Effective weight loss strategies for Navratri fasting: Your ultimate guide
First Published Oct 6, 2024, 5:16 PM ISTMany people observe fasts during Navratri. This festive period can also be an opportunity to lose weight effectively. Here's how.
Many people observe fasts during Navratri. This festive period can also be an opportunity to lose weight effectively. Here's how.
Many men and women observe fasts during Navratri. You can easily lose weight even during these nine days of fasting. But if you eat certain foods during this time, you are likely to gain weight instead of losing it. Especially fried foods should not be eaten at all. Experts say that the food eaten during Navratri actually helps you lose weight. On the contrary, during these nine days of fasting, they eat food made from rice and wheat. Instead of these, they consume millets and healthy flour. During this fasting period, you can eat all kinds of fruits and vegetables. They also eat nutritious foods like nuts, milk, and cheese. This Navratri fast encourages eating completely home-cooked fresh food by reducing outside food and ultra-processed foods.
Why do you gain weight during Navratri fasting?
Overeating
After fasting all day.. you feel very hungry when you break it. This makes you overeat. Especially during Navratri, sweet dishes and high-calorie foods are cooked and eaten in large quantities. Due to the low fiber content in these foods and the stomach not filling up quickly, you overeat and gain weight drastically.
Dehydration
Many people do not even drink water during fasting. But this makes you hungry. It also increases the calories in the food you eat. Because of these two, you will gain weight even if you are fasting. Anyone should stay hydrated while fasting. For this, you should drink plenty of water. A study published in Frontiers in Nutrition revealed that increased dehydration makes you gain weight.
Consuming more high-calorie beverages
Fasting is not a common thing. So many people drink more sweet fruit juices, sugar lassi, and milkshakes during Navratri. But these sugary drinks are high in calories. If you drink these in excess, you will definitely gain weight.
How to lose weight during Navratri fast?
Eat small meals
When you break your fast, don't eat a lot at once. Instead, eat little by little often. This will prevent you from overeating. You will not gain weight. According to a study.. there is no chance of gaining weight if you eat small amounts of nutritious food frequently.
High-fiber foods
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables during the Navratri fast. This is the secret to losing weight at this time. But if you want to lose weight during this fast, make sure that the food you eat is high in fiber content.
It fills your stomach quickly. Doesn't make you feel hungry. That's why eat plenty of fruits and vegetables during this time. Fiber helps you lose weight easily.
Water, other healthy drinks
You can drink plenty of water even during fasting. Water keeps your body hydrated. If you are dehydrated, you are more likely to eat unhealthy foods.
So drink other healthy drinks along with water to stay hydrated. Drinking tender coconut water, infused water, lemon juice, and buttermilk will keep you hydrated and healthy.
Cook the right way
Those who fast for Navratri should cook and eat whatever they cook properly. Deep-fried foods should not be eaten at all during this time. Eating cooked food reduces your fat intake. It also helps you lose weight healthily.
Healthy food
If you want to lose weight, the food you eat should be healthy. That means no fried pakodas or high-calorie snacks. You can enjoy nutritious makhana roast, boiled peanut salad, yogurt with berries, sprouted moong salad, lassi, and nuts. They are rich in nutrients that you need to stay healthy. You will definitely lose weight if you eat these during Navratri.
Exercise
Even those who are fasting should exercise regularly. That means you don't have to do heavy exercises. You can lose weight even by doing light exercises at home like walking and yoga. These help burn calories and boost your metabolism. This makes it easier for you to lose weight.
Foods to avoid during Navratri fasting
If you want to lose weight, you should not eat fried foods at all. That means no puri, vadas, pakodas, fried potatoes, etc. Also, stay away from sugary foods. Packaged snacks like chips should also not be eaten.
Also, starchy foods like potatoes and tapioca should be eaten in small quantities. Also, ultra-processed foods like biscuits, chips, and pastries should not be eaten at all. Because they make you gain weight.