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 some celebration, to button up your favorite outfit, that is -how to lose weight properly, congratulations! This means that you have already chosen the right vector and are strategically on the right track.

Let's understand what proper weight loss means and how you can lose weightcorrectly, but as -wrong? Everything is very simple here.

If you still have an unwanted weight despite your previous efforts to lose those hated pounds, then you probably lost weight wrongly. 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 thin, but no one wants to pay for the achieved results with sores and taking drugs for the rest of his life.

Inappropriate weight loss leads to obesity

Increasingly, nutritionists are citing inappropriate 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!

Obviously, the problem lies in the body-damaging methods of losing weight, which at best lead to regaining the lost pounds and at worst to health problems.

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

By systematically, confidently 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, the extra pounds will leave you without the painful feeling of hunger and intense suppression of appetite. to everyone I once dieted.

Principle 1. Lose weight slowly and properly

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

Of course, if you try very hard, gather your willpower and do not jump from a strict mono-diet (most likely, it will be one of its varieties), then it is very likely that you will 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 relevant: at what cost?

It is impossible to eat buckwheat and cabbage leaves all your 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 lost so hard won't be long in coming.

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

Anyone who wants to lose weight effectively, that is, seriously and for a long time, must remember two important words: "calorie count". And it makes no difference where they come from.

• If you consume more calories than you burn, your weight increases.
• If you burn more calories than you consume, you lose weight.

So the goal of any diet is to reduce the number of calories you consume through food. This can be done in a number of ways: you can choose foods that are lower in calories, you can eat less overall, or you can combine both methods in a way that works for you.

However, it is precisely the overly steep reduction in calorie intake that is the reason for many unsuccessful, and therefore misguided, attempts at weight loss.

• If you skip meals or don't feel satisfied because your portions 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 deteriorates sharply, 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 to combine three small nutritious meals with a snack in the middle of the day and in the evening. As a result of this nutritional system, you have up to five meals a day!

I agree, this is much better than skipping breakfast, lunch or dinner. Frequent meals prevent hunger from building up, and small, dense, nutritious portions ensure you're getting 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 without considering 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 hopelessness of a starving person. After all, very soon you will be able to have a snack again, how and with what – the following principles will tell you.

The main thing that people who lose weight using this system note is that they have never eaten as much as during this 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 anything for future use.

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

1. Plan in advance what you will eat during the day, including snacks. It is better to do this the day before.
2. If you decide to lose weight the right way, feel free to take healthy foods to work or school in convenient, airtight containers.
3. Prepare the food for the new day in the evening. Then you can always eat foods with pre-calculated calorie content, instead of buying snacks and other high-calorie products that are first 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 like them a lot. Monotony is also a kind of starvation. Five separate meals a day and plenty of low-calorie, low-glycemic food make it possible to eat a varied diet while staying within your chosen daily 'calorie lane'.

Principle 4. 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 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 proteins - and your thinness is guaranteed.

• In general, the recommended macronutrient distribution range suggests that 45 to 60% of calories come from carbohydrates, 20 to 35% from fat, and 10 to 35% from protein.
• Some nutritionists believe that a healthier approach to weight loss is to increase your protein intake to 45% and decrease your carbohydrate intake to 25%.
• A number of studies report that protein diets cause greater weight loss compared to 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 price.

Carbohydrates – enemies or friends for those who decide to lose weight right?

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.

Surely you or someone around you has also tried to lose weight on a low-carb diet. Although it is impossible to completely eliminate carbohydrates from the diet, you can sharply reduce their consumption, so it would be more correct to call this type of diet low-carbohydrate.

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

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

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

The more carbohydrates a person consumes, the more insulin is needed to maintain normal blood glucose 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 that is not converted to glycogen and not used for energy is converted to fatty acids and stored as fat.

Theoretically, the more carbohydrates are taken into the body, the more insulin is secreted by the pancreas and the greater the chance of storing glucose as fatty acids in adipocytes (fat cells).

