If you are wondering how to lose extra pounds, not just fast, for a celebration, button up your favorite outfit, namely -
Let's see what proper weight loss means and how to lose weight
If you're still overweight despite all your previous attempts to shed the hated pounds, you're probably losing weight the wrong way. How to lose weight correctly?
Obviously, so that the pounds do not return, and of course without harm to health, because no one wants to be slim, but no one wants to pay for the results achieved with wounds and medication for the rest of their life.
Inadequate weight loss leads to obesity
Nutritionists are increasingly citing inadequate weight loss as one of the main causes of the obesity epidemic. The more people try to lose weight, the more weight they gain. Shame, annoying, but true!
It is clear that the problem lies in weight loss methods that are harmful to the body, which in the best case leads to the return of the lost pounds, and in the worst case to health problems.
So let's see how to lose weight the right way and keep the results forever! We have collected for you the TOP 10 principles of proper nutrition, which will help you get in shape even without dieting.
If you systematically, confidently and consciously follow these tips, you will enjoy every meal, you will not have to strictly limit yourself in eating, and at the same time, the extra pounds will be without the painful feeling of hunger and the strong lack of appetite, familiar. to everyone I've ever dieted with.
Principle 1. Lose weight slowly and correctly
Let's immediately agree with you (and you with yourself) that you will forever forget about tempting diets like: 10 kilograms in 10 days, minus 5 kg per week, etc.
Of course, if you try really hard, muster up your willpower, and don't jump off a strict mono-diet (probably this will be one of its types), then it is very likely that you will even achieve the promised result.
But this has nothing to do with the question of how to lose weight correctly. In this case, another question is relevant: at what price?
You can't eat buckwheat and cabbage leaves all your life, it's impossible to give up carbohydrates forever. As soon as the removed food is back in your fridge, on your table, on your plate, the hard-to-lose pounds won't wait long.
Principle 2 How to lose weight correctly - the calorie counter knows
Anyone who wants to lose weight effectively, i. e. seriously and for a long time, must remember two important words: "number of calories". And it doesn't matter where they come from.
- If you consume more calories than you burn, you gain weight.
- If you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight.
So the goal of any diet is to reduce the number of calories you consume through food. We can do this in several ways: we can choose foods with fewer calories, we can eat less overall, or we can combine the two methods in a way that suits us.
However, too sharp reduction of calorie intake is the cause of many unsuccessful and therefore incorrect attempts to lose weight.
- If you skip meals or don't feel well because your portions are too small, you'll be hungry and constantly craving snacks or high-calorie foods.
- If you have ever been on a diet for at least a week, you know that the psycho-emotional background deteriorates sharply, the mood, for whatever reason, irritability appears, which leads to the fact that a person tells his family and friends. .
Principle 3. The right way to lose weight in a full state is to eat small portions often.
The simplest strategy for proper weight loss is a combination of three small nutritious meals with a snack in the middle of the day and in the evening. Thanks to this nutrition system, you have five meals a day!
I agree, this is much better than skipping breakfast, lunch or dinner. Frequent meals prevent hunger, and small, dense, nutritious portions ensure that we consume enough nutrients without excess calories.
Note that three small meals plus a snack does not equate to a chewing habit. This involves eating continuously throughout the day without considering hunger and satiety. This eating behavior leads to excess calories and weight gain.
Frequent shared meals prevent a starving person from falling into despair and despondency. After all, you will soon be able to snack again, how and with what - the following principles will tell you.
The most important thing that people who lose weight with this system note is that they never ate as much as they did while losing weight. And the body gets rid of fat reserves more easily: frequent meals not only increase the metabolism, but also signal to the body that there is nothing to fear, there is no threat of hunger, and there is no need to store anything. future use.
Here are simple and easy-to-implement tips that will make it easier to eat five meals a day and eat as varied as possible:
- Plan ahead what you will eat throughout the day, including snacks. It is better to do this the day before.
- If you decide to lose weight the right way, feel free to bring healthy meals to work or school in convenient, airtight containers.
- In the evening, prepare food for the new day. Then you can always eat foods with pre-calculated calories, instead of buying snacks and other high-calorie products that are the first thing in stores when you want to eat.
