Most people appreciate the dangers of becoming fat, and certainly in the Gulf, most want to look slim, healthy, and beautiful.
Weight gain creeps on slowly, with some women putting on most weight between the ages of 15 to 19, and men gaining most weight in their late 30s. Poor eating habits begin in youth and a quick fix low calorie diet is unlikely to reverse gradual weight gain. Indeed, recent research has shown that 95 percent of people who lose weight on low calorie diets gain it all back, and more in the so-called yo-yo diet phenomenon.
We all know that losing weight is only half the problem — the really tricky part comes after the diet is over. The body feels that it has been under siege after being denied food and demands the weight back. Psychologically we feel that we deserve to relax a bit after having lost weight — don’t we deserve just a little treat or two? But before we know where we are we have returned to our old eating habits, the weight piles back on, and we are left with a terrible sense of guilt and failure.
Certainly in the Gulf, the high-achievers tend to set goals for themselves and look for quick fix solutions to problems. However, this simply does not work with weight loss; the goal is achieved and we feel great, but it is very difficult to achieve any long-term stability on a low calorie diet. It is all too easy to latch onto the next faddy diet that is in fashion.
The good news is that you can lose weight and look fabulous without resorting to quick fix diets. Many people have lost weight by gradually changing their eating and exercise habits for life.
Weight watch
Read the labels
Low-carbohydrate, low fat, high-protein, high-fat — if you can imagine it, it’s probably been a diet. And if people have successfully lost weight on widely different diets, the reason is most likely that they consumed fewer total calories. Ultimately, then, the answer is to control portion sizes, and that’s no easy task in today’s “supersize” society. Read labels to understand how many servings a package is intended to include, and work on visualizing what a single portion looks like on your plate. If you don’t have a copy of my Healthy Eating Guide, you can e-mail for one to [email protected].
Recipe of the week
Mexican chicken tortillas
Serves 6
Ingredients
6 large flour tortillas
Aluminium foil
1 tsp. olive oil
680 g boneless skinless chicken breast
halves, cut into 1.3 cm cubes
340 g onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
510 g recipe-ready crushed tomatoes
130 g green chilies, drained and
chopped (wear rubber gloves)
3 g cilantro or parsley, minced
_ tsp. salt optional
1_ tsp. ground cumin
_ tsp. oregano, or 1_ tsp. fresh, chopped
360 ml water
1_ tbsp (23 g) lime juice
45 g pine nuts (optional)
180 ml salsa
Method
Preheat oven to 90°C. Wrap tortillas in aluminium foil and warm in oven 10-15 minutes. Heat oil in a heavy non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Sauté chicken 8-10 minutes or until browned. Add onion and garlic and sauté 2-3 minutes. Stir in next 7 ingredients. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes or until chicken is tender. Stir in lime juice. Transfer to a platter. Sprinkle with pine nuts and keep warm. Serve chicken wrapped in warm tortillas with salsa.
Ask Alva
I need to lose weight – about 14 lbs – I’m not sure how much food I am allowed to eat. I play squash and run. Could you give me a sensible eating plan so that I can see how much I should eat during an average day? Kevin, Abu Dhabi
Kevin, thanks for writing. A sensible eating plan is definitely part of the route to losing weight and attaining good health.
Breakfast – Juice, wholemeal toast and honey (no butter or spread) and coffee.
Mid-morning – Banana
Lunch – Salad sandwich on wholemeal bread and low fat yoghurt or Sorbet.
Mid-afternoon – Soft fruit
Dinner – varied, but fat-free potatoes/rice/pasta, lean meat or fish, vegetables and a fruit salad.
