Desperate to re-gain her pre-pregnancy body post her C-section last month, this 37-year-old mommy-to-four, is on a strict high-protein diet that she hopes will have her size-zero-ready in time for the New York Fashion week. More about the five-hands diet and Why you should not follow this celeb fad
Desperate to re-gain her pre-pregnancy body post her C-section last month, this 37-year-old mommy-to-four, is on a strict high-protein diet that she hopes will have her size-zero-ready in time for the New York Fashion week. More about the five-hands diet and Why you should not follow this celeb fad
Can you imagine consuming only five handfuls of food every day? Well, fashion designer and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham can. After giving birth to her daughter, Harper Seven, last month, Victoria is reportedly on the Five-Hands diet to shed her post-pregnancy pounds, in order to look her best at the upcoming New York Fashion Week.
Victoria Beckham
The diet involves consuming five high-protein meals in the day, accompanied by green vegetables and lots of water. Wellness specialist Namita Jain, however, doesn't think it is a wise way to drop kilos. "I do not advocate high-protein diets for weight loss. These diets may promise quick weight loss, but one knows that one cannot eat this way ones' whole life."u00a0 Following a sensible eating plan is key to losing weight, adds Jain.
Zareen Watson, fitness consultant and founder of Watson Fitness, says that the Five-Hands diet is devoid of all complex carbohydrates, which are an essential part of a sensible eating plan.
Eat right, but exercise too
Fitness expert Leena Mogre and director, Leena Mogre's Fitness, believes that both exercise and correct food habits are important for weight loss. "It's not that 'I can work out, so I can eat anything I want.' For weight loss or before following any kind of diet, consult a qualified nutritionist or dietician," she says, adding, "Every body is different and only a qualified professional who has a degree in the field of food science and nutrition will be able to give proper advice and recommend a diet programme."
Watson agrees and recommends cardio vascular exercise and strength-training along with a well-balanced diet for weight loss. Around 30 to 60 minutes of low-impact cardiovascular activities that include walking, swimming and cycling is required to lose those extra kilos. Strength training twice or thrice a week improves bone density, builds strength and enhances metabolism.
"Exercise and sensible nutrition are both required to lose and maintain ideal weight. You cannot outwork a bad diet. It is the number one ingredient in your weight loss battle," says Watson. According to Jain, one cannot lose weight overnight and dieting without exercising will cause weight loss, but at a slower rate. Jain says, "When you exercise, you burn calories. However. if you do not diet and your calorie intake exceeds the calories you have burned, you will not lose weight."
What to eat
According to experts, the body requires proteins, carbohydrates, fats, water, vitamins and minerals for its maintenance, nourishment and repair. Eating a wholesome diet that includes fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, sprouts, seeds and low fat dairy products will build the immune system. "When you plan your meals, look at the calorific content and your body's nutritional requirements, simultaneously. Prolonged, unbalanced diets that include only one or two foods, or that eliminate entire food groups can lead to severe nutritional deficiencies," advises Jain.
Avoiding heavy meals, being able to differentiate between hunger and cravings, substituting fried fatty food with tasty non-fried options, not over eating when stressed and exercising regularly are some of the other ways to keep weight in check.
Starving and dieting
Mogre stresses that understanding the difference between starving and dieting is important. According to her, starving is not eating when you are hungry, while dieting is controlled eating, based on an individual's lifestyle.
Jain defines starving as the act of abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time, while dieting is cutting back on calorie intake to lose weight.
"It is essential to remember that food is the vital fuel our bodies need. It is not 'the enemy.' It is, however, our relationship to food and eating that sometimes needs to be adjusted. With proper planning and a balanced eating plan, it is possible to lose kilos and still be brimming with health," says Jain.
During a period of starvation, the body draws on energy reserves to maintain essential functions. Jain explains that the body primarily uses glycogen to feed the brain and other cells. When this supply is diminished in one or two days, protein stores are utilised causing the breakdown of muscles and other tissues. Watson says that starving slows down metabolism, breaks down muscles and other tissues, causes hair fall, makes skin lackluster and nails brittle, and leads to weakness, depression, irregular periods and irritability. Watson adds that starvation cannot be sustained for over a long period and will ultimately result in binge-eating, resulting in weight gain.
Mogre stresses that pre-workout and post-workout meals are important. "If you don't feed your body on time, or starve, your muscles break down to provide energy, and hence you lose lean muscle tissue. Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) falls and the rate at which your body burns calories is lowered. This results in weight gain, and an increase in fat percentage," concludes Mogre.
What's eating Victoria Beckham?
The 5-Hands Diet is a high-protein diet that consists of eating five meals a day, supplemented by green veggies, and drinking gallons of water. It is similar to The Dukan Diet, which is reportedly favoured by Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, and her sister Pippa Middleton.
