The Art of not over-eating

Festivals bring joy and those extra kilos, all complimentary, along with them. In India, we wait for festivals to cheat on our diets, so here are some tips to avoid putting on those extra kilos post festive season!

Say no to “Empty Calories”

Choose sweets wisely, freshly prepared sweets should be preferred over bakery confectioneries. Avoid carbonated beverages and choose natural refreshments like sherbet which include lemon, khus, kokam etc, these are natural ingredients and are loaded with vitamins.

Choice is yours!

Choose dry fruits over sweets, though dry fruits too contain lot of calories they are still a better option over sweets. Baked foods or snacks are a much better option compared to deep fried snacks.

No Binge Eating


Avoid binging over sweets and snacks by having small servings or meals. Have small, frequent meals (recommending 5 meals/day) rather than just 2 meals/day. Load yourself with fibers to let your digestive system function efficiently.

Eat Smart

Keep your meals lighter if you’ve already had enough snacks and sweets.
Make sure you sip a lot of water before consuming sweets and snacks.
You can consume home made detox water.

Include fruits of your choice(apples, oranges, strawberries) either in form of pieces or store in bottle of water overnight, then consume this water throughout next day.
You can make detox water using lemon slices, mint leaves and ginger too.

Put your running shoes to use!

Whatever extra you eat, needs to be burnt. Take out time and exercise daily for atleast 45mins to 1 hour.
You can include simple floor exercises, walking or even dancing on your favourite tunes for that matter.
Now-a-days there are many fun activities for burning calories like zumba, kick-boxing, pilates.

Stay Hydrated

Most important, don’t forget to stay hyderated. Drink ample amount of water as it improves metabolism and digestion.
Drink water before snacking as it can help you to avoid over-eating and control your high calorie intake.
Include fruits with high water content like wayermelons, oranges, sweet limes etc.

About the Author 

Hrugvedita Shinde
Diet Specialist
SRV Mamata Hospital