The truth about crash diets

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Sheetal put on weight after childbirth but decided to take drastic measures when her child turned one and a half years old, and she could not carry him for long.
She also began have aches and pains which made her fear for her health. She joined a gym for a while and remembered the dietician advising her to have doodhi juice.

Bits and pieces of that advice and tips collated from magazine and newspapers formulated her diet. She cut out potatoes, rice and fried things.

Sheetal Mukherjee
28, BPO employee
Pre-diet weight: 99 kilos
Post-diet weight: 74 kilos
Time period: Two years

o Diet Plan

Breakfast: Lemon juice without honey or sugar One hour later: White oats cooked in water, no sugar, no milk

One and a half hours later: One carrot or any raw vegetable, followed by Wheatflakes in milk (without sugar)

Two hours later: A bowl of fruit - papaya, watermelon, etc.

Tea-time: Two Marie biscuits or half a chappati with or without tea

Dinner: One cup boiled doodhi with pepper, one glass buttermilk and a half or one chappati Weekend: Replaced cornflakes with a meal- roti-rice-dal/subzi-one buttermilk

Once in two weeks: Maggi noodles

o Nutrition talk

She is on a crash diet of approximately 600 calories. Her diet is low in total calories, protein, iron content and vitamins, especially the fat soluble vitamins such as Vitamin A, D, E and K. This is due to absence of fat in her diet. For iron and fat, she can have leafy vegetables cooked in a bit of oil.

Also, she needs to have one or two chappatis a day. She also needs to introduce Vitamin E via one or two almonds to combat hairloss and dull skin that can be caused by a crash diet.

Sherwin Fernandes

Sherwin decided he had to do something about his weight when he couldn't find 44-inch waist pants.

Besides, he developed a breathing problem and couldn't walk even short distances. He skipped red meat and oily foods - no cheese, butter etc.

Stopped eating in the office canteen and brought homemade dabba. He still has three teas a day, but black - without milk or sugar. When forced to eat at social events, he keeps portions small.

He coupled this diet with a fitness plan - morning walks for half an hour or on the cross trainer and 50 stomach crunches. To formulate his diet, he read up on the net. His waist size is now 36.

Sherwin Fernandes
32, graphics designer
Pre-diet weight: 106 kilos
Post-diet weight: 83 kilos
Time period: 1 1/2 years

o Diet Plan

Breakfast: Two boiled eggs, black tea without sugar

Lunch: Boiled sprouts

Tea-time: Black tea and Britannia biscuits/ plate of fruits

Dinner: Boiled vegetables, wheat chappatis or boiled chicken with pepper

o Nutrition talk

The diet is very low in calories and is also short of B complex vitamins. He should have fruits before eating eggs for glucose (energy) to utilise the egg protein for building muscles.

An evening snack of roasted gram or soya milk or a few nuts is also recommended.

Neil Soans

Neil had insight into what his body responds best to - high protein and low carbs. His rule of thumb was: A compressed meal should be as big as my fist. He also made sure he never starved, and never slept on an empty stomach.

He worked out three times a week, but never on an empty stomach - if nothing else, he had a banana. Post work-out, he tanked up on protein and fresh fruit juices. His secret weapon was carb cycling: For two months he followed three days of high carb, medium protein meals and three days of no carb, high protein meals.

Neil Soans
29, media-person
Pre-diet weight: 79 kilos
Post-diet weight: 64 kilos
Time period: 1 year

o Diet Plan

Breakfast: Bowl of boiled oatmeal + 1-2 egg whites + two almonds

Lunch: 6-inch sub, with dough scooped out to allow for more greens, brown bread, chicken or tuna, low fat dressing. No mayonnaise or cheese.

Snack: Fruit with half a protein bar, or handful of nuts.

Dinner: Same as lunch with salad. Cheat Meal: Cheesy pizza and dessert once a week. Dark chocolate instead of regular chocolate.

o Nutrition talk

Neil should stick to complex carbohydrates such as whole-wheat bread or chappati and only avoid simple carbohydrates.

His meals should have some vegetable or salad along with the white meat as meat is devoid of fibre, which helps in complete digestion.

A couple of walnuts could be included on the days when there is no fish in the diet to get omega 3 fatty acids.