Quick snacks, fast food, and an unbalanced diet ruin your figure. The body suffers from poor dietary habits and stores fat to conserve energy. This is how excess weight appears. Today we will tell you how to eat in order to lose weight.
Basic principles of proper nutrition
The main principle of proper nutrition is maintaining a balance between the consumption of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. On average, the total number of calories consumed per day is 2000. Of these, 45–65% are carbohydrates, 20–35% are fats and 10–35% are proteins. With such a system, the body receives all the nutrients in the right doses.
In addition to proteins, fats and carbohydrates, you need to add fiber and foods containing vitamins and minerals that the body needs for life to the menu.
In addition to maintaining a balance between minerals, it is necessary to control the amount of calories consumed. Eliminate junk food from your diet: foods high in fat, flour products, fast food, sweets, carbonated drinks. Reduce the amount of salt in your diet to a minimum. The fact is that salt retains fluid in the body - this leads to edema.
The restrictions also apply to the portion size - 250-300 grams. In this case, it is necessary to eat fractionally - it is recommended to eat every 2–2. 5 hours.
In addition to food, do not forget that you need to drink 2 liters of fluid daily. Water cleanses the body of toxins and removes harmful substances.
The table below contains foods that are allowed and prohibited for weight loss.
| Products allowed for weight loss | Products prohibited for weight loss | Foods that should be limited |
| Vegetables | High sugar foods and drinks | Red meat |
| Fruits | Flour products | Butter |
| Cereals | Semi-finished products | Vegetable oil |
| Cereals | Fast food | White rice |
| Dairy products | Candy | White bread |
| A fish | Bakery products | Potatoes |
| Lean meat (chicken, turkey) | Smoked meats | Dried fruits |
| Whole wheat bread | Canned food | |
| Eggs | Mayonnaise | |
| Legumes | ||
| Nuts | ||
| Mushrooms | ||
| Durum wheat pasta |
Legends and myths about nutrition
Let's debunk the most popular myth: there are no special foods that can help you lose weight.
Losing weight occurs by burning the calories consumed. At the same time, it is not so important from what products you get energy. You can get better on a strict chicken breast and buckwheat diet if you eat a lot.
There are no foods with a negative calorie content, for the processing of which the body spends more energy than it receives. These are usually considered cucumbers, celery and cabbage. In reality, the body spends about 30% of its energy value on processing any product.
Why diets don't work
Don't be fooled by the reviews for the "most effective diets". All popular nutritional systems for weight loss are based on reducing the daily calorie intake. In some cases, for example, when restricting carbohydrates, weight can be reduced due to fluid loss, but this effect is short-lived.
The main reasons why diets are ineffective:
- Refusal to eat leads to a slowdown in metabolism.
- The diet will not add strength and muscle mass to you, but will only lead to depletion of the body.
- Express diets "lose weight by 10 kg in two days" - just a loss of fluid.
- A diet that has helped others may not be right for you.
- In the body, everything is arranged very individually, so an incorrectly selected nutritional system can cause serious harm to your health.
How to plan the right diet for weight loss
For proper weight loss, you need to carefully consider your diet. Try to eat at the same time every day. Make a schedule, include all meals, even snacks, and stick to it. Try not to skip breakfast. In the morning, hunger is not felt, but breakfast is an important ritual, thanks to which the body is energized for the whole day.
Don't ignore your hunger. With a shortage of food, the body begins to store fat. As soon as you feel the need for food, have a small snack - eat an apple or drink a glass of kefir.
In addition to all meals, include daily exercise in your schedule. Plan your day so that you do not exercise on a full stomach or, conversely, do not gorge on after exercise.
If you constantly think about a piece of chocolate while dieting, eat it and take it easy. Just keep yourself in control and remember that all the consumed calories will need to be burned.
Ideal diet for weight loss
The daily diet for weight loss is divided into 5-6 meals. It is best to steam, boil or bake dishes. Foods fried in fat or refined sunflower oil are prohibited. Linseed or olive oil is a good alternative.
The ideal breakfast menu consists of complex carbohydrates, a small amount of protein, and a small serving of fruit. For lunch, you can eat vegetables or dairy products. A healthy lunch is lean meats (chicken or turkey), vegetables, and complex carbohydrates.
As an afternoon snack, we advise you to have a snack with vegetables or cottage cheese. For dinner - proteins and vegetables. That being said, try not to eat a lot of potatoes, corn, beets and carrots. These vegetables raise blood sugar levels. Before going to bed, eat a portion of cottage cheese or drink a glass of kefir. This will satisfy your hunger and help you fall asleep quickly.
We recommend nuts and vegetables for snacks throughout the day. If you're feeling really hungry and it's still a long way from your next meal, take whole grain bread and place the sliced avocado on top of it. This dish contains healthy fats and carbohydrates, from which you will not get fat. You can also eat a handful of almonds if you don't feel like eating too much.
Nutritional advice
First of all, nutrition should be balanced - it is necessary to comply with the rate of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, while not going beyond the daily calorie intake.
Nutritionists recommend keeping a food diary where you can write down everything you eat during the day. This kind of control will help you avoid falling for prohibited foods.
Drink a glass of warm water with lemon half an hour before your first meal. This will speed up your metabolism.
Remember that while losing weight, you shouldn't feel bad. Do not force yourself into a strict framework. Proper nutrition does not harm the body and helps to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Testimonials
"I consider the result to be a set of achievements: diet and composition, as well as physical condition. Now I practice fractional (4-5 times a day) meals, with small portions, I have given up junk food. Now in my diet there are no canned and fried foods, bread products (I only eat cereals), salt, sugar and sauces. I'm already used to this kind of food and I'm comfortable. True, it is still difficult to give up sweets, so I still eat it sometimes, but without fanaticism. "
"For me, dieting is torture. It is difficult for me to control my diet, the process of losing weight is very difficult for me. For a long time I could not lose weight, and I decided to go to the gym. I learned a lot about a healthy lifestyle and realized that you should not exhaust yourself with complex diets. Proper nutrition has become a way of life for me. I have lost weight, sleep well and look great. "
"I have been on many diets for a very long time. Over time, they stopped helping me. Somehow I decided to change my lifestyle and consult with professionals. Fitness trainers have recommended starting a healthy diet and exercising regularly in the gym. I feel great, there is some kind of lightness in my body. I am very pleased with the result. "
Eating right is a great way to lose weight without harming your health.