Desi Diet Plan for Weight Loss

The three rules that actually cause fat loss

Fat loss comes down to eating slightly fewer calories than your body uses, every day, for long enough. No single food makes you fat and no single food burns fat. What matters is the total.

• Eat in a small calorie deficit, around 300 to 500 calories below maintenance. Use the free calorie calculator on this site to find your number.
• Get enough protein at every meal: chicken, eggs, daal, yogurt, paneer, fish or lean meat. Protein keeps you full and protects your muscle.
• Control the oil. Most desi dishes are not high in calories because of the ingredients, but because of the ghee and oil they are cooked in.

Easy desi food swaps

A sample day of eating

This is an example for an average adult aiming to lose weight. Your own plan depends on your size, activity and goal.

• Breakfast: 2 eggs (boiled or an omelette with little oil), 1 chapati, tea with less sugar
• Lunch: chicken or daal curry made with little oil, 1 to 2 chapatis, a large salad with raita
• Snack: a fruit and a handful of roasted chana, or plain yogurt
• Dinner: grilled chicken or fish tikka, sabzi, and a small portion of rice or 1 chapati
• Water: 2.5 to 3 litres through the day, more in hot weather

Common mistakes

• Skipping breakfast and then overeating at dinner
• Drinking calories through soft drinks, juices and sweet chai
• Crash diets before a wedding or holiday that end in a rebound
• Cutting out roti completely and then binging at weekends
• Not counting cooking oil, the biggest hidden calorie source