Don't Lose You Mind Lose Your Weight - Book Review & Sample Diets

Hello everybody!

This post is neither about any food recipe nor any exercise. (I should perhaps widen my blog's purpose again! ☺) Its about this wonderful book that I read; titled "Don't Lose Your Mind Lose Your Weight" by celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar. Unlike many other diet books, this one clicks because she tells what everyone wants to hear but are scared to : This books tells you to EAT. ☺ 

Mesmerized by what she puts forth in this book, I attended her workshop with Manali Shah. And believe me, she looks so good!! She may genetically be thin, but you just know when you look at a person whether he/she is fit or not. When you workout regularly and eat well, you have this certain quality that people can tell you are healthy. Rujuta Diwekar looks amazingly fit! Having heard her talk, (she talks very casually! Not at all like giving advice) I am all charged up!

I read this book again and now, I've finally decided to not just give this one a try, but to incorporate her principles into my daily life! (I'll write about these principles later) I have decided to follow her principles religiously for the next 30 days (to begin with) and then blog about the effect!

Like many people, I succumbed to societal pressures and tried many fad diets and all I've lost is my gullibility! Oh, and my worst enemy is was my tongue! I admit, I do dream of the day when there will be a magic pill that will stop a Cheese Pizza from evilly settling in inconvenient places.

Rujuta Diwekar

So, back to the book. It is a no nonsense, to-the-point book that will uplift your spirits (if a diet book tells you that you can eat anything you want and still lose weight, wouldn't you squeal with delight? ☺) The corner-stone of her book are the 4 principles of eating correctly, which are:-

A. Eat something within the first 10-15 minutes of waking up. ► Extension - never wake up to tea/coffee/beverage. Eat something fresh (like a fruit)

B. Eat every 2 hours and in smaller quantities. (more on portion size later..)

C. Eat more when you're more active and eat less when you're less active

D. Finish your last meal at least 2 hours prior to sleeping.

Some of the other principles she suggests -

1. Eat freshly prepared food.

2. Don't smash/juice your fruits and vegetables.

3. Eat good fats like clarified butter/ghee, cheese, cottage cheese etc.

4. Since we don't get all the required nutrients in our diet, it is a good idea to take Vitamin & Calcium supplements. But do consult an expert before you do so!

5. For a diet to work, it has to be PERSONALIZED. Generalization never works

6. Remain loyal to your genes. Eat what you have been eating all your life.

7. Eat local, think global! ☺ ☻

8. Never obsess with your weight! It is not an indicator of good health!

9. Do not blame yourself for the little slip ups. Just get back to routine.

10. Make exercise a non-negotiable part of your plan (& your LIFE!)

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are some sample diets prescribed by her. You will have to alter it according to your convinience, taste, comfort, availability etc.

I. DIET No. 1

7.15 a.m.: 1 banana
(Breakfast, gym days) muesli + skim milk + 1 scoop whey protein
(Non-gym days) 2 egg whites + 1 slice of whole wheat toast
10 a.m. to 10.30 a.m.: A handful of peanuts
1.30 p.m.: 1 roti + vegetables + dal
3.30 p.m.: a bowl of curd
5.30 p.m.: Soy milk – any flavour
7.30 p.m.: 2 egg whites or 1 chicken breast + home made vegetable or veg salad

II. DIET No. 2

5 am - Wake Up & a fresh fruit

6.30 am - a glass of milk + 1/2 tablespoon of Whey Protein (I had my Multi-Vitamin here)
8:30 am - A home cooked breakfast (Idli, Dosa, Poha, Roti Sabji, Upma, Chilla, Dhokla, Puri Bhaji etc.) [[these are Indian breakfast. Switch with your local healthy breakfast option]] {good time to cheat}
10:45 am -  1-2 Roti / Tortilla + Veggies + legumes (dal)
1 pm - 1 bowl of Legume Salad / or any other salad + 1 glass buttermilk
3 pm - Peanuts / Makhana (Foxnut) {good time to cheat}
5 pm - Slice of Cheese (don't GASP! It is healthy! ☻) OR A simple sandwich
6-7 pm : Workout time
7:15 pm - 1 bowl of Rice, Veggies, Dal + 1 scoop Whey Protein in WATER + 1 teaspoon Flax Seeds {good time to cheat}

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, you get the idea?? Both these diets have Indian foods. But no matter where you live, you can eat according to your genes and the local produce. A healthy food is one that gives more nutrients than it gives calories! In my opinion, whether you are an Indian or not, you must read this book! It is an eye-opener! It is a perfect book not just for weight-loss, but for improvement of overall health! ☺

If you are in India, you can easily order this book from FLIPKART. They accept cash on delivery! No hassles, perfect service! ☺ And it is cheap! Here's the link.

Or stay tuned to read more tips and posts about healthy living....