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

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

But there is also the other side of the coin. The composition of the diet can affect the production of hormones that suppress hunger. Recall that 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, the restriction of carbohydrates 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-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. First of all, it is sugar and products containing sugar. Plus a fractional diet and less red meat. "

If you really wonder 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 fat to your diet, such as whole milk, whole cheese, fatty meats, butter, they affect your cardiovascular system. Replace them with white meat, skinless chicken, fish, nuts and oils, which not only do your waistline but also your health (but remember: even unsaturated fat contains nine calories per gram, so don't eat too many nutsand 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, 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 you're losing weight right, volume matters.

In this case, we are not talking about your forms, but the contents of your plate. Both main meals and snacks should be of sufficient size to keep 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;
• refusal of foods with high energy density and small volume, which can easily fill the daily caloric 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 along with the number of calories you consume.

In fact, if you eat a large plate of salad at the start of your meal—high 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 portion 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, cantaloupe, 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, fillets, hummus, wholemeal bread and cheese.
• High:These foods have four to nine calories per gram and are low in water content. These include crisps, biscuits, crackers, cakes, butter, butter, fatty meats and bacon.

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

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

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

It has long been considered advisable to drink more water when losing weight.

Let's add some useful tips for each day:

• You should drink non-carbonated drinking water, without flavorings or additives (usually everything is sweet, that is, it contains carbohydrates that are not necessary for you).
• Always carry a water bottle in your bag, in your car and at your desk.
• It is not recommended to drink a glass in one gulp, 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 meals, 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 stops noticing it altogether. That's why it's important to develop healthy eating habits. "

Principle 7. Slimming starts in the intestines - how to lose weight correctly using knowledge about the microbiome

Eating more plant-based 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:

• help with digestion;
• affect metabolism;
• extracts energy from undigested food.
• synthesizes vitamins, including vitamin K.
• regulate 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 discovered a link between certain bacteria and obesity. If this is true, could 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.

Dietary changes affect the body's bacterial metabolism and immune functions by fermenting nutrients and altering the intestinal barrier—allowing bacteria and other intestinal organisms to enter the bloodstream, turning certain genes on or off.

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

Principle 8. How to lose weight correctly? In motion!

Regular physical activity not only naturally increases the daily caloric deficit required for weight loss, but also helps reduce sedentary habits, which are often accompanied by the desire to chew something. Walking burns calories. Sitting in front of the TV with a bag of chips, instead, you type.

It is recommended that people 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 the corresponding: light gardening, cycling, swimming.

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

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

Research shows that walking ten thousand steps a day (ie about seven kilometers) is enough to significantly reduce the risk of obesity. But people walk an average of nine hundred to three thousand steps, and to increase this number to ten thousand, most people have 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 follow the path of proper weight loss you need to regulate your life not only with nutrition, but also with movement.

It is not necessary to set sports records, it is only recommended to increase physical activity, but not on a whim, but completely consciously and deliberately. You can only move for so long, but mind you, it's not without reason that there are specific groups of exercises for weight loss.

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

• Aerobic exercise is low to moderate intensity physical activity that triggers aerobic reactions to produce adenosine triphosphate. Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins provide energy for aerobic exercise, whether it's brisk walking, jogging, hiking, or skiing.
• Anaerobic exercises include lifting weights, jogging, jumping rope and climbing stairs. They are more intense than aerobic, and also of shorter duration, because they simply cannot withstand as long 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, researchshows that in the context of weight loss, they give insignificant results.

Combine exercise and lose weight properly

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

The first group ran about twenty kilometers a week on a treadmill or other similar activity. 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 reduction in waist circumference, which was not seen 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 subjects 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 and abdominal fat were also significantly reduced. Add anaerobic exercises to your workouts and the accumulated fat will be broken down more actively.

It's also important to choose the right exercises, with lots of weight, so you don't injure yourself.

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

How many good initiatives to lose weight failed not because of the inability to lose weight, a genetic tendency to be overweight and other excuses that overweight people indulge in, but because of ordinary laziness.

If you seriously decide that this time will be the last, be consistent and methodical. It is not so difficult and 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 help a lot in systematizing the weight loss process according to the rules described above and, above all, 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 intense 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 been overweight all your life, this can only mean one thing: all attempts to lose weight were not suitable for your body. Try again by adopting 10 principles of how to lose weight correctly!