Tackling Diwali - A weight loss perspective

Tackling Diwali - A weight loss perspective

Now that the festive season is upon us and opportunities to indulge in gluttonous behaviour will be lurking in every mithai box, here are some tips on how to deal with the temptations. This is a 3 part series

Tackling Diwali - 1

We all want to lose weight. We know that it is a health danger in so many levels and besides we want to look slim and taut in our figure hugging dresses.

But on the other hand we love food and with festivals all coming one after the other, how does one manage to control weight. And especially when Diwali is just hurtling along at us, with boxes full of mithais and chocolates.

So here is a series on how to handle the situation and come out unscathed. Hopefully.

The FIRST point to bear in mind is that if you have more sweets at home, in front of you, you will eat more. Honesty is the lack of opportunity. So minimise the opportunities for deviations.

This is done by a multipronged approach.

1. Do not buy /prepare too many sweets. In my house we got enough so that everyone gets one piece each. Yes one laddoo ( or similar ) for each person only for the entire festival period. Plus what we need to distribute for the others.

2. Remember that when you distribute sweets to others, you will also get them in return, so that way you are going to have a lot anyways..so why buy too much in the first place is the question.

3. Distribute, like crazy. I mean besides whatever you will distribute on your own, also learn to distribute what you receive from others. Whatever comes at home, I re-distribute to my full time maid, my part time maid, my driver, my bldg watchman, my car cleaner etc. Besides giving them the cash, I give away one of those boxes.

4. Similarly in my office whatever I receive, I do not take home. I keep them in the fridge. And when they are all there, I distribute it to my team members in a judicious manner. It is also an acknowledgement that the box of goodies, though addressed to me, actually belongs to all of them and I am only front ending their good performance.

In this way, if I do not have temptation in front of me, then how can I overindulge

Tackling Diwali - 2

Two words. Portion & Spacing

Here's why.

Portions: This is quantity and is pretty simple to understand. Meaning if you eat more you will gain more weight. Not counting the acidity. So you must eat less rather than more to keep your weight in control in the festive season.

Spacing: If you eat the portion that you decide for yourself at one go, the body is likely to think that there is abundance and swiftly assign the plenty to your hips. Where it is likely to stay for life. So one must eat a little at a time.

Here is how I go about doing it.

On Diwali day, I eat our home sweets. As stated earlier we all allow ourselves one piece per sweet. So there might be say 3-4 sweets and some savories for that day. In any case it should not exceed one dinner plate in quantity. Not heaped, if you are looking for that loophole here

After my puja I might take one sweet and one savory. Then after some crackers bursting I will have my breakfast which might be idlis.

Around 11 when I am feeling peckish and as I am wiping the sweat off my brow, having distributed all the plates to my neighbors, I will partake of another sweet.

Similarly post lunch, tea and post dinner will find me spacing the plateful of sweets and savories spread through the day.

On the day after Diwali it is the turn of my neighbours sweets which I have decided to retain for myself. Mostly those that are homemade.In similar fashion I have one plateful spread through the day.

Over the 3-5 days that these sweets keep coming and going the principle is the same. One plate per day. Spread through the day.

And knowing fully well that I am partaking of sweets, my main meals will be reduced in quantity.

Most times I have had about 25-30 sweets over the festive period and not gained weight at all. Or a little which can be easily controlled with post Diwali, guilt assuaged speed workouts.

Tackling Diwali - 3

One term - Appropriate choices

Another aspect of managing Diwali excesses is to make the appropriate choices in what we choose to ingest.Not all sweets / savories are created equal. And it pays to know them a little closely and avoid those that are more harmful than the others.Here is how I go about it.

- First I do not consume anything that gets made in a factory and comes in attractive packing. So no bourbons, dairy milk etc . Nothing that has a brand name. No Cadburys, Hersheys or Kit Kat.Why so? They contain a whole bunch of artificial ingredients that are concocted in a chemical laboratory. They are not actual food, but 'food like' sweets. I do not trust the American corporate wallahs to be careful about my health. They will do this only for their own profits. So I have to ultimately take care of my health, but the simple act of avoiding what I cannot trust.

- Second I avoid those that may not be branded or packaged but which have come from sources which may be unverified. So Savories made in Dharavi ( or similar ) are out. I am OK with sweets and savories that may come from leading Indian brands such as Chandu Halwai, Ghasitaram etc. Stuff that is made fresh and sold. Where there is some connect between the producer and the consumer. Haldiram counts as a packaged product along with Cadburys and the rest.

- Third I judge the amount of fat and sugar in each item and favour the less oil laden stuff. So Mysore Pak is out. Halwa is out.

- Fourth, being a Vegan I avoid all Milk based products. This is a personal choice which you may or may not adhere to. So no Rassagollas, Chum Chum and such like. I do recognise that there may be some ghee in many items, but I accept that as an unavoidable fact of being Vegan in today's circumstances.

- So then what is left you might ask...it looks like I have cut out most of your favourites already. Here is what I go for.

Besan ladu...may contain ghee but contains proteins from dal. Our South Indian version is Maa Ladu. Boondi Ladu..boondis are fried..but still not oil soaked. Jilebi is borderline, Shankarpoli, Puran Poli, Karanjis

The above is only a partial list that comes to mind immediately.

- Lastly I have a definite preference for homemade stuff. If people cook for themselves then they will apply caution automatically.

From all these years, my box of sweets distributed to my close circle of well wishers are all home made....By a lady who does it for us.

I like to think, I practise what I preach

Happy Diwali and best wishes for a wealth of good health.

Venkat