How to lose weight correctly: tips for those who have decided to say goodbye to excess weight once and for all

If you are wondering how to lose extra pounds, not only quickly, for any party, to copy your favorite outfit, that is -how to lose weight correctly, congratulations! This means that you have already chosen the right vector and are on the correct strategic path.

Let's understand what proper weight loss means and how you can lose weightRight, but how -error? Everything is quite simple here.

If you are still at an unwanted weight despite all your previous efforts to lose those hated pounds, then you are most likely losing weight incorrectly. How to lose weight correctly?

Of course, so that the pounds do not return and, of course, without harming health, because no one wants to be thin, but no one wants to pay for the results achieved with scars and taking medication for the rest of their lives.

Improper weight loss leads to obesity

Increasingly, nutritionists cite improper weight loss as one of the main causes of the obesity epidemic. The more people try to lose weight, the more they end up weighing. It's a shame, annoying, but true!

Of course, the problem lies in the methods of losing weight that are harmful to the body, which, in the best case, lead to the return of lost kilograms, and in the worst case, to health problems.

So let's take a look at how to lose weight correctly and stay with your results forever! We have compiled for you the TOP 10 principles of proper nutrition that will help you get in shape even without dieting.

By systematically, safely and consciously following these tips, you will enjoy every meal, you will not have to strictly limit yourself in food, and at the same time, extra pounds will leave you without the painful feelingof hunger and severe suppression of appetite, known. for all those who have been on a diet before.

Principle 1. Lose weight slowly and correctly

Let's immediately agree with you (in turn, you with yourself) that you should forever forget about tempting diets a la: 10 kilograms in 10 days, minus 5 kg per week, and so on.

Of course, if you try hard, muster your will and do not jump from a strict mono-diet (most likely, it will be one of its varieties), then it is quite possible to even achieve the promised result.

But this will have nothing to do with the question of how to lose weight correctly. In this case, another question is important: at what cost?

It is impossible to eat buckwheat and cabbage leaves throughout life; it is unthinkable to give up carbohydrates forever. Once the eliminated food products are back in your fridge, on your table, on your plate, the pounds you've been losing won't be long in coming.

Principle 2. How to lose weight correctly - the calorie counter knows

Anyone who wants to lose weight efficiently, that is, seriously and for a long time, should 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, your weight decreases.

So the goal of any diet is to reduce the number of calories you consume through food. This can be done in several ways: you can choose foods that have fewer calories, you can eat less in general, or you can combine both methods in a way that suits you.

However, it is precisely a very sharp reduction in calorie intake that is the reason for many unsuccessful, and therefore incorrect, attempts to lose weight.

• If you skip meals or don't feel satisfied because your portion sizes are too small, you'll feel hungry and constantly crave snacks or high-calorie foods.
• If you have ever been on a diet for at least a week, then you know how the psycho-emotional background worsens significantly, the mood worsens, irritability appears for any reason, which leads to the fact that a person attacks family and friends. .

Principle 3. The right way to lose weight while eating well is to eat small meals 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. As a result of this food system, you have up to five meals a day!

Agree, this is much better than skipping breakfast, lunch or dinner. Frequent meals prevent the development of hunger, and small, dense and nutritious portions ensure that you consume enough nutrients without excess calories.

Note that three small meals plus snacks is not the same as a chewing habit. It involves constantly eating something throughout the day regardless of hunger and satiety. This eating behavior leads to excess calories and weight gain.

Frequent separate meals will prevent you from falling into the despair and despondency of a hungry person. After all, very soon you will be able to eat a snack again, and with what - the following principles will tell you.

The main thing that people who lose weight using this system notice is that they have never eaten as much as during such weight loss. And it is easier for the body to part with fat reserves: 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 anythingfor her. future use.

Here are simple and easy-to-implement tips to make it easier for you to eat five meals a day and make it as varied as possible:

1. Plan in advance what you will eat during the day, including snacks. It is best to do this the day before.
2. If you decide to lose weight the right way, feel free to take healthy food with you to work or school in convenient, airtight containers.
3. Prepare food for the new day in the evening. Then you can always eat foods with precalculated calorie content, instead of buying snacks and other high-calorie products that are the first to be available in stores when you want to eat.
4. Don't rely on the same foods as snacks (like bananas or apples), even if you really like them. Monotony is also a kind of hunger. Five separate meals a day and an abundance of low-calorie and low-glycemic index foods make it possible to eat a varied diet while staying within the chosen daily "calorie corridor".

Principle 4. To lose weight correctly, do not deprive yourself of nutrients, just choose their optimal proportion

Changing the composition of nutrients in the diet and the effect of such experiments on the acceleration of weight loss is still the focus of many nutritionists. Let's dwell on this issue in more detail, because many diets preach: give up carbohydrates, remove fats from your diet, load up on protein - and leanness 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 nutrition experts believe that a healthier approach to weight loss is to increase protein intake to 45% and decrease carbohydrate intake to 25%.
• A number of studies report that high-protein diets cause greater weight loss than high-carbohydrate diets with the same number of calories. And also that a diet with less carbohydrates and more protein prevents weight gain after reaching the target value.

