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Are you looking for the best Indian diet plan to lose weight? This article has everything you need to embark on your journey to weight loss while eating an Indian diet.
The main goal is to focus on eating a balanced diet.
While the term ‘balanced diet’ is used a lot, what we mean by a balanced diet is a balance of the 3 major food groups -carbohydrates, vegetables and protein.
This can feel like a big challenge with an Indian diet. The reason is that a typical Indian meal these days is high in carbohydrates – rice, roti and potatoes – but the amount of vegetables and protein is very low.
In addition, breakfast and snacks add even more carbohydrates and sugar into the diet – like oats, corn flakes, bread, biscuits, samosa etc. If you add the regular sugary & oily treats during social occasions and festivals to this, then it becomes clear that eating habits for most people nowadays is mainly carbohydrates and sugar.
Source: mint
All of this is made worse by the lack of exercise and poor sleep. This is the reason that the number of overweight & obese people in India is very high. Here are 3 facts about how this is effecting the health of Indians.
The equivalent of the population of Mumbai + Delhi + Bengaluru + Pune + Chennai + Hyderabad are obese.
The situation can certainly be reversed with a structured plan, effort & patience. The answer does not lie in rejecting Indian food and starting to eat western foods like quinoa or similar. The truth is exactly the opposite – it’s about going back to the Indian diet you already know and making it balanced. This will help you to lose weight and improve your health, all by making a few changes and using foods you already have in your kitchen.
The main question facing almost every weight-watcher is the circumference of their waist. Even though you can shed off kilos from different regions on your body, losing stubborn belly fat can seem like an impossible task. But this does not need to be the case. We’ve helped thousands of people lose stubborn belly fat in the Daily9 coaching programme and we can show you how to start your journey too.
Here are 5 important things you need to know:
While the precise balance will vary per person, as a simple guideline you can aim for an equal balance of these groups on your plate. We have provided more information on each group below.
Vegetables also include a lot of water and eating enough vegetables helps you feel full and satisfied after a meal.
Please note that vegetables like potato and raw banana are high in starch so should be treated as a source of carbohydrates and not as a vegetable.
There is a misconception that protein is only required for building muscle or if you are working out. This is a myth. Protein is made up of amino acids and they are a basic requirement of the human body for many things, including for good digestion and immunity. In addition, consuming protein-rich foods also helps with reducing snack cravings as high-protein foods are very filling.
While these foods do have some protein, they have 3-4 times the amount of carbs. For example, 1 cup of boiled channa has 9 grams of protein but close to 30 grams of carbs. So while it does have some protein, this is not enough to call it a high-protein food. Better choices for protein are paneer, soybean, tofu, greek yogurt, eggs, seafood and meat. They provide much higher protein per portion.
Another big misconception is that foods like dal, channa and rajma are very high in protein. This is incorrect.
The Indian diet tends to be high on carbs, which is mainly grains like rice & wheat. Foods like rice, roti, oats, poha, idli, dosa, biscuits are all made from grains and therefore major sources of carbs. It is important to control how much carbs you eat in a day. The idea is not to eat very low or no carbs.
That is too much, harmful to health in the long run and can lead to issues like fatty liver, diabetes and thyroid. The goal is to lower the amount of carbs while also increasing protein and vegetables. This helps make the diet balanced and ideal for weight loss.
That is too much, harmful to health in the long run and can lead to issues like fatty liver, diabetes and thyroid. The goal is to lower the amount of carbs while also increasing protein and vegetables. This helps make the diet balanced and ideal for weight loss.
The reality is that for many, these carb foods are 60%-70% of their daily diet.
This may come as a surprise to you but sleep plays a huge role in weight loss.
Also, poor sleep increases cravings for food and sugar and you will find that you always eat poorly late at night. Avoid all of these problems by having good sleep hygiene. It will improve your health, your mood as well as your weight loss results. Prioritize your sleep and aim for around 7hrs on a regular basis.
If you do not get enough sleep, you may get stuck with your weight loss even with a good diet & exercise.
Walking at a brisk pace is proven to be effective for weight loss. While all exercise is good in real life you may find that you are not always able to get regular exercise. Use walking as the plan B at these times. It does not always have to be 45 or 60mins, even a 15min walk 2 or 3 times a day makes a difference. See some ideas in this article that will help you get more out of your walks.
It can be tempting to think that you need to eat extra before & after your workout. This often leads to eating too much.
