A go-to diet on the go

A proper food plan goes a long way in helping lose weight fast, writes Suman Pahuja

Working women nowadays barely have time for exercise to maintain fitness. Moreover, if you have a sitting job, then losing weight becomes incredibly challenging. A proper food plan goes a long way in helping lose weight fast.

Although exercise can promote a long and good life, you don’t always have to workout to lose weight. Instead, just work on including some nutritious food in your busy schedule to maintain fitness.

Here are five diet tips that working women can follow:

Say no to skipping breakfast

Many workaholics skip breakfast as they are in a hurry. That is a mistake. Our body needs food way before lunchtime. If you avoid breakfast, you may get so hungry later on that you may want to munch on high-fat or sugary foods. Breakfast boosts the metabolism, helping to burn calories for the whole day. It also provides energy to do office work.

Limit consumption of coffee & tea Healthy eating and drinking go hand in hand. Many working women crave for a cup of caffeine while working. Most of the coffee machines serve a drink which is already high in sugar. Try to limit the amount of coffee/tea to one cup per day or none at all. There is another convincing reason to help you reduce your coffee intake. A study was carried out by Charles Gerba, a professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona. It showed that up to 90% of mugs in workplace kitchens are coated with dangerous germs. Moreover, 20% of these cups actually carry fecal matter.

Eat homemade lunch

Eating from the office food court or ordering a meal from a restaurant sounds convenient, but it’s not a healthy diet habit. Working women need homemade and nutritious lunch. Your tiffin box should contain some energy-boosting nutrients such as veggies, roti, rice and dal, and a salad. Just like with breakfast, skipping lunch can spoil the fitness regime. Fattening snacks in the office further make it difficult for healthy eating.

Last but not least, dinner

Finally, in the list of diet tips, be mindful of what you eat for dinner. Do not avoid carbs. Since they are low-fat, rich in fibre, they help you relax in the evening. Especially after a hard day at work.

(The author is founder, Fat to Fab)