Losing weight is a science as well an art. It is science in the sense that you can lose weight over a period of time by following certain rules. It is an art also as you become an expert by continuously losing weight and then gaining it. Yes, practice does make one perfect. I have been a Yo-Yo dieter trying to lose weight for quite some time with mixed results. Some diets resulted in moderate weight loss, some substantial. Some reduced my weight very quickly but some took long time to do so. Finally I have been able to lose 12 kilos in three months by following certain principles and practicing them over a period of time i.e. art and science together! I am going to share these with you in the hope that you can also shed the extra load you are carrying. Here are these rules and principles

1. First of all you must have a strong motivation for losing the weight; otherwise you will not achieve your goal. Every person has a different motivation to shed the extra weight. For those who are not married, their motivation to lose weight is very obvious! However married guys have to remain fit so that they can save money on their clothing and their better halves could spend the money thus saved on their clothing. And those who are in their 60s, the main driving force is to spend the rest of their lives in a healthy way

2. Consult with your doctor before starting any weight loss plan, particularly if it includes any syrup therapy for weight loss. I do not believe in such quick fix therapies but those of you who do, please be very careful. You are playing with your body, not with toys.

3. Have a realistic weight loss plan. Do not be over ambitious and be consistent over a period of time Find out how much extra weight you are carrying. So if you are 40 kg over-weight, it means you are always carrying one fully grown bull on your shoulders. Let us throw it in six months

4. Go for fitness rather than weight loss. You can lose weight by just doing nothing-no food, no activity but that is not fitness. However moderate exercise, not strenuous one, is the key to fitness and weight loss. Daily four or five spurts of 2/3 minutes each will go a long way to reduce the extra weight. Do not go for long spells of exercise, at least in the first month. It only results in unnecessary fatigue and de motivation. Remember-‘take care of your fitness; it will take care of your weight’.

5. Do not diet at all-never remain without food for more than 3 hours; just increase the frequency of meals but reduce the quantity of food in each meal. This is the real golden rule I have learnt. . Never diet--yes never keep yourself hungry. Hunger is the worst enemy of any dieting plan. Just reduce the food intake, balance it by reducing carbohydrates and fat and substantially eliminating sugar. Increase the intake of water; four glasses of water early in the morning before breakfast, the famous Japanese formula, is an excellent way to control weight gain. Preferably eliminate other forms of fluids such as fizzy drinks and juices. ‘Never drink your calories’

6. Basic principle of a good weight loss plan is to deceive your body and let it not realize that you are dieting because the body adjusts itself to every diet. Three days of dieting and four days of normal eating, coupled with moderate exercise is better plan of action than continuous dieting?

7. Do go to parties and functions but never tell anyone that you are dieting. Just put lean meat and lot of fresh salad and eat slowly. Do pour some drinks but leave the glass half full.'