Aim to eat a balanced meal within 2 hours after your workout.
For light and intermediate level exercise of up to 1 hour, your usual diet should be enough.
There will be days when you give in to temptation and binge or a social occasion where you overeat. Do not dwell on it, you are human. The key is to get right back on track the next day. One bad day is never a problem, the problem is when it becomes a habit. Prevent that by getting back on plan the next day.
We have noted below 10 Indian foods that will help you with your weight loss diet plan. Please note that these foods do not by themselves ‘burn’ fat. You should use these foods to achieve a balanced diet, which will then help you with weight loss.
We are lucky to have so many types of spinach (palak or keerai) in India. They are available year-round and can be used in many ways. While it takes a little effort to prepare them, the health benefits are worth it.
These vegetables do not get the credit they deserve. They are available all the time and can be eaten raw. Having these in your fridge at all times will keep you well prepared to make a quick side salad using these vegetables. Add lemon, salt & pepper per your taste preference.
Sliced veggies on a plate
Local Indian vegetables like lauki, pumpkin, greens and cauliflower are excellent choices for soups. You can add a little protein like paneer and have these as a meal. It’s very filling and will fit in perfectly with your weight loss diet plan.
We are blessed to have a huge variety of fruits in India throughout the year. Mango, jackfruit, watermelon, sitafal and chikoo are some examples. In addition, we get many varieties of banana, orange, papaya etc throughout the year.Use these fruits as your main snack.
Eat the fruit, not the juice.
Chewing food helps your brain realize you are full. Drinking juice does not have the same effect.
Plain curd, hung curd and buttermilk are all great options in meals or as a snack. Hung curd in particular (also called greek yogurt) is a high-protein food.
Buttermilk
Indian herbs and spices are helpful not just in Indian dishes but also when making salads and soups. You can use spice mixes as seasonings for salads, sprouts and soups to make them tasty and something you will want to have often.
India is among the top coffee producing countries in the world. Coffee has health-promoting benefits and is a useful tool in your weight loss diet plan. Having coffee (with little or no sugar) will help you stay hydrated and also can help manage snack cravings.
Similar to coffee, we are spoilt for choice in India with excellent options for tea or chai. Whether it’s a black assam tea or a spicy masala chai, we have it all. Use tea (with little or no sugar) to not just enjoy it but also as a way to support your weight loss diet plan.
Instead of oily or sugary options, pick light snacks like puffed rice and makhana.
So they will help you snack in a light way and help you with your weight loss diet plan.
Use Indian fats like ghee, coconut oil, sesame oil in your cooking in small amounts. They’re good for health and add flavor to your food. Adding a little fat is important to make the meal satisfying.
It can be tempting to focus on the ideal breakfast for weight loss, lunch for weight loss or best dinner for weight loss.
Below is an easy to follow weight loss diet chart with an Indian diet that can be followed for a week (7 days). The portions are based on someone in the weight range of 65-75 kgs and should be used as a guide.
Please note the following points:
While we have provided a weight loss diet plan below, please use this as a guide only. There is no single ideal diet chart as a one-size-fits-all answer approach will not work when it comes to a weight loss diet plan. One’s nutritional requirements will vary based on a number of factors, including gender, height, weight, meal preferences, whether any medical conditions etc.
We have prepared a diet plan ideal for weight loss focusing on mainly Indian foods. This diet plan is a sample, and we would recommend that you work with a Daily9 coach to customize it for your needs.
NON-VEGETARIAN DIET PLAN
Try out the tips in the article and the diet plan noted to get started on your weight loss journey.
Daily9 weight loss program
We’ve worked with thousands of Indian men and women and understand the unique challenges they face when trying to lose weight or find a weight loss diet plan. You can see some of our success stories here. The Daily9 system is proven to work as an effective weight loss diet plan. The expert coaches at Daily9 have developed practical ideas and strategies that work in real life and improve the weight loss that you can achieve with Daily9. This helps with weight loss and also many health conditions that Indian men and women face like digestive issues, diabetes, PCOS, thyroid, fatty liver and joint problems from excess weight.
While there are many calorie counters out there, we believe that a focus on quality & nutrition (and not just calories) is critical for any weight loss diet plan. Instead of tracking calories, we believe in tracking healthy habits at Daily9.
Most importantly, the Daily9 approach to weight loss is practical and suits an Indian family environment. This will set you up for success with weight loss and also weight maintenance in the long run.
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