If you know what makes you overweight, you’ll have no problem tackling it. Being slim and trim not only makes you attractive for other, it also gives you a joi de vivre.
What is obesity ?
Obesity, or being overweight, is a state in which more fat deposits in body tissues than what normally does. Thereby your body weight is disproportionately higher to what your body length mandates technically.
Why overweight ?
Genetic factor : Some people are obese on account of their inheritence (parental genes). Generally they reach middle age before this predisposition comes to notice.
High calorie diet : Foods that contain excess of calories or fat substances, induce obesity. Subsisting on high energy diet for years on end makes one overweight. Children are no more safer than adults as deposition of fat in heart and blood vessels begins as early as 13 years of age. Ergo, even children shouldn’t be fed a fat rich diet.
Lack of physical exercise : This is almost a norm what with several home-use appliances in vogue. So even if a house wife is busy all day long calories spent are far lower than in good old day when house keeping was overly manual and unaided by gadgets and electrical appliances.
Treatment
A lady who wants to shed flab and look slim and trim, can do so easily. It is well to remember that obesity can be treated and removed for good. Surplus of fat deposits, be they in hands, legs, abdomen, hips, neck, back, chest, thighs or on waistline; can be melted off. Indeed you’ll have to adopt a multipronged approach. First have a good look at yourself in mirror, and see which parts of your body appear flabby. There is no need to calibrate the extent of you obesity. Saying goes that a fat person is one who thinks he/she is fat.
Here are a few tips which will help you significantly.
Food
Eat less. Avoid eating frequently. Take as much of salads, vegies, and boiled food as possible. Let soups, pulses, vegie decoction, whey, and salad occupy generous space of stomach cavity. Albeit juicy and pulpy foods like mango, papaya, banana etc should be taken in moderation. Light weight snacks like popcorn and roasted grams are low in calories. Exercise moderation in uptake of sugar, rice and potato preparations. Salted and spicy snacks like chips, dalmoth and fried eats are a big no-no. Baked and roasted snacks are allowed. Avoid confectioneries like cake, pastries, toffee, caramels and popular sweatmeats. Use unrefined with-peel pulses, gram and flour with wheat bran. Your dinner ought to be very light, and curd, salad and soup should be inseparable part of your diet regime. All this, in sum and substance, reduce your weight substantially.
Take sattoo (pulverised and roasted cereal), bread, and fruits and vegies in morning breakfast. But refrain from taking ghee and butter. Cook your food in refined oil. Avoid topping your recipes with ghee, oil, salt or sugar. Appetisers and taste stimulators like digestive powder, pickle, chilly crush, jam sauce and dip shouldn’t be used.
Exercise
Exercise reduces obesity, so exercise daily. You may also opt for aerobics or dance instead. Even swimming is good for reducing body weight. So also the yogic exercises.
You must have done a lot of rope skipping as a child. Go back to it once more see how magicaly it melts your surplus fat. Enrolment in a regular jim is also advisable. For there the arthritic and the unable-to-do normal-mobility, can also benefit from tailor made exercises (non-exercising methods). Jims are now common place in cities and towns. These fitness centres use myriad techniques to make their patron slim and trim.
Those who suffer from heart disease, slip disc or spondylitis, must cousult their Doctor before picking up on our exercising regimen. Playing outdoor games like badminton, lawn tennis, cricket etc is also good to shed off overweight.
Daily routine
Get up early in the morning, and, for a quick change, paddle in air lying flat on bed. And before you go for shower pump your belly in-out a minimum of 50 times. Be purky and sprity as you go about your morning ablutions. Going for morning walk is great. Those with school going kids may enjoy their stroll after kids are packed off to school. A stretch of about 3 kms should be covered at brisk pace. Idling and dragging feet is useless. Try doing your morning chores standing or walking, rather than squatting. Idling in bed or sleeping for too long encourages adiposity.
Diseases linked with obesity
Being overweight connotes being susceptible to a host of diseases and being less amenable to medical treatments as compared with normal-weight people. Some principal weight linked maladies are as follows:
Diabetes
Overweight people tend to become diabetic because of the dificiency of insulin hormone. This hormone is secreted from pancreatic gland, and, in normal course, insufficient for a person in good health—weight wise that is. But in overweight person, this normal quantity secretion fails to address biological demand imposed by an overload of fatty tissues in human body.
So, logically, if surplus weight is pared away by regular exercise, diabetes would automatically be controlled.
Many a times there is a ballooning of body in diabetic patients. In such cases blood sugar monitering can alleviate swelling. Whenver body weight tend to go up dramatically, one should immediately check out for his/her blood sugar levels.
Thyroid
When this glandular organ malfunctions, body suffers from deficiency of thyroxin hormone. This is called hypothyroidism or Myxoedema. Just as the case in diabetic patients, here too, the hormone secreted falls short of catering to an overweight body. Ergo, the treatment is also similar to the preceding, i.e., reduce flab.
