Weight loss is purely a matter of science. Although there are a number of ways to achieve weight loss, following a healthy lifestyle in the long run is the best strategy to lose weight. A healthy lifestyle also guarantees better health and is your best anti-ageing mantra!

1. Biorhythm

Maintaining your body’s biorhythm may help in reducing the risk of obesity as well as lifestyle diseases. Weight gain, skin pigmentation, acidity, water retention, dark circles, drop in mental acuity and mood swings are some of the early signs of obesity. A disturbed biorhythm can upset the delicate hormonal balance of the body, and lead to an increased cortisol production and consequently play havoc with your body weight.

What to do

Try to get to bed in between 9 pm and 11 pm on weekdays and rise between 4 am to 7 am ensuring a sleep cycle of seven to eight hours.

2. Quality sleep

Disturbed, less sleep or chronic insomnia can all lead to increased cortisol production and imbalance in normal hormonal production. This may result in weight gain and a host of other ailments such as compromised mental acuity, sallow complexion, hair loss and more.

What to do

Eat your last meal at least two hours prior to sleeping. A warm water bath before sleeping will help your body and mind to relax.

Plan a dinner diet comprising some amount of protein. A glass of warm milk (with a dash of honey and nutmeg powder) is perfect too!

Keep your bedroom clean, uncluttered and smelling nice. Lighting an aroma candle with lavender can induce better sleep.

If you like to read, choose something that calms your mind.

3. Nutrition

The rise of lifestyle-related diseases among the urban population has put an immense focus on nutrition. With the onset of the modern day culture, our lives have become not only hectic, but also introduced a lot of processed foods. Food additives like excess sugar, salt, MSG, artificial colours have made their way into our digestive tracts. Now you know why India is the diabetes capital of the world!

What to do

One simple change may be is to go back to eating the food our mothers and grandmothers ate. Incorporate unprocessed foods that our bodies have been used to. Going back to consuming what our previous generations ate might cut down the problems.

4. Stress Management

When stress becomes the most dominating emotion of your daily life, it can literally kill you. An increased release of both cortisol, a stress hormone and insulin, leads to increased fat deposition in the body. This may result in insulin insensitivity, additional fat deposition and ultimately diabetes if left uncontrolled.

What to do

Include yoga, Asanas, Pranayam and even Taichi as they are highly instrumental in stress management.

Play some form of sport and dedicate one hour daily to any physical activity you enjoy.

5. Sedentary lifestyle

It is no great secret that for a number of decades, young Indians have stayed away from any form of active sports. The recent spate of wanting to get fit is fueled by two major factors such as Bollywood stars and an increase in lifestyle diseases. The second of course is a more important reason to start getting active today.

What to do

Get active and increase your ADL (activities of daily living). Remember, as you delegate more work around the house to hired help and electronic gadgets, your waistline starts to expand.

Keep a dedicated one hour daily to any form of sport or physical activity you enjoy.

Walk around the block to fetch groceries, keep your car in the parking lot and use the stairs every time you get a chance.

Walk the dogs yourself, help your gardener, and get up to drink water and eat your food.