- Don't rely on the same foods as snacks (such as bananas or apples), even if you really like them. Monotony is also a kind of starvation. The five divided meals a day and the many low-calorie and low-glycemic index foods allow for a varied diet while staying within the chosen daily "calorie corridor".
Principle 4. In order to lose weight correctly, do not deprive yourself of nutrients, just choose their optimal ratio
Changing the composition of nutrients in the diet and the weight-loss effect of such experiments are still the focus of many nutritionists. Let's deal with this question in more detail, because many diets preach: give up carbohydrates, remove fats from your diet, fill up on proteins - and slimness is guaranteed.
- In general, the recommended macronutrient distribution range suggests that 45-60% of calories should come from carbohydrates, 20-35% from fat, and 10-35% from protein.
- Some nutritionists believe that a healthier approach to weight loss is to increase protein intake to 45% and decrease carbohydrate intake to 25%.
- Many studies report that high-protein diets lead to greater weight loss than high-carbohydrate diets of the same calorie content. And also that a diet with fewer carbohydrates and more protein prevents weight gain after reaching the target value.
Carbohydrates - enemies or friends for those who decide to lose weight correctly?
The theory that carbohydrates cause weight gain, and therefore reducing the amount of carbohydrates in the diet leads to weight loss, has become very popular and has many followers.
You or someone close to you has probably tried to lose weight with a low-carb diet. Although it is impossible to completely eliminate carbohydrates from your diet, you can significantly reduce their consumption, so it would be more appropriate to call this type of diet a low-carbohydrate diet.
According to the scientists' results, increased consumption of carbohydrate-rich, sugar-sweetened beverages correlates with weight gain observed among children and adults in recent decades. It is a logical assumption that as carbohydrate consumption increases, so does waist size. But how exactly do carbohydrates affect body fat growth?
Some researchers argue that it's all about insulin, others that it's all about high-glycemic index foods, and still others that carbohydrates change appetite-suppressing hormones, which is why you feel hungry after eating carbohydrate-rich foods.
The body needs insulin to process glucose. After eating, it reacts to the rise in blood sugar and transports it to the cells.
The more carbohydrates a person consumes, the more insulin they need to maintain normal blood sugar levels. But this is not the only function of insulin. This pancreatic hormone also promotes fatty acid synthesis and lipogenesis in the liver.
Excess glucose, which is not converted to glycogen and used for energy, is converted to fatty acids and stored as fat.
In theory, the more carbohydrates that enter the body, the more insulin is secreted by the pancreas, and the more likely that glucose is stored as fatty acids in adipocytes (fat cells).
Insulin also prevents beta-oxidation of fatty acids by inhibiting lipolysis of fats stored in adipose tissue, which causes fatty acids to be retained in fat cells.
Thus, the effect of insulin on lipid metabolism tends towards fat concentration. In order to avoid elevated insulin levels, it is logical to switch to a low-carbohydrate diet.
But there is another side to the coin. The composition of the diet can affect the production of hormones that suppress the feeling of hunger. As a reminder, hunger increases with increasing ghrelin levels and decreases with increasing leptin levels.
Choose carbohydrates with a low glycemic index
The evidence supporting the idea that carbohydrates contribute to weight gain is promising. . . But!
When researchers looked at the effects of high-carb/low-fat or high-protein/high-fat/low-carb diets on weight loss, they found no benefit to the high-protein diet: the weight loss was the same!
In addition, carbohydrate restriction significantly reduces the quality of the diet and the variety of foods in general. Do you remember what you ate when you were on a low carb diet?
It is very difficult to sit on a strict low-carbohydrate diet and at the same time lead an active lifestyle: work, study, drive a car, play sports.
"A diet based on a slight restriction of daily calories (10-15% of the usual level) and a significant restriction of foods with a high glycemic index works well. Above all, it is about sugar and sugar-containing products. Plus fractional diet and less red meat. "
If you really want to know how to lose weight correctly, remember the following simple rules:
- A balanced diet for weight loss should include whole grains, legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, and as few high-glycemic carbohydrates as possible.
- Leave the simple carbs on the store shelf and take the complex carbs with you.
- When you add foods rich in saturated fats to your diet, such as whole milk, whole milk cheese, fatty meats, butter, they affect your cardiovascular system. Replace them with white meat, skinless chicken, fish, nuts and oils, which are not only good for your waistline but also good for your health (but remember: even unsaturated fats have nine calories per gram, so don't eat too many nuts and oils, however healthy they are - it's too easy to overdo the calories).
