Mom Goes From Flab to Fab!

Nymphia Vishin, professional & new mother shares her experience on how Fitho weight Loss plan helped her get from flab to fab with an easy to follow and practical diet & exercise routine.

 

Story as shared by Nymphia Vishin:

“I had put on weight post my pregnancy.  After undergoing a C-sec for the delivery of the baby I was advised by my doctor to start exercising post 6 months.

I am a new mother with a very busy professional life. Fitho provided me with a customized diet and fitness regime which was simple to follow and keep up with. My journey with Fitho has been marked by personalized service and attention to my requirements.

I was back to my pre pregnancy weight, losing flab, inches and over 10 kg in just 5 months.

It is kudos to the Fitho team which not only provides a customised fitness program giving you tangible results but most importantly the counsellors and trainers keep your motivation levels high at all times so that you reach your fitness goal.”

 

Skeptic Javed Loses 7 Kg in 2 Months

Fitho weight loss program’s success story as shared by Mr. Javed Khan.

“My Name is Javed Khan. I am a senior executive at a IT company in Bangalore. Few years back I used to weigh around 70 to 72 kg, but due constant work pressure and sedentary life style I put on some extra 5 to 6 kg and was finding it difficult getting the weight down to around 70 kg.

I tried some regimes on my own and failed.  Got to know about the FITHO weight loss program. Was hesitant at first but after going through some testimonials posted on the site I took a shot at the program. Before the program I used to weigh around 76 to 78 kg. I started with a one month program. I was assigned a dietician who studied my current diet regime and exercise patterns and recommended a diet and exercise plan for each week.

I usually had a feeling that any diet plan would required skipping meals or eating very less. But the diet plan recommended surprised me. It was prepared keeping in mind my existing diet patterns. I thoroughly followed the program as per the plan set forth by dietician and it really did wonders. At the end of one month I weighed around 74 a reduction of close to 3 to 4 kg.

Impressed with this I again continued with the plan for one more month and my weight further reduced to 70 + kg. At the end of two months I weighed around 70 to 71 kg.

I was very impressed with the diet which was provided. It was in line with my regular diet. The dietician saw it that I am not deprived of things I like in my diet. Even the exercises where very comfortable. At the end of first month there was big difference in my looks. The only areas of improvement where the pot belly and love handles. Hence my exercise plan was changed and special exercises for these two regions were included. These new exercised helped reduce the fat around the regions.I would personally recommend the FITHO Weight loss program for anyone who is finding it difficult to lose weight.But you need to follow the plan completely for getting the desired results.”

 

Click here to  know how to get started on your weight loss program now!

Blood Type Diet Explained

The most popular weight loss formula followed by leading dieticians, especially in India, is the blood type diet. This blood type diet is based on Peter D’Adamo, a naturopathic physician, and the writer of  Eat Right 4 Your Type, findings that ABO blood type is the most important factor in determining a healthy diet, and he recommends distinct diets for each blood type.

According to the founder there are three main diets for the 3 blood types: A, B & O. Recently Blood group AB has also been added to this list. Dietary requirements are divided and allotted under the four blood groups available. Each of the blood groups have been categorized as per our progeny or our ancestral lifestyle. Lets take each blood group briefly and understand the unique dietary intake for each individual group:

• Blood group O diet: The diet recommended to this blood group is to eat a higher protein diet and restricting the consumption of grains, breads, legumes, and beans. As this was the oldest known blood group the origins are connected to our ancestors that were hunters.

• Blood group A diet: The diet recommends more vegetarian food intake that contains high amount of vegetables and foods to be avoided are meat, diary & wheat. As the diet relies more on agricultural products the origins of this group are traced to our ancestors that were cultivators.

• Blood group B diet : These individuals are associated with a strong immune system and a flexible digestive system. The diet asserts that people of blood type B are the only ones who can thrive on dairy products. Foods to be avoided are lentils and wheat.

• Blood group AB diet: The blood type diet treats this group as an intermediate between blood types A and B, meaning it is primarily vegetarian but has reasonable amount of protein, grains and dairy as part of daily dietary intake.

The basic login given by the author for adopting this dietary pattern is that different blood groups digest lectins, food proteins, differently. If you eat foods containing lectins incompatible with your blood type, he says, you may experience inflammation, bloating, a slower metabolism, even diseases such as cancer. According to the author of this diet the best way to avoid these effects is to eat foods meant for your blood type.

