Spectator by Seema Goswami: The data on kilo bites

Hindustan Times

27-06-2025

Weight-loss drugs are all the rage these days and over the past few months they have arrived in India as well. It seems to matter little that these medicines are targeted at those who either have Type 2 diabetes or are clinically obese, as everyone who can afford the (humongous) costs is lining up to take them. Some people are doing so to lose weight for aesthetic purposes, while others have been attracted by the plethora of beneficial side-effects these drugs – Ozempic and Mounjaro, for the most part – are reported to have. It sounds simple, but being mindful with what you eat really does the trick more than dieting. (SHUTTERSTOCK)
But what if you are one of those old-fashioned people who wants to lose weight the natural way; ie without the benefit of weekly injections? Well, if you are one of those, then this column is for you. Here, based on my life-long experience of struggling with my weight, are just some tips for keeping the kilos off.
· I know that it is fashionable to sneer at portion control as a weight-loss method (though appetite suppressing drugs work on the same principle, more or less) but in my experience, it works a treat. So, if you are embarking on a diet journey, start by simply eating less of the bad stuff (fried food, white bread and rice, etc) and more of the good stuff (raw vegetables, leafy vegetables, beans and legumes, white meat, fish). Your transformation will be slow but it will also be steady and that's the kind of weight loss you want. The sensible thing is to leave the table when you are just 80%, as the Japanese do. (SHUTTERSTOCK)
· Learn to eat slowly, chewing each mouthful mindfully, instead of scoffing your meals down without a thought (and ideally, don't eat while in front of a screen, whether it is your TV, iPad or phone). This gives time for your satiety centres to get a message from your stomach that you are full.
· But don't keep eating until you are too full to manage even one more mouthful. The sensible thing is to leave the table when you are just 80% full – as the Japanese of Okinawa do; and who can deny that they are among the healthiest beings on the planet? – so that you retain just a smidgen of hunger rather than feeling overfull. Follow this 80% rule, known as Hara Hachi Bu, and see your health improve.
· Sometimes it is as important to fool your eyes as well as your mind. So, start using smaller plates and bowls to serve yourself. That way, your meals will look larger than they really are, and if you are eating mindfully and allowing those satiety signals to go through, then it is extremely unlikely that you will go back for seconds.
· Food pyramids make sense. So, do apportion the best part of your meal to good proteins and flavourful salads and vegetables (the base of your pyramid) and keep the unhealthy elements (the tip of the pyramid) to the minimum. But the order in which you eat what's on your plate is equally important. So, eat your salads and raw vegetables at the beginning of the meal. Not only will this make you feel full quicker, it will also regulate the release of sugar in your blood. And you know, when it comes to eating, it makes sense to save the best for the last!
From HT Brunch, June 28, 2025
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