- The best combination for weight loss is low-calorie foods: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, some protein, and some fat. It is a combination that contains all five major food groups, is well balanced and meets nutritional needs.
Principle 5. When you lose weight correctly, volume matters.
In this case, we are not talking about the format, but the content of your plate. Both main meals and snacks should be the right size to keep you feeling full and satisfied.
A healthy diet with an appropriate weight loss strategy includes:
- consumption of foods with low energy density and high volume;
- rejection of foods with high energy density and small volume, which can easily fill the daily caloric intake, but still do not create a feeling of satiety;
- the emphasis is on low-calorie "bulk" foods: vegetables and fruits with a high water content, which give a quick feeling of satiety and reduce the feeling of hunger and, with it, the number of calories consumed.
In fact, if you eat a large plate of salad at the beginning of your meal - a large amount, with a low energy density - you will likely consume at least 10% fewer calories than you would otherwise.
A similar effect can be achieved by adding vegetables to soups and sandwiches - the portion size increases, satiety appears sooner, and we consume less energy-dense food
Energy density of food
- Low:These foods contain seven-tenths to one-and-a-half calories per gram and are high in water and fiber. Examples include most vegetables and fruits, including tomatoes, cantaloupe, strawberries, broccoli, and cauliflower. And soups with light broth, yogurt and cottage cheese.
- Average:These products contain one and a half to four calories per gram, and they also contain less water. These include baked goods, hard-boiled eggs, dried fruit, filet, hummus, whole-wheat bread and cheese.
- High:These foods contain four to nine calories per gram and are low in water. These include crisps, crackers, biscuits, cakes, butter, butter, fatty meats and bacon.
The most important thing to remember is that the diet should be based on foods with not too high energy density, high fiber and water content, and the rest can be eaten little by little - and as a result, the diet will be balanced. and your weight will decrease.
Principle 6. Fiber and water help you lose weight correctly
Fiber helps you feel full and is found in most fruits and vegetables. It has been proven that overweight people consume less of it than people of normal weight. This is why fiber-rich foods are a key part of a weight loss diet.
It has long been common knowledge that drinking more water is recommended when losing weight.
Let's add some useful tips for each day:
- You should drink non-carbonated drinking water, without flavorings and additives (usually all of them are sweet, that is, they contain carbohydrates that are unnecessary for you);
- Always carry a bottle of water in your bag, keep it handy in your car and on your desk;
- It is not recommended to drink a glass in one sip, it is better to drink it in small sips and often;
- the water must not be too cold, the room temperature is optimal;
- If you drink half a glass of water 10-15 minutes before a meal, it is likely that you will eat slightly less.
"Overeating is one of the main causes of obesity. The problem is that a person gets used to the feeling of fullness in the stomach and then does not notice it at all. That is why it is important to develop healthy eating habits. "
Principle 7. Leanness starts in the gut - how to lose weight right with microbiome knowledge
When you eat more plant-based foods, the bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract changes in ways that can have a positive effect on your weight.
The term "microbiome" itself refers to the billions of microscopic organisms that inhabit the human body, including the gastrointestinal tract, skin, lungs and genitals, as well as the oral cavity.
Most of them are concentrated in the large intestine, where they participate in metabolic functions.
For example, gut bacteria quietly do many useful things for humans:
- helps digestion;
- affects metabolism;
- extract energy from undigested food;
- synthesize vitamins, including vitamin K;
- regulates the composition of adipose tissue;
- they regulate the peptides released in the gastrointestinal tract.
More than a thousand species of bacteria live in the intestines. They vary from person to person, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity and body mass index.
Recently, scientists have discovered a link between certain bacteria and obesity. If this is true, can we change the composition of our gut bacteria and stop the obesity epidemic?
How you eat in the long and short term determines what bacteria will be in your gut and how it will manifest.
Dietary changes affect bacterial metabolism and the body's immune function by fermenting nutrients and altering the gut barrier—allowing bacteria and other gut organisms to enter the bloodstream, thereby turning certain genes on or off.
By understanding the role of diet and gut bacteria, new approaches to obesity prevention may be found.
Principle 8 How to lose weight correctly? On the move!
