Losing weight.... some initial stages...

The following is an extract from some advice I gave to a recent friend from Mumbai, India, who decided to lose weight. I put it here, because it contains pieces of information that are maybe useful for others among you who are overweight and try to do something about that. For reasons of privacy, I leave out all personal details of course....

“......(Giving advice without having met you in person is...) still a little tricky, because being overweight can have several causes. Important : have you been screened for the presence of diabetes, or pre-diabetes (enhanced diabetes risk)? If not, I would advise you to do so.... The prevalence of diabetes worldwide is rising, especially in people of your (and my) age. Any other specific health problems you are aware of? Any compulsive eating behaviour? Any thyroid problems? (In general I do a very thorough symptom screening with my coachees before giving specific advice).

But anyway, here is some general free information already! And you are free to use it or neglect it of course.
Losing weight is not only a matter of what you eat and how much you eat, but much more how you are metabolizing foodstuffs. Difficult to read from just your picture what your prakriti (birth constitution) is, but I do have some idea... I don't know how familiar you are with the ayurvedic sanskrit terminology, but I suspect a mixed prakriti pitta/kapha, and your actual constitution (vikriti) probably contains a certain vata component, which you should try to bring down. General line of treatment here : first lower vata, and then avoid build-up of excess kapha.

Lowering vata : mainly through regularity in daily lifestyle. Easier said than done, I know. Trying to install a regular sleeping pattern and regular meal times is crucial though. Avoid mental stress where possible. This includes mental overexertion! And maybe you will not be happy to hear this, but the use of modern technologies like mobile phones, computers, gaming stuff, etc... are well-known vata-promotors! Please observe regularity (and avoid overuse) in these too!
An Ayurvedic remedy that helps well in lowering mental vata : Brahmi. Gives calmness and clearness to the mind. Two types of medicinal plants are known as 'Brahmi' in India: Centella Asiatica and Bacopa Monnieri. Both are ok, but I do have a slight preference for Bacopa Monnieri. Observe maximum dosages.

Avoid excessive build-up of kapha
This is where your diet comes in. Please do not try very severe diets, because, 1° they will make you feel awful, and 2° you will have 'relapses' in eating behaviour and build up more weight in the end! Instead : eat normal meals, well-balanced, at regular times (breakfast, dinner, supper). Go easy on butter and ghee, healthy vegetable oils are preferred in cooking your food. If you are a meat-eater, no excessive quantities either. Fish and eggs are ok. Avoid too sweet foods, particularly if prepared with plain white sugar. As a sweetener honey is particularly good for you (honey has the capacity of 'scraping away' excess kapha from the body srota's). Most important: plenty of vegetables (cooked + salads). Use enough 'hot' spices like black pepper, ginger, etc... They better digestion, but most of all 'speed up' your metabolism, and that is exactly what you need. I would also strongly advise you try taking Chitrak for a while, another ayurvedic remedy, botanical name : Plumbago Zeylanicum. Chitrak specifically clears the srotamsi (the macro- and micro body channels) from obstructing ama (toxins that, especially in obesitas, obstruct the normal 'flow' of healthy nutrients into the cells and, more devastatingly, the normal elimination of waste metabolites from your cells!)
Try taking 2 tablets of chitrak 2 to 3 times a day for several weeks (in combination with a rather balanced diet, make the best of it!), and please let me know how you are feeling afterwards. Chitrak enhances digestion and metabolism, and many people experience some weight loss. Chitrak can increase hunger feelings, don't worry too much about that, just eat some healthy stuff then to calm that hunger. Just observe the following when on chitrak : if your stomach starts really 'hurting', then you should stop the intake of chitrak immediately. It means chitrak has worked and the srota's are already cleared up considerably. If this would happen, just ask me what to do next....
After 2 weeks on Chitrak (not before!) you can start taking a multivitamin/mineral tablets to further normalize healthy metabolism. This multi should at least contain the following nutrients:
°All B-vitamins : B1, B2, B3 (nicotinic acid or nicotinamide), B5 (mostly as calcium pantothenate), B6, B9 (folic acid) and B12. If you can find a supplement containing also choline and inositol, that's even better.
°Vitamin C, vitamin E
°Minerals : should contain at least magnesium, calcium, zinc, chromium, selenium, ..

If you want to give it a try, just go for it. I'll be glad to help you further after this first stage! (...)...”