This is another classic fad diet that is commonly promoted as the “most scientific” diet is as unbalanced as any other fad diet that focus on specific food groups at one time instead of working with a combination of all. Eliminating one or more food groups from the diet makes it unbalanced and nutritionally deficient. For instance, for blood type ‘A’ milk and dairy products and for blood type ‘B’ grains are not so healthy, but all we know that milk and dairy products are rich in calcium and it’s also important for healthy bones and fibers in grain protect your heart and keeps the bowel strong. In long term, this can result in a poor intake of nutrients needed for good health. Cutting out dairy products  can put you at risk of osteoporosis (brittle bone disease), or having no fruits & vegetables the main sources of vitamins, minerals & iron can put you at risk of many deficiencies like anemia & vitamin B12.

Another important point that is often overlooked while stating this theory is that till date there have been no clinical trials validating the scientific origins of this theory. Are people prescribing these diets using this so called scientific premise to eventually sell a low calorie diet plan to individuals seeking a healthier lifestyle? Following this kind of fad diet even for a short period of time can cause serious damage in the long run.

So before you get on any diet ensure it doesn’t focus on a particular food group alone. Unless you are medically tested to be allergic to a certain food group there is no reason why you should not not be eating them.  Your diet should be a mix of all nutrition given to you on a daily basis. The reason why we need to eat a balanced diet everyday is because our body cant store nutrition and therefore needs to be replenished daily. It is important to eat well but it is equally important to also exercise which not only helps in burning extra calories but also naturally cleansing our body of the toxins.

If you are looking for a personalized diet plan that is balanced and based on your food preferences, you can get started as low as Rs 499-799 per month. You can view the sample plan to get an idea about your meals. For more information you can mail us at fitness@fitho.in or call us at 011-41040070.

 

How To Stop Your Cravings

Everyone wants to know about the one magic pill that can stop the cravings and get them into shape. There might not be a magic pill but there is a natural sensor that is present in the body that  plays a key role in appetite control and metabolism called Leptin.

Hunger triggers two kinds of hormones that are released in the body one that promotes hunger and other that suppress hunger. Depending on the requirement of the body the hormone that is required dominates the other serving the need of the hour.

The unfortunate part is that if we dont eat healthy and are always overeating our body becomes easily resistant to the hunger suppressing hormone called leptin. Meaning the more we overeat the more leptin’s are required to make us feel fuller. Over-weight people actually have unusually high leptin levels, but are not responsive to it. Therefore if at this point you were to go on a crash diet to lose weight it will only make you feel hungrier and less energetic. To lose weight and keep it off, you have to give your body time to adjust to the new, lowered leptin level, so it sets that as “normal” and you feel full when you’re supposed to.

Thats why most crash/fad diets fail. Low calorie diets might help you lose weight in the short term but since you are not giving enough time for your body to accept the changes the weight comes back as soon as you get off the diet. To lose weight and keep it off, you have to give your body time to adjust to the new, lowered leptin level, so it sets that as “normal” and you feel full when you’re supposed to. Fitho’s weight loss program keeps this point into consideration while preparing the best diet & exercise plan to help you lose weight and keep it off in the longer run. Read more

Are you cleaning your body with exercise?

Did you know that exercise is the most natural way to actually detox, where toxins don’t just get removed from the surface but from deep within the cell.

At Fitho we have always emphasized the importance of exercise. Another research has yet again confirmed additional benefits of exercising & eating well.

A new research published in at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas stated through a study that states how exercise can actually help remove trash that accumulates on a skin membrane as a result of daily wear and tear aggravated by unhealthy diet.

In a healthy body the cells are equipped to regularly sweep away the daily toxins. Infact they can so efficient that they know how to re-cylcle this use it to release energy in the body. Each cell has a membrane that facilitates in the process where one part, cytoplasm, takes it to the recycling part, lysosome,of the cell where it is used as a fuel.

Without this natural eco-system, cells will get buried under the waste which will result in the malfunctioning of the cell and eventually the death of the cell. Some scientists have also stated that maybe its the malfunctioning of this eco-system that results in the development of a range of diseases, including diabetes, muscular dystrophy, Alzheimer’s and cancer. Another interesting revelation is that slowing down of the cell’s inherent capability to recycle waste as we reach middle age is also believed to play a role in aging. Read more

Why your Weight Loss Program is Failing?

