How to Lose Weight in 4 Weeks- Diet Chart for Weight Loss

To stay fit and maintain your shape a regular workout helps a lot. But when it comes to losing weight and getting back in shape, a regular workout or exercise routine won’t suffice.

You will have to take it a step further and take care of your diet in order to lose weight. Even the gym instructors would tell you so. Exercise and diet are the two sides of a coin. You can’t achieve weight loss with just one of them. A regular exercise routine and a healthy diet is your route to salvation.

I’m following a Indian diet myself by a leading dietician. Me, my cousin, some of her friends and a lot of people I know have taken diet from this dietician. And we all have lost a considerable amount of weight to say the least.

You must be thinking that the diets given by the dieticians are personalized then how can we all follow the same diet routine with our different weights and blood groups. For starters, he doesn’t gives the diet according to the blood group.

Though, generally the diets given by dieticians are personalized. I have noticed a similarity In the diets given to me and others. And since now, that I know his diets are universal. I’d want YOU, Rati’s lovely readers to reap its fruit as well.

When I first went to this dietician, he told me to get some blood tests done. Like thyroid checkup, blood sugar, serum insulin in my case since I have PCOD. So it’s just not about losing weight but getting to know the underlying reason of piling on the kilos. In my case it was increased serum insulin levels.

But in my cousins case all her tests were ok, she was gaining weight because of her erratic routine and the junk food she so loved. So if you think that you are doing everything right but still gaining weight, the first thing you should be doing is finding the underlying reason for it.

First things first, If everything with you is fine your weight gain is due to lethargy, wrong dietary habits and erratic routine. So When u go on a diet make sure that whatever plan u follow it must be timed right as well. You must wake up latest by 8:00 ( that’s for the late risers, even I used to wake up by 10 or 11). This is the most important thing in your routine because the body has its own clock and you shouldn’t mess with it.

This diet is split in 4 weeks period with the diet changing every week.

Before starting the diet weigh yourself and write it down somewhere. This way you know where you started and you feel good to see the scales going down.
Some things you need to follow this diet:

No salt after 7:30
No aerated drinks. Yes that includes even the diet version.
Restrict mango and banana
Restrict potato and rice.
No artificial juices as well.
Half an hour of aerobic exercise daily. If u want to join a gym good enough. But if due to any reason maybe time or money constraint u can’t join a gym. All you need is a comfortable pair of shoes to do some aerobics, a skipping rope to do at least 500 skips (5 sets of 100 skips and increasing it as you go). 1.5 -2 kgs dumbbells for toning your upper body. Just these basic things and you are set.
20 mins of breathing exercise. ( I’m talking about Baba Ramdevs pranayam)

Without further ado I present you with the Indian diet. next =>

Week 1

8:00 am (as soon as you wake up) – 2 glasses of methi seeds water ( soak 1tsp of methi seeds in 2 glasses of water. Strain out the methi seeds and drink the water. Helps a lot in water retention and bloating) 5 soaked almonds with the skin. 1 kali mirch u don’t have to chew it just swallow it down.
9:00 am – 1 toast (brown bread) with amul lite butter / hung curd dressing/ salad and chutney
11:30 am – one fruit of your wish
1:30 pm – A small plate of salad before starting the meal. The fibers in the salad fills u up which in turn prevents false hunger that makes u overeat.1 bran chappati (mix wheat flour and wheat bran in equal proportions.) with 1 bowl ( normal sized katori ) of dal. Generally at my place dal is cooked at night so I used to store the dal made at night for the other days lunch, u can do the same.
5:00 pm – 1cup of milk or tea with 2 biscuits(just marie, no other biscuits)/ 1 small bowl bhuna channa/ 1bowl popcorn ( not the buttery act 2 ones but air popped popcorns without the butter)
7:30 pm –A small plate of salad before starting the meal. 1 bran chappati with 1 k vegetable ( any vegetable not rajmah, channa or kadhi)
8:30 pm – one fruit of your wish
When this week ends, weigh yourself again. I’m sure u must have lost weight. I lost 1.8kgs in the first week itself. U lose the max in this week because you lose all the water weight and the bloating is gone. The further weeks you are surely going to lose weight but it won’t be this much.

Now to the next week.

