Guide To Balanced Diet

Vegetarian Diet Plan
Q: I am a 22-year-old girl with weight 72kg and height 5'2 inches. Can you suggest a vegetarian diet plan for me? I don't eat meat. Bilquis
A: As per the statistics you have provided you need to reduce about 20kg. You are very young therefore I am sure that you will be able to do it very easily. It's just that you will have to follow a diet plan very regularly and do some physical activities to burn calories. Since you have mentioned that you are a vegetarian, here is a special veggie diet plan for you. You can have a bowl of wheat or oats cereal with skimmed milk in the morning. For lunch you can have chappati with daal moong masoor. At lunch and dinner you can have salad and fruits. For dinner you can have brown breads with yogurt and a bowl of vegetable soup. The plan will help you lose weight very quickly as vegetables and fruits generally contain no cholesterol, have little or no fat and are low in calories. Eating only vegetables is not good for you as you can suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency which is not found in vegetables. You can also have anaemia, shortness of breath and a decreased ability to concentrate. So I recommend that you should gradually add meat to your diet.

Amazing Result!
Q: I have been following an exercise plan and working out 4 times a week and have lost a few inches and only 2kg in one week. I am very upset with my results and want to know whether I am on the right path? Tania
A: It's simply amazing to cut 2kg down in just one week. Many people workout but they even don't get any results after two or three weeks. So you should not be upset and continue with your efforts. I can't understand why you are unhappy. Are you trying to lose 10kg in a week? Dear, that never happens. Ideally a person can lose 1 or 2kg per week. Now after the positive results of your workout plan I would suggest you continue your physical activity plan. I am sure you will get similar good results. If you will stop your physical activity then not only you will gain back what you have lost but chances are that you may gain even more weight. You have not sent me the details of your weight, height and age otherwise I would have recommended a diet plan for you.

Weight Loss Plan
Q: I am a 29-year-old girl with weight 75kg and height 5'3 inches. What steps should I have to take to lose weight? Yumna
A: You also need to lose around 20-22kg. Remember that a diet high in fats increases the risk of weight gain. So you need to take care of your dietary intake. Eliminate bad fats from you diet. Include proteins and carbohydrates; each contain 4kcal of energy per gram whereas fats have 9kcal per gram. Moreover, dietary fat is efficiently stored as body fat, while protein and carbohydrate must first be converted to fat before storage. You should cut down your caloric intake to between 1000 and 1500 kcal/day. Particularly when combined with moderate exercise it produces a gradual loss of body fat and weight. Try to go for a heavy breakfast including both proteins and carbs that will make you feel full for a longer period of time, and then have a lighter lunch. Dinner should be your lightest meal. Your diet should contain generous amounts of dietary fibre. Fruits, whole grains, legumes are all fibre rich foods so they should be a compulsory part of your diet.

Diet Drinks
Q: I cannot live without drinks; can I have diet drinks while I am dieting? Unzila, Karachi
A: You have not specified whether you are talking about aerated drinks only. You can definitely have drinks when you are on a diet. It just depends how many calories you are utilizing per day. One thing which is very important is that if you are 80 per cent right and you make 20 per cent mistakes in your diet plan then also you can get very good results with your weight loss plan. You can have a glass of fresh juice; it can be orange or lemon. It is always good to have a fresh orange rather to have a glass of orange juice as 1 glass of orange juice is equivalent to 6 oranges. So just imagine how many calories you are utilizing with just a single glass. Here is a refreshing lemon juice recipe for you. Blend chilled water, lemon juice and a few mint leaves, a pinch of salt & black pepper and sugar in a blender machine. You can take a glass of this juice everyday. It has very fewer calories, makes you feel very fresh and makes your skin glow.

Metabolic Rate
Q: Does exercise help in increasing metabolism? How would I know that my metabolic rate has increased? Zafar, Islamabad
A: Exercises definitely increase metabolism. There is no specific indicator which would inform you of increased metabolic rate. Why do you want to increase it? The metabolism of every person decreases with age and is high when a person is young. You have not mentioned your details. If you are asking this question because of your weight then not only exercises but also a balanced diet is needed to increase your metabolism. Having a heavier breakfast is a good idea as metabolism is higher at the start of the day. Lunch should be lighter and dinner should be the lightest. Including fruits and vegetables in your diet would definitely increase your metabolism and make you lose weight quickly. You need to lose 2 pounds per week and this would increase your metabolism. Try to walk for more than 30 minutes, five times a week. With this pattern try having small meals every 2 hours as this further increases metabolism. You can go for any aerobic exercise; it can be walking or jogging or swimming. You will get your results. Your weighing machine is your perfect indicator.

Need Help!
Q: I am a 25-year-old girl with weight 72kg and height 5'3 inches. I do office work mostly while sitting. Is it possible for me to lose weight without exercise? Rabia
A: You also need to lose around 20kg, which will be easier if you will follow a balanced diet plan along with some exercise. As you have mentioned that you can't take out time for exercise because of the nature of your job, you need to decrease the intake of your calories even further as you are not burning calories by any physical activity. It would be good if you manage somehow to walk around during lunch time. If you commute to your office by bus then at least try to walk for 15 minutes daily. Avoid using lifts and prefer stairs. Try to use salads and soups before meals and eat fruits with skin. Eat beans, chickpeas and nuts for snacks. Don't miss meals as it tends to make you eat more in the next meal. Limit your portion size; instead of having a single large meal at break time tries to take frequent small meals after every two hours.