At Fitho, we have always stated the best recipe for long term weight loss is a combination of diet and exercise. Now, research at Harvard Medical School has proved that- exercise is not only important to losing weight, it helps you keep it, and even more importantly, can delay aging related problems, as well as diabetes. There is even more in the baffling news in the study. Read on to find out.

The study led by researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, shows that exercise has a multitude of long term benefits. It shows remarkable new insights into how exercise affects the body at a cellular level by releasing a hormone called “Irisin” that reduces a person’s susceptibility to obesity, diabetes and other health problems. This hormone doesn’t just stick to the organs but floats towards the fat stored in the body & starts to convert it into brown fat. And as we’ve told you before, brown fat helps you burn more fat. The primary purpose of brown fat is to regulate body temperature: the mitochondria-packed cells are designed to burn high quantities of sugar, the body’s fuel, and release that energy as heat.

Currently, most people who want to lose weight focus on watching their diet, but don’t really care to exercise. What happens in those cases where you only watch your diet to lose weight, is that since there has not been any change in your body chemistry (due to the lack of exercise), you may lose some weight temporarily, but after your weight loss diet, you soon gain the weight back. Only dieting is the main reason why most weight loss programs fail to keep the weight off for long. Note, that walking is not exercise enough. Exercise requires a little more effort, and that’s how you can get the benefits revealed in this study.  Read more

GM Diet

The GM Diet known as the General Motors Diet is a fad diet for  quick weight loss program that involves consumption of specific foods per day. The diet itself is very simple. It is a seven day program with very strict restrictions on what can be eaten on each day. This program is designed for a target weight loss of 5-6 Kg per week, while this is an ideal number an average person can look at losing 2-3 kg in a week from this diet. At the same time however, this diet plan may prove to be overwhelming to first time users, as it involves radical change of diet intake that consists mainly of raw fruits and vegetables and reduced limited protein intake.

Here is the day-wise menu for the seven day GM diet plan:

Day One – You are allowed to eat all the fresh fruit you want, with the exception of bananas, which are not allowed. Do not substitute fresh fruit for fruit juice, you are required to eat the whole fruit. Fruits like watermelon are usually recommended in summer and oranges in winter.

Day Two – This is a raw vegetable day. With breakfast as the only exception where you can start the day with a large baked potato with one table spoon of butter. After that, you have to eat any raw or slightly steam it vegetables, but no added salt or sauces. Fruits are strictly not allowed on Day Two.

Day Three – Here you combine day one and day two diet minus bananas or potatoes. You are allowed to eat a mixture of fruit and vegetables of your choice, in any quantity all through the day.

Day Four – you will have bananas and milk. You can eat up to eight bananas and three glasses of milk. For lunch and dinner you add a bowl of soup each. A special soup made from tomatoes, cabbage onions, green peppers, celery and water is advised. This can be consumed in any desired quantity from day 4 onwards.

Day Five –  First day of adding protein in the form of beef to the diet. You can have a total of 20 ounces of lean beef, and six whole tomatoes in addition to any vegetable soup.

Day Six – Second last day of the diet you add other vegetables to the beef. For non-beef eaters there is a vegetarian version of the  GM diet. The only vegetable to be avoided is potato and only the lean cuts of the meat are to be eaten.

Day Seven – The last day of the diet you can include brown rice, fruit juices and vegetables. The portion of the brown cup is limited to one cup for the entire day. But you can eat as many vegetables or drink as much fruit juice during this day. Read more

Sports Illustrated January 2012: The Year to Turn Fit

Read about getting started and sticking to your new year resolution of getting fitter in 2012 as told to Sports Illustrated by Prachi Agarwal,Fitho Weight Management Service.

 

Control Bloating & Lose 3 kg in a Month

Success Story: Story on how  slowed metabolism, bloating, constant feeling of sluggishness and increasing waist was managed & controlled with Fitho’s diet & exercise program. All this and 3 kg weight loss in just one month. Read here to know more.

Story as shared by Mrs Suchitra Agrawal.

“I am a homemaker and mother of two kids, both in their twenties. I was about 10-15 % over my optimum weight and that too after I was conscious and tried to watch what I eat & exercise regularly. Lately as I entered my mid forties my body started showing signs of slowed metabolism, followed by sluggishness, sagging muscles and some  bloating sensation. My increasing waistline brought me to my wits end and by now had begun to really concern me.

