Lose half a kg in a week with these 10 simple ways

Whether it’s your career or your weight loss goals, there are no shortcuts. So if you think crash diets and the so called ‘lose weight without exercise’ campaigns can make you slim, then you are just fooling yourself. If you really want to lose weight, you’ll have to think practically and combine correct diet with exercise.

It’s simple. The whole secret to weight loss lies in eating fewer calories than you burn in a day. On an average a person who is involved in moderate physical activity requires about 2000 calories every day, and to lose one pound you’ll have lose 3,500 calories in all, which comes to 500 calories in one day. 

In short, this indicates that to lose one pound in a week you’ll have to burn 500 calories more than what you consume through your food every day (for 7 days). While it may sound easy, practicing it may seem a little harder. So, here are a few simple ways that can help you to easily lose one pound in a week.

1. Switch from a chai/tea to lemon or green tea: Early morning garam chai (with milk and sugar) gives you 79.4 calories. Whereas, if you replace it with lemon tea you will reduce your calorie intake to 1.8. You can also have green tea (without sugar) which will give you 2.9 calories. So, in all you have reduced about 78.6 calories from your diet already. Here are some health benefits of green tea.

2. Replace heavy breakfast like aloo ka parathas with idli or dosa: Each ‘aloo ka paratha’ that you relish before going to work has about 200 calories (excluding the calories from ketchup and ghee). So even if you eat 2 parathas you’ll straightaway add 400 calories (or more) to your body. Instead have a healthy yet fulfilling breakfast. 2 plain idlis with chutney (1 spoon) can reduce your calorie intake to 177. Plain dosa with chutney (1 spoon) is even better. It gives you just 120 calories. Also, it’s better not to have sambar because with just one katori you will add about 140 calories to your diet.

Even healthier option would be having bananas. Each small banana gives you 117.2 calories. And the best part is you wont feel hungry soon after eating a banana.

3. Replace cow’s milk with skimmed milk: Regular cow’s milk that you get in packets give about 168 calories in one glass (excluding calories from sugar and other things that you wish to add to milk). Instead if you choose skimmed milk (72 calories in one cup) you’ll remove 96 calories easily.

4. Eat plain veg sandwich instead of toasted cheese sandwich: Each plain veg. sandwich containing boiled potatoes, tomato slices, cucumber slices with chutney and onion has about 204 calories. But same sandwich if toasted along with cheese shoots up your calorie intake to approximately 300, depending what type of bread is used. With this minor change you manage to get rid of 100 calories in one shot. Find out which is a healthier option: paneer or cheese.

5. Replace chicken/fish curry with grilled chicken/fish: Grilling is always a better option compared to fried and curry servings, when it comes to eating chicken and fish. 1 katori of traditional chicken curry can give you around 250 calories. Whereas, if you choose grilled chicken, you just get 114 calories in one piece. Here’s why chicken is good for your health

Similarly fish curry (cooked with coconut milk) has 547 calories in one katori. But, if you have grilled fish you can drastically reduce your calorie intake. For example, 1 piece of grilled salmon fish gives 120 calories. So, even if you have 2 pieces of that grilled fish, you can still manage to cut down 300 calories, which will make a huge difference.  

6. Switch from soda and fizzy beverages to just plain water: All carbonated beverages have about 150-170 calories. Remove that from your diet and just have water when you’re thirsty. Water has zero calories so you eliminate 170 calories entirely. Additionally, water also helps to flush out all the toxins from your body.  

7. Eat vegetables instead of pulao: Vegetables are filling as well as nutritious. Home cooked sabzis with plain chapattis are the best for lunch. But even if have to eat outside choose mixed vegetables and plain chapatti/roti rather than having 1 serving of veg. pulao which gives you about 383 calories. Sabzi and plain chapatis (2 pieces) will give you just 266 calories. So you have removed another 117 calories.

8. Substitute evening snacks chips, cookies, biscuits with fruits: Each single potato chip contained in that packet gives you 8.1 calories. So calculate how many calories you get in one packet of chips. Similarly one piece of whole wheat biscuit gives you 31 calories. So even if you eat just 5 biscuits, you have taken in 155 calories and you would still feel hungry. Instead have a fruit which will keep you full as well as reduce your calorie intake. A medium sized orange will give you 62 calories only. Read more about food items that are great for your health and weight loss.

9. Boil your eggs instead of frying them: One boiled egg gives you 78 calories. Frying eggs add extra calories (upto 100) to it depending on whether you fry it in ghee or in oil. So boiled eggs can remove additional 30 calories from your diet. 

10. Don’t forget to exercise: If you eat less but lead a sedentary lifestyle, it’s not going to help. Instead you will lower your metabolism and make your weight loss goal even harder. Here are 13 ways to boost metabolism and lose weight.

Simple household chores like dusting, sweeping or cleaning the house can help you burn about 250 calories in one hour. Mild to moderated jogging can help you to reduce about 105 calories in 30 minutes. Running is the best option; within 15 minutes you lose 174 calories. If you feel too exhausted with jogging, simply go for a walk for 30 minutes, you’ll lose about 75 calories. Go swimming and you’ll burn 150 calories in 30 minutes. Read more about whether walking, jogging or running outside is better than treadmill for weight loss.

Couple these exercises with any of the above diet changes and see how easy it is to lose half a kg in a week!  

Here are our top 5 articles on weight loss:

• Fat to fit: Mega guide for losing weight the right way  
•  The simple weight loss guide: All your queries on losing weight answered
• 7 healthy snacks that aid in weight loss
• Can you give a diet plan for quick weight loss in 7 days? (Diet query of the day)
• Recipe for weight loss — healthy papaya salad

Weight loss exercises

• Fun ways to exercise and lose weight
• Lose belly fat with exercises by Hrithik’s trainer Kris Gethin
• Can weight training help you lose weight?
• Walking for weight loss
• Get fit at your workplace with these expert recommended exercises and tips
• Why is high intensity interval training better (HIIT) for weight loss?
• 4 sexy and unusual ways to lose weight

Weight loss diet

• Weight loss diet by expert dietician
• Fad is bad: Say no to diets which promise speedy weight loss
• 6 diet tips to lose belly fat
• Tasty recipes for weight loss
• Eat and lose weight: 10 food items for weight loss!
• Why drinking is bad for your weight loss regime
• 10 superfoods for weight loss

For more articles on weight loss, visit our weight loss section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.

1. Prev:How to lose weight living in a hostel? (Diet query of the day)
2. Next:Revealed – Things you should never ever say in a relationship