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You've
been working out hard. a 20-minute cardio session followed by
30 minutes of resistance training, five times a week. And you've
been shedding weight and flab. From 95 kg, you're down to 85 in
three months flat and then... you're stuck. Your target weight
is 75 but you're getting nowhere close to that. After the first
three glorious months when you regularly saw the results of your
hard work, you've hit a dead end. Or so it seems. What do you
do?
Anybody can hit a plateau while on an exercise
regime. It's a common enough hurdle and Treadmill gets a number
of queries from readers who want to know how to jump over it.
Here are some pointers that could help you break the weight-loss
jinx.
Here's the first one. Drink more water. Yes,
it's as simple as that. Many of us don't realise that as your
body breaks down fat, it needs to flush out the waste (ditto for
transporting nutrients to muscles when protein is processed by
the body). Water also helps keep your metabolism rate up and helps
in cooling the body when you exercise intensely. All said, good
old h2o can be the key booster for your weight-loss efforts.
Thumb-rule: Try to drink at least
two litres of water every day.
Second, eat more. Yes, eat more protein.
Unless you eat enough protein to maintain or grow lean muscle
mass, you won't build enough muscle while losing fat. And building
muscle helps re-start your weight loss again.
Thumb-rule: Men need about 150
gm of protein a day, while women need 100 gm.
Third, look for 'hidden sugars' in your daily
diet and mercilessly cut them out. How many cups of sugared coffee
or tea do you drink? How much of carbohydrates sneaks into your
diet?
Thumb-rule: Look
for ketchups, thickened gravies, corn starch, etc. hidden in your
daily diet and cut them out.
Fourth, go unrefined. Refined grains in white-bread,
flour biscuits, paranthas, processed cookies, cakes and pastries
are all loaded with carbs and get quickly translated to fat.
Thumb-rule:
Opt for whole-grain breads, whole-grain flour and pastas.
Fifth, have many small meals instead of two
or three big ones. And never miss breakfast.
Thumb-rule: Four
or five small meals can keep your metabolism rate up as well as
stop you from binge-eating, which is often a sequel to starving
oneself.
Post-script: Remember, all of the
above will help, but only if you also stick to your exercise schedule-a
combination of cardio-vascular and strength training.
-Muscles Mani
write to musclesmani@intoday.com
Caveat: The physical exercises
described in Treadmill are not recommendations. Readers should
exercise caution and consult a physician before attempting to
follow any of these.
ALL
ABOUT REFRACTIVE SURGERY
There
are some people who consider glasses a fashion accesssory. Then,
there are others who belong to the Anita Loos school of thought
(the lady famously said "Men don't make passes at women who
wear glasses"). Refractive surgery may be just what the doctor
ordered for the latter. A quick primer:
What it is: Refractive surgery refers
to surgical procedures that help treat conditions such as nearsightedness
(myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism by altering
the shape of the cornea. In India, LASIK (Laser-Assisted In-Situ
Keratomileusis), PRK (Photo Refractive Keratotomy) and LASEK (Laser
Epithelial Keratomileusis) are popular.
LASIK: According to Dr Arun Sethi,
in-charge of refractive procedures at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital,
Delhi, LASIK accounts for nearly 75 per cent of all refractive
surgeries in India. A flap is cut in the cornea, which is then
folded back revealing the stroma, the middle section of the cornea.
Pulses from a computer-controlled laser vaporise a portion of
the stroma and the flap is put back. Cost: Between Rs 16,000 and
Rs 30,000.
PRK: Accounts for 20 per cent of refractive
procedures. Here, the laser is used on the surface of the cornea
and not underneath it as in LASIK. Cost: Around Rs 20,000.
LASEK: A relatively new procedure,
it accounts for 5 per cent of refractive surgeries. LASIK surgery
requires a certain minimum corneal thickness, and LASEK is advised
if a patient's corneal thickness is less than the minimum. Cost:
Approximately Rs 25,000.
Risks: Could include infection, pain,
blurred vision, sensitivity to light (night glare), mild redness
and swelling. Only people above 20 years of age can undertake
refractive surgery. And if you're above 50, you should get your
corneal thickness and retinal condition checked to see if it can
stand up to the rigours of surgery.
-Roopali
Joshi
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