Whatever our nationalities, most women in the UAE like looking good. We also like eating - and not exercising. So, unless we're very, very lucky, we end up being overweight.
That, says Indian fitness guru Vandana Luthra, makes us guilty and unhappy.
"Women in the UAE are fashionable and conscious of their body. They like looking good, they like dressing up. They want to be healthy and beautiful. At the same time, they - and the men - are fond of eating and hardly get any exercise done.
Then they feel very bad and get obsessed about losing weight," she said.
Number 5
Vandana is the founder of VLCC, an India-wide chain of beauty and slimming centres. She was in Dubai recently, attending the opening of the fifth VLCC Centre (on Shaikh Zayed Road) in the UAE. There's one each in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah plus another two in Dubai.
"We work to take away that guilt and obsession," she continued. "We work literally as knowledge centres, telling you what kind of food is good for you. You can't lose weight on your own. Different people react differently to diet and exercise plans. So you need a programme that works for you and keeps you motivated. That's why we have counsellors - they are the backbone of our success."
In VLCC, for instance, that programme includes healthy diet and exercise - both machine-assisted and freehand. They have doctors, physiotherapists, nutritionists and even psychologists, if needed.
They say that over the last 15 months, they have helped UAE become slimmer by 15,000 kilos!
Tips
So, what can we do every day that helps us to lose/maintain weight? Vandana shares seven tips:
- Don't starve yourself. Eat enough of the right food - good carbs, proteins, minerals and vitamins; high-fibre/low fat food.
- Eat whole fruits. Avoid juices. They contain no fibre but have all the sugar.
- Eat light meals at short intervals.
- Sleep at least two hours after dinner.
- Don't self-medicate because many medicines have weight gain as a side effect.
- Do an activity that fits around your day. Take stairs up two flights, take an early morning walk, dance, play with your children.
- Think positive - always. You WILL stay slim. At the same time, don't get obsessed with losing weight.
Good, healthy advice. Are we listening?
Shilpa's secret
Vandana Luthra has a long list of celebrity clients in India. She can't name all, but can name three: former actresses Tina Ambani and Raveena Tandon and Big Brother winner Shilpa Shetty.
Shilpa, she said, keeps her weight off easily because of her habits. "Shilpa is a very beautiful girl with a gorgeous figure.
She's full of life and energy, always positive. She eats when she wants to, but she eats the right things. She likes fish,
doesn't eat red meat and doesn't smoke or drink. And she exercises - she loves dancing!" Vandana said.
Shilpa was in Dubai recently for the premiere of her film Metro: Life in a City. She looked utterly stunning both at the
premiere (glittering formal wear) and at the press conference afterwards (skinny jeans and fitted jacket).
The lady
Name: Vandana Luthra
Age: 48
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 60 kilos
Qualifications: Nutritionist and cosmetologist
Honours: Several industry-related awards in India
Motto: You must enjoy staying in shape
Shumsa Tahseen lost a total of 18 kilos and dropped three dress sizes. So was happy to talk about her VLCC experience. "I used to drink a lot of juices, not realising how much sugar I was taking in," she said.
"When I joined VLCC I was extremely sceptical. But they changed my mind. It makes a huge difference to me now – I have less weight to jump around with and so much more energy!"