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Being Focus on Optimism, It Will Change Your Life

Learning to Find the Good In Life is Key to Your Success.

“Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual.” -Victor E. Frankl

How often do you wish you could constantly look on the bright side of things and find happiness wherever you look?

Probably a lot, right?

As humans, we love to be happy, yet at the same time we are constantly tuned into the negative around us so it can be hard to keep a smile on.

I know it’s hard to believe that simply being optimistic has the power to change your life.

But if we can break away from our cycles of cynicism and doubt and look at all of the good around us for even a moment, we’ll find that we have more than enough inspiration and creativity to focus on living a better, more positive life.

So how do we do that?

Before we can change our mindsets to embrace optimism, we need to train our minds to focus and revel in all of the good that’s around us. Only then can we begin to make room in our lives for a positive growth mindset which will then create a whole new world of opportunities and magic for us to discover.

What Being an Optimist Really Means

In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl recounts his harrowing tale of being forced into a concentration camp during his time living in Nazi-occupied Europe.

As Frankl recounts in his book, the conditions he and his fellow prisoners found themselves in were miserable beyond belief.

Some days Frankl would be forced to walk miles in dirt and rocks — sometimes even in conditions of extreme cold — in order to get to their designated work station for the day. Even if they had their own pair of shoes, the camp officers forced them to wear whatever they could find, which were usually broken ones that barely fit their feet or had gaping holes at the bottom of their soles.

After a time, many of the men in the camps began to lose the physical sensations in their feet through frostbite or other means. And even when they did get to rest for the night, the workers were forced to sleep on broken mattresses, huddled next to each other for whatever warmth they could find.

For many, the physical pain quickly became psychological and life became unbearable. But despite it all, Frankl wouldn’t quit.

Yet how could he hold up such a brave face in such terrible times?

The Case for a Tragic Optimism

Many times throughout the book, Frankl says he was close to joining the ones who didn’t make it. But even through all the trials he faced, he says one thing allowed him to survive through all the horrors he was entwined in.

That one thing was hope, or what he called the case for a tragic optimism.

To him, that was the only thing that got him through it all. Without it, he would’ve been lost long ago.
Luckily, many of us do not live in conditions like the one Frankl presents his readers with. Even so, we can use his strategies to propel us forward when it seems too hard to go on.

As Frankl suggests, the strategy of being a tragic optimist is not choosing to shun adversity or even avoid it, but to embrace it the best you can when it comes. The only way to happiness is by being an optimist even when — and especially when — tragedy has struck you and your life couldn’t possibly be any worse than it already is.

If you want more out of your life, then you need to make room for better things by appreciating what you already have even if it doesn’t seem like much. In this way, focusing on happiness begets more happiness, just as giving in to misery will only breed more misery.

What Happens When We Give Into Doubt

All of us experience periods of tragedy like Frankl did. Hopefully they’re not as bad as living in a concentration camp, but the difficulties we face in life are a given.

Through these adversities, we begin to carefully access our situations and constantly question our capabilities when they arise.

We ask things like, “Are we really able to pull ourselves out of this situation?” or “Can we really do this?” (the answer is yes).

Through questions like these, we wonder whether it’s better to give up now to save ourselves the pain of losing later; yet by starting down this line of questioning, we can easily succumb to missing out on the necessary growing pains of adversity we must experience to achieve the life we want to live.
These feelings of doubt are easy to give into, but we can’t feed those fears no matter what.

Because the second we fully give into doubt, we lose something of ourselves. And through that loss of belief, we lose the thread of hope that spins the wheels of our own happiness.
And once hope is gone, it’s hard to get back.

The Meaning of Our Lives Is Not Inherent

It’s clear Frankl had skills that came in handy during his imprisonment. After all, he was a psychiatrist before entering the camp, so he was given access to people and places he wouldn’t otherwise have had.

While describing his relationship with his officers, Frankl notes how the men were driven to the viewpoints they had, stating, “They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

Some officers chose brutality and to revel in their authority over others. Others chose milder ways and kept to themselves, while others helped their prisoners live less miserable lives.
Just like the officers Frankl had, his fellow prisoners could choose their attitudes at all times, because the freedom to think is something you can never truly take from anyone.