Lack or deficiency of thyroxin trigger symptoms of exhaustion, rise in body weight, lethargy, drying and disfiguration of body skin; inability to concentrate on work etc.
If rise in body weight is unchecked, hormone secreted by thyroid should be assayed.
Blood pressure
Flab brings with it the problem of high blood pressure. This is on account of thickening of blood vessels by fat (cholesterol) deposition.
Reducing body weight will naturally reduce blood pressure-without medication, or with minimal medication.
Rheumatism
It is common observation that the overweight people complain of pain in back, knee, hip joint, neck, and in backbone. Painful joints and gout—though generally perceived to be age related-can happen early in life if a person is overweight.
Rheumatoid arthritis and spondylitis can be particularly perilious in obese people.
Heart diseases
Overweight people of even power age group are prone to coronary disease (heart attack), thanks to their consistent high blood pressure. All the same, the amount of fat and cholesterol in their body is far in excess of the norm. Hence their blood vessels
grow thick in walls and narrow in lumen. The fat that layer their inner walls proves deterrent to smooth flow of blood. This in course of time leads to coronany heart disease, heart attack and myocardial infection.
Bane that obesity is…
- Obesity in women lead to mental tension, and even Schizophrenia.
- With unwanted bulk to carry around, cooking, cleaning and routine domestic chores appear cumbersome. You pant as you pare work. Bending at the waistline is difficult and hence to pick up an object lying on ground is no cake walk.
- Overweight ladies are chary towards sex. Their husbands too find flab an irritant in sex act.
- Bulky people lose their breath on slightest of exertion.
- Obesity is a clear disqualification for many a careers like modelling, public relations, call centers, telephone operators, business executives and medical representative.
The bliss of being slim and trim
Today’s woman likes being perky and sprighty. Physical fitness adds to her personal charms. Yet those who aren’t endowed with class constitution, who are fat and clumsy, can get into shape adopting some handy techniques. Saying goes that bulk and beauty don’t go together. Obesity not only bismirches body figure, it pulls down facial beauty as well. When your looks are pedestrian, your self confidence takes a noose dive. Apart from messing with body constitution, obesity is open invitation to a host of diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack, gout, and liver disorders. Hence ought to be reined as it demit charm of looking good and feeling good.
What causes obesity
By and large it is indulgent eating which makes couch potatoes. But a flush of calories and fats in diet are more to blame. That apart, tragic life changes, loneliness, dibility, social neglect, lack of tender loving care, feelings of hatred and animosity push a man into habit of overeating making him flabby and overweight. At times it is a malfunctioning of pituitary or thyroid gland which triggers obesity.
How to remain lean and supple
A fit and trim figure can go plump on account of obesity. Hence veracity of eating and drinking habits ought to be our top priority. It is best to make a diet chart. This will help you formulate a balanced food-regime to keep you free from diseases and obesity. Indeed a balanced diet is the first stepping stone to a good body constitution.
❑ Remove fatty edibles like milkskin (malai), butter, chocolate, icecream, meat and fried foods from your routine diet. Carbohydrate foods like bread, candy, cake, potato, honey and carnival meals should be taken in moderation lest they deposit as surplus fat in body and make you overweight. Tea, coffee and alcohol should also be avoided. But, be liberal with salads as these are low calorie eats rich in vitamins and minerals.
❑ For a sturdy and muscular body, exercise is a must. Brisk walking and jogging are ideal exercises, which are easy
to do. At the same time swimming, yogasanas and myriad postures of sitting, getting up and lying down too constitute part of recommended exercises. These should be made part of your daily routine.
❑ If apart from being fighting fit, you desire to be a ravishing beauty as well, use nature’s one (and only) bounty as trump card. This natural elixir is none other than water. Yes, plain potable water. It is a veritable panacea for hundreds of ailments. Water plays an important role in our body right from thermo-regulation (maintaining of body temperature) to arousing healthy appetite and keeping digestive system in proper gear.
Drinking plenty of water betters digestion of food and flush cleans body of foul elements through urinary excretion. Therefore make it a point to drink at least 10-15 glasses of water each day. In case taste becomes a hitch, adding few drops of lime juice will make your glass of plain water stimulating and agreeable.
❑ Take only fresh and clean vegetables, soups, juices etc. Even your bread should be fresh, so that it is soft enough to be eaten without butter or such like lubricant.
❑ As far as possible, include all kind of friuts, juices and fruit salads in your of daily meals. Extracts of oranges, banana, apple, sweetlime not only keep you apt alert but also trim and taut.
❑ Your clothing is another aspect that deserves attention because cloths-make-a-man. If you are overweight, avoid tight fitting clothes because these will only highlight your flab. Loose clothes on the other hand will make you look decent. Don’t worry that you are overweight. All you need is a little care in daily living-about meditation, socialising, proper clothing—and rest everything will fall in place.
