We will find out whether all diets are harmful, how to eat to lose weight and maintain results for a long time, and whether it is necessary to count calories for this.
The desire to be thin can push you into new, sometimes even dangerous, practices. But ultimately, even if the weight disappears, it soon returns. Why is this happening?
As a rule, a radical reduction in daily calorie intake gives only a temporary effect when the cause of excess weight is 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 note an important detail: none of the types of restrictive eating work long-term and can even cause harm.
Each diet has a disadvantage: for example, the keto diet can worsen existing liver diseases, lead to kidney problems, cause mood swings and irritability due to a lack of glucose contained in complex carbohydrates.
Moreover, a diet in the popular interpretation is always a matter of restrictions, and the restrictions concern malnutrition and breakdowns. As a result, even if you "sit" on it for a while and really lose weight, but do not change your eating habits, the weight will return. And this is a proven model.
The more varied the diet and the more flexible the nutritional plan, the easier it will be to follow it. This means not giving up and achieving your goals without harming your body. Therefore, a healthy and complete diet is better than restrictive diets.
But maybe there is a diet that will help you lose weight without harm to your health?
A short-term change to a "healthy" diet will not lead to sudden weight loss. Plus, who said this is what real weight loss looks like? You can achieve the desired result without problems by forming new eating habits.
Therefore, the question "What diet will help you lose weight? " is better rephrased as "What is healthy eating? "
What is healthy eating
A healthy diet is first and foremost balanced and varied. The diet should provide you with all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals necessary for the quality functioning of the body. The principle of the "healthy dish" will help us in this.
- Eat fruits and vegetables of different colors. Fresh, boiled, dried - any.
- Include whole grain complex carbohydrates in your diet: they are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre.
- Remember that dairy products and plant-based alternatives are an important source of calcium. Choose low-fat options with no added sugar.
- Try to eat fish and legumes at least twice a week.
- Use different vegetable oils.
Before you start your weight loss journey, brainstorm the "healthy" foods you like so you have more delicious 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 transition to a balanced diet leads to weight loss.
However, even if you follow a nutritious and varied diet, it is important not to overeat. In addition to internal guidelines - feelings of hunger and satiety - practice can help you with this: finding portions of food that are comfortable for you.
Should you count calories when losing weight?
The method of calculating calories for a daily routine is not the best:
- concentration on the numbers associated with the body - parameters, weight, kcal and so on - can cause neurosis associated with the development of eating disorders;
- Not all calories are the same from a qualitative point of view: a brownie and an avocado toast have different nutritional values;
- the calorie content depends on the state of the product, for example the same mass of nuts, whole or ground, provides a different amount of calories.
Therefore calorie counting is more suitable for clinical practice when dealing with pathologies and/or hospital treatments.
At the same time, the calculation can still be carefully used to independently understand your nutritional standards and the level of proteins, fats and carbohydrates consumed.
You can use an app or website to count calories – this makes life easier in many ways. But often such methods are inaccurate: after all, something eaten and drunk can be forgotten. This means that tens or hundreds of kcal consumed will not be taken into account in the final data.
If you control the calorie intake of your diet, do it efficiently: take into account snacks, drinks and various additives in main dishes: sauces and butter.
How to calculate your daily calorie intake
To calculate your correct daily calorie intake, use one of the following methods.
Method 1. Formula for calculating energy requirements
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 a level of physical activity that can be assigned a value by the following parameters:
- sedentary lifestyle (practically no exercise) - BP = 1, 0;
- low activity (light exercise, sports 1–3 days a week) – BP = 1. 11–1. 25;
- moderate activity (moderate exercise, sports 3–5 days a week—BP = 1. 26–1. 48);
- increased activity (vigorous exercise, sports 6–7 days a week) – BP = 1. 49–1. 94.
Method 2. Harris-Benedict formula
This formula will help you estimate your BMR, which is your basal metabolic rate, or the number of calories your body needs at rest. From BMR, taking into account your activity level, you can calculate TDEE, your total daily energy expenditure.
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 factor, based on the following values:
- sedentary lifestyle (practically no exercise) - BMR x 1, 2;
- light activity (light exercise, sports 1-3 days a week) - BMR x 1, 375;
- average activity (moderate exercise, sports 3-5 days a week) - BMR x 1. 55;
- increased activity (vigorous exercise, sports 6-7 days a week) - BMR x 1, 725;
- hyperactivity (intense exercise, sports and physical work) - BMR x 1, 9.
These methods have their disadvantages. For example, the Harris-Benedict equation, although used for many years and serves as a standard guideline, does not take into account lean mass, which can influence basal metabolic rate.
Furthermore, the equations only provide estimates, and individual variations and metabolism can influence actual energy needs.
Therefore, you should not rely on calorie counting alone. Consider your practical experience and comfortable portions and listen to your feelings of hunger and satiety.
What is important to know when losing weight
Seven tips for those who want to lose weight.
- Striving to get fit is great until it becomes an obsession. Analyze why you want to lose weight. Your weight may be healthy, but non-environmental motivation can, on the contrary, cause harm.
- Fat performs an important function in the body: it protects against cold and hunger, surrounds organs and protects them from injury, and provides the body with energy. Before losing weight, consider how much you need. After all, obesity and fat are not the same thing.
- Any restrictive diet is an unhealthy practice for your health. If they produce results, they are short-term, but can lead to neurosis and eating disorders. Remember that it is important for stars to lose weight "here and now", and therefore a beautiful photo is not synonymous with health and, perhaps, is not the best example.
- Excess added sugars in the diet are one of the main causes of obesity. Adapting your diet to the principles of the "healthy plate" is the most effective diet.
- Weight is influenced not only by nutrition, but also by the quality of sleep, level of physical activity and even psychological and mental state. If changing your diet doesn't produce the desired changes, there may be another reason.
- Some experts recommend the Mediterranean and Scandinavian diet, as well as intermittent fasting, for weight loss. However, before trying a new meal plan, take stock of your eating habits and preferences. And if it's not for you, don't take it. Self-forced eating practices can lead to negative outcomes and harm your health.
- And, of course, don't self-medicate. If excess weight has already led to health problems, seek help from specialists.