4 min readNew DelhiMay 19, 2026 12:00 AM IST
A lifestyle content creator recently opened up about the everyday habits that helped her lose around 14 kilos, dropping from 67 kg to 53 kg, while avoiding extreme diets or unsustainable restrictions. In a recent Instagram post, Srishti Krishnan shared that instead of chasing perfection, she focused on building routines she could realistically maintain long-term for weight loss.
One of the key points she highlighted was learning to balance cravings rather than completely banning “junk food.” She explained, “If I wanted a burger, I ate the burger. Killing the craving completely always made me binge later. Eat it, enjoy it, move on.” She also stressed that movement became a daily non-negotiable, even if it was minimal on some days. “No pressure on hitting 10K steps. Some days it was 2K. Still showed up. That’s it,” she said, emphasising consistency over intensity.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.
Srishti also spoke about making changes to meal timing and eating behaviour. She shared that reducing carbs at dinner and opting for foods like eggs, paneer, dal, or chicken instead of rice and roti at night helped her feel lighter. Another habit she focused on was slow eating. “I used to finish my plate in 5 minutes. Slowing down literally helped me eat less because my body finally had time to say, okay that’s enough,” she said. She further added that drinking “one full glass of water before every meal” became a surprisingly effective habit during her weight-loss journey.
Beyond food and exercise, Srishti highlighted the emotional and psychological side of sustainable weight loss. She revealed that weighing herself every day was negatively affecting her mindset, prompting her to switch to weekly weigh-ins instead. She also credited better sleep for helping manage cravings and spoke about the importance of not waiting for a “perfect” time to restart after setbacks. According to her, consistency mattered more than occasional bad days, and small repeatable habits made the biggest difference over time.
So how effective is the approach of allowing occasional junk food in moderation?
Ashlesha Joshi, Fitness Dietician and Nutritionist at Tone 30 Pilates, tells indianexpress.com, “This is actually a far more sustainable approach than extreme restriction. When people label foods as completely forbidden, it often increases cravings and creates a cycle of guilt, binge eating, and emotional stress around food.”
She adds that allowing occasional indulgences in moderation helps reduce the psychological pressure associated with dieting and improves long-term adherence to healthy eating habits. “The idea is not to normalise junk food daily, but to remove the all-or-nothing mindset that makes sustainable weight management difficult for many individuals.”
How smaller lifestyle behaviours influence long-term weight management
Joshi notes that these seemingly small habits have a significant cumulative effect on metabolic health and appetite regulation. Daily movement improves insulin sensitivity and supports calorie expenditure without creating mental burnout associated with rigid fitness goals. Eating slowly allows the brain enough time to register fullness signals, which reduces overeating.
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The expert adds, “Drinking water before meals may improve satiety and portion control in some individuals. Sleep is particularly critical because poor sleep disrupts hunger hormones like ghrelin and leptin, increasing cravings for high-calorie foods. Long-term weight management is often more strongly linked to consistency in these foundational behaviours than to short-term dieting strategies.”
On meal timing or lowering carb intake at dinner
From a scientific standpoint, Joshi mentions that overall calorie balance, food quality, protein intake, fibre consumption, and consistency matter far more in the long run than simply avoiding carbs at night.
“What works best is a pattern that is sustainable and suits an individual’s lifestyle, hunger patterns, and metabolic health. For some people, reducing heavy late-night meals helps them stay within their calorie needs more naturally,” concludes the expert.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.
