How to Lose Weight: The Rujuta Diwekar Way

Celebrity fitness expert Rujuta Diwekar took questions from you, our dear readers, on how to stay fit.

Rujuta Diwekar is out with her new book -- Don't Lose Out Work Out -- that deals with various workout-related myths.

The celebrity fitness trainer, best known for her work with Kareena Kapoor and Anil Ambani among others, took questions from you, our dear readers on Monday, April 29.

Here is the transcript of the chat.

Bittu Shah

I am 27 years and my height is 6 inches and my weight is around 85 kgs I am going to get married by early next year and I want to reduce my weight by about 10 to 12 kg and get my body in shape. Please guide me a proper diet and fitness regime to follow.

Rujuta Diwekar

Read Don't Lose Out Work Out and follow the workout plan for achieving a good body composition.

Jyoti Joshi

I am in mid 30s.

My weight to height ratio is appropriate.

But after my first delivery (8 years ago) I did not do any exercise to reduce the tummy.

Is it possible to try it now and reduce it.

Rujuta Diwekar

You can lose it anytime you want with a good lifestyle -- even eight years later.

So why not just do it now?

Sanjay Goyal

My son is 15 years and weighs 88 kg, not much of physical exercise, his height is 5.7.

What does he need to do, go on diet and exercise or just give up some high cal junk and some regular sports, or a rigorous fitness regime?

Rujuta Diwekar

Everything!

Get him active, sign him up for a sport, encourage him to eat home-cooked food, cut down on expenditure on junk food.

But remember that he is just a child and the way parents eat is a big influence. If you won't adopt a healthier lifestyle, then lecturing him on having one wont work.

Chandrashekhar

What can I do for fresh face?

Rujuta Diwekar

Get good sleep.

Prajakta Jadhav

I'm an IT professional, age 32. My lifestyle is that I sit for seven hours a day at work

Also I have to travel 40km daily on my two-wheeler which make tires me out. Please suggest me some exercises and diet? Though I started preferring homemade food after reading your books

Rujuta Diwekar

That's great Prajakta! Working girls need to make extra time to workout.

Read Don't Lose Out Work Out so that you learn how to optimally workout and plan your routine.

Prachi

I am a 34-year-old female.

I follow your eating habits to the T... but for the last five months I have a bloated stomach on and off.

I have done CT scans and sonography... everything is normal.

Doctors have given me medicines which reduces the bloating temporary. Please suggest

Rujuta Diwekar

Take a vitamin B supplement and focus on good restorative sleep. Disturbed or poor sleep is a big contributor to bloating.

Chaitali Kalra

I have read your earlier two books.... I want to know how to reduce my thigh fat… gymming and aerobic don't help it a lot. Please advise!

Rujuta Diwekar

Plan your workouts sensibly. Read Don't Lose Out, Work Out for details.

Ira Aggarwal

What should be done to get rid of cellulite and water retention?

I drink around three litres of water a day and eat according to your books.

By the way, keep up your great work!!!

Rujuta Diwekar

Iyengar Yoga. Thanks. Glad you like the books.

Sujata Joshi

I am a diabetic. Please can you suggest some exercises to burn the sugar?

Rujuta Diwekar

Weight training works wonders for keeping sugar under control.

Ann Mary

I lost close to 8 kg by exercise and eating right.

The major reason for this has been your book. 

Now I weigh 61kg and am stuck here at this weight for more than four months!

What should I do?

I am a mother of two girls too :-)

Rujuta Diwekar 

Just keep up with eating right and don't weigh your progress on the scales.

Trupti Chorage

Hi I am Murali. I am 52 years old.

I was an athlete when I was young.

Now I want to have a six-pack abs by December 2015. Can I take protein shake? Will it affect my kidney?

Rujuta Diwekar

Yes, it will only make your kidneys stronger.

Workout and follow the 4Rs.

Age doesn't make us athletes, exercise and fitness do.

For you to build good health, it will be much easier because of your fitness history.

Fragrant

I am a 29-year-old Hypothyroid patient and I am not able to control my weight gain.

I have got red stretch marks and swelling almost on the whole body.

CRP (reactive protein) levels are high and I also have endometriosis.

What should I do to lose weight?

Rujuta Diwekar

Iyengar yoga is superb for stretch marks amongst many other things.

Please focus on eating better.

Do read Women and the Weight Loss Tamasha!

Santu Smart

I swim daily and am able to reduce weight too but my face is getting darker black.

According to the doctor, the water causes it.

Can you suggest a correct exercise?

Rujuta Diwekar

Any form of exercise which challenges you will burn fat for you.

And chicken won't make you fat, unless you overeat it

Asha Kamath

Does eating ragi help in maintaining weight?

Rujuta Diwekar

Yes

Monisha H

I have read your latest book on exercise and loved it.

I just wanted to know if yoga can be the only form of exercise because I guess it falls into strength training category?

So also do I have to do some form of cardio exercise as well?

Rujuta Diwekar

Thanks Monisha. No, yoga is more than enough.

But practice regularly, not just the asanas but also the philosophy and value system:-)

Aditi Kolge

Dear Rujuta, after my delivery, I have been working out approximately six days a week alternating between weight training and cardio. I have lost 6 kg, but for the last 4 months my weight has hit a plateau.

I have increased weights in training and my trainer is giving various group muscle exercises after which I take my vitamins and protein shake.

Please advise!

Rujuta Diwekar

If exercise performance is improving then its just gain in lean body weight!

So keep up with workouts and eating right and get off the scales.

Gauri Athalekar

I have a thyroid problem. I have been going to the gym for last one year. I am doing weight training -- for the upper and lower body every alternate day. However my weight does not reduce at all and am stuck at the same weight for the last six months.

