I always gain back the weight I’ve lost after going on a diet. This is depressing. What can I do about it?

Yo-yo dieting is one of the worst things you can expose your metabolism to. When you start a diet regime and you find yourself saying ‘after I lose weight, I will start eating normally again’, rest assured your diet will definitely fail. You have to make your current choice of diet or meal plan your new normal. That’s the way you should be eating. For this to happen, you need to make a shift in your mindset and that means following a diet that you can sustain for a long time. There is no quick-fix when it comes to health. Most yo-yo dieters rely only on diets to lose weight – a big mistake. You need to start focusing on fitness and challenging yourself there as well. Make fitness part of your lifestyle and that does not mean having to sign up at a gym. You can start by going on regular walks, for instance. Once your mindset changes, your body will follow.

I’ve read a report that says following a keto diet could raise my cholesterol levels. What is your advice?

Following a ketogenic diet is the best way to lose weight fast. It works with most people in the short run but almost always backfires because you are likely to succumb to temptations once you achieve your weight goal. With a ketogenic diet, you cannot go above 20 grams of carbohydrates in a day. To put things into perspective, 165 grams of baby spinach has 20 grams of carbs. So, you are left eating only meat, eggs, chicken, fish and a lot of fat from sources like butter, ghee, oil. Some use dairy, too. Your cholesterol levels will not go up if you use good fats and good quality meats. However, if you think going ketogenic gives you the license to eat meat fried in the worst quality oil and load up on extra servings of mayo, your heart health is definitely going to be compromised. Ketogenic diets are great for those looking for short-term results or for those who aren’t dropping weight due to a deranged metabolism. Done correctly with clean ingredients, the ketogenic diet can help contribute not just to weight loss but also a better lipid profile, improved energy and a buzzing metabolism.