Victoria Beckham has reportedly been following the diet in an attempt to spring back to her pre-pregnancy bod after giving birth to her daughter, Harper Seven, last month. During her pregnancy is said to have gained one stone and seven pounds (roughly ten kilos). The 37-year-old eats palm-sized portions of high protein foods, including smoked salmon, prawns with chilli, yellow fin tuna sushi and scrambled eggs. Salt, sugar and carbohydrates are strict no-nos on the diet. She snacks on nuts and wolfberries, commonly known as goji berries, which are red in colour and considered a rich source of phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are chemicals that naturally occur in plants; there is no concrete scientific evidence, however, that these are essential nutrients for the body.
Eating plan 1
Purpose: To lose weight
Breakfast: Tea, fresh fruit bowl, a small bowl of oats porridge.
Mid-morning: 1 apple, coconut water
Lunch: Salad with sprouts, 2 rotis, green veggies, dal
Late afternoon: 1 cup tea, 2 wheat crackers
Evening: Pomegranate and papaya
Dinner: Vegetable soup, platter of grilled veggies, low-fat paneer/ tofu/ chicken, 1 to 2 rotis
Eating plan 2
Purpose: To gain weight
Early morning: Banana milkshake made with two bananas
Breakfast: Oatmeal porridge with milk made with four tablespoons of oatmeal
Lunch: 3 bajra/ jowar rotis with ghee, 1 bowl of high-carb vegetables, 1 bowl salad, 100 gms paneer (made of skimmed milk or cow's milk)/ soya paneer/ chicken/ fish and 4 to 2 eggs
Evening snack: brownbread sandwich/ egg-white sandwich and 1 bowl of sprouts with sweet potato
Snack options in between meals: fruits/ dried fruits/ omelette made of two egg whites and one yolk
Pre-workout: 2 bananas or one large jacket potato
Post-workout: 1 banana and whey protein shake
Dinner: 1 bowl cooked vegetables, one bowl salad and 150 gm paneer (made with skimmed milk or cow's milk) /soya paneer / chicken / fish
Eating plan 3
Purpose: For muscle gain
Early morning: 2 bananas with 1 glass of skimmed milk
Breakfast: 6 tablespoons of oats/ 8 tablespoons of muesli with omelette made of 3 egg whites and oneu00a0 yolk/ soya bhurji
Lunch: 4 to 5 rotis with a little ghee/two small bowls of brown rice with one bowl of mixed vegetables, 1 bowl of salad and 150 gm paneer (made with skimmed milk or cow's milk)/ soya paneer/chicken/fish
Snacks: 1 bowl of sprouts/ egg-white sandwich
Snack options in-between meals: fruits and dried fruits
Pre-workout: 2 bananas or 1 large jacket potato
Post-workout: 1 banana and whey protein shake
Dinner: 3 chapatis/ bajra rotis + 1 bowl of fresh vegetables + 1 bowl salad + 150 gm paneer (made with skimmed milk or cow's milk)/ soya paneer/ chicken/ fish
The 10 commandments to eat better, live better
Dos
1. Make sure you start your day with a sensible breakfast
2. Savour alcohol in small quantities instead of guzzling down your drinks. One gramme of fat is 9 calories and alcohol is 7 calories per gramme.
3. Have a protein and carb meal, within an hour post your workout.
4. Get back on track. Even the most determined get off track, occasionally. Just remember, it's the final goal that's important. Do not get immobilised by guilt.
5. Drink at least four litres of water and get eight hours of rest for best results.
Don'ts
6. Don't desert the dessert, divide it. Pleasure is best when shared.
7. Do not starve through the day as it will make you binge at night.
8. Don't nibble on nuts. When you drink, your body naturally loses salt, which is why you reach out for salted peanuts.
9. Don't have fruit juice. It's better to eat fruit instead.
10. Don't compare your successes and failures to others, as what works for some may not work for you.
Yoga to stay Toned, says Kangna
Bollywood actor Kangna Ranaut, who had to put on weight for her role in the film Tanu weds Manu, shares that she did not follow any particular diet. "We were shooting in Lucknow and Punjab, places which have fantastic food. My director, Aanand L Rai, was also a real foodie. So, we had the most heavy, rich, delicious food every day, and putting on weight was easy! For my upcoming film, Rascals, too my director, David Dhawan, did not want me to lose weight. Even for the bikini scene he warned me to retain my curves. So, I just continued with my regular yoga practice to stay toned," says the actor. Ranaut says that after the shoot of Tanu Weds Manu, she continued with her routine of 45 minutes of yoga every day and followed a high-protein diet for a few days. Her diet included lots of chicken, grilled fish and green veggie-juice. Cardio and weight-bearing exercises also helped the actress shed those extra kilos. "It's very important to be aware of what you are eating and make healthy choices," says Kangna.
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