Chandanagar leaves early. Out by half past seven, breakfast bought on the road, or skipped with a chai at the shop.
At BMI 30 or above both cost you about the same by one o'clock. Check your BMI.
The roadside plate, in numbers
Two pooris with potato curry: about 420 calories, 7 g protein.
Four idlis with thin sambar and chutney: about 420 calories, 9 g protein.
One vada: about 145 calories, 3 g protein.
Two mirchi bajji: about 230 calories, 4 g protein.
Your morning needs 20 to 30 grams of protein. None of these give even half.
Five minutes at home beats ten on the road
Two boiled eggs from last night with a glass of milk: about 270 calories, 18 g protein.
A bowl of curd with soaked moong: about 230 calories, 15 g protein.
Two idlis from yesterday with curd: about 250 calories, 11 g protein.
Each is faster than stopping at the cart, and then the tiffin centre becomes optional.
If you are buying breakfast anyway
Ask for the sambar in a separate bowl and drink it. It is the only part with dal in it.
Idli over poori. Plain dosa over masala dosa, which saves about 100 calories.
Add an egg wherever egg is sold. It costs very little and adds 6 g protein for 75 calories.
Keep bajji and vada for Sunday.
The chai at the shop
Four sweet chais a day is about 160 calories of pure sugar, in small cups nobody counts. At BMI 30+ that alone can hold your weight exactly where it is.
Half the sugar for two weeks, then none. Your taste resets.
Why this weight needs testing, not guessing
At BMI 30 and above, pre-diabetes, diabetes, thyroid problems, fatty liver and high blood pressure are common. People in physical jobs often assume the work handles it. Often it does not, and a sugar report is the only way to know.
A LIFE dietician reads your reports, asks what you really eat on a working day, and writes a plan you can keep.
₹999 diet consultation: 30 to 45 minutes, in clinic or online, written plan within 48 hours, one review call. Our Chandanagar clinic is above Croma in Madeenaguda. See the clinic.
Common questions
How many calories in two pooris with curry
About 420 calories and only 7 grams of protein. Two idlis with sambar and a bowl of curd gives 330 calories and 15 grams.
What can I eat in five minutes before leaving home
Two boiled eggs kept ready from the night before with a glass of milk, or a bowl of curd with soaked moong. Both give 15 to 18 grams of protein.
Do four teas a day affect weight loss
Yes. Two spoons of sugar per cup is about 40 calories, so four cups is 160 calories a day with no food value at all.