worried about gaining a few kilos because of the puja binge dont fret too much the trick to staying fit is not to deprive yourself but making better choices finds out somdatta basu that a festival is synonymous with food needs no reiteration especially if it is a big fat bengali one like durga puja and even the most calorieconscious are worried stiff this season for all carefully planned diets and healthy eating habits inevitably go for a toss if you constantly have guilt pangs after gorging on phuchka biryani mughlai paranthas and other delicacies heres some good news fitness experts assure it will be easy to shed the extra flab soon after the festivities are over if some basic guidelines are adhered to strength and conditioning trainer neeraj surana says revellers can consume good food without a worry during the festival as a healthy and active lifestyle throughout the year can shed off those few extra kilos soon you wont become obese if you suddenly indulge in oily food during the festival especially if you follow a healthy lifestyle throughout the year your metabolism will be high enough to prevent significant weight gain some people prone to weight gain may put on between one and three kilos but this can be shed off quickly neeraj adds his threepoint prescription keep yourself hydrated keep away from aerated drinks and try to get good sleep if you dont exercise for four days the body needs to recover and there is no better way to do so by simply abiding by these three rulesthe few extra pounds can be shed by following a routine postpuja workout he says strength and conditioning coach ranadip moitra believes in moderation it is okay to binge for four days but i do not encourage extreme dieting or drastic changes in lifestyle after the festivalcalories dont matter consistency is important no one can follow a perfect lifestyle regime for 365 days but adhering to it for 300 days can take care of the other 65 days moitra explains consume only hygienic food dont fall sick and mess up your holidays he adds a nonbeliever in any quickfix method moitra says people lose weight quickly through starvation but the body soon starts burning enzymes and muscles and hence the metabolic rate falls jayanti banerjee a consultant dietician says opt for food thats less fatteningsteamed momos are healthier than fried momos hakka noodles have less calories than greasy cantonese noodles similarly a rumali roti is a better option than laccha parantha soups and sal ads are healthier and preferable for weightwatchers pasta in red sauce is better than pasta in white sauce since white sauce is filled with cheese and mayonnaise right choices influence how much kilos will be added to the existing body weight during puja continental cuisine is less greasy baked dishes are healthier when cooked in olive oil banerjee says minu budhia whose wellness centre has a stateoftheart gym says its not necessary to deprive yourself