Diwali mithais will be a part of meals and social gatherings in a few weeks! But the good news is, there are simple ways to maintain a healthy body during this season of calorie overload! In Women and the Weight Loss Tamasha on Audible, Rujuta Diwekar shares insights on staying in shape. In the audio, she questions conventional norms about weight loss and suggests realistic changes in one’s diet and lifestyle that are easy to maintain even during the festive season. Here’s what she said:

Starting the day right can set the tone for the rest of the day. Rujuta urges one to eat something within 10-15 minutes of getting up as this stabilises energy levels throughout the day, increasing the body's rate of burning fat. By doing this, “You're less likely to overeat later and your blood sugars remain stable through the day,” says Rujuta. Eating every 2 hours can make one’s body an efficient calorie burner. Reduced portion sizes would be a natural consequence of eating in intervals, which works in one’s favour as one works towards a fitter body.

Stretch marks, the constant battle to lose weight, love handles, lethargy, insomnia, PMS, and rapid ageing are undoubtedly one’s worst nightmares. These can be traced back to one underlying cause - nutrition deficiency. Rujuta’s easy steps to tackle deficiencies start with eating food within 3 hours of cooking. Additionally, the lesser the number of people the food is prepared for, the better its nutritional value. She says, “Eat your vegetables and fruits whole; don't cut them or mash them into a juice and remain loyal to your genes: eat what you have been eating since childhood.” Small changes in how one consumes food, can significantly improve its nutritional intake.

The festive season also leads to changes in mealtime, late nights and overeating. These changes to routine can reduce vitamin B levels leading to increased cravings for carbs and sugar and loss of calcium from the bones. The lethargy one feels during the festive season stems from the strain on the digestive system. Vitamin B is not only the most energy-giving vitamin but also makes it easier for the body to metabolise the calories, especially from carbs which are available in abundance at social gatherings. Adding to this, Rujuta reveals, “The lower your calcium intake, the more likely you are to get fat.” To combat these issues at the root cause, Rujuta advises adding vitamin B supplements and calcium tablets (calcium citrate for easy absorption) to one’s diet.

In the audiobook, Rujuta advises eating more local and seasonal foods. The longer the food travels before reaching the plate, the further it takes one away from their fitness goals. Seasonal foods are the best armour against environmental stressors. Rujuta recommends “Chikoo from Gholvad, santra (orange) from Nagpur, walnut from Kashmir, apple from Kinnaur, jackfruit from Konkan, guava from Pune, grapes from Nasik and bananas from Kerala.” While prunes from California and apples from New Zealand are great, Rujuta says that the majority of the food intake must be from food grown nearby for better nutrition and improved physique.

5. Play The Uno Challenge: A Fun Way To Control Your Portion Sizes!

Rujuta suggests playing Uno - except that the cards are replaced with food. Like one shouts ‘Uno’ with the last card to avoid picking another card from the pack, here the stomach shouts ‘Uno’ to avoid eating more. Being in tune and aware of one’s appetite is the starting point for playing Uno with the stomach. Rujuta adds the stomach will say ‘Uno’ at different times during different phases of growth and the menstrual cycle. Stress levels, company while eating and genetics are just some of the factors that affect the timing of ‘Uno’. Rujuta further adds, “Women should never, ever (saying this at the cost of knowing never say never) ‘standardise’ their meal size. We are hormonally vibrant, and it’s perfectly normal to feel like eating more on some days and less on other days. The key is to stop at the right time.”

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