BODYWORKS

Diet & Exercise FAQ'S

Q1: Hi! My name is Ami & I'm keen to gain some weight. My height is 5'4'' & my weight is 48kgs & I am 25yrs old. My mom suggests I eat a piece of sweet everyday post meals. Another friend suggested I join the gym & weight train.

ANS: Hi! Ami, Well you seem to be one of those lucky few. First of all it’s important for you to know what your BMI & body fat levels are. Based on information that you've provided your BMI is 18 which puts you in the slightly underweight category. However it’s important to know what your body fat levels are. It is possible that in spite of being underweight you have normal body fat levels - in that case you will need to make sure your weight gain is only muscle gain.

Q 2 : Hello! I'm Yasmin. I'm getting married in a month & am keen to lose 10kgs.I've heard about a few diets which work wonders & make people lose loads of weight in a short time. Do you think it will work?

ANS : Hi! Yasmin. Quick weight loss diets may cause you to lose a good amount of weight but only for a short span of time. In my professional practice I've seen a lot of people losing weight through these methods only to gain most of it & at times more weight once they go back to normal eating. Moreover many of these diets focus too much on one particular food or food group while either completely avoiding or allowing minimal intake of other foods. This could lead to nutritional deficiencies which may present themselves as a health issue sometime later in life. Balanced nutrition with regular exercise in the best long term solution to your problem. Since you have a month on hand aim at about 2 to 4 kgs weight loss. If lost scientifically this may not get you to your target of 10 kgs but will surely give you the healthy glow of a new bride. Good luck to you!!!

Q 3 : Hi! My name is Harshad & am suffering from arthritis since the past couple of years. My knees hurt when I exercise for longer duration but my doctor insists I workout regularly to loose some weight & remain fit. Kindly guide.

ANS : Hello! Harshad. I recommend you exercise in breaks- two to three times in a day for a couple of minutes each time. That way you will remain pain free & comfortably exercise. You can gradually increase intensity & duration as you fitness levels improve. Swimming & cycling are two of the best options for you as far as cardiovascular training are concerned. During resistance training you need to avoid weight bearing exercises i.e exercises which require you to put pressure & weight on your knees.

Q 4 : Hi! This is Divya. I'm 36 yrs old & have been diagnosed with high blood pressure & high cholesterol. My doctor recommends I start taking medication but am keen on working on my diet & fitness to deal with the issue. Can you please guide?

ANS : Hey! Divya. Congratulations on your decision to work on you diet & fitness. Truly, lifestyle modification is the only long term solution to your problem. Since you haven't mentioned what your weight, blood pressure & lipid values are I'm going to give you some baseline advice. Take up some form of aerobic exercise - walking, cycling & swimming are some examples. Make sure you get at least an hour 4 to 6 times a week at a pace most comfortable for you. If you routine involves resistance training as well as yoga make sure not to perform forward bending exercises & exercise that require you to hold your breath for longer duration. As far as your diet is concerned include sufficient amount of both soluble fiber ( fruits, vegetables, lentils, oats, dried fruit, soya milk and soya products) & insoluble fiber ( bran, whole meal flour, brown rice, whole grain cereals, vegetables, edible peels of fruit, nuts and seeds).Restrict your salt intake to minimum.

Prenatal & Postnatal Health Care FAQ'S

Q 1: Hi! I'm Kusum. I'm 30yrs old & this is my first pregnancy. I've been exercising since the past couple of years-walking & some exercises on my own at home & have managed to maintain my weight. But now that I'm pregnant I'm worried I may gain too much weight. Can I do something to make sure I don't?

ANS: Hey! Kusum, Congratulations. The good thing is you're concerned about your weight. That by itself solves part of your problem. Its important to understand that while pregnancy is not a time to be on a weight loss program its also not a time to let yourself go. To start with you could make sure you get some form of physical exercise. Walking according to me is the one of the best exercises during pregnancy. The pace & duration has to be something that you can comfortably maintain - if you manage to get about an hour everyday in totality - should help. The other important aspect is to make sure you're eating right. Your total caloric requirement increases only by about 150 to 200 kcals per day for the first trimester & about 400 to 500 kcals for the second & third trimester. This however applies to a woman who is at normal weight at conception. In practical sense this would mean an additional glass of milk & a couple of nuts for the first trimester & an addition of about 1 serving of any one of chapati/rotla/dalia/upma/baja/jowar or any other form of unrefined carbohydrate food plus an additional serving of any one of dal/pulses/curd/fish/chicken/eggs whites in the second & third trimester.

Q 2: Hello! This is Vandana & I'm three months pregnant. My doctor recommends I take folic acid, iron & calcium supplements daily. Is this necessary?

ANS : Congratulations! Vandana. Your doctor only wants to make sure you don't suffer from any deficiencies while you're pregnant. Even though you may be very carefully watching what you eat it is possible that your diet may lack certain essential prenatal nutrients. Be assured neither you nor your child will have any kind of a negative side effect to any of these supplements. 

Q 3 : Hi! My name is Janki & I would like to know what is the right amount of weight to gain during pregnancy?

ANS : Well Janki firstly its important to know what your weight was at the time of getting pregnant. If you were underweight & if your doctor observes this could be an issue he/she may encourage you to gain up to 15kgs to 18kgs during pregnancy. For some one who is normal weight recommendations are a gain of about 10kgs to 12 kgs while for someone who is overweight or obese to start with may be allowed only a gain of about 6kgs to 8 kgs.