Six effective diet rules

Almost all of us have at some point in our lives tried to diet to lose weight. We've all attempted to knock off one food group or item from our plates. I am guilty of banishing sugar from my food for months, only to come back and devour it with a vengeance! Now I'm wiser thanks to advise given by fitness instructors and nutritionists and here's sharing with you what I've learnt about diets. Believe me these tips work!     1. Healthy substitutes: This is for all those who need an occasional nibble at work. Stay away from biscuits and other fattening foodstuff. Keep a jar of assorted nuts handy in your office drawer. Carrot and cucumber sticks are also a very healthy option. If these are 'boring' go for good old 'khakra', but make sure it's from a health food store, most of the commercially available 'khakras' contain high levels of oil. Baked snacks like baked 'sev', sesame or peanut 'laddoos' made with jaggery, multigrain rusks or toasted brown bread are healthier options. But make sure you don't overindulge in these. These are only meant to control the insane urge to order a hi-calorie smoothie or chocolate doughnut during the 4 pm craving. So learn to ration the portions.   2. Ordering in? If you are really tempted to order in a 'biryani', that is if wild horses can't help in keeping the urge down, then go ahead, order. But right at the beginning give away half of the 'biryani'. This will ensure that you eat less!   3.Go slow at night: Most of the working folk tend to attack food at night, the only time they have the leisure of scanning the fridge and hunting for hidden temptations. Precisely for such times do refrigerators come with a lock and key. Once dinner's over, lock the fridge and brush your teeth. If you have a supportive partner, you could hand over the keys to him for safekeeping with a clause that no amount of cajoling or bribing should bend him! This will ensure that the chocolate pastry remains in the fridge and your brushing of teeth will remind you that you are done for the day and you cannot brush again!   4. Don't reward yourself with food: Do you think because you've spent an hour at the gym you've earned a slice of pizza or cheesecake? Get realistic. If your goal is serious weight loss, restrain yourself from such indulgences, or it will be an exercise in futility, whatever you sweat out will all come back with the pizza and dessert.   5. Give in to your craving: Mark two days in a week when you will give in to your craving. But remember to stick to this schedule. And once again don't go overboard. A small slice, a small piece or a half a glass, that's it. Remember the rest is poison!   6. Healthy cuppa: If you cannot do without your coffee and tea fix, then it would be in your interests to go sugar free. Or else substitute the sugar with a healthy option like palm jaggery. Think of white sugar as your ace enemy and you will strike a lifelong friendship with your weighing scale!