Carbohydrates - enemies or friends for those who decide to lose weight properly?

The theory that carbohydrates cause weight gain and therefore reducing the amount of carbohydrates in the diet leads to weight loss has gained great popularity and gained many followers.

You or someone around you probably tried to lose weight with a low-carb diet. Although it is impossible to completely eliminate carbohydrates from the diet, you can significantly reduce their consumption, so it would be more accurate to call this type of low-carb diet.

Increased consumption of carbohydrate-rich, sugar-sweetened beverages is linked to weight gain seen in both children and adults in recent decades, scientists have found. It is logical to assume that as the consumption of carbohydrates increases, so does the size of the waist. But how exactly do carbohydrates affect body fat growth?

Some researchers argue that it's all to do with insulin, others that it's all to do with foods with a high glycemic index, and others that carbohydrates change hormones that suppress appetite, which is why hunger appears after eating carbohydrate foods.

The body needs insulin to process glucose. After eating, it responds to an increase in blood glucose levels and transports it into the cells.

The more carbohydrates a person consumes, the more insulin they need to maintain normal blood glucose levels. But this is not the only function of insulin. This pancreatic hormone also stimulates fatty acid synthesis and lipogenesis in the liver.

Excess glucose that is not converted to glycogen and not used for energy is converted to fatty acids and stored as fat.

Theoretically, the more carbohydrates that enter the body, the more insulin is secreted by the pancreas and the greater the likelihood that glucose will be stored as fatty acids in adipose (fat cells).

Insulin also prevents beta-oxidation of fatty acids by inhibiting lipolysis of fat stored in adipose tissue, which causes fatty acids to be stored in adipose tissue.

Thus, the effect of insulin on lipid metabolism creates a tendency towards fat concentration. To avoid elevated insulin levels, it is logical to switch to a low-carb diet.

But there is another side of the coin. The composition of the diet can affect the production of hormones that suppress hunger. As a reminder, hunger increases as ghrelin levels increase and decreases as leptin levels increase.

Choose carbohydrates with a low glycemic index

The evidence supporting the idea that carbohydrates contribute to weight gain is promising. . . But!

When researchers tested the effects of calorie-matched diets that were either high-carb/low-fat or high-protein/high-fat/low-carb on weight loss, they found no benefit from a high-protein diet: weight loss was the same!

In addition, carbohydrate restriction significantly reduces the quality of the diet and the choice of dishes 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-carb diet and at the same time lead an active lifestyle: work, study, drive a car, play sports.

"A diet based on a light restriction of daily calories (10-15% of the usual level) and a significant restriction of foods with a high glycemic index works well. First of all, it is sugar and products containing sugar. Plus a fractional diet and less red meat. "

If you are really wondering how to lose weight correctly, remember these 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 simple carbohydrates on the store shelf and take complex carbohydrates with you.
• If 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 good not only for your waistline, but also for your health (but remember: even unsaturated fats contain nine calories per gram, sodon't eat too many nuts and oils, no matter how healthy they are - it's very easy to go over the calories).
• The best combination for weight loss is low-calorie foods: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, some protein and some fat. This is a combination that has all five major food groups, is well balanced and can meet nutritional needs.

Principle 5. When losing weight properly, volume matters.

In this case we are not talking about your shapes, but about the contents of your plate. Both main meals and snacks should be of sufficient size to leave you feeling full and satisfied.

A healthy diet with a proper 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 meet the daily calorie intake, but still do not make you feel full;
• emphasis on low-calorie "bulk" foods: vegetables with a high water content and fruits, which will give you a quick start of satiety and reduce hunger, and with it the number of calories consumed.

In fact, if you eat a substantial plate of salad at the start of your meal—large volume, low energy density—you'll likely end up consuming at least 10% fewer calories than you would otherwise.

A similar effect can be achieved if you add vegetables to soups and sandwiches - the serving size will increase, satiety will occur earlier and you will consume less energy-dense foods.

Energy density of food

• Low:These foods have 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, melons, strawberries, broccoli, and cauliflower. And also soups with light broth, yogurt and cottage cheese.
• Average:These products contain between one and a half to four calories per gram, plus they contain less water. These include baked goods, hard-boiled eggs, dried fruit, tenderloin, hummus, whole-grain bread and cheese.
• High:These foods have four to nine calories per gram and are low in water. These include chips, biscuits, cookies, cakes, butter, butter, fatty meats and bacon.

The main thing to remember is that the basis of the diet should be foods of not too high energy density with a high fiber and water content, and the rest can be eaten little by little - and as a result, your diet willbalanced life. and your weight will decrease.

Principle 6. Fiber and water will help you lose weight correctly

Fiber promotes satiety and is found in most fruits and vegetables. It has been proven that overweight people consume less than normal weight people. This is why high fiber foods are a key part of a weight loss diet.

It has long been true that drinking more water is recommended when losing weight.