Even though he’d experienced so much pain from the war and the cruel officers around him, Frankl chose to be brave: he chose to be an optimist and to see the good in everything no matter what, and through that belief he spread wisdom to others and lived a life worth living.
The truth is we’re all suffering in some way. But if we stay miserable and let our environment rule us, there’s no way we can protect ourselves from the stumbling blocks that life will put in our way.

The Choice to be Happy is Yours...

No matter what bad things happen to you, only you have the choice of how you’re going to deal with the problems in your life now — and nobody else.

The choices you make in this moment now will determine how you find your own meaning. They can come from fear and from seeking out the darkness all around us, or they can come from love and from seeking out the light from all the good in our lives.
These are the choices you have to make for good or worse, and only you can make them. Because adversity will eventually come into your life. And it has a bad habit of peeking up when you least expect it.

But if you can train your mind to focus on the good and be grateful for what you have now, you will open yourself up to live an abundant life of positive growth and change that will transform your life.
What you choose to do when adversity strikes will change your life forever.
You can choose to bemoan or run away from it, or you can choose to embrace it and overcome it with all you’ve got.

The choice is yours, and it always will be.
So how will you choose to be happy about this gift of life in the moments and years to come?

Train Your Brain to Break Bad Habits

A well-designed app can help address daily costly mistakes.

By definition, it's not easy to change habits. They can be the source of poor time management, interrupt our creativity and impact our leadership. In fact, people sometimes need a near-death experience or a threatening loved one as the thing that will kick them out of their bad ones and into good ones.

But your habits are also those that define who you are. Understanding and acknowledging them can take time and effort but generally the results are worth it. If you looked closer at some of the decisions you make during the course of the day, you might see areas that didn't expect to come with negative consequences. Here are some harmless-looking or even efficient sounding habits someone can do that could be holding them back:

Stop Multitasking. A 2006 research paper suggests that there is an unseen cost to needing to spin too many plates. Attempting to pay attention to two tasks at once will reduce your effectiveness in both. Especially for those complex situations. "It takes extra time to shift mental gears every time you switch tasks--that means when you sit down to work, close your e-mail program so it doesn't distract you," writes the American Psychological Association.

Fight Perfectionism. When approaching a problem, your mind may be open to suggestions, but pinning too much on the solution can be your downfall. When you're working on a difficult challenge, you have got to always be ready for the inevitable: failure. As Edward B. Burger and
Michael Starbird write in their bestseller The Five Elements of Effective Thinking, "commit to the idea that you'll fail at least nine times before getting something right. Whether you're producing a new gadget or artistic work, don't believe that you'll succeed on your very first attempt. By thinking in this way, you'll feel free to simply go ahead and try new ideas without fear."

Leave Your Couch. A busy day means at the end of it, Netflix and a slice of pizza sound just like heaven. But that means that you need to take the idea of physical activity seriously to keep your body functioning. Harvard Business Review puts it succinctly: "On days when employees visited the gym, their experience at work changed. They reported managing their time more effectively, being more productive, and having smoother interactions with their colleagues. Just as important: They went home feeling more satisfied at the end of the day."

All of this means that maybe allowing yourself some help could pay dividends. Apps like Fabulous on Android (free with in-app purchases) offer tools that train your brain into being more receptive to breaking bad habits and creating new and better ones. The app works by guiding you through daily routines which have a couple different categories like gaining energy, eating better, managing your weight and getting a good night's sleep.

It's also gorgeous. It takes advantage of Google's Material Design for a colorful, pleasing interface. The app will create alarm reminders to make sure that you're staying true to your goals. It can be a powerful tool in helping to create a better self.

A 2-Minute Meditation to De-Stress and Feel Happier

Incorporating meditation into a chaotic day can be challenging. Who has time to sit down and clear the mind when you have a million other things to do? But here’s the kicker—even though it may seem like you have no time for it, meditation can actually help you feel more focused and productive.

And while it’s a great idea to meditate for ten minutes or more, if you’re short on time, you only need a few minutes to calm your mind and boost your mood through meditation. Watch this video featuring Suze Yalof Schwartz, CEO and founder of Unplug Meditation and author of Unplug: A Simple Guide To Meditation for Busy Skeptics and Modern Soul Seekers ($23; amazon.com), for a quick two-minute meditation that will help you de-stress and feel calmer. Follow along as she guides us through a simple meditation sequence. Don’t have time to watch? Check out her simple instructions below.