I approached Fitho to help me get my fitness and health on track. Questions like will I be able to cope with the  exercises or manage to stick to the program played on my mind. However, my apprehensions were cleared and Ms Geeta my dietician & personal health manager dealt with all my hesitations.

I continued with my regular brisk walk with light jogging and did the exercise and light weights which I was given. Following the diet, I started feeling lighter. There was a weekly review followed by a new diet chart with variety of food options. At Fitho I was guided like a friend and motivated regularly. I never felt like I was following a “diet” as there was a lot of variety in diet and exercise both. I lost 3 kgs in a month’s time whilst keeping up with my frequent social commitments and agendas. I have also been able to incorporate the Fitho way of ‘wellness’ into my family life and the results are there to show. Fitho has been a friend and guide and extremely professional in all aspects.
I thank the Fitho team for showing a healthier way of life to me and my family.”

 

How to Lose 15 Kg in 3 Months

A success story shared by Medha Chaturvedi who at Fitho successfully lost 15 kg in 3 months with a combination of diet & exercise. She learnt on this program that there is a easy, practical and healthy way to manage weight and re-align  lifestyle to a healthier & fitter tomorrow without taking extreme measures.

Weight loss success story as shared by Medha Chaturvedi, Researcher, New Delhi:

“I am 27-year-old and weighed over 98 kgs when I first came to Fitho. I am 174 cms in height which, coupled with my weight, made me look and feel like a giant. I was told about Fitho by a friend whose friend and had sought the weight loss program sometime before she got married and ended up looking stunningly toned for her big day.

I have struggled with my weight for a few years now. In 2007 I had two accidents which aggravated an old basketball injury in my knee and I had to undergo two surgeries, one in 2008 and the second in 2010 October which put me at bed rest and subsequently, minimal physical activity. As a result, between end 2007 and mid 2011, I put on 38 Kgs.

With no solution in sight, I actually contemplated going in for surgical options. Thank God, good sense prevailed. At Fitho, I was assigned Sonia as my weight loss & fitness counselor and I cannot appreciate her efforts enough.

In the plan she drew up for me, she took care of my special food needs and not only made an exercise plan which worked on incrementally increasing my workout intensity according to my stamina, but also took care that my knee is not unnecessarily stressed. With my sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy food habits, it took some effort for me to start working out again and get into this new regimen. But, once I got used to it, it became a part of my daily routine. Read more

Weight Gain & Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, known as PCOS , is one of the hormonal disorders that affects approximately 5 to 10 percent of adult women and the number is only increasing. PCOS symptom often varies between  acne, irregular periods, infertility, insulin resistance and weight gain. The biggest catch 22 situation in this scenario is that one of the side affects of PCOS is weight gain but this same side affect if not kept under control further aggravates the syndrome . Therefore after a thorough check up it is imperative to start watching your weight to manage your therapeutic condition better.

Women with PCOS due to the increase in weight and general insulin resistance in the body are more prone to diseases like diabetes and heart. All these conditions can be avoided by simply following a  exercise and healthy eating routine specific to this medical condition. The most common mistake made by people with this condition is that they go on fad diets or start starving themselves. All this will do nothing to the condition but only make it worse, making you more susceptible to additional nutrition deficiencies like osteoporosis etc. Here are three simple steps to lose weight with PCOS:

Step 1- Eat Right:

- Limit Carbohydrate Intake: Limit the intake of carbohydrate to 40-50 percent of the total diet per day.

- Avoid Refined Carbohydrates: refined carbohydrates like Maida-based or sugar, shoots up insulin levels which worsen the symptoms associated with PCOS and promote abdominal fat storage. Read more

Body Toning Exercises for Men

A toned body along with well built muscles is a dream of every guy.  Body toning simply means increasing your muscle mass simultaneously lowering the body fat percentage.To tone up your body you need to brush aside the layers of fat and allow the muscles to be seen.

A good workout is no doubt a key to tone up the body. Men usually enjoy working out in the gym but a well planned home workout plan with a proper combination of cardio and strength training exercises can help in achieving the desired “beach body” look.

Let’s have a look at few of the body toning exercises for men with videos for your convenience:

Plank:  Plank is one of the best exercises to build endurance in abs and backs. Lie face down on floor or on a mat with palms on the floor. Raise yourself off the floor resting your weight on the toes and the elbows. Keep your body flat from head to heel. Hold this position for 20-60 sec, lower the body and repeat this cycle 5-6 times.