Rujuta Diwekar

Give it time, the weight will reduce.

For much better analysis of body composition look at exercise performance and sleep quality -- if you are improving on those fronts then you are losing fat and improving on thyroid too.

Priyanka Sharma

My weight is 62 kh and I am 17 years old.

Since I am a student I don't get a lot of time to exercise due.

What changes I should make in my diet so as to reduce weight?

Rujuta Diwekar

Make time to exercise.

Nilesh

My mother -- age 58 is 5 ft /1 in and weighs 80 kg.

Her knees don't support lot of walk.

Please suggest the suitable exercise

Rujuta Diwekar

Iyengar yoga therapy class. Check website for details.

Swati Shevade

My son is 19 years old and regularly goes to gym but he takes protein shake as per the instructions given by his gym instructor.

Is it correct to consume it at this age?

I read that they are not good for your kidney. Please advice.

Rujuta Diwekar

They are fine. Follow the 4Rs of post workout from Don't Lose Out, Work Out -- Rehydrate, replenish, repair, recover.

Pradeep Nair

Oily or sugary which food more dangerous

Rujuta Diwekar

Both -- stay away from packaged foods too.

Chitra

I have read all your books and for the last two months I am exercising regularly and eating every 2-3 hrs -- I have a banana early in the morning around 5.45-6.45, as soon I finish exercise I have almonds with a glass of buttermilk at 7.15-7.30 am, and have my breakfast at 9 am. I am experiencing a shivering in my solar plexus when I exercise. Please can you explain?

Rujuta Diwekar

This sounds like acidity during exercise -- combination of wrong technique during exercise and mismanaged pre post workout meals.

Read Don't Lose Out Work Out for details and correct it accordingly.

Pournima Jagushte

I have PCOD Problem. Please suggest some exercise

Rujuta Diwekar

Weight training and Iyengar yoga -- four times a week

Nilesh

My wife is 30 years old and was 78 kg. She used Herbalife shake (for breakfast and dinner) for past 3 months.

She has reduced 11 kg.

For the last 3 months she has been doing aerobics floor exercises five days a week.

But I am more concerned about the Herbalife shake. Is it good?

Rujuta Diwekar

Anything that replaces real food is dangerous.

Losing weight doesn't justify the means.

The weight loss should come from loss of fat tissue and must be sustainable.

Ask her to eat right and be sensible with the exercise.

Divya P

1. I have a muscle sprain in my pecs/shoulder region and have been told to by doctor to not do upper body strength training for a month.

I am free to do anything else.

Is it ok to carry on with my lower body strength training for a month without working out my upper body?

2. Should running, squats and other weight bearing exercises be avoided by overweight people?

Rujuta Diwekar

Please continue with lower body strength training.

The sprain from pecs will go too; do stretch and you can train upper body by lifting weights lower than usual and reducing number of reps.

Rose

Can you suggest some good multivitamins and mineral brand that I can purchase?

I can't buy whey protein (because my parents don't allow it and I am 18 years old).

So after strength training should I eat my breakfast or just do the 3Rs and have breakfast after 40 minutes?

Rujuta Diwekar

Any brand of multivitamin is fine. For knowing how to choose whey protein read Don't Lose Out, Work Out!

Jyoti

My height is 5'4" . And I want to reduce 10 kg that I gained after pregnancy. Please advice.

Are yoga and walking enough or do I need to join the gym?

I also feel bloated and having pain in knee as well.

Rujuta Diwekar

Yoga and walking is good enough if you implement the principle of progressive overload.

Read Don't Lose Out, Work Out for details.

Shubha

I had normal delivery four months ago.

I tried jogging after 3 months and I experienced knee pain.

I never had knee pain before pregnancy.

Can you please advise?

Rujuta Diwekar

Pregnancy changes the way the spine is used to bear the body weight.

To strengthen the spine, start weight training in the gym and choose a softer surface to run on -- sand, grass, mud etc.

Also build the distance slowly, don't jog too long, too fast, too soon.

Neeru Mittal

I am 38 years old/5'3''/68kg.

I have hypo thyroid and am taking 125mg thyroxin.

I go to the gym regularly but am unable to lose weight.

I am a pure vegetarian.

Please advise!

Rujuta Diwekar

Your gym exercises should stimulate you to grow more muscles and get denser in bones.

Go for full body workouts from Don't Lose Out, Work Out and follow hypothyroid strategies from Women and Weight-loss Tamasha

Kushal Jirafe

I am experiencing Sciatic Nerve pain (pain in right leg from thighs till toe) after I drive a distance of around 30 km in city traffic.

Can you suggest any exercise to relieve from that pain?

The pain is due to frequent shifting of accelerator and brakes in my car.

Rujuta Diwekar

Iyengar yoga, calcium supplement, strength training in the gym and staying active through the day!

Navya

I am 32 years old and have a large.

Please let me know particular yoga exercise helps me in reducing tummy.

Also can you suggest a diet?

Rujuta Diwekar

There is nothing like spot reduction.

For best results sign up for an Iyengar yoga class.

Nilesh

I am male/37 years old/5'9"/88 kg.

I have a large belly; otherwise I am not that fat.

I have been going to the gym for the last six months and have gone have gone down from 91 to 88 kg.

I do a mixture of cardio and weight training.

What kind of exercise routine do you suggest for me?

I have high uric acid and hence don't want to focus on high protein diet.

Rujuta Diwekar

Forget the height and weight measurements.

Do read Don't Lose Out, Work Out.

Working out is one of the best ways of lowering uric acid.

Avoid long gaps and alcohol.

And milk and milk products are safe to have.