Start by closing your eyes. Breathe in through your nostrils for four seconds. Hold your breath for another four seconds. Exhale through the nose for four seconds. Repeat by holding in your breath again for four seconds. Do this breathing exercise three more times.

With your eyes still closed, imagine seeing someone you really love (this could be a person or a beloved pet). Imagine that person is simply hugging you. When you’re ready, begin to wiggle your toes and your fingers, and open your eyes.

Slowing down the breath slows down the brain and sends a signal to your mind that everything is going to be okay. And thinking about someone you love makes you happy!

Try adding this practice to your routine to de-stress and feel happier every day.

5 Ways to Boost Your Self-Esteem- Expert-Approved

Be it a nasty rumor, an unsightly blemish, or a bad case of the Mondays, we all have those moments when our self-confidence plummets. And, while it’s easy to let these moments get away from us and spiral into a self-loathing slump, Sanam Hafeez, Ph.D., an NYC-based clinical psychologist and the founder of Comprehensive Consultation Psychology Services, says there are some things we can do to lessen the emotional effects of these not-so-fortunate events. For starters: building self-esteem.

So just what is self-esteem? According to Hafeez, self-esteem isn’t about finding value in materialistic matters, but rather it’s about how you appreciate yourself despite perceived flaws.

Meaning those with low self-esteem tend to have a negative self-perception, while those with an inflated self-esteem may have a sense of entitlement. To find the sweet spot, aka self-love, self-worth, self-respect, and regard for others, we asked Hafeez how to improve our self-esteem. For a psychologist’s tips on how to build self-esteem, because, let’s face it, we could all use a confidence boost every now and again, keep on reading.

1. EXERCISE

You’ve probably heard that exercise can improve your mood, and you’re about to hear it again. Not only has exercise been proven to make you feel better, but Hafeez says that exercises with an emphasis on breathing and moving your body in repetitive motions such as tai chi, dancing, running, and cycling help to clear the mind as well as negative thoughts associated with low self-esteem.

2. BE GRATEFUL

You know that inner voice that repeatedly fixates on what you do “wrong?” Well, Hafeez calls that our inner critic. She further adds that those with low self-esteem experience this...

You know that inner voice that repeatedly fixates on what you do “wrong?” Well, Hafeez calls that our inner critic. She further adds that those with low self-esteem experience this naysaying voice more frequently others. To calm your chatty inner critic, Hafeez recommends practicing gratitude. Every time your inner critic starts to talk, Hafeez says to say three things you are grateful for, as gratitude shows you are worthy of goodness and silences the inner naysayer.

3. SELF-ANALYSIS

In order to build self-esteem, you have to focus on shifting the negative to the positive, says Hafeez. In order to do this, she recommends keeping a notebook in which you write down positive and satisfying moments from your day. For example, I found $10 in my jeans, an old friend sent me a text, or I had a delicious lunch. By doing this, Hafeez says you will start to see the good in your life, which can help build self-esteem and further prove your worthiness.

4. VOLUNTEER

Take your focus off your inner critic, and instead focus on other people through volunteer work. While the simple act of volunteering is a reward in and of itself, it’s common to receive appreciation when volunteering which Hafeez says can add value to your self-worth, and in turn improve self-esteem. If this is of interest to you, get involved with a charity close to your heart or try out a volunteering app, like the one above, that connects people with volunteering opportunities in their area.

5. UNPLUG

Hafeez says that self-esteem, as it relates to social media, can go two ways; people can feel inadequate about themselves when looking at others in their feed or they can go the extreme and show...

Hafeez says that self-esteem, as it relates to social media, can go two ways; people can feel inadequate about themselves when looking at others in their feed or they can go the extreme and show off as a means to seek approval and further feed their lack of self-esteem. To remedy this, Hafeez recommends a social media detox of sorts. However, she is quick to point out that stepping away from social media is easier said than done.

Want to Be a Lot Happier? Never Do Any of These 9 Things

If you're less than happy with your life -- either personally or professionally -- the problem isn't education, or upbringing , or a lack of opportunities, being held back by other people, or even bad luck.

