show a machine which gives the workout for the whole body. Shall I buy it?
No! Please don’t buy those machines. I have seen people who buy this kind of machines work for a week and then lose interest in it. Then the machine turns it to be a toy for the kids or a cloth hanger for the family members or something else. Surely it loses its own purpose and becomes a normal day to day life product. These machines that are shown in the television are based upon cardiovascular exercises i.e., they are basically the stamina exercises. Think a while, is it better to buy a big machine for Rs 10,000, keep in your home and exercise in it? Or just buy a shoe for Rs 999 and jog around your apartment or nearby park or in the highway during the early morning hours? Think a while; you can save a lot of money when you buy a shoe alone. No machine can completely give workout for the whole body. Most of the machines are based on stamina exercises. The burn fat but they don’t give you strength that comes by doing the body strength exercises. You need to balance a correct proportion of body strength exercises and stamina exercises. Don’t believe the television ads.
Hey! I did exercise for an hour. After my exercise session, I checked the weight. Still it remains the same! Why I didn’t lose my weight?
There is an old saying, “Rome was not built in a day!” Similarly, many think that when you do exercise intensely, you will see immediate result. No, it’s not. It takes some time to observe visually and by body weight. You need to do practice continuously.
Hello! I take diet food, do exercise but still can’t get good results. Why it happens?
Well, what is diet? Many of us think that eating little is diet. No it’s not. Diet means, eating the proper food at correct amount and at correct time. I have seen many people eat big pizza or that stuffed hamburger or that full plate biryani and at last they take “Diet coke”. They feel good when, after eating a mega meal and having the diet coke, which makes to feel that the cola suppresses the feast. Also many do exercise regularly. What it means is that, they never fail to do exercise daily, but fail in doing the proper exercise method. Their approach is wrong. One step at a time is the good approach. Eat in small amounts at proper amount at proper time. Be aware of what you feed in – both in mind and body.
I have been taking on medicines according to my doctor’s advice. I am fat and my friends say to reduce weight. I am going to get married. Can I engage in this program to reduce weight?
I say No! You need to understand that sometime when you take medicines, they impact on your body. Say, if a person has nervous problems the medicines given to the patients will bring good sleep to the patient. Fact is that, these medicines work well and cure only during times when brain is at rest. The brain takes rest during sleep. During the sleep, brain waves are of lower frequencies, so that the medicine works better and cures the patient during his sleep. Sometimes these patients are requested to sleep for at least 10 – 12 hours. So for these patients, it is hard to follow the weight reduction program schedule.
So my advice is to first get the counsel of your doctor and then engage in the program, if only he says there is no problem in weight reduction. Don’t take a trial and error method in your health.
Which country food style is best for weight reduction? Some say the Italians are good, while others say some other. I am confused. What style must I choose?
I say, choose “Regional”! What it means is that, eat the local food and eat seasonal foods – foods that are available for that season. That will do the best. Simply, for an example, from my child hood I would eat idly-sambar, dosa, vada, pongal, upma etc.(one at a time!). If I suddenly change to a diet style of eating a veg hamburger for breakfast, spicy Italian pasta for lunch and ramen noodles for dinner, my body will not be able to balance the changes and it will struggle a lot making improper digestion, unbalanced nutrient absorption leading to various problems. This will happen because I have changed from my regular style to another diet style which I have not been practiced. So it is advised, that you eat your regional food, the food that you have been taking since your child hood. Just you need to slightly modify the way you prepare food, modify your eating habits etc.
I drink fruit juices daily. I buy the fruit juice powder and mix with ice cold water and drink but still I feel “something” is missing. What problem do I have?
The root cause of the problem is not with you, it’s in the powder. Always prefer eating the fruits as a whole. It is because when you juice the fruits, they destroy the nutrient value. Many fruits contain anti-oxidants, when these fruits are cut into very small pieces or made as a juice they lose the nutrient value. When you eat these, it is like filling your stomach alone. Those powdered drinks, doesn’t contain the same nutrient value as a whole fruit. When a fruit is converted to powdered form it loses its nutrition. So once the nutrition is lost, is lost forever. It will not come back again when you mix with water. The nutrition in juice is not Jesus Christ, to become dead and rise again. So eat fresh fruits and try to eat the fruit as whole as possible rather than converting into a fruit juice. I think now you might have got an idea of what you have mentioned “something is missing”.
Is it good to keep the excess food in fridge and eat for next day?
Good! I said, “Good” for the question, not for keeping in fridge and eating for the next day. This question, I had in my mind for a long time. Because many women in our country have the habit of cooking the food at a once and then keep a part of it in fridge and then use it for next day. I searched a lot and found answer. This habit of keeping the excess food in fridge and eating the next day is more common in people who say, “We are middle class people. How can we cook every meal, every time? It takes a lot of gas consumption. The price of gas is hiking a lot!” These people think that they save gas and save money. But the real fact is that they fail to improve the health. There are some other people who eat after a day. I have seen people say, Fish gravy (‘Meen kulambu’ in Tamil) tastes better when it is a day old. Well it would taste good, but not nutritious. So stop this habit and try to eat the food as fresh as possible. If you are working, then you can’t cook a lunch. But at least, you can do those for breakfast & dinner.
Apart from diet and exercise what would help me to improve my health condition?
Apart from diet control and exercise you need to focus on having a good sleep, adopt health habits, such as not involving in smoking, drugs or drinking and achieve mind control through yoga, meditation etc. I would discuss about these in later chapters.
What is the difference between carbohydrates, sugar and glucose?
Say you eat potato chips. The carbohydrates from the potato chips gets converted to sugar, insulin converts this sugar to useful glucose. This glucose is taken to the cells.
Why do people eating more sugar become fatter?
It’s because, when you intake sugar a lot, you get calories a lot. So what our body does is that, it converts this sugar into fat, which may be used for future. When they keep on eating sweet items, our body coverts it into fat and keep on storing. This is the reason why they become fat.
Where can I find the amount of calories that my cooking stuffs have? I mean, I need information of calories present in fruits, vegetables etc.?
You can find some useful information in these websites.
http://nutritiondata.self.com
http://elook.org/nutrition/
Some branded hotels, restaurants also provide their nutrition information in their websites. Take a look at www.pizzahut.com for nutrition information of products of Pizza hut. KFC on the other hand provides nutrition info on its website- www.kfc.com and also offers users to download a nutrition sheet containing all information of their products. You can also download apps to android, apple or windows devices and use them. Look for My Fitness Pal and Diet point apps for your device (Android/iOS).