Regular exercise not only naturally increases the daily caloric deficit necessary for weight loss, but also helps to reduce sedentary habits, which are often accompanied by a desire to chew something. You burn calories by walking. Sitting in front of the TV with a bag of chips, on the contrary, you type.
People are advised to spend an hour to an hour and a half of moderate physical activity a day, which can help prevent weight gain or promote weight loss.
Moderate physical activity is walking five kilometers per hour and its equivalents: light gardening, cycling, swimming.
The longer you exercise, the more oxygen you consume and the higher your metabolic rate. Accordingly, you burn more calories during the day, even at rest.
Well, if you combine cardio exercises with strength exercises, your metabolism will increase even more - muscles require more energy. Remember that a person weighing more than 70 kg will burn more calories, and a person weighing less will burn less.
Research shows that walking ten thousand steps a day (that's about seven kilometers) is enough to significantly reduce the risk of obesity. But people take an average of nine hundred to three thousand steps, and to increase this number to ten thousand, most people need conscious efforts.
Principle 9. Will you lose weight the right way? Learn the basics of aerobic and anaerobic exercise
Even if you are far from playing sports, in order to get on the path to proper weight loss, you need to regulate your life not only with nutrition, but also with exercise.
There is no need to break sports records, it is only advisable to increase physical activity, but not on a whim, but completely consciously and purposefully. You can only exercise for so long, but you know, there are special exercise groups for losing weight.
So what are the benefits of different types and intensities of exercise for weight loss?
- Aerobic exercise is low- to moderate-intensity physical activity that induces aerobic responses and produces adenosine triphosphate. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins provide energy for aerobic exercise, be it brisk walking, jogging, hiking or skiing.
- Anaerobic exercises include weight lifting, fast running, jumping rope, and stair climbing. They are more intense than aerobics, and they are also of shorter duration, because they simply cannot last longer than a lower intensity load. During anaerobic exercise, less fat is oxidized and more glycogen and glucose are used for energy.
Although aerobic exercise (moderate physical activity) has many health benefits, such as helping to control blood sugar, lowering blood pressure and increasing high-density lipoprotein levels, especially for overweight and obese people, research shows that in the context of weight loss, it is insignificantthey give results.
Combine exercises and lose weight correctly
In a recent study conducted at Duke University (Durham, North Carolina, USA), scientists observed overweight and obese subjects (there were more than two hundred volunteers). The first group performed aerobic exercises, the second performed weight exercises, and the third combined the two.
The first group ran about twenty kilometers a week on a treadmill or other similar activity. The second group worked with dumbbells three times a week: three sets per day, eight to twelve repetitions per set. The third group did both.
After ten weeks, the first and third groups lost more weight and fat than the second. It is interesting that the third group also had a significant decrease in waist circumference, which was not observed in the others.
Another study tested the hypothesis that short-term aerobic activity combined with anaerobic exercise is guaranteed to produce better results than aerobic activity alone.
Sixteen obese people were divided into two groups. The first half hour was aerobic exercise for four weeks, while the second was twenty-five minutes of aerobic exercise and another five minutes of anaerobic exercise.
These five minutes resulted in a significant reduction in body fat compared to the results of the first group.
Total body fat, visceral fat, and abdominal fat also decreased significantly. Add anaerobic exercises to your workouts, and accumulated fat will be broken down more actively.
It is also important to choose the right exercises, with a lot of weight, so as not to harm yourself.
Principle 10: Do not deviate from your plans: motivation and self-confidence are the most important things in implementing the right weight loss plan
How many good weight loss initiatives fail not because of the inability to lose weight, genetic predisposition to overweight and other excuses that overweight people allow themselves, but because of banal laziness.
If you seriously decide that this will be the last, be consistent and methodical. This is not so difficult, it can even turn into an exciting mission, especially if you manage to awaken your passion for sports and the will to win.
How to do it? Here are some tips:
A food diary or food diary will be a great help in organizing the process of losing weight according to the rules described above and, most importantly, in increasing motivation.
With the help of a food diary, you can track what you eat during the day, when, where and how much, in what mood and how strong your physical hunger is. Using this information, you can change your environment, your reactions to it, or both to improve your eating behavior and change your weight.
Even if you've been overweight all your life, that can only mean one thing: every attempt to lose weight has been wrong for your body. Try again and adopt 10 principles for proper weight loss!