In 2008, I lost 16 pounds in 6 weeks and kept it off until I got pregnant. Today, someone who met in last in 2008, asked me (like many others who have in the last few years) – How did you do it?
So, here goes.
No, I did not starve myself. I admit that the first week was hard, but completely worth it.
My first rule was self-control. The secret, small portions. And the second rule – Keep trying, don’t give up. It’s all about telling yourself how sexy you would actually look if you were to wear a bikini on the beach this Summer!
These are my suggestions:
1. First Week: Go on a fruit detox for the first three days. Eat all the fun fruits you want. The latter part of the week, continue a fruit diet, but add to it pulses (Indian pulses, Ethiopian pulses..). This is the hardest week. Forget about eating outside. Try and pack your own lunch to work, and give yourself a treat at the end of this week – How about some cereal and milk?
2. Second-Third-Fourth Weeks: Eat 4-5 times a day. Strive to have at least 3-4 servings of fruits and vegetables. Replace breakfast with watermelon or even a mango (130 calories). For lunch, stick to cooked pulses, with some greens. For dinner, replace a few meals with cereal, or have some low-sodium, low-fat soup with veggies, maybe some spinach soups. Try to get iron, calcium and protein in your diet. A walnut (has Omega), pistas, almonds, cashews once in a while is a good thing. Do not eat out more than twice a week, and even here, don’t have food that is oily or fatty (for example, avoid Chinese noodles, coconut milk or creamy gravies)
3. Fifth and Sixth Weeks: By now, its easy. Maintain the same diet. Maybe, split a tiny piece of brownie and have a spoon of icecream…Eat out no more than twice a week…Slowly add the restricted items in tiny quantities.
I did not exercise as much as I should have, but I still lost the weight. In the first few weeks, I played a round of tennis, went bowling once, took salsa lessons, and brisk walked for 20 minutes. In other words, kept active. In the last three weeks, I did not do much except light work-outs at home and 20 minutes of brisk walking during week-days.
Things that I completely cut down on in the first three weeks and slowly started including back in my diet were:
1. Pasta (started whole wheat pasta after 4 weeks)
2. Rice (started boiled rice after 4 weeks)
3. Oil (little oil after two weeks)
4. Sugar (still trying to stay away from sugar)
5. Cheese (fat free cheese shavings, few slices of pizza has light cheese on it in 3rd week)
6. Bread (started whole wheat bread after three weeks)
I am vegetarian and do not have any meat. Perhaps, that would be different for many of you. A change in diet however, often boosts energy levels.
It’s been a couple years since the baby, so my plan is to get back to this program soon and shed all my fat off again….and hopefully keep it off!
Happy Losing!
Psst. BTW, if any of my NYC-NJ readers want to lose weight, my way or any other way, and would like some help, visit Cook Aunty – Customized and affordable eat-at-home meal plans always work!
Cook Aunty 
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