Ghost Skipping: Simple and fun exercise that can be done anywhere and anytime. It’s a high impact cardio exercise to burn off the extra fat and also tone up the thighs, hips and calves.  Keep your feet slightly apart and start jumping as if the rope is passing under the feet and over the head. Simultaneously move your arms as if actually jumping the rope to engage your biceps, triceps and shoulders. Complete a total of 100 reps

Pushups: One of the classic exercise for building chest, triceps and shoulders. Place your hands on the floor just beyond shoulder width apart. Keep your back straight and your knees straight and parallel to the floor. Slowly lower your body so as to touch your nose to the floor and then return to the start position by pressing yourself upward.  To make it more vigorous also try diamond pushups, wide grip pushups, cobra pushups etc.  Perform 2 sets of 12 reps each.

Squats: Squat is a form of compound exercise that particularly targets your quadriceps, calves, hamstrings and glutes. It also engages the core and back muscles to maintain the balance during the movement. Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart. Standing up tall, put your shoulders back, lift your chest, and pull in your abdominal muscles. Lower down, as if sitting but keep your upper body particularly back as straight as possible.  You could also stretch your arms out in front for added balance. Perform 2 sets of 12 reps each. Read more

Ghost Skipping

Hypothyroidism Diet for Weight Loss

There exists a complex relationship between hypothyroidism, BMR and body weight. Hypothyroidism slows down body’s metabolism as a resulting in weight gain. The extra weight gained during hypothyroidism is also the result of water retention which is very common symptom of hypothyroidism. One has to be careful while attempting to lose weight as in hypothyroidism the person’s metabolism is already low and crash diets can lower it further.

Hypothyroidism causes insulin resistance in the body resulting in weight gain. Carbohydrate intake needs to be monitored to avoid any chances of developing diabetes. To manage weight during hypothyroidism is challenging and therefore requires professional guidance to help you get on track. For thyroid patients simply cutting calories from the diet is not effective in bringing about the weight loss because already their metabolism is on the slower side. They require a combination of diet and exercise to achieve the goal. Exercise is critical to regulate the metabolism and burn calories.

Here are some basic dos and donts of a hypothyroid diet recommended by diet experts:

Diet: The diet for the hypothyroid patient on a weight loss plan should essentially be low in carbohydrates. Avoid pastas, potatoes, yam, and sweet potato, include more of complex carbohydrates in the form of fiber rich foods like whole cereals, vegetables, whole pulses etc. The diet need to be restricted in terms of high glycemic  foods such as corn, white bread, refined flour, muffins, cakes,  rich desserts etc.

The other important food that need to be avoided for hypothyroidism are goitrogens like soya and its products, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, mustard greens, cauliflower, radishes, turnips, spinach, strawberry, peaches, pears, peanuts etc. Goitrogens are the substances that interfere with the thyroid functioning and avoiding them provide relief from the symptoms. Read more

Weight Loss Exercises for Women

Weight loss is a simple combination of healthy eating and regular exercising. Most women find it easier to diet than exercise simply because controlling what you eat is more convenient than actually taking time out to exercise. Some people see results easily with watching what you eat but most have to start exercising to lose weight or have been strictly recommended by the doctor for better health.

Before we talk about which are the best weight loss exercises for women let us highlight two important benefits of exercising. Working out at least 20 minutes a day helps the body absorb the food better resulting in better regulation of your metabolism. Besides what most of us dont know about exercising is that it helps release “happy hormones” in the body that helps naturally stimulate your mood helping you destress, reduce anxiety and in general feel good about your self. If you dont like exercising alone you can get your friends together to help you get started on a routine. You can even mail us at fitness@fitho.in to find a fitness buddy to help you get motivated.

Here are a few exercise techniques that you help you get started immediately.

CardioTraining: By far the best exercise for women to lose weight.  Cardio is an aerobic form of exercise that involves your heart working more to pump blood which therefore will burn more calories besides keeping your heart strong.

Equipment free cardio exercises for women:

- Running: Running is an excellent cardio exercises. Running with proper hydration can help you shed that extra weight by burning serious calories. A 60 kg person can easily burn 300 calories in 30 minutes. Running tips can help you not only burn effective calories but also to prevent injury while running.

- Ghost/Invisible Skipping: Simplest, yet most effective exercises you can do to burn calories and to increase cardiovascular endurance. Jumping rope can match a total body workout in just 15 to 20 minutes. Read more

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