SHERYL AFONSO e D’SOUZA
CLINICAL NUTRITIONIST (NORBERT’S FITNESS STUDIO) & ASST. PROFESSOR (POST GRADUATE DEGREE STUDIES)

Many a times people ask me the same question
Is there any activity that I can do at home that will help me lose weight?

The weight gain – weight loss equation is simple ….
Calories in > Calories out = Weight Gain
Calories in < Calories out = Weight Loss

The universally proven method of losing weight and, more importantly, maintaining the weight lost, is by ensuring that you consume a calorie-deficient balanced diet whilst also making the effort to utilize energy by way of increased activity. While a few individuals may find it easier to control what they eat as opposed to taking the effort to exercise, a few others may be able to fit in a workout more easily than denying themselves the pleasure of a chocolate slab! Supervised exercises for weight loss are always found to be more beneficial in helping you reach your goal, although there do exist a determined few who can shed the pounds by way of mere self-determination and control.

In your case, a few home exercises combined with strict diet control will help you lose weight. Meeting with an exercise professional who will guide you through a mix of cardiovascular exercises (to help burn stored fat), resistance training (to help build muscle which is thermodynamically more active than fat, thus helping you burn more energy at any given point of time), and flexibility training (to prevent injuries) is suggested. A competent Nutritionist should be able to guide you on what to eat and in what quantities and when. The principles of dietary control include decreasing visible fat and simple carbohydrates from your daily menu while increasing dietary fibre and optimizing your protein intake. Ensuring adequate fluid intake is also a must to keep your metabolism high. As is making sure that you get the required duration of undisturbed sleep.

One more thing that can aid you in your weight loss endeavor is being aware about the energy spent via ADL, or Activities of Daily Living. These are routine, or specific, jobs we may do through the day which all add up to how much energy we expend, thus helping us burn calories even when we are at rest.

Dancing is one way of adding to the calories burned through the day. So turn up your stereo when your home is silent and dance those kilos as well as the blues away! Gardening helps you lose anywhere between 200 and 400 kilo calories per hour, while also giving your arms, calves, and quadriceps a good workout. An hour of sweeping and mopping the floor sets you back by 200 kcal, while vacuuming helps you burn about 100 kcal in 15 minutes …. besides giving you a good shoulder, bicep, and triceps workout too! Ever tried painting your garden wall or gate? Well, painting is a good core and arm workout, and helps you burn approximately 250 kcal in 60 minutes. Doing your laundry – loading and unloading the machine, hanging your clothes up to dry, and then putting them away – can burn 70 kcal in an hour … equivalent to doing about 80 sit-ups! Scrubbing dishes burns an impressive 80 kcal in 15 minutes, while dusting your home helps burn 25 kcal in 15 minutes …. the same as a 2-minute plank! And ironing the creases out of your clothes can help you burn as much as 400 kcal in 3 hours through the week, besides working out those arm muscles too.

The take home message for you …. Do not grumble at all the housework you need to do …. Do yourself a favor and look at it as an added workout to keep you in shape! And don’t forget to meet your Fitness Professional and your Dietitian ….. today!