We will think about whether all diets are dangerous, how to eat to lose weight and keep the results for a long time, and whether you need to count calories for this.
The desire to be slim can push you to new, sometimes even dangerous, practices. But eventually, even if the weight is gone, it will return. Why does this happen?
As a rule, a radical reduction in daily calorie intake only gives a temporary effect when the cause of excess weight is in lifestyle and diet.
Professional nutritionists explain the principles that help you lose weight without harming your health.
What diet will help you lose weight
So, diet really helps you lose weight. But before you rejoice, let's note an important detail: none of the restrictive diets work in the long term and may even cause harm.
Every diet has its drawbacks: for example, the keto diet can worsen existing liver disease, lead to kidney problems, and cause mood swings and irritability due to the lack of glucose contained in complex carbohydrates.
In addition, diets in the popular understanding are always about restrictions, and restrictions are about malnutrition and damage. As a result, even if you "sit" on it for some time and really lose weight, but do not change your eating habits, the weight will return. And this is a proven pattern.
The more varied the diet and the more flexible the eating plan, the easier it is to follow. This means not damaging and achieving your goals without harming the body. Therefore, a complete healthy diet is better than a strict 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 lead to sudden weight loss. Besides, who says this is what proper weight loss looks like? You can achieve the desired results smoothly by forming new eating habits.
Therefore, the question "What diet will help you lose weight? " is better rewritten as "What is healthy eating? "
What is healthy eating?
A healthy diet is primarily balanced and varied. The diet should provide you with all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals needed for quality body function. The "healthy plate" principle will help with this.
- Eat fruits and vegetables of different colors. Fresh, boiled, dried - anywhere.
- 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 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 what "healthy" foods you enjoy 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 eat a nutritious and varied diet, it is important not to overeat. In addition to internal guidelines - feelings of hunger and satiety - practice can help with this: finding portions of food that are comfortable for you.
Should you count calories while losing weight?
The method of calculating calories for daily routine is not the best:
- concentration on numbers related to the body - parameters, weight, kcal and so on - can cause neuroticism related to the development of eating disorders;
- Not all calories are equal from a qualitative point of view - brownies and avocado toast have different nutritional values;
- calorie content depends on the state of the product, for example, the same mass of beans, whole or ground, gives a different amount of calories.
Therefore, calorie counting is more suitable for clinical practice when it is related to pathology and/or hospital treatment.
At the same time, the calculation can still be used carefully to independently understand your own nutritional standards and the level of protein, fat and carbohydrates consumed.
You can use an app or website to count calories - it makes life easier in so 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 used will not be taken into account in the final figure.
If you control the calorie intake of your diet, then do it efficiently: take into account snacks, drinks and various additional ingredients for the main course - sauce and butter.
How to calculate your daily calorie intake
To calculate the correct daily calorie intake for yourself, use one of the following methods.
Method 1. Formula to calculate energy requirements
This EER formula takes into account age, sex, 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 assigned a value from the following parameters:
- sedentary lifestyle (almost no exercise) - PA = 1. 0;
- low activity (light exercise, sports 1–3 days a week) – PA = 1. 11–1. 25;
- moderate activity (moderate exercise, sports 3–5 days per week—PA = 1. 26–1. 48);
- increased activity (heavy exercise, sports 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, taking into account your activity level, you can calculate TDEE - 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 plan's BMR by your activity factor, based on the following values:
- sedentary lifestyle (almost 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 (exercise, sports 6-7 days a week) - BMR x 1. 725;
- too active (heavy exercise, sports and physical work) - BMR x 1. 9.
This method has its drawbacks. For example, the Harris-Benedict equation, although used for many years and serving as a standard guideline, does not take into account lean body mass, which can affect basal metabolic rate.
Also, the equation only provides an approximation, and individual variation and metabolism can affect actual energy requirements.
Therefore, you should not rely only on counting calories. Consider your practical experience and comfort side and listen to your feelings of 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 so great that it becomes an obsession. Analyze why you want to lose weight. Your weight can be healthy, but non-environmental motivations can, on the contrary, cause harm.
- Fat performs important functions in the body: it protects against cold and hunger, surrounds organs and protects them from injury, and supplies the body with energy. Before losing weight, assess how much you need. After all, obesity and having fat are not the same thing.
- Any strict diet is an unhealthy practice for your health. If they give results, they are short-term, but they can cause neurosis and eating disorders. Remember that it is important for stars to lose weight "here and now, " and therefore a beautiful picture is not the same as health and, perhaps, is not the best example.
- Excessive added sugar in the diet is one of the main causes of obesity. Adjusting your diet towards the "healthy plate" principle is the most effective diet.
- Body weight is influenced not only by nutrition, but also by the quality of sleep, the level of physical activity and also the psychological and mental state. If adjusting your diet doesn't produce the desired changes, 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, take note of your eating habits and preferences. And if it's not your thing, don't take it. The practice of compulsive eating can lead to negative results and harm your health.
- And, of course, do not self-medicate. If being overweight has led to health problems, seek help from a specialist.