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So you have been dieting all this while and also keep a check on what you eat, still you feel you aren't losing much weight. Or does it come back after sometime? We help you find out 6 evil factors that doom your diet.

Don’t give your food power:
It’s all in your mind. Food can’t make you eat it. Some people talk as if a chocolate bar holds them down, forcing them to eat it. You have the power to say No to food.

Good versus bad food:
So you think there are good and bad foods? Incorrect. Food is food; it could be fatty, salty, sweet, and low in fat, high in fibre, high in protein. You have to find the right balance and ensure that your body is not deprived of food.

Dieting can’t go on forever:
You feel heavy today and you go on a diet plan. Once you lose the excess weight, you go off the diet. If you follow this pattern, you are most likely to regain all the weight. So eat well but eat right.

You can’t lose weight without exercise:
So you think you can lose weight without exercising. It isn’t impossible, but you would need to go on a controlled diet. But once you stop dieting, the weight will come back. It’s very important to follow some kind of a fitness routine. It can even be a brisk walk, or any kind of increased activity.

All fats are not bad
Some fats are healthy. Nuts and seeds have good oils in them, so you should not avoid those oils. Also, you should keep alternating food oils. Do not stick to one kind of oil. The trans fat in fast food and packaged foods is bad for you.

Don’t drink too many calories
If you are living in the misconception that soft drink is bad but juice and sports drink are good, think again. Juice has the same calories as soft drinks. And sports drinks are mostly full of sugar. It’s best to eat your fruit than drinking it. And drink lots of water to keep your body hydrated.

It was World Sleep Day recently. We spoke to experts and found that just a few were aware of the day, while the rest welcomed it!

“World Sleep Day is now in its third edition, and this year the theme is ‘Sleep Well, Stay Healthy’. We are celebrating the beauty and benefits of sleep, which has been pushed into the sidelines and causing serious health issues. In fact, the problem is so widespread that even children are exposed to it. Among the many issues caused by sleep deprivation is the case of drowsy driving. It’s great that a lot is being done to spread awareness on drunken driving, falling off to sleep while driving is as dangerous a problem as rash driving!”
Dr Preeti Devnani, Neurologist

“I’ve got an invitation to attend World Sleep Day seminar, and that’s how I am aware of a day dedicated to sleep. I plan to attend it as I have a lot of apneaic cases coming to me. Since apnea is directly related to obesity, I have a lot of such cases coming up to me. It’s a dreaded condition as those suffering from it go off to sleep during the course of a discussion, meetings, or driving. It is fatal as lot of accidents have happened due to it, or have led to people dying in their sleep.”
Dr Sanjay Borude, Obesity Surgeon

“Is it a day when you are just meant to sleep? (laughs) Seriously, the issue of sleep needs to be addressed as the disorders are quite severe. I’ve had all kinds of cases coming to me — from sleep deprivation to excessive sleep, hypersomnolence, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, sleep-walking and also cases of epilepsy fits taking place during the first two phases of sleep. Because it’s sleep, people don’t take it seriously or report it. Lack of sleep does make a lot of difference to the personality of the sufferer, and is dangerous too. Creating awareness is the first step in the direction.”
Dr Nirmal Surya, Neurologist
“I’ve heard of ‘World Sleep Day’ in March, but am not aware of the date. But I quite agree with its objective of creating awareness about sleep. The quality and quantity of sleep is very important for physical, emotional and mental well-being of any individual. Not fulfilling it, which is the norm today, is giving rise to various complications like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, stroke, and behavioural disorders. Even our holy books like Ramayana and Mahabharata laid premium on sleep.”
Dr. Ramanathan Iyer, Sleep Consultant

“I’ve heard of it, but not too clear when it is celebrated. It is great if a day has been dedicated to it as there is definitely a rise in cases of insomnia, disturbed sleep pattern, and other sleep related disorders. It’ll not make an overnight difference, but will at least create an awareness which will lead to some lifestyle changes. A good sleep is when you are able to sleep on time, maintain the pattern and get up feeling fresh, which is suffering in the set-up today. Sleep disorder needs to not just be treated as a phenomenon, but is also symptomatic of underlying medical issues like vitamin deficiency, thyroid problem among other things.”
Dr Jyoti Sangle, Psychiatrist

“It’s a great thing as sleep problems are on the rise due to the hectic pace of life and stressful living. Most don’t even think that it’s important enough to deal with it. It leads to psychological issues. As a clinical psychologist I try to go to the root of the problem; we don’t suggest popping tablets which disappoints a lot of my patients as some of them are used to taking tranquilisers to deal with it. Sleep also affects sexual life and has led to a lot of divorces.”
Dr Girish Sanghvi, Sexologist and psychologist

“No, I’ve not heard of World Sleep Day, but it’s an issue that needs to be brought to the fore as we are now leading a lifestyle in which we prefer to cut down on our sleep than adjust our schedule to include it. When the body fails to get its seven-hour sleep, it falls sick. The one-day sleeping it out only builds up the sleep debt, and the larger the debt the worse the breakdown. The body needs to recuperate. One of the key proven facts is that it leads to obesity. What can you say of the rest like dull countenance, acne, falling hair?”
Pooja Makhija, Consulting Nutritionist and Dietician

“World Sleep Day? I’ve not heard of it, but am glad to hear that there’s such a day as people need to be aware of the importance of sleep and relaxing. So what if you are exercising? It’s not enough if you don’t balance it with adequate amount of sleep. Your fitness is based on three integral factors, and that is exercise, nutrition and sleep. Besides, I believe that sleep is the best anti-aging option we have. It keeps off dark circles and wrinkles!”
Leena Mogre, Fitness Expert