Let's add some useful tips for every day:

• You should drink drinking water without gas, flavoring or additives (as a rule, they are all sweet, that is, they contain carbohydrates that are unnecessary for you);
• Always carry a bottle of water with you in your bag, keep it handy in the car and at the table;
• It is not recommended to drink a glass in one sip, it is better to drink in small sips and often;
• the water should not be too cold, room temperature is optimal;
• If you drink half a glass of water 10-15 minutes before eating, you are likely to eat a little 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. Thinness starts in the gut - how to lose weight correctly using the knowledge of the microbiome

Eating more plant foods changes the bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract in a way that can have a positive effect on weight.

The term "microbiome" itself refers to the billions of microscopic organisms that live in the human body, including the gastrointestinal tract, skin, lungs, and genital tract and oral cavity.

Most of them are concentrated in the large intestine, where they are involved in metabolic functions.

For example, gut bacteria quietly do many useful things for humans:

• aid in digestion;
• affect metabolism;
• extracts energy from undigested food;
• synthesizes vitamins, including vitamin K;
• regulates the composition of adipose tissue;
• control peptides released in the gastrointestinal tract.

There are more than a thousand species of bacteria that 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, both long-term and short-term, determines what bacteria you will have in your gut and how they will manifest.

Changes in diet affect bacterial metabolism and the body's immune functions by fermenting nutrients and altering the gut barrier – allowing bacteria and other gut organisms to enter the bloodstream, turning certain genes on or off.

By understanding the roles that diet and gut bacteria play, new approaches to obesity prevention may be found.

Principle 8. How to lose weight correctly? On the move!

Regular physical activity not only naturally increases the daily calorie deficit needed for weight loss, but also helps reduce sedentary habits, which are often accompanied by the desire to chew something. By walking, you burn calories. Sitting in front of the TV with a bag of chips, instead, you write.

People are advised to spend an hour to an hour and a half a day doing moderate physical activity, which can help prevent weight gain or promote weight loss.

Moderate physical activity is walking at a speed of five kilometers per hour and its equivalents: light gardening, cycling, swimming.

The longer you exercise, the more oxygen is consumed and the higher your metabolic rate. Therefore, more calories are burned during the day, even at rest.

Well, if you combine cardio exercises and strength exercises, your metabolism will accelerate even more - muscles require more energy. Keep in mind that a person who weighs more than 70 kg will burn more calories, and a person who weighs less will burn less.

Research shows that walking ten thousand steps a day (which is about seven kilometers) is enough to significantly reduce the risk of obesity. But people walk an average of between nine hundred and three thousand steps, and to increase that number to ten thousand, most need to make a conscious effort.

Principle 9. Will you lose weight the right way? Understand the essence of aerobic and anaerobic exercise

Even if you are far from sports, to take the path of proper weight loss you need to adjust your life not only with food, but also with movement.

It is not necessary to set sports records, it is only advisable to increase physical activity, but not at will, but fully consciously and purposefully. You can only move for so long, but mind you, it's not without reason that there are specific sets of exercises to lose weight.

So what are the potential benefits of different types and different intensities of exercise in the context of weight loss?

• Aerobic exercise is physical activity of low to moderate intensity that triggers aerobic reactions to produce adenosine triphosphate. Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins provide energy for aerobic exercise, whether it's brisk walking, running, hiking, or skiing.
• Anaerobic exercises include lifting weights, jogging, jumping rope, and stair climbing. They are more intense than aerobics, plus they are shorter in duration because they simply cannot last as long as a lower intensity load. With anaerobic exercise, less fat is oxidized and more glycogen and glucose are used for energy production.

Although aerobic exercise (moderate physical activity) has many health benefits, such as helping control blood glucose levels, lowering blood pressure, and increasing high-density lipoprotein levels, especially in overweight and obese people, researchshow that in the context of weight loss. give insignificant results.

Combine exercises and lose weight correctly

In a recent study conducted at the American Duke University (Durham, North Carolina, USA), scientists observed subjects (there were more than two hundred volunteers) with overweight and obesity. The first group performed aerobic exercises, the second with weights, the third combined both.

The first group ran about twenty kilometers a week on a treadmill or other equivalent activities. The second group worked with weights 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 had lost more weight and fat than the second. It is interesting to note 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 did half an hour of aerobic exercise for four weeks, while the second did 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 the accumulated fat will be broken down more actively.

It is also important to choose the right exercises, with a lot of weight, so that you do not injure yourself.

Principle 10. Do not deviate from your plans: motivation and confidence are the main thing in implementing a plan on how to lose weight correctly

How many good initiatives to lose weight have failed not because of the inability to lose weight, genetic predisposition to be overweight and other excuses that please overweight people, but because of banal laziness.

If you seriously decide that this time will be the last, be consistent and methodical. It is not that difficult and can even turn into an exciting pursuit, especially if you manage to awaken your passion for the sport and the will to win.

How do we do it? Here are some tips:

A food diary or food diary will be a great help in systematizing the process of losing weight according to the rules described above and, most importantly, in increasing motivation.

A food diary will allow you to 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 have carried excess weight all your life, it can only mean one thing: all the efforts to lose weight were not right for your body. Try again by adopting 10 principles of how to lose weight properly!