We will understand whether all diets are harmful, how to eat to lose weight and keep the results for a long time, and whether it is necessary to count calories for this.
The desire to lose weight can lead you to new, sometimes even dangerous, experiences. But even if the weight eventually goes away, it soon comes back. Why does this happen?
As a rule, a drastic reduction in daily caloric intake has only a temporary effect if the cause of excess weight lies in lifestyle and nutrition.
A professional nutritionist explains which principles help you lose weight without harming your health.
What diet will help you lose weight?
So diets really help you lose weight. But before we rejoice, let's pay attention to an important detail: none of the types of restrictive diets work for a long time and can even be harmful.
Every diet has a downside: for example, the keto diet can worsen existing liver disease, cause kidney problems, and cause mood swings and irritability due to the lack of glucose in complex carbohydrates.
In addition, in popular understanding, a diet always refers to restrictions, and restrictions to nutrition and disorders. As a result, even if you "sit" for a while and really lose weight, if you do not change your eating habits, the weight will return. And this is a proven example.
The more varied the diet and the more flexible the meal plan, the easier it is to follow. This means not falling and reaching your goals without harming the body. That's why a wholesome diet is better than a restrictive diet.
But maybe there is a diet that will help you lose weight without harming your health?
A short-term change to a "healthy" diet will not cause instant weight loss. Besides, who said that's how proper weight loss is? You can easily achieve the desired result by forming new eating habits.
Therefore, "Which diet will help you lose weight? " should be better phrased as ""What is a healthy diet? "
What is healthy food?
A healthy diet is primarily balanced and varied. The diet should provide you with all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals necessary for the body to function properly. The "healthy plate" principle will help with this.
- Eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. Fresh, boiled, dried - any.
- Include whole grain complex carbohydrates in your diet: they are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber.
- Remember that dairy products and plant-based alternatives are important sources of calcium. Choose low-fat options without added sugar.
- Try to eat fish and legumes at least twice a week.
- Use a variety of vegetable oils.
Before you start your weight loss journey, brainstorm the "healthy" foods you enjoy so you have better tasting options for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Remember, the best "diet" is the one you stick to.
Proper nutrition - without restrictions and the stress they cause - can help not only lose weight, but also improve health. In many cases, even a simple switch to a balanced diet leads to weight loss.
However, even if you eat a nutritious and varied diet, it's important not to overeat. In addition to internal rules - feelings of hunger and satiety - experience can help: find portions of food that are comfortable for you.
Do you need to count calories when losing weight?
The method of calculating calories for daily work is not the best:
- concentration on numbers related to the body - parameters, weight, kcal, etc. - can cause neuroticism associated with the development of an eating disorder;
- From a quality standpoint, not all calories are created equal—brownie and avocado toast have different nutritional values;
- caloric content depends on the state of the product, for example, the same mass of nuts, whole or ground, gives a different amount of calories.
Therefore, when it comes to pathologies and / or hospital treatment, calorie counting is more suitable for clinical practice.
At the same time, the calculation can still be carefully used to independently understand your own nutritional standards and the level of proteins, fats and carbohydrates consumed.
You can use an app or website to count calories - it makes life easier in many ways. But often such methods are inaccurate: in the end, something eaten and drunk can be forgotten. This means that the tens and hundreds of kcal consumed will not be taken into account in the final figures.
If you control the caloric intake of your diet, then do it effectively: take into account snacks, drinks and various additions to main dishes - sauces and oils.
How to calculate daily calorie intake
Use one of the following methods to calculate the correct daily calorie intake for you.
Method 1. Formula for calculating energy demand
This EER formula takes into account age, gender, weight, height and physical activity level and is suitable for adult men and women:
- EER for men = 662 – (9. 53 x age in years) + PA x [(15. 91 x weight in kg) + (539. 6 x height in meters)]
- EER for women = 354 – (6. 91 x age in years) + PA x [(9. 36 x weight in kg) + (726 x height in meters)]
PA is the level of physical activity that can be determined from the following parameters:
- sedentary lifestyle (virtually no exercise) - PA = 1, 0;
- low activity (light exercise, exercise 1-3 days a week) – PA = 1. 11-1. 25;
- moderate activity (moderate exercise, sports 3-5 days a week - PA = 1. 26-1. 48);
- increased activity (heavy exercise, exercise 6-7 days a week) - PA = 1. 49-1. 94.
Method 2. Harris-Benedict formula
This formula will help you estimate your BMR - your basal metabolic rate, or the number of calories your body needs at rest. From BMR, you can calculate TDEE - total daily energy expenditure, taking into account your activity level.
For men:
- BMR = 66. 5 + (13. 75 x weight in kg) + (5. 003 x height in cm) – (6. 755 x age in years).
For women:
- BMR = 655. 1 + (9, 563 x weight in kg) + (1, 850 x height in cm) – (4, 676 x age in years).
To calculate your TDEE, multiply your show BMR by your activity quotient based on the following values:
- sedentary lifestyle (virtually no exercise) - BMR x 1. 2;
- light activity (light exercise, exercise 1-3 days a week) - BMR x 1, 375;
- moderate activity (moderate exercise, sports 3-5 days a week) - BMR x 1. 55;
- increased activity (heavy sports, sports 6-7 days a week) - BMR x 1. 725;
- excessive activity (heavy sports, sports and physical work) - BMR x 1. 9.
These methods have their disadvantages. For example, although the Harris-Benedict equation has been used for many years and serves as a standard guideline, it does not take into account lean body mass, which can affect basal metabolic rate.
Moreover, the equations provide only approximations, and individual variations and metabolism may affect actual energy requirements.
Therefore, you should not rely only on calorie calculations. Consider your practical experience and comfortable portions and listen to your hunger and fullness.
What is important to know when losing weight
Seven tips for those who want to lose weight.
- Trying to get fit is great until it becomes an obsession. Analyze why you want to lose weight. Your weight may be healthy, but non-ecological motivation, on the contrary, can be harmful.
- Fat performs an important function in the body: protects against cold and hunger, covers organs and protects them from injuries, provides the body with energy. Before you lose weight, estimate how much you need it. After all, obesity and obesity are not the same thing.
- Any restrictive diet is an unhealthy practice for your health. If they do, they are short-lived, but they can lead to neuroses and eating disorders. Remember that it is important for stars to lose weight "here and now", and therefore a beautiful picture is not equal to health and perhaps not the best example.
- Adding too much sugar in the diet is one of the main causes of obesity. Adapting your diet to the principles of a "healthy plate" is the most effective diet.
- Weight is affected not only by nutrition, but also by the quality of sleep, the level of physical activity and even the psychological and mental state. If adjusting your diet isn't producing the changes you want, there may be another reason.
- Some experts recommend Mediterranean and Scandinavian diets, as well as intermittent fasting, for weight loss. However, before trying a new meal plan, consider your dietary habits and preferences. And if that's not your thing, don't accept it. Self-compulsive eating experiences can have negative consequences and harm your health.
- And, of course, do not self-medicate. If excess weight has already caused health problems, seek professional help.