If you're unhappy, the problem is you. While approximately 50 percent of your happiness (your "happiness set-point") is determined by personality traits that are largely hereditary, the other 50 percent of your level of happiness is totally within your control: your health, your career, your relationships, your interests and pursuits...

If you're unhappy, you have the power to change that. Since the best addition often comes from subtraction, start by deciding to do these things:

1. Never equate acquisition with satisfaction.

Psychologists call it "hedonistic adaptation," a phenomenon in which people automatically shift the joy of a new purchase back towards their emotional norm.

Or, in non-science speak, how that "Aaah..." feeling you get when you look at your new house quickly goes away. Or how that "Aaah..." feeling quickly goes away when you buy a new car, new furniture, or new clothes.

The only way to recapture that "Aaah..." feeling is to buy something else, an addictive cycle that never leads to long-term satisfaction. Why? That's not how we're made.

Real, lasting satisfaction comes from doing, not from having. Want to feel good about yourself? Help someone.

Knowing you've made a difference in another person's life is an "Aaah..." that lasts forever.

It's a cycle that is also addictive -- but this time, in a good way.

2. Never mistake political gain for achievement.

Infighting, positioning, trying to look better by making other people look worse... playing politics can help get you ahead.

But if you win by politics you ultimately lose, since political success is based on the impulses, whims, and caprices of other people--other people you don't even like. That means today's success can be tomorrow's failure, and success or failure is largely outside your control.

Real achievements are based on merit. They can't be taken away--by anyone.

Real success is truly satisfying.

3. Never let the fear of disapproval or criticism hold you back.

Try something different. Try something others won't try. Almost immediately, people will talk about you -- and not in a nice way.

The only way to keep people from being snide, disparaging, or judgmental is to say and do what everyone else does. Then, of course, you live their lives and not yours. And you won't be happy.

See the fact that people talking about you as a sign you're on the right track -- your track.

Your track is the happy track. Not theirs.

4. Never forget to be last.

Everyone likes to be first. But often it's better to be last: The last to give up, the last to leave, the last to keep trying, the last to hold on to principles and values.

The world is full of people who quit. The world is full of people who pivot -- even though pivot is sometimes just a fancy word for "give up."

There will always be people who are smarter, more talented, better connected, and better funded. But they don't always win.

Be the last to give up on yourself; then, even if you don't succeed, you still win.

5. Never wait for that big idea.

You won't hit the big idea lottery. So stop trying.

Besides, even if you do come up with that elusive big idea, could you pull off the implementation? Do you have the skills, experience, and funding?

Don't feel bad. I don't either.

But here's what you do have: Plenty of small ideas. You don't need to look for a big idea if you act on your little ideas.

Happiness is a process, and processes are based on action.

6. Never ship.

We're naturally afraid to be "done" because then our idea, our product, or our service has to sink or swim -- and we're afraid it will sink.

Maybe it will sink -- but if you don't put it out there, it can also never swim. As Seth Godin says, you have to ship. No product can be successful until it's shipped. No application can be successful until it's released. No service can be successful until it's in the field.

When in doubt, ship it out. Then make whatever you produce next a little better. And ship that. And keep going.

You can't feel proud until you ship. So ship -- a lot.

7. Never see your resume as an end result.

Many people try to collect jobs and experiences in pursuit of crafting a "winning" CV. But that's backwards. Your CV is like a report card. It's just a by-product of what you've accomplished, learned, and experienced.

Don't base your life on trying to fill in the blanks on some "ideal" resume. Base your life on accomplishing your goals and dreams. Figure out what you need to do to get to where you want to be, and do those things.

Then let your resume reflect that journey.

8. Never wait.

For the right time. The right people. The right market. The right something.

And life passes you by.

The only right is right now.

Go.

9. Never think you aren't happy.

Close your eyes.

Imagine I have the power to take everything you hold dear away from you: Family, job or business, home... everything.

And I exercise that power. All of it, everything, is gone.

Would you beg and plead and offer me anything to get that life back? Would getting that life back mean everything to you? Would you realize that what you had is so much more important than what you didn't have?

Would you realize that what I just took away was pretty freaking awesome?

Of course you would.

Now open your eyes. Literally... and figuratively.