For a debonair persona
Just as children grow up into their teens, they worry about their personal charm. Girls in particular are more anxious about their looks and figure. Their endeavours for envious looks though understandable, often land them in trouble for want of patience and direction. At times they go overboard on dieting believing they would flats and forever remain slim. In a similar vein today’s jim and health club culture is also viewed as perfect plan for health. Nothing could be farther from truth. Infact an excess of fasting and exersise can be positively harmful for health. So, here are a few tips for your sanguine guidance on issue.
❑ Light exercise in morning, and going for a kilometer long walk are advisable. Drink plenty of water after exercise. This would recompense for water lost in course of exercise.
❑ Take care what you eat. Eat at right time (only when hungry) and a bit less than what your appetite calls for. Take care of nature and formation of you daily routine as well.
❑ It’s erronous to believe that exercise stimulates hunger, which, in turn, makes you overweight. Apt and timely exercise keeps your body cells ticking.
❑ Rather than cutting on quantity, try improving quality of food. Cut down on consumption of spicy and fatty foods and aeriated cold drinks in a phased mannaer.
❑ Cook well and chew well. Eschew fried food stuffs.
By adopting these above tips, aver experts, you get enough of calories to answer your growth needs as also to keep you slim, trim and attractive.
Controlling weight the yogic way
Of the many benedictions passed on to us from sages of yore, yoga is chief embodiment of meditation, contemplation, scientific learning of our glorious Indian heritage. To begin with, this holistic knowledge was confined to India, with rest of the world totally oblivious to it. But as of now, this knowledge is available worldwide over. Almost all cities and towns flaunt beauty clinics and health clubs. But do the womenfolks really take advantage of this facility? Given that yoga has proved itself immensely valuable for feminine needs?
With regular regimen of yogic exercises you can jettison obesity, psychiatric disorders, asymetry in body formation, skin diseases, diabetes, asthma, ulcer and myriad of gastrointestinal disorders.
For a holistic balance of mind and body, modern world is increasingly turning to yogic sciences for help and guidance. Yoga is unique in being not only a mind soother but also a beauty prop. A regular practice of Yogasanas keeps body disease free, body organs in fine fettle, brain and the nerve cells live and kicking, mental concentration one-up, will power stealed and mental tranquility enhanced.
There are a few primers though—to the practice of formal yoga. For one, these exercises should be done on ground, with a ‘dari’ or mattress spread out. Rest past exercise is mandatory. And post rest, a gap of 3 to 5 minutes is essential before you reach out for food or for routine chores.
A balanced diet is another prerequisite. Fried and spiced culinary are best avoided. Ditto for tea, colas and aeriated drinks. Have your meal a minimum of 2 hours in advanced of retiring to bed. Taking water in the midst of meals is menial. Eat only 80% of what your hunger commands, and eat slowly, with thorough mastication. If you sip water as you eat, you invite skin diseases. Practitioners of yoga should drink 10-12 glasses of water everyday. This is specifically good for healthy skin.
Obesity is not only inconsistent with beauty, it is a positive drag. Not only a disease in itself, flab is red carpet welcome for host of maladies. Overweight we prone to high blood pressure, cardial diseases, psychiatric disorders, diabetes, arthritis, joint pains, skin diseases etc. Women with flab suffer from ceassation of monthly cycles, irregular menses and reduced fertility. Listed here below are some yogasanas which help fight weight.
All ‘Yogasanas’, significantly, should begin with a drill of ‘paranayama’. This drill is a breathing exercise. It helps jettison lethargy and up good looks, as also in treatment of rheumatism, asthma, pneumonia etc. To execute pranayama, lie supine on a mattress laid floor, with palms touching ground on either side of the body. Heels should conjoin, and legs lie lump. Breathe normally and look infront.
Another way to this is by way of Padmasana. For that, sit on a clean covered ground, with right foot resting on left thigh and left foot resting on right thigh. Backbone, neck and head are kept straight. Spread your arms to rest wrists on knee. Join thumb and index finger tips so as to make a loop, and keep rest of the three fingers conjoined. Then inspire—expire—hold, and repeat these breathing steps 10 to 15 times. Remain squatting in this instance for about three miniutes’ duration.
‘Dhanurasana’ is another weapon to fight obesity. Additionally, a regular exercise of it removes stomach ailments, menstrual disorders, and improves digestion. To perform this ‘asana’, lie supine on your belly, head resting on ground. Spread out both arms. Keep heels abutting together, and breathe normally. Now bend both legs at knee, and push your heels well above buttocks.
Then, catch hold of your foot toes—right with right hand and left with left hand. Grasping foot toes firmly in hand try pulling them over a bit making your body taut. Take a deep breath and hold. Now raise your head up gradually and stretch your legs backwards. Now attempt raising head, neck and chest upwards. Hold on to this stance for six to eight seconds. Now release your breath and lower head and chest down to ground. Take rest for 6 to 8 seconds and repeat the exercise all over again. Practice this ‘asana’ a minimum 3 to 4 times everyday.
Should holding of both foot toes simultaneously is problem, the exercise can be done holding on to any one of the digit of any one leg.
