The true mantra to lose weight 

“Lose weight in 10 days with this product!” This tagline must have surely tempted you! If the thought of taking these commercial products have crossed your mind just once, then you must say a strong “NO”. Taking medicine to lose weight can be more harmful than you think. Dr Natraj Hurdyal, Prisca Zama and Teenusha Soobrah provide us with the true mantra to lose weight. 

Dr Natraj Hurdyal, a doctor and CEO of Espace Santé, is against the taking of these medicines. He states that taking supplements to lose weight is not recommended and it does more harm than good to the body. “Most of the tablets stimulate the body affecting different organs such as the liver and the heart. Some people bear the consequences in the short run while some in the long term depending on the metabolism of the persons.” He encourages people to opt for the safer and most genuine way of losing weight. For him, the only way to lose weight is to have a good meal plan and exercise. “Many people fail to understand why they are putting on weight so often or so quickly. There are various causes why someone puts on weight. In order to lose that excess fat, try to first understand why you are gaining it,” he advises. 

Why people gain weight? 

The usual reason for people getting fat is that they eat too much and/or exercise too little, say Dr Hurdyal. He enumerates the following causes why some people keep on gaining weight:

• It is thought that some people are destined to gain weight because they have inherited “fat genes” from their parents. There can be no doubt that people vary in their genetic makeup and some people are inclined because of genetic reasons to become tall, or broad-shouldered or squat or fat. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they are fat for genetic reasons. They could have learned fat-making behaviours, that is, eating habits, from their parents when they were growing up. This is not to say that someone so constructed genetically is doomed to becoming fat.

• Diet. Remember that law of thermodynamics. The amount of energy that goes into a machine (the human body, for instance) has to balance the amount that goes out; or the extra energy that goes in (food) has to be stored somehow (fat.) So, for everyone, no matter what that person’s genetic vulnerability, either lowering the food intake or increasing the energy output (exercise) will lower the energy stored as fat. Eating less and less or exercising more and more will cause weight loss. Our modern diet seems to be designed to pack as many calories as possible within the human capacity to eat. High caloric foods seem to be inherently more attractive than other foods for reasons that probably have to do with survival in conditions that human beings found themselves in most of the time throughout our history, but no longer.
• Exercise is relevant. A lack of exercise causes obesity; and we are getting better and better at not getting enough exercise. A whole lot of people do not run around, literally, or playing sports, including group sports, at an advanced age. This never used to happen. Nowadays, if people really have to go somewhere, they drive rather than walk, use an elevator rather than climb stairs and are, in general, passive rather than active.

• Improper eating habits, learned while growing up, are thought to contribute to excessive weight gain over the course of a life time. Less balance diet and more fast food as it is more accessible and in a great variety.
• Another reason given for gaining weight is too much TV. The amount of time children watch television has been shown to correlate with weight; the more they watch and spend more time inside playing, the heavier they get. Possibly the effect is through a lack of exercise. 
• Lack of sleep. People who sleep less eat more. Maybe they have nothing better to do. These are chemical changes that take place in the brain to compensate for inadequate sleep. There is an appetite centre in the brain, and it is known to be affected by circumstances, including, possibly, sleep deprivation. (The appetite centre in the brain is close to the area that controls sex—which should say something; but I don’t know what).
• Certain drugs are to blame. Some of the anti-depressants (citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), mirtazapine (Remeron), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft) for example, cause weight gain.

The true formula 

According to the doctor, the formula for losing weight is simple: ‘Eat fewer calories than you burn. But the methods of doing this can vary’. He argues that in reality there is no "one best way" to lose weight — what works for you might not work for someone else. However, he lists the following guidelines:  

• Cut back on sugars and starches
• Removing sugars and starches (carbs) from your diet will lower your insulin levels, kill your appetite and make you lose weight without hunger.
• Eat protein, fat and vegetables
• Assemble each meal out of a protein source, a fat source and a low-carb vegetable. This will put you into the 20-50 gram carb range and drastically lower your insulin levels.
• Tweak your lifestyle

Recommended diet

Dr Natraj Hurdyal elaborates on the following diet for people who are willing to lose weight: 

• Have a 300-calorie breakfast
• Cardio workout (spinning, Zumba, dance classes) and  strength workout thrice per week
• Drink coffee or green tea. If you’re a coffee or a tea drinker, then drink as much as you want as the caffeine in them can boost your metabolism by 3-11%.
• Eat your food slowly. Fast eaters gain more weight over time. Eating slowly makes you feel fuller and boosts weight-reducing hormones.
• Get a good night’s sleep, every night. Poor sleep is one of the strongest risk factors for weight gain, so taking care of your sleep is important.

Prisca Zama: “Losing weight with fun” 

Zumba instructor Prisca Zama avers that losing weight can be really fun. For her, Zumba is a means for many individuals who do not like to use the treadmill. “Zumba is a blend of dance and fitness. Zumba is seen as a fun way to lose weight. If performed well, it is an easy way to lose weight,” she says.

She advises people to refrain from taking medicines to lose weight. “Many people have seen themselves becoming slimmer with the help of medicines but the same persons have also experienced their biggest nightmare of putting twice the weight in less than two months. So the best way to lose weight is to exercise and eat well. Both men and women who find it hard to train on treadmill or run should join a Zumba class. They will enjoy themselves and at the same time burn their stubborn fats.”

She recommends individuals to attend Zumba classes four times per week for better results. For one hour Zumba class, depending on the intensity, a person can lose up to 500 calories, she says. “Anyone can perform Zumba depending on their health. If someone has health issues, the person must first consult a doctor. There are Zumba classes for kids as well as Zumba Gold for elderly people as from the age of 55 to 70. For elderly persons, the recommended time is only 30 min per session.” 

She also advises aqua Zumba thich is very intense. “Zumba in water is also very fun and interesting. It is more intense as movement in the water becomes difficult and hence you see yourself burning more calories.” 

She dispels the myth that once you stop doing Zumba, you put on twice the amount of weight. “Some people are always afraid to attend Zumba classes. It is obvious that if you do Zumba thrice or four times a week, or any other exercise, maybe running or jogging and then you suddenly stop doing it, you will surely gain weight, around five to six kg, as your body is not in motion. If you stop spending and burning calories and just sit and eat, you will obviously put on weight. There is nothing to worry as long